《Master Hunter K》 Chapter 1 Chapter 1 C Greenskin Wildlands (1) A palisade could be seen in the distance, pierced all over with unnecessary spikes and nails. The tips were also filed to a point. The meat of an unknown animal was hung over a bonfire to cook, and various sizes of skulls were placed on top of the spears to decorate the area. The place Sungjin arrived to reeked of barbarity. And so he thought to himself, The Chapter order is the same. Shortly after arriving, a cube appeared and followed him. The Operators voice could be heard from the cube. [Welcome to Greenskin Wildlands;] [Home of savage creatures who gathered together to form a tribe.] [This is the hunters first real challenge] [and it is also an excellent opportunity for the hunter to experiment with how to grow stronger.] [The first four Phases are combat tutorials designed to get you prepared.] [However, do not lower your guard.] [Like in real combat situation, if you take fatal damage,] [or if the enemy is not annihilated within the time limit, the hunter will be killed.] A billboard appeared with the enemys information on it. Phase 1 C Goblin Time Limit: 3 Minutes [Annihilate the enemy. If you cannot, you will die.] Kyakakakakaka~! A Goblins cries could be heard from somewhere in the Wildlands. Sungjin drew out his katana while the Operator continued to explain through the cube. [Goblins are small creatures.] [Typically reaching only the height of an adults knee, or in exceptional cases, to the hips.] [The weight of the monster is only about a fourth of an average adult, so it is not a physically powerful creature.] [The short height causes their point of attack to be lower, and their temperament] The Operators voice stopped there since all the Goblins were already decapitated. [All Monsters Eliminated. Closing the Chapter.] Following the announcement, the hologram reappeared. Completion Reward: Stat Point 1 Kill Reward: Black Coin 1 [Use the reward you earned to strengthen yourself. With only the strength of a human] Enough. Sungjin cut off the operator and spoke over her. Add the Stat point to Dexterity. [Dexterity rose by 1 point.] Despite Sungjins rude interruption, the Operator continued her explanation. [The Black Coins can be used] Once again Sungjin cut her off. Im not buying. And then once again, a billboard with the monsters information appeared in front of him. Phase 2 C HobGoblin Time limit: 3 minutes [HobGoblins are stronger versions of go] Sungjin did not wait for her explanation before rushing in to behead the HobGoblins. The Operator seemed to take notice of Sungjins competency, and so she quickly allowed him to proceed. [All Monsters Eliminated. Closing the Chapter.] Completion Reward: Stat Point 3 Kill Reward: Black Coin 3 Sungjin spoke to the cube. All Stat points to Dexterity. And Im not buying anything. [Dexterity rose by 3 points.] Operator skipped all the explanations and proceeded to the next phase. Phase 3 C Orc Time Limit: 3 Minutes This time, Sungjin didnt rush out of the entry way. The Operator gave an explanation from behind. [Orcs are powerful creatures.] [They are as large or larger than an average adult male human.] [They also wield barbaric weapons such as clubs, glaives, and axes.] An Orc jumped out from behind the Palisade. He sported a clearly defined six pack and well-developed trapezius muscle. This Phase was where most of the physically weaker hunters were eliminated and sent to the purgatory. I remember this being really hard the first time. Recalling memories of the previous time he was in this Chapter, Sungjin could not help but laugh. This time around things will be different, he thought. Sungjin had already experienced countless battles before; something as simple as an Orc did not warrant a second thought. Uzak Rumrum The Orc shouted in an unknown language and charged towards Sungjin. He aimed for Sungjins head and swung his club. Sungjin avoided the blow by leaning back out of the strike zone. Woosh Club hit nothing but air. Bam! And landed on the ground. The Orc stiffened up slightly upon impact. Taking advantage of his opening, Sungjin cut the back of the Orcs knee. Kaaaa! The Orc was forced to his knees, exposing his neck to Sungjin. Without mercy, Sungjin brought his blade down upon the Orcs neck. The Orc was beheaded in a single strike. Moments later, the Operator spoke. [All Monsters Eliminated. Closing the Chapter.] Sungjin raised his katana high and swung the sword, causing the blood on the katana to fall and paint a crimson tapestry on the forest floor. Sungjin absentmindedly cleaned off his blade as he thought to himself while examining the head of the Orc. Now that I think of it, the last Orc was bald. The Orc head in front of him sported long hair. The Chapter itself is the same but the monsters are a little different. Im going to have to keep this in mind. Interrupting his thoughts, the Operator announced his reward. Completion Reward: Stat Point 5 Kill Reward: Black Coin 5 Sungjin, once again, put all his stat points into Dexterity. All Stat points to Dexterity. [Dexterity rose by 5 points.] And Im not Sungjin stopped himself before finishing saying buying anything as before. The next enemy was a Troll, an adversary with an amazing regenerative ability. In order to kill a Troll in spite of his regenerative ability, fire or acid was required. The Operator also suggested the same. [You will require fire to fight the next enemy.] [In the first Chapter, you will be able to purchase Items from the cube.] [Please use the Black Coins you earned to purcha] Sungjin cut off the Operator and spoke over her. How much is the Salamanders ash? [It is 6 Black Coins.] Salamanders ash is an item that gives fire enchant to a weapon upon use. The problem is that it is a consumable item that wears off over time. It was an item necessary for new hunters to overcome the early Chapters, but for Sungjin who aimed for All Clear and late game, it was an expense he was hesitant to make. Sungjin asked the Operator; How much is Moyzakui Flintstone? [It is 300 Black Coins.] Unlike Salamanders ash, Moyzakui Flintstone could repeatedly be used. However, it costs 300 Black Coins. He would need to complete two Chapters before he could earn that much. Sungjin frowned and said to the operator: Not buying. Third time. The Operator prepared the next phase immediately upon hearing Sungjins answer. Phase 4 C Troll Time limit: 3 minutes A monster at least a head taller than an average man appeared from the palisade. When the Troll noticed Sungjin, it opened its jaws wide and roared. Guwaaaaarg! From the force of its roar, long strings of mucus dripped down its jaw, clinging to its irregular and jagged teeth. Sungjin assumed his position and drew his katana. And for the first time since returning to the beginning, Sungjin checked the timer. 3 Minutes (Translators notes) Unnecessary Spikes C Reference to WoW Horde. Chapter 2 Chapter 2 C Greenskin Wildlands (2) The Troll waved his club wildly as he ran towards Sungjin. Sungjin watched the club carefully and dodged Woosh Twice Whoosh He evaded the club and cut the back of the Trolls knee like in the case of the Orc. Kurag! The Troll fell on his knees. Sungjin tried to cut off the Trolls head as he did with the Orc, but Woosh The Troll swung his club towards Sungjin again. Sungjin was forced to stop as he dodged the club and backed away creating a distance between them. The Troll stood up right away, and charged towards Sungjin. Warrgh! The cut on his leg had regenerated by the time it finished screaming. If he had used Salamanders ash, the fight would have already been over, but Sungjin wished to preserve every bit of Black Coin he could manage. I guess the same trick wont work on a Troll. A Trolls physical strength was massive, and with an extraordinary regenerative ability, it was impossible for a human to face off against it using purely physical attacks. But the reason why humans could overcome the Trolls is that the Trolls lacked the ability to learn. Graaah! The Troll picked up his club and charged towards Sungjin once more. Sungjin dodged the club and Woosh Sungjin cut the Trolls shin and spun around, striking and severing the wrist with which the Troll held the club. Kragh! While screaming in pain of losing his right hand, the Troll swung his fist towards Sungjin with his left hand. Sungjin jumped back to avoid that strike. The tip of the Trolls fingers sported nails as sharp as spears. I cant give him a chance to regenerate. Once Sungjin landed on the ground, he dashed forward to re-engage the Troll. The Troll swiped his left hand once more towards Sungjin, but Sungjin swiftly dodged and closed in on the Troll. And all he had to do was to draw out his katana and hold it in the trajectory of the slash. The Trolls massive strike met the blade, and the momentum of the Trolls own attack severed his wrist effortlessly. Wargh! Sungjin got to work cutting and slashing ruthlessly at the Troll without mercy. It was a gruesome task, but Sungjin could not let up the pressure since the Troll could regenerate all of it in a matter of moments. With both hands gone, the Troll could not retaliate against Sungjins attacks and finally leaned forward to protect his body. The moment the Troll leaned over, Sungjin beheaded the Troll. And without a pause, the Operator announced his victory. [All Monsters Eliminated. Closing the Chapter.] Haa Finally, Sungjin let out a sigh. Fighting Troll without fire how annoying. The fallen Troll had already regrown his right arm, along with the spear-like nails. It was an unbelievable display of regenerative ability. But despite it all, it was a success. He had saved 6 Black Coins. The Operator announced the reward. Completion Reward: Stat Point 10 Kill Reward: Black Coin 10 The reward for the Troll was double that of the Orc, which made sense. Actually, considering the difference in the level of difficulty between the two monsters, the difference in the reward amount was perhaps not high enough; in real combat, the Troll was more than twice as difficult as compared to the Orc. If the Orc was an opponent a grown man has a good chance of defeating, then the Troll was something only a combat veteran could overcome; assuming he used the Black Coins in both cases. I think an unimaginable amount of people will be eliminated at this stage. Sungjins guess was spot on as many had succumbed to their deaths on this phase and were sent to the purgatory. That may be, but there was no need to mourn the loss of those hunters. In this hunt, only the strong were allowed to survive. In fact, the earlier the weak got eliminated, the better. Especially before the next round. The next round was not an individual round; it was a Raid conducted as a team. The Operator announced this fact as well. [Dear Hunter, you have completed this phase faster than the others.] [In the next phase, you will be put into teams with other hunters and carry out a Raid.] [Please stand by until other hunters complete their tutorials.] Since Sungjin suddenly had down time, he checked his Status for the first time since the restart. Operator, show me my Stats. HP: 100 MP: 170 Strength: 12 Dexterity: 23 Endurance: 10 Magic: 14 Concentration (AKA Mind): 17 Unallocated Stat points: 10 Seeing the Status window made Sungjin pause. The Stat is the same as last time. From the start, Sungjins Stat was on the high side. Before he restarted from beginning, he had asked others for their starting States and found that most people had averaged just around 10. Meaning Sungjin was originally much stronger than an average person. His strength and dexterity were 2~3 points higher than average. And although it was unclear how it was decided, he also had higher than average starting Magic power and Mind Power (mana). Only his endurance was at an average level. Sungjin carefully thought about his Stat. I began raising Dexterity which directly improved my speed, but He lifted up his katana and asked the Operator a question. Operator, show me the specs of the sword. Katana C Beginning the Hunt Normal Katana C Strength C Dexterity D Basic weapon issued by the Operator without any significant merits or demerits. If wielded by a master, it can perform extraordinarily well. Strength C Dexterity D In this hunt, every weapon had a rating for how it affects Strength and Dexterity. Until the restart, Sungjin had used weapons rated at at least an A. He asked Operator another question. Operator, how do ranks affect bonus stats? [Rank affects stats as follows.] [Rank E C x0.1 | Rank D C x0.2 | Rank C C x0.5] [Rank B C x1.0 | Rank A C x1.5 | Rank S C x2.0] [Rank SS C x3.0 | Rank SSS C x4.0] Generally speaking, blunts and axes are more influenced by Strength and less from Dexterity. Swords, like the katana wielded by Sungjin, were well balanced between Strength and Dexterity. If he raises his strength, the damage will increase by a large amount (in this case, by an additional x0.5), and raising the dexterity will increase damage by a smaller (x0.2) amount. He would be trading damage for attack and dodging speed in combat. Raising both stats had merits, but Sungjin decided to build on dexterity first. Increasing his speed improved his ability to dodge. Instead of investing in Endurance, he opted for combat stats. Not raising his endurance at all was a dangerous gamble. No matter how fast he was, he could still die from one or two stray hits without investing points in endurance. But he paid no heed to the danger and decided to all-in on his gamble. Add all points to Dexterity. [Dexterity rose by 10 points.] Starting with the next phase, which was a raid, points were awarded based on his merit and participation. If I dont excel from the start, I will die in the latter half. Sungjins immediate goal wasnt merely survival, but to prepare for end game. So ignoring Endurance, for now, he invested solely in Dexterity. And he decided to save every Black Coin he could manage. The average hunter would have difficulty surviving from chapter to chapter without items. But Sungjin decided that he was not going to waste any coins on consumables if at all possible. [Synchronization will begin in 1 minute.] The Operator fell silent after that last message. It appeared that there was still some time before other hunters completed their phases. Sungjin crossed his arms and thought about the next raid. Killing as many monsters as possible within the time limit is a no-brainer It was the most basic rule, common to all raids. And if at all possible, find the hidden boss and eliminate it. Hidden boss refers to boss mobs concealed in every map. As chapters progressed, hunters realized that hidden boss mobs and items existed in every map. And those secret bosses dropped special items. Problem is, I do not know where it is located. Sungjin knew the location of a few hidden bosses in later chapters, thanks to hunters sharing the secret locations via word of mouth. But for the first raid, Greenskin Wildlands, nobody knew the secret location, because everyone was still new to the hunt. In that case, I need to complete the raid as fast as possible and search the map. Running through the plan in his head, Sungjin pursed his lips and nodded. Finally, the Operator announced the next stage. [All hunts have been completed.] [Synchronizing Hunters] The background blurred for a moment, and four people appeared in the vicinity. Including Sungjin, there were five hunters now. What? The other hunters were briefly shocked upon seeing each other, but [Starting from phase 5, the hunt will be carried out as a raid in cooperation between 5 hunters.] The moment the Operators voice was heard, the other hunters immediately stopped speaking. They had realized that listening to the Operator was essential to their survival. Phase 5 C Greenskin Wildlands Raid Target C Hunt the Orc Chief Kamul Time limit: 20 minutes [Complete your objective within the time limit.] [If you cannot, you will die.] The others listened carefully to the Operators announcement. Meanwhile, Sungjin took the chance to inspect his teammates. They were all males. Black, White, Asian, Arabic, they were all from different races, and not one of them Sungjin recognized. The teammates were different than in his previous life. I kind of predicted this back when I saw the Orc Sungjin had briefly hoped that he would find the same members in his team from last time, but he knew better than to expect it. The Operator was explaining about the rewards of this raid. [You will be given freedom to act as you please upon completion of the raid objective.] [Hunt as many enemies as you can within the time limit.] [The more you hunt, higher the reward will be.] [Loot will be distributed based on contribution.] Goblin C Contribution 1 HobGoblin C Contribution 3 Orc C Contribution 5 Troll C Contribution 10 Orc Chief Cunning Kamul C Contribution 50 As expected, there was no information at all about the hidden boss. The Operator only went on to explain the importance of cooperation. [In order to complete the raid objective, Cooperation between hunters is essential.] [Please discuss with your teammates, distribute your Stat points, and purchase items as you deem necessary.] [Raid begins in 1 minute. I wish you all best of luck.] With that last sentence, the Operator concluded her explanation. The only thing left now were the five hunters. Since this was the first meeting amongst them, it was a little awkward. But finally, someone broke the ice. Well, since we should cooperate with each other, lets introduce ourselves. First to speak out was the muscular Black man. As you saw from the previous round, we need fire to beat those Trolls. How many Black Coins do you all have remaining with you? I have 7 left. The black man wore a vest with Police written on it, with a large badge. At his words, others began to speak out. This time, the tall white man. 8 Then the short and skinny Asian. I have 6. And finally, the Arabic man wearing a turban. I also have 6. As expected, they all had spent some coins until now. Potions to heal from the damage taken from fighting and the Salamanders ash which was needed to defeat the Troll. But if they continued to burn through coins purchasing consumable items like this, they wouldnt last until the end game. Everybody had announced their number of Black Coins. Everybody except one. They looked towards Sungjin. Finally opening his mouth, he decided to speak. Please listen carefully. Chapter 3 Chapter 3 C Greenskin Wildlands (3) Everyones eyes focused on Sungjin. With his eyes narrowed to a slit, Sungjin continued to speak. You should all follow closely behind me. I will clear this raid quickly for you. Sungjins plan was simple. Finish the raid as fast as possible and then search for the hidden boss. After all, his objective wasnt to simply clear the raid. Without waiting for anyone to reply, Sungjin continued to explain. And just in case, please go ahead and purchase Salamanders ash. You dont need potions so dont get them. The team continued to stare at Sungjin in shock. He added one more line. And as the last bit of advice, if you have any remaining unallocated Stat points, please invest them into Endurance. Then, you will be able to survive at least a bit longer. Once Sungjin finished, the other four men looked amongst each other. Finally, the white man spoke out first. I mean, we dont know whats going to happen soon The Arab man joined in, Hes right. We should carefully consider our options, dont you think? Sungjin bit his lips in frustration. But he didnt have the time nor reason to explain everything to them. And the operator decided this was the best timing to ask Sungjin a question. [You currently have 19 Black Coins left. Will you] Im not buying. Sungjin answered nonchalantly, but the other four men opened their eyes wide in surprise. The Black man repeated the number to verify. 19? The White man also asked in response. You didnt use a single coin until now? The two men looked upon Sungjin with a sense of admiration, but the other two looked horrified. The Asian man narrowed his eyes, full of distrust, and asked Sungjin, 19? Youve got so many, and you are making us spend our own coins instead? The Arab man piped in as well. 19 If you have several more times the coins than anyone of us do, doesnt it make more sense for you to spend your coins? Sungjin massaged his forehead. He was starting to give up on the idea of trying to explain himself. I am unable to spend my coins. The other four men doubted his words. Especially the Asian man. Liar! Youre just trying to save up coins to buy yourself lots of potions! So you can survive alone! The Arab man also butted in. Right, to save yourself! Sungjin shook his head. You dont need to help me. Just stick together as a group and carefully hunt Goblins on the outskirts of the wildlands. However, the Asian man pointed his finger towards Sungjin and continued to accuse him of trickery. What is your problem? Who do you think you are? Who are you to try and teach the rest of us? Youre just a teenager! Sungjin now started frowning. He expected it to be difficult to explain himself, but it still felt annoying to be openly antagonized. The Operator interrupted the situation. [30 seconds until raid begins.] Ok, lets stop fighting here. Lets all cooperate. We still have 30 seconds. I shall buy one Salamanders ash to start. The Black man tried to recover the mood, but it was already beyond salvaging. The Arab man spoke to the cube. Operator, use 6 coins and buy me two recovery potions. The Asian man immediately followed suit. Operator, give me two recovery potions as well. Both men spent all of their remaining coins to buy potions. The white man began to get angry watching the two men. What are you doing? What are you trying to do? The Asian man pointed his fingers at Sungjin. You dont need to spend coins for items. He can just buy it for us if we need it. The Arab man and Asian man continued to work together to blame Sungjin. Yeah, who is he to be giving us orders? The Black police officer who had been trying to rally the group also started massaging his forehead. Sungjin stared at the four men with narrowed eyes. If this were under normal circumstances, this group would face elimination. The first group Sungjin got into had worked together to overcome the raid together. It was difficult, but as a result of cooperation, Sungjin was able to survive to the end becoming the last remaining survivor. Groups like this, where members all argued and sought personal gain over the best interest of the group were almost guaranteed to be eliminated. [10 Seconds until raid begins.] Sungjin stood up from the rock he sat on and strolled to the entrance of the raid. Hey, wait a minute The Black Police officer tried to stop Sungjin, but Sungjin ignored him and waited at the entrance. Soon the Operator began a countdown. [5, 4, 3, 2, 1. Raid Commencing.] The moment the raid began, Sungjin dashed out towards the Wildlands. * After Sungjin had left, the four men didnt take a single step forward. Whos going to stand vanguard? The weapon I picked is a spear so I will be in the back. What? What are you talking about? You can stand at the front and use the range to keep enemies at bay! Are you mad? Its obviously better to support from the back! The two who were arguing turn their sights on the Black Police officer. You Youre a police officer. You should stand vanguard. Protection of civilians was now a meaningless phrase. But the other men still looked up to him and trusted him to protect them. The Black police officer had no choice but to tighten his grip on the club (the most similar weapon to police baton that he was used to) and stood at the front. Letsuh, try to lure one or two in at a time and avoid being outnumbered. He carefully stepped into the wildlands. But once he was there, he couldnt help but be shocked. Whats all this? In front of his eyes were a mountain of green-skinned corpses. The others also expressed their surprise. How is this possible? Did that teenager do this all by himself? Just a glance was enough to see that there were more than a dozen monsters slain in front of them. The others had been going from Phase to Phase, barely winning one on one, barely holding onto their lives. The Arab man asked. What should we do now? The Black policeman in the front recalled Sungjins words. You should all follow closely behind me. I will clear this raid quickly for you. The officer turned around to face the other men. Lets follow the corpses. If we keep going, eventually we should catch up to him. Following the corpses, the men slowly inched their way in cautiously. Suddenly, the cube lets out a warning. [Caution: Boss monster] [Orc Chief Cunning Kamul has appeared!] Simultaneously, a powerful roar could be heard from straight ahead. Kurruagh! The Black man pointed forward. Lets go quickly! But the other three were wary. Do we even have to go? Yeah, lets just let them be. The Black Police officer shook his head in disappointment and ran towards the direction from where the roar was heard. Ahead, he saw numerous green skinned enemies, from Orcs to Trolls. But standing at the center was an Orc 1.5 times taller than all the other Orcs. One could see in a single glance that it was none other than the Boss mob. The Boss held a massive, fearsome club embedded from tip to tip with skulls. What in the world? Beholding the boss mob for the first time, even the brave police officer stopped in his tracks. But the teenager charged forward fearlessly. Goblins, HobGoblins, and Orcs attempted to obstruct him, but they were cut down mercilessly. Each swing of his sword sent heads flying. Two Trolls attacked him simultaneously, but the teenager dodged lightly, and took off an arm of one and removed the legs from both Trolls. The Trolls who lost their legs struggled on the ground. Ignoring the Trolls who lost their mobility, the teenager rushed towards the Orc Chief. Kragh! The Orc Chief let out a fearsome roar and swung his club. The speed of his attack was unbelievable considering the Orc Chiefs size. But the teenager was faster. He dodged the club as if he predicted the path and timing. Then, he counter-attacked and attacked the chiefs hands. Few fingers holding the club flew off. Wagh! The Chief cried out in pain. But no ounce of mercy could be seen in the Teenagers attack. With lightening speed tempo, he cut the Chiefs shin, chest, and shoulders in quick succession. The chief bit back his pain and tried to swing his club once more, but it was nowhere near as fast. The teenager easily dodged the attack and cut the chiefs throat. Blood spilled from the neck like a waterfall. Kackackack.. The Chief couldnt even scream out properly anymore, and after coughing up blood a few more times, he kneeled over and stopped moving. The Operator announced happily, [Objective complete. You will be summoned back to the Hunters Hall in 11 minutes and 32 seconds.] The Black police officer couldnt help but exclaim Incredible! The teenager, however, had no time to rest. The Trolls had regenerated by now and began attacking the teen again. They were no match for the teen before; they were no match for the teen now. The teenager rapidly ripped apart the Trolls. It was evident that given time, the teenager would reduce them to pieces of meat and kill them. But they were interrupted. Help! Save us! The police officer heard screams of terror from behind. Two Trolls were chasing the three men he had left behind. What the There was no time for the officer to say anything. He saw the white turban of the Arab gripped by one of the Trolls hands. The Black man had no choice but to run as well. The three men ran into the hall where Sungjin was already fighting two Trolls. Sungjin turned and saw the three men run in, and the additional two Trolls that followed. The trio raced to the other side of the hall as if to hide behind Sungjin. The two new Trolls swung their clubs at Sungjin. Woosh The club split the air, and the Black man closed his eye on instinct. And when he opened his eyes, each of the Trolls had lost an arm each. Grrrrrr The problem was the original two Trolls. Because of the new Trolls, the first two Trolls had an opportunity to regenerate. Sungjin, who kept an indifferent expression until now, let out his first words of frustration. Damn it, I dont have time for this The Black police officer realized something from his utterance. Judging from his skill, Sungjin would win against all four Trolls hands down. But it would take considerable time since the four Trolls would take turn regenerating. The Black man reached into his pocket and retrieved a package. It was the Salamanders ash he was forced to purchase. He scattered the ash on his club and spread it evenly on the club with his hands. Foof His club lit up in flames. He got up close to Sungjin and said to him. Please immobilize them. I will finish them off. Sungjin rapidly cut the Trolls. One moment, their arms would be cut off at the elbows, and the next, the tendon below their knees. The Trolls who lost their arms and legs fell to the floor and flailed. The Black police officer took his flaming club and struck the Trolls in their knees. The fire burnt the wound Black and prevented further regeneration. Within moments, the Trolls were killed off. Once killing all the Trolls, Sungjin wasted no time asking the cube, Operator, time remaining on the clock? [You will return to the Hunters Hall in 10 minutes 7 seconds.] He had already wasted more than 1 minute. He had to find and kill the hidden boss in that time. Chapter 4 Chapter 4 C Greenskin Wildlands (4) Sungjin took a glance around at the surroundings, still holding his bloody katana. Nothing stood out at the Bosss hall. It was also improbable that both the boss and the hidden boss were placed in the same location. Sungjin moved to leave the hall but saw the Black police officer. He turned towards him and asked, Hey, whats your name? Baltren. Gerald Baltren. Good. Listen to me, Baltren. Take the other two and try to search around here. With you three, and with that flaming club, you should be able to handle anything, including a lone Troll. Do you understand? The Black police officer nodded quickly. And if you find anything out of place, let me know. A hidden location, or a strange looking monster. But how will we contact you when youre far away? You can speak with the Operators cube and request to communicate with the team members. It functions like a police walkie-talkie. Any other questions? No, I got it. Baltren took his club and turned around. You heard him, right? Lets work together. Sungjin began to walk out once more when the Asian man tried to ask him a question. Hey, how did you find out there are secrets to search for? He was shouting and antagonizing Sungjin until just a few minutes ago, Sungjin felt no need to acknowledge that a question was asked. Once Sungjin left, Baltren took the men and began to move about the Wildlands. After a few minutes, Kakaka! The men ran into a group of five Goblins. Get into a circle! Under Baltrens instructions, the other two men took their place behind him with their backs against each other. Goblins were less than half a humans height, but they were cooperative with each other. The Goblins ran in first, swinging their swords. Baltren parried the sword away and landed a shot square on the goblins head. Kack! The goblin who was hit on his head collapsed on the spot. Goblins werent hard, as expected. Baltren got more courageous and smashed the head in of two more. The White and Asian man also took one out each. After all, each one of them had fought against a Troll one on one and had won (despite having used Black Coins to do so). Even if they were in large groups, the three men could probably overcome anything that wasnt a Troll. In fact, they could probably beat a lone Troll without many problems. This seems doable. The White man standing next to him seemed to have regained some confidence. But the problem was the Asian man as usual. Hey is there really a reason why we need to put ourselves in danger? I thought we already completed our objectives. Dont you remember the sign from the beginning? Stat points and Black Coins per Goblin and etcetera. Its probably better to kill more monsters. Ah is that so? Of course. I dont know how or why we started to hunt but we do need Black Coins for later. Baltren, who was listening to the conversation, agreed. Yes. And that teenager said so himself. We dont need to help him, so just go around the outskirts and hunt monsters. Baltren recalled his words. You dont need to help me. Just stick together as a group and carefully hunt Goblins on the outskirts of the wildlands. And in the end, he did complete the boss all on his own. Baltren could tell that the teenager wasnt simply showing off; there was something more. The Asian man stroke his chin while listening and then asked, how do points get divided? Its not like we can see drops or something. Baltren was also curious about this point. He thought for a moment when he noticed the cube floating around. He spoke to the cube. Operator. The cube responded with the Operators voice. [Yes, how may I help you?] He carefully asked the question. Um How do stat points and Black Coins get divided? [The reward per hunter is based on contribution during the raid.] Contribution? Baltren asked out of instinct. The Operator answered his question anyways. [When hunting, points for damage taken, damage done, killing blow, buffs given, debuffs dealt, scouting and spotting are all totalled up and divided accurately.] The three men looked amongst themselves. Until now, they have done almost nothing. The White man whispered to himself. I wonder whats my contribution And then the cube next to the White man answered. [Your contribution is 4.3%.] The Asian man quickly asked his cube. What about me? How much is my contribution? But the cube did not answer. Why? Why arent you telling me? While the Asian man was freaking out, Baltren calmly asked his cube, What is my contribution for this raid? [Your contribution is 7.2%.] It wasnt much, but it was much higher than the White man. His help in killing the four Trolls in the Bosss hall had been the cause of the difference in their contribution. The Asian man took hold of his cube and enunciated each word carefully. How much contribution points do I have from this raid? [Your contribution is 1.8%] He jolted in surprise. What?! He had fewer points than even the White man. Acting cowardly and avoiding action as much as possible was coming back to bite him. The White man sighed in regret. Ahh, we should have just gone hunting as a group earlier, when that teenager told us to. Baltren rallied the men. Theres still 10 minutes until the raid ends. Its not too late to try and hunt and make more points. Lets go hunting and keep an eye out for anything strange. * Sungjin charged through Greenskin Wildlands as he kept searching. Eeek! Cough Kack! He didnt stop and cut anything down that got in his way; Goblins, Orcs, Troll. It wasnt necessarily a bad thing since each kill he secured was more stat points and Black Coins later. The problem was that he could not find any clues as to where the secret boss was located. He had scoured the entire wildlands, searching. But he couldnt find anything that seemed out of place. Operator, remaining time. [You will be summoned to the Hunters Hall in 6 minutes and 24 seconds.] Damn it! Sungjin swore out loud as he continued to run without taking a break. But there were more corpses than there were living things. In other words, he had already searched almost the entire map. Kurman kao One Orc charged at the angry Sungjin. It was his bad luck to run into Sungjin. Before the Orc could even raise his axe, he was stabbed three times in vital points. The Orc collapsed on the spot, bleeding. Sungjin took a look around at the surroundings. He could not see anything other than corpses now. Is there no hidden boss because this is the first raid? Once he thought this, he immediately changed his goal. If so, Ill wipe out the whole map. Sungjin now began chasing down every scrap of living thing he could find. Goblins who were trying to hide from him, Orcs who were eating away at the meat by the campfire, Trolls who stupidly stumbled towards him Then he ran into the other hunters who were fighting against three Trolls in a close 3v3 match. Sungjin charged in like a lightning bolt, and beheaded two Trolls, spraying blood everywhere. Ththank you. The Black Officer Baltren expressed his gratitude. But Sungjin replied, So, were you able to find anything peculiar? Nothing out of the ordinary. Was there really nothing hidden? No hidden boss, or secret location? Sungjin called over the Operator. Operator, what is the raid progress? [95% complete.] 95%. Only the 5% reserved for the secret boss was remaining. Since no more monsters could be found anywhere, it was certain that the hidden boss existed. Sungjin wanted to move on to search again, but Baltren stopped him. But It irritated Sungjin that Baltren was dragging out his thoughts, so he urged him on. Yes? Please speak your mind. Baltren pointed towards somewhere with his club. About the Palisade that surrounds the Wildlands, isnt that area a bit weird? Sungjin looked to the area pointed out by the club. I had worked on traffic control before and had to put up roadblocks. The fact that those wooden barricades there overlap seems inefficient somehow. Sungjin immediately headed towards the wooden roadblocks to check. Now that he got a closer look at it, it definitely seemed strange. The rest of the wooden palisade were more or less perfectly circular in arrangement. But a portion of the wall here was indented inward. Sticking out from the wood was also something like a metal rod. Although it looked extremely crude, Sungjin thought, It looks just like a lever! Sungjin checked behind him. The three men were watching him from a distance. Once he checked this, Sungjin pulled the lever. Rattle rattle A sound could be heard as if something was spinning, and the palisade in front of him was lifted up. Sungjin decided to go in. Inside was a small area surrounded by more palisades, but it resembled the insides of a castle. And deeper inside was a dark red Orc chained up to the wall. The fiery red skin somehow clashed with the image of Greenskin Wildlands. Sungjin was filled with certainty that this was it. Grrrrrr The thing was emitting a deep growl while still chained. When Sungjin took one more step to check on the bosss stats, he heard a warning come out of the cube. [Caution! Mad Orc Ruark Hidden boss has appeared.] Sungjin gripped his katana tightly and prepared for battle. Then, he heard voices of the three men. Where is Whats that? Sungjin quickly shouted looking back at them. Go back! Youll die! And as if on cue, Gragh! Sungjin heard a powerful roar behind him. By the time he turned around, the Orc had already cut the chains and was charging towards Sungjin. Chapter 5 Chapter 5 C Greenskin Wildlands (5) Sungjin gripped his katana tightly. The Orc charged straight towards him as if it saw food for the first time after a long period of starvation. Sungjin stabbed hard and fast towards the charging Orcs neck and heart. Stab stab Sungjins blade found their mark. Except, the red Orc did not respond at all. Despite aiming for vital points, there was no response from the Orc. Orc continued his charge and swung his arms. Sungjin was forced to jump back, and the arms missed their mark. But, just as Sungjin was going to counter attack, he saw that the chains attached to the arms were flying towards him with slight delay. Sungjin ducked in haste. Voom Sungjin felt something metallic sail through the air above his head. When he looked up, he saw the Orc swinging his arms once again. The problem wasnt just his hands. Each time he swung his arms, the chains attached to his arms also flew towards him like whips. Sungjin was forced to look at the chains and predict their path. He backed away and concentrated on defense.. How annoying. The main boss traded speed for great power, whereas this boss had tremendous speed and reach. It was the worst possible enemy for Sungjin, who had committed all points to Dexterity. Because he put no points in Endurance, getting hit once or twice by the chains meant that it was game over. Whoa, whoa, whoa As Sungjin retreated backwards while dodging and parrying, the other three men were busy escaping at full speed to avoid interrupting Sungjins fight. To be fair, Main boss nor the Secret boss was meant to be taken on alone. But the others were absolutely of no help at all. Even as Sungjin slowly backed off and dodged the chains, he kept an eye out for mistakes. Once his arm became vulnerable, Sungjin took the opportunity and stabbed it three times. Papapa But as if taking no damage, the Orc continued to swing away. His nickname mad was probably due to his rapid and wild swinging of arms and chains. Sungjin concluded his rapid attack, and immediately switched back to defense. Something like this guy isnt common even later on Even though his every stat point was on Dexterity, the boss moved and attacked at a comparable speed. First, Ive got to do something about those arms Once he established his plan of attack, he waited for a chance. He ducked from an incoming attack and then kicked the Orcs shins. Bam! With the sound, the Orc fell over. But despite being downed, he didnt let up the attack. He kept on swinging the chains from the ground. Sungjin had to jump up to avoid chains coming at his feet. The chains rapidly passed by him. Once, twice, Sungjin leaped up into the air, as if playing high-risk jump rope. He embedded his scabbard into the ground between jumps. When he jumped up, the chains from the Orc wrapped around it. Did it work? But after just a brief pause, the scabbard was pulled away by the force of the chains and it flew away. I need something heavier. Meanwhile, the mad Orc stood up. Kruagh! The Orc began attacking with his arms and chains even faster than before. Sungjin had no opportunity to counter attack and had to focus entirely on defense as he slowly backed off. Any way to stop his attacks? Sungjin took a look around his surroundings, but he only saw the three men trying to escape from collateral damage. Then Sungjin noticed the Policemans weapon. It was a club made of metallic material. While dodging chains with inhuman speed, he yelled at the policeman. Hey, Officer! Throw me your club! Baltren, who was watching from a distance, panicked when his name was mentioned. Sungjin yelled louder in frustration while dodging the Orcs attacks. Damn it! The club! Baltren hesitated for a moment because the red Orcs chains were destroying everything within 4~5 meters range. But once he made up his mind, he approached the two combatants Catch! After yelling loudly, Baltren threw his club towards Sungjin. Sungjin dodged the chains acrobatically by jumping backward and caught the club with his free left hand. Holding Katana on the right and the club on the left, Sungjin bid his time until he could kick over the Orc again. Once the Orc was tripped, he flailed wildly from the ground again. Sungjin planted the club deep into the ground and leaped up to dodge the chains, and landed on it, like some sort of martial artist from Murim. (see note) When the chains came flying, it hit the Club and wrapped itself around it. Clink! It spun around few times and then became stuck on the club. For the first time since combat started, his arms were immobilized. Sungjin easily cut off his arm. Graaagh! Even while screaming in pain, the Orc continued to swing his chains about wildly. But he could not land a hit on Sungjin with two chains; dodging just one was a piece of cake. Sungjin dodged the chains with ease and cut off the other arm as well. Kaaaa! The Red Orc could no longer stand nor attack due to his loss of arms. Sungjin strolled up to the Orc. Be at peace. After bidding goodbye, Sungjin beheaded the Orc. Moments later, the Operator announced his victory. [Hidden boss Mad Orc Ruark Cleared.] [Congratulations! You have managed to complete all objectives in this chapter!] [Disregarding the remaining time and ending the raid immediately.] Haaa Sungjin let out a long sigh. He finally found the secret location and hunted every monster. It was Sungjins first time fighting a hidden boss. First time around, the top priority for each raid was merely survival. After a breather, Sungjin sheathed his sword back in the scabbard. He picked the club out of the ground and tossed it back to the Officer. Once the Officer caught the club, all the cubes spoke out in unison in the Operators voice. [Calculating Rewards Earned.] [Monsters Slain. Goblins: 100. HobGoblins: 30. Orc 20. Troll: 10. Total 390 points.] [Boss Monster Slain: Orc Chief cunning Kamul: 50 points.] [Hidden Boss Mad Orc Ruark: 50 points.] [Final point count: 490. Distributing points.] Now each cube spoke individually, starting with the Asian man first. [Your contribution is 0.7%. 3 Stat points, 3 Black Coins awarded. Raid Clear Bonus 50 Stat points and 50 Black Coins awarded. Distributing 53 Stat points and 53 Black Coins.] Asian man frowned and looked around, as if not believing what hes hearing. Next up was the White man. [Your contribution is 1.2%. 5 Stat points, 5 Black Coins awarded. Raid Clear Bonus 50 Stat points and 50 Black Coins awarded. Distributing 55 Stat points and 55 Black Coins.] And then the Black Police Officer. [Your contribution is 5.2%. 25 Stat points, 25 Black Coins awarded. Raid Clear Bonus 50 Stat points and 50 Black Coins awarded. Distributing 75 Stat points and 75 Black Coins.] Finally Sungjins turn. [Your contribution is 92.9%. 455 Stat points, 455 Black Coins awarded. Raid Clear Bonus 50 Stat points and 50 Black Coins awarded. Distributing 505 Stat points and 505 Black Coins.] Whoa The three men stare at Sungjin in envy and respect. But Sungjin ignored their response and calculated in his head. 19 Coins from before and now 524? With this, I can get [And now we will distribute items.] Once again, it began with the Asian man. [Recovery Potion C Small x1] A small potion bottle appeared in front of the Asian man, and he obediently picked it up from the ground, but he looked unhappily at it. This is it? White mans turn. [Recovery Potion C Small x2] [Orcs worn cloak] He received his items with both hands but likewise looked fairly unhappily at them. Next was Baltren. [Steel Shield] [Trolls Blood x1] A large shield dropped by the Police Officers feet. He quickly picked it up. Because he was wearing a bulletproof vest, it looked just as if he was carrying a riot shield. Sungjins turn was last. [Yanhurat C Mad gods voice] [Free Ark C Freemans shackles] [Skull Romabel C Skull Crusher] [Trolls Blood x4] [Recovery Potion C Small x5] A bunch of items dropped in front of him, and Sungjin bent over to pick them up. The Asian man spoke to himself. Wow, what a contribution hog. How selfish It was just a complain expressed under his breath, but Sungjin heard all of it. He frowned in annoyance. You. If it werent for me, all of you would have died here. Either by monsters or by running out of time. Understood? The Asian man didnt know when to give up and kept on complaining. you dont know that. That moment and that phrase, it finally pushed Sungjin over the edge. He had enough. Sungjin drew his katana and approached the man. Listen well. I will teach you about a hidden characteristic of the raid you dont know about What what? Asian man backed up in surprise, but Sungjin swung his Katana few times at him. Slash Slash Slash Following the sound of the blade cutting through the air, the Asian mans shirt and pants were reduced to rags. Once the Asian man realized what was going on, he grew pale and fell over. Sungjin got right into his face and spoke vehemently. In raids, there is no rule forbidding a hunter from hunting another hunter. Understood? When the Asian man heard, he nodded vigorously. Sungjin stood up, still holding his Katana out. Raids were like this after all. As one kills and murders, ones notion of ethics and morality fades. Sungjin was no exception. Sungjin had long forgotten ordinary ethics and morality after participating in raid after raid in his previous life. Wielding his katana to take the mans life posed no qualms to Sungjin, but he put away his blade. With his nonexistent reward from this raid, he will die in the next one. No, hell probably die before the next raid even begins. Once Sungjin put away his sword, the Operator resumed with the last briefing. [Last but not the least, you will be awarded with titles youve earned on this raid.] (Translators notes) Murim This is korean version of cultivation/kung fu genre. Basically hes standing on the club like shown in chinese movies. Edit : Numbers have been fixed by the autho Chapter 6 Chapter 6 C Greenskin Wildlands (6) [Titles are granted based on personal achievements during Raids.] [Variety of titles can be earned from different things.] The Operator continued with her explanation. [Each title has some form of effect,] [And the hunter can only have one title active at any given time.] [Active titles give 100% of the listed effect, but inactive titles only give 50% of the effect.] Sungjin closed his eyes, hugging his Katana tightly. [Titles appear above the hunters head, and the other hunters may view them.] [I bid you achieve greatness and earn great rewards.] [Initiating distribution.] Once again, it began with the Asian man. [Coward C Max HP dropped by half.] [Red outline illuminates you to monsters, making you easier to be found by monsters.] What?! The Asian man, who would have complained otherwise, continued to sit where he lay, unable to move or say anything. The Operator skipped next to the White man. [Novice Sentinel C Spear damage increased by 5%] The mans expression didnt change, as if he wasnt sure if it was a good or bad thing yet. Baltren was up next. [Criminal Arsonist C increased fire based damage by 20%] Police Officer with the title of Criminal Arsonist Baltren whispered to himself unhappily. Finally Sungjin. [Master Hunter C All Stats increased by 30%] Sungjin, whose eyes were closed until now, raises his eyebrows. 30%?! It was an unimaginably large bonus. He had earned many titles from Raids in the past, but never a title with such advantageous bonus as this. Titles were given based on how the raid was conducted. It was based on merit and contribution. Knowing exactly how the title Master Hunter was granted is unclear, but it probably had to do with clearing the raid at 100% with overwhelming contribution percentage at close to 90%. The Operator concluded handing out raid rewards and addressed the hunters. [Your group has completed the raid faster than other groups.] [You will be sent back to the Hunters Hall in 2 minutes and 37 seconds. Please hold] Sungjin called out to the Operator. Operator, equip the Master Hunter title. [Title Equipped.] He immediately checked his status. Show me the status window. Title: Master Hunter HP: 130 MP: 220 Strength: 15 12(+3) Dexterity: 43 33(+10) Endurance: 13 10(+3) Magic Power:18 14(+4) Mind Power:22 17(+5) (See note) Unallocated Stat Points: 505 Including Dex that hes been raising, all other stats have risen by 30%. With thisfinishing all objectives might be possible Confidence surged within Sungjin. He decided to check what items he had received. He took out a creepy necklace which was decorated with a large eye and rows of teeth. Operator, what is this? The Operator summoned the detailed specs of the item in a hologram window. Yanhurat C Mad Gods Voice Heroic Necklace Active Skill Zealot(III) For 30 seconds, increase damage by 300% and attack speed by 300% Once active duration ends, reduce current hp to 1/3. Cooldown 10 minutes Necklace worn by the Mad Orc Ruark. If you put it next to your ears, you can make out a faint voice. Forced Zealot mode? It was an item which had well-defined cost/benefit. Sungjin examined the necklace carefully. This item usually incorporated some features of the human face into its design. Infernal staring eyes and a mouth shaped formation of teeth were key points of its appearance. This horrifying item looked like it could have belonged in Incan or Mayan temples. While he was looking over the necklace, Hey Sungjin felt as if someone was whispering into his ears. So he brought the necklace up to his ears. Suddenly the phrase became crystal clear. Kill them He took off the necklace off his eyes. It was an item that felt tainted. But I might need it someday. Sungjin placed the necklace into his pocket. Next Item he examined was a familiar shackle connected to chains. It was the weapon wielded by the boss. Free Ark C Free mans Shackles Heroic Wrist Armor C Defense 28% Active Skill Remove Crowd Control (III) Removes unwanted Crowd Control effects. Cooldown: 5 Minutes Shackles bound to the Mad Orc Ruark. Fairly small, it must have been extremely painful for the previous owner to have worn it. Wait, its not a weapon? Armor Piece? He had spent a few minutes mindlessly dodging it, and it turns out it wasnt even an actual weapon. He held up the shackles and instructed the Operator. Equip The Shackles stuck to his hands for few moments before picking an arm and locking onto his wrist. The chains wrapped around the entire length of his arm and protected him. So this is how it works It was good. It was on the heavy side, but it seemed sturdy. Sungjin felt he could probably use it as a substitute shield if he ever needed it. And the Active effect looked useful as well. Finally, Sungjin held the Club with a skull attached to it. He was familiar with it because this club was widely used by others in the previous life. It was common since it was the main bosss item drop. Lots of hunters could be seen using this weapon soon after the 1st chapter. Skull Romabel C Skull Crusher Heroic Blunt Weapon C Strength A Dexterity D Passive skill Illusions of terror(II) Weaken attack of nearby enemies by 10% Chief Kamuls Club. He broke many skulls with this club. It is said that he had collected skulls that did not break from bashing it and had added them on to his club. As expected, a great item. Special skill was nice, but even more valuable was the A rank stat booster which was extremely rare in the early game. The problem was that Sungjin had never used blunt weapons before. Its a great item but I should sell it. Sungjin asked the Operator while holding the Club. Operator, how much can this be sold at the Black Market? [50 Black Coins] Sungjin frowned. It was extremely inefficient to sell directly to the Operator. Well, I guess I cant help it since I dont need it. Sungjin opened his mouth to sell it to the Operator when he noticed the club which the Police Officer was holding. He was the only one who sincerely tried to help Sungjin through the Raid. He called him over. Come here, old man. Baltren was surprised when Sungjin addressed him again and stared at him. Sungjin seemed like a normal teenager at the beginning. But a few moments ago, In raids, there is no rule forbidding a hunter from hunting another hunter. Understood? When Sungjin said this, he had an expression like as if he was a serial killer. Even the police are intimidated by serial killers. Baltren trembled slightly as he responded. Yes, what What is it? How many Black Coins do you have right now? Baltren answered immediately. 76. Sungjin showed Baltren the club and said Buy this. 76 Coins. Baltren was shocked. He didnt know that item trading was even possible. Sungjin saw his hesitation and added more explanation. If you intend to continue using blunt weapons, you should buy it. Selling a Heroic weapon for 76 coins is basically the same as giving it away for free. Sungjin spoke the truth. Buying a Heroic weapon from the black market typically requires several hundred black coins. Sungjin would be able to get just a bit more Black Coins, and he would be able to obtain a Heroic weapon at a dirt cheap price; a win-win situation. Baltren briefly looked over the weapon and then nodded in agreement. No matter what he said, Sungjin was not wrong about anything yet. So how does trading work? Simple. Put the cubes together and declare trade. Baltren nodded. Once the cubes were brought together, they snapped as if they were held by magnets. Sungjin spoke out first. Trade, Sungjins cube emitted a blue light. Baltren saw and followed suit. Once he did, the cubes gave out an announcement. [Trade initiated.] [Please declare what Item you will be trading.] Sungjin started. Skull Romabel Heroic Blunt Weapon. Baltren replied, 76 Black Coins. I accept the Trade. I accept the Trade. [Trade complete!] At the same time as the announcement, the club disappeared from Sungjins hands and appeared in Baltrens. Baltren inspected the weapon in his hands. It was a strange weapon, decorated with skulls. It lowers attack power of your enemies, so It should be useful in keeping you alive. Baltren asked Sungjin carefully. How do you know all this? Even if I tell you, you wont be able to believe me. Baltren decided not to pry. He felt that if he insisted, the teenager would not be willing to give him a satisfactory response. The Operator finally gave them the status update. [You will return to the Hunters Hall in 1 Minute.] 1 Minute. Sungjin Closed his eyes and held his katana close. Baltren sneaked a few glances at Sungjin. Right now, he looked like an ordinary Teenager. He even looked somewhat innocent. And to a certain extent, it even made sense why he got upset earlier and made that angry face. He slowly came to the understanding that these raids were to be carried out by betting ones life. Having a coward and an inciter like the Asian man represented a risk to ones life. Baltren rested the Club on the ground and thought deeply, at the words Sungjin spoke to the Asian man. You. If it werent for me, all of you would have died here. Either by monsters or by running out of time. Understood? This declaration, in truth, also applied to Baltren as well. He couldnt imagine that he could stand up to the secret boss and his wild flailing chains, the giant club-wielding Orc Chieftain, or even a small group of Trolls. If it werent for the teenager, he would have died. Baltren understood it perfectly. So he approached the teenager once more. He couldnt rest well without even knowing the name of his benefactor. Please tell me your name. Who are you? Sungjin stared at the police officer. Until now, he had had many comrades. And every single one of them died. Even if he gives this man his name, the only result it could give was regret, disappointment, and sadness. There was no point to letting people know your name. Sungjin shook his head. We will never meet each other again. But Baltren persisted. You cant know that. Please, I wish to know. Sungjin paused for a moment and gave only the initials of his last name. K. That is my name. Kei Ive said before, but my name is Sungjin interrupted him. I remember. Baltren. Gerald Baltren. Become strong. And then survive. And who knows, maybe we might cross paths again With that said, the Operator began a countdown. [You will return to the Hunters Hall in 10 seconds.] [9, 8, 7, 6] With only a few seconds left, Baltren expressed his gratitude to Sungjin. Thank you for everything. I was able to survive thanks to you. [5, 4, 3] And Baltren wanted to say a final goodbye before the time was over. Then he noticed the title floating above Sungjins head. He combined the title and the name together and bid him goodbye. We will meet again, Master Hunter K. [2, 1] And with that, the hunters disappeared from the Greenskin Wildlands. (Translators note) Mind power affects mana pool, magic power affects magic damage Editors Note: The legend begins people! Master hunter K!!!! Hype!! Chapter 7 Chapter 7 C Black Market First Shopping Sungjin was teleported to the Hunters Hall. The Hall was still overflowing with unfamiliar faces. He could not see the end of the crowd. Well, numbers will thin out soon enough This gathering of hunters represented the top 1% of humanitys strongest individuals. It would have been impossible to clear the first Raid Greenskin Wildlands without considerable individual skill and talent. It was possible that a lucky few were given a free ride to the end, regardless of their individual merit, by overachievers like Sungjin. But those people were typically eliminated during the next raid. No, they wont even be able to make it to the next raid. This wasnt the type of world you could survive by relying on other people. Soon the Operator began her announcement. [Welcome back. And congratulations] [To everyone who successfully completed the raid and made it back] The Operators face reappeared on the screen above, but no one was shouting profanities. Most of the people were suffering from PTSD (see note) or mourning the loss of their comrades. [As you might have experienced for yourselves in the first Raid,] [You cannot complete the raids with your current physical limitations.] [Hence, raising your stats beyond human limits is necessary.] [There are several ways to achieve this.] Most of the crowd appeared to be exhausted, but everyone listened carefully to each and every word the Operator spoke. It was self-evident that they could not survive without listening to her tips and advice. [First, Hunt monsters and obtain status points.] [I believe you have already learned about this during the first Raid.] [Unallocated Stat points do not benefit you] [So please remember to allocate them before heading into battle.] By now, most people should be well aware of their stats. It is nearly impossible to have survived until this stage without putting in stat points. [Second, Earn Titles and get bonus stat points.] [Everyone should have earned at least one title from the first raid.] [Equipping the title enables the selected title to perform at 100% of their listed effect, and inactive titles only provide 50% of their given effects.] [The more titles you earn, the more advantages youll gain. Please use the title that best suits the situation as you progress through the Raid.] There arent many with a title floating above their heads. Among those that do, most have titles like Scout, Orc Hunter, and Novice Swordsman. Sungjin wore the Master Hunter title, but no one paid much attention to it. Not many understood what it meant yet. [Third, is equipment. Equipments are undoubtedly important.] [They give bonus stats, and some even have special skills imbued upon them.] Most of the hunters were focused on the Operators explanation, except for Sungjin. He didnt need to listen because he already knew all of it. [It is possible to receive a piece of equipment through the Raid reward system, but are readily available for purchase through the Black Market.] [Explanation will continue after changing the venue.] [You will be teleported in 10 seconds. 9, 8] The Operator began her countdown. But Sungjin still had his arms crossed and was lost in thought. 19 Coins from the first round, 505 from the first raid, 76 traded with Baltren. Total is exactly 600 Black Coins [3, 2, 1] * The place Sungjin was teleported to was a Bazaar, with a canopy draped above. Welcome, welcome! It was a normal marketplace with vendors selling wares at the stalls. Except for one detail. The vendors were not human. To be exact, they were all demi-humans. The Axe merchant was half human and half cow (Minotaur), the Spear merchant was half human and half horse (Centaur), the Fire Magic merchant was half human and half dragon. For newcomers, it was a sight to behold, but Sungjin was already familiar with the place. The Operator continued her explanation. [This place is called The Black Market. It is a Bazaar where Black Coins are used as currency.] [Hunters may come here to obtain or sell items by trading with their Black Coins.] [The goods are not limited to equipment; you could also purchase magic tomes which are necessarily needed to learn magic] [or consumables and accessories needed for battle, such as the Recovery Potion.] The Operator continued with her long explanations covering most of the basics, although she glossed over a few important secrets of this place. [You can no longer use Cubes to purchase items, so please complete your shopping in this place before going out on raids.] Once the Operators explanations finished, Sungjin began walking towards the inner part of the market. Dear Customer, please take a look! Someone tried to grab his attention, but he ignored the merchant and kept walking. His destination was a stall run by a half human half snake. [This is the Katana shop called Last Edge, run by the merchant named Kenneth] [You will be able to find all sorts of katanas on sale here.] Once he entered the stall flaps, a Naga greeted him. Welcome to the Last Edge SSSssss There was a large variety of Swords hung about in the shop, but there was only one sword Sungjin was interested in. A crimson blade hung on the wall on one side. May I see that real quick? My my, what a great eye for quality! SSsss The Naga merchant replied with a kind tone. Please wait a moment. I will go fetch it for you. The Naga handed over the crimson blade to Sungjin. Sungjins face brightened up for the first time since the Hunt restarted. This was the weapon he wielded until his last moments. It was like an old friend to him. The Operator opened up the weapon status window. Blood Vengeance C Bloods Revenge. Legendary Katana C Strength SS Dexterity A Active Skill Baptism of Blood(IV) C consumes 100 HP per second from the user to increase attack damage. According to legend, the owner of this Katana lost his family to the treachery of his liege, and carried out his vengeance against the betrayer and all the men loyal to him. The Operator kept the window open for him, but he did not read it. He already had it memorized. Sungjin swung the sword twice to test it. He wanted to buy it immediately, but the problem was the price. It is worth 9700 Black Coins, SSssss The coins in Sungjins possession now numbered at 600. Not even close. Sungjin returned the sword to the Naga. Right now I cant even use the active skill for more than a second anyway Sungjin had only come here to see his old friend. Now Sungjin headed towards his real destination. A Jewelry shop located deep within the Black Market. After entering deeper and deeper into the canopied bazaar, Sungjin finally arrived at his actual destination. [This place is merchant Meridians shop by the name Eternal Moment.] [Various jewelry such as necklace and rings are sold here] Hey there The merchant here was a haughty catwoman who ran this shop. Once Sungjin was inside the shop, he immediately told her what he wanted. I came to purchase the Heart of Gold. I do have the item but its a bit pricey for a hunter who only completed the first raid. I already know. 500 Black Coins. I have the money, so please give me the item. Oh, how surprising The shopkeepers eyes twinkled as she took out the item. Heart of Gold C Ring of the Rich Rare Ring Passive Collect Interest(II) Upon receiving Black Coin as Raid reward, gain an additional 10% more. Famous jeweler Tarims Ring. It is said that he lost it while traveling across the Mages Canyon. A simple looking ring with a lone blue sapphire embedded on it. It was the ring Sungjin was looking for. Operator, carry out the transaction. Sungjins cube approached Meridian and emitted a bright light. [Heart of Gold purchased for 500 Black Coins] The ring appeared on top of Sungjins palm. Equip It moved on its own and fit itself on Sungjins ring finger. He inspected the ring on his hand. He was planning on making this item his first purchase with his first 500 Coins. The reason was simple; it was an item with an excellent rate of return. He wasnt sure about the payout of the next raid, but later on, it was possible for him to receive more than 5000 Black Coins per raid. In other words, the item more than paid for itself with every raid. Of course, Sungjin was the only person capable of taking advantage of this absurd item; it did absolutely nothing to improve his combat capability. If a hunter aside from Sungjin tried to invest 500 Black Coins in the early game, then their chances of survival dropped near to zero. It wasnt even likely that any other hunter even managed to get 500 coins until now. Sungjin finished his shopping and left the shopping districts for the outskirts. Not too far away, he saw a small inn with an image of a bed on the sign post. Above the entryway, a large sign read Ninety Nine Nights. The Operator began her explanation. [This place is an inn called Ninety Nine Nights] [It is a place for Hunters to rest until the next raid.] Sungjin entered the inn straight away. He was already familiar with the place. The Inn proprietor was a half human half owl. The Innkeeper greeted Sungjin politely. Welcome to Ninety Nine Nights. My name is Dalupin, and I am the owner of this inn. I will do my best to take care of your needs. Would you like to check in? Sungjin sat at the nearby table. Ill check in later; please bring me some food. What would you like to eat? The menu is in front of you. There was a menu placed neatly on top of each table, but he did not reach out for one; he had it all memorized. Medium rare Beef rib steak. After a few minutes, the owl demi-human brought a plate. On it was a seared medium rare beef rib steak. Sungjin took a fork and a knife and placed a bite-sized portion of meat into his mouth. The meat melted in his mouth. The quality of the food here would not lose out to any famous restaurants on Earth. Sungjin enjoyed his soft and perfectly cooked meat as he asked the Operator. Operator, how much time until the next raid? [9 Hours, 3 Minutes and 36 Seconds] The remaining time was free time for him to spend as he pleased. Eating and sleeping in Ninety Nine Nights was free. Not that it alleviated the fear of death. Sungjin left the plate on the table once he finished eating, and headed towards the room upstairs. The bath in Ninety Nine Nights was quite relaxing. Taking a warm bath in the tub was an excellent way to relieve his stress. Sungjin sat inside the tub thinking. Why had the Operator revived him, were all last survivors given the reset chance? But there was no clear answer. After all, it wasnt even understood why it was necessary to host and carry out hunts. All he could think of was that as he fights and survives, the answer might reveal itself one day. Since this is my second chance Sungjin submerged himself up to his neck. I will perfectly clear all objectives this timeand maybe then I will find the answers. (Translators note) PTSD C Post Traumatic Stress Disorder State of mind-numbing shock after life and death ordeal. Most commonly seen in soldiers, disaster victims, or abused children. In the last chapter, a reader pointed out that the number of coins were inconsistent for Baltren. (he said he had 67 when the operator stated he earned 145 from the raid). Author has been notified. Thank you all for telling us. Chapter 8 Chapter 8 C Ahennas Forest (1) In the morning, Sungjin took a quick shower and went downstairs to the dining area for breakfast. Egg tart, 2 Croissants, and butter. Downing the simple breakfast, Sungjin checked his time. Operator, how much time is left before the next Raid? [15 minutes and 32 seconds.] 15 minutes There was one last thing he needed to complete before the next raid began. It was allocating his stats. 200 to Strength, 200 to Dexterity, and 105 to Endurance. [Strength rose by 200 points. Dexterity rose by 200 points. Endurance rose by 105 points.] Show me my status screen. Title: Master Hunter HP: 1500 MP: 220 (See Note for HP MP calculation) Strength: 276 212 (+64) Dexterity: 303 233 (+70) Endurance: 150 115 (+35) Magic Power: 18 14 (+4) Mind Power: 22 17 (+5) Unallocated Points: 0 Sungjin inspected his new status window. He spent a long time last night thinking about how to allocate his points. 200 points to Strength and Dexterity, and 105 to Endurance. With this much, his Speed and Attack power were probably one of the best in the world with endurance being within top tier. This was because it was difficult for other hunters to earn anywhere close to 3 digit status points from the first raid. I doubt Ill even take damage, though Raids were unpredictable; Many things could happen. He might have to complete the Raid entirely alone. So Sungjin took the minimum safety measures. A moments slip and a small mistake could lead to death in a raid. Confidence or not, Safety should come first, and so Sungjin decided to invest for the first time into Endurance. Time? [7 minutes and 27 seconds remaining.] Iced Americano. No Syrup Shortly after, the Innkeeper Dalupin brought one cup of Iced Americano on a tray. Sungjin waited leisurely while drinking his coffee. He downed the last bit and then was teleported away. * Oppressive darkness, rustle of leaves in the wind, and a half-lit moon above The howling of wolves could be heard from a distance. Aoooooo~ Sungjin was teleported in the middle of a thick forest. The Operator began her announcement. [Welcome. This place is called the Ahennas Forest.] [It is a place filled with insidious and cunning predators of the night.] [Same as the previous raid, the first 4 phases will be combat tutorials.] [If you take fatal damage,] [or if the enemy is not annihilated within the time limit, the hunter will be killed.] Phase 1 C Gray Wolf Time Limit: 3 Minutes At the same time just as the announcement ended, a Gray wolf jumped out of the trees. Sungjin took out his Katana without taking his eyes off the wolf. Unlike the monsters of the first Chapter, it bared its teeth from a distance. Grrrrr It growled in a deep rumbling tone. Seeing the wolf brought back memories of the first time he completed the Ahennas Forest raid. I think I remember This raid is no pushover. The moment Sungjin got distracted by his thoughts, the Wolf took immediate notice and charged at him. Kyan! But as expected, the one that was slain was the wolf. Completion Reward: Stat Point 5 Kill Reward: Black Coin 5 ( see note on Heart of Gold bonus) Sungjin took a look at the blood on his katana and thought, I dont think clearing the normal part of the raid will pose any difficulty The biggest problem was the hidden boss and the secret place. No matter how combat capable Sungjin was, discovering secret locations and then defeating the hidden boss within the time limit was no easy feat. Especially if done alone. I really hope I get some good comrades this time Raids were originally designed to be cleared with the cooperation of five participants. Even if the teammates are unable to contribute much, at the minimum, Sungjin would need members that were able to follow simple instructions. If any are like Baltren, itd be superb. But whoever you met in a Raid was a random occurrence. Luck was perhaps the most important factor in surviving the Raids. Although, this did not apply to Sungjin since the restart. Pase 2 C Shadow Puma Time Limit: 3 Minutes [Caution: Shadow Pumas move silently in the darkness and ambush their prey] Despite entering the next phase, Sungjin was still lost in thought. I had pretty good luck in my previous life. Thanks to my comrades, I was able to survive to Suddenly, Krah! A loud scream erupted from behind Sungjin. He didnt even turn, and threw himself to the side and tumbled. A Black colored Puma landed where he stood a second ago. The Puma touched down noiselessly, despite being physically larger than the Gray wolf.. Sungjin raised his Katana. The Puma, who failed his ambush, watched Sungjin with its eyes. Due to the dark colored coat of the Puma, only its reflective amber eyes were visible in the night. Krah! The Puma charged towards Sungjin once more. It was no match for him. Sungjin waited for the Puma to get airborne before ducking out of the way and striking with his Katana. Vszzt~ The sound of flesh ripping off the bone filled the air. Straightening his clothes, Sungjin nonchalantly gazed towards the Puma. The Puma was cut from the front legs to the other side of its stomach. The cut was so severe that its intestine leaked out. Grr The Puma, so full of life just moments before, collapsed after taking two steps and perished. Completion Reward: 10 Status points Kill Reward: 10 Black Coins Sungjin continued to daydream about the past life. I had some really amazing comrades. And not so great ones Sungjin stopped his thoughts there. He recalled a face he didnt want to remember. Phase 3 C Grizzly Bear Time Limit: 3 Minutes Grrrrr 3rd Phases mob was a sizable bear. It was 1.5 times taller than an average man. Its arms were as thick as a mans waist, and five claws as long as a mans arms grew on each hand. Grah! Unlike the Shadow Puma, the Bear charged straight towards Sungjin. But this Grizzly bear was unlucky. Due to the upsetting memory, Sungjin was already angry. Sungjins Katana flashed, illuminated by the moonlight for a split second, and the bear collapsed lifelessly on the spot. For the majority of hunters, this Grizzly Bear was like a gatekeeper, preventing entry into the raid. But to Sungjin, it was more like a door flap; pushed aside at whim. Completion Reward: 20 Stat Points Kill Reward: 20 Black Coins Although he received the stat points, he did not allocate them. Acting out of habit, he only swung his sword once to remove the blood on its blade. Sungjins Katana, whose ranks were only Strength C and Dexterity D, had cut through the bear in a single strike. The only reason this basic Katana was able to demonstrate such power was thanks to Sungjins oppressively high stats. The sword was good enough for the present, but as the chapters progressed, it would get more and more outclassed by the other weapons. Sungjin couldnt help but recall the familiar grip on his legendary weapon Blood Vengeance. If I collect enough Black Coins Phase 4 C Dire Wolf Time Limit: 3 Minute Between the trees, a Grizzly bear sized pale wolf appeared. The Operator began her explanation. [Caution: The Dire Wolf is slightly weaker than the Grizzly bear] [But it can command nearby Gray wolves] Awoooooo~ The Dire Wolf let out a long howl. And soon, three gray wolves appeared at its side. Four wolves including the Dire Wolf surrounded Sungjin. Wolves were the first monsters who operated in groups using coordinated attacks against hunters. Sungjin, who had absentmindedly progressed through the phases, gripped his Katana properly for the first time and assumed a battle position. The reason why the upcoming raid was so challenging was due to these wolves. The wolves, who were orbiting around Sungjin, suddenly charged towards him. Once he saw them make a move, Sungjin charged towards the weakest one of the pack. In one smooth stroke, he severed the wolfs head. And to follow through, he kicked the stomach of another wolf that tried to pounce on him. Kyan! The wolf collapsed on its side, whimpering like a hurt dog. The other two used that opening to attack him simultaneously. These wolves would even sacrifice their members in an attack to out maneuver their enemy. Sungjin swiftly swung his katana towards the larger Dire Wolf. The Dire Wolf saw Sungjin turn towards him and stopped to dodge the katana. Sungjin, who was facing the Dire Wolf had to use his unarmed left arm to stop the other wolf. Kyan! The wolf bit into the chains on his left arm, causing metallic sounds to ring out. Creak! The wolf, struggling to bite through the steel chains, quickly lost its head to Sungjins blade. Only two wolves left. Even though the Dire Wolf was still alive, this fight no longer posed any challenge to Sungjin. This time, he made the first move. The two remaining wolves tried to out maneuver him, but Sungjins katana knew no mercy. Within two to three swings of his blade, the wolves collapsed powerlessly. [All Monsters eliminated. Closing the Phase.] Completion Reward: 25 Stat points Kill Reward: 25 Black Coins Sungjin examined the shackle and chains binding his left arm; Free Ark. The wolf didnt even manage to leave a dent on it. This is quite useful. [You have completed all phases faster than the other Hunters.] [Please wait until the others complete their phases.] As expected, Sungjin finished early. The environment changed once the tutorial was completed. A campfire appeared in the middle of the forest. This was where the hunters were being gathered. Sungjin sat by the fire and waited for the other hunters to show up, keeping the Katana in his embrace. [All hunts completed.] [Synchronizing Hunters.] Along with the Operators words, the environment warped slightly as Sungjin watched patiently. One by one, Hunters appeared out of thin air. (Translators Note) Hp is calculated by 10X the total Endurance and MP is calculated by 10X the total Mind Power. In the stats, first number is total, 2nd is allocated stat points, and 3rd is modifiers. So Endurance 150 115 (+35) means total = 150, 115 stat points invested into Endurance, and 35 additional stats from titles/items/buffs. The Heart of Gold Bonus only applies to final raid completion reward. It does not apply to these phase completion reward. Edit : The author has updated the numbers fixing the inconsistencies in the earlier chapter regarding Baltren and so we have also made the necessary changes. Thanks for reading:) Please do consider supporting us! Chapter 9 Chapter 9 C Ahennas Forest (2) The people that emerged in front of Sungjin were, once again, of different physique and races. A bespectacled young Westerner, a white-haired old man, a very short Southeastern Asian, and a tall white man. But truth be told, their actual physique, size or race did not matter. The more reliable indicator of their strength was the titles they earned until now. Sungjin looked up and glanced at the titles. The young Westerner had Novice Swordsman, the Southeastern Asian had Novice Scout, the white-haired old man had Lumberjack, and the tall white man had the Hooligan title. Sungjin shook his head in disappointment upon seeing their titles. No one was particularly talented. But it was alright. As it was now, Sungjin had enough combat spec to solo this raids objectives for a Full Clear. The Operator began the mission briefing. Phase 5 C Ahennas Forest Raid Objective C Hunt the Wolf Queen Ahenna Time Limit: 25 Minutes. [Complete the objective within the Time Limit.] [If you cannot, you will die.] Once the Operators briefing ended, the tall white man with the Hooligan title stepped forward and addressed the group. Gentlemen, gather up so we can see your ugly mugs. The man truly embodied the word Hooligan; a tattoo covered his shoulders, and he carried himself with a subtle air of arrogance and authority. The Novice Scout Southeastern Asian man and the bespectacled Novice Swordsman hesitated for a moment and moved closer to join the Hooligan. The Hooligan complained. Wow all I get are these weaklings. The Lumberjack old man and Sungjin maintained their distance from the campfire, watching wordlessly. The Hooligan took a note of it and addressed them. Hey, Old Jack, cant you hear me? Get over here. And you, Master Hunter? Get over here if you dont want to die. The mood was just horrible, much like the first Raid. Ill have to carry out this raid by myself again. Sungjin gave up trying to solicit cooperation. It didnt even matter as he did not require their help. He had enough skill and power to complete the raid by himself. The only part that gave Sungjin insecurity was the secret location and the hidden boss. Even though Sungjin was confident he could fight any battle perfectly, he didnt feel the same when it came to searching and defeating the hidden boss within the time limit. In the end, the biggest obstacle is the time limit. [The Raid begins in 1 minute.] Before the Raid began, Sungjin called upon the Operator. Operator, add all stat points to Dexterity. [Dexterity rose by 60 points.] Raising Dexterity was the obvious choice. After the tutorial, he didnt feel that anything in this raid could seriously threaten him. He could already cut the strongest mob in this forest, the Grizzly Bear, in a single strike. Instead of raising strength, it made more sense to invest in Dexterity to increase his speed even further. But now that he had invested in Dexterity, he was regretting investing into Endurance. Maybe I wasted the points. I know I have to raise it at some point, but speed is more important right now. And while Sungjin was reflecting over his point allocations, Hello hello! From the woods, a thin man walked out. The 6th person. Everyones gaze was drawn towards him. He was carrying a rucksack almost as large as his body. When Sungjin saw him, he recalled his memories from the past. Oh yeah, he exists. I am the wandering merchant Aindell. Please purchase some goods from me before the raid begins. Since we are way out in the boonies, the goods here will be more expensive than those in a regular shop. He he The Operators cube only sold items during the first chapter. Now the only place available to buy them from was the Black Market. But from time to time, Wandering Merchants arrived at the raid location to sell on site. The Hooligan approached him. Who the fuck are you? The Merchant smiled sheepishly. As I explained, I am the wandering merchant Aindell. I sell potions and other small goods. Also The Hooligan gripped him by the collar and lifted him up threateningly. You dont get Coins, give me all youve got, bitch A warning came from the Cubes. [Warning:] [Attacking a non-hostile lifeform will cause penalties from the Raid Rewards.] The Hooligan let go of the merchant immediately. Whoa whoa. Thats no good at all. My bad, sorry about that. Cough cough.. Aindell let out few fake coughs and continued. As I was saying, the wildlife here are afraid and weak to fire. So I recommend purchasing some Salamanders ash. For archers, I also sell fire arrows. I dont need to explain how useful Recovery Potions are, right? At his sales pitch, Novice Swordsman, Novice Scout, and even Lumberjack lined up and bought items from the merchant. Three Salamanders ash please. How much are the fire arrows? I want three Salamanders ash too, and three Recovery Potions. The others quickly spent their coins earned from the previous raid on consumables. Their actions made sense since they all just wanted to survive. [Raid begins in 30 seconds]. The Hooligan watched for a few moments, and then hesitantly asked, Hey, uh give me some Salamanders ash too. He was also able to purchase an item. The Merchant did not hold a grudge against the Hooligan and magnanimously sold it at the same price. Aindell directed his gaze towards Sungjin once he was done finalizing the transaction. Sir, do you need any items? Sungjin declined, shaking his head. Hehe, understood. He smiled and laughed jovially. But Sungjin found that to be even more unsettling. He could not tell if this was a human or something else. Is it like an NPC in an MMORPG? The Operator finally began the countdown. [Raid will commence in 10 seconds. 10,..] I guess its nothing strange when theres even an Operator. Sungjin pushed aside his thoughts and drew out his sword. Hey, I told you to get over here! The Hooligan tried to get Sungjin to join him, but Sungjin replied Be careful and move as a group. Hunt the lone Wolves and Bears so you wont die. Be careful about the Pumas that suddenly drop out of trees. Sungjin suggested to them. [2, 1, 0 the Raid Begins!] At the same time as the raid start, Sungjin dashed into the dark forest. He heard Aindells voice from behind. I will remain in this location. If you need consumables during the middle of the raid, please come by at any time! Hearing that, Sungjin thought to himself. There is no chance of that happening. I need to save up money and buy my Katana. * Sungjin rapidly hunted every wild beast he could lay his eyes on as he charged through the forest. He hunted packs of wolves led by the Dire Wolves, as well as Pumas that silently dropped out of trees. Guwah! A grizzly bear charged at a speed unfitting of its size. But Sungjin cut it down in one swift strike. Thanks to more than 200 points invested in both Strength and Dexterity, any wildlife that came in contact with his sword was cut down like a piece of paper. Sungjin didnt concentrate on the fights, but rather on finding anomalies in the area. Clearing the raid was not high on his priority list. Clearing the Chapter and having high contribution points were nice. But because Sungjin had both the Heart of Gold and the Master Hunter title equipped, missing out on a few stat points and Black coins were acceptable. The most important thing was the Item rewards obtained from the hidden bosses and locations. These items were guaranteed to be rated Heroic at the minimum. Items he would gladly spend tens of thousands of Black Coins in the market to buy. From time to time, Sungjin saw Direwolves mixed within the crowd. Unlike other mobs, even he couldnt take them on lightly. They were strong, dexterous, and most importantly, cunning. They called upon Gray wolves to perform cooperative attacks. Of course, the side that perished were the wolves. Haa. Operator. Sungjin addressed the Operator after spending a considerable amount of time cutting the animals apart to pieces. Time? [19 minutes 49 seconds remaining.] He spent almost 5 minutes turning the forest inside out. It should be fairly close now The Wolf Queen Ahenna was not in a set location. She appears automatically after the number of wolves slain pass a certain threshold. Kwah! Sungjin quickly twisted his body and spun around with his Katana. Above, a Shadow Puma was cut from the neck to its armpit. These guys always ambush just as I forget about them. When Sungjin was about to sheath his Katana, he spotted a Gray wolf between the trees. Sungjin drew the Katana out once more. But, unlike other Gray wolves, it neither attacked nor watched him. It faced the sky and let out a howl. Awoooo~~ Soon, other wolves in the area joined in. Awoo Awoo The surrounding was now filled with the howl of the wolves. Awoooo~! With so many wolves, the howling continued without an end. Listening carefully, Sungjin could tell. Shes here. And as if to confirm his feelings, the Operator announced the arrival of the boss. [Warning! Boss Monster] [The Queen of Wolves Ahenna has appeared!] A Moment later, a wolf twice as large as a Grizzly Bear appeared. Cunning eyes and a coat as white as snow, Ahenna looked almost divine. But foes are foes. Sungjin prepared himself, drawing his Katana. AWOOOO~ Ahenna howled in the wind, and a dozen or so Dire Wolves appeared at her side. Each of the Dire Wolves brought with them several Gray Wolves. Sungjin quickly estimated their numbers. Just a rough guess 50 to 60 The most difficult part about this raid was that there was a massive numerical disadvantage. Last time, I had great teammates, and so we were able to overcome this Boss somehow And while lost in thought, he was interrupted by voices coming from behind him. Where is she? That queen bitch? I think I heard the howling from over there, sir. Wait, wha wha? What the hell? That gigantic beast is a wolf? Were supposed to fight that? Sungjin did not turn. It was obvious who it was. He gripped his katana tightly and bit his lips. Translation Notes: EDIT: The author posted updates as we requested, and we have updated our numbers to match the raws. Chapter 10 Chapter 10 C Ahennas Forest (3) Awo awoo awoooo~! Ahenna let out a long series of howls. On the surface, it sounded like a ordinary wolfs howl, but the intonation and pitch subtly changed; as if she was speaking. Upon hearing her voice, the giant wolf pack began moving as a group. What the hell? While the other three hunters were panicking, the wolves closed in surrounding all four of them. Whoa whoa whoa One of the hunters who was backing up walked into Sungjins back. Sungjin, already out of patience, spat out a declaration to the other hunters. The Boss is mine. I dont care what you all want to do, just dont get in my way. Sungjin charged into the army of wolves towards Ahenna, as soon as he was done speaking, leaving behind the three hunters. Ahenna, who was giving orders to the other wolves via her voice stopped and prepared for battle. In the blink of an eye, she attacked with her claws at an incredible speed. But Sungjin dodged her claws with an even greater speed, ducking under her attack. It was a hundredth of a second, but Sungjin saw her eyes grow wide as if to say How can you dodge this?. And it was reasonable for her to be surprised as there were very few hunters capable of evading her attack this early in the raids. Die Sungjin initiated an upward slash as soon as the paws were out of the way. Ahenna leaped back thanks to her animalistic instincts, but the tip of Sungjins Katana still managed to reach her snout. Kaaa! Ahenna retreated, screaming in pain. Sungjin felt the feedback from the strike. It was a shallow cut. Not enough damage. Sungjin prepared to charge in to initiate a follow-up strike, but Kao! A Dire Wolf charged at Sungjin from the side. Sungjin dodged it by ducking under his attack, but another charged at him. Sungjin was forced to take a step back. And within moments, Ahenna had backed off and was immediately surrounded by a dozen Dire wolves. Gray wolves rushed in to encircle her completely. Sungjin frowned. How diligently they serve their queen. Suddenly, Pew! Sungjin heard the sound of an arrow flying through the air from behind him. He saw the arrow fly in his direction. While deliberating whether or not he should knock it out of the air, he realized it was flying above his head. What was that about? When Sungjin checked behind him, he saw that the other Hunters were fighting for their lives. Fuck! Kill it! The Novice Scout was shooting arrows randomly, missing every shot. The Novice Swordman and the Hooligan were waving flaming weapons (imbued with Salamanders ash) wildly without thought. Stay away! Stay away! Ahenna howled a command to the wolves. Awooawoawo~~ The wolves upon hearing her call stopped attacking and moved as one. They orbited around the four hunters. Although they were wolves, they were orderly and precise in the execution of their queens commands. Sungjin fixed his grip on the katana and entered battle stance. I need to kill the leader first Sungjin scanned the sea of wolves. It was not difficult to find her. Snow white fur, with an unnaturally large body size. His gaze met hers. Ahenna was bleeding from the long cut on her face which went from her nose to her forehead. Once she looked into his eyes, she called out again Aaaawoo~ The moment her command went out, the largest of the Dire wolves stood between Sungjin and her. Shes smarter than I thought. It will be difficult to complete this Raid Solo. Sungjin briefly turned to look at the other hunters. The hunters were all grouped up together with the Hooligan shouting commands. Together Together! Then, the Novice Swordman accidentally touched the Hooligans shirt and lit it on fire. The Hooligan jumped up in surprise quickly putting it out. He then cursed out at the Novice Swordman. Mother fucker! You wanna die, boy? I Im so sorry! Sungjin shook his head in disappointment. Wolves are better than Humans. Sungjin felt that asking for their help would be unfavorable and might cause even more headaches. He gripped his Katana tightly; he couldnt think of a way to reach Ahenna at the moment. Lets start by decreasing their numbers a bit. Sungjin, changing his tactics, searched for a thinner section of the encirclement. But the first one to make a move was Ahenna. Argg With her short command, the wolves surrounding the Hunters attacked all at once. Fuck! The Novice Swordman diligently swung his sword, but the fire on the sword eventually went out. Uhh The moment he hesitated, the hand holding his sword was ripped off. Within seconds, he was torn apart to pieces. The Hooligan saw that the Novice Swordmans weapon went out, and understood his club would soon lose the enchant. He searched his pocket. But the moment he paused to reach into his pocket, a Wolf pounced on him. He hurriedly swung his club to hit the wolf, but another wolf charged from his blindspot. It jumped up and grabbed him by the neck in its jaws. Mother fu He couldnt even finish swearing before his neck was ripped off by the wolf. The Novice Scout launched fire arrows all over the place, but his arrows only struck innocent trees. Once his protector the Novice Swordman and the Hooligan died, HeHelp! He tried to run towards Sungjin, but was bit in the neck and killed. Sungjin genuinely felt sorry for them, but he wasnt available to lend a hand. The strongest of the wolves was busy attacking him. After exchanging a long series of blows, Awoawoo~ Upon Ahennas command, the wolves separated from Sungjin and backed off. When Sungjin looked around to search for the reason, he saw that there was a light in Ahennas Forest. The fire arrow from Novice Scout had started a forest fire. Ahenna and her loyal wolves backed away from Sungjin and the fire and continued to encircle him from afar. Surrounded by wolves and the fire, Sungjin was drenched in their blood. He took this chance to look around. So many He cut down the wolves without rest. But their numbers never seemed to decrease. Whenever he would wipe out a large number of wolves, Awooo~ Ahenna would let out a cry which would summon an even larger number of beasts to her. It reminded Sungjin why this place was named Ahennas Forest. Sungjin asked the Operator, Operator, Time remaining? [14 minutes 29 seconds remaining.] Killing the Orc Chief took him less than a minute, and Ahenna had already dragged out the fight by 5 minutes. After all, no matter how strong Sungjin was, he only had two hands and one Katana. Recklessly charging into a well-coordinated formation of beasts was nothing short of suicide. I really need to kill the boss first Sungjin searched for the Queen. She was bleeding from her snout and forehead, and only glanced at him from time to time. She instinctively knew she was no match for him. How annoyingly smart It was as if she knew that she would win by dragging out the time. Sungjin, surrounded by the wolves, couldnt help but recall the wandering merchant Aindell. Maybe I should have bought a few Salamanders ash Sungjin had 180 coins left over (see notes). He had been so focused on saving coins for the late game that he might have penny pinched too excessively. Consumables Now that he thought of it, he recalled that the necklace Yanhurat was inside his pocket. Keeping the wolves at bay, he took the necklace out to inspect it. Is it time to use this? Yanhuras special active effect was Zealot(III) For 30 seconds, increase damage and speed by 300% Once the effects were over, his HP would drop to a third of what it was. But the effects were well worth the harsh penalty of the item. Sungjin, who was already abnormally powerful, would benefit immensely from using it. But, he had seen the fate of those who had relied on the power of Zealot. Those addicted to Zealot had always met a bad end. There were many who placed their bets heavily on Zealots active effects. Many who swore by it, forming the core of their strategy around its use. But those who became dependent on its effects someday couldnt handle the penalty and faced gruesome deaths. Sungjin held the necklace in one hand as he kept the Wolves at bay. Then, Kill He heard an ominous voice originating from his palms. Sungjin looked from the corner of his eyes towards the necklace. The Yanhurat stared back at him with a hideous smile. The Necklace continued to whisper to him. To put it around his neck, to fight. I didnt want to use this But as he deliberated his options, time kept on ticking by. He knew he could eventually overcome the sea of wolves and complete the objective, but the longer he took, the less time he had available to search and defeat the hidden boss. I will kill the queen within the next 30 seconds. Coming to a conclusion, he swallowed his inhibitions and placed the necklace around his neck. The voices could be heard much more clearly now. Kill them Sungjin charged towards Ahenna with all due haste, ears filled with the mad whispers from the necklace. A wolf attempted to block his way. Sungjin easily cut through him. Blood splashed onto his chin. The whispers from the necklace sped up by several times. Kill them, Murder them A gigantic Direwolf pounced upon Sungjin. The moment he noticed the wolf, he cut it apart with lightning speed. Sungjins blade moved even faster than usual. The Dire wolf collapsed to the floor without even being able to let out a sound. Drawing blood twice, the necklace again picked up speed. Kill them, Murder them, Rip them to pieces, end their lives! Graah! A grizzly bear charged towards Sungjin, but with a single slash, the bear became slices of meat. The Voices grew louder and stronger. Kill them! Kill them! Kill them! Kill them! Just hearing the necklace made his adrenaline pump wildly. His eyes felt as if they were threatening to pop out, and he unconsciously started grinding his teeth. Sungjin made a beeline for the Queen. Innumerable beasts stood in the way to protect their Queen, but Sungjin in Zealot mode was three times faster and three times stronger. His speed and strength were like that of a hurricane, sweeping away his enemies in a rain of blood. The beasts, who came in contact with his path of destruction were cut apart like pieces of paper. He cut and cut and cut. And all the while, the maddening voice sped up without end. Kill! Kill! Kill! Kill!!!!! Aooooooo~! Ahenna let out a voice full of fear, and all the wolves in the vicinity launched their attacks towards Sungjin to stop him. The sound of Ahennas cries and the voices from the ring overlapped. Kill! Kill! Kill! Kill!!!!! And once the sounds overlapped, Sungjin couldnt help but yell towards the endless stream of wolves, Ill kill you all! You sons of bitches! Translators Notes The correct count of Sungjins Black Coins is 160, according to how much he was rewarded. We will shortly inform the author that more numbers slipped through his editors notice. Until he updates it, we will keep the number as is shown in the raws. Chapter 11 Chapter 11 C Ahennas Forest (4) A tree was burnt to the core and transformed into charcoal. Unable to withstand its own weight, it collapsed into a pile of ashes. Novice Scouts fire arrows had started a fully fledged forest fire; The wind carried embers of the inferno and began to spread across the whole of Ahennas forest. But not a single creature could be seen running away from the flames; Sungjin pulled his katana out from the chest of the last wolf in the forest. Haa Sungjin finally let out a long sigh. Behind him were mountains of corpses. Among the corpses was the Queen of the Forest Ahenna herself. Sungjin had fought in a frenzy. He had fought so wildly that he did not even recognize himself. The effects of Zealot was powerful, but it made it impossible to maintain a sound mind during the fight. Sungjin ripped the Yanhurat off of his neck. Kill them! Rip them to pieces! The necklaces insane shouting seemed to continue to echo in his ears. He was unhurt during the fight, but he still felt a rush of exhaustion wash over him. Operator, my HP HP: 500/1500 His HP had dropped exactly to a third of what it was. The item activation period was exactly 30 seconds. It was fine to fight mindlessly for 30 seconds, but the problem occurred when the period ended. Disoriented, exhausted and with only a third of the total HP remaining, finding yourself surrounded by enemies the same enemies you did not manage to defeat with three times the strength and speed. This was the reason why so many people who entrusted their lives to Zealot mode had succumbed to death. Sungjin realized that in a truly life-threatening situation unless he had the absolute certainty that all hostile forces could be eliminated during the active time, it was better not to use it. Against Ahenna, he could have easily completed the chapter without using it. But he was short on time. Time Operator, remaining time? [13 Minutes and 49 Seconds remaining.] Not even a minute had passed since he had previously asked. Yanhurats mind corrupting voice had saved him lots of time. Operator, take out two small Recovery potions from the inventory The cube summoned two small potions upon command. Sungjin drank them both. The effect of the small Recovery Potion was fill 1/3 of the total HP Drinking the two potions recovered his whole HP. Sungjin now wanted to leave to search for clues about the hidden boss when Snap He heard something step on a branch, breaking it. Was one left alive? Sungjin looked towards the origin of the sound. Whatever caused the sound, it was trying to hide itself. Sungjin approached the tree, Katana at the ready. As he grew closer towards the source, he could hear the sound of breathing growing louder. When Sungjin walked around the large tree DDie! A large axe came swinging at him. But it was swung at an ordinary speed. It was in slow motion compared to Ahennas claws. Sungjin swung his sword faster than the axe to intercept it. The Katana cut off the axe head, and the axe blade flew off into the distance, landing somewhere in the forest with a thud. Disarming his attacker, Sungjin inspected the assailant. It was the white-haired Lumberjack old man, who stood stiffly holding the headless axe like a sword. AhAhhhh! He saw Sungjins face and collapsed backward in fear. Sungjin stared for a moment at the old man. Oh yeah, I forgot about him. Aside from Sungjin, the old man was the only person who had been acting independently from the Hooligan group. He must have been put off by the Hooligans arrogant behavior from the camp. It was not a bad decision. In the end, it was what kept him alive. The Lumberjack swung his headless axe towards Sungjin and shouted StayStay away! He had no reason to approach the old man. Sungjin sheathed his katana. But the Lumberjack added one more word. You Monster! What? Sungjin looked into the old mans eyes again. The old man must have seen Sungjin fight under the effects of Yanhurat. If that was so, his reaction made sense. Sungjin decided to give him an advice. Hey, Grandpa. Go back to the campfire where we started the raid and sit there. If you do so, you will be able to avoid death. With that, Sungjin ran deeper into the forest. * Sungjin ran through the forest with his katana in hand, searching for clues. But no enemies could be seen. Sungjin then realized something and asked the operator. Operator, Raid progress? [Raid is 95% complete.] Sungjin immediately sheathed his katana. I guess that was all of them back there Ahennas cries must have summoned every remaining beast in the forest to the fight. And every single one of them, without exception, was eliminated by his hands. It was rather nice to know that there were no loose ends. It was just him and the hidden boss. After roaming the forest for a while, he saw rows of trees turning black. This must bethe boundary line. The raid was always conducted within a systematically enclosed area. Just because it was a forest did not mean it continued on forever. If a Hunter attempts to leave past the boundary, a terrifying warning was given. [Please return to the hunting grounds. This area is off limits to hunters.] [If you remain in the restricted area after 10 seconds,] [You will die. 10, 9,..] If this is the boundary Sungjin withdrew his hands from the boundary line. Then turning around, he ran straight back perpendicularly from the boundary line. No matter how much he searched his surroundings, he didnt see anything out of place. Soon, he returned to where Ahenna and her beasts lay strewn about the forest floor. Where the hell is the hidden boss? Sungjin decided to return to the starting location. At the campfire, the old man Lumberjack and the Wandering Merchant Aindell were sitting by the fire. Ahh! Monster! Oh, you were able to defeat Ahenna. Congratulations, Mister Hunter. Sungjin scanned the campsite briefly. GoGo away! Do you wish to purchase some supplies? The Lumberjack begged him to leave, and the Merchant bid him to stay. Of the two, he decided to listen to the Lumberjack. He didnt have time to waste on those two anyways. * As time passed, the forest fire continued to spread. Ahennas Forest was now lit as bright as day. But he didnt spot anything particularly out of place. Operator, time? [8 minutes and 39 seconds remaining.] He had been searching fruitlessly for 5 minutes. He had been probing like a mad man, combing the forest. But the only thing he could find was the Boundary. Where is it hidden? Sungjin was starting to become annoyed when Hoo Hoo Short but unmistakable sounds of an owl could be heard from above. Sungjin looked up into the night sky. If it were still dark, it would have been hard to spot it. But thanks to the forest fire, it was easier to see. On top of a tree, an owl was nested. The owl did not appear to be a hidden boss, but it was still suspicious. Sungjin unhesitatingly jumped up the tree, climbing it. Sungjins Dexterity had long surpassed human limitations. Climbing the tree posed no difficulty for him. Once he got closer, the Owl flew away. Only the nest remained. He decided to check the nest. Within the nest was not an egg, but a round white crystal. found it Sungjin reached out and lifted up the crystal. The Cube began an announcement. [Congratulations! You have obtained the Hidden Piece] [Perfect Moonstone!] Sungjin inspected the Perfect Moonstone. The Operator opened up a hologram for the item. Perfect Moonstone C Crystal of the moon. Rare Jewel Crystal hidden inside an owls nest. It is said that it contains the powers of a full moon. There are no special effects associated with this item. In most cases, this kind of item could be sold off to the Black Market for Black Coins. Operator, how much can this be sold off for in the Black Market? [100 Black Coins] only 100 Sungjin placed the item in his pocket for now. He left to search for the hidden boss. Compared to the items Hidden bosses can drop, 100 Black Coins were nothing. Then, he stopped. He recalled something he heard long ago in the past. From the earlier days of the hunts, he once heard from his teammate I heard that a party was able to find and kill the hidden boss in the Ahennas Forest Sungjin paused for a moment to try and recollect his memory. None of the original party members survived until now but from what Ive been told, the hidden piece found in the second forest its not supposed to be sold. Not for sale? Sungjin reached into his pocket and took out the moonstone one more time. As the name implied, it was perfectly round, and the crystal was a perfect replica of the full moon. Sungjin looked up into the sky. Above the burning treetops and the smoke, he could see the third quarter moon. He looked back and forth between the moon and the stone. Half moon and round moonstone that is to say, a full moon Sungjin, while looking back and forth between the crystal and the moon, he recalled the Operators explanation about the forest. [It is a place filled with insidious and cunning predators of the night.] The answer was on the tip of his tongue. All the pieces were there. Then just who is. Sungjin put together the final piece. He quickly moved his feet. Chapter 12 Chapter 12 C Ahennas Forest (5) At the campfire located at the entrance of the raid, two individuals were exchanging words.. You mean you only lived in the city your entire life? Yeah. Ive never even held an axe in my life before. I dont know whats going on anymore Old man Lumberjack and the Wandering Merchant Aindell were having a conversation. I see I see. I hope you have a long life, sir. That would be nice But that crazy guy from before At that moment, That Crazy Guy appeared, interrupting the peaceful atmosphere. Their reactions were polar opposites again. Wandering Merchant Aindell bowed, greeting him. Welcome, dear customer! And the old Lumberjack was startled, pointing his fingers at Sungjin. Why! You! Why are you here? Sungjin, for the first time, approached the two. The Lumberjack was being incredibly cautious, but he ignored the lumberjack and approached the Merchant instead. Hey, do you know anything about hidden bosses? Aindell tilted his head as if confused and replied, Hidden Boss? I dont know. Is there something like that here? He smiled innocently for a moment, and then his expression brightened up. Oh! I think Ive heard of something like that before. A secret boss hiding somewhere in the raid zone. Finding it is really difficult and it possesses incredible strength. Please be careful, Mr.Hunter, in case you ever run into something like that. Sungjin couldnt help but smile when he heard the reply. And drawing out his katana, he pointed the sword at the Merchant. So you have incredible strength? As if not understanding his words, the merchant tilted his head again. What is this about, dear customer? The Lumberjack grasped the merchants shoulders and said to him, Dont listen to him, son. Hes a crazed monster. You dont need to listen to him. Sungjin addressed the old man. Come to my side if you want to live. The Crazed Monster is him, not me. The Lumberjack seemed to be on Aindells side. The old man stood even closer to Aindell as he replied back to Sungjin. Stop your lies. ..Didnt you see what happened when that Hooligan fellow tried to threaten him? You dont get coins. Give me everything youve got, Bitch. The Lumberjack was probably referring to that situation from earlier. The Operator definitely said at the time: [Warning:] [Attacking a non-hostile lifeform will cause penalties from the Raid Rewards.] Sungjin knew better than anyone about this rule. There was no way he was not aware of this. That only applies while he is a non-hostile lifeform. But the Lumberjack refused to listen. You bloodthirsty animal He seemed to view Sungjin as a battle crazed maniac ever since witnessing him in Zealot (III) mode under the influence of Yanhurat. Sungjin shook his head in disappointment. Almost nobody believed in Sungjin since the reset. At the very least, the old man seemed naturally distrustful. Well fine. Do what you like. But, if you dont run away by the time I count to three, I cant guarantee your safety. One Sungjin put his hand inside the pocket and began to count. Two He gripped the Perfect Moonstone. Three At the same time when he said Three, he tossed the stone towards Aindell. Hmm? What is Aindell looked down at the stone he caught on instinct. In his hands, the crystal displayed the words Full Moon And the moment his eyes landed on the words, his blue eyes turned amber. Sungjin knew, This is it. And to confirm his suspicion, the Operator announced in an urgent tone [Warning!] [The Hidden Boss Werewolf Aindell has appeared.] Graaaah! Aindells short stature grew rapidly, growing hair all over his body, his face extending into a snout. His fangs grew out and extended past his lips. The time it took for Wandering Merchant Aindell to transform into Werewolf Aindell was 3 seconds. The Lumberjack had fallen over in surprise at his transformation. Sungjin yelled at him. Hey, run away! But, Uh He didnt even have the time to scream or shout. Aindell, upon transforming, immediately turned towards the Lumberjack. Gah! The Lumberjack, who until moments ago was sharing a pleasant conversation with the Merchant, had his neck ripped out by the Werewolf Aindell. Drenched in human blood, the Werewolf let out a howl. Awooooo~~! Sungjin frowned and took out his Katana from the sheath. Im getting real tired of that sound now. The Werewolf turned his gaze upon Sungjin. Sungjin clenched his teeth. Moments later, they clashed. Sungjin swung his sword and leaned his head back as Aindells claws cut through the air above him. Because Sungjin had tilted his head back to dodge, he could not visually confirm the result of the first clash. However, Sungjin did not feel any recoil from the strike. He dodged it. Instead of launching a follow-up strike, Sungjin watched for the wolfmans next move. And just as he predicted, Aindell launched his attack towards Sungjins unguarded left. Sungjin quickly let go of his katana from his left hand to guard. Kakakaka Aindells claws and the chains of Free Ark collided, sending sparks flying. If he had not equipped the Free Ark, he would have lost his hand. deliberate and planned attack Sungjin leaped back in surprise. In the previous strike, Aindell had aimed to strike Sungjins arms to disarm him rather than go for the kill. There was no question about it. Sungjin decided to try to communicate. What are you? And in a rough and deep voice, he replied. You already figured me out! What an interesting Human! Sungjin regripped his Katana as he spoke. I just thought it was strange, strange that the Operator would willingly throw in a random weirdo to help out in a raid. The Wolf gestured to the old man he killed and replied. That man was too old; his meat tasted no good. Lets see how you taste! The two combatants resumed the battle. They dodged, attacked, dodged, swung They exchanged blows at a breakneck speed. Aindell was even faster than Ahenna. Despite Sungjins unmatched investment into Dexterity, Aindell did not lose out on speed. The two exchanged a few more blows, and mutually took a step back. The fight suddenly came to a pause. Aindell and Sungjin both understood that the other was a formidable foe. Aindell looked nervous. Sungjin gazed into his own reflection on the Katana. This was designed to be difficult to clear alone. Similar to Mad Orc Ruark, this was not a contest of strength and endurance, but of speed. The problem was compounded by the fact that the speed on both sides was roughly the same. Sungjin considered using the Yanhurat inside his pocket; 3 times the speed for 30 seconds. If I use this Itll take 30 seconds to killno, 10 seconds is enough But I promised myself I wouldnt use it unless absolutely necessary For a moment, Sungjin wavered, but he made a firm decision and withdrew his hands. Sungjin decided against using it. If he wasnt strong enough to overcome a chapter as early as chapter 2 without relying on cheat mode, then his future looked grim. Kao! Aindell charged once more towards Sungjin. Sungjin lowered his stance and backed off, dodging and blocking all of Aindells attacks. Meanwhile, he calculated his next move. If we reach that area Sungjin leaped back further and further to lure Aindell in. Being unable to land a hit, Aindell gave chase as he entered into a frenzy. And suddenly, Sungjin stood his ground. He was standing next to the campfire. He kicked the logs up towards Aindell. Fire attack. Aindell paused for the first time to stop the log. The moment he made contact, the fire spread to his fur. For a thousandth of a second, Aindell stiffened up when the fire spread to his fur. And that brief moment of hesitation was all Sungjin needed. He cut the werewolfs unguarded abdomen from side to side. Kaaaa! Aindell let out a strange scream. It was difficult to make out whether it was a scream of a wolf or a human. But Sungjins Katana was devoid of any mercy. Sungjin swung and slashed Aindells legs. His thin legs were severed without giving resistance. Sungjin had been eyeing them for a while. Without being able to hold himself up, Aindell collapsed to the ground. He still tried to put up a fight by thrashing about from the ground, but Sungjin stomped on his stomach and simply cut off both of his arms. Kaaack! Aindell let out another cry of pain and began to pant. Even in his last moments, he glared at Sungjin with eyes filled with malice. How cruel Sungjin held his Katana upside down and addressed him. Yeah, thats the problem with you talkative ones. And he thrust the Katana deep in his chest. Krrraahggg He let out one last cry of pain and perished. Sungjin looked down at him and said his parting words. You said it yourself. Wild Beasts are afraid of fire. What kind of idiot teaches his enemies his greatest weakness? The Operator soon gave out an announcement. [Hidden boss Werewolf Aindell Cleared.] [Congratulations! You have managed to complete all objectives in this Chapter!] [Disregarding the remaining time and ending the raid immediately.] Upon hearing the announcements, he finally wiped off the sweat from his brows. Sigh Maintaining 100% completion for a raid, even for Chapter 2, was no easy task. Ahenna and Aindell both were extremely difficult opponents to defeat. Will I be able to go until the end like this? Once he thought of it, he understood the difference between this life and his previous life. The difference was his luck with teammates. The reason why he was struggling so much despite the massive advantage granted by the Restart and his unbelievable stats was due to his luck with teammates. Previously, he was able to make it to the end because he consistently met reliable and rational teammates. But for some reason he had absolutely the worst luck with his teammates this time. Of all the teammates he met so far in two chapters, Officer Baltren was the only one who was somewhat decent. Sungjin paused for a moment to look up at the night sky. The half moon was still there. Sungjin briefly thought of Baltren. I wonder how hes doing. Baltrens words echoed in his mind. We will meet again, Master Hunter K. Meet again The chances of meeting someone again from the previous raid was astronomically small. Baltren was reasonably strong and had good leadership qualities. But if he gets matched up with poor teammates, hell just get killed. And for a moment, Sungjin felt depressed. But, the Operators voice interrupted his thoughts and brought him good news. [Calculating Rewards.] Chapter 13 Chapter 13 C Ahennas Forest (6) The Operator announced the rewards with her well enunciated and clear voice. [Monsters Slain. Gray Wolf: 80. Shadow Puma: 30. Grizzly Bear: 15. Dire Wolf: 16. Total 1500 points.] [Boss Monster Slain: Wolf Queen Ahenna: 150 points.] [Hidden Boss: Werewolf Aindell: 150 points.] [Final Point count: 1800. Distributing points.] Reward distribution ended quickly. Why? Because there was only one recipient. [Your contribution is 100.0%. 1800 Stat points, 1800 Black Coins awarded. Raid Clear Bonus 400 Stat points and 400 Black Coins awarded. Item effect Additional 10% gained activated. Distributing 2200 Stat points and 2420 Black Coins.] 100 Black Coins remaining from Chapter 1, 60 from Chapter 2 Tutorial, and now getting 2420 Total is 2580 Black Coins. Sungjin completed his calculations quickly and looked down at his hands. Heart of Golds Blue Sapphire glinted in the firelight. Sungjin happily petted his ring. The ring allowed him to receive 10% extra coins this round. [And now we will distribute the items.] [Swift Paw C Wolfs step] [Grand kin C Ahennas last descendent] [Mystery Pouch C Wandering Merchants secret stash] [Recovery Potion C Small X5] [Salamanders ash X3] Items appeared in front of his eyes and land in a heap. Except for three items, he put all the consumables in the cube. [Last but not the least, you will be awarded titles youve earned on this raid.] Sungjin crossed his arms and gazed down at the cube. He wasnt expecting much. He already had Master Hunter which had the strongest stat boost he had ever seen. I dont think Ill need to switch out Master Hunter no matter what titles I receive from this Raid. But Sungjins assumptions were thankfully wrong. [Treasure Hunter C Twice during raids, You have rights to ask the Operator] [For hints about where the secret location is or the hidden boss is located] What?! Listening to the Operators explanation, Sungjin immediately uncrossed his arms. He took the cube into his hands and asked the Operator once more. Say that again What does the Treasure Hunter title do? The Operator repeated herself. [Treasure Hunter C Twice during raids, You have rights to ask the Operator for hints about the hidden locations] And If I dont equip the title? [If you do not equip the title, you will only receive half of the titles effects.] [In other words, youll be given the right to request hints on the hidden location or boss just once per raid.] He had such low expectations, but he received a pleasant surprise. In fact, now he faced a dilemma. Does he remain with Master Hunters 30% bonus to stats, or take two hints from the Treasure Hunter? He is only allowed to pick one title to equip for the duration of the raid. Hmm Ok understood. Sungjin decided to dwell more on it later. He could always mull over his choices while taking a bath in Ninety Nine Nights. Sungjin finally looked over to his items. First was the boots built out of a Wolfs foot. I remember being jealous of people who wore these How fortunate. This was Ahennas drop item. So Sungjin was able to see a few hunters wear it around. Swift Paw C Wolfs step Heroic Shoes C Defense 22% Active Skill Swiftness(III) C When out of combat, move at 1000% the normal speed for a brief period of time. 30 Seconds Duration 5 Minute Cooldown Time. Shoes in the shape of a Wolfs Feet. It normally has the claws hidden. The shoes Sungjin wore now was the sneakers he had on when he was summoned to the Hunters Hall. Sungjin lifted up the shoes and spoke the command. Equip Moments later, the shoes were placed on his feet. It fit him perfectly. The Active Skill would be useful when searching for the hidden boss or the secret piece. The other two items were probably drop items of the hidden boss Aindell. The first one he inspected was the small wooden carving of a wolf. Grand Kin C Ahennas Descendent Heroic Summon Active Skill Spiritual Link (Grand Kin) C Loyal Familiar, Summon Grand Kin. If Summon is killed, or if 10 minutes pass from the time of summoning, it disappears. A summon Sungjin threw the statue of the wolf into the air. It burst midair, and a normal sized wolf emerged. The summon looked handsome for a wolf. Fur like untouched snow, eyes as beautiful as gems; he was without a doubt Ahennas descendent. Sungjin gestured towards Grand Kin. Grand Kin, come this way. The wolf obediently approached Sungjin. Sungjin placed his hands on Grand Kins head. The fur was soft to touch. Oh yeah, I noticed that you wolves are much better than humans. In the two chapters hes overcome so far, hes had nothing but disappointing teammates. If he is a faithful familiar like the Operator claimed, then he will be useful in raids. Sungjin spoke to himself while petting Grand Kin. But Grand Kin is too long Grand Kin Grand Kin Cain? Yeah, Ill call you Cain from now on. Its okay right? Grand Kin responded with a short bark. Woof It seemed as though the wolf understood all his words. Sungjin couldnt help but smile. Yes, nice to meet you, Cain. I look forward to working with you later. The last item was a small rucksack. It was miniaturized, but the rucksack was otherwise identical to the one the Wandering Merchant Aindell carried with him. In truth, this rucksack was what Sungjin was most curious about during the whole reward process. Where is this used? Operator? The Operator immediately opened up a hologram to reveal information about the rucksack. Mystery Pouch C Wandering Merchants secret stash Heroic Treasure Active skill Roulette (IV) C receive one Legendary class crafting material. Pouch Disappears after use. Wandering Merchant Aindells stash of crafting materials. His pouch is filled with crafting materials. Legendary crafting material? Sungjin was honestly surprised. The Heroic tier he had equipped had excellent bonuses and effects, but Legendary tier items were on an entirely different scale. With a legendary tier item this early in the chapters, one could almost beat the whole chapter with just that item alone. Should I open it now? While Sungjin deliberated, the Operator announced the remaining time. [You will return to the Hunters Hall in 1 Minute.] He only had 1 minute left. Well, I guess theres no harm knowing what Ive got before I head into the Black Market. Finally making up his mind, Sungjin untied the rucksack and opened up the top. Pop With a small sound, the Operator conveys a congratulatory message. [Congratulations! You have obtained Ancient Stories of the East!] Wait What? Sungjin was shocked. This Ancient Stories of the East was a legendary item among legendary items. Its effects were extraordinary. But it was difficult to obtain because the item was divided into three parts, and only one person could own the completed item. Before Sungjin died, and only at the very last few chapters, he was able to see it once or twice. Ancient Stories of the East C Part 1 Legendary Crafting Material Omnibus of ancient stories of the east. Once parts 1, 2 and 3 are gathered, it can be made into a complete volume. If I can just recreate this item If he were to obtain this item, early and mid chapters will become unimaginably easier to complete. Operator, how much are part 2 and 3 of Ancient Stories of the East? [I am unable to give you that information.] For the first time, the Operator did not provide the information to Sungjin. He searched in his memories for a moment and recalled that in the Black Market there was a bookstore. Ill probably be able to find some information there. The Operator began her countdown for his return to the hall. [You will return to the Hunters Hall momentarily. 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, 0] * The Hunters Hall was still filled with a large number of people. Less than 0.1% of all humanity were present, but humans were many. Unimaginably so. But as chapters progressed, the numbers continued to dwindle. Sungjin recalled the past. They kept on dying until there were less than a dozen remainingless than The operator interrupted his thoughts and announced a congratulatory message. [Congratulations! You have all marvelously completed Chapter 2!] Not one person celebrated the completion of the 2nd chapter. And rightfully so; until just moments ago, they were struggling for their lives to survive. [You, who have completed Chapter 2, are now a fully fledged hunter.] Sungjin crossed his arms and stared at the Operators face. and here comes the bad news. [Chapters from now on will skip the tutorial] [And jump straight into the raid.] This sentence was exactly why Sungjin was cynical about her congratulatory message. [There will be no more 1 vs 1 phases designed to get you familiarized with your upcoming enemies.] [You will be entered into active combat straight away. All hunters who managed to survive until now are] [considered to be above able to fight 1 vs 1 level,] [So opportunity to safely scout out an enemy is no longer provided.] What? Several hunters already figured out what kind of disadvantage this was, and let out sounds of disappointments. On the other hand, Yawn Sungjin stretched as he yawned. Tutorials did not affect him one way or another. The Operator continued on and on, and Sungjin paid her no heed. [Please do not be alarmed by the discontinuation of tutorials.] [A note with the information about the next raid] [will be delivered to the inn Ninety Nine Nights shortly.] The other Hunters listened to her words carefully; for them, it was a question of life and death. Among them, only Sungjin stood crooked, arms crossed and complaining like some high school delinquent. Shut up and send me to the Black Market. Note: The author has fixed inconsistencies which were seen in previous chapters like Baltrens reward coins and Sunjins dexterity increase in the raws. We have followed it by updating the chapters here as well If you like our work, please do consider to support us through a donation, every bit helps us in buying raws and paying our upcoming website costs. Thank you! Chapter 14 Chapter 14 C Black Market Second Shopping After a long and exhaustive explanation from the Operator, Sungjin was finally teleported to the Black market. [Once you have finished shopping, please feel free] [to return to the Ninety Nine Nights Inn at any time.] The Operator continued to speak, but Sungjin had had enough. I got it, Thank you, Sungjin waved the cube away and entered the Black Market. Bookstore where was that again? Sungjin had been to the Blackmarket innumerous times, but couldnt recall the last time he had entered a bookstore. There never was a really good reason to enter one. Sungjin roamed the Blackmarket aimlessly until he found a bookstore hidden away in a corner. [This bookstore Dry Mouth is run by bookkeeper Gourmet.] [Various books and information can be purchased here.] The shop owner was a quiet looking goat man. He was so absorbed in his reading that he did not notice that he had a customer waiting. Sungjin eventually let out a fake cough to attract his attention. Cough hmmm. The Goat man finally noticed that he was not alone; only his eyes moved as he gazed up from his book. He saw Sungjin and greeted him. Ah, please excuse me for not noticing you there I hope you can understand; this is a great paragraph you see so, was there something you wanted to buy? Sungjin shook his head. No I did not come to buy a book. Sungjin carefully took out the part 1 of Ancient Stories of the East from his vest and showed it to Gourmet. Do you recognize this book? Gourmets eyes grew wide in surprise. Oh My goodness! His eyes took turns looking back and forth between the book and Sungjin. This is a very precious item where did you manage to obtain one? Sungjin replied matter-of-factly. What do you mean? I obviously got it as a raid reward. Gourmet shook his head in disbelief and replied, licking his dry mouth. I thought chapter 2 just ended how is it possible to obtain a legendary crafting material this early on? I didnt know it was possible either. So do you carry any of the later parts of this book? Hmm Please wait for a moment. Gourmet closed the book he was reading and stood up. Behind him were mountains of books. Some were even taller than Sungjin. He dug into the mountain and disappeared from sight. Once a minute had passed since his disappearance, the mountain seemed to collapse with books cascading down. After two major and chaotic book avalanches, Gourmet appeared holding two volumes. In his hands were the Ancient Stories from the East Part 2 and the Ancient Stories from the East Part 3. Gourmet proudly announced: As I thought, I have them. So, have you come to purchase them? Sungjin instinctively swallowed. How much are they? 5000 Black coins per Volume. Sungjin couldnt believe his ears. What? 5000 Black coins per Volume. Did you already lose your hearing at such a young age? 5000 black coins per each crafting material; it was expensive. Far too expensive. That means the final item has the component cost of 15,000 Coins In my humble opinion, the complete item is incomparably more valuable than 15,000 Coins. Sungjin fell quiet. Gourmet was right. For now, he decided to leave the shop. Understood. I will come again at a later date. He needed 10,000 Coins to purchase the two components. Haggling or intimidation did not work with Vendors. If you want to read to pass the time before the next raid, feel free to browse. Any book unrelated to combat is free after all. Sungjin waved his hands and left Gourmets bookshop. His destination: Ninety Nine Nights. There was nothing he wanted to purchase. There were only two items that he yearned for. I currently have 2580 Coins. My old sword is 9700 Coinsbut the remaining two crafting materials cost 10,000 Coins Mister Hunter! Please look at my wares! A Vender shouted for his attention, but Sungjin paid no heed. He was deeply troubled by his dilemma. Finish the book, or reunite with the old sword Sungjin was short of about 7500 Coins needed to purchase either of the two items. He would need to complete at least two more raids to earn the required amount. Sungjin debated on which item to get first as he walked back to the Ninety Nine Nights Inn. * Once he returned to Ninety Nine Nights, he found that a familiar friend was waiting for him at the table. It was the wolf Grand Kin. Cain barked once as if to greet Sungjin. Woof It was unexpected. But the Operator gave an explanation. [Beings connected via Spiritual Link skill] [Will be available at Ninety Nine Nights from now on.] Sungjin welcomed the information. He didnt feel comfortable with other people, but being able to spend time with a loyal companion like Cain had no demerits. Sungjin walked up to Cain and petted him. Cain Lets go in and eat dinner or something. Sungjin entered Ninety Nine Nights. Owlbear Dalupin greeted Sungjin as always. Welcome back, Mister Hunter. He bowed deeply until his back was nearly level with the floor. Ah, thanks. Awoo Hearing an unfamiliar wolf voice, Dalupin turned his head around to look at Cain from his bowed position. Sungjiin was reminded that owl men could turn their neck around at 180 degrees. This Wolf Sungjin answered casually. Hes my ally. Please take care of him when I am not around. Understood, sir. Dalupin finally stood up straight and asked You must be famished. What would you like for me to prepare today? Sungjin deliberated for a moment. Sushi. Various kinds, about 20 pieces. Oh, and make about 5 fatty tuna. Dalupin nodded. Understood. I will prepare them right away. Ah And raw meat for Cain. A good cut of beef around 500 grams. Its okay right? Dalupin nodded once more. Not a problem. * Sungjin picked up the last remaining Fatty Tuna Sushi with his chopsticks. He had been saving it for last. He dipped the tip of the rice in soy sauce before putting it in his mouth. The soft meat of the tuna, with the perfect ratio of fat mixed in it, almost seemed sacrilegious to swallow such a perfectly prepared culinary masterpiece. But eventually, the tuna was masticated and swallowed. Should I order 5 more fatty tunas? Sungjin considered his options for a while. After carefully weighing his options, he decided not to. If he over indulges on food today, it could cause problems in the raid tomorrow. Sungjin took a glance down once he was done eating. Cain finished his meal and licked his plate clean. Ill see you tomorrow Cain. Sungjin petted Cain one more time and returned upstairs. He asked the Operator as he took off his clothes. Operator, Time left? [10 Hours 49 Minutes 21 Seconds until the next raid.] Until the next raid, there were two things he had to do; Distribute his status points, and decide on a title. Sungjin sank himself into the tub and called upon the Operator. What is my status right now? Title: Master Hunter HP : 1500 MP : 220 Strength: 275 212 (+63) Dexterity: 381 293 (+88) Endurance: 150 115 (+35) Magic Power: 18 14 (+4) Mind Power: 22 17 (+5) Unallocated points: 2200 2200 unallocated points after completing chapter 2 I dont think my total stat points added up to 2000 after four chapters last time though It was certainly an incredible amount. It helped that Sungjin took the majority of the contribution points from both Chapter 1 and 2, as well as clearing them at 100% completion. I guess its because I did everything by myself The most important question that needed an answer now was how to distribute his status points. After thinking about it carefully while idly splashing about in the tub, he decided to invest 700 into strength, 800 into dexterity, and 700 into Endurance. The reason why such a high percentage of status points went into endurance was simple. There will be mages starting with the next chapter. There were magical attacks that cannot be dodged no matter how dexterous you were. In order to clear a raid safely, investing in Endurance was necessary. Of course, investing so much into Endurance could lead to shortage in attack power, but If I really need to, I could always rely on Yahurat to get me through rough spots. His next dilemma was what to do with the titles. If I use Master Hunter, I receive bonus stats. If I use Treasure Hunter, the opportunity to find hidden pieces would increase It was a difficult decision. After much thought, Sungjin finally decided to keep Master Hunter for one more round. The reason was that it was such an excellent title. Even to the final chapter, Sungjin had never even heard of such a good title. I will decide on the Treasure Hunter after trying the active skill at least once. Couldnt hurt to wait and see first Sungjin finished his bath and wrapped up his thoughts. Fatigue from the battle today, and the subsequent relaxation at the bath made him drowsy. He felt drawn to the bed and laid himself on its soft sheets. But Knock knock He heard a knocking at the door. Who is it? Dalupin answered from the other side. Dear Hunter, it is the information pertaining to the next Raid. I dont need it though But Sungjin opened the door anyway. He felt it was against etiquette to refuse gestures of kindness. Especially against Dalupin who provided him excellent meals and a place to lodge. Once Sungjin opened the door, Dalupin handed him a piece of paper. Sungjin accepted the note and said Thank you. Hope you have a restful evening. Dalupin closed the door and left. Sungjin took a glance at the piece of paper. It goes without saying that there was no hint regarding the Hidden Piece. Information mostly pertained to terrain, the different kinds of monsters dwelling in the area and about the boss that ruled the place. Ordinary things. Everything that Sungjin already knew by experience. Sungjin placed the paper on his bedside table. The title was illuminated by the lamp. Information pertaining to the Greysoul Cemetery But he turned off the lamp. While other hunters diligently studied the note, Sungjin laid on the bed and went to sleep. Note: Here is todays chapter The next one will be posted as per schedule which is on Saturday unless a chapters sponsor queue fills up. Chapter 15 Chapter 15 C Greysoul Cemetery (1) Next morning, Sungjin made his way down to the 1st floor of Ninety Nine Nights. Toast, and Vanilla Latte. He ordered his breakfast. Woof And noticed Cain, whom he had forgotten about. Ah, thats right. Give Cain something too. After ordering food for Cain, Sungjin took his feet out of his shoes and rested them on top of another chair. Dalupin left to prepare his breakfast. While munching away on the toast and Vanilla Latte, Sungjin thought of the next raid, Greysoul Cemetery. He felt his appetite draining. He put down the toast he was eating. Thats not really a place I wanted to return to Sungjin put down his half-eaten toast and left the Ninety Nine Nights with his cup of latte. Kyan Cain also, as expected, followed him out. The weather was beautiful. The Black Market could be seen in the distance. Should I buy some Holy water now? The thought ran through his mind. But he needed to save every black coin he could muster so that he may purchase a legendary item later on. Operator, remaining time? [3 Minutes 12 Seconds.] There was still some time left before the raid. Sungjin downed the rest of his Vanilla Latte and returned to the table he had his breakfast at. He decided to allocate his points the way he had planned last night. Operator, allocate 700 to Strength, 800 to Dexterity, and 700 to Endurance. [Strength has risen by 700, Dexterity by 800, and Endurance by 700 points.] Sungjin was now prepared mentally for the upcoming raid. No matter how high his status points were, it was no easy feat to finish the chapters at 100% completion. Especially alone. Soon, the Operator began her countdown. [Raid will begin shortly. 10, 9, 8] Sungjin pet Cain briefly. See you in a bit, Cain. And after a moment, he disappeared from Ninety Nine Nights. * Late at night, worn out street lamps dimly illuminated the surroundings, casting shadows upon the rows of tombstones nearby. A crow flies off of a twisted dried up tree devoid of leaf or life. Caw Caw~ The place Sungjin was teleported to was an eerie Cemetery. The Operator began her explanations. [Hello. Welcome to Greysoul Cemetery.] [It is a place filled with regrets and grudges of the dead.] [As announced before, starting with this chapter] [There will be no more tutorials, and the raids will begin right away.] .I can never get used to this place Sungjin took a look around his surroundings and licked his lips. It still tasted sweet from the Vanilla Latte. [Synchronizing Hunters.] The space around Sungjin blurred for a moment, and four Hunters emerged. Sungjin read the titles before even looking at the teammates themselves. Bear Hunter, Mid-level Samurai, Scout, Veteran Spearman. Oh~ This time there were two impressive titles. Mid-level Samurai and Veteran Spearman. Sungjin inspected the owners of the two titles. Anyone could tell that the Mid-level Samurai was a Japanese man. He looked to be about in his early 20s, maybe even younger than the current Sungjin. He had grown out his chin hair and had shaved part of his eyebrows to make the tips pointy. Of China, Japan, and Korea, only Japanese men would sport such a look at such an early age. I guess hes a real Samurai. Sungjin took a look at the Veteran Spearman. This man was completely black. Compared to black men in America or Europe, his skin tone was of an even darker shade. It was hard to make out his features due to the dim lighting, but the whites of his eyes were prominently visible. I think. Hes African. The last two individuals lacked anything noteworthy about themselves. The Bear Hunter was a tall westerner, and the Scout was a thin, agile looking man. He guessed that he was probably from India. Sungjin was checking the vibe of the group. If it was going to be awful, he wanted to tell them Gather as four and go hunt small mobs Just like he had done with the others until now. But before he got his words out, the Mid-level Samurai stepped forward and stole the show. Hey, you four should group up and hunt trash. Ill go and solo the boss in a flash! The other four, including Sungjin, stared at the Samurai. Sungjin especially so. The Samurai had invested well into his equipment. From top to bottom, he wore normal to rare items. The Katana he held appeared fairly high spec. Probably an item sold in the Last Edge. Sungjin couldnt help but think He sure bought a lot of things. He must have been an ace in the other raids, carrying his team. The Scout Indian man piped in. Well isnt it better if westick together? The Bear Hunter agreed with the Scout. Yes, I agree. Chinese kid, no matter how strong you are, wouldnt we be stronger if we all worked together? With the exception of the Mid-level Samurai, the rest of the team seemed rather agreeable. Hey! Dont you see the katana and the title? I am Japanese! Japanese! Anyway, sure, we can go together. But, when we face the boss, stand back. No matter how hard you try, Im going to take the highest contribution. Sungjin reflected over his actions. Was I Like that? Chapter 3 -Greysoul Cemetery Raid Objective C Hunt the Lich Deathmond Time Limit: 25 Minutes [Complete the objective within the Time Limit.] [If you cannot, you will die.] [The Raid begins in 3 minutes.] Once the Operator completed her mission briefing, the White Bear Hunter said Well, I think we should introduce ourselves before we begin. We are going to be fighting for our lives, and trying to yell Hey Master Hunter, help me! might take too long. The White man was looking up at Sungjins title above his head. I will start. My name is Henrik Sondegaard. Since my family name is long, please just call me Henrik. What are your names? Henrik must be from the Northern Europe. Kultu. I am from Nepal. The man Sungjin assumed to be from India was actually from Nepal. And finally the Mid-level Samurai. My name is Watanabe Hiroaki. Shorten my name and call me Hiro. What a lively youth. Until now, he should have been through life and death struggles, forced to kill or be killed, yet he maintained such a positive attitude. He must be like this naturally. The only two remaining men who didnt reveal their names were the Master Hunter Sungjin and the Veteran Spearman. Once the three men stared at him, Sungjin spat out words he had prepared beforehand. I am K. Henrik nodded. Ok. Kei. He must have liked that his name was short. The last one remaining was the Veteran Spearman. But he only stared blankly. After he had taken turns looking at the others, he said Akanna And thus the introductions were over. The Bear Hunter Henrik did his best to rally the team and exert leadership. Lets work hard together. Dont we all have a family we wish to save? The Mid-level Samurai gripped his hands hard at Henriks words. Yes. My mother and sister are being held by them Sungjin thought Hiro was perhaps not as crazy as he first seemed. The Nepali Kultu also nodded. I probably have the largest family to save. Since there are 30 members in my immediate family. Once again, Sungjin and the African were the last ones left. Sungjin, in particular, didnt have anything to say; He grew up in an orphanage. The people the Operator showed him as a ransom for clearing the raids were just some orphanage workers. They were good people, but it was nothing like a parent. No one knew what Akanna thought. He only blinked his eyes with a vacant stare. He did not speak up. It wasnt like he couldnt speak, nor unable to understand. He didnt seem normal. [The Raid begins in 1 minute.] The Operator informed the group about the remaining time. Now, the other men became nervous. You read the information pamphlet, right? Arrows dont work against Skeletons. I will deal with the skeletons with my axe, so please take care of the zombies and ghouls if I am busy. Understood. Hiro approached Sungjin meanwhile. Hey, Kei, what country are you from? Youre definitely not Japanese. Chinese? Korean? Probability wise, youre most likely to be Chinese, but I feel like you might be Korean. Hiro might have been interested in Sungjin for choosing the same weapon. Sungjin continued to stare expressionlessly, but Hiro did not stop there. Wait, youre still using the basic katana! Where did you spend all of your Black Coins? And what is that shackle for? Why are you swinging your sword while being bound with chains? Sungjin frowned. Annoying. Even though Sungjin did not give a single word in reply, Hiro continued to speak. I actually finished 1st place in Kendo Regional Championship in Osaka. After taking the regional title, I was preparing for the Nationals, but I ended up here instead. That last part sounded interesting. Sungjin had also taken Kendo. If he had taken first place in Osaka, he must have had considerable skill. So Sungjin gave a single word of reply. So thats how you got the title of Mid-Level Samurai. Yeah! This Operator or whatever has good eyes. This Title is awesome. It gives 20% increased damage to all attacks done by a Katana. How is it? Amazing isnt it? Sungjin was at a loss for words. He wanted nothing less than to quickly kill the boss and search for the hidden boss. Whats that title, though? Master Hunter? It sounds really cool. What are the effects? Sungjin sighed. Go get it. Youll know then. Yeah, Im going to smash this Raid or whatever! Ill take all the titles and all the items! His confidence was great. But his contribution from this particular raid wasnt going to be high at all. Unless Sungjin decided not to participate. How should I proceed with this raid? Sungjin took a quick glance at the others. These were all somewhat talented individuals with potential. At their level, they should be able to survive this chapter without protection. Problem is contribution But the most important factor is who are the last few survivors at the end. There was no reason to be considerate with every random stranger he meets at the beginning. Because the chances of them surviving to the end was minuscule. The only ones who are needed to complete all raids and objectives are the final few individuals. To eliminate uncertainty caused by having to rely on good teammates and cooperation, he needed to be overwhelmingly powerful. Enough to finish all the raids solo if need be. Sungjin decided on his course of actions. And just like he had done every time, he let the others know. I Will go alone. And as was with Hiro, the others turned to look at him. Truthfully, I am more of a lone wolf. If there is any need of my assistance, I will come to help. Pleasestick together as a group of four and hunt only the normal monsters. Henrik, who tried hard to encourage teamwork, was shocked. What? Whats wrong now? Why are you saying this? Kultu also chimed in. Hes right. Isnt it better to hunt together? Hiro was actually impressed. Ho Kei. How cool. Alright! Its a race! Finally, the Operator began her countdown. [The Raid begins in 10 seconds. 10,] Sungjin took out his Katana, and stood in front of the gates of Greysoul Cemetery. [9, 8, 7] Henrik tried one more time to change Sungjins mind. Hey Kei, dont do this. Lets talk about this. But Sungjin only turned to say I cant. This raid Its like this. (TL NOTE: at the bottom for context) Henriks eyes grew wide. Sungjin felt pangs of guilt. Just consider me a troll. You probably had one or two until now. [3, 2, 1, 0] And the moment the gates opened, Sungjin ran ahead. Alone. TL NOTE: This part is REALLY SUBTLE. In the Korean version, this sentence implies that betrayal is part of the raids design; One person sacrificing the entire group to take all the reward for himself. Hes basically apologizing to Henrik for screwing him over for the next round. He considers his own action as a direct threat to the well-being and survival of his teammates in the next round; Same as if he attempted to kill them himself. Hence, he considers himself a Troll. If you like our work do consider supporting us! Chapter 16 Chapter 16 C Greysoul Cemetery (2) Once Sungjin was gone, the remaining four people decided to work together as a group. Yeah, just leave it to me. I got this! Hiro was too talkative. Akanna was too quiet. But regardless of their differences, they agreed to stick together to clear the graveyard. In the front stood Henrik with his axe and Hiro with his Katana. In the middle stood Akanna with his spear, and in the back stood Kultu with his bow. Before entering the cemetery, Henrik and Kultu both took out the Lantern they had prepared. Whats that? Henrik answered matter of factly. What, this lantern? It was on the information page you know. It says the Cemetery is dark so you should buy a lantern at the Black Market. Hiro tilted his head. Is that so? Akanna also blinked with a blank expression. Henrik shook his head. Mine in the front and Kultus lantern in the back, well probably be okay with the lighting. Lets just go. Henrik made his way towards the cemetery. Some time later, Grrah! Few zombies appeared. Zombies! Alright! Hiro fearlessly ran ahead. Wait! Henrik had been planning on watching his enemies and responding defensively. Hesitantly, he ran forward to assist Hiro. However, Hiro proved to be better than he thought. He wielded his blade as if possessed. Once the zombies reached his strike zone, their arms and legs were cut off and sent flying. When the zombies stumbled and fell due to the loss of their legs, they were beheaded with a lightning fast attack before they even hit the ground. Henrik instinctively swallowed. I see why hes acting so cocky. While he was distracted, a Zombie charged at him. Henrik hurriedly swung his axe instinctively and cut off the zombies wrist without resistance. But this became a problem. A living being would have hesitated from pain, but the Zombie continued to charge at Henrik disregarding the physical harm. Henrik, having just finished his attack motion, was in no position to defend himself. He was vulnerable to the zombies bite. A moment of peril. Aho! Akannas long spear penetrated the zombies head through its face. Iho! Whenever Akanna thrust his spear shouting out strange words, holes appeared on a zombies face. The zombies hit in the face by his spear all fell powerlessly on the spot without being able to so much as wave their arms. Thanks to the spirited fighting by the two men, Henrik and Kultu did not have much to do. Orya! Kaho! All Henrik and Kultu could do was provide light for Hiro and Akanna to fight properly. Alright, Henrik! Bring the light a little closer please! At least Hiro actually needed the light to fight. Ahoho! Akanna would run into the impenetrable darkness alone, and kill the zombies on his own. What the hell am I watching Henrik, who had lived in Copenhagen all his life, had difficulty adjusting to what he was witnessing. But thanks to the effort of the other two men, Henrik and Kultu could progress through the raid without much trouble. Sometimes ghouls, which were faster than zombies, would threaten Henrik and Kultu. But whenever they were in danger, Hiro and Akanna protected them from harm. Henrik thanked the two of them. Thanks to you two I think we will be able to clear this raid without much trouble. Of course, we would have to see the boss first to know but from what I could see, we should be enough. The real concern is that teenager Kei from earlier. I worry about what might have happened to him. However, Hiros expressions were strange. Hiro spoke as if he was put off by something. Yeah, I guess so But isnt something weird here? This Round? Whats weird? I mean well, I guess something likethe number and strength of the monsters Dont you feel that somehow its even easier than Ahennas Forest? Kultu agreed with his observations. I think youre right. Compared to the endless wave of wolves from the previous raid, there does seem to be too few enemies in this raid. There are Ghouls too but bears were far more threatening. Is it because we havent entered too deep inside yet? Ig Akanna interrupted the conversation by making strange noises. Henrik looked over to him. What is it Akanna? Do you have something to say? Akanna wordlessly motioned for Henriks lantern. Henrik understood his gestures and obediently handed it over. But the question remained. Akanna, you I thought you didnt need light to see? Ig Ig Akanna left the other three and ran off somewhere. He then stopped and put down the lantern on the ground. The other three men opened their mouths in surprise. What the Not far from where they had fought, there was an unimaginable number of zombie and ghoul corpses lying around. Henrik walked up to Akanna to picked up his lantern. He looked around the area with the lantern held low to the ground. There he found not only corpses of ghouls and zombies, but also chopped up remains of skeletons as well. Henrik murmured to himself, overwhelmed by the implications. What in the world * Sungjin wielded his katana like a bolt of lightning. Kueueu~ In a single strike, two zombies were cut down at once. The blood and bile splashed all over Sungjins face. Krraaa Graahh Smelling the thick scent of blood, ghouls appeared from nowhere. Deeply bent back, jagged and uneven teeth, rotting flesh. Sungjin instinctively swung his katana. Anything that his sword touched was cut apart without resistance. Of course, spewing disgusting unidentifiable liquids everywhere. There were largely two main complaints about the Greysoul Cemetery. One was that the enemies were smelly and gross; mostly zombies and ghouls. The second was that these things were only dangerous when overrunning their opponents with sheer numbers. Although they did not pose any significant threat to Sungjin, fighting them was in no way hygienic. I cant wait to clear this map. It was already his second time, but he couldnt get used to this. Hidden piece or not, he just wanted the raid to end. Once he finds a red magic circle hidden within the cemetery, he will be able to locate the boss monster Deathmond. Kill the boss with all due haste, and search for the Hidden Piece. That was his plan. where was that again? But he couldnt remember where the magic circle was located. Greysoul Cemetery was far too dark, so dark that it was hard to tell where anything was. Last time, the five of them roamed the cemetery aimlessly until they accidentally stumbled onto the magic circle and just barely beat the boss within the time frame. Maybe I should have bought a Lantern Without a doubt, the information pamphlet about Greysoul Cemetery would have urged the Hunters to purchase at least one Lantern. He, once again, penny pinched too hard to save money to buy legendary tier items later on. Recalling something, Sungjin called upon the Operator. Operator. [Yes, esteemed Hunter?] Take out the Salamanders ash that I received as reward last time A package appeared on top of the cube on command. It was a reward he had received from Ahennas Forest. Sungjin lifted it up. Salamanders ash Normal Consumable item Special Effect: Flame(I) Flame(I) C imbues an item with a weak flame. 5 Minute duration. Ash collected from a dead fire lizard, Salamander. It is said that there is a place in the world where Salamanders are raised on a farm to be harvested for their ash. Sungjin rubbed the ash over his Katana. Soon, Sungjins weapon lit up on flames illuminating the surroundings. useful. It was an item originally meant to be used to strengthen attack power, but Sungjin treated it as nothing more than a source of light. His damage was already high enough. Selling the Salamanders ash only gave back a single Black Coin. With the five minute duration, he was confident that it was plenty of time for him to find Deathmond. Clack clack Perhaps it was due to the burning Katana that an army of Skeletons was marching towards him. Sungjin preferred these guys though; at least they didnt have rotting flesh and blood. Instead, they each carried spears, swords, or axes. And it goes without saying that they were no match for Sungjins speed. Wielding the Katana in one hand and the scabbard in another, Sungjin fought as if performing two-handed sword style combat. Cutting and bashing. No matter with what Sungjin hit, he shattered the bones to pieces. Once the enemies were destroyed, Sungjin paused to look up at the night sky. The moon was nowhere to be seen. He had no sense of directions. He didnt know where he came from or where he needed to go. I dont know where that Magic circle is what should I do? Sungjin pondered for a moment before coming to a plan of action; brute force everything and search as wide and as quickly as possible. If he ran into enemies, then it was a place he hasnt been to, and if it was an area filled with corpses, then it was a place he had searched before. Although Sungjin was sick and tired of creating mountains of zombie/ghoul corpses, he decided to swallow back his disgust and do it all over again. * Did that Kei person, do all this by himself? Henrik asked in disbelief. Hiro replied Who else could it be? Hiro sounded angry. Well, I guess it is a good thing as long as we clear the raid, right? Henrik consoled him, but Hiro kept his arms crossed and remained quiet. It appeared as though he felt some sort of rivalry between Sungjin and himself. The four hunters fought with the survivors as they searched through the Greysoul Cemetery. When suddenly Eh? Akanna stopped on the spot. He could see far into the darkness. The others tensed up, but he put down his spear Amero Hum manieh damondi! He fell to his knees and started bowing feverishly. The others looked over to see what he could be bowing to. There, they saw a person in the distance clad in a white dress. Eek! EEEE! Hiro started screaming like a woman and hid behind Henrik. What whats wrong? Hiro answered Henriks question. GGhost! Henrik looked over again. He saw the white-clothed person. Pale face, long hair, white dress. She was approaching them. But her motions were too smooth. When he looked carefully, he saw that there were no feet under the hems. Henrik tried to encourage Hiro. We should f..fight then! Hiro held onto Henriks clothes and murmured Gghosts are scary! Akanna continued to pray and chant. Raome kani Besemeres Henrik was starting to panic. The two aces of the team showed zero will to fight and were behaving strangely. Henrik looked over to the ghost again. Even now, the ghost without legs was gliding towards them. Note: Next release is on Wednesday as per the schedule unless there is a sponsored chapter in queue. Also please do check our recruitment post on the home page, we are in need of korean translators to bring to you another novel! Thank You Chapter 17 Chapter 17 C Greysoul Cemetery (3) Henrik raised his axe and shouted Kultu! I got it! At least Kultu was still acting sane. The ghost approached very slowly. Kultu nocked his arrow and carefully aimed for the ghosts head. Pulling back on the string, and then letting go of the arrow, he let it fly. Pew The Arrow flew straight and true. But when it reached the ghost, it simply passed through it. Damn it, what are we supposed to do.? Henrik looked around him briefly. Im so scared! Hiro continued to cower behind him, hanging on to the hem of his shirt. Labeh Ahondi Russo oh Akanna continued to chant and bow What should we do? Kultu stared at him, terrified. There was no one dependable. Henrik looked ahead again. The female Ghost was now nearly upon them. Henrik tightly gripped his axe. It was the only thing he could depend on. Pale face, crimson lips, bloodshot eyes. For a moment, Henrik and the ghost stared at each other. Huh Henry had been planning to swing his axe as soon as the ghost approached close enough. But once he looked into the ghosts eyes, he froze up. He found that he could not move. The ghost stopped moving closer as well. She raised one arm, Hyaaaaa And let out a strange noise. Come on, move! Henrik commanded his body to defend itself, but he couldnt shake off the petrifying terror taking over his body. But after a few seconds, The Ghost turned around and left in the direction she pointed. Once she disappeared, Henrik was able to move again after a moment. Finally, he let out a sigh of relief. What was that? Is it gone? Kultu answered Hiros question. Eh? Its just leaving without doing anything? Once the ghost left, Emma Gordi Sabath Akanna stopped chanting and stood back up. Everyone else turned to look at him. And for the first time, Akanna spoke words they understood. Thank you, blessed ancestor! Henrik was shocked and blurted out What? Akanna can speak! Akanna closed his mouth in response and blinked few times. Henrik was at a loss for words. Kultu spoke up. Excuse me, but since the ghost is gone lets get moving again. Its been about 10 minutes since the raid began. Shouldnt we go and clear it? Henrik snapped himself awake and fixed his grip on the lantern. Yyeah I guess that ghost was not a monster. The four men quickly moved from the spot. They did not wish to remain long where the ghost had appeared. But Awooo~ They heard a wolfs cry in the distance. It was a sound none of them wanted to hear again after completing chapter 2. Hiro said Wait was that a wolf? Kultu also tilted his head and asked There are wolves in the cemetery? Henrik bit his lips. This chapter had too many surprises. He didnt know what to expect. * Sungjin searched feverishly through the Greysoul Cemetery. Already living monsters were becoming difficult to find. In other words, he was running in circles. But he didnt have any other choice; it was so dark in Greysoul Cemetery that it was difficult to tell right from left. Finally, the flame on the katana went out; 5 minutes had elapsed. Sungjin was plunged into the oppressive darkness once more. Wait, 5 minutes passed already? I dont have much time! Sungjin called the Operator out of instinct. Operator. [Yes?] Give me. He was about to ask for another Salamanders ash when he remembered that he had Cain. Ahright [Please go on] Ah, nevermind. Sungjin reached into his pocket to retrieve a small wolf figurine. He threw it in the air. Before reaching the ground, the small figurine transformed into a large wolf. Sungjin couldnt help but smile looking at Cain. Wolves have superior night vision. Cain, who made an appearance for the first time in a raid, Awooo~ Let out a long drawn out howl to announce his presence. Sungjin walked up to Cain. Cain, its too dark for me to see properly. Lead me in the way. Were searching for an altar with a red pentagram. Understood? It should resemble a pile of rocks. Cain let out short barks to convey that he understood. Woof woof Search for corpses not the unmoving ones on the ground, but the ones that are still moving. Seeking out surviving enemies should lead us to the boss. Sungjin tried to explain in detail, but Cain had already begun his search. Sungjin followed behind Cains wagging tail. After a while, Cain stopped and bared his teeth. Grrrr He let out a warning. What did you find, Cain? Sungjin caught up with Cain, and from afar Creak click He could hear the sounds of ghouls and skeletons. Enemies. The numbers were great. Cain must have growled to warn Sungjin of whats ahead. Sungjin drew out his Katana. * Sigh No enemies Hiro complained about the lack of enemies to fight. Henrik agreed with him. Yeah Henrik preferred safety over recklessness, but Hiro was right. Once in awhile, the group would run across some bones or rotting tissue, but they were always found to be ripped apart to pieces. And while wandering around bored, the four Hunters heard another strange noise. Shing! Woof! Kaaack! It was a sound of conflict. The hunters gazed towards the source. Henrik looked at each of the other hunters and asked should we go check it out? No one refused. Since the run-in with the ghost, they had not seen a single enemy alive. They headed towards the source of the conflict. Peerless Warrior Akanna said his second coherent sentence. The hunters raised their lantern high and continued to walk towards the commotion. And soon, they were able to see Kei fight. He, who wielded his katana with speed and power that rivaled bolts of lightning. Each swing of his blade cut apart three or four zombies. Ghouls attempted to launch surprise attacks from his blind spot from time to time, but Sungjin seemed to have eyes on the back of his head; he would stop them with his scabbard and bisect them with his katanas follow-up attack. Krrruughaaggg In the face of Sungjins mighty blade, Ghouls were cut away like pieces of paper. A skeleton attempted to stab Sungjin with a spear, but Sungjin dodged it easily by leaning back. And Kaa! The skeleton was knocked down by the wolf. The Skeleton struggled for a moment on the floor, but the wolf ripped it apart with its claws. Wow Henrik whispered in awe. Hiro was good, but when judged as a human being. What he witnessed in Keis fight was beyond the level of a mere human being; It was like watching a War God of old. Hiro. Henrik remembered Hiro and turned to look at him. Hiro was watching the fight with his mouth agape as well. I wonder what hes feeling right now. And by the time he finished his thoughts, the commotion ended. The sound of fighting stopped, and Henrik looked over to Sungjin. He was surrounded by nothing but undead corpses. Kei frowned as he wiped off the blood and gore from his katana. The wolf next to him turned to look at them briefly before barking. Awo. Kei finally turned to look at the four hunters. Ah Youve come. But Grrr The wolf next to him bared its fangs threateningly. Kei noticed and chastised the wolf. Hey, dont do that Cain. These hunters are not enemies. At his words, the Wolf relaxed and walked in between Sungjins legs. He was tame and loyal to his master. After telling off his wolf, Sungjin looked up. * Sungjin quickly did a head count. One, two, three, four, Evidently, no one died. No one seemed particularly injured. He didnt have a chance to see, but most likely the Veteran Spearman and the Mid-Level Samurai had protected the group well. It is a rather talented group. Unbeknownst to him, the main reason for their safety was that nearly all the monsters were annihilated by his hands. The North European standing at the front approached him and began to speak. That was amazing back there, Kei. Sungjin welcomed him. I am glad that all of you are fine. I couldnt believe how skilled you were Enough to survive alone. Ah, thanks. Sungjin glossed over his praises. There were more important things to discuss. He pointed out the pile of rocks forming an altar. So I am about to go for the boss What would you like to do? It was the Magic Summoning circle used to summon Lich Deathmond. It was discovered by Cain while searching through the darkness. The North European man saw the altar and tensed up. The Japanese boy next to him stepped forward. What do you mean? We fight. The African man behind them continued to stare with a blank face. The Nepali behind the whole group seemed anxious. Sungjin directed his words to him Well, I wont ask you not to participate. But even I cant fight and protect at the same time. If you dont feel like you can handle it, please feel free to drop out of the fight. In fact, itll be okay if you dont participate at all, I can clear the raid for us. The boss Lich Deathmond was a troublesome enemy; he used magic attacks. Many strong individuals had met their sudden demise by his magic. At his words, the North European Henrik and the Nepali Kultu stepped back. Only three remained. Sungjin, the Japanese teenager Hiro, and the African Akanna. Sungjin quickly glanced over them. Well at the very least theyre not at a level where they would do more harm than good. Sungjin stood in front of the altar. On top, a satanic pentagram was drawn. Arranged at its center, were ribs and pelvic bones emitting blue lights. Hey Samurai, There should be some blue glowing bones laying around. Go get them for me. Hiro silently gathered the bones as Sungjin asked. Sungjin also searched and found three blueish bones. Right Femur, Right Humerus, and the skull. The Samurai brought the Left Humerus and the Left Femur. Sungjin pointed towards the Magic circle and explained Arrange those on the pentagram over there. The body forms the center, so place those two bones on the left side. You understand, right? And as instructed, the Samurai placed the bones on the left side of the ribs and pelvic bone. Sungjin followed suit and placed the right Femur and Humerus on the pentagram. He paused for a moment before turning to the other two hunters. Get ready, Mid-Level Samurai and Veteran Spearman. The two men nodded slightly. Sungjin placed the last piece, the skull, on the pentagram. The Red Magic circle lit up, casting shadows all around. The bones began to reattach themselves to each other. The Operator gave out an announcement. [Warning! Boss Monster] [Lich Deathmond has appeared!] Chapter 18 Chapter 18 C Greysoul Cemetery (4) With Ribs and Pelvic bone at the center, the Skull, Scapula, Humerus, and Femur attached themselves to the existing skeletal structure. Once the bones settled in their proper locations, smaller bones such as the fingers and toes came to attach themselves to existing pieces, soon forming the shape of a human. Blue strands emerged from the skull and entangled the bones, and a staff emerged from the top of the altar and flew into its hands. The jaws began to move. Come, those who are fated to die As soon as he spoke, Sungjin who had been waiting with his Katana drawn, charged at him. Lich Deathmond was a mage. To combat enemies who used magic, it was essential to attack them with all due haste before they could complete their incantations. Seeing Sungjin move, the Lich lifted up his left hand and shouted Frozen wall, to me! Ice Shield! A blue crystal wall appeared in front of Sungjin. But Sungjin cut down the wall without hesitation. The wall of ice split in half and fell apart. The Lich quickly tried to swing his right arm holding the staff but Kaan! Cain leaped up and bit the staff, holding on. Taking advantage of the opening created by Cains surprise attack, Sungjin quickly swung his blade. Caught off guard, the Lichs left arm was cut apart to pieces and sent flying. Gasp The Lich floated up slightly and leaped back. Sungjin wanted to press in to continue the attack, but the Lich began chanting. Push away my enemies! Gust! The Lichs short incantation was followed by a powerful gust of wind. There was no damage, but Sungjin who was in the air, was carried by the wind and pushed away from the Lich. At the same time Sungjin landed on his feet, Hiro launched his attack on the Lichs right arm. Ice Shield. The Lich summoned another Ice wall. Hiro tried to cut through the block of ice like Sungjin had before him. With a crack, the Katana clashed with the wall, but the cut was too shallow. Hiros Katana stopped halfway through the ice. What? Hiro shouted out in surprise. The Lich took the time to cast another spell. Piercing spears of ice! Ice Lance! The Lichs staff formed three icicles in the air around it. Once they took shape and solidified, the icicles flew towards Hiro who was still struggling to free his Katana from the Ice wall. Hiro hastily pulled his Katana free from the wall and deflected the Icicles. He knocked one out of the air, and then another, and then Kuo! Hiro didnt manage to block the third icicle and was stabbed in the stomach, falling over. But Hiros actions were not in vain. While he was dealing with the Bosss magic attacks, Ho! Akanna appeared from the darkness and shattered the Lichs right arm holding the staff. Upon losing both the arms, Gust! The Lich called forth his wind magic once more to push Akanna back. Defy Gravity! Flight! The Lich lifted up into the sky. And with the three hunters watching, the legs fell off from the hips and attached themselves to the elbows. It was a strange sight to see; Arms replaced by legs, with feet where hands used to be. The staff flew up from the ground and placed itself between the toes. Cold which burns, Blade that severs! Scythe of Ice! Upon his incantations, a large blade formed on the tip of the staff; Like those of Grim Reaper. Grrrr.. Cain began to growl upon seeing the Lichs Scythe. 2nd Phase Sungjin fixed the grip on his Katana. Uho! Akanna turned his spear around and readied his combat stance. Hiro gulped down a potion as quickly as he could. Once the Lich was done transforming, it returned to the ground. Sungjin, Akanna, and Hiro all charged at the Lich simultaneously. The Lich moved back as it swung the Scythe. Due to the staffs length, the length of its legs, and the length of the humerus, the reach of the Lichs attack was enormous. And because the Lich continuously swung his Scythe, no one, not even Sungjin could easily approach him. Taking advantage of the Hunters hesitation, the Lich recited an incantation. Spreading Death, Orb of Ice A small spherical orb appeared on the Lichs hands and started floating towards the hunters. The orb was moving even slower than it looked. It was doubtful whether it would hit anyone who was paying attention. Then, Sungjin recalled something from his past. Ive seen that before And the moment he recalled just what it was, he shouted as he threw himself onto the floor. Get down! The orb exploded and scattered shrapnel everywhere. Sungjin braced himself. There was no way to avoid all the debris. But, Sungjin felt no pain after the explosion. When he raised his head, he saw Cain standing over him bleeding; Shrapnels were embedded all over his body. Whine Wrath took Sungjins heart, and he leaped to his feet infuriated. Hiro and Akanna both were hurt and couldnt move properly. Sungjin charged at the Lich alone. The Lich swung his Scythe like a whip, but Sungjin dodged every swing and moved closer to the Lich. Once Sungjin got close enough, the Lich hurriedly recited an incantation. Ice Shield But the ice wall could not hold up to Sungjins blade guided by anger. The wall crumbled away to nothing. In moments, Sungjin bisected the Lichs arms (made of Leg bones). Gust! The Lich, who was now without arms or legs retreated after reciting the incantations. Just the skull and the torso left. Sungjin dashed forward to finish off the boss. Oryah! Oh Ho! Behind Sungjin, Akanna and Hiro got up and also charged together. The Lich saw the three hunters and began an incantation. Cold which obstructs! Frostbite! Ice pillars emerged from the ground and froze the hunters feet to the ground. The Lich attempted to use the opportunity to shout an incantation, but Free Ark! The Shackle on Sungjins arm gave off a brilliant light, and the ice holding his feet gave away without resistance. Freeing himself of the magical bindings, Sungjin sped towards the boss like a bullet. The Lich, who assumed the Frostbite would last a bit longer, Wind which freezes all, Ice which rips everything apart! Because of Sungjin who freed himself in an instant and had charged towards him, he wasnt able to complete the spell. Blizzard Sto Sungjin, in his extreme anger, cut the Lich from the bottom up; Starting from the tailbone and reaching all the way to the jawbone. He cut the Lich apart in Half. [Objective complete. Returning to Hunters Hall in 17 Minutes and 52 Seconds.] The Cube announced victory, but Sungjin was not happy at all. He walked up to Cain, who was laying on the ground. Cain was bleeding out and dying. Shortly after, he disappeared with a bang and returned to the form of a wooden carving. Sungjin picked up the figurine. Thank you Cain You worked hard. After a moment, Sungjin placed the figurine in his pocket. * [Objective complete. Returning to Hunters Hall in 17 Minutes and 52 Seconds.] Once they heard the announcements, Henrik and Kultu came back to see the other three men. Good work, all of you Though, are you alright? Henrik was right to be worried. Akanna and Hiro were dripping with blood. Shards of ice still pierced their skin in many places, and small and large cuts covered their bodies. Only Kei was left devoid of cuts and bruises. Kei swung his katana few times and then turned to leave. But Kei. No. Kei Sama. Hiro stopped Kei. Kei turned to see what Hiro wanted. Hiro got down to the ground and gave a deep bow on his hands and knees. I, Watanabe Hiroaki of 20 years of age, have been shown new heights of greatness. I wish to make you my sensei, so please accept me as your pupil. Kei looked uncomfortable no, he looked alarmed. What are you talking about? Were going our separate ways after this chapter Hiro was insistent. Please accept me as your pupil anyway. You never know if we will meet each other again in another chapter. Kei returned his sword to the scabbard and replied. Even if you say that, there is no option other than to become stronger on your own. Even though the Chapter was completed safely, Kei looked distraught. Suddenly he called to the Operator. Operator, how much time left? [You will return to the Hunters Hall in 17 Minutes and 24 Seconds.] After asking for the time, Kei turned to leave. Hiro, who had his forehead touching the ground, looked up and stood up to follow. Sensei, where are you going? I will go with you. The other two people, Henrik and Kultu, looked at each other. The Boss monster was killed, but there was bound to be more undead mobs remaining somewhere. In other words, the safest place right now was standing close to Kei. Lets go too. The two men understood each other without communicating. They, too, followed Sungjin. Akanna briefly wiped the blood off of his face and followed behind the others. The other hunters followed Kei like a Shadow. Hiro stayed close to Kei and continued to try and make conversation with him. Sensei, please give me one word of advice. How can I become powerful like you? Kei finally broke the silence and half-heartedly gave a response. Operator already said how. Increase your stats, get good items. And stuff. He recited a textbook answer. Do you have no comment about my Kendo skills? Kei bit his lips for a moment and pondered, but he gave another half-hearted answer in the end. Just do a lot of fighting. Forget everything you learned at the Dojo. Excuse me? Kei explained himself. Were not fighting Humans. We fight monsters. Real combat experience here is more important. Ah Thank you for your teachings Sensei. Kei shook his head at Hiros words. And along the way Sensei? Where are you headed to anyway? Dont go too far. A Ghost appears somewhere ahead. At that moment, A ghost? Kei, who was responding in a half bored and half annoyed manner, changed his tone of voice. He stopped in his tracks and turned to interrogate Hiro. What ghost? Seeing Keis sudden spike in interest, Hiro excitedly explained what he knew. Well, You know, a female ghost like those you see in scary movies. With pale skin and blood dripping from the lips Kei took hold of Hiros shoulders and spoke once more. Where did you see it? Way over there~ It was flying around. Right before we saw the boss. You know, its pretty hard to tell where we were though Kei glanced at Kultu and Henrik. The two men shook their heads. Kei returned his gaze to Hiro. That ghost is it very noticeable? Very. She wore a white dress and seemed to glow slightly. She should be visible from far away. Kei suddenly turned his head. Hidden He muttered something under his breath and suddenly shouted Swift Paw His boots suddenly grew claws. And before the others recovered from the surprise, Kei began running away at an incredible speed. No, it was beyond incredible. It was completely outside the boundary of human limitations. Although Henrik and Kultu stared with their mouths open, Hiro yelled Sensei! Wait for me! Only Hiro chased after Kei in the darkness. Chapter 19 Chapter 19 C Greysoul Cemetery (5) Sungjin blazed through Greysoul Cemetery, searching. Swift Paw C Wolfs steps effect was stronger than anticipated. Because it gave ten times the normal movement speed, Sungjin was actually forced to slow down. But the result was magnificent; It effectively reduced the time spent on searching to a tenth. Sungjin thought of what he had just heard moments before, as he continued to search between the many tombstones. Well, You know, a female ghost like those you see in scary movies. With pale skin and blood dripping from the lips A hint came from an unexpected source. I am certain that the ghost has something to do with the hidden boss or the hidden piece. Now that he thought of it, he had heard some rumors of a ghost in chapter 3. Hunters from the previous life sometimes gossipped about it. And here I thought that I should have used the Treasure Hunter active skill right after the boss Sungjin saved his active skill for now. He already got a hint about at least one of the two things, and there was a possibility that the hint the Operator provides is on the same subject. There was not one undead remaining in the entire Greysoul Cemetery. Most were wiped out during his search, and the stragglers were hunted down by the other four hunters. Ghostwhere are you? Sungjin checked his surroundings as he sped through the Cemetery. And finally, his speed gradually started decreasing. Its been 30 seconds already? I havent located the ghost yet Soon Sungjin was back to running at his normal speed. He paused for a moment. He was surrounded by an indistinguishable sea of tombstones. Damn Sungjin turned his head while swearing, and just then he saw something white floating in the distance; a woman in a white dress. There! Sungjin sprinted at his normal speed towards the ghost. * Sensei! Hiro tried to keep up with Kei, but it was impossible. Kei ran at impossible speeds, and Hiro lost sight of him in mere moments. He paused and stared towards the general direction Kei disappeared to. Anyone else would have given up at this point. But not Hiro. Holy cow! Sensei is so amazing! After taking a quick breather, Hiro continued with his chase. After about 2 minutes, he spotted the ghost he saw earlier. Eek! Hiro stopped immediately. In fact, he subconsciously took a step back. He was alone without Henrik, Kultu or Akanna. Hiro was not afraid of Skeletons or Zombies, but the ghost scared the wits out of him. Then, he spotted Kei next to the ghost. What should I do? Hiro nibbled on his nails and began to fret. He was in a dilemma due to the forces of attraction and repulsion being gathered in one spot. I am a man of martial arts. I need to overcome my fears Hiro finally made up his mind and approached Kei and the ghost. Once he got within earshot, Kei turned to look at him. Hmm? What? How did you catch up? Moments later, the ghost turned to look at him as well. Eee! Being stared at by a ghost with an ashen face and completely black eyes, Hiro wanted to run away. But, Kei stopped him. Dont worry. This ghost isnon-hostile. Kei was right. The Ghost never showed intentions to attack anyone. But Hiro still could not approach the apparition. Hostile or not, the appearance of the ghost was enough to inspire fear in a mans heart. And while Hiro was keeping his distance from the ghost, the ghost looked towards Kei. And in a similar manner, as she had done with Henrik, she raised her hands to point far in the distance and Hiiiiii. Let out a strange noise. Kei was completely unafraid of the ghost. He simply stroked his chin. This thing I think its trying to say something Was all he said. Suddenly, the ghost began to float away towards the direction she had pointed out moments ago. Kei followed her without another word. Hiro watched for a moment. SenSensei! He called after Kei, but Kei did not respond. Hiro had no choice but to follow the two, albeit from a few steps behind. After a long while, the ghost stopped again and Haaaaaa. Let out a strange noise. Kei stopped next to her. Hmmm Is there something here? He mused to himself. Operator. He suddenly called out the Operator. Salamanders ash. He took out a Salamanders ash from the inventory. Hiro was familiar with that item. He used it in Chapter 1 to hunt the Trolls, and against the wolves in Chapter 2. Kei opened the package and spread the ash across his Katana. Foof The katana lit up on fire and illuminated the area. Using the Katana as a torch, he checked the immediate surroundings. And exactly under the ghost, He spotted a stone crypt door engraved with an image of two identical girls, standing back to back. Twins Kei spoke to himself and sliced the door open with his Katana. Kahaaa~ The Ghost screamed out loud. It was still layered with an unholy cadence but, this time, it seemedhappy. She spun in the air once and then flew into the stone entrance. Kei and Hiro peaked into the opening in the stone doorway. It was difficult to see what was inside. Once Kei inserted the sword between the crack. A large pile of bones could be seen below. Hiiie! Hiro gasped in terror again. On the other hand, Kei moved to enter the crypt fearlessly. Hiro grabbed his shirt and pulled him back. Sensei, are you not afraid of ghosts? Kei looked back towards Hiro and Ive already died once. Why would I fear ghosts? Said something Hiro didnt quite understand. Before Hiro could respond, Kei entered the crypt. The entryway was too small and dark. Hiro made an excuse for himself. I can just wait for sensei out here He sat down in front of the Crypt. What Kei just said moments before: Ive already died once, was completely and utterly ignored. * Sungjin entered the Columbarium alone. Using the Katana as a torch, he illuminated different parts of the room. The Columbarium was damp and narrow. Despite it all, Sungjin entered confidently taking no mind to the environment. For him, it was beyond a doubt that this place was what he had been searching for all along. At the end of the narrow walkway, a small space of about 30 meters cubed emerged. And within, the female Ghost who led him here was waiting for him. Standing inside of a crypt surrounded by bones, looking up at a bloodied ghost, Sungjin thought yeah I think I can understand why people might be afraid. Hyaaa The ghost let out a strange noise and once again raised her hands. When Sungjin saw her hands, he thought it was different from before. Her hands were not in a grip and were held in their natural state with the fingers slightly curled. But Sungjin thought she had her pointer finger raised slightly higher than the rest as if pointing towards something. What is she pointing to? Sungjin followed the direction of her finger. She was pointing at one of the walls of the Columbarium. Sungjin slowly moved towards the wall. Upon closer inspection, he noticed that one of the bricks was slightly pushed out compared to the rest of the bricks of that wall. Sungjin carefully gripped the brick and pulled it out gingerly. The brick came out much easier than expected. And inside of the wall, Sungjin could see a wrapped object. What is this? Sungjin reached in and pulled it out. The wrapped object slid out easily and kept on coming out of the wall. Much like a sword. Once Sungjin had it all the way out, the wrappings unwound themselves with a Pam! and a sword sheathed in extremely shabby and worn out scabbard revealed itself. The grip was so weathered that it looked as if it would break if pulled too hard from the scabbard. Sungjin gently grasped the handle of the sword and drew the blade. Holy Sungjin couldnt help but exclaim out loud. Hidden within the worn out grip and scabbard was a pristine blade, giving off a soft blue glow. Once the blade was drawn, the ghost next to him disintegrated into a cloud of smoke and was sucked into the blade. Kyahaaa~ Without fail, the ghost managed to let out a strange noise. Once the ghost was gone, [Congratulations] Sungjin could hear the Operators voice. [You have found the Hidden Piece] [Moon Spectre C Possessed Sword Obtained.] Good. Sungjin grinned as he inspected his sword. Moon Spectre C Possessed Sword Legendary Katana C Strength S Dexterity A Mind B Passive Skill Soul Absorption(II) Recover 2% of the total mana per hit. Active Skill Deathly Wail (IV) A ghost will induce fear to all nearby creatures. Cooldown 10 minutes Katana imbued with the power of ghosts. It is unknown if the vengeful spirit was originally the owner of the Katana, or if the soul became vengeful upon being slain by the Katana. Legendary? He received a completed Legendary item. It was unbelievable. He wished he had known about such an easy to obtain Legendary class weapon the first time around. Sungjin glanced over to the specs. The most eye-catching stats were obviously the S rank Strength and A rank Dex bonus damages. Operator, what was the bonus per ranks again? [Rank affects stats as follows.] [Rank E C x0.1 | Rank D C x0.2 | Rank C C x0.5] [Rank B C x1.0 | Rank A C x1.5 | Rank S C x2.0] [Rank SS C x3.0 | Rank SSS C x4.0] Sungjin had not come across an enemy yet that he could not kill in a single strike with his Strength C Dex D basic Katana. And yet, he just received an S and an A grade Legendary Katana, effectively raising his damage by four times. Well I guess for the next few chapters, all the enemies are basically going to be made of wet paper mache Sungjin mused over his stats as he read the notes for skills. Deathly Wail(IV) seemed fairly useful. And upon realizing that there was more to the stat bonuses, he returned to the Swords ranks. Rank B bonus damage from Mind Power. This meant that raising STR by 1 would increase his damage by 2, but raising MND would also provide 1 bonus damage. Putting MND stat damage boost on a Katana means Furthermore, it also had a passive skill Soul Absorption(II) as well. In other words, this is a sword designed for a magic swordsman. The base stats were great, but Sungjin needed to think about this one. Ill come back to it another time. Sungjin finally put the sword back in the scabbard. Shink! The sound of the blade sliding into the scabbard was crisp. Sungjin left the Columbarium, with the Moon Spectre hanging from his side. Chapter 20 Chapter 20 C Greysoul Cemetery (6) When Sungjin exited the Columbarium, he found Hiro waiting for him at the entrance. Sensei! Are you alright? Sungjin nodded nonchalantly. From start to finish, the ghost had no intentions to hurt anyone. Her existence was a form of a test, designed to protect the Moon Specter from cowards. Hiro saw the Moon Specter and commented Sensei, what is that god-awful sword? its He didnt really want to explain. It looks even worse than the starting sword you were using until now. No Dont judge a book by its cover Sungjin gave up on giving an explanation. Annoying little bratI hope we never see each other again. I just saw it lying around. Sungjin made a half-hearted excuse and called the Operator. Operator, Cube. Sungjin returned his Basic Katana into the cube. Eh? Hiro looked strangely at Sungjin, but Sungjin ignored him and said, Operator, how much time left? [Returning in 14 minutes and 34 seconds.] 14 minutes He still had the hidden boss to kill. Sungjin decided to use Treasure Hunter for the first time. Operator, activate Treasure Hunter skill. [Title Treasure Hunter is not currently equipped. The skill can only be used once.] I know, I understand so just use it. The Operator seemed to sigh due to Sungjins attitude, but she quickly recited the hint about the hidden boss. [Cemetery, final resting place of the dead.] [But, to he who disturbs the coffins and reawakens the departed souls] [Necromancer, a Cemetery is but a farm.] [Destroy the farm and those who care for it] [Will inevitably intervene] hmm Hiro tilted his head, confused. Sensei, what is Sungjin placed his pointer finger over his lips. Hiro stopped speaking while Sungjin mulled over the Operators hint. Destroy the farm Sungjin looked around him. Greysoul Cemetery contained a staggering number of tombstones. Destroy Destroy, eh? Sungjin looked down at the closest tombstone. R.I.P Chris Ben It was a tombstone with a strangers name. It looked like there used to be more engravings after his name, but it was too weathered to make out the words. If there is an owner of this grave, I apologize. Sungjin bowed to apologize, and in one swift motion, he pulled the katana out and cut the tombstone in half. Wow! Hiro exclaimed in awe. It was not directed at his swordsmanship since Hiro had already witnessed it. Neither was it directed at his destructive power. That, too, he had witnessed it. He was awed by the blue glow of the Moon Specters blade. Despite the nearly non-existent moonlight, the Sword still shined bright blue. in that crappy looking scabbard Sungjin placed his finger over his lips again. Shh Anyone would understand the second time. Hiro closed his mouth once again. Sungjin walked over to the next Tombstone and cut it down again. This time, CoughCough Sungjin heard sounds of a cough from somewhere. He turned to look at Hiro. Did you cough? No, I have not Sensei. I was closing my mouth. But I also The two men scanned their surroundings wordlessly. The Undead do not cough. It was also possible that it was one of the three other hunters, but they were nowhere in sight. And amongst them, two carried a lantern, so they should be easy to spot. Quiet down again. Hiro nodded at Sungjins words. Sungjin moved from Tombstone to Tombstone and cut down every tombstone in the way. Cough Cough Pah! Sungjin and Hiro exchanged glances. This time, the voice even spat phlegm. This is it! Filled with certainty, Sungjin addressed Hiro. Hey You said your name was Hiro, right? Being called by name for the first time, Hiro answered enthusiastically. Yes, Sensei. My name is Watanabe Hiroaki. I dont care. Go break some Tombstones for me. Right away Sensei. The two of them began the work of destroying tombstones. Sungjin simply held the Moon Specter horizontally and ran by the graves. The Moon Specter, as if to demonstrate its A rank Dexterity bonus boost, cut through the tombstones like a hot knife through butter. Haa! Hiro shouted and cut the Tombstones one by one, striking with all his strength. And with each tombstone that fell Cough Cough Wheeze A loud and rough cough could be heard coming from somewhere. And as the numbers of desecrated tombstones continued to increase, the volume of the cough increased as well. And after Sungjin had cut down several dozen tombstones, a voice loud enough to shake the entire Cemetery spoke out. Who dares disturb my fields? It was a voice amplified by magic. The Cubes gave out announcements. [Warning! Hidden Boss] [Gravekeeper Oryx has appeared!] Sungjin quickly scanned his surroundings. But he did not spot the Hidden Boss Oryx. Just where Sungjin bit down hard and ground his teeth. It appeared as though he would have to go searching for the hidden boss somewhere in the Cemetery. So annoying Sungjin activated the Swift Paw once more. Swift Paw, Activate Claws emerged from the wolf boots. Sungjin began searching the Cemetery at a breakneck speed. * Henrik and Kultu put their Lanterns down and chatted. They did not move away from the location where the Lich had appeared and died. Is Northern Europe a good place to live? I heard there are no beggars or anything there. Meh, its not all that its cracked up to be. How is Nepal? From what I hear from people coming back from climbing the Himal Interrupting them, Cough Wheeze Loud coughing and wheezing sounds could be heard. The two men turned to look at Akanna. Akanna raised both his hands to show he didnt do it. Then who? As Henrik looked around to see where the sound came from, the Operator gave out an announcement. [Warning! Hidden Boss] [Gravekeeper Oryx has appeared!] Hidden Boss? While Henrik was still recovering from shock, Akanna leaped up, spear at the ready. He stared into the distance and said Enemies Many At his words, Henrik and Kultu picked up their weapons and prepared themselves. In the distance, they could see a green light flickering. And around it followed a horde of Zombies, Skeletons, and Ghouls. What? Whats that? Henrik and Kultu both started panicking. And they heard a loud amplified voice ring out. You must be the culprits who defiled my Cemetery Cough cough Henrik and Kultu looked at each other. They were no match for the approaching horde. Run away! Wordlessly, they agreed. If they could just run until they find Kei and Hiro, they could probably survive. But, Unholy power, strip the skin and expose the bones. Frenzy! When the voice finished his incantations, the ghouls charged forward at incredible speeds. Outrunning them was impossible. Kultu and Henrik both prepared to fight the horde head on. Hou! Akanna began swinging his spear. But behind the Ghouls, a sea of zombies and skeletons followed, also with the massive speed boost. Running at at least twice the normal speed. * Sungjin heard the magic incantations from afar. Unholy power, strip the skin and expose the bones. Frenzy! There! Sungjin ran as fast as he could towards the sound. But when he arrived, Ahhhhh! He came just in time to see Kultu being ripped apart to pieces by ghouls. Fuck Save me! Help! Henrik tried to run towards Sungjin as soon as he noticed him. Haoh! Akanna was still fighting against the waves of undead. Powers of Corruption, unleash the blight upon the living. Decay of Death! He was hit by a magical bolt fired by the Necromancer. His arm began rotting away starting from the fingertips. Huh Akanna dropped his spear in surprise which was the only thing that was keeping him alive from the Undead horde in front of him. He was trampled by the wave of skeletons charging at him. Fuckers! Sungjin had made haste to try and save them, but a thick wall of zombies blocked the way. Thanks to the Necromancers magic, they moved at twice the normal speed. But still, it was no match for Sungjins dexterity. He swung the Moon Specter with lightning fast strikes. Sungjin originally had no trouble cutting them down with the Basic katana. With Moon Specter, fighting zombies was no different from swinging a sword at leaves falling through the air; so much as touching the enemies with the sword disintegrated them. Then suddenly Decay of Death Another bolt of magic flew out from the boss. Sungjin was forced to retreat. Kaaa! Akanna, buried under a mountain of skeletons, met his end. Fuck! Sungjin worked as quickly as possible to destroy his enemies around him. But the Gravekeeper Oryx chanted another spell. Awaken and become my slave! Rise of the Dead Kultu who had been ripped apart to pieces by ghouls and Akanna who was stabbed to death by the skeletons, stood up upon hearing the Gravekeepers command and picked up their weapons. All the while gushing with blood. MyGod Henrik stammered out in shock, and Sungjin finally hit the limits of his patience. He glared at the necromancer who took control of the recently deceased and swore under his breath. You little bitch But as if responding to his anger, he heard a voice from somewhere. Kill It was the Mad God Yanhurats voice. Sungjin fought against the temptation. Shut your mouth. But the Voice continued, disregarding his wishes. Kill And while he was distracted Hou! The Zombified Akanna attacked Sungjin with his spear. It was a precise and dangerous strike aimed at his neck. But nowhere near fast enough to seriously threaten Sungjin. Even if his title was Veteran Spearman, Akanna couldnt overcome the absolute difference in stat points. Sungjin easily broke off and pushed the spear to the side with his hands. And then Sorry Apologized into his ear and swung his Katana. Kaaaaagh Akanna perished once more. Twice, back to back. Killing a zombified hunter with his own hands left a bitter taste in his mouth. My God My God Henrik was completely out of it, whispering to himself repeatedly. Sensei! He heard someones call from behind. He didnt want to kill any more hunters with his own hands. I am going to kill you with everything Ive got, Gravekeeper. Sungjin prepared his Moon Specter and charged towards the Necromancer head on. Translation note: A correction has been made. We have asked the author to clarify what the name of the sword was. Because no chinese name was provided, we could only guess as to what the actual meaning behind the name of the sword was. The most direct translation being moon phase. It turned out that the word the author intended was actually shadow. But because Moon Shadow didnt exactly sound like a sword, he agreed that Moon Specter is an acceptable interpretation of the meaning. So going forward, the name of the Possessed Sword will be Moon Specter. Chapter 21 Chapter 21 C Greysoul Cemetery (7) Zombies, Skeletons, and Ghouls charged at Sungjin from all sides. Sungjin swung his katana and with each strike, dozens of enemies fell where they stood. But whenever Sungjin would cull their numbers, Rise of the Dead The Necromancer would call forth more and more undead from their graves. The ability was similar to Ahennas, but this was far worse. It was impossible to gauge how many more undead would emerge from the ground, especially in the Cemetery where graves continued as far as the eyes could see. Soon, the sheer volume of the enemies forced Sungjin into a stalemate. Kill Yanhurat beckoned Sungjin, but he did his best to ignore its temptations. Shut up Meanwhile Pew Kultus arrows came flying at him. Instead of deflecting the blow with his weapon, Sungjin snatched it out of the air with his bare hands. Kultu wordlessly drew another arrow and nocked it on the bow. If he were a human, he would have hesitated due to surprise at Sungjins overwhelming display of strength. are the Undead unable to feel fear? Sungjin paused to think about his Moon Specter and the active ability Deathly Wail. Its worth a try. And while Sungjin was contemplating, the Necromancer cast another spell. Frenzy! The Undead began to ramp up speed. When Sungjin saw them, he instead returned the sword into the Sheath. ShingClick. And when the masses of undead had completely enveloped him, Sungjin pulled it out of the sheath and shouted Deathly Wail! The moment the Sword left the sheath, Kyaaaa! An unbelievably loud and otherworldly screech filled the air. Immediately, the ghouls, skeletons, and zombies which surrounded him, scattered. The same enemies who had fought apathetically disregarding their lost limbs or his display of strength, escaped as fast as their legs would carry them. They trampled each other in their haste to get away from Sungjin. Bones broke, limbs were lost, they clamored to climb over one another; it was pandemonium. Soon, the Cemetery was bare save the Gravekeeper Oryx. He, too, trembled in fear, backing off slowly, holding his shovel defensively. You That sword It looked like there was something he wanted to say, but Sungjin did not care. He did not want to listen. Sungjin walked up to him and Shing Along with the sound of the blade slicing through the air, Oryx was beheaded. And the moment his head separated from his shoulders, the undead dropped down in unison, as if marionettes were cut from their strings. Nothing stirred in the vicinity. [Hidden boss Gravekeeper Oryx Cleared.] [Congratulations! You have managed to complete all objectives in this Chapter!] [Disregarding the remaining time and ending the raid immediately.] Once the hidden boss was cleared, the raid completion suddenly became 100%. It seemed that killing the necromancer simultaneously killed all the remaining undead as well. Sungjin took a glance at his sword Moon Specter again. That worked better than expected. Nevermind the undead, it even paralyzed the boss. With this much effectiveness, it was undoubtedly a very potent ability. Excellent. Sungjin smiled and resheathed his sword. But Ahhh! He heard someone screaming. Looking around, he saw Henrik laying on the ground trembling in fear. It was probably due to Moon Specters Deathly Wail. Sungjin also saw Hiro disappearing in the distance, running away. Its also effective against humans. It was a good opportunity to learn what Deathly Wail was capable of; the Legendary weapon lived up to its name. Sungjin scanned his surroundings since the fight was now over. Closeby, Akanna and Kultus corpse lay wrangled on the ground. Seeing them, Sungjin bit his lower lip. I didnt want for this to happen. If he had not summoned the hidden boss, they would not have died. Sungjin closed his eyes and hung his head to give them a moment of silence; He felt pity and remorse for the dead. Meanwhile, Henrik had recovered enough to approach Sungjin and offer some kind words. Dont let it get to you, Kei. According to the Operator, they didnt die; they were just sent to the Purgatory. Theyll all be revived along with the others once the raids are complete. Henrik was right. At this point, the only thing Sungjin could do for them was to complete the raids. If he could manage to do that, then the two men would be revived along with everyone at the end. Of course, if he failed, none of them would ever see the light of the day again. Hiro, who somehow managed to make it back offered his words as well. Sensei, with your skills, you will definitely see the raids to the end. The two people that died today would have believed in you as well. Their words eased Sungjins sense of guilt. He looked at the corpses again and bid Please believe in me. He gathered his hands and closed his eyes. He didnt have a religion, but he felt that he had to offer them prayers. The Operator interrupted him with an announcement. [Calculating Rewards Earned.] [Monsters Slain. Zombie: 120. Skeleton: 60. Ghoul 40. Total 2400 points.] [Boss Monster Slain: Lich Deathmond: 300 points.] [Hidden Boss Gravekeeper Oryx: 300 points.] [Final point count: 3000 Points. Distributing points.] Henriks cube began the distribution. The person with the lowest contribution always went first. [Your contribution is 6%. 180 Stat points, 180 Black Coins awarded. Raid Clear Bonus 800 Stat points and 800 Black Coins awarded. Distributing 980 Stat points and 980 Black Coins.] Hiros cube was second. [Your contribution is 18%. 540 Stat points, 540 Black Coins awarded. Raid Clear Bonus 800 Stat points and 800 Black Coins awarded. Distributing 1340 Stat points and 1340 Black Coins.] And finally, Sungjins Cube spoke up. [Your contribution is 76.0%. 2280 Stat points, 2280 Black Coins awarded. Raid Clear Bonus 800 Stat points and 800 Black Coins awarded. Item effect Additional 10% gained activated. Distributing 3080 Stat points and 3388 Black Coins.] 3080 points and 3388 coins Sungjin memorized the numbers for now. [And now we will distribute the items.] First to receive the items was Henrik. [Skeletons Scimitar] [Recovery Potion C Small X3] Followed by Hiros brief item reward payout. [Skeletons bone armor] [Spell Book C Frostbite] [Recovery Potion C Small X4] Finally, it was Sungjins turn. [Saels Breath C Mantle of Freezing] [Manyata C Masters Bell] [Ring of Deathmond C Lichs Finger] [Spell Book C Frostbite] [Spell Book C Rise of the Dead] [Recovery Potion C Small X4] By now, everyone was familiar with collecting their loot. Sungjin put everything, except for his three equipment pieces, into the cube. [Last but not the least, you will be awarded titles youve earned on this raid.] Of course first was Henrik. [Guide C The path to the boss monster becomes visible] Henrik became disappointed. Ill probably just die if I get to the boss, whats the point of this? Next was Hiro [Undead Hunter C deal 30% bonus damage to undead type monsters.] Theres going to be more undead in the future? Fueee Finally Sungjin. [Elite Samurai C increases damage dealt by Katana type weapons by 40%.] Wow Sungjin didnt have to respond; Hiro was exclaiming loud enough for both of them. Thats so amazing, Sensei! On the other hand, Sungjin listened quietly. Elite At least its the highest tier Damage increases to 1.4 times the normal and 1.2 times while unequipped. It was an amazing spec to have. But, ever since Sungjin obtained the S grade Moon Specter, he already had enough power to one shot any non-boss enemies for the next 2~3 chapters. This title was like pouring oil onto a raging inferno. Well I suppose it will come in handy in the late game Sungjin quietly and nonchalantly accepted his new title. Once the distribution of rewards was over, Sungjin called over the Operator. Operator, will there be debriefing once we reach the Hunters Hall? [No. There will be no debriefing. You will be sent to the black market directly in 6 minutes and 32 seconds.] Sungjin nodded. My memories were correct. Although he had an easier time compared to the earlier two chapters where he didnt have the proper items to face the monsters, confronting the undead tired him out mentally. Sungjin couldnt wait to return and get a good rest at the Ninety Nine Nights. However, Hiro ran up to him and asked Sensei, please What are hidden bosses? Sungjin looked at Hiro carefully. Thats Should I tell him or not Sungjin deliberated for a moment. Hidden bosses were always stronger than regular bosses. In fact, Even bosses were supposed to be difficult to clear for an average hunter. Being greedy and carelessly attempting Hidden bosses was the surest way to get eliminated. Sungjin shook his head in response. No. Its too difficult for you. But Ive never seen three Heroic Items drop from a single raid. I want to become strong like Sensei. Sungjin shook his head. He had countless experiences behind him, overcoming obstacles and death. He did not wish to unwittingly send a child younger than himself to his own death. You saw earlier, what happened to Akanna and Kultu. Do you still want to know? Hiro could not be dissuaded. Yes, I wish to know sir. Hiro was making a serious face for the first time. Sungjin struggled in his mind for a while and finally responded. To be fair Theres nothing for me to tell you at all. The only thing I can say is that every chapter also hosts a hidden boss and that the hidden boss is incredibly powerful. You probably figured it out by now, right? What do you mean? Sungjin answered Hiros question. That I am also figuring things out as I go, and I dont have all the answers. Is that so? Sungjin nodded. Yes. Then I guess I should start searching for them starting next chapter. Sungjin waved his finger in response. Ah thats exactly why I didnt want to tell you about it earlier. Hidden Bosses are stronger than regular bosses. So if you do ever want to challenge a hidden boss Sungjin swallowed before continuing his explanation. Only attempt to search for the hidden boss if all five members of your party survived the regular boss. Only attempt the hidden boss if your team has great synergy and you feel confident that your team can overcome even the hidden boss. Otherwise, youre just going to get everyone killed in vain. At Sungjins serious response, Hiro fell quiet again. Sungjin watched him and thought to himself. He wouldnt carelessly put himself into unmanageable danger with this much warning, right? Even Killing the boss with all party members intact was no easy feat. 10 or so seconds later, he finally responded. I understand Sensei. With the remaining time, Sungjin decided to inspect the three items he had received. Ah I didnt even check what these items do. Due to his conversation with Hiro, Sungjin didnt even have the opportunity to inspect his new equipments. Sungjin lifted one up to check it [Returning to the Black market in 10 seconds. 10, 9, 8] The Operator began a countdown. Hiro bid him goodbye. Then Sensei, I promise that the next time we meet I will be much stronger. Sungjin responded to Hiros farewell. Well If you dont get stronger, you wont survive very long anyway. And it was the truth. Hiro was gifted with talent, but he was still very likely to die before reaching end game. The final few chapters were impossible to survive without having the skill and luck of The Chosen Ones. Henrik who was stuck between the two men awkwardly gave his farewells. Oh I was able to survive thanks to you two. Thank you very much. Yes, you worked hard too, Henrik. Take care. And thus the farewells were said, and the three of them disappeared to the Black Market. Note: This is an extra chapter and does not affect our release schedule in any way. The next one will be posted on Thursday as per schedule unless a sponsored chapter is in queue. If you like our work do consider supporting us We hope that you liked our new website If you have any suggestions or if you face any problems regarding the website, do tell us via comments or email at oppatranslations@gmail.com Chapter 22 Chapter 22 C Black Market C Third Shopping Once Sungjin materialized in the Black Market, he walked until he reached a street side Tea shop. He entered the shop and took a seat. The Operator began an explanation. [This is a street side Tea Shop run by shop owner Xiu Ran, First Drop.] [You can enjoy various flavors of tea for free here.] A large Panda demihuman approached Sungjin. What would you like to drink, dear Hunter? Black Tea, Royal Blend please. Understood. Will be right out. Moments later, the shopkeeper handed Sungjin a Chinese style tea. The aroma filled the air. Tasting the tea, Sungjin took out his equipment to inspect it. He needed to know which items were worth keeping so he could decide to sell it or not. First up was a cape which had the consistency and appearance of a jellyfishs skin. It was extremely thin, billowed easily in the wind and was partially opaque. Parts of it were frozen. Saels Breath C Mantle of Freezing Heroic Mantle Damage reduction 5% Passive Skill Protection from Flame (III) Reduce damage inflicted by Fire based attacks by 60% Active Skill Solidify(IV) Mantle instantly freezes, briefly reducing damage taken by 99%. Cooldown 5 Minutes Mantle once owned by Ice Queen Sael. She, who froze a large number of people around her due to her inability to control her magic, learned to control her power thanks to the love and effort by her younger sister. (Note at the end) 99% damage reduction It would definitely come in handy when facing enemies with undodgeable attacks C like the Lichs Orb of Ice. The passive was also very helpful. Sungjin held up the mantle. Equip The Mantle left his hands and attached itself to his back, and swayed in the wind. He could almost not feel the weight of the cape at all; save for the slight chill he felt on his back. The next item was a strange looking hand bell. It was small and had minuscule engravings. Manyata C Masters Bell Heroic Accessory Active Skill C Call of Madness(IV) Owned Summons become invulnerable for 10 seconds and raises Damage and Speed by 400%. Cooldown 10 minutes Gravekeeper Oryxs Bell. He used this weapon to drive his subordinates like a slave. The bell was well suited for the Necromancer. Mmm Summons Summons eh? Where can I get one? Now that he thought about it, he remembered he had Cain. If I use this on Cain Ill keep it on me for now. Sungjin placed the bell inside his pocket. The next item he checked was a long skeletal finger. Ring of Deathmond C Lichs Finger Heroic Ring Active Skill Lichs Beckoning(III) Absorb mana from the Corpses. Recovers 75% of the total mana. Cooldown 10 Minutes Boost Magic(II) The next magic cast by incantation becomes doubly powerful and costs twice the mana. Cooldown 5 minutes. Lich Deathmonds Finger bones. His finger caused many hearts to freeze over. This was the main bosss regular drop, so it was rather common. During his last life, many magic users had kept this ring around. It was because both the active skills on it were extremely advantageous for a mage. Magic Sungjin had been purely a swordsman in his last life. His primary weapon Blood Vengeance had SS Strength and A Dexterity bonus stats, so he had raised Strength for extra damage, Dexterity for combat speed, and Endurance for the preservation of his life. Surviving chapter to chapter was always a struggle, so raising INT or Mind were avoided entirely. Naturally, he never had an opportunity to use magic. So whenever he received a mage type item, he would trade with other hunters or sell it off at the Black Market to buy potions. But, things were different now. I think this time I should invest in trying out magic as well. He had invested a significant amount of points into Strength, Dexterity and Endurance to get through the first three chapters, but investing in magic for late game was a good idea. Trying to beat later part of the Raids with purely physical attacks had its own limitations. Since he had a title which raised all stat points by 30%, he could afford to try investing somewhat into Magic Power and Mental Power. Investing into becoming a Magic Swordsman would definitely prove to be advantageous later down the line. It would be preferable if there was an actual magician though He couldnt help but recall memories of his past life. Leave your back to me Sungjin shook his head. He could not trust anyone. It was great if they were helpful. But he had to prepare for moments when others were not dependable. Sungjin lifted up the Lichs finger and said Equip The Lichs finger moved to his left ring finger and Creak Made uncomfortable noise as it formed a ring around his hand by curling up. Judging purely by its appearance, it was an extremely unattractive ring. After Sungjin had examined his three equipment pieces which he received from this round, he called the Operator Operator, give me both of the Spellbooks I got this round. The Operator gave Sungjin two Spellbooks from the cube. On the cover, the name of the spells was written. Spell Book C Frostbite 2nd Class Blue Magic The ground freezes, binding(rooting) enemies to the ground. I dont know when Ill ever use it Since he opted to try magic this time, he decided to try the spells he had obtained. Sungjin lifted up the book and shouted Memorize! The Spellbook C FrostBite emitted bright blue lights, and spontaneously combusted. The Operator gave an announcement. [Spell C FrostBite memorized.] [Incantation for the spell is Binding Frost!] The Operator explained expressionlessly about the spell. Ok. Sungjin looked over at the other spell he had received. Spellbook C Rise of the Dead 4th Class Black Magic Revive Fallen enemies as undead summons to use in combat. 10 minutes duration. There was no question about how this spell would be used. The only problem was how much utility he could squeeze out of revived monsters. Sungjin shouted without hesitation Memorize! The Spellbook C Rise of the Dead emitted black light and burst into flames. [Spell C Rise of the Dead Memorized.] [Incantation for the spell is Awaken and become my slave!] And so Sungjin was now able to use two magic spells. I think I wouldnt have any trouble clearing the next few chapters with just the sword but I might as well try the spells out in the next round. Once he finished inspecting all his new items from the last raid, Sungjin wanted to stand up and leave. But he was reminded that there was yet another Item which he had received from the raid. It was the Moon Specter hanging from his side. Sungjin pulled the sword out of the scabbard to inspect it. Moon Specter C Possessed Sword Legendary Katana C Strength S Dexterity A Mind Power B Passive Skill Soul Absorption(II) Recover 2% of the total Mana per hit Active Skill Deathly Wail(IV) A ghost will induce fear to all nearby creatures. Cooldown 10 minutes Katana imbued with the power of ghosts. It is unknown if the vengeful spirit was originally the owner of the Katana, or if the soul became vengeful upon being slain by the Katana. Deathly Wail it was much more powerful than I expected. The effectiveness of the skill was awe inspiring. It caused fear to all beings (even undead) within 20 meters distance. It was like obtaining another ace in the hole card like Yanhurat. And this doesnt even have a side effect It was a skill well suited for a legendary class item. The status boost on this sword was slightly lower than the Blood Vengeance, but Sungjin already had extremely high number of points invested in Strength and Dexterity compared to the chapter he was in, Enough that even boss monsters were in danger of being instant-killed by so much as grazing them with his sword. The B rank damage boost attached to Mind Power was quite good. Especially if Sungjin starts using Magic spells, he will need to raise Mind Power; Being able to improve damage by boosting Mind Power was definitely a big advantage. The passive Soul Absorption was also great. Legendary sure deserves its reputation. After taking a moment to appreciate the blue glow of the Katana, Sungjin emptied his teacup and stood up. Thank you for the tea. The Fat Panda Xiu Ran came to see him out. Be Careful now. Sungjin left First Drop and headed towards the Last Edge. Welcome, dear Hunter. Ssssss As always, Naga Kenneth greeted him. Sungjin asked Let me see that crimson Katana Blood Vengeance again. Understood, Dear Hunter. Kenneth entered deeper into the shop and retrieved the Blood Vengeance for Sungjin. Here is the sword you requested. Sungjin gripped the handle of his beloved sword. The handle felt nostalgic. But I dont think I can use you this time. Sungjin apologized to the sword as if it was his lover. He already obtained a Legendary class sword Moon Specter; Purchasing Blood Vengeance was too inefficient to justify. It would have been great if Sungjin was able to Dual Wield, but he was not able to do so. Sungjin was right handed; even if he were to hold a weapon in his left hand, it would become nothing but a useless accessory. Sungjin returned the Blood Vengeance to Kenneth. Im sorry Im just looking without buying anything. Kenneth obediently accepted the Katana from Sungjin and replied. It is no problem at all. Do you have any other requests for me? At the Nagas words, Sungjin thought of what other requests Kenneth could complete for him. Hey, Operator? [Please go on.] Give me the Basic Katana. Sungjin extracted the first Katana he received from the first Raid. I want to sell this. Understood. The Basic katana can be sold for 10 coins. Do you really want to sell it? Sungjin nodded. Kenneth handed Sungjin 10 Black Coins. Once his business was complete, Sungjin bid Kenneth goodbye. Then, Bye. I hope to see you again, esteemed Hunter. Sssss Sungjin put the 10 coins away into the cube and said Operator, How many coins do I have? [Currently, you have a total of 5978 Black Coins] 5978 Coins I need 4022 more to complete it. He no longer had any dilemma about which item to buy first; there was only one choice left. Sungjin decided to use Moon Specter rather than Blood Vengeance this time. As he walked back to the Ninety Nine Nights, Sungjin thought to himself, I will obtain 4022 Coins and complete the book with the next chapter. * When Sungjin returned to the Ninety Nine Nights, Awoo~ Cain came to greet him. He was healthy without a trace of injury caused by the Lichs attack. Cain circled around Sungjin few times, expressing his joy. Sungjin embraced Cain by his neck and said Hello, Cain. You did well earlier. Thank you. Woof Cain gave a short bark as if he didnt mind. Sungjin and Cain entered into the Ninety Nine Nights together. Like always, the Innkeeper Dalupin greeted them. Welcome back Esteemed Hunter. Sungjin nodded. For todays dinner Sungjin ordered the food that came to his mind immediately. One slice of Cheesecake, please. Raw Lamb for Cain too. Understood. Moments later, Dalupin returned with a radiating dish of Cheesecake, and a bleeding slab of Lamb meat. Sungjin picked up his fork to eat, but Dalupin handed him a piece of paper. Ah this is the next Raids information. Sungjin cut the edge of the cheesecake with his fork and placed it into his mouth. Put it on the table. I will take a look after dinner. Understood. Dalupin placed the piece of paper down next to Sungjins plate. Sungjin glanced at the paper. Information regarding Giants Canyon. He only checked the title, Order is still the same. And resumed eating his cake. The cake melted in his mouth, and each bite spread delicious cheesy flavor and aroma across his taste buds. (Translators Note) Reference to Frozen. Basically he got Elsas ice cape. (the glittery thing she summons) Chapter 23 Good morning Sir, did you sleep well? Youre up much earlier than usual. Sungjin nodded and then replied. I slept well. What would you like for breakfast? Baguette made into a sandwich with vegetables and bacon. One cup of Americano Espresso and something for Cain as well. Understood. Dalupin acknowledged Sungjins request with a bow. But before he returned to the kitchen, Sungjin interrupted him. Ah, before you get me breakfast, would you mind getting pen and paper for me please? Dalupin obliged and brought him pen and paper. Thank you. After receiving the writing tools, Sungjin asked the Operator Operator, show me my status window. The Cube displayed a hologram in front of Sungjin. Title Master Hunter HP: 10600 MP: 220 Strength: 1186 912 (+274) Dexterity: 1421 1093 (+328) Endurance: 1060 815 (+245) Magic Power: 18 14 (+4) Mind Power: 22 17 (+5) Unallocated Points: 3080 Sungjin wrote at the top of the page 3080 After writing down his available stat points, he wrote the totals of his current Strength and Dex. 1186, 1421 These numbers represented his allocated points plus the 30% buff due to the Master Hunter title. In truth, with these stats, he would have no trouble clearing the next 2~3 chapters. His status points surpassed a thousand, plus with the S rank (x2.0) damage boost to strength and the A rank (x1.5) damage boost to Dexterity from Moon Specter, and effects of the Elite Samurai title Sungjin already had enough damage to one shot even hidden bosses, and enough speed to dodge every strike. It was proven in the previous raid against Gravekeeper Oryx. Well, advantage is advantage So Sungjin wrote the following next to both Strength and Dex. +1000 He didnt need them immediately, but there were stronger enemies the further he progressed through the Raids. There was a need to invest into his Strength and Dexterity regularly and consistently. Even if he starts using Magic, Swordsmanship was the basis of his power; He needed to maintain its power at absolutely domineering levels. The next stat he looked at was the Endurance. He didnt need this immediately at all. Sungjin had never needed it so far. There was only one case where he was hit, and even then, Cain blocked most of the damage for him. The only time he lost any significant HP was due to the side effect of Yanhurats Zealot mode. But He wrote the following next to Endurance. +500 Sungjin had fought every boss until the very end and knew how to deal with all of them. But he had not even seen most of the hidden bosses yet. There was always a chance that any one of them could attack using dangerous magic or abilities hes never seen before; he needed to have some form of failsafe put in place ahead of time. The remaining points were now 580. As a test, Sungjin decided to invest these points into Magic Power and Mind power. The main reason for getting up earlier than usual was so that he could write out the stats on paper and think carefully about them. Especially the two stats related to magic. Operator, how is mana consumption calculated? [Spells Class level x Magic Power] The information matched what he had heard from other hunters. For example, if he wanted to cast Class 2 Frostbite, its cost would be calculated as 2 X 18. The total cost of mana was currently 36. The root of the problem was he needed to figure out a good ratio between Magic Power and Mind Power. If his Magic power was significantly lower than Mind power, he could use the spells many times, but at very weak levels. Inversely, if his Mind power were significantly lower than Magic power, the effectiveness of each spell would be great, but he could only use it a limited number of times. The problem was that because Sungjin had never used magic before, so he didnt know what was the optimal allocation of stats. Since this is my first time Sungjin decided to try out the magic in the next chapter to get a feel of its power. Ill start out with 1:1 ratio and try out different combinations later. I might have to readjust stat distribution once higher class spells are unlocked. Sungjin decided to write +290 next to Magic Power and Mind Power each. Once he was finished writing, he noticed the sandwiches set in front of him. He was so focused on the stat distribution that he had not noticed Dalupin come by. Sungjin picked up the Baguette sandwich and took a bite. While chewing on the sandwich, he began speaking to the Operator. Operator. Put 1000 points on Strength, 1000 points on Dexterity, 500 on Endurance, 290 on Magic Power, and 290 on Mind Power. [Points have been allocated.] Show me my Status window Title: Master Hunter HP: 17100 MP 3990 Strength: 2486 1912 (+574) Dexterity: 2721 2093 (+628) Endurance: 1710 1315 (+395) Magic Power: 395 304 (+91) Mind Power: 399 307 (+92) Unallocated points: 0 So with Stats like this Sungjin picked up the pen one more time and began to write. Frostbite will take 3952, or 790 mana per shot. Rise of the Dead takes 395X4 for 1580. Since total mana is 3990, I can cast Frostbite 5 times, or Rise of the Dead twice without refills It was enough for trying out magic for the next round. And if he wanted then he could use Lichs Finger and Moon Specter to recover lost Mana if need be. For now, it was more important to get used to casting spells than checking the spells effectiveness. When Sungjin finished his calculations, the Operator gave an announcement. [Raid will begin in 30 minutes.] Sungjin spent the remaining time leisurely enjoying breakfast in the inn. Soon, he was teleported away, to Giants Canyon. * The sun was setting in the west, its crimson lights dyeing the world red. The tall canyon walls which stood on either side, with rays of lights falling exactly down the middle, illuminating the dry cracked ground. The place Sungjin was teleported to was an enormous Canyon. The Operator began her announcement. [Welcome to Giants Canyon] [Where races of Giants gather and live together.] [Please be warned: Giants are as dangerous] [As they are large.] Sungjin looked around without much care. The Grand Canyon in America would probably look something like this. Although hes never actually been there himself. [Synchronizing Hunters] To be fair, Sungjin no longer worried about who were going to be his teammates; He had enough stat points to clear the next three chapters alone safely within the time limit. Yawn~ Sungjin let out a yawn. Waking up earlier than usual to do the stat distribution made him drowsy. Blinking away tears that came out from the yawn, Sungjin checked the titles first. Guardian, Assassin, Mid-level Spearman The titles were all somewhat decent; only the strong could move forward and survive. Sungjin were reading the titles with half closed eyes. But, the last title Elite Sniper What?! Sungjins eyes grew wide in surprise. His head snapped down to look at the owner. And he was surprised once more; the Elite Sniper had shoulder length hair. Woman? It was impressive for anyone to have achieved the rank of Elite Sniper already. (Translator note). And a woman at that. Furthermore, a beauty. The Asiatic trademark of straight black hair ran down slightly past her shoulders. She wore no makeup over her pure white face. Sharp eyes and a high nose with a cool visage, as well as slender body devoid of excess fats, she exuded feminine beauty. It goes without saying she must have regularly exercised to achieve such healthy and athletic body conformation. Sungjin stared at her for a moment. For some reason, she looked familiar. Where did I see her before? The other three hunters also stared at her. Starting from chapter 1, there were an extremely low number of women who could survive until now. And among them, the Asian Mid-level Spearman approached and addressed her. Excuse me Serin Han, right? Archery Gold Medalist Serin Han? (TL Note#2) Ah Sungjin finally recalled her. Archery Gold medalist Serin Han. She attended the Olympics and won the Individual Gold in Archery. She got additional coverage for her exceptional beauty, even appearing in Sexiest Olympic Star rankings, becoming famous overseas. She even appeared in various Street signs and TV commercials for makeup, so even Sungjin who didnt regularly watch TV was familiar with her. (TL Note #3) Mid-Level Spearman extended his hands to her and greeted her. I am A huge fan. My name is Xian Wang I saw you often appearing as a cosmetic model in China. But Serin crossed her arms, ignoring his outstretched hands, and nodded. Ah ok. Cold. It wasnt like he couldnt understand her. The raids were barbaric, anarchistic business. There was no guarantee her own teammates wouldnt turn against her during Raids. Just like there were no rules against killing other hunters, there were also no rules protecting hunters from each other in other ways. But, if she attained the rank Elite Sniper, there shouldnt be too many men who could easily take her down Sungjin looked around with that in mind. The last two teammates were dark skinned but were also quite different. The Guardian held a club embedded with nails and held a large shield; like Kultu, he looked like he was from India. While the Assassin who held a dagger looked South American. [Raid will begin in 3 minutes] Xian Wang clapped his hands upon her announcements. Come now, lets group up. Lets discuss a strategy on how were going to proceed. Not a single person responded to him. Not Sungjin Master Hunter, nor Elite Sniper Serin Han, nor Guardian, nor Assassin. Sungjin glanced at the other members. Its a collection of social recluses. I think I like it this way better though No matter who his teammates were, Sungjins objective did not change. Find the Hidden Piece, Hidden boss, and gather rare loot. Now that he thought of it, he had another objective. Ah, and also practice casting magic. Sungjin briefly extracted his Moon Specter out of the sheath before sliding it back in. Click It had such a satisfying ring to it. Then, he felt someones gaze fall upon him. It was Serin Han. She must have seen the otherworldly blue glow on the blade of the sword attached to the worlds most beat up sword handle and sheath. She stared at the sword, transfixed for a moment. When Sungjin turned to look at her, their eyes locked onto each other. And after a brief stare, she turned away. He didnt know if it was because of her pride, but she seemed even more unapproachable. Sigh Im not going to do anything to you, no need to act so cold. Sungjin instead turned his sights to the sunset in the distance. Raising his arms high, he stretched. Yaawn~ He couldnt help but yawn again. Sungjin twisted his neck and began stretching the rest of his body. There were only 3 minutes left until the Raid began. (TL Note 1) Imagine that Sungjin, with 90% contribution in 3 chapters FINALLY qualified for an Elite rank for his weapon. Though titles could have different requirements and order for their attainment but even then its very impressive for a hunter to gain elite rank title this early in the raids hence Sungjin was astonished upon seeing it. (TL Note 2) There is only ONE Han Serin showing up in Korean search engine. And that person is a race car model. Here is the picture. My guess is that Serin Han is based on the authors fantasy that in an alternative world Serin Han actually became an Olympic Gold Medalist for archery. View post on imgur.com (TL Note 3) In Korea, becoming cosmetic model means that you achieved one of the highest (and most rigorous) benchmark for standards of beauty. Having commercials with Cosmetic companies is a huge deal in Korea and basically highlights how beautiful and successful someone is. Another important factor is that almost no one outside of actors or singers become Cosmetic Models; the fact that she became a Cosmetic model as an athlete means shes extraordinarily beautiful, to overcome boundaries of her profession. Her beauty was so great that her posters were even exported to other countries (like China, where Xian was able to see her) A Big Thank You to our sponsorers for this chapter C Ji Kang, JM Monteiro and Blubber! Thank you for your support! Chapter 24 Chapter 24 C Giants Canyon (2) Giants Canyon Raid Objective C Hunt Ogre Mage Pach and ChoRoch Time limit: 1 Hour. Despite the Operators mission briefing, the hunters continued to stare among themselves wordlessly. The mood was stiff. Xian Wang clapped his hands one more time to gather their attention. Lets introduce ourselves at least. Ill start. My name is Xian Wang, Chinese. I am 30 years old, and I use a spear in fights. Again, no one responded. This time, Xian asked Serin to help him out. Miss Serin, could you please introduce yourself? I already know, but most people here still dont know who you are Addressed directly, she finally opened her mouth. I am Serin Han. Korean. With her short reply, the other two men also introduced themselves. Beginning with the Shield wielding Guardian. Raj. Indian. And the Assassin with a dagger Santiago. Mexican. Santiago took his dagger and cleaned his nails. When the sleeve of his shirt slid down, an intricate tattoo could be seen on his arm. South American Drug Cartel? Sungjin kept him in mind. In the late game, he had seen many individuals with extremely dark past. After all, violent individuals were better suited to survive and adapt to danger. While Sungjin was thinking about this, the rest of the hunters turned to look at him. I am K. At his response, Xian Wang asked him Kei Kei? Are you Japanese? Sungjin couldnt help but smile before replying Nationality why does that matter at all? Xian Wang answered raising both his hands up. Ah, well I guess it doesnt. Ok then, lets talk about how were going to fight from this point forward. I use a spear and I can fight enemies from some distance away. The Guardian spoke up. I have invested heavily into endurance. And I spent all the coins I got until now into armor. I should be able to provide a sturdy shield wall. On his belt were several Recovery Potions. He must have done lots of Tanking until now. The next was Santiago. I am experienced with slashing throats with a dagger. Ive noticed that all monsters also have throats. There was something incredibly threatening about him. Next was Serin Han. Youve probably heard already, but I am an Archery Gold Medalist. Last was Sungjin. He thought about what he should say for a moment, but he got a fun idea. I am a mage. Everyone looked at him incredulously. I should try one spell before raid begins Sungjin aimed away from the hunters and recited an incantation. Binding Frost! Frostbite! Sungjins hand emitted bright blue right, and then a 10 meters squared area of the ground that he indicated froze over. Sungjin inspected the effects of his spell. It didnt freeze over much at all. Compared to the Chapter 3 Raid boss Lich, the effective area was tiny. I guess its because the Magic Power is still fairly low. But even though Sungjin thought so Wow Someone was amazed. It was likely his first time seeing a hunter use magic. The average hunter was not in a position to use magic by the start of Chapter 4. Well I think at least one other should have been able to already by this point An old teammate from his past life came to mind. Sungjin withdrew the hand he cast the spell from. As you can see, I am a mage. I can cast a few spells to assist the team. I see! Then what about that sword? Xian Wang pointed at Moon Specter as he asked. Sungjin lifted up his sword as he replied. I just picked this up from the ground along the way. I thought I should have something in my hand just in case. It wasnt completely a lie. It was true that he did pick up the sword along the way. Xian Wang nodded, accepting Sungjins explanation. Moon Specter looked so shabby on the outside that nobody doubted him. Xian Wang clapped yet again as he tried to gather attention. Ok good. We have an Archery Gold medalist and also a Mage. The team looks really strong this time. Everyone turned to look at Sungjin. Only Serin Han gave him disapproving looks, as she was the only one who had witnessed the blue glow of the Moon Specter. Lets avoid useless deaths and get to the end together. The Guardian nodded in agreement. Got it. Lets all work hard together. Sungjin debated on running off by himself from the start, but he decided to participate with the team at first. He didnt care about anyone else, but he wanted to see the skill of Elite Sniper Serin Han with his own eyes. Since the raid is 1 hour long spending 1~2 minutes watching them fight shouldnt pose a problem. Serin took out a hair band and tied up her hair in a ponytail. It appeared that it would get in the way of her archery. She seemed very professional somehow. If shes really that good she should have been able to make it to the end last time There was only one of two explanation for why Sungjin had not seen her before; Lack of skill, or bad luck. The Cube soon gave a countdown. [Raid will begin in 10 seconds. 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, 0] The Raid began, and the five of them entered the Canyon together. At the front stood Raj, and next to him, Santiago. In the center stood Xian Wang, and at the back stood Serin Han and Sungjin. Sungjin stood at the farthest even behind Serin. Serin gave him odd looks. Mage is supposed to be at the very back. To which she replied, Liar. She turned and walked away. Sungjin wasnt sure if she meant he was lying about being a mage, or that mages stood in the far back. In the end, Sungjin still followed behind the other four Hunters. Here they come! Brace yourselves! A large Ogre appeared from afar, wielding a giant hammer. Guardian Raj banged on his shield with his club to attract attention. Here! Here! Come and get me! The Ogre took his hammer and brought it down upon Raj. Raj pretended to block it with his shield, but took a step back, out of the way of the hammer. Meanwhile, Xian found an opening to stab the Ogres arm with his spear. However, the Ogre was tougher than he looked. The Ogre grasped the spear and pulled it out of his arm. Then he lifted it up in the air, along with Xian who held onto the spear. Uhh.. Uhhhhh While he panicked Pew~ Serin let loose an arrow. The Arrow embedded itself in one of the Ogres eyes. The Ogre was not stationary; she hit a moving target on a living thing in the middle of combat. It was an amazing accuracy. Sungjin thought to himself She certainly has the skill worthy of a Gold Medalist. Kraaaah! The Ogre covered his eyes in agony and let go of Xians spear. Then, out of nowhere Santiago appeared from behind the Ogre, on his back. He cut open the Carotid Artery. Kaa Ogre finally dropped his shield and grasped his bleeding neck. Blood gushed out from between his fingers. It was a bad move. He was now defenseless. Raj and Xian charged the Ogre. After several strikes, the Ogre finally fell. But, Graah! Two Ogres began to charge at the group from afar. The Ogres seemed enraged by their comrades death and ran rapidly towards the hunters. Ill contribute a little too. He chanted the incantations. Binding Frost! Frostbite! The spell was very effective against the Ogres. The Ogres were rooted in place, unable to move forward. Serin pulled her bow far and aimed up, then recited the incantations. Rain of Arrows She let go. She had let loose a single arrow, but it started duplicating itself and rained down upon the Ogres en masse. The Ogres were unable to move away from the arrows and were forced to protect their heads with their bare hands; despite protecting their head, the Ogres still took significant damage from the rain of arrows and became bloodied. Whoa Xian Wang exclaimed with his mouth agape. What are you doing, all of you? Serins shout snapped them awake. Lets Lets go! Xian charged towards the two Ogres. Guardian Raj and Assassin Santiago followed suit. The Ogres were frozen in place, with their arms turned into pin cushions from the arrows. They were surrounded by the three men and eventually succumbed to their constant attacks. Once the Ogres were finally killed off, Xian took a look around. He was checking to see if any other Ogres were coming to take revenge. But he didnt spot any enemy reinforcements. Finally, he let out a long sigh. Haa It is great that the team is so well balanced this time. Raj happily agreed. Yes, with that Gold Medalist lady and that Mage, I think this chapter will be a breeze. Serin Han walked up from behind. She glanced at the fallen Ogres and frowned. And in a barely audible voice, she commented MonstersDisgusting While everyone else was commenting on the fight, Santiago finally spoke up. So Where is the mage? The other three people looked around to where the Mage was a few moments ago. He disappeared without a trace. * At that moment, Sungjin was charging deeper and deeper into the Canyon. This chapter, Chapter 4 C Giants Canyon, was inherently different from Chapter 2 or Chapter 3s dark and open-ended map; The layout was very simple to follow. If he just follows the one and only path through the Canyon, he is guaranteed to run into the boss Pach and ChoRoch at the other end of it. Swift Paws sharp claws allowed Sungjin to run past monsters before they could even respond to him; he sprinted through the Canyon at unbelievable speeds. I will kill the boss first, and then search for the hidden boss and hidden piece in the remaining time. That was his plan. While running through the Canyon at breakneck speed, he briefly thought about Serin Han. About the incredibly accurate Rain of Arrows she had fired. That was definitely an active skill attached to a Heroic or higher class weapon. He didnt know if it was a Raid reward, or if it was purchased with Coins, but he was certain that her bow was an extremely powerful weapon. And rightfully so; If she was confident in archery, investing everything into a good bow was the right decision. In any properly functioning party, there should almost never be a situation where the Archer should be facing off a monster at melee. While Sungjin was running through the Canyon, his running speed suddenly decreased. 30 seconds must have passed. Because Sungjin slowed down, a nearby two-headed Ettin came running after him. Uuuuwaaaagg~ Seeing the Ettin charge towards him, Sungjin drew the Moon Specter. I am a mage He couldnt help but smile at his earlier lie. And before he even finished his thoughts, the Ettin was already split in half, falling apart. And as was his habit, he swung his Katana in the air to throw the blood off of the blade. The Canyon continued on straight ahead. Ahead of him, he saw countless Ogres, Ettins, and their smaller minions. But Sungjin preferred this. I love this chapter for being so straightforward. Sungjin charged ahead, Moon Specter drawn and ready. Chapter 25 Chapter 25 C Giants Canyon (3) Serin pulled the bow to its limit. And while everyones gaze was focused on the arrow tip, she let loose the shot. Pew~ The Arrow flew off to the distance with a satisfying sound. Stab It pierced through one of the two heads of an Ettin. Graah! The remaining head scanned its surroundings and then spotted the four hunters. It came charging towards the hunters in anger. Xian Wang shouted in response. Pulling successful. Brace yourselves! Raj stood in front of the other hunters and shouted while banging on his shield. Here! Come at me! The Ettin, overflowing with rage, swung his club down as he charged. I cant dodge this Raj made a judgement call and decided to raise his shield and shout Iron wall of Anvil! The Lion shaped runes etched into his shield grew bright, and the shield doubled in size; as if hiding Raj behind a castle wall. When the Ettins club collided with the wall, it shattered into pieces after a loud crack. Raj flinched slightly, but most of the momentum was cancelled out. Xian Wang stabbed the Ettin, who stood stunned for a moment from the recoil, in the chest. Gaaa And Santiago passed by Xian, muttering the words Slice and Dice The Daggers in his hands began to spin on their own; resembling a drill. Santiago dashed towards the Ettin and violently stabbed the monster. The Ettin stepped back in response to Santiagos savage attack Pew~ The remaining head was hit by an arrow, which penetrated deep into its skull. The Ettin collapsed on the spot. Amazing Xian Wang held the spear with his armpits and applauded his teammates. The others in his party were extremely strong. Raj, who was in charge of the defense of his team, had an excellent Shield, Endurance, and a high number of Recovery Potions. Santiago was agile and wielded a pair of (Heroic tier or higher) Daggers. And nothing needed to be said about the Gold Medalist Archer Serin, who controlled the start and the end of every fight with her incredibly accurate snipes. Despite the fact that the Magician Kei had run off alone without a trace, the raid proceeded without a hitch thanks to the other three hunters. Xian Wang was able to reach this chapter thanks to being carried to the end of each Raid by exceptionally powerful individuals, but it appeared that teammates in this chapter were better still. Once the fight was over, Raj stood up with his regular sized shield and asked Hey Operator, whats my current HP? [HP: 7932/9200] Alright, alert me when it drops below a third of the total health so that I can drink potions. [Understood.] Xian Wang was shocked. Your Health is above 9000? Raj shrugged. I mean If youre going to fight as the vanguard, then I think having high health is standard. In exchange, my offensive power is pretty low. Serin glanced at him and suggested Please make sure you max out your HP before facing the Boss monster. You never know what will happen. Sure thing, pretty lady. Raj pretended to stroke his mustache and stole glances at Serins figure. Xian didnt know if the person in question noticed, but he did. Xian didnt like it, so he decided to change the subject. By the way, I wonder where that Mage has gone off to? Santiago twirled his dagger skillfully as he responded. Who knows, maybe he got scared and ran off. Xian looked back at the direction they came from. He didnt see anybody. The only thing he saw was piles of dead bodies. The Canyon was straight as an arrow. The Mage was neither ahead nor behind them; he was nowhere to be seen. Im fairly sure we will be fine at dealing with the normal monsters, butwill it be alright fighting the boss mob with just us four? Xian had raised a reasonable concern to which Raj replied, Well We wont know until we butt heads, right? Its not like we can just run away because we dont think we can do it. You know what this tin can always says. Raj tapped the Cube following him. Complete the objective. Or you will die. Santiago laughed with a high-pitched snicker. Serin didnt respond. Xian let his shoulders drop. I guess youre right after all. Xian clapped his hands again. Then lets get going. Ahead, an Ogre could be seen standing alone. Once again, everyones eyes were on Serins bow and arrow. Pew~ Serins arrows flew off into the distance and landed on the Ogres head. The Ogre turned with the arrow still stuck in his head, glaring at the hunters. Filled with rage, he charged towards them. Raj stepped forward to deal with him. Bring it on you beast! Raj taunted the Monster to draw attention while the other three worked together to kill it. Using this strategy, the four hunters made their way through the Canyon, slowly and steadily. * Grah! The Ogre angrily swung its mace. Woosh, woosh The mace swinging in the air sounded threatening. Even Sungjin, who had invested many points into Endurance, would be reduced to a bloody pulp if he took several hits. IF it hits that is. Sungjin was no longer at a level where a normal mob could hit him with a simple attack. Sungjin easily dodged the Mace and swung his Moon Specter twice while evading the attacks. The Ogres blood spewed out of an X shaped cut on his chest, and it fell on its back. Krah! Two more clubs were swung at Sungjin. One was swung by a two-headed Ettin, and the other was swung by a hairy Giant Trogg. Sungjin crouched and covered himself with Saels Breath before shouting Solidify! The moment his command was uttered, the mantle froze in place. The clubs landed on him, but Dong~ A dull sound rang out as if the clubs had hit a thick steel plate. The attack did not hurt Sungjin at all. Thats useful. Sungjin stood up and faced the enemies. The Saels Breath resumed fluttering in the wind. Kuaaa! Uraa! The two giants lift their clubs again, but Sungjins blade flashed twice. Woosh Woosh And the arms holding the clubs were cut off (each with a thickness of a mans waist.) The now disarmed monsters tried to swat Sungjin, but it was in vain. They were unable to land a blow on him. In just a few seconds, the two giants let out a deep groan and collapsed. The combat ended, and so Sungjin hopped on top of the Ogres stomach with one leg and surveyed the area. In the distance, he could see the main boss Pach and ChoRoch. Sungjin checked behind him. He saw nothing but a field of corpses littering the Canyon. Sungjin called to the Operator. Operator, time? [39 Minutes 58 Seconds remaining.] I already got to the main boss and still have about 40 minutes left I guess I am in no rush to use the Treasure Hunter title anytime soon. Sungjin hopped off the stomach of the giant. He held his hand out towards the giants corpse and shouted an incantation. Awaken and become my slave! Rise of the Dead! The Ogre stood up as if nothing had happened and took his place behind Sungjin. Sungjin looked up at him for a moment. It was the first time Sungjin had ever used this spell. Operator, how do I control him? [Undead monsters raised by Rise of the Dead will respond to verbal commands.] Sungjin decided to try it out. Follow me for now The Ogre responded in a lower and flatter tone than when he was alive. Kraa It followed Sungjin. Very. Slowly. Sungjin looked back and saw that he was walking sluggishly towards him. What the Why is it so slow? Sungjin walked back towards the undead Giant. He took a look around. Once he confirmed that all the enemies were dead, he spread his arms wide. Hit me Grah~ The Ogre lifted up his club and swung down. Of course, the movement was extremely slow. Woosh Sungjin slightly tilted his body and easily evaded the strike. The Ogre seemed several times slower than when it was alive. I guess my magic power is too low. His spell was nowhere near as powerful as that person from his previous life. When That person cast Rise of the Dead, the resulting undead revived stronger than the original. Sungjin looked over to the boss Pach and ChoRoch. I cant even use it as a meat shield at this level. Sungjin pointed at the giant. Go back to being dead. Gaah The Ogre zombie fell over again, unmoving. Sungjin stared at the Ogre for a moment. Ah, right Sungjin recalled that he had a strange looking bell in his pocket by the name Manyata. He took it out. Operator, does this item affect revived undead as well? [It does.] I should try it next time. He put the bell back. Current mana? [MP: 1090/3990] Frostbite and Rise of the Dead cost 790 and 1580 respectively. He had enough for a Frostbite, and a little short to use Rise of the Dead. He had reached the boss without considering his MP level. I should try to be better at managing my mana in the future. Sungjin pointed at the Ettins corpse and said Lichs Beckoning The Lichs Finger, which was previously wrapped around his ring finger, slithered its way up to his knuckle and beckoned twice. A blue mist-like light emerged from the corpse and was sucked into his outstretched finger. Even though the process was meant to help Sungjin recover lost mana, he felt slightly uncomfortable. Operator, Mana? [MP: 3990/3990] Mmm. Ok. Sungjin walked towards the hall where the boss was waiting. Pach and ChoRoch was an Ogre with two heads like that of an Ettin. The boss saw the approaching hunter and yelled at him simultaneously. Come, Human! Its a Human! [Warning! Boss] [Ogre Mage Pach and ChoRoch has appeared!] The Cube rang out with an announcement. Mage? What do you mean? I am a warrior! I am a powerful mage! The head holding a large club yelled in anger, and the skinnier head on the left nodded happily. Sungjin didnt know who was Pach and who was ChoRoch. But momentarily, they looked at each other and yelled at the same time. What are you talking about? Were a warrior! What the hell are you talking about? Were obviously a Mage! You should listen to your elders! What do you mean? I am older one! What? Its obviously me whos older. My head came out first! Sungjin shook his head. Theyre exactly the same as last time Loud and annoying. Sungjin drew out his sword. The boss brothers finally turned their attentions to him and said the same things for the first time. You dare challenge us? Ill Kill you! Puny human! Ill Kill you! Puny human! Note: I thought some readers might not be familiar with how an Ettin or a Trogg looks like. So heres a pic of each ???? Ettin Trogg Btw if anybody is interested in translation work then please do check our recruitment page on the menu ???? Chapter 26 Chapter 26 C Giants Canyon (4) Gruah! The Trogg brandished his axe. Raj easily blocked the attack with his shield when Smack A stone came flying, hitting him straight on the head. Ack! Raj cried out in pain and fell over. Santiago, who was attempting to flank the Trogg as usual, noticed that rocks were flying his way as well and backed off. When the hunters turned to see where the rocks were coming from, they saw two Troggs throwing fist-sized stones towards them. Serin quickly changed her aim and launched an arrow at the Troggs. Kaa! The arrow pierced the hand of the Trogg who was about to throw another stone. The Trogg involuntarily dropped the rock which landed on its feet. Kaaack! Killing two birds with one stone, Serin nocked another arrow and aimed for the other Trogg. However, the other Trogg threw a rock at Serin before she could react. The large piece of rock came flying at speeds comparable to her arrow. Serin lowered the bow, but it was too late to move out of the way. Miss Serin! Xian Wang quickly stood in front of her and tried to deflect the stone. Pow The stone broke into smaller pieces, and the shards embedded themselves deep into his skin Ah Xian Wang was brought to his knees. Serin took the opportunity to nock another arrow. The Trogg hastily stooped down to pick up another stone, but she was faster with her bow. Kuraah! Serins arrow pierced through the Troggs head. The Trogg who had dropped his stone bent down to pick up the rock again, but Serin unleashed two rapid shots back to back; one through the neck and the other through the heart, killing the target. Only the first Trogg remained. Iron wall of Anvil! Slice and Dice! The last enemy was killed with the cooperation of Santiago and Raj. Raj, who was still bleeding from his head, suggested: Lets take a break for a moment before we continue further. The cube announced [Your HP is now under two-thirds.] Xian who was also bleeding all over, agreed. Yes, thats a good idea. The plan was to take the enemies down one by one, always as a group of four versus one. But because pairs of enemy reinforcements would appear without warning, it had become difficult to make good progress. Raj uttered a complaint as he drank his potion. Just where the hell are those pairs of reinforcements coming from? Xian answered while uncorking his potion. I thought I saw them climbing out of some sort of tunnel under the ground. However, as they were speaking, the Cube suddenly let out an announcement. [Warning! Boss] [Ogre mage Pach and ChoRoch has appeared!] What?! Raj chugged the rest of his potion and stood up, readying his shield. Boss? Xian also quickly finished his potion and picked up his spear. Santiago got up from his seat taking out his dagger; he scanned the surroundings. Serin quickly placed an arrow on the bow and took a look around. But nothing, not even minions, could be spotted. The four hunters tensed up and anxiously looked around, but nothing came to attack them. After five seconds, someone finally grumbled Boss appeared? But Where? * Fight me, human! The Warrior shouted loudly to goad Sungjin. The sheer volume of the voice might have intimidated an ordinary person. But Sungjin fearlessly charged towards the boss. I dont know whos Pach and whos ChoRoch, but Mage first! Sungjin dashed towards the Ogre on the left holding the staff. The Mage shouted an incantation. Move like the wind! Haste! Thanks to the magic, the Ogre moved three no, four times faster than ordinary Ogres. By the time Sungjin reached the Ogre within melee range, the Ogre had twisted his body to face him with the right side brandishing his weapon. Sungjin swung his katana, but the Warrior moved just as fast to block all his attacks. Clang, clang, clang! After three rapid strikes, the Ogre spun around a full rotation, and the mage on the left side charged at him with the staff; an unexpected tactic. Sungjin leaned far back to dodge the attack. But the warrior Ogre followed up and immediately launched an attack. Sungjin had no choice but to leap back. And the moment Sungjin retreated, the Mage raised the staff and recited an incantation. Incinerate everything in your path! Fireball! A gigantic ball of fire came flying towards Sungjin. He leaped back but Boom He wasnt able to get away far enough from the heatwave resulting from the explosion. Sungjin crouched and covered his body with the Ice Queens Mantle. Most of the flames were nullified by the frozen mantle, but Sungjin had lost his HP to an enemy for the first time since the restart. Pach and ChoRoch laughed at Sungjin, mocking him. You think you can take us on alone? Stupid! Idiot! Sungjin bit his lower lip. A perfect pair The enemy attacked with a staff and a club independent of each other, so predicting their attack was difficult. Adding Magic attacks on top of that made it even more so. Its definitely hard to defeat it alone. So Sungjin took out Grand Kins Wooden Figurine and threw it in front of him. Cain, come out. The figurine transformed into a large wolf and took its side by Sungjin. Pach and ChoRoch laughed again at the new development. What a cute puppy! So adorable! ADORABLE! Sungjin paid them no mind. Cain. Get the Left head. Upon hearing Sungjins instructions, he dashed towards the right to fight the warrior. Rawr! Cain leaped towards the left head as instructed. But Pach and ChoRoch were not going to take this standing still. The Warrior raised his club to counter Sungjin, and the Mage recited an incantation. Burn, membrane of flames! Fire Wall! Almost instantly, a wall of fire appeared in front of the Ogre. But, Sungjin had moved in faster than the casting of the spell and was already engaging the warrior. Cain, on the other hand, was unable to make it in time and was stuck outside. Sungjin swung his katana towards the right side but, You little! The Warrior swung his metallic club to block his attacks. As expected, the Mage joined in by swinging his staff as well. Sungjin dodged and shook the bell he had prepared in his left hand. Ding~ The small bell rang once, and Sungjin shouted Cain! Instantly, Cain came bursting through the firewall and launched himself towards the Mage at an unbelievable speed. Both arms of the Ogre had been extended towards Sungjin; they were defenseless for a moment. Cain easily found the opportunity to bite and hold onto the Mages neck. The Mage desperately called to the other head for help. Pach! I know! Now Sungjin knew who was who. Warrior Pach swing his Club to bat Cain away, who was holding onto his throat. And at that moment, the Warrior had let Sungjin free to act as he wished. Sungjin acted without mercy. As always, Sungjin aimed to disarm the enemy first; Pachs hands were cut off. Ahhh~ ChoRoch! Pach desperately cried out to ChoRoch for help. ChoRoch frantically waved his staff to ward off Sungjin, but there was no way he could face him alone. Sungjin easily dodged the staff and counter-attacked, wounding the boss in the chest. Ack! Kaa! Both heads screamed out loud as they stumbled backward. Sungjin prepared to finish them off. Wind! Push away my ChoRoch attempted to cast a spell, but Rawr! Cain once again leaped up and bit him in the throat, preventing him from finishing his incantations. And using the opportunity, Sungjin cut the Giant in half. Grauuu Grauuu Pach and ChoRoch let out strange noises as they fell to the ground, defeated. The Cube announced victory with a jubilant voice. [Ogre Mage Pach and ChoRoch defeated!] [Raid Cleared! Returning to the Black Market in 36 Minutes and 32 Seconds] Sigh Sungjin let out a sigh and instinctively wiped his brow. Eh? On his hand was a single bead of sweat; It was the first time he had sweated since the restart; the boss was much harder than he had thought. No matter how high his stats were, trying to beat a boss designed to be beaten by five people was no easy task. Awoo~ Cain let out a howl as if asking for attention. Sungjin obediently turned his gaze onto him. Ah Cain, you did a great job. Sungjin put his hands around Cains neck and checked his sides. Specifically where he was hit earlier by Pachs club. Are you alright? Cain gave a short bark to show he was fine. Kan Masters Bell had Invulnerability built in. Cain had greatly benefitted this time. Not a single hair was harmed on its body. Now that he thought of it, Cain had leaped through a solid wall of fire earlier; like some circus lion act. But he had emerged unscathed. Sungjin pet Cain on the head. Fire must have been scary to jump through as a wolf You were really brave, my friend. Happy from being praised, Cain let out a long howl. Awooo~ * [Ogre Mage Pach and ChoRoch defeated!] [Raid Cleared! Returning to the Black Market in 36 Minutes and 32 Seconds] The other hunters stopped in their tracks. What? The hell? Something strange was going on. The hunters were right to be confused. While hunting normal mobs, the Operator announced that the Boss has appeared and now it announced that the Boss was defeated. The four people couldnt imagine that the Mage Kei cleared the boss single-handedly; it was against common sense and good reason. Raj double checked with the Operator. Wait, Operator, did you just say that we cleared the raid? [Yes, that is correct. You will return to the Black Market in 36 Minutes and 24 Seconds.] Everyone frowned at the Operators words. Xian Wang pointed forward with his spear and said We didnt even get a glimpse of the boss, and yet it was defeated I dont know what happened, but we should go a bit further in But, the hunters were even more shocked once they entered deeper into the Canyon. In front of them was an entire stretch of canyon floor covered with corpses of giants as far as the eyes could see. Whoa Xian looked back at his team. Even the normally calm and collected Serin looked shocked. Raj and Santiago exchanged a word between themselves. Xian asked the other three hunters, Just what is going on? Raj beckoned Xian to come closer. Come over for a second. Xian walked over to Raj and Santiago. Once he got close enough, Raj spoke quietly Well, we dont know what happened but the raid is apparently done and we got plenty of time. What do you say wanna have some fun? Fun? Xian tilted his head, unsure of what he meant. Raj glanced over to Serin as he continued. It wont be easy, but if we three work togetherHmm? Once Xian realized what he was suggesting, he was taken back. What the hell are you But he didnt even finish his sentence when Stab He heard a noise from below. When Xian looked down, he saw Santiagos dagger embedded deep into his side. Note: We just completed our first month today as translators! Yay ???? Still got a long journey ahead. And I knowcliffhanger!!! xD We are glad to see so many readers enjoying Master Hunter K! We really are thankful for the appreciation the work is receiving ???? If you like our work do consider supporting us! Ty Chapter 27 Chapter 27 C Giants Canyon (5) Sungjin sheathed the Moon Specter. Since the boss was slain, it was time to begin the search for the hidden pieces. However, Sungjin was in a dilemma. Assuming that the secret place and the hidden boss both exist when would it be best to use the Treasure Hunter active skill? Sungjin did not know which would be more difficult to find, and therefore more worth it to use it for. However, he was interrupted by Cains howling. Awooo~ Cain was howling towards the direction of the canyon they had come from. Whats wrong, Cain? Sungjin asked the wolf. Cain flicked his ears as if he was listening to something in the distance. Sungjin stayed silent so that Cain could concentrate. Moments later, Cain looked up at Sungjin and yelped. Yip He started moving leading the way. Cain seemed to be in a hurry as if it was urgent. Sungjin chased after him quickly. Whats going on? Sungjin tilted his head in confusion. Did he spot a hidden piece? Just in case, Sungjin gave him the command. If you found something, go ahead and show me. You can run as fast as you can manage, Ill keep up. At his command, Cain stopped holding back and bolted off, sprinting ahead. Awooo~ He let out a long howl before running at full speed. Without question, Cain was much faster than Sungjin. In order to catch up with him, Swift Paw Sungjin used the power of his wolf claws to catch up. * Xian unsteadily stepped back. With the dagger still embedded in his abdomen, he swung his spear. Bang His spear was blocked by Rajs sturdy shield. Serin finally noticed that the men had begun to fight amongst themselves and glanced over. Excuse me, whats going on? Santiago brandished his other Dagger. Stab He stabbed Xian a second time. Serin had fought all this time not batting an eye while killing countless monsters, but once she saw teammates getting hurt, she covered her mouth and gasped. What the Xian waved his spear wildly. Miss Serin Run He tried to warn her, but it became his last words. Raj smashed his club over his head, killing Xian. Once Xian collapsed to the ground, a red light illuminated Raj and Santiagos body for a moment, and a warning blared out from the cube. [Allied hunters attacked. Entering Troll state.] [Hunters in Troll state receive 10% penalty to Raid Rewards.] [And in the event that the Troll is killed by other hunters,] [It will not inflict the Troll state on the attacker.] Eh? Is that so? Raj responded back to the cubes announcement. But Santiago gave it no mind. He was already charging towards Serin. Why Serin panicked upon seeing Santiago charge towards her and readied the bow. Pew~ The arrow landed on his shoulder, but it did not faze him; Santiago continued to run with the arrow sticking out of his shoulders. The distance between them rapidly decreased. Serin nocked and released another shot, but he was already within arms reach. Pew~ Santiago easily evaded the shot and attacked with his dagger; He aimed for her wrist holding the bow. However, his dagger collided with her bow instead. Serin quickly retreated her arm, but her bow was knocked away from her. Serin pulled out the dagger she kept on her back, but she was no match for Santiago in a knife fight. She aimed for Santiagos chest and stabbed, but Clang! With one strike, he knocked the dagger out of her hands and grabbed her by the wrist. Serin tried to put up resistance by hitting Santiago with her bare fist, but it was futile. Santiago took his dagger and stabbed Serin through the hand. Kyaa! Santiago followed through with the attack and embedded the dagger deep into the ground, pinning her hand. Once he prevented the use of both of her hands, his eyes betrayed the perverse intentions behind them as he licked his lips. Just kill me, you disgusting animal. Serin spat insults at him, but he paid her no mind. Using the other dagger, Santiago nimbly ripped open Serins clothes; as if he was very familiar with the process. Let me go you bastard! Serin wriggled to try and free herself, but due to the dagger, it only caused her to bleed more. Raj stood from the back and spoke as if Serin belonged to him. Hey hey, dont make too many scratches; I dont like damage. Santiago finished up with Serin and began taking off his own clothes. Suddenly Roar! A wolf appeared out of nowhere and slammed into Santiago; he was caught completely unaware. Santiago was knocked far away by the body slam. What? Raj shouted out, alarmed. Meanwhile, someone spoke from behind him. Whoa whoa, whats all this? Raj jumped up in surprise at the sound of the voice. He looked around. Behind him was the Master Hunter Kei who went missing for the entire duration of the raid. Kei looked at the red outline on Raj and Santiago and commented Troll State? That was all he said. He saw Xians corpse, and at the now naked Serin on the ground. Ah well, I guess something like this is inevitable. Kei spoke to himself and grabbed his extremely shabby looking Katana handle. Hmm It doesnt suit me to act like a knight in shining armor, but I also dont want to run into trolls like you later down the line. Anyone who is not an ally is an enemy. Raj quickly made up his mind and attacked Sungjin. Since Kei was a mage, Raj wanted to take the initiative before Kei had a chance to cast a spell. Die! He swung his club at Kei. It should have been easy to take down a mage with brute force. It should have. But. Woosh Rajs arm was cut off with a single lazy swing by Kei. Ahhh! Raj grabbed his arm by the elbow and backed off. He held up his 600 coins worth Shield and retreated backward. Despite losing one arm, he kept on concentrating. He had tanked for four chapters now. Endure it. I will drink potions and outlast him But interrupting his thoughts, Kei ran towards Raj. Raj hastily activated a skill. Iron Wall of Anvil! Rajs shield grew in size and covered him. But What is going on? Kei cut the Shield in half with a single strike. Once his trusty shield was cut down so effortlessly, Raj instinctively backed off as he began stuttering. YouMageYou Keis sword knew no mercy. He walked up and cut Raj with his sword. Raj was wearing an intricate chain mail armor, but the Katana cut through all as if they didnt exist. Chi-chi-chi-chang! Along with the chains being cut apart, his skin and bones were cut away as well. AHHHHHHHH! Raj let out a loud cry of pain. It was only one blow, but [Warning! HP is below 10%] The Operator rang out with a warning. Raj opened his eyes wide in disbelief as he continued to step back. My hp is almost 10,000 Kei couldnt help but grin. So what? I probably have almost 20,000. Isnt that right, Operator? [Your maximum HP is 17,100.] Rajs eyes grew wide even further. The specs were incomparably different. Raj continued to stare, unable to act. Kei spun his katana around. I dont like seeing human blood but it looks like you guys killed that Chinese guy. You understand that you guys spilt human blood, right? Kei was about to finish off Raj with his Katana, but Pew~ An arrow came and pierced through Rajs skull between his brows. Raj died before he even realized he was hit. * Sungjin lowered his katana and looked behind him. Serin was holding her bow, with a pitiful, pathetic expression on her face. Why would you anger a scary lady? Sungjin complained as he took a look around. There was one other troll. But, he was nowhere to be found. Where? A bit further Cain stood, waiting for him. He had ambushed the other troll earlier but was alone for some reason. Sungjin approached him and asked Cain, where did he go? But Cain did not answer. Instead, he faced somewhere off in the distance and growled. Grrrr Something was wrong. Sungjin inspected Cains body. When he looked closer, he saw that there were small cuts around his neck. The wound was not red, but a strange hue of purple. Paralysis poison. Sungjin got up in anger and looked around. But there was no trace of the troll. He must have poisoned Cain with Paralysis and ran away. Cain was stuck, unable to move and deeply in pain. Sungjin whispered into Cains ears, You did well Cain. Go rest at the Inn. Ill catch up. And standing up, he uttered a command. Unsummon. Cain returned to the form of a small wooden figurine. Sungjin placed the figurine back in his pocket and approached Serin. Serin was trying to cover herself with the remainder of her clothes while crying. Although she didnt make any noise, hot tears streamed endlessly down her cheeks. Even though you act strong, I guess a woman is a woman after all. Sungjin returned the Katana to the sheath and asked her Are you okay? Serin wordlessly glared at Sungjin as if to declare that all men were the same. Sungjin raised his hands to show he meant no harm. Ah, I have no interest in you. But I have to go searching for something, so I have to leave this place That guy got away, that Assassin guy. So leaving you alone here is a little Once Sungjin mentioned Assassin, her eyes instantly teared up. It was inevitable; just moments ago, he had almost managed to rape her. Sungjin scratched his head and continued. Well yeah To make the long story short, Im going to go and look for something so I cant stay here. If you want to follow, I will protect you. You should come with me if its not too much to ask. Sungjin headed back towards the canyon. Few steps away, he looked back. Serin wrapped herself with a ripped shirt and was wordlessly following him. Seeing her, Sungjin thought to himself. The consequence of exceptional beauty Probably she didnt manage to make it last time because You cannot survive to the end with just skill; this is how the Raid works. Concluding his thoughts, Sungjin resumed his footsteps; to search for the Hidden Pieces Chapter 28 Chapter 28 C Giants Canyon (6) Sungjin continuously scanned his surroundings as he progressed through the Canyon. He was searching for a hidden piece while keeping an eye out for the Assassin. And once in awhile, he looked back to check on Serin who followed from behind. Her cheeks carried traces of tears, but she looked much calmer now. Of course, because of her earlier experience, she kept her bow and arrow at the ready, but she was regaining her usual haughty demeanor. Sungjin stopped to speak to her. Excuse me, but Serin bit her lip without replying. She was still extremely weary of Sungjin. Did you happen to see anything weird or out of place on your way here? Sungjin asked Serin carefully. Weird? Yes. Anything is fine Did you see anything like that? Something that shouldnt be there, something that seemed odd Like a concealed location Serin answered as if Sungjins question was puzzling. What do you mean by that? This whole place is filled with nothing but strange things. Excuse me? Hairy monsters, fat pot bellied beasts, two-headed giants. I mean She was technically correct, so Sungjin didnt have much in the way of a reply. He decided to change his question instead. I dont mean it in that way. I meant especially strange things. Abnormally powerful beast among beasts, weirder things among weird things. Something that stands out even in this place. Serin shook her head. I dont know. I hate being around these monsters; I just wanted to get out of this place as soon as possible. So I focused on nothing but shooting arrows into their heads. I see. Sungjin nodded. In truth, he didnt expect much from her anyway; Even by chapter 10 most people were unaware that hidden pieces existed at all. Should I use the Treasure Hunters active skill? Serin then interrupted Sungjins thoughts and asked a question. Kei Thats a fake name, right? What country are you really from? Sungjin shook his head. It doesnt matter. Think what you want. Sungjin answered half-heartedly. He didnt want to get close to someone who was most likely going to die in the near future. It always hurts less when a stranger dies compares to when a friend does. This was the reason why Sungjin called himself K. It has to be between China, Japan, and Korea. Sungjin didnt plan on answering. Then, Between Kimchi Jjigae and Doenjang Jjigae, which is your favourite? Sungjin instinctively and unintentionally thought of the answer. Serins sharp eyes did not miss his slight change in behaviour. You must be Korean. What? If you were Chinese or Japanese, you probably would have first asked what those were. Sungjin thought of saying Ive been to Korea before And stopped himself. Shes a smart one. Sungjin turned his head halfway and replied, I said this before, but what difference does nationality make here? But she replied It is only right that the one who is saved remembers the name and nationality of the one who saved her. Sungjin turned his head all the way back to look at her. What? She finally replied I wanted to say thank you earlier. Now that he thought of it, it was the first time she had thanked him. A faint smile appeared on her face, as she slightly lowered her head towards him. Sungjin was battle hardened and emotionally vacant, but even his long-cold heart was shaken by her beautiful smile. Ah well, got it. Sungjin intentionally looked away. He then called to the Operator. Remaining time? [32 minutes 49 seconds] If I dont find it within 20 minutes, I will use the Treasure Hunter Active skill. Sungjin resumed combing the Canyon. * A long time after, Serin stopped Sungjin. Hey. Sungjin stopped on the spot. He turned and looked at her. What is it? Serin pointed with her thumb somewhere. Isnt that suspicious? Sungjin looked over in the general direction she was pointing towards. There was an ordinary Canyon wall. Whats strange about it? Its appearance Have you ever been to the Grand Canyon? Sungjin shook his head. He was an orphan. Poor even among the poor. He had never been out of the country all his life; not even to China or Japan. I have. Twice. I lived in America as a child. Sungjin nodded. He recalled a news article from the past. Beautiful Archer Serin Han. Born into money and privilege; Father was a major player in the American Finance Industry. The Canyon walls are formed by compacting earth and sediments layer over layer over long periods of time. So typically, there are varieties of colors present on the Canyon wall. But over there Sungjin looked over to the canyon wall again listening to her explanation. Now that she mentioned it, he too noticed the strangeness of that particular part of the wall. To the left and the right of it, the walls were layered horizontally in a uniform pattern. Only this portion of the canyon wall was different. At the center, the layers were narrow, and the colors shifted within the layer. The variance of the color within the layer became worse closer to the center. The way the canyon face was shaped, it stuck out in some parts, and it was indented inward at others. This portion of the wall, however, the outs and ins were too straight, as if designed and cut with precision tools. Wait this looks like Sungjin had tried to touch the canyon wall. But cracks appeared on the wall, and a slick white surface became visible. What is this, a slime? He thought for a moment. But in the middle of the white surface, a large black pupil rotated to look at him. Eye? Sungjin cried out in shock. And at the same time, the earth shook tremendously. The Operator gave out an announcement. [Warning! Hidden boss] [King of Giants Cyclops has appeared!] What does she mean, Hidden Boss? Serin asked from behind, but Sungjin didnt answer. One side of the canyon wall rose up, and a hand emerged from within. Serin looked up at the gigantic hand and gasped. My goodness The gargantuan hand grasped the top of the canyon wall. Rumble The ground began to shake again. Along with the earth shattering rumble and quake, the Hidden Boss began to show itself. The bosss stature made the Ogres, Ettins, and Trolls look like little childrens toys. Just looking up at the boss, it was easily as tall as a ten storey building. Sungjin had seen many gigantic bosses in later chapters, but never one as tall as this. The giant stood up by leaning on the canyon cliff wall and blinked its huge eye a few times. It looked down upon Sungjin and let out a mighty roar. Kruuuuah! The earth itself trembled at its monstrous roar. Pew~ A familiar sound rang out from behind, and he saw an arrow zip through the air. Serin shot an arrow up towards the giants head. Of course, the target was the lone eye. Taking out its eye would make the hunt comparatively easy. But once the arrow reached about its chest height, Wragh! The giant slapped the arrow out of the air. The height of the Giant was about 25~30 meters. No matter how large the Cyclops eyes were, it was a difficult height to reach with the arrow. Serin complained under her breath. Just what the heck is that thing She looked discouraged. That was probably the normal reaction for this moment. Even though she had overcome large wolves, undead monsters, and other nightmarish creatures, she had never seen anything so seemingly unsurmountable. Sungjin drew out his blade and shouted Stay back for a bit And charged at the giant. Lets test the waters. The Cyclops raised its foot when it noticed Sungjin run towards it. A huge shadow appeared on and around Sungjin. Sungjin quickly moved out of the shadow of the colossus. Its speed was nothing extraordinary, but due to its enormous size and mass, improperly dodging would result in becoming an instant pancake. Booom The foot landed where Sungjin stood moments before. Turning around, Sungjin swung his katana at one of the toes in front of him. Graagh! Each time it cried out, the earth itself shook along with it. Is it taking any damage? He asked himself. Another shadow appeared on top of Sungjin. He tumbled backwards. Boom A large fist punched the earth where he was moments before. Sungjin prepared to counter attack when the fist opened up, and the giant tried to catch and grab Sungjin. Sungjin couldnt avoid it. He quickly wrapped the Mantle around himself and shouted Solidify! Crack! shatter Saels Breath shattered upon contact with the Giants hand. Having blocked the Giants attack with the Mantle, Sungjin spun around and swung his Katana towards the hand. Kaaaa! The middle finger was cut deep by the Katana. It evidently hurt a great deal. The Cyclops began stomping the ground chaotically in anger. Sungjin rapidly dodged the indiscriminate attack with great dexterity. Even while doing so, he thought to himself. Its not a boss I can easily kill even with high stats. Its going to take more than one or two shots. And that was the truth. No matter how powerful Sungjin and his Katana was, it was only as large as a needle in comparison to the massive giant. The only parts of its body Sungjin could destroy in one hit was fingers or toes. Climb the thing and make a lethal strike. Sungjin made up his mind and began to put his plan into action. He approached the giant to lure an attack. It first raised its foot. Feet are no good. Sungjin dodged the foot for now. And as a follow-up, a slightly smaller shadow appeared around Sungjin. Without a doubt, this was the fist. Sungjin intentionally dodged it by a hair. Boom! The fist landed on the ground close by. Instead of swinging his sword, he jumped up and held onto the hand. And without realizing that Sungjin had hitched a ride on his wrist, the Giant raised his hands as normal. Along the way up, The Giant turned his attention to his hand. The two stared at each other. Danger. Sungjin felt threatened, and quickly stabbed Moon Specter deep into the Giants hand. Grrrr~ The giant cried out in pain as if it was stung by a bee. It angrily waved its arms about, to throw Sungjin off of him. Sungjin was thrashed about violently. It was a dangerous moment for him. If he let go of Moon Specter, then he would be flung off far into the distance like an ant. The Giant only increased the intensity of which it swung its arm. If this keeps up While Sungjin was flailing in the air, he heard someone calling for him. Kei! Despite the shaking, he still looked towards the source of the voice. Serin had climbed to the top of the canyon cliff and was aiming towards the giant with her bow and arrow. She let loose an arrow aimed at its eye. Rain of Arrows The arrows multiplied in the air and flew towards the Giants face. Every single one of them hit the mark; it was inevitable due to the large size of her target. In just a moment, dozens of arrows embedded themselves deep into the Giants face. Graaagh! The Cyclops screamed out in pain and instinctively used its hands to cover its face from the arrows. And with it, Sungjin was brought to his target. Sungjin pulled out the Moon Specter from the wrist of the Cyclops and held it in both hands. And once he grew close enough, he pushed himself off from the hand launching himself towards the head. Yargh! Sungjin yelled out loud as he sailed through the air, Katana pointed straight at the eye. And just like that, Sungjin impaled the Moon Specter deep into the Cyclops eye. Chapter 29 Chapter 29 C Giants Canyon (7) Sungjin held onto the Moon Specter and dragged his blade through the Cyclops flesh; from the giants lone eye, through the nose, past the jaws, and until it sliced through and emerged from the underside of the chin. Once Sungjin separated the giants face in half, he impaled the blade into the Cyclops chest and continued to carve up its body as he made his way down. Graaagh The Giant let out cries of agony through its now separated mouth. Once Sungjin reached its abdomen, the Cube announced their victory. [Hidden Boss King of Giants] [Cyclops Cleared!] However, Sungjin did not retract his blade just yet; He was still too high up to jump down safely. Controlling the Moon Specters depth in the giants flesh to adjust his falling speed, Sungjin slowly made his way down the giant like a skier. Once he was at a reasonable height, Sungjin pulled the sword out of the Giant and leapt off. After a few rotations in the air, Sungjin landed on the Canyon floor safely. The giant slowly collapsed over the side of the Canyon wall. Rumble rumble rumble rumble Along with a deafening sound of shattered canyon wall, large volumes of sand and dirt rained down from above. The cloud of dust which followed obscured the vision and blocked the airways. Cough! Cough! Sungjin couldnt help but begin to cough. Covering his nose and mouth with his hands, he slowly walked out of the area. Meanwhile, the Operator announced [Raid 100% complete!] [However, there is an active Troll in the party.] [Raid reward will be postponed until the troll, or the other members are eliminated] [or if the timer runs out.] Sungjin, who had relaxed his guard once the Hidden Boss was eliminated, quickly realized his oversight. The Assassin! Even up until the boss showed himself, he was on alert for the assassin, but once the fight began, he had completely forgotten about him. Sungjin pulled the Moon Specter out again and walked through the dust cloud. As time passed, the sandstorm settled down. Little by little the air cleared up, and he could see again. In the distance, he heard Serins voice. Kei! It was hard to hear through the dust, but she sounded nervous. Sungjin made his way towards the source of her voice. SeSerin! Cough! Serin! In the distance, he could see someone standing. Sungjin made his way towards the figure, but Santiagos voice stopped him in his tracks. Hey, Mage. stop right there, or I will kill this girl. Sungjin had no choice but to stop. Once the dust settled a bit more, he was able to see what was going on. Santiago held a dagger to Serins neck and was glaring at him. I guess I should call you Swordsman instead. I saw everything. Drop your sword. Sungjin paused to take a look at Santiago, and then at Serin who was held hostage. He took a moment to think. What should I do? Seeing that Sungjin still held onto his Katana, Santiago threatened him further. No tricks. Shes one slice away from death. Ive made sure of that. There was one dagger impaled into Serins side. She was bleeding out from the wound. Sungjin yelled to calm Santiago down. I got it I got it. Ill put down the sword. Please let her go. Slowly and cautiously, Sungjin placed the Moon Specter back into the scabbard. And he untied the scabbard from his side. Pretending to drop it, he rapidly drew the blade out and shouted Deathly wail! The Moon Specter glowed bright blue. KYAAAAAAAAA! A hell-like screech filled the air, reverberating around the canyon. Sungjin immediately charged forward. Uhhuh, Santiago lost his grip on Serin and took an involuntary step back. Sungjin rushed towards him. Santiago waved his dagger towards Sungjin wildly but Clang clang! In just two swings, Santiagos daggers were knocked away from his hands. Sungjin kicked his undefended chest. Pow He fell on his backside. Sungjin stared at him. Santiagos eyes were filled with terror, for one reason or another. AhhAhh Without getting up, Santiago tried to crawl away as fast as he could. Sungjin walked up to him and cut off both of his feet. Ahhh! Santiago let out a long cry of agony. Sungjin emotionlessly told him This is for Cain. Sungjin pointed his sword towards Santiago as he walked over. Now certain that he was going to die, Santiago began to beg for his life. Mercy Mercy! Please! Santiago begged while holding his hands together in a prayer. This helped Sungjin see the fancy tattoo covering Santiagos arm. Sungjin held up the Moon Specter towards his face and said I know scum like you. On Earth, before we were sent here, you probably did these kinds of things without hesitation. Of course, looking at things from this angle. Sungjin did not attack him with his sword and kept on talking. You probably looked down at your victims, who were helpless and begged for mercy. I could have killed you many times until now. The reason why I am waiting Anything but my life Santiago continued to beg. This is it. I wanted you to experience this. The terror you inflicted on your victims until now. Sungjin counted 5 seconds in his mind. Santiago tried to escape, but his feet were cut off. He was able to crawl away slowly with his hands, but it didnt get him far. I think thats enough for introspection. Sungjin took a single step forward and swung his sword. Die. Shing Santiagos head flew off and landed some distance away. As was his habit, Sungjin swung his Katana once to fling the blood off of the blade. Santiagos blood splattered on the ground, and Sungjin returned the blade to its sheath. Turning around, he left to attend to Serin. Serin was trembling while tightly holding herself. If anything could be described as a side effect of Deathly Wail, it was that it also affected allies equally. Sungjin approached her and said Dont be afraid Miss Serin. Its okay. That thing was not real its fake. Serin looked up towards Sungjin and asked Andhim? Sungjin tilted his head towards where Santiagos corpse lay. She uneasily turned her gaze towards the direction he indicated. In the distance, she saw Santiagos severed head. Serin returned her gaze to Sungjin and said Thank you Really Thank you, Kei. Sungjin nodded to acknowledge her expression of gratitude and moved away from her to give her some privacy; so that she could have time to calm herself down. The Cube broke the silence. [All Trolls in the party have been eliminated.] [Distributing Raid reward] He didnt find the Hidden Piece yet, and the distribution already began. It was okay since he could still go off to search once the distribution was over. [Calculating Rewards Earned.] [Monsters Slain. Ogres: 30. Trogg: 20. Ettin: 10. Total 3200 points.] [Boss Monster Slain: Ogre Mage Pach and ChoRoch: 400 points.] [Hidden Boss King of Giants Cyclops: 400 points.] [Final point count: 4000 Points. Distributing points.] First up was Serin. [Your contribution is 29.5%. 1180 Stat points, 1180 Black Coins awarded. Raid Clear Bonus 1000 Stat points and 1000 Black Coins awarded. Distributing 2180 Stat points and 2180 Black Coins.] Her contribution points were enormous compared to the points Sungjins former teammates had received. But it made sense, since she almost always landed every shot she fired, and the other three perished during PvP. Next up was Sungjin. [Your contribution is 70.5%. 2820 Stat points, 2820 Black Coins awarded. Raid Clear Bonus 1000 Stat points and 1000 Black Coins awarded. Item effect Additional 10% gained activated. Distributing 3820 Stat points and 4202 Black Coins.] Sungjin thought to himself. 4202 I almost didnt make it. He needed 4022 coins to complete the book. Without the Heart of Gold passive, he would have fallen short. [And now we will distribute the items.] Of course, it began with Serin since she had fewer contribution points. [Eye of the Cyclops C Strength of the Giants] [Recovery Potion C Small x4] Next up was Sungjin. Despite having been through this process numerous times, Sungjin still looked forward to seeing what hes earned. [Manta C ChoRochs Staff] [Kamram C Ring of the Siamese Twins] [Recovery Potion C Small x3] [Spell Book C Fireball] And it ended here. Although it usually gave out three Heroic Items. Why? Why did I only get two? Sungjin complained internally. But the Operator was not done. [Congratulations! You obtained a Legendary item Kamram C Ring of the Siamese Twins!] Legendary Item?! The Operator always announced each legendary item loot received. Sungjin instantly forgot about his complaint and eagerly picked up the ring that appeared before him. At the center of the ring were two crimson gems; stuck together like Siamese twins. What is this? He wanted to ask, but the distribution was not over. [Last but not the least, you will be awarded titles youve earned on this raid.] One more time, Serin was first. [Head Hunter C When striking the enemy on the head with an arrow, Increase damage dealt by 40%] It was a great title. If you considered her skill, it was no different from having permanent 40% damage boost at all times. Next up was Sungjin. [Adjudicator C When killing Party members who entered the Troll state, obtain two of their equipped items.] Huh? He didnt even imagine that such a title existed. is it because I killed two trolls in one raid? In Sungjins previous life, he had exceptionally good luck with teammates. He almost never encountered a Troll, so this title would have been impossible to earn for him. He also never saw anyone walking around with it. To be fair, this was a hard title to justify equipping. In a raid where your life was always on the line, there was no reason to keep this title equipped in case of a troll that may or may not appear. No, if a troll were to appear, it usually meant the party would be wiped out. Well, since its being given to me, Ill accept it gratefully. Once the rewards were distributed, Serin approached Sungjin. Good work, Master Hunter K. Your skill lives up to your title. Sungjin nodded. Serin, you too well, Good work on overcoming this chapter, you know, after everything that happened. Sungjin kicked himself inside for mentioning that. It would have probably been better not to have mentioned it at all. But luckily, Serin seemed to take it well. Its okay. To be fair something similar happened to me in the last chapter as well. Listening to her frankly say that, Sungjin was at a loss for words. There was a reason why so few women survived to later stages of the Raids. At that time, I took care of the situation with my bow, but this time Anyway, thank you so much, Kei. Sungjin wordlessly nodded. He felt saying anything now to her was improper. The Operator informed them their remaining time. [Returning to the Black Market in 28 Minutes and 48 Seconds.] There was still lots of time left. But there was one more thing Sungjin had to do; Searching for the Hidden Piece. Sungjin told the Operator, I want to use the Treasure Hunter active skill. Please tell me the hint about the hidden location on this map. Chapter 30 Chapter 30 C Giants Canyon (8) The Operator recited a verse. [Wandering merchant from far away land] [Crossing the Canyon, treasure in hand] [Caught by Giants and hung by his toes] [Giants know not of the value he towed] [Eating is the most valuable thing that they know] Sungjin deliberated over the verses. The verse hinted at a hidden location, but there was no direct hint about where that might be. tell me again. After the second time, Sungjin figured out that there were two hints about the location. Hung by his toes and Eating. Upside down for eating Somewhere the Giants would cook Somewhere suitable to make food. Sungjin searched his memories. Oh wait a minute Now that he thought of it, he recalled seeing a crock pot. One large enough to fit someone in it. Where was that again? It was somewhere within the Canyon; he was sure of it. Sungjin asked Serin who stood next to him. Miss Serin, do you remember seeing a Gigantic Crock Pot? A crock pot? Yeah, not a normal sized one, something large enough for a grown man to fit in. Something really large. Serin shook her head. No, I dont remember seeing something like that. If I saw something that strange, I would remember. Which means that I had seen it in the later half of the Canyon. Sungjin made a deduction. Serin had probably only been halfway through the Canyon. She couldnt possibly have seen anything that appeared in the later portions of the Canyon. Once he made up his mind, Sungjin turned to search for the crock pot. But Serin stopped him to ask Kei, where are you going? Ah that Sungjin hesitated. He didnt feel comfortable telling her about the existence of Hidden Pieces. But he decided to say I have something to find. A hidden element. He explained her the truth. She was already extremely grateful to Sungjin for saving her. He believed that she would not request anything unreasonable of him even if they did find the treasure. Hidden elements? Yes. Just like the secret boss we just fought, there are also secret treasures hidden on each map. Serins eyes grew wide with surprise. Really? Yes. So I am going to go and search for it. You are welcome to stay here and rest until you return to the black market. We already hit 100% raid completion, so there are no more mobs to be found on the map. Sungjin wanted to turn and leave as soon as he was done with his explanation, but Serin replied Lets go together. I dont have anything better to do anyway and staying with that corpse alone feels bad. Serin indicated towards Santiagos corpse which was lying a slight distance away. Ah Yeah, that would be bad for her. Sungjin nodded slightly and respected her decision. Either way, having two pairs of eyes searching for the hidden item was better than one. She already proved useful in finding the hidden boss. Sungjin and Serin began to walk deeper into the Canyon one more time. They walked for a while without speaking. But surprisingly, it was the proud Serin who broke the silence. Excuse me are hidden bosses in every round? She became more chatty. Yes. And you hunted them each time? Yes. How Finding them is one thing, but didnt you fear death? Dont they scare you? Sungjin shrugged. As you can see if you cant grow stronger in these raids, you cant survive. So I have to work harder and push myself further; to be stronger. Kei, youre already plenty strong though. Sungjin did not reply. He didnt want to tell her that later chapters fielded terrible monsters. Instead, he decided to give her a warning. Miss Serin, please get as strong as you possibly can be. Thats how you get to live longer. I am trying my best each round so does that mean I should be trying to find and defeat the hidden boss each round? Thats Sungjin was caught in a dilemma, just like in the case with Hiro. Telling her yes entailed too many risks. A decision like that make the call after youve seriously considered your situation. Like how? You should only consider attempting the hidden boss if all of the following are true: All 5 party members are exceptionally powerful and talented. Your team works together very well and stays coordinated. No internal strife occurred after killing the final boss. Only if all of these are true, you can consider attempting the hidden boss. Otherwise, everyone is going to die. Sungjin told her something similar to what he had said to Hiro. Serin carefully considered his words. Thank you for letting me know. But Her words trailed off. Sungjin understood why. She even said she experienced something similar in previous rounds. Her exceptional beauty was interfering with her chances of survival. But then Ah thats right. Sungjin recalled something and decided to tell her. Um In the black market, you can find a Mask shop. Maskshop? Yes. If you go there, you will be able to purchase masks that temporarily changes your appearance. Please go there. In my opinion, you are Far too beautiful. Was what Sungjin wanted to say, but he felt bashful and changed his words. Going to find it useful. Serin nodded. I understand. Thank you for all your help, Kei. And with her words of gratitude, she gave a radiant smile quite unlike her usual cold self. Sure. Sungjin intentionally replied back halfheartedly. And he stole a glance at her. This lady if luck would follow could be a strong candidate for the final party members It was going to be chapter 5 soon. The initial stages of the raids were going to be over soon, and Sungjin was slowly making plans to prepare for the future. Last members; Final 5. Being included in the final five was beyond a doubt for Sungjin. He became greatly overpowered thanks to the Restart. The problem was the other four individuals. No matter how strong an individual was, there was no way one person could complete the raid all alone. These Raids were designed to be beaten with the cooperation of 5 people. Cooperation, as chapters continue, becomes increasingly important in making meaningful progress. It was a good idea to start considering about who had the potential to become the final team members from now on. There are two main factors in becoming one of the final five. One is exceptional skill, and second is unbreakable trust. Sungjin had no doubts as to her skill. She had won the Gold medal in Olympics; it proved that she was the best archer among humans. And Sungjin saw her skills first hand. And unlike her initial cold demeanor, she was a respectable and upright human being. Most importantly, she already deeply trusted him. Thinking thus far, Sungjin continued to speak. As you might have noticed as the Raids continue to progress, an incredible number of people will perish along the way. Serins face expression hardened immediately, and she nodded nervously. So even though the raids began with all of humanity participating, the number of people will Sungjin was about to say continue to dwindle until there are only five people remaining but he changed his verbiage slightly. Probably dwindle until there are only five people remaining at the end. You understand this much, right? Serin nodded slightly. Yes That would make sense if these raids continue without an end. If that time comes and only five are remaining, it is best if all five are dependable people, in skill and in trust, right? I think so. I get how people with great skill might be able to survive until the end, but isnt it impossible to guarantee that each person, in the end, is trustworthy? Sungjin thought of what she had said. It was technically correct. But If I wanted, I could pick at least few of the members of the Final Five Sungjin knew he had some level of control over the membership; he had overwhelming advantage of skill, information, and stat points above other hunters. Manipulating not only the outcome of raids but also the process was possible to a certain extent. While Sungjin was lost in thought, Serin said Look! Sungjin stopped and looked towards where Serin had pointed. There was a large pot boiling in the distance. Sungjin had tunnel visioned on his way to kill the boss and had overlooked the pot. He then asked Serin, Please step back a bit. Why? Are you thinking of tipping it over? Yes. Let me do it. I know youre strong and all, but tipping over a boiling pot of water with nothing but a sword Is probably dangerous right? She was right. Sungjin stepped off to the side to let her have a clear shot at the pot. The only question was; does her arrow have the penetrating power to pierce through the pot? But when she pulled back her bow, she spoke: Strength of Giants For a brief moment, her Pearl Ring illuminated brightly. Ah It was the ring she had received as the raid reward. She must have already checked the stats on the ring and equipped it. It reminded Sungjin of Kamram C Ring of the Siamese Twins in his pocket. I didnt even check what I have I suppose I could check it along with the Hidden Piece reward. Sungjin decided to indulge in joys of checking out his equipment a bit later. Ping! The arrow she shot flew off towards the pot, making a far more threatening noise than ever before. In one strike, the arrow passed through the pot. Bubble gurgle gurgle gurgle Water gushed forth the hole she had punched through the pot. She looked down at her ring and said Its quite useful. Although X2 bonus on Strength only has 3 seconds duration, so I cant use it more than once He nodded to her comment. Her Rain of Arrows was a great AOE skill suitable for multiple enemies, and now she had obtained a powerful lethal shot she could use for bosses. The two of them stared at the pot for a while. But there was nothing inside. The Operator remained quiet. Whats going on? Sungjin was confused for a moment. Did I misunderstand the verses? Or His thoughts were interrupted. Kei, isnt that thing suspicious? Serin said, grabbing his attention. Next to the Pot was a large corpse of an Ettin, and a small tent built right up to the cliff wall. Sungjin walked over to it. The first thing he noticed was the Ettin. He didnt recall killing it, but the wounds on it suggested it was him who had killed it. I guess I just ran by while mindlessly killing them. Passing by the corpse, he entered the tent. Inside the tent, he didnt notice anything out of place Except Theres a wall in the back of the tent? Why? Finding it extremely suspicious, he approached the wall. Upon closer inspection, he found a place where the wall was slightly separated from the tent fabric. There was an empty space beyond. No light passed through from above, and a slight breeze blew out from the gap. Around him filling the tent was a large pile of dissected animals and meat. This is the Giants Refrigerator. But then What Wait, a Human? Please! Save me! He could hear voices from the other side. Sungjin searched between the gap. He saw there, in the dark; A half rat demi-human hanging by his feet upside down. The Cube cheerfully rang out with an announcement. [Congratulations! You have discovered] [Hidden Vendor Wandering Merchant Ruff Han!] Note: Happy Thanksgiving! We now have a Patreon page. Do check out! Have a nice day Chapter 31 Chapter 31 C Giants Canyon (9) Sungjin gazed up at the Ratman hanging from the ceiling. Another Demi-Human? Are all the Vendors like that? Even Wandering Merchant Aindell was a Demihuman. Half human, half Wolf. Sungjin approached the Ratman. The Ratman shouted at him from his tied up position. Hey, Human! Help me! If you give me a hand, Ill make it worth your while! Serin entered the cave from behind. Wow I didnt know there was such a place here. The Ratman also yelled at Serin. Hey, Human girl! Help me! Whats up with him? Before Sungjin had a chance to reply to her question, the Ratman interrupted by shouting I said help! Sungjin used his fingers to plug up his ears. I got it, I got it. Please stop. Stop it. He looked over to Serin. Serin, please shoot him down. Ill catch him. Ok. She immediately let loose an arrow. Ping~ The rope which held him was cut with a snap and Sungjin easily caught the falling Ratman. Ugh For one reason or another, the stench on the Ratman was terrible. Sungjin immediately threw the Ratman away. The Giants really planned to eat this thing? The Ratman finally got to his feet and took a breather. Haa I thought I was going to die. You have my thanks, Humans! The Ratman smiled at them, exposing his yellow teeth. Sungjin felt no desire to become friendly with him; Skipping all the small talk he asked, So, how are you going to make it worth our while? The Ratman made a curious smile and replied, Ah, that I cant do it now. Later on Sungjin raised his eyebrows. What? The Ratman didnt catch on to the mood and continued while shaking his head I said I will make it worthwhile; I never said it was going to be right Woosh Sungjin pulled out Moon Specter and brought it up to the Ratmans neck. So, youre going to go back on your word, is it? Once he saw the naked blade pressed against his neck, his demeanor changed instantly. No, I mean listen Sungjin waited patiently for him to continue. He was the Hidden Vendor after all; he must have something special with him. My treasure I had hidden it before I was caught. I have to go find it first. Sungjin replied to him frankly. Tell me where it is then, and I will go find it myself. The Treasure is hidden beyond the Boundary. You know that right? Youll die if you leave the boundary for more than 10 seconds! Bada Boom! Sungjin considered his words. The Merchants words had no credibility, but there was no way to disprove him either. There were sometimes merchants who valued their goods over their own lives; ones that would never spill a secret no matter the cost. What should I do? Sungjin continued to hold the Moon Specter against his head and thought of his options. It was then the Ratman changed his mind. Instead Instead, let me Let me give you something I do have on me. Sungjin used the sword to raise the Ratmans chin and asked What is it exactly? If it was something ordinary, he planned to reject it. But he didnt expect Ruff Han to say the following. Wandering Merchants Mystery Pouch What? Sungjin was shocked. It was the same item that gave Sungjin Ancient Stories of the East C Part 1. Ratman Ruff Han took out a pouch from his vest and handed it to Sungjin. Here, Take it! And let me go! I dont want to lose another second until I go searching for my stash! Sungjin quickly took the pouch and asked the Operator. Operator, explanation, quick The Operator quickly brought up the information screen at his request. Mystery Pouch C Wandering Merchants secret stash Heroic Treasure Unique Skill C Roulette (IV) Roulette (IV) C receive one Legendary class crafting material. Pouch Disappears after use. Its definitely the same item as before. Thisis totally acceptable. Sungjin returned the Moon Specter to its sheath. Now free from the threat of violence, the Ratman reached into his pocket and took out another pouch and tossed it over to Serin as well. Thank you very much as well, pretty lady! He threw her a wink. Sungjin couldnt see her face, but he couldnt imagine her looking very happy. I have settled my debt with this, Humans! The Ratman fell on all fours and dashed away towards an exit on the other side of the cave; an exit too small for a human being to fit through. And Im not a liar! Ill see you again in a future Raid! If youre able, that is! If youre able probably meant youll most likely die and so we might not see each other It wasnt exactly a positive farewell. Once the Hidden Merchant Ruff Han left, Sungjin took a look at the pouch. If Ancient Stories of the East Part 2 or 3 comes out of here Roulette Serin was staring at the screen for the pouch as well. It was most likely her first time seeing this type of item. This is an extremely good item; It gives a Legendary Crafting material. Ooh Well, theres no point hoarding it for later so Ill go first. Please go ahead. Sungjin breathed in deeply to prepare himself and then shouted Roulette! The ribbon tying up the pouch released automatically and the content revealed itself; Although he had no creed, he still prayed. Please! The appearance of the treasure was A Book! Sungjin quickly picked it up to check the screen. Now as long as it was not Part 1, he was golden. However Ancient Stories of the Middle East C Part 2 Legendary Crafting Material Omnibus of ancient stories of the Middle East. Once parts 1, 2 and 3 are gathered, it can be made into a complete volume. Middle East?! It was an entirely wrong line of books. With the component cost of 5000 coins per book, an item you could only equip one at a time, there was no reason or need to craft multiple books of this kind. Damn Sungjin massaged his forehead wallowing in regret. But then, Roulette. Serin also used her Roulette. Once the pouch unveiled itself, the item that appeared was Another book! Serin lifted up her item. Operator What is this item? The Operator opened up an information screen for her. And on it displayed the item Sungjin had been wanting; Ancient Stories of the East C Part 2. Sungjin forgot himself and immediately grabbed her arm. Wah! Serin jumped up slightly in surprise; She had never seen Kei react to anything before like that. Why? Is it a good thing? Sungjin held onto her hands and said Miss Serin, Please, lets trade these two books. Excuse me? Serins cheeks turned slightly rosy. Oh, right Noticing the change in her behavior, Sungjin continued after letting go of her hands. This book is one of the materials required to complete a single item; An ancient Omnibus. This Omnibus grants enormous power. Serin understood quickly. Yes, and? And so I already have Ancient Stories of the East C Part 1. So I need the Part 2 of the same series. Serin nodded. Okay then. Ill just give you this, as thanks for protecting me this Raid. Ah, wait, thats Sungjin hesitated. But within moments, he made up his mind; Only one person could own a single book at a time. Of course, if he accepted the book now and sold it on the Black market later, he could get 500 Coins, but it was far too inefficient to do so. Trade was the right course of action. Especially if she had the potential to become one of the Final Five last companions to the end. So Sungjin told her No. We should trade these; My Ancient Stories of the Middle East C Part 2 to your Ancient Stories of the East C Part 2. I suggest that you collect all three parts to the Ancient Stories of the Middle East and craft the complete book. If you manage to do so, it should be enough to keep you alive for at least several chapters. The Operator gave an announcement. [Returning to the Black Market in 10 Minutes] Time was running out. Serin nodded. I understand Kei. Sungjin and Serin put their Cubes together to trade. Once it was done, Sungjin had finally obtained Part 2 of the book he wanted. Now all I have to do is buy the final part from the bookstore. While Sungjin was thinking so, Serin took a look at her new item. Ancient stores Sungjin decided to ask Miss Serin, how many Black Coins do you have right now? Black Coins? Including what I just got from this raid, around 5000. She didnt spend too much; With the exception of her bow, she probably didnt spend her coins elsewhere. Sungjin told her When you go back to the Black Market this time, please go to Gourmets Bookstore. Ask about the book and if you are able, make the complete item. Serin nodded. Sungjin continued, And I dont know the name, but please visit the mask shop run by a Raccoon Merchant. Okay? Okay. Once Sungjin was done, he placed the book materials into the Cube. Not too long after, the Operator announced [You will return to the Black Market in 1 minute.] Serin, who kept quiet until now asked Sungjin Kei Will we be able to see each other again? Sungjin answered Raids are designed in such a way that survivors will meet each other again. And as you can tell, I am very strong. I will survive until the very end. So If you can keep yourself safe and survive chapter to chapter, we will eventually be able to see each other again. I promise. At his words, Serin nodded bravely. Um Before we go our separate ways Can you please tell me your real name? Sungjin hesitated. [You will return to the Black Market in 10 seconds. 10] Once the Operators countdown began, Sungjin told her If we meet each other again, I promise I will tell you my real name. [9, 8, 7] Serin nodded helplessly. Ok, its a promise. [6, 5, 4] Sungjin couldnt help but tell her one more time out of his concern for her. Mask shop, bookstore. You got it, right? Serin nodded. She was intelligent. She would not forget. [3, 2. 1] In the last moments, she bid him goodbye. Lets meet again, Kei. Sungjin wanted to reply to her. But [0] The countdown finished, and the hunters were teleported away from the Canyon. Note: We got one more for you today as an extra! Read on, click the next chapter button Chapter 32 Chapter 32 C Black Market Fourth Shopping Even as he was teleported to the Black Market, Sungjin had tried to say words of farewell. But he missed the chance. We will probably never see each other again But that was also too heartbreaking to say. It was a mistake allowing himself to let her under his skin; While cooperating and working together, he had ever so slightly opened his heart to her. Sungjin looked around. He located the teashop First Drop and walked over to inspect his reward. Once Sungjin sat in the same seat as last time, the Panda man welcomed him. What should I get you today? Iced tea and something to snack on. Understood, coming right up. Once the shopkeeper left, Sungjin took out the Kamram C Ring of the Siamese Twins for inspection. One ring with two gems; it was a strange looking ring. Just what does it do? Without having to ask, the Operator opened up the detailed screen for him. Kamram C Ring of the Siamese Twins Legendary Ring Passive Skill Dual Weapon Mastery (V) Copies 100% of the proficiency of the dominant hand over to the other hand. One will, two talents The pinnacle of Martial Prowess Sungjin was stunned. While he was reeling from shock, Xiu Ran set down iced tea and rice cake in front of him. After a while, Sungjin grasped the cold tea cup. Once he downed the entire content of chilled tea, he had recovered enough to process what he had just received. Does this mean? Sungjin decided to test out the effects of Kamram immediately. Equip The ring readjusted its size and settled itself over Sungjins right ring finger. It was a strange sensation; Sungjin felt slightly disoriented for a moment, but also somehow more sensitive than before. His eyes refocused, and his hands trembled. He wanted to test it out right away. But, now that he thought of it, he didnt have a second Katana. I shouldnt have sold the Basic Katana If he had kept it, it would have been a perfect for practice. But he already sold it for mere ten coins. What should I do? Then, he remembered he actually had another weapon. The Manta C ChoRochs Staff Sungjin took one rice cake and chewed on it as he put his hand on top of the cube. Operator, give me the Manta. The lid on the cube opened up, and an extremely long metallic staff emerged from within. It was a staff in name only; it looked more like a rebar. Sungjin inspected the rod-like staff. Manta C ChoRochs Staff Heroic Staff C Strength B Dexterity D Magic Power C Passive Skill Red Magician (II) Improves the effects of offensive magic by 20% Magic Swordsman (I) Each magic cast improves weapon damage by 10% Each attack by weapon improves magic damage by 10% Max 3 stacks Staff of the Powerful Mage, ChoRoch. Became a mage due to losing the bet on a coin flip against his younger brother. It was better than expected. The bonus weapon damage and the 20% increase in spell effect was already good, but the Magic Swordsman passive was really great. Even more so as Sungjin had already decided to try the Magic Swordsman route. Taking the staff in hand, Sungjin briefly left the shop. And using the left hand, he tried swinging the staff around. He was able to wield it perfectly well. Then, taking out the Moon Specter, he tried to swing the sword around. It felt as natural as if he was using his right hand. Have I become ambidextrous now? While he was thinking so, Whoa, Whoa Mr Hunter Sungjin heard someone speak to him from behind. When he turned around to see, it was a half dog demi-human. The demi-human approached him and said Please do not wave your weapon around in public. The clothes the demihuman wore was reminiscent of a police outfit. The security in this place was rather tight. Sungjin nodded and replied Ah, I was just experimenting, testing things out. I wasnt trying to harm anyone. Ok, understood. Sungjin returned to the shop and took his seat. From the earlier test, he was certain; I can wield Moon Specter and Blood Vengeance at the same time. Upon thinking that, Sungjin couldnt help but get hyped. But there was still a roadblock to this. Operator, how many coins do I have? [You have 10180 Black Coins] Stories of the East C Part 3 would take 5000 Coins, and Blood Vengeance was 9700 Coins; with the current amount of coins, he would have to pick one or the other. By the time the next raid is over Sungjin resumed to the same dilemma he was in during his last visit to the Black Market. Do I complete the book, or buy the Blood Vengeance? But unlike last time, it only took 3 seconds to make a decision. Ill make the book. With it, I wont have to exert myself much during combat. Buying Blood Vengeance after practicing with Manta was probably a good idea anyway. Kenneths Last Edge wasnt going anywhere. He could get the sword at any time. Once Sungjin was done gathering his thoughts, he finished off the rest of the tea and the rice cakes and stood up. He immediately headed out to Gourmets bookstore. Ho, young Master Hunter, so did you prepare the coins? Sungjin confidently nodded. 5 thousand black coins. Please give me the last volume of Stories of the East. Gourmet looked up at Sungjin and asked Hmm? What about Part 2? I obtained the 2nd part. In the raid. Gourmet formed an o with his mouth in surprise. Ohh, what a lucky young man! Things worked out somehow. Ok, just a moment then Gourmet turned around. Sungjin thought Gourmet would enter a mountain full of books again, but Gourmet soon turned around to present him the book; It seemed that he had prepared it for Sungjins return. Operator, after payment, please take out Stories from the East Part 1 and 2 from the inventory. [Understood.] As requested, the Cube completed the transaction and gave him the other two parts of the book. Sungjin held the three parts of the book in order with both his hands and raised them above his head. Combine! With his shout, the three components floated into the air, and let out bright illuminations. Ooh! The goat Merchant Gourmet watched the light show from over his spectacles. * Hey, another Donut please. Understood. The black police officer Baltren was sitting in the Donut shop, inspecting the club he had received from the previous raid. Manmu C Pachs Club Heroic blunt C Strength S Dexterity C Passive Skill Stun (II) Each strike against the same enemy increases the chance to stun it by 20%. Max 3 Stacks. Powerful Warrior Pachs club. Winning a coin flip against his older brother, Pach decided to become a warrior. Hmmm He was in a dilemma. There was a weakness in this club compared to the club he had received in chapter 1, the Skull Romabel. Skull Romabel is great for defense and this one is ideal for offense. What should I do? Should I carry both and switch them according to the situation? But he was interrupted by a strange noise coming from the Cube. [Attention Please] It was the first time he had heard this from the cube. Baltren put down his club to look at the cube. * Haa Hiro looked up at the sky still holding his Katana. Where could he have been? That Hidden boss He was lucky last round, all four of his teammates were excellent. Using great teamwork, they were able to successfully hunt Pach and ChoRoch safely without losing anyone. They even had 15 minutes left. It was perfect Just where was he? They had combed the entire Canyon but had failed to find the boss. Hiro briefly recalled his sensei. Sensei He managed it last time, so he probably did it this time tooright? Ramens ready! Meanwhile, his ramen was done. Hiro first picked up the bowl and drank the soup. Mmmmm~ It was hot and well seasoned. It was great that he was able to find this Ramen shop in the market. Hiro took a long strand of Ramen and took his first bite. But, the Cube let out a sound he had never heard before. [Attention please] Hmm? Hiro cut the noodle short and stared at the Cube. * Aww, why? Why does a pretty girl like you want to hide your face behind a mask? Serin smiled slightly and answered. Well I think Ill need it for the raid Ahh well. Yeah, I know too Consequence of exceptional beauty! What a horrible thing! But! Since our life is so short anyway, isnt it better to live our short lives looking beautiful? Dont you think so? The Racoon Mask Merchant was an overly talkative old lady. Serin replied So anything youd recommend? How much of my appearance can you change? Appearance? All of it. Age, gender, race It can even change gender. How convenient. Ah ok. The only thing you cant alter is things which affect combat. For example, longer arms The mask shop is forbidden from selling things related to combat. So, is there anything youd recommend? Try this on. The Racoon merchant handed Serin a mask. She was about to put the mask on when she was interrupted by the Cube. [Attention Please] Youll see if you put it on, how Serin stopped the merchant. Wait, please. The merchant immediately shut her mouth. The Cube continued with the announcement. [Master Hunter has succeeded in completing the legendary ancient omnibus Romance of the Three Kingdoms] [All other copies will be destroyed, and the owners will be refunded by 500 coins.] * Hunters, all in their own instance of the Market, heard the announcement. Most did not know of this Master Hunter, but a few were able to guess who it referred to. Baltren thought to himself, That teenager Hiro shouted towards the sky. Wow! Sensei did it! Serin, still holding the mask, thought of the man she was with until moments ago. Master Hunter Kei Note: Volume 1 of Master Hunter K ends with this chapter ???? We hope that youve enjoyed the ride and will continue to come back for more! It is also the last free chapter of the novel on munpia after which the chapters are pay to read. We have bought the chapters to support the author and shall continue translating it ???? If you like our work, do consider supporting through PayPal or Patreon ???? Thanks! Chapter 33 Chapter 33 C Black Market Fourth Shopping (2) Sungjin raised his hands towards the sky. The book basked the room in blinding light and gently settled on top of his hands as it dimmed. The Goat Merchant Gourmet let out a tsk with his tongue and commented Chapter 4 just finished and you have already completed the ancient omnibus What on Earth Sungjin read the front cover. Without a doubt, it was Romance of the Three Kingdoms. He turned to Gourmet and thanked him from the bottom of his heart. Thank you for the trade. I will head out now. Ok, See you around. If you ever need to see me again that is. Sungjin thanked him once more and then left the shop. As he strolled through the market, he flipped through the pages of Romance of the Three Kingdoms. Last time, this book was in another hunters possession. Ancient Omnibus was a unique item which only one hunter could own at a time, so he could only watch as others used them in his previous life. Romance of the Three Kingdoms C Ancient stories of the East Ancient Legendary book Active Skill Declamation (V) Read the Novel. Reading different parts of the Novel causes different effects. 1 use per day. A tale among tales, a classic among classics; An Omnibus which systematically deconstructs the ups and downs of human and national relationships for the reader. I cant believe Im reading this now It was a whole new level of satisfaction. The effects were considerably advantageous even in the later chapters, but obtaining it since the very beginning was nothing short of over-powered. Ill have to test it as soon as possible. Sungjin carefully placed the book into his vest and left for Ninety Nine Nights where Dalupin and Cain were waiting. * Once he returned to the Ninety Nine Nights, Woof Woof! Cain greeted him first as usual. Sungjin checked his neck. There was not a single mark on him; his injuries were healed, and not a single scratch remained. Any wounds and injuries sustained during the raids were reverted once the raid was over with the Hunters being returned to the Black Market. Sungjin brought his face close to Cains ears and whispered You worked hard Cain. Thank you. Wooo~ Cain affirmed with a cry. Okay, okay, Sungjin briefly bent down and hugged Cain by his neck. However, he felt that something was odd. His arms felt a little short. Sungjin stopped for a moment and stared at Cain. Did he get fat? Taller? Cain, did you get bigger? Woo Cain let out a short sound. Sungjin could not discern the intention. Well ok. Anyways, good work, lets go eat. Woof! This was easily understood. Once inside, Dalupin greeted Sungjin as usual. Welcome back, esteemed Hunter. Prepare a meal for us please. What would you like to order? Hmm Sungjin thought for a moment. The first item that came to his mind was Pizza. Traditional Italian style? Or American Franchise style? Eh Korean Franchise style? Modified American style? Either way, with tons of cheese. Understood. Any requests for toppings? Bacon, Pepperoni, Black Olives, Bell Pepper, and Garlic, please. Also, lamb meat for Cain. Understood. Please wait for a moment, I will go prepare your food. Dalupin bowed deeply and returned to the kitchen. While Dalupin was gone, Sungjin recalled the Spellbook he had obtained in the last Raid and decided to take it out. I should Memorize it quickly before the Pizza is done. Operator, give me the Spellbook please. The cube wordlessly obeyed, spitting out the Spellbook. Sungjin opened the crimson Spellbook. Spellbook C Fireball Class 4 Offensive Magic Launch a large fireball. The fireball explodes on contact and the flames spread out dealing collateral damage in the vicinity of the blast. This was a standard fire type magic. Most mages will have used this spell at one point or another. Sungjin did not hesitate. Memorize. The red cover of the Spellbook lit up, illuminating the Inn. [Magic C Fireball was memorized.] [Incantation for the spell is Incinerate everything in your path! Fireball!.] Once he was done memorizing the spell, Dalupin returned with the Pizza. Of course, along with a sizable Lamb meat. Eat lots, Cain. Sungjin patted Cain in the head before taking the first slice to eat. The cheese stretched into long strands as he took the slice. Sungjin cut the cheese with his fingers before stuffing the slice into his mouth. Mmmm The thick flavor of the cheese cooked on top of soft bread, with pepperoni and bacon mixed in; it was an overwhelming and succulent first bite. Perfectly cooked bell pepper and garlic also gave a refreshing aftertaste, as well as controlling the greasiness. The pizza highlighted the skill of a master. Sungjin stared at Dalupin. Anything you need? Dalupin tilted his head at Sungjins stare. As if proving his half-owl status, his head tilted more than 60 degrees. Sungjin wordlessly gave him thumbs up. On understanding what he wanted to convey, Dalupin lowered his head and answered. Ah, thank you. Title: Master Hunter HP: 17100 MP: 3990 Strength: 2486 1912 (+574) Dexterity: 2721 2093 (+628) Endurance: 1710 1315 (+395) Magic Power: 395 304 (+91) Mind Power: 399 307 (+92) Unallocated Points: 3820 Hmm Sitting in the warm bath, Sungjin furrowed his brows as he pondered over his stats. I should continue to invest into strength, dexterity and enduranceright? Even if Sungjin was going to experiment with becoming a magic swordsman, the basis of his power was still that of a swordsman; Even though he began investing into Magic Power and Mind Power, he couldnt afford to forget this important fact. Continue to maintain overwhelming physical superiority, and raise Magic Power enough to be helpful. Sungjin reserved 1000 points for Strength, Dexterity and Endurance. And then 820 points remain He didnt get much of an opportunity to utilize his magic in the previous raid.. Ah I had even filled up my mana right before the fight with Pach and ChoRoch, and totally forgot to try using spells on them. He was still not acquainted with using Magic. When in danger, he fell back to swordsmanship. Anyone would have probably acted the same. It was human nature to fall back to familiar things unless there was a certain margin of safety and time to explore new things. On top of that, his spells were too weak compared to his swordplay. If Im not going to be using it often Ill try making Magic Power stronger to make it worth the while. Sungjin concluded his thoughts. Even considering the class 4 magic Fire Ball, there shouldnt be a pressing need to increase the mana pool too much. Thus Sungjin planned out his stat points as follows With 3 to 1 ratio for Magic to Mind Power, raising 615 points to 205 points respectively should do it Sungjin tried to calculate the points out. 304 plus 615 is 919, taking into consideration Master Hunters effects Annoyed already at the calculations, Sungjin called for the Operators help. Operator, what would be the total points if I were to increase Magic Power by 615? [1195] And if I raise Mind Power by 205? [666] The MP would become 6660. Using 4th class magic with 1195 Magic Power would allow him to fire the spell at least once. If I ever need mana, I could always use Lichs Finger, and Moon Specters passive to recover them Sungjin decided to try to min/max the magic; he wanted to see what it was like. Operator, raise Strength by 1000, Dexterity by 1000, and Endurance by 1000. Add 615 to Magic Power and 205 to Mind Power [Applied.] Once the distribution was complete, Sungjin dipped himself deeper into the tub. Chapter 4 was eventful. Trying magic for the first time, meeting Serin Han, fighting a building-sized Cyclops, killing two PK Trolls, running into the Wandering Merchant Ruff Han. And completing an Ancient Omnibus. So many things in just a few hours. Sigh Sungjin closed his eyes and let the thoughts wash over him as he pondered over them. At this point Ive pretty much cleared every Raid perfectly. Sungjin tried to think back to his previous life. [Spell Master has succeeded in completing the legendary ancient omnibus Romance of the Three Kingdoms] Lets see what chapter was that again? Even a vague and generous estimate puts it at about seven or eight chapters from now. Sungjin was able to complete Romance of the Three Kingdoms in four chapters, so he felt that he was off to a great start. Compared to blindly trying to complete the raids like last time, he was already several times stronger. Now, Sungjin was confident that he would have no trouble with the raids for a long while. Of course with the exception of excruciating circumstances. That reminded Sungjin of the past. Why did you do that?! Excruciating Circumstances. Sungjin couldnt help but mutter a name that resurfaced from the past. Spell Master Ed He still had no clear answer for what had happened back then, but it was all in the past. No need to complicate myself. Sungjin got up from the bath. Even if trolls get in my way, even if there is not one dependable ally, even if I have to go on alone, I will see it to the end. In the middle of the living room was Moon Specter and Romance of the Three Kingdoms resting on top of a table. With these two items, Sungjin was more than ready to handle everything and anything for at least some time. Once he completes the next raid and gets his hands on the Blood Vengeance Sungjin wiped down the moisture and dressed himself. Knock Knock Sungjin heard knocks on the door. There was only one possible person who could knock on the door this late at night. Please come in. As expected, it was Dalupin. Dear Hunter, here is the information page for the next raid. Sungjin accepted the sheet. Dalupin bowed and Then I bid you goodnight. He excused himself and left the room. Once Dalupin closed the door. Sungjin checked the top of the information sheet and only read the title. Information concerning Kutan Desert Still the same order. Sungjin discarded the paper and threw himself on the bed. It was a long day. Soon after closing his eyes, he was fast asleep. Chapter 34 Chapter 34 C Kutan Desert (1) [One hour left before the Raid commences] Sungjin woke up to the Operators voice. Mmm? When he came to, he was laying on top of the bed in Ninety Nine Nights. Sungjin normally set an alarm two hours before raid start, but tonight he had allowed himself to sleep in. Sungjin thought for a moment. Did I remember to distribute points? Yes, he recalled the bath last night. Sungjin closed his eyes again. Everything urgent had already been taken care of. It would not take him longer than 50 minutes to get ready. Operator, remind me in 10 minutes. [Understood.] But, 5 minutes later, Knock Knock Dalupin came knocking. Sir? Sungjin had no choice but to get up. Yes? He answered as he opened the door. Outside, Dalupin stood waiting, holding items in each hand. One was a waterskin, and the other was a long piece of cloth. Oh yeah You usually get up earlier but since you were taking your time this morning, I decided to deliver this to you myself. These are supplies provided to all hunters. As you have already found out, the Raid will be taking place in the Desert, so Sungjin nodded. Dalupin first handed over the water. This waterskin contains cold water. It is constantly refilled by magical means, so feel free to use it as much as you like. Sungjin accepted the waterskin. Thank you. And this long cloth I know. Ill eat first, and Ill make sure to take it with me before the raid begins, so please wait for now. Understood. I have prepared a variety of clothes which I know. Later. Dalupin bowed deeply and excused himself. Understood. He closed the door and left. Sungjin went to take a quick shower and checked the closet. The closet was mostly full of large muslin cloth that Arabians are often seen wearing. For the second time ever, Sungjin wore the muslin clothes. It did not suit him, but he had no other choice. [10 minutes have elapsed.] The alarm from earlier went off. I got it, I got it. Sungjin tapped the top of the cube and climbed down the stairs to the first floor. Woof! After greeting Cain, Sungjin ordered Cains food first. Please give Cain the best cut of beef. In the future, please provide him three meals a day, something Cain would like, and in enough quantities. As you wish. And for me Sungjin paused for a moment to consider his options for breakfast and said the first thing that came to mind. Korean meal, with Doenjang Jjigae as the soup. Once he was done ordering, it occurred to him that this was a topic recently. Where was it again? It didnt take long until he recalled who it was. Between Kimchi Jjigae and Doenjang Jjigae, which is your favourite? Sungjin couldnt help but grin. Dalupin soon brought over the bubbling hot soup, and few side dishes to go along with the rice. While Sungjin was enjoying some fruit punch after the meal, the Operator gave out an announcement. [Raid will commence in 10 minutes.] He had just finished eating moments ago. I guess Ill have to digest food while hunting. Turning to his host, Sungjin requested: Hey, Dalupin, please do that now. Ah, yes. Sungjin stood up straight in his chair. Dalupin brought out the long cloth from before and wrapped it around Sungjins head into a turban. Sungjin turned his head left and right. It was his second time, but he was still not used to it. But he tolerated it since it was essential this time. Sungjin picked up the waterskin he received in the morning and opened it up. He took a quick swig from the waterskin. Mmm It was almost cold enough to cause brain freeze. But it is perfect since the water is meant to be used in the desert. Once he was ready, Sungjin stood outside the doors of the Ninety Nine Nights and stretched. Soon after, he was teleported into the Raid. * The intense rays of sunlight blinded the eyes and burned the skin. The hot tan sand formed heatwaves, causing things in the distance to shimmer. Following the contour of the landscape, dry winds blew, scattering sand and altering the dunes. The place Sungjin was teleported to was a scorching desert. The Operator began her explanation. [Welcome to the Kutan Desert.] [It is a barren land of death where few survive] [Please be warned; the few that are able to endure the blistering heat and deadly winds] [are extremely tough and violent.] Sungjin frowned and looked up at the sky. The sun was too hot; he didnt want to stay here for long. [Synchronizing Hunters.] Sungjin stood slightly tilted and watched his teammates appear one by one. High Level Guardian, Zealot, Gladiator, High Level Scout. Most of the titles were excellent this round. After four rounds, most of the weak and mediocre hunters have been filtered out, and now only the strong remained. This time, Sungjin looked at his teammates with attention. The High Level Guardian was an Asian wielding an enormous shield and mace. Despite being an Asian man, the Guardian was bulky in size, like a sumo wrestler. He doesnt look like a Korean man is he Chinese? Even though just last raid there was Xian Wang, if you consider the enormous population of China, it wouldnt be strange to have at least one Chinese hunter in every round. The Zealot was a tall black man. Not only was he tall, but his muscles were also considerably large. He held an axe in each arm, each emitting a crimson light. His appearance was very fearsome. Dual Axe Zealot how apt. The Gladiator was a sharp-nosed white man; one could almost cut paper on his nose. Although his body size looked relatively normal, the tight muscular structure of the man was visible even through his clothes; he must have lifted weights regularly. He carried a sword somewhere between the length of a Short Sword and a Long Sword. On his left arm was a round shield that covered his entire arm, giving him the appearance akin to a Roman Gladiator. This man is strong. Sungjin examined the man carefully. Behind him was the experience of overcoming countless raids. Just looking at him and reading his demeanor, he could sense that the man was extraordinarily powerful. Last was the High Level Scout. He was a long bearded Arabian. He was tall and thin, and his weapon was an expensive looking crossbow. Serin was like that too Ranged hunters sure invest a lot into expensive weapons. There was a variety of races, but everyone was wearing a turban on their head (only the Arabian man looked decent). And each individual looked strong. All four men probably had their strengths and weaknesses, but all four men had probably taken a majority share of the contribution points in each of their raids. Everyone carefully glanced at each other. By now, they all probably understood that getting a good grasp of the nature and strength of their teammates would help them survive. At some point, Sungjin realized that all four men were staring at the title floating above Sungjins head. Master Hunter has succeeded in completing the legendary ancient omnibus Romance of the Three Kingdoms It was probably due to this message. Everyone had been given this announcement while shopping and resting in the Black Market. Who is Master Hunter? And then during the next raid, they find a Master Hunter in their team, so the logical progression of their thoughts was is it him?. Sungjin pretended not to notice the stares. Titles were not unique to a person, so just because he held the title did not guarantee that he was the same person as the one mentioned in the announcement. Although, getting Master Hunter title was nearly impossible. The awkward silence continued for a good long while, but eventually it was broken. Ok, I think that went on long enough. Lets introduce ourselves. It was the Black Zealot. He began with his self-introduction. I am Ralph, an American. I look forward to working with you gentlemen. And one by one the hunters introduced themselves. The Asian High Level Guardian answered I am Bukitai, Mongolian. Sungjin nodded. Ah, so he was a Mongol I thought he was too large compared to other Asian men. Next was the Sharp-nosed White Gladiator Igor Janovi?, Russia The cold voice fit his image well. Last was the Arabian High Level Scout. Munir Yusef. Please call me Munir. I am Algerian. Last was Sungjins turn. K Chinese. He half-heartedly answered. He didnt want to reveal his nationality, but he didnt want anyone to complain again that he had not revealed his country of origin. When he declared himself Chinese, the other men accepted it without any question. The only person here who could potentially tell apart Asian men by nationality was probably the Mongol, but he didnt seem interested in prying. Instead, he was busy drinking water from Dalupins Waterskin. His massive frame was already drenched in sweat. The Zealot banged his axe together as if he was clapping and announced, Lets cooperate and overcome this raid together. Munir agreed. Yes, lets do that. Even the Gladiator nodded. The only ones that did not respond were the two Asian men. The Mongol was too busy spraying his entire body with cold water, and Sungjin was daydreaming about when would be the best time to utilize the power of Romance of the Three Kingdoms. Should I try it on boss? Or should I wait until the Hidden boss, since they are usually stronger? Sungjin looked far off into the distance at the endless desert. This Chapter was not ideal for him. Limited the area may be, the content was a featureless desert for as far as the eyes could see. Although it was fundamentally different from Greysoul Cemetery, it felt the same; he couldnt tell where was what. Sungjin thought to himself. The Raid boss is one thing How do I find the Hidden boss in the middle of this desert? Kutan Desert Raid Objective C Hunt the King of Lizards Basilisk Time Limit: 2 hours The Operators mission briefing popped up. The time limit was much longer than most previous raids at 2 hours, but that actually signified that this raid was going to be very tough on the hunters. Sungjin looked up at the sky once more. Just standing for 2 hours in this sun would be enough to cause blackouts. He was already dripping with sweat, and only a few minutes had passed. Sungjin uncorked the Waterskin Dalupin had handed him and drank a few gulps of water. Monsters were one thing, but resisting the scorching heat was extremely fatiguing. The American Ralph and even the Russian Igor were drenched in sweat, looking exhausted even before the raid began; Mongol Bukitais state goes without saying wasnt any better. Only the Algerian Munir looked fine. Uninterested in the Hunters circumstances, the Operator began the countdown in an apathetic voice. [Raid will begin in 10 seconds. 10, 9, 8] Sungjin licked his lower lip and put his hands over Moon Specter. And he thought to himself Hidden boss or whatever, Im going to end this Raid quickly. Chapter 35 Chapter 35 C Kutan Desert (2) [3, 2, 1, 0 Raid commencing] Along with the signal, the hunters began moving into the desert cautiously. Sungjin decided to stick with them for the time being. Although, he had no intentions to participate in hunting as a group with the rest. The difference in ability was absolute. It made more sense to hunt alone and clear the raid quickly before beginning the search for Hidden Pieces. It was just that, he was curious about the skill level of his teammates. Especially the Gladiator Igor. Ill just watch for few minutes before heading off to kill the boss. As one would expect, the High Level Guardian Bukitai took the vanguard position. Next was the Gladiator Igor, followed by Zealot Ralph and Master Hunter Sungjin. High Level Scout Munir stood at the back with his crossbow. The formation of the hunters was predetermined by the characteristics of the weapons they wielded. Sungjin strolled along, moving together with the other Hunters, when a Giant Scorpion emerged from the far side of the sand dunes. It was about 5 meters in length, sporting two gigantic claws and the iconic poisonous stinger poised two meters above its body. Ssh ssh sssh Three or four bolts were fired in quick succession from Munirs crossbow. The Giant Scorpion, however, sensed that something was flying its way and raised its claws in defense. Munirs bolts could not penetrate the claws thick plating and bounced off harmlessly. The Scorpion moved its many legs and slid down the dunes, rapidly charging towards the Hunters at an alarming rate. Bukitai at the vanguard nervously readied his shield. However, before the Scorpion reached the hunters, Munir put down his crossbow and raised one hand. Binding frost! Frostbite! Mmm? Sungjin stared at him. To be fair, it wasnt too unusual. Frostbite was a 2nd circle Magic obtainable from the Lich. With a little investment of stats, the magic was possible to cast. The problem was its effectiveness; his stats were probably geared towards the use of his crossbow, meaning the spell effect would probably be weak. Lo and behold, the affected area of the spell was smaller than Sungjins own attempt from back in the fourth chapter. His spell only managed to slightly slow down the speed of the monster. But it was still better than nothing. Yaa! Thanks to his spell, Bukitai was able to get the courage to pick up his shield and charge ahead. The Giant Scorpion wildly flailed its claws. Bukitai used his giant shield skillfully to block the blows from the claws. Meanwhile, Tail! Munir yelled from the back. While Bukitai was distracted with the claws, the Scorpion had poised its tail for a strike. Too late. Bukitai saw the tail and attempted to raise his shield to protect himself. But before he managed to, Bang! Gladiator Igor blocked the tail with his shield. Not only that, he moved at incredible speed to swing his sword and severed the tail. Sungjin puckered his lips and nodded. Ooh With that much speed attack power, never mind his equipment, he had considerably high stats; he must have maintained an overwhelming contribution level until now. With the tail already gone, the claws were cut off by the combined attack of both Bukitai and the Zealot Ralph. Sh sh ssh Munirs triple crossbow shot landed on some of the more thinly armoured parts of the Scorpions body. The four hunters managed to kill their first enemy without much problem. Munir puckered his lips and whistled. Ralph turned around to the other three men. I think well be okay like this. Something was wrong. There was only three others, one was missing. Eh? Wheres the Chinese guy? Igor looked around searching for him. Only Bukitai, who grew up in the wide open plains, was able to get a glimpse of Sungjin in the distance; But only for a moment. Sungjin disappeared from sight utilizing Swift Paw. Bukitai squinted his already narrow eye to see, but Sungjins form was lost between the shaky waves of heat. * Sungjin paused for a moment after covering a large distance to pour water over his head with his magic waterskin. So hot! He didnt run with an objective in mind. Like Ahenna, the Basilisk will appear by itself once enough enemies are slain. Sungjin just did not wish to share contribution points with others. All four of them looked strong, so they shouldnt face anything that can kill them. Sungjin began hunting solo in the desert. He saw a large Desert Lizard in the distance. Just the body was already 4 meters long, and with the tail, the Lizard was about 6 meters in length (6.5 yards, 19.6 ft). It lay as still as a corpse in the distance. This was a characteristic of the Lizard; It was silent and still, but once it decided to move, it moved with amazing nimbleness. Sungjin took out Moon Specter and approached the Lizard. The Lizard continued to lay still. Stop acting Sungjin thought of just running in and slashing it with his sword, but, Binding Frost! He recalled Munirs spell and changed his mind. He transferred Moon Specter to his right hand, and holding up his left hand he said Binding frost! Frostbite! The effects were amazing. Despite the desert heat, the immediate surrounding of the Lizard froze solid. The affected area was much larger than the last time he had tried. He definitely saw the benefit of having higher magic power. Once the feet were frozen stiff, the Lizard stopped pretending to be inanimate and began trying to break free. It was no easy feat breaking free. Sungjin quickly ran up to the lizard Crack The Lizards hide was extremely tough, but it could not stand up to Sungjins absolute stat superiority. Sungjin lifted up his sword and thought Its still one shot one kill Just then Woosh A large tail came swinging towards his face. Sungjin quickly swung Moon Specter and cut off the tail. What? When he checked his surroundings, he saw the headless Lizard thrashing about mindlessly. Ah I forgot. Even if the head is cut off, the body will still stay alive for a little bit. Of course, it couldnt launch any intentional attacks without a head, but being careful around it after beheading it was probably a good idea. Calming his heart, he took a deep breath when two giant Scorpions came charging at him. Looking carefully, he saw a third behind the first two. A total of three monsters. Not bad at all. It was not like normal mobs were capable of hurting even a single hair on his body. Quick, come come. Sungjin charged towards the Scorpions. He cut through the claws of the first one, cut the side and the tail off the second, dodged an incoming claw attack, cut, evaded, cut, cut The enemies quickly died. Sungjin thought, Easy Too easy. He nimbly moved his body and killed the first two Scorpions before the third arrived. It was time for one on one. Two Scorpions were no match for him; one had no chance. Sungjin fixed his grip and waited for the last one to arrive. However, his field of view lowered as the sand started to sink rapidly. What? A hole appeared between his legs, and the sand rapidly drained into it. Sungjin climbed up the sand and jumped out of the sinkhole. In the place he stood moments before, a grotesque vortex-like jaws of a Sandworm appeared from below. Only the teeth were visible, yet the diameter of the mouth was easily six to seven meters wide. The Sandworm chomped the air twice where Sungjin stood before and disappeared back underground. If Sungjin had stood in place, he would have been eaten feet first. Sungjin didnt have time to sigh in relief; the Scorpion was upon him. Sungjin prepared himself to fight, but his feet sank into the sand again. Without hesitating, Sungjin immediately jumped away from the spot. A hole indicated where the sand would soon be sucked in, followed by the rapid sinking of the sand. So annoying Sungjin just barely got out of the area again. Ignoring the cascading sand, the Scorpion ran along the slope of the sand and continued to charge towards him. In Sungjins case, he preferred this; it gave him the opportunity to take care of the Scorpion first. Once he cut off the claws and the tails, he climbed on top of the Scorpion. The Scorpion was completely disarmed and was helpless; it couldnt put up any resistance to Sungjin who rode it. Soon, the sand beneath the Scorpion began to sink. It has come. Sungjin stabbed Moon Specter deep into the Scorpions body. Crack! The sword easily passed through the Scorpion and ended its life. When the Scorpions death throes stopped, the sand rapidly got sucked into a vortex and rows of jagged teeth appeared from the sand. Sungjin jumped straight up from the Scorpions back. The Sandworm rose out of the sand and bit into the Scorpion instead. Crunch Crunch It utterly crushed the shell of the Scorpion, devouring it in a few bites. The Sandworm showed signs of wanting to retreat into the sand, but before it had the chance, Sungjin aimed his hands towards the giant Sandworm and chanted Incinerate everything in your path! Fireball! A gigantic fireball flew into the Sandworms mouth. Moments later, Boom An explosion went off inside the Sandworms body, and flames violently billowed out of the ground. Fireball was a destructive spell; After the explosion, it also covered the area in flames. And this very spell exploded from within the monsters body. It most likely couldnt have survived such an attack. Seeing the inferno raging on the sand due to the aftereffect of the attack, Sungjin finally took a sigh of relief. Whew I forgot all about him Sungjin had been moving through the raids based on his memories of the past, so enemies and elements of the raid he had forgotten about would occasionally surprise him. If I had just read Dalupins information sheet, I wouldnt have been caught off guard like that Ill start reading it from now on. Sungjin reflected over his actions as he moved his feet. Due to his overwhelmingly superior stats, normal mobs couldnt hope to face him alone. The only problem he faced in the raid was his arrogance. * Each of the four hunters stood a distance away from each other, watching each other nervously. They were all sweating. Uh Oh? Meits on me! Bukitais feet began to sink. He tried to climb out of the hole, but his feet sank faster than he could climb out. Catch! Munir threw his turban as a makeshift rope for Bukitai to grab. Bukitai put the shield on his back and grabbed onto the cloth. Bukitai barely climbed out of the hole with Munirs assistance. Shortly after, rows of jagged teeth appeared within the vortex, and a sandworm finally showed itself. Now! Munir yelled as he fired his crossbows. Pi Pi Pit The bolts embedded themselves deep into the sandworms skin. Uoooh! Zealot Ralph jumped high up and brought down his axe upon the worm. Meanwhile, Gladiator Igor mercilessly slashed and stabbed away at the sandworms body. Kyoooo~ The Sandworm let out a strange cry of agony as it began thrashing about twisting its body. The sandworm came out of the ground and swept around in a large circular area. Munir was already far enough away, so he was able to get out of the way in time, but Bukitai and Ralph were hit straight on by the sweeping body of the thrashing sandworm and were flung away. The only one who was able to counter attack was Igor. He found an indent in the ground and jumped into the depression. Laying in the sand, he held his sword up in the air. The Sandworm, thrashing about wildly in pain, ran into the waiting blade; half of its body was cut away by the sword. Kyooo The Sandworm fell into a heap and died. It had attacked five or six times before the hunters managed to take it down. Munir wiped the sweat off his brows. Whew Scorpion and Lizards are hard enough, but this And finally, he yelled after the two men who were flung away by the Sandworms attack. Hey, all of you, are you alright? The hunters raised their hands to show they were fine. Although they took damage, it wasnt anything lethal. While the two hunters drank recovery potions, Igor scanned their surroundings, wary of any enemies that might be approaching. In the distance, he saw dunes shifting rapidly despite no winds blowing. Igor called out to Bukitai. Hey, Mongolian, whats that over there? Bukitai gazed into the distance by squinting his eyes. And before he was about to report what he saw, the Operator beat him to the punch. [Caution!] [Boss Basilisk has appeared!] Everyone was alarmed by the Operators announcement. Ralph replied first. Hmm? Didnt the information sheet say that the boss only appears after 75% of the monsters were killed? Munir opened his eyes wide in surprise upon realization. Weve already killed 75% of the mobs? Its only been 20 minutes Chapter 36 Chapter 36 C Kutan Desert (3) Incinerate everything in your path! Fireball! Sungjin threw another fireball into a Sandworms mouth. Boom Flames erupted from the Sandworms mouth, and the worm collapsed into a heap. Geez, so much pain Sungjin wiped the sweat off of his brows; he was throwing fireball in the midst of murderous heat. But at least the effects were good. Spell attacks such as Fireball was useful in taking out troublesome enemies like Sandworms from afar. And after using it a few times, Sungjin felt his mana starting to run low. Sungjins Magic power was 1195, and MP was 6660. Fireball was a fourth circle spell, so it cost 4780; in other words, each cast consumed more than half the mana pool. Due to its enormous mana consumption, after just a single cast of Fireball, Sungjin had to diligently cut away enemies using his Moon Specter. Trading reusability for firepower If the Magic power was too high, the spell power improved at the expense of mana cost. If Mind power was too high, the spells could be cast often, but at weaker effectiveness. Finding the proper proportion was important. Mana Got to refill mana He pointed his left ring finger towards a flaming Sandworm. Lichs Beckon The bones wrapped around his finger moved automatically to absorb mana on Sungjins behalf. While waiting for the mana restoration to finish, he held the magic Waterskin upside down over his head to take a shower. Even though he had drenched himself, in just a minute or two, the water would evaporate off of him. After all, this was the desert. Ohh He had moved the waterskin to the back of his neck and involuntarily gasped to the rush of cold water running down his back. It was at this moment that the Operator gave an announcement. [Caution!] [Boss Basilisk has appeared!] Mmm? Sungjin looked around in surprise, but he couldnt locate the Giant lizard Basilisk. He asked the cube Operator, Raid progress? [75.8%] The other Hunters must have pushed the raid progress past the 75% mark while Sungjin was busy cooling himself down. If that was the case, the boss had probably spawned close to the other Hunters. Sungjin looked back at the direction he came from. The path was strewn about with corpses of Monsters he had killed, but he could see no sign of the other four Hunters nor the whereabouts of the Boss Monster. If he lets this go unchecked, a similar situation to what happened in Grey Soul Cemetery could occur. What should I do? Sungjin considered his options for a moment and came up with a solution. Cain, come Sungjin summoned Cain. Cain took a look around his surroundings; he seemed unaccustomed to the desert scenery. Sungjin spoke softly into his ears. Cain use everything youve got, smell or sound find the Hunters. Got it? Woof And within a moment. Woof Woof! Cain barked twice, looking off into the distance. So its that way! Sungjin looked towards the direction Cain indicated. Swift Paw! He deployed the wolf claws and prepared to run alongside Cain. Lets go, Cain! Cain took two steps and stopped moving. Sungjin paused to look at him. Whats wrong? Cain was in an unnatural state. Cain stared at Sungjin with his tongue hanging out. Ah The cause of his behavior was obvious; even with Arabic clothing, drenched in water and with a turban over his head, Sungjin was suffering from the dreadful heat. For Cain, who sported a lush winter coat, it must be beyond the level of torture. Forget running; he looked in pain just sitting there. Yeah I dont think this is right. Go back Cain. Unsummon. Sungjin transformed Cain back into a wooden figurine. Then looking in the direction Cain had shown him, he began running. Alone. * The four Hunters quickly raised their weapons. The boss Basilisk made its appearance in the distant sand dune. It stood at an imposing height, double that of the other lizards. If ancient dinosaurs had still existed, it would have probably looked something like that. Kuuoo! It bellowed, and the whole desert reverberated with the echo of the bosss cry. The Hunters exchanged glances. Igor spoke up. As you all saw in the information sheet, looking at the eyes causes petrification. Munir, you fight it from behind and dont look at its face. Watch out for the tail. Munir nodded. Igor continued. Ralph is zealot or whatnot ready? He had somehow taken the position of the leader among the Hunters, and they accepted it without question. The three others were all skilled in their own ways, but after a few hunts they knew; Igor was on a different level altogether. Its ready to go at any time. Its just once I use it, my HP drops to half. Look. Ralph raised his axe up for them to see. Thorfinn C Zealots Axe Heroic Axe C Strength S Dexterity C Passive Skill Rampage (II) Each strike against the same enemy increases damage by 20%. Max 3 Stacks Active Skill Zealot (II) For 30 seconds, increases damage by 200% and attack speed by 200% Once active duration ends, reduces current hp by half. 5 Minute Cooldown Everyone read the information on the Axe As you can see its quite a useful active skill, but in return when the timers up, it becomes extremely dangerous. So Please protect me. Igor scanned the item one more time and replied Ill give you a sign when I think its safe, or if there is a good opportunity to use it. Ralph bit his lower lip and nodded. Igor addressed the tank Bukitai last. Bukitai, try to keep its attention on you without looking at its eyes. Bukitai responded, blinking blankly But how do I block the attacks without looking up? Watch the ground. With that size, you should be able to predict its movement by watching the shadows. Bukitai dropped his shoulders in dejection. Thats easy to say Just try to survive. Ill be helping as well. Bukitai nodded at his reassurance. Once the strategy meeting was over, Igor tilted his head towards the boss and said Ok then, lets go Bukitai walked forward using his shield to block out the Basilisks eyes. After covering some distance Kuuwargh! The Basilisk let out a mighty roar, and the earth began to tremble, shifting the sands. Igor shouted out Its coming! Brace yourselves! Bukitai tried to peek ahead of him. Upon seeing the Basilisks giant legs moving towards him, he tensed up. Shadows watch the shadows But it was no easy feat trying to predict an enemys motion relying on nothing but shadows. He didnt make any attempt to look up and kept his eyes glued on the feet. Right leg, left leg, right leg, left leg. Soon its shadow covered the area surrounding Bukitai. The boss kicked using its right leg, and Bukitai positioned his shield to block. Bang! The Giant Basilisks claws collided with Bukitais shield, and he was pushed back. Despite it all, he shouted, Quickly! Attack! From afar, Munir shot his Crossbow bolts Sh sh ssh Uryah! Ralphs battle cry rang out. But Bukitai did not turn to look around, afraid that he might accidentally look into the Basilisks eye. Woosh The Giant Lizard kicked him again. From the right, and then left, and then right again. Watching the shadows, Bukitai continued to block the Lizards attack. He shouted once again to the other Hunters. I wont last too long! It was at this time. Slither Something slimy and gross wrapped around his body, and lifted him up in the air. Caught by surprise, Bukitai looked up to see. The elongated tongue of the Basilisk had wrapped around him. Wha Once lifted up into the air, he began thrashing about to get loose. But by accident, he looked into the Basilisks amber eyes. Ack Bukitai instantly became rigid. He was still conscious, but he was like a vegetable. Move Ive got to move! The Basilisk brought Bukitai closer to swallow him. Then, Woosh woosh woosh woosh A round shield flew like a frisbee and struck against the Basilisks tongue. Kaaooo~! The Basilisks tongue was cut halfway through, and Bukitai dropped to the ground like a stone. Even after reaching the ground, he was unable to move. But he could still see. The round shield which cut the Basilisks tongue continued to fly for a bit and returned back into Igors hands. It was a normal looking round shield, so Bukitai had no idea how such a feat was possible. Meanwhile Wa He could speak again. Quickly, he tried to move his arms and legs and found that they were beginning to respond to his will. The paralysis lasted only about 3 to 4 seconds. Bukitai lifted his shield up and tried to block the Basilisks legs again. But the Basilisk stepped out of the way and ran past him. The Boss was now chasing Igor, who had cut his tongue. And meanwhile, there was an unintended collateral damage. Eek! Ralph had accidentally looked into the basilisks eye while slashing away at the monsters side. Stunned in place, he was kicked and flung away by the Lizard. And there was another casualty. Munir. Help! Save me! He was caught by the Basilisks tail and was hanging in the air. Its all my fault I didnt do my job correctly. Bukitai blamed himself as he made his way towards the Basilisk. But then, he heard a familiar voice. So, It wasnt too late. Even before he turned to see, the speaker continued. Let me borrow your shoulder, friend. Someone stepped on his shoulder. Bukitai naturally gazed up. The missing member, Master Hunter Kei, stood on top of his shoulder and jumped off. The Master Hunter leapt towards the Basilisks head. However, while Kei was in mid-air, the Basilisk seemed to have sensed something approaching and turned to face its assailant. The Basilisks eyes met with Keis. Bukitai shouted out in spite of himself. No! Looking into the Monsters eyes was a death sentence. But Master Hunter got a full view of both. Damn it! Bukitai ran forward to rescue the Hunter. But he heard the Master Hunter shout Free Ark! And with the shout, Kei plunged his sword deep into the Basilisks eye. Kaaoo! The Basilisk shouted louder than ever before. Kei spun in the air and landed in front of the giant Lizard. Stupid lizard and your annoying beady eyes The Basilisk reflectively used its legs to kick Kei. Woosh It was an incredibly fast attack. But somehow Kei easily dodged it. Only sand remained in the place where he stood moments before. While Bukitai was staring with his mouth wide open, Kei snuck to the side of the Basilisk. He raised his hands high and shouted an incantation. Incinerate everything in your path! Fireball! His eyes were facing towards the ground, but the Fireball from his hand landed squarely on the basilisks other eye. Kaaaa~!!! Basilisk cried out in agony. Bukitai took a look around. The Basilisk, now blinded, was thrashing wildly with its legs. This should be easy now Bukitai was filled with newfound courage and charged towards the Basilisk. He heard Igor shout out as well. Ralph! Now! And from afar he heard Ralphs voice. Kill Kill! I will kill you fucking Lizard! He shouted strange things, but it was fine. The four hunters, no five now along with Kei who had been missing all this time, simultaneously poured their attacks against the blinded Basilisk. Chapter 37 Chapter 37 C Kutan Desert (4) Baaak~! Boss Basilisk let out a weird cry of pain as it collapsed on the spot. The Operator soon gave out an announcement. [Boss Basilisk defeated] [Raid Cleared!] [You will be returned to Hunters Hall in 1 hour 29 minutes and 44 seconds.] Bukitai yelled out loud Hey! Are you all alright? Im alright. Igor responded from next to him. He was drenched in sweat, but not a single injury marked his body. Im also ok. Ralph replied, still laying on the floor, raising his Axe. He was exhausted after pouring a long chain of attacks on the boss under the effects of Zealot. He looked fatigued, but otherwise had no major injury on him. Last was Munir, but he was nowhere to be seen. Alhamdulilah Munir was on his knees praying to the heavens. He was caught by the tail and flung in the air, but he also appeared to be well without any life threatening injury. All three of his comrades were okay. Whew Bukitai let out a sigh of relief. For one reason or another, he assumed the role of a tank in the raids, but whenever someone died, it felt like it was his fault, even when it wasnt necessarily true. Meanwhile, he heard a voice coming from above. Well, since everyone looks like theyre alright The hunters looked up at the speaker. Kei, whos been missing the entire raid, was standing on top of the dead Basilisk. If you all will excuse me, Ill get going then. He hopped and slid down the tail of the Basilisk as if skating and then took off, running into the distance. He ran as if his life depended on it. Bukitai muttered under his breath upon seeing him leave. Where is he going? Raid is already over That man was full of mystery. But it was alright. The raid was over, and the hunters were no longer in a rush. They could rest and take it easy. Thanks to the large body of the Basilisk, it provided shade from the desert sun. The remaining four hunters sat together under the shade. Ralph tapped the side of the Lizard with his axe and asked Anyone see its eyes? I couldnt move when I saw it. Bukitai nodded. Yes, the paralysis was terrifying. Munir replied, biting his lips. I thought it was over for me when it grabbed me with its tail, especially when I fell on the ground. Thank God it was sand and not hard earth Otherwise, I would have been sent to the Almighty. Bukitai remembered something and turned to Igor. Ah, thats right. Thank you, Igor, you have my gratitude. You saved me back there. Thanks to your boomerang-like round shield. Unlike the three other men who were gossiping about the earlier battle, Igor simply nodded to Bukitai instead of speaking up. How did you do that with the shield earlier? Bukitai wanted to ask. But he couldnt. Igor did not look happy despite the raid being complete. Bukitai passed that off as just being Igors quirk. Since Russians are naturally cold people However, Igor soon opened his mouth. Hey. Everyone turned to look at him. But the target of Igors attention was not a man, but the Operators Cube. Operator, whats my current raid contribution? [Your Contribution is 10.3%] Now everyone was staring at Igors cube. Igors face twisted in both anger and disappointment. He looked side to side at the others and said Quick, check your contributions too! One by one, the hunters did as he bid. Zealot Ralph: [Your Contribution is 6.3%] High-Level Scout Munir: [Your Contribution is 5.9%] Last, High-Level Guardian Bukitai [Your Contribution is 7.1%] All the hunters were shocked at their levels of contribution. Ralph was first to comment. How can this be? I have never earned less than 20% contribution in any raid. Especially once Ive received this axe Bukitai snorted and added Hmm Since the 2nd chapter I was always in the first place Munir stroked his beard as he replied Me too It was an unbelievable situation. Each of the four hunters had always maintained a minimum contribution level of 20% per raid, and yet all four combined now reached just 29.6%. Slightly short of 30% of the total. There was only one possible explanation. That Chinese man Igor whispered. The others stared at him. Kei had disappeared once more into the distant desert landscape. Ralph stared off into the distance and commented No wonder the boss just randomly appeared Igor suddenly stood up and addressed the other men. Listen all, Lets use whatever remaining time we have left to hunt monsters. What are we doing here, resting? Lets go try and secure even one more point. The remaining three hunters glanced at each other. And without complaint, all three stood up. They realized that this was the best course of action. In any given chapter, earning even a single more black coin meant having an easier time in the future chapters. The hunters picked up their weapons and began to move back into the desert. * Meanwhile, Sungjin was dashing through the desert dunes. There was only one reason to why he was running; searching for the hidden piece. The scorching sun and the heat were intolerable. Sungjin wanted nothing more than to finish quickly and return to Ninety Nine Nights for a nice bath and rest. But this damnable desert seemed to never end. He had been searching ever since he had killed the raid boss, but he didnt even run into the boundary line. The only thing breaking the monotony were lizards who from time to time ambushed him from blind spots. So annoying Lizards were killed with a single slash of his sword. After a while, Sungjin stopped for a moment. He surveyed his surroundings while showering with the magic waterskin. But nowhere did he find anything of interest as far as his eyes could see. Haa Where is it? He couldnt help but be tempted to activate treasure hunter, but he held himself. There was no way to know how things would progress later. He decided to continue searching for a little longer. Operator, is Swift Paw off cooldown? [It is available for use.] He had used it earlier when searching for the boss, and the cooldown had already ended. Sungjin activated Swift Paw and began combing the desert. During his search, he found something peculiar in the distance. In the endless ocean of sand, there was an area with a bluish glow. Oasis! Sungjin, filled with renewed vigor, ran towards the Oasis. There was no doubt in his mind that the Oasis would hide a Hidden place or a Hidden boss. But after running for a while, the Oasis disappeared from view. Wait.. Mirage. It was a phenomenon that occurred due to light bending over long distances above hot terrain. Sungjin was aware of such a phenomena, but seeing it for real, he couldnt help but be disappointed. Sungjin took a look around. This time, the Oasis was located behind him. He ran towards the Oasis. And soon, he began to run slower and slower. The Swift Paw active time had run out. The timing Now he had to wait for another five minutes before Swift Paw was available for use. Furthermore, at Sungjins dismay, the same thing happened where the Oasis would disappear and appear behind him. Whenever he would get close to the Oasis, it would disappear like a wisp of smoke. The water and green plants growing by the waters edge would dissipate into sand dunes without a trace. Sungjin felt like he was under some illusion spell. Damn it But he couldnt give up. Once more, he searched for the Oasis. This time, it was in the distance off to the side. I dont even have Swift Paw But he had no choice. Sungjin diligently climbed the dune and made his way towards the Oasis. And once again, the Oasis disappeared before he got there. The mirage had again disappeared, and nothing but sand dunes remained. Sungjin was now utterly frustrated and annoyed. He had chased nothing but illusion three times now and felt like someone was toying with him. He faced the sky and shouted at the top of his lungs Fuck! It was then that he saw something flying towards him from a distance. It had a Lions body with a Human face, sporting a giant pair of wings on its back. Sphinx? Sungjin prepared to fight. He must have discovered a hidden boss by coincidence. In one hand he prepared his Moon Specter and the other, he pointed towards the Sphinx. Once it reached his targeting range, he began the incantation. Incinerate everything in your path! [Warning.] The Operator began an announcement. He knew the next words. Hidden boss has appeared. But [Attacking a non-hostile lifeform will cause penalties from the Raid Rewards.] Unlike what he was expecting, he got an entirely different warning message. Sungjin hastily canceled the casting of the spell. Not too long after, the Sphinx landed in front of Sungjin. The Sphinx wasnt as large as he had thought. The body was about the size of an elephant. It was just that the wings were twice as long as its body, so it greatly exaggerated the size of the Sphinx. Sungjin looked up at the Sphinxs face. It was only after their eyes met that the Sphinx began to speak. Young wanderer in the desert, what do you seek? Sungjin answered simply. The Oasis. I see. I will take you to the Oasis if you are able to answer my riddle. How about it? Will you like to try my riddle? Sungjin nodded. Sungjins behavior seemed to upset the Sphinx. It asked again. Answer with your words. Young Wanderer, will you try to answer my riddle? It was another strange character. Without understanding why he was insisting on a verbal reply, Sungjin decided to comply with its wishes. Yes of course. Good. Here is the riddle. What is the creature that walks on four legs in the morning, two legs at noon and three in the evening? It was a question he had heard many times in the past. Sungjin already knew the answer. The Answer is Man. Why is that so? Man crawls on all fours as a baby, then walks on two feet as an adult, and then uses a walking stick in old age. That is correct. But of course, this is only common sense. I was only testing your common sense. Now I shall give you the real riddle. Are you prepared? Sungjin frowned. The Sphinx did not appear to be an honest and forthcoming character. But unlike the Wandering Merchant Ruff Han, it didnt seem like a character he could threaten at the sword point. Noting that Sungjin did not answer, it asked him again. I ask again. Are you prepared to receive the true riddle? It appeared that this creature just loves asking questions. Sungjin decided to act in accordance with its wishes. Yes, I am prepared. Finally, the Sphinx told Sungjin the actual riddle. Good. Now, Listen well, and answer carefully. Sungjin focused his attention to the Sphinx and watched its lips. The Sphinx spoke out the riddle. What is the first cut, the proof of ties? This, owned by all, is utterly useless; and yet without it, you cannot exist. What is this? Chapter 38 Chapter 38 C Kutan Desert (5) Sungjin briefly thought about it for a moment. First cut proof of ties And in less than 10 seconds, he came up with the answer. Sungjin looked up at the Sphinx. It was watching him full of anticipation. It seems like waiting for an answer gave the Sphinx quite a thrill. Sungjin gave his answer. Its Belly button. The Sphinxs expression changed dramatically. Eh? Why? First injury that everyone has Belly button. Proof that we were once connected to our mothers, so in many ways it is a proof of our ties. I couldnt have been born without a belly button but it has no uses anymore, so it is useless. The Sphinx stared at Sungjin with an undecipherable expression. Sungjin rested his hand on the handle of Moon Specter. It was possible that the Sphinx might rapidly change its behavior unexpectedly like in the case of Wandering Merchant Aindell. If thats the case the Sphinx would be the hidden boss. But Correct. How did you get the answer so quickly? Thats all the Sphinx wanted to know. Sungjin didnt reply. I thought you would take at least 10 seconds no, even 30 seconds to consider the answer. Why were you so confident about your answer? Ok, thats enough. Take me to the Oasis. The Sphinx replied looking down at Sungjin. Yes, a promise is a promise. Can you ride on my back? Sungjin hopped on its front paws and climbed on top of its back. The Sphinx addressed him once he got on. Grab on tight. If you fall off before you reach the Oasis and die, itll be a shame, right? As soon as he spoke, the Sphinx took off into the air without waiting for a reply. Sungjin got the high altitude view of the desert from the Sphinxs back. Once they climbed higher, he could see the Oasis off in the distance. Sphinx flew towards the Oasis with a powerful beat of its wings. * Meanwhile, the others were roaming the map. They were combing the desert for any monsters that remained so that they could get their hands on even a single more coin. Two Giant Lizards came charging at the group at the same time. Bukitai shouted from the vanguard. Here they come! Get ready! Frostbite! Munir slowed the advance of one Lizard, and the four hunters focused fired on the other Lizard. Of course, the one leading the charge was Bukitai. But even before he reached the first lizard, the ground began to shift. Bukitai shouted out, alarmed. Sandworm! Theres a Sandworm! The hunters immediately backed off from the spot. Even the Lizards quickly got out of the way. Moments later Queh~ A giant Sandworm emerged from the ground and burrowed itself again. Spread out! Make room! Igor shouted. This was the standard procedure for fighting Sandworms. The Sandworms could only create one tunnel at a time. Standing apart from each other meant only one person could be targeted at a time. When the hole emerged from underneath one person, others could rescue him while focus firing on the Sandworm once it emerged. Using this strategy, the hunters had killed several Sandworms until now. The problem was, that there were also two Lizards in the mix, complicating things. One of the Lizard charged Bukitai and swung at him with a paw. Bukitai lifted up his shield to block the attack, but he wasnt able to devote his attention to the enemy. He was distracted by the thought that the sandworm might appear beneath his feet. To make matters worse, the other Lizard also charged at him and targeted him. Munir, can you use magic? I am out of Mana! damn. Bukitai swore under his breath. If he had to face the Sandworm and both Lizards at the same time, he would be in grave danger. But he heard shouts from the back. Uh Its on me! Me! It was Ralphs voice. Bukitai couldnt help but let out a sigh of relief. While he held off the Lizards, the other two could rescue Ralph, defeat the Sandworm and then come to his aid. Help me! Igor! Munir! It was unfortunate that Ralph became the target, but he should be okay since he had capable teammates such as Igor and Munir. However, Ahhh! He heard Ralph cry out in pain. Bukitai was surprised. He wanted to look back to check, but he was under the combined attack of two Giant Lizards. He couldnt look away from the fight. He continued to swing his mace and block with his shield as he shouted back. Ralph? What happened? There was no answer from Ralph. All he heard was Sh sh ssh Munirs bolts Woosh woosh woosh woosh Igors flying shield. Keeeee~ And the sound of the Sandworms death throes. He didnt know what had happened, but they were able to kill off the Sandworm. Bukitai took the time to shout back while facing the Lizards. Ralph are you alright? Munir, Igor, give me a hand. But there was no response. If they had managed to kill the Sandworm, Igor should have come running in with his sword, along with Munirs covering fire. Bukitai backed off from the Lizards to take a look behind him. Seeing the scene, he froze for a moment. Next to the dead Sandworm was Ralph, missing his lower half. And standing with their weapons down were Igor and Munir, who were just watching him. Bukitai shouted at them. What are you doing? Help me! He had looked away for too long. One of the Lizard managed to land a strike on his side with its long claws. Ack! Bukitai, pierced by claws, swung his mace to strike the Lizards hand. Kaa The Lizard cried out and retreated its claws. But the other Lizard came to strike at him. I said help me! Bukitai shouted, but neither of them took up their weapons. Bukitai fiercely put up resistance with his weapon, but he couldnt outlast the two enemies. One Lizard pierced his shoulder with long claws, and the other knocked the shield out of his hands. Disarmed, Bukitai was ripped apart to pieces by the Lizards. Until his final moments, Bukitai stood even as he was ripped apart by the Lizards, staring at Munir and Igor who watched him die, whispering Munir Igor Why? Once Bukitai died standing, Igor finally spoke. Ill take the right, distract the left. Munir nodded. Got it. As instructed, he pointed towards the Lizard on the left. Binding Frost! Frostbite! While the Lizard was slowed, Munir began firing upon the Lizard. Kaa! The Lizard cried out in agony as the bolts found their target. Meanwhile, the other Lizard began a fight with Igor. He calmly blocked the claws with his shield as he surgically wielded his sword, removing the Lizards foot, tongue, tail, and finally the head. Incredible Munir thought as he continued to snipe the remaining lizard from afar. After turning into a porcupine from Munirs Crossbow bolts, the Lizard was beheaded by Igor without having a chance to properly attack even once. Once the combat was over, Munir walked up to Igor. Good work. Igor did not respond to him. He only asked the Operator Contribution? [Your Contribution is 20.7%] Munir also checked his own contribution. [Your Contribution is 11.4%.] Each of their contributions had doubled from before. Munir let out a toothy grin as he offered his hands in a handshake with Igor. It was good doing business with you. Igor also smiled and grasped his hand. Yes, it was. When Igor returned the handshake, Munir asked Igor Why did you pick me, though? Why not offer the same to someone else? Igor answered while shaking his hands First of all because you had the lowest contribution amongst us. I thought that you would not refuse. Munir nodded. That seems logical. Anything else? Second You are the weakest. I am certain I can win in 1 on 1. Excuse me? While Munir was confused, Igor took his sword and cut off Munirs hand which he was holding. Ahhh! Munir stepped back, holding the stump of his hands. You Igor calmly walked up to him. Munir quickly shouted Frostbite! The magic took hold and held Igor in place. Igor was unable to move for a moment. Munir shouted at him to complain. You said theres penalty for direct attacks against others! But Igors expression could not possibly get any colder. Penalty or not, Igor has decided to kill him. Once Munir realized this, he began to run away. Crunch crunch crunch He could hear one foot crushing the ice. Crunch crunch crunch crunch Now he heard two feet walking on the ice. Igor had begun his chase. Munir turned around and cast another spell. Frostbite! Igor was rooted in place again. But, this time, the Operator gave out a warning. [Low Mana. Less than 10% remaining.] Not enough mana He had lied to Bukitai earlier, but now it was for real. He only had one shot left. He had to run away as far as he could and hide until the raid ended. In the long run, he held the advantage if he could get some distance between them since he originally came from a desert country. With this in mind, he climbed on top of a large dune. But Woosh woosh woosh woosh Igors shield came flying and hit Munirs calf. Ahh! Munir fell, holding his leg. Unfortunately, he tumbled down the side of the dune towards Igor. Igor freed himself from the spell and continued to walk towards Munir. Out of mana, missing his primary arm, Munir had no choice open to him except to beg for mercy. Igor you told me yourself, youll receive a penalty if you kill other people! Why are you doing this? But Igor did not respond, stabbing Munir with his sword instead. He held the sword until Munir died. [You have killed your fellow Hunter. Entering Troll state.] [Hunters in Troll state receive 10% penalty to Raid Rewards.] [And in the event that the Troll is killed by other hunters,] [It will not inflict the Troll state on the attacker.] After listening to the Operators explanation, Igor told Munir, who lay bleeding out on the desert sand, his reason. Even taking on the 10% penalty, killing you is more profitable. Of course, Munir was unable to hear him. * At that moment, Sungjin was sailing through the air, riding on the back of the Sphinx. Once the Oasis grew close enough to see clearly, the Sphinx addressed him. Hold on tight, human. It would be a shame to die after coming all this way, wouldnt it? The Sphinx suddenly initiated a high-speed dive. Sungjin had no choice but to hang on for his life. couldnt he just fly slower? But even before he was done complaining, the Sphinx touched down close to the Oasis. Boom The Operator let out a congratulatory message. [Congratulations! You have discovered the hidden Oasis] [Suleman!] Jumping off the Sphinxs back, Sungjin complained. Hey, couldnt you just descend slowly? The Sphinx looked Sungjin square in the eye and answered Next time answer slower. Otherwise, its no fun for the person giving the riddle, no? So you did that on purpose? Sungjin bubbled in anger and reached for his sword. Well then bye. See you later if we ever have another chance. Sphinx quickly returned to the sky and flew away. Sungjin stared after him for a moment. You appear again? He didnt want to meet him again if he could help it. Once the Sphinx had disappeared far into the distance, Sungjin turned his gaze towards the Oasis. In the end, he did, in fact, manage to reach the Hidden Place. Sungjin rubbed his hands together in anticipation as he began to look around the Oasis. Lets see where could the treasures be hidden? Note: Shoutout to Dark Jackel, notfluent, Shadowminion and AlbaFox! People who gave multiple answers(there was one who got belly button with 2 answers) do not qualify. There can only be 1 guess^^ sry. Umbilical cord guessers yall were close haha. It was nice seeing so many people trying to guess it ???? We love reading your comments and we read each and every one of them even if we are unable to reply to all. We now have a discord server that readers can join and discuss about mhk or anything they would like to in general ???? So please do join! The link is https://discord.gg/EHJtwme or you may press the discord widget button located on your right (pc) or bottom (mobile) If you enjoy our work do consider supporting us ty Chapter 39 Chapter 39 C Kutan Desert (6) Sungjin walked around the Oasis alone. The water in the oasis was dirtier than he had imagined. In movies or cartoons, characters are usually depicted running into the water to swim or drink from it, but Sungjin felt no such inclinations. Maybe if I was dying of thirst Sungjin held the magic waterskin above his head upside down as he walked in circles around the Oasis. The Oasis covered a small area; It took less than 1 minute to walk the circumference of it. He couldnt spot anything special about it; he had been hoping for clues about the hidden pieces, but there was nothing. So what now? Sungjin thought to himself as he gazed into the water. And then suddenly, something sparkly caught his eyes. Sungjin stared at it. In the center of the Oasis, there stood a large palm tree. And on top of the tree sat a grody old lamp. Found it! Sungjin thought, and he stepped into the Oasis. However Foof Something popped out from within the murky waters. Sungjin jumped back in surprise. It was a crocodile. An extremely large one at that. Crocodile? In the desert? Sungjin checked the cube. It did not say anything. It wasnt a hidden boss. Sungjin shifted his gaze back to the Crocodile. It was preparing to launch a follow-up attack after its failed ambush, but nothing except the hidden boss could possibly give Sungjin trouble. You surprised me, dumb animal! Nevertheless, the crocodile died with just a few slashes. Alert, in case there were more crocodiles waiting, Sungjin cautiously made his way deeper into the Oasis. The Oasis was shallow enough to walk into it. And there didnt appear to be any other Crocodiles. Without further trouble, Sungjin was able to reach the Palm tree growing in the center of the Oasis. Once he was within arms reach of the tree, Sungjin returned the Moon Specter back into the sheath and climbed the tree. Hmm I should try to learn some sort of flight spell. Being able to fly would be extremely helpful getting around, and searching for the Hidden Boss and the Hidden pieces. Ill have to remember to look around the Black market. Making a mental note for himself for later, Sungjin arrived at the top of the Palm tree. There, the lamp lay gently enshrined in the center of the palm leaves. Worn out Lamp Normal Ornament Active Skill Rub (I) Rub the lamp. Effects are unknown. A Lamp, worn out due to age and weathering. Though, it would have been a work of art at the time of its creation. Hmm The part about Effects are unknown caught his attention. Sungjin placed the lamp into his pocket and slid down the Palm tree. He walked out of the oasis and inspected the item. The lamp was caked with dirt and extremely ancient looking. But, in between the scum built up over the years, the suns reflection he saw from underneath the grime gave proof of its golden material. I wonder what itll do Sungjin first checked his surroundings, and then began to scrub away at the lamp. Soon, smoke emitting a dim blue light began to billow out of the lamp. Sungjin recalled the folklore; Legend of Genie in the lamp granting wishes. Wish Hmm What should I wish for? Filled with anticipation, Sungjin watched the smoke build up. But the smoke continued to billow out for a long while. Come on Come on The lamp continued to smoke for what felt like an eternity. What Whats that? Sungjin looked up at the sky and jumped back in surprise. High above, a large gathering of clouds formed the figure of a giant. Only his upper body was done forming, and already it was as tall as a five storey building. He was gargantuan. Sungjin stared up at the giant. Yeah Bigger means he can grant better wishes, right? * After killing all of his teammates, Igor called out to the Operator. Operator, what is my contribution now? [Your contribution is 26.4%] It was as he had planned. Munir had 11.4% before he died. Igor had received exactly half of Munirs contribution upon his death. The other half had most likely gone to the Chinese man. Igor rubbed his sword and shield together. And for a moment he looked up at the sky. The sun continued to cook his body. I even took desert simulation training but the reality is much worse. Wait is this even real? He lay against the side of the lizard and closed his eyes. But Igor Janovi?! You must train harder for the sake of our Motherland! A voice inside his head woke him up. Looking up at the sky, he spoke to himself. Why does the Motherland matter in this situation? Does the Motherland even exist anymore? However, his superior officer was not here to listen to his complaint. He thought to himself. Would he be fighting too? Somewhere in this world? He would have most likely survived. In the Federal Security Service of the Russian Federation (FSB) where Igor received his military training, every man and woman were professionally trained for survival. And the instructor who mentored Igor was a Specialist among specialists in survival skills and tactics. Unless, of course, he was very unlucky. No, even if he were unlucky with his teammates, he would have still survived somehow. He would have killed all his teammates, like Igor, to take all the reward for himself. Igor asked the Operator for the time. How much time do I have left? [1 hour and 5 minutes left in the raid.] I hour and 5 minutes With the exception of the mysterious 5% he could never locate, there was still 2.3% left in the raid completion. Igor stood up again. Perfection, or the closest to it; his training demanded it of him. Igor moved back into the desert to fulfill his due diligence. Occasionally Giant Lizards or Giant Scorpions came attacking Igor, but he could defeat them 1v1 without much difficulty. Of course, he did not find it easy when two or three appeared at the same time. But, animals were still animals; these monsters were simply larger and stronger than the earthen kind. Their intelligence level was still low. Simple tricks he learned in the Spetsnaz scattered the enemy, and he could resume to facing them one by one with brutal efficiency. After hunting for a long while, he could not see any more enemies. All he could see intermittently were corpses lying in pieces, scattered about. Upon close inspection, all of the corpses showed signs of cuts made by a Japanese katana. The culprit was most certainly the mysterious Chinese man. Chinese He asked the Operator. Raid Completion level? [94.2%] Igor thought for a moment. Again 5% is missing. He did not understand why he could never fill the completion level to 100%. Even when he made sure that there was nothing left alive, there was always 5% remaining. But that did not stop Igor. He may not understand the requirements to fill the last 5%, but he will try until the very end. That was his training and his philosophy. After combing the desert for a good long time, finally, he found a lizard aimlessly roaming around, lost and alone. After killing the lizard, [95%.] He finally reached 95% completion. He knew there were no more monsters left to find. After several chapters, he confirmed this as the truth. Just where is the last 5% And while he was pondering, somewhere in the distance, Rumble He heard something strange. It was familiar, but something he never expected to hear in the desert. Lightning storm? Igor stared off into the distance. Very far away, he could see that a large cloud had formed. Under it, he could also see a spec of green. Oasis? He was planning on resting after hunting the last Lizard, but he immediately made his way towards the Oasis. He felt convinced that whatever was happening over there held answers about the mysterious 5% which had eluded him thus far. Igor slapped his shins and spoke a single command. Forced March The armor on his shins folded outward, clanging away until it covered his feet completely. And with enhanced speed, he ran towards the Oasis. * The Giant who emerged from the lamp looked down upon Sungjin and asked, Who has awoken me? Filled with anticipation, Sungjin answered. Me! I have! Really? The Giant stared for a moment and began his introduction. I am the most powerful mage to have ever lived in Kutan, Soldamyr*. Sungjin nodded. He predicted the follow-up phrase. Make a wish. I shall grant you anything that your heart desires. But he was completely wrong. What he heard was I shall test you to see if you have the right to become my master. The cube, which had stayed quiet when the Sphinx and the Crocodile appeared, suddenly let out an announcement. [Warning! Hidden boss] [The Great Genie Soldamyr has appeared!] What?! Sungjin threw away the lamp in surprise and pulled out his sword. But the Genie Soldamyr had already began casting his first spell. Murderous thunder, Jump from foe to foe! Bright ball of light gathered in his hands and soon poured out towards Sungjin. Chain Lightning! Sungjin tumbled away, but the lightning landed on the Oasis, and also struck Sungjin. Ack Sungjin couldnt help but cry out. Even though he dodged the main body of the spell, it was still a powerful strike. But why? Sungjin thought for a moment. Now that he looked at himself, he saw that he was still dripping wet. Getting electrocuted despite dodging the spell was probably due to that. Sungjin quickly moved away from the Oasis. Soldamyr changed his spell. Incinerate everything in your Path! Fireball! The Genies fireball was at least twice as thick in diameter. Sungjin retreated while wrapping himself in Saels Breath and shouted. Solidify! Boom The fireball exploded and lit the surroundings on fire. It was a powerful boss. Incomparable to the bosses he had fought until now. Sungjin quickly took out the Romance of the Three Kingdoms from his vest. He had been saving it all this time to try it out on the Hidden boss anyway. It was a great time to test it. But Soldamyr continued to shout incantations. Lance which pierces all! Lightning Bolt! Sungjin quickly tumbled away and dodged the spell. Boom The sand where it landed was scorched black. I need an opportunity to read the book The only weakness with the books was that like magic casting, it required reading time. Sungjin thought of using Cain, but he had already summoned and unsummoned Cain. What should I do? Sungjin considered his options. The Crocodile corpse came into view. Lightning Bolt! Sungjin tumbled away. Boom He accidentally held the Moon Specter too close to the strike zone, and his right arm went numb. Sungjin gritted his teeth against the pain, pointing towards the Crocodile with his left hand, he shouted an incantation. Awaken and become my slave! Rise of the Dead! The Crocodile came back alive and began to move. At the same time, Sungjin took out and rang Manyata C Masters bell.* Ring ring Along with the sound, the Crocodile began to move rapidly. Sungjins attempt was successful. Under the effect of Manyata, the Crocodile zombie moved with incredible dexterity. Discard your fangs and become a tame sheep! Polymorph! Even though it was instantly countered before it could launch even a single attack, it gave him the time he needed. Sungjin opened the book. The book was designed to automatically open to the most relevant page. Once the book was open, Sungjin read out loud the content of the book. Quickly, and accurately. Cao Caos great army pursued deep into the night and reached the fields of Changban. But he stared down at the army while blocking the bridge. Shaking his lance and glaring most threateningly, he shouted. TL NOTE The name Soldamyr is a parody on one of Heroes of Might and Magic hero Solmyr, the djinn Wizard. Masters bell is kind of a pun. The Word for bell ? could also mean slave/servant. It was nice meeting readers on discord ???? You also get notifications on chapter release as well there so do join! If you enjoy our work do consider supporting us. Chapter 40 Chapter 40 C Kutan Desert (7) I am Zhang Yide! Sungjin enunciated and pronounced each and every word carefully until the end. The book closed itself and flew into his arms. This was proof that the Declamation had successfully activated. The Operator gave out an announcement. [Seance of Zhang Fei Yide activated!] The books always arm the user with the perfect skill for the circumstance. Sungjin grasped the Moon Specter and charged towards the Genie immediately. [Passive skill C Enhance Attack(III), Swift(III) applied.] Sungjin didnt pay attention to the Operators announcements, but he felt his size increase and his movements speed up. Baa~ Soldamyr, who was busy turning the Crocodile into a sheep returned his attention back onto Sungjin, who was rushing towards him. Sungjin was moving even faster than before; the same guy who could, even in normal conditions, dodge bolts of lightning. Soldamyr decided to turn him into a sheep as well. He began to recite the incantation rapidly. Discard your fangs and However, Sungjin heard the Operators voice while charging towards the Genie. [Active Skill Shout of Changban(I) is available for instant cast] Sungjin did not know what Shout of Changban was but become a tame sheep! He didnt have time to think it through. The spell was nearly complete. Sungjin wasted no time activating the skill. Shout of Changban! His mouth moved on its own after, Come and battle me to the death! A voice loud enough to tremble the earth burst forth. Following the superhuman bellow, the Genie was unable to continue the incantation. Sungjin didnt know for sure, but it seemed to have a spell cancellation effect. Soldamyr attempted to stop Sungjin using his hands, but Sungjin easily cut away the fingers. Sungjin leapt up to his arm and began carving up the Genies body. Without magic, the Mage Soldamyr was unable to put up resistance to Sungjins blade properly; he severely lacked in physical offense or defense. [Effects of Seance over in 10, 9] The operator began a countdown but [8, 7] When about 7 seconds were left, the Genies body suddenly turned into smoke along with a pop and was sucked back into the lamp. Left alone mid-air, Sungjin spun around in the air a few times and landed on the sand safely. The Operators cube announced his victory soon after. [Hidden boss Great Genie] [Soldamyr Cleared!] Sungjin returned the Moon Specter to the sheath. And then let out a sigh of relief. Whew~ But then Grr The zombie Crocodile came running towards him after the polymorph spell ended. Oh my goodness Sungjin was surprised by the Crocodile twice now. He had forgotten that he had reanimated the Corpse using his magic. Grr The Crocodile orbited Sungjin as if searching for something to attack. Whoa, whoa, Ok I got it, its over. Return. Responding to Sungjins gestures, the Crocodile returned to being a corpse. Finishing the combat, Sungjin opened the Magic waterskin and poured the water onto his head. Ha.. It was not an easy combat. Soldamyr lived up to his name as the greatest mage in Kutans history; his spells were incredibly powerful. Without Romance of the Three Kingdoms and Seance of Zhang Fei, it would have been an extremely difficult and drawn out fight. Sungjin asked the Operator out of curiosity. Operator, whats the actual effect of Shout of Changban active skill? The Operator opened up an information screen. Active Skill C Shout of Changban Innate skill of Seance of Zhang Fei Make a thunderous shout All things within a 300-meter radius, including the caster, Are unable to cast abilities for 10 seconds This was most definitely a hard counter for any mage character. The true strength of the book was not just from the spell effects, but the fact that it picks the spell based on the situation; the book would call forth the perfect hero from the story using Seance. When I have to face other Mages I might see it again. Sungjin organized his thoughts as he corked the waterskin and returned it to his belt. Now that he took a look at himself, he saw that a portion of his clothes had been burnt off. It probably happened while he was dodging the bolts of lightning. Sungjin spoke to himself absentmindedly. This is probably the first time I lost so much HP right, Operator? The Operator responded even to his ramblings. [This is correct. You have lost a total of 4724 HP. This is the highest recorded HP you have lost so far.] Sungjins HP was approaching 20,000, but for normal hunters, taking 4724 was nearly lethal. I didnt even take a single hit straight on what an amazing power. Sungjin thought as he stretched himself. After the Genie had disappeared, all that was left was the intense rays of the sun. He couldnt help but think of the cool balcony of Ninety Nine Nights. When I go back this time I should have chilled noodles. Yes Chilled. And Sherbet ice cream for dessert.hmm, I wonder if there are still mobs left. Its not going to start handing out raid reward yet, is it? * Sungjin turned to the Operator. Operator, is there any hidden elements left? If there is, please activate Treasure Hunter now. [There are no more hidden elements left in this chapter.] It must be because the hidden place held the secret boss, rather than an item. Hmm I see Sungjin nodded to himself as he was thinking, but the Operator continued to speak. [Raid 100% complete.] Sungjin looked at the cube in surprise. What? The other hunters must have finished hunting the rest of the monsters. Sungjin celebrated internally. Thats great! Lets get the rewards and go home. But the Operator wasnt done. [However, there is an active Troll in the party.] [Raid reward will be postponed until the troll, or the other members are eliminated] [or if the timer runs out.] Hmm? Sungjin stared at the cube. Troll? Something must have happened between the other four Hunters. Sungjin gazed into the distance. Tanned sand continued endlessly towards the horizon. Just roaming the desert was torture, but trying to find the troll hiding in the middle of this vast desert within the time limit was nothing short of impossible. Sungjin considered his options. What should I do? But it was at that moment Whoosh woosh woosh woosh He heard something from behind. * While Igor was running towards the Oasis, the Operator gave out an announcement. [Warning! Hidden boss] [The Great Genie Soldamyr has appeared!] Igor turned to look at the cube with the corner of his eyes. Hidden boss? There are hidden bosses? It only took him a moment to accept it, since he could visually confirm the existence of the hidden boss from afar. Seeing the form of the giant hovering over the oasis, he was certain The secret behind the missing 5% that must be it. Not too long after, Igor was able to reach the Oasis. The battle had already started by the time he arrived. Incinerate everything in your Path! Fireball! Igor hid himself behind a dune and watched the fight. The Hidden boss Genie wielded unbelievably powerful magic. It was incomparably stronger than the mage bosses of the past, such as the Lich or the Two-headed Ogre. Igor quickly calculated in his head. The Teenager currently had 73.6% of the total contribution. If he gets killed by the Genie, Igor would get all of it automatically. Problem was Solidify! The Teenager skill was also incredible, being able to face off against the Genie alone on equal terms. Igor theorized three outcomes. First, if the teenager is killed, he would leave the Oasis before the Genie discovers him. The Genie was probably an extremely dangerous foe. Two, if the Teenager wins without much problem, he would, again, leave the Oasis. No matter how he thought of it, the teenagers skills were above his own. He didnt forget the fact that he, as a troll, could be killed by others without any penalty. Three, in case the fight was close and the teenager pulls of a narrow victory Igor looked down at his sword and shield. If thats the case, I will finish it myself. He was already in the troll state. There was nothing to lose by putting more blood on his hands. Planning his next move carefully, Igor slowly made his way into the tall grass of the Oasis and hid himself. He was confident in camouflage and ambush. He was confident that he could avoid detection without a camo suit. Hiding in the bush, he watched the fight. The Genie appeared to have the upper hand. Lance which pierces all! Lightning Bolt! The teenager seemed unable to deal with the Genies rapid spell attacks properly. But the tables turned suddenly. I am Zhang Yide! It was after the Teenager read out of a book. An ancient Chinese warrior appeared and hovered behind him like a guardian spirit. And the Teenager dashed forward, even faster than before. Igor thought Is it some sort of buff spell? But the book effects did not stop there. Opening his mouth, suddenly the Teenager bellowed. COME AND BATTLE ME TO THE DEATH!!!!! It was an unbelievable shout, done in unison with the guardian spirit behind him. From the moment he bellowed, the Giant from the lamp became mute, unable to cast any spell, unable to put up a fight. And finally, the Giant turned back into smoke and disappeared. Once the battle was over, Igor inspected the teenager. Because the fight had just gotten over, the teenager seemed unaware of Igor. Igor had to make a decision now. Two, if the Teenager wins without much problem, he would leave the Oasis. Three, in case the fight was close and the teenager pulls off a narrow victory. Igor was trying to decide if it was case two or three, but he heard the Chinese Teenager talk to himself. This is probably the first time I lost so much HP right, Operator? And the Operator answered his question. [This is correct. You have lost a total of 4724 HP. This is the highest recorded HP you have lost so far.] Igor quickly considered his options. He had monopolized all the points from the very start. I dont know how he obtained such powerful items but there should be little if any difference in stats Considering stat allocation needed for Strength, Dexterity, and Endurance, 4724 is not a small amount of HP to lose. Even more so considering the Teenage was also using magic. His total HP should be about 10,000 no, its most likely less than that. The Lightning spell attack from earlier must have dealt a great amount of damage. Igor made up his mind and looked down at his shield. That Chinese teenager was without a doubt stronger than himself. But if he was below half health, or farther below that then Igor stood a chance. Especially if he took the first strike in an ambush. It was then, [Raid 100% complete.] [However, there is an active Troll in the party.] The Operator gave an announcement. Troll? The Chinese Teenager came to find out about him. At this moment, Igor decided. If I dont get stronger now, I will die later. He immediately threw his round shield. Whoosh woosh woosh He drew his sword and charged towards the teen. Note : Battle of Changban Historical background: The Battle of Changban was a battle fought by warlords Cao Cao and Liu Bei in 208 in the late Eastern Han dynasty. Three legends spawned in this battle. Liu Bei was in a retreat, running away south. After finally convincing the master strategist Zhuge Liang after what is known as the Three Visitations ݏ] ????. Soon after accepting Zhuge Liangs Longzhong plan (long term strategy to attack and capture the Imperial Capital), Liu Biao (who had been protecting Liu Bei from Cao Cao) died and was succeeded by Liu Cong, who immediately surrendered to Cao Cao without telling Liu Bei. This is why by the time Liu Bei found out and began the retreat, Cao Caos gigantic army was already marching upon his city. Loved by the people, the people decided to follow him, and the peasants initiated a voluntary exodus to follow their lord, with their numbers as high as several hundred thousands. This is the first legend of Battle of Changban. Cao Cao at the time commanded the Mongolian Cavalry division and rode hard day and night to catch up with Liu Bei. Liu Bei, moving slowly with hundreds of thousands of peasants which included elderly and children, could not move fast enough, and eventually they were caught. This is the Battle of Changban. During this battle, most of Liu Beis followers were caught, killed, or vowed loyalty to Cao Cao. Most of Liu Beis family was captured by Cao Cao, to which one of his heroic generals, Zhao Yun, charged head on against the gigantic armies of Cao Cao. Liu Beis men shouted that Zhao Yun has abandoned his lord, to which Liu Bei refused to believe it. Lo and Behold, from within the middle of the Cao Cao forces, Zhao Yun returned with the infant son (Liu Beis Heir) and Liu Beis main wife, rescued from captivity. This is the second legend of Battle of Changban. According to legend, Liu Bei throws away his son and cast him to the ground, angry that because of the infant son he almost got a great general and a hero killed and Liu Beis other wives suicided by throwing themselves into the well so that they dont burden Zhao Yun by having to protect them all. During the retreat, Zhang Fei (the sworn brother) of Liu Bei decided to form a rearguard with 20 cavalrymen, blocking the main bridge across the River to buy Liu Bei and the final few surviving followers to escape from the battle. Zhang Fei is a legendary warrior himself. And he alone, with just 20 men, were able to block the bridge and defend against the entire might of the Cao Cao army until Liu Bei could escape. After killing dozens of enemies, including several generals, He made the legendary shout I am Zhang Yide! Come battle me to the death! to which Cao Caos armys morale broke and no longer dared to fight him. The great army of Cao Cao retreated. Left alone, he and the men destroyed the bridge and retreated to Liu Beis camp. The passage that Sungjin read out loud is actually from the real Romance of the Three Kingdoms where it describes Zhang Feis legendary defense of the bridge. Hope you liked the backstory! We thought to do a note on it since it has been mentioned in the novel and with Sungjin owning Romance of the three kingdoms, we thought itd be nice to give a small background ^^ If you enjoy our work do consider supporting us through Paypal or Patreon. Ty ???? Chapter 41 Chapter 41 C Kutan Desert (8) Sungjin turned. A round Shield was flying towards his neck. He quickly tilted his head. Woosh A violently spinning bladed shield flew past him. Meanwhile, Uwooo! Gladiator Igor came running towards him with his sword drawn. Haa! Igor swung his blade. He was quite fast, but it was nowhere near fast enough for Sungjin. Sungjin drew his katana and easily parried the strike. But from behind him Ssssh He could hear the Shield returning. Igor prepared for another attack, a front to back pincer strike. Sungjin opened his eyes wide. Is this is what he was aiming for? Saels Breath was still under cooldown. Sungjin removed his left hand from the sword and parried Igors attack with Moon Specter held only by his right hand, and blocked the Shield with Free Ark on his left. Bang! Clang! Four metallic objects collided at the same time. Sungjin thought that he had deflected the shield away with his wrist, but Haa! When Igor reached out with his arms, the Shield returned to his hands. Since he didnt shout an incantation, it wasnt magic. It was most likely a skill built into the Shield as an innate ability. Sungjin shook his left arm which had numbed and gazed at the shield. A ranged self-returning shield He knew from the very first moment when he laid his eyes on Igor that this man was strong. He could tell with how fast Igor was able to move. Sungjin had no idea how he managed to scrape together so many stat points, but his dexterity was extremely high. And that strange shield it couldnt be anything less than a heroic level item. Which meant, Igor was likely concealing other high-rank items that Sungjin didnt know about. Sungjin quickly returned the Moon Specter back into the sheath. He was preparing to use Deathly Wail. Since he had tested the effects against the Rapist, Sungjin knew that the Deathly Wail was extremely useful in duels against other people. Sungjin kept the Moon Spectre on standby as he asked Igor a question. So is this the way you have chosen to become stronger? Backstabbing your teammates? Igor nodded. Its simple math, isnt it? Giving up just 10%, and taking the other 90%. In some ways, isnt this just like how the world works? Competing over limited resources? This game is structured this way; work together until you clear the raid, and then Igor drew his finger over his neck. Kill. Take the contribution points by force. This is a far more profitable outcome. I realized this from the very start. And I acted upon it. I have monopolized each and every point from every raid. Monopolized each and every point Igors strength made sense. Even if he hadnt found a single hidden element of the raids, he still had access to a considerable amount of stats and coins using this method. Sungjin replied. Yes Youre not technically wrong. But you will never know how it is to receive 100% contribution points. Sungjin was done speaking. There was nothing more that needed to be said. Putting his hand on the hilt of the Moon Specter, Sungjin charged towards Igor. Igor threw his shield one more time. Whoosh woosh woosh woosh Sungjin did not fear the shield that he could plainly see flying towards him. Sungjin lightly dodged the Shield. It will eventually return, but probably not in time. Because Sungjin finally drew his blade. Deathly. Wail. Along with Sungjins commands KYAAAAA!!! An unearthly screech reverberated and filled the air. It was such a horrifying sound that even the hair on the back of Sungjins neck stood up. Igor did not retreat or run away, but he did take few steps backwards. Its over Sungjin thought, swinging his blade as he dashed forward. But Cleanse. Igor shouted. Clang Igor picked up his sword and parried Sungjins strike. What? Sungjin was surprised. He instantly countered Deathly Wail! Sungjin saw a necklace shine on Igors neck. It must have had a similar effect as the Free Ark. While Sungjin was shocked, Igor made his move. Haa! With his gesture Whooosh Sungjin could hear the shield begin to return. He could be attacked from both sides shortly. Sungjin tumbled off to the side and decided to dodge the shield for now. The Shield returned to Igors hands. Sungjin stared at him. He was no easy foe. Sungjin considered his options. But the only thing he had was 2nd circle magic and Yanhurat. If I use Yanhurat here Ill eventually become addicted to its effects. Ill start with magic first. But now that he thought of it, he had another option. He immediately acted on it. Operator, give me Manta. The long staff Manta emerged from the Cube and flew at him. Sungjin grabbed the staff and held it in his left arm. Swordsman suddenly equips a staff? And in the off hand? Trying to use magic? Igor dashed forward this time. You wont get a chance! Magic ok, youll see. Sungjin watched him come, and he swung his sword and staff together. He intentionally aimed at two different spots, and timed his strike to hit simultaneously. Igor had to block the Moon Specter with his shield and the Manta with his sword. But that was only for a moment. Woosh Voom Sungjin began a rapid combination of attacks utilizing weapons in both hands. Igor was unable to do anything but defend. How He couldnt understand how this was possible; Using two very different weapons in a dual wield and be able to use them effectively in combat. Most dual wielders often attacked with their primary hand and defended with their off hand. Igor had observed many instructors fight with various weapons, from east to west. But not even the Grandmasters of their various weapons could pull off such a feat. Astonished and pushed back by Sungjins vicious attacks, he decided to finally use his ace in the hole. Haa! He threw the Shield towards Sungjin at close range. Sungjin had already easily dodged the shield before, and dodging it from close range was just as simple. But using this as a chance, Igor turned and hastily retreated. So he chooses to escape. He wouldnt be able to go far. Sungjins Swift Paw was already off cooldown. And, he had Magical Spells available to him. Binding Frost! Frostbite! Igors feet froze in place. Igor could no longer run. Igor even threw his sword in a last-ditch effort to make a stand. Woosh There was no way Sungjin couldnt be able to dodge the sword. So he abandons his only weapon. Looks like hes given up. Sungjin calmly walked up to him. But, Igor spread his arms wide and shouted Haa! It was now that Sungjin noticed his gloves. At the center, the gloves had what appeared to be a circular opening. It was now that he realized. It wasnt the Shield! He quickly turned around. Woosh Shing The Shield and the Sword were both flying towards him. If he only had Moon Specter, it could have been a dangerous moment. But, he also had Manta in his other hand. Ching! Clang! The Sword and Shield made loud noises upon contact and were deflected off, returning to Igors hands. I cant let him buy any more time. Sungjin charged towards Igor. He was still unable to move due to the frost. Sungjin resumed rapidly attacking Igor with both of his weapons. Finally, Sungjin managed to knock the sword out of his hands. Clang! Haa! Igor attempted to call the sword back to him, but he got distracted from blocking with his shield for a split second. It was the slightest of crack in his defense, but that was sufficient. Sungjin thrust his sword to the right of the shield, between Igors body and the shield, and cut off Igors shield arm. Igor, having lost his arm, took a few steps back. Despite losing his arm, he didnt cry out in pain. What a monster. But no matter what, his arm was permanently lost; it would not return like his sword and shield. Sungjin first swung the Manta and followed up quickly with the Moon Specter. Igor parried the Manta but had his sword arm cut off in the process. He was completely disarmed. Umph He finally let out a groan. Rather than responding to bodily pain, it seemed to be a response to having been defeated. Sungjin approached the unarmed Igor. He was a far stronger opponent than he had first thought. His stats were superb, but even more amazing was his ironclad will which could endure the pain of having limbs chopped off, and the clever ways he fought and laid traps. Before finishing him off, Sungjin couldnt help but whisper. If only you werent a troll you would have made a great ally. Igor heard him and replied. Kill me. I accept that you are stronger than me, and I will not beg for my life. Sungjin stared at him. Unlike the Rapist, he was no coward. Sungjin lifted the sword above his head. But before he took the final blow, Igor added one more thing. Kill me, and continue forward. Survive to the end and save us from our imprisonment. Please, bring salvation to mankind. Sungjin couldnt help but freeze in place. Igor must have figured out how the Raids would proceed. And as if he was in his final confessions, he continued. I was trained by the Spetsnaz. Even if my methods were violent, I had firmly believed that I must do anything, including monopolizing all the points through murder, to rise to the top. But not even in my dreams could I have imagined I could run into someone as strong as you. Finally, his face relaxed, as if he was prepared to face death. Back in the Hunters Hall, I saw the image of my beloved, my parents, all caged within the Purgatory. You are capable of bringing it all to an end, right? Please, make it stop. With your own hands, please rescue us from this hell. And finally, save us. All of us. Igor begged Sungjin. But he was begging Sungjin not to spare him, but to kill him. Sungjin hesitated for a moment, but he swung his blade and fulfilled his final wishes. Standing respectfully in front of the corpse before him, Sungjin whispered. I have accepted your last wishes. Must be nice to be able to push off your responsibilities to someone else Sungjin wanted to cry. But the dry desert wind blew against his face and dried up whatever tears that would have formed. Sungjin gazed up. The burning Sun hung in the sky. This dry accursed desert didnt even allow tears to drop. The Operator made a cheerful announcement without caring about what Sungjin was feeling at the moment. [All Trolls in the party have been eliminated.] [And now] Sungjin used every fiber of his being to swing the Moon Specter and attacked the Cube. Bang! It let out a loud noise, but not a scratch formed on the Cube. The Operator continued to speak, ignoring him. [Distributing Raid reward] Chapter 42 Chapter 42 C Kutan Desert (9) [Monsters Slain. Giant Lizard: 40. Giant Scorpion: 20. Sandworm: 10. Total 4000 points.] [Boss Monster Slain: Basilisk: 600 points.] [Hidden Boss Great Mage Soldamyr: 600 points.] [Final point count: 5200 Points. Distributing points.] Reward calculations ended quickly this time since there was only one recipient. [Your contribution is 100.0%. 5200 Stat points, 5200 Black Coins awarded. Raid Clear Bonus 1500 Stat points and 1500 Black Coins awarded. Item effect Additional 10% gained activated. Distributing 6700 Stat points and 7370 Black Coins.] An incredible amount of points and coins were awarded to Sungjin, but he didnt feel all that happy. [And now we will distribute the items.] [Soldamyr C Sealed Great Magician] [Bayram C Basilisks Eye] [Al Zard C Magic Carpet] [Recovery Potion C Medium x4] [Spell Book C Chain Lightning] [Spell Book C Polymorph] The Distribution finished, and the Operator cheerfully congratulated Sungjin. [Congratulations! You have obtained the Legendary item Soldamyr C Sealed Great Magician!] Sungjin got down to pick up the items that fell in a heap in front of him. The first item he picked up was obviously the golden Legendary Lamp. The appearance of the lamp was identical to the worn out lamp he had rubbed earlier, but it was now clean without a single smudge or blemish. It almost seemed to radiate with a golden aura. While Sungjin was lost in the golden exterior of the lavish Legendary lamp, the Operator continued to speak. [Last but not the least, you will be awarded titles youve earned on this raid.] [Inquisition C When hit by spells cast by others, gain 10% increase in speed and damage.] [No stacking limit] Sungjin glanced at the Cube. It was a familiar title. Many hunters had kept this one active due to how powerful this title was. The Operator must have awarded him the title due to being hit a few times by Soldamyrs spells. Sungjin wanted to check the items he had received, but another object popped out of the Cube. [Title Adjudicator activated.] [You obtained Telkron C Jesters Gloves.] Uh Sungjin picked up the item that had just dropped. It looked like an ordinary pair of leather glove. Except for the fact that there was a strange circle drawn at the center of it. When Sungjin peaked at Igors corpse, the gloves were missing from his hands. Turning his attention back to the gloves, he checked the details. Telkron C Jesters Gloves Heroic Glove C Defense 12% Active skill Pa C Throw the weapon or shield in hand. Haa C Thrown weapons return to the hand it was thrown from. The weapons flying speed scales off of the total weapon damage dealt. Cooldown 20 seconds. The Previous owner, who had been relying on the gloves rather than his own skill, was chased out of the circus when he had lost it. As I thought this glove was the cause. The defense rating was fairly low; it was mainly an offensive type item. Sungjin had no gloves, so he immediately equipped it. Equip. The leather gloves covered his hands, and they felt good. Sungjin lifted up the Moon Specter and said Pa Despite not having thrown the weapon, the Moon Specter flew out of his hands at great speeds. Once it reached a certain distance, Sungjin said Haa The Moon Specter spun rapidly in midair for a second before turning around and eventually returning to his hands. Hmm Its nice Igor had used this item with very high proficiency. All Sungjin had to do now was practice and get better at using it. Doing so would significantly improve the range of actions he could take with his weapons. Ill need to practice it as soon as I can. Making a mental note to himself, Sungjin returned the Moon Specter to its sheath. The next item he wanted to inspect was the Legendary Lamp. Sungjin lifted it up for inspection. Soldamyr C Sealed Great Magician Legendary Summon Active Skill Spiritual Link (Soldamyr) C Loyal Familiar, Summon Soldamyr. If Summon is killed, or if 10 minutes pass from the time of summoning, it disappears. Soldamyr, once strongest Magician to have ever lived in Kutan, sealed himself into the lamp in exchange for eternal life. Sungjin rubbed the lamp. The bluish cloud billowed out of the lamp and formed the shape of a man. It was large but far smaller than earlier. It was only about twice the height of a normal adult male. Once the form stabilized, it began to speak. Greetings. I am Soldamyr, and I humbly apologize for my earlier behavior. Since you have overcome my test, I formally acknowledge you as my new master. They had only just finished crossing blades, and yet the Genie was very polite. Nice to meet you. So, how will you help me? If you dont mind me asking Murderous thunder, Jump from foe to foe! Chain Lightning! He shouted out a magic incantation. Then, he explained himself. If you summon me, I shall cast appropriate magic on your behalf. Of course, within the limit of my Mana supply. Cast magic on my behalf? Yes. Of Blue, Red, Green, White and Black Magic types, I can cast any spell within Blue, Red and Black magic type under the seventh circle. Sungjin tilted his head. He knew that Kutan referred to the desert, but he didnt know the history of the land very well. So the strongest mage to have ever lived in Kutan can only cast three of the five schools of magic, and can only cast up to the seventh circle? And you also have mana restrictions? Ah I had voluntarily sealed myself in the lamp. Thanks to the extension of my life, I was able to spend an eternity studying and researching various forms of magic But in return, my abilities have greatly diminished. I hope you can understand. While Sungjin was feeling deeply disappointed, Soldamyr crossed his arms and reflected over his past. Before I was sealed, I was often compared to two legendary magicians who came before me the great Dark Flame Mage, Using his finger and with the help of magic, he created an illusion of two men. Sungjin didnt know who they were, but Soldamyr continued with his explanations. And the only magician to have attained perfection, the Blue Sky Mage. I have been judged to be the closest one to crack the last inner circle since the Blue Sky Mage. If I had not sealed myself, I might have been able to obtain the tenth circle, the Circle of Perfection. He kept spouting nonsense. The Genie seemed to be starved for conversation after being imprisoned in the lamp for so long. Ok got it. Well, see you next time then. Understood. If you have any question about magic, please dont forget to consult me. I may have less magic power and mana compared to before, but my knowledge has grown by leaps and bounds. Sure. Unsummon. Instantly the Genie turned into a puff of smoke and got sucked into the lamp. Since he could cast spells on Sungjins behalf, he could prove to be useful. The next item to inspect was a necklace with a yellow eye as an ornament. Bayram C Basilisks Eye Heroic Necklace Active Skill Snake Eye(III) C Paralyze enemies for 3 seconds. Cooldown 10 minutes. Giant Lizard Basilisks eye. He who gazes into this eye momentarily experiences nightmares. Sungjin recalled the moment when he had looked into the real Basilisks eye. He was able to free himself using Free Ark, but he did get paralyzed for a moment. He understood its effects after experiencing it for himself, and so now all he had to do was find the right time to use it. The last item he received was a carpet all rolled up. Al Zard C Magic Carpet Active Skill Flight(III) C Can fly for 20 minutes. Cooldown 1 hour. Far far away in the middle of the desert, a wondrous place A place where anyone would want to go at least once. That explanation seems familiar for some reason Sungjin spread open the Carpet and took a look at it. It was a little small. It was just large enough to accommodate two adults sitting on top of it. Sungjin sat upon it and tested the carpet. Flight The Carpet began to float up away from the ground. Sungjin sat for a moment pondering how do I drive this? He looked over to the large Palm Tree at the Oasis. I want to go over there The Carpet flew up rapidly and brought him over to the Palm tree. Oooh Sungjin had been planning on buying Flight after this chapter and memorizing the spell, but with this carpet, it wasnt immediately necessary. It also didnt cost any mana or anything; there were no demerits to using it to get around. Sungjin flew higher riding the magic carpet. He heard the Operator speak from the cube following him from behind. [You will return to the Hunters Hall in 10 seconds. 10, 9, 8] Sungjin continued to fly around the Kutan desert while ignoring her. She continued her countdown. [3, 2, 1, 0] Her countdown completed, and Sungjin disappeared from midair. * Haa Haa.. The black cop Baltren looked around. He could see nothing but the desert as far as his eyes could see. Did I lose them? He was running in the desert, sweating like a fountain. He wiped his sweat off his face as he whispered. Crazybastards It had looked like this chapter was going to end safely. Everyone had worked together and coordinated in killing the Basilisk; Everything was going smoothly. Although one of the hunters died during the hunt after, the raid had gone well overall. But the problem arose when someone decided to ask What is my Contribution? It turned out that the person on the team with the highest contribution was Baltren. Baltren had thought that it was due to the fact that he had effectively tanked for the team and protected the others. But, one of the hunters expressed displeasure. Why am I getting so little? And so the teammates started blaming others and arguing. Before anything could be done, they began drawing blood, fighting each other. And they even attacked Baltren who was standing by the side. The reason? Because he had the most If he had not used the item from the last raid Manmu C Pachs Club to make the other hunters feint, he would have been forced to fight for his life. Troll how did this happen He was a cop, but there was no law to defend here. He kept his watchful eye on the surroundings. Eventually, the Operator gave an announcement. [You will return to the Hunters Hall in 10 Seconds] He took a deep sigh of relief. He had never been so happy to hear the announcement. Finally, being chased by people who were even worse than monsters was over. Note: Hey everybody, we will soon be launching another project about which we made an announcement yesterday. Do check it out on the homepage, I hope yall forward to it ???? If you enjoy our work do consider supporting us Chapter 43 Chapter 43 C Black Market Fifth Shopping Sungjin sat on the floor with his legs crossed, still holding onto his sword. The place he was sitting was the Hunters Hall. It was an unimaginably immense Hall lined endlessly with pillars. Shortly, along with a shooo sound, other Hunters were teleported to the same place. Sungjin looked up at the others. Everyone was drenched in sweat and covered in sand. Once the crowd of hunters grew large enough, the Operators face showed up as a hologram above the pillars. [Congratulations!] [The hunters gathered here have all successfully cleared five chapters thus far.] Not many were happy despite her announcement. The hunters were fighting and struggling for their lives until just a moment ago. [The current number of surviving Hunters is 637,024.] [The raid began with a total of 7,310,067,613 Hunters.] [Less than 1 out of 10,000 of the original is remaining.] Sungjin tried to recall the past. He did remember that once the Kutan Desert was cleared the Operator gave an announcement about the total number of surviving Hunters, but he couldnt recall the exact amount. Well based on luck, I bet it would fluctuate greatly While Sungjin was lost in thought, the Operator continued to speak. [Everyone present here is part of the top 0.01% of the rankings.] [You have all proven your own self-worth.] Sungjin briefly thought of Serin Han and Igor. He also remembered the Coward from the first chapter. It was possible that he had survived until now although the chances were extremely slim. [Please continue to grow and become stronger] [And clear all the raids.] Briefly, the Operator disappeared and was replaced by an image of people. Sungjin decided to look away and observe other peoples faces. Everyone had deep frowns and angry faces; they were most likely being shown images of their friends and families. [To remind you] [Once the final raid is beaten,] [Everyone trapped in the Purgatory will be revived.] Someone muttered under their breath. Fuck How are we supposed to believe that? Someone else commented Theyre holding everyone hostage this is basically an extortion! But [Starting from this chapter onward, at the center of the Black Market] Despite grumbling just a second ago, once the Operator began an announcement, the hunters stopped speaking immediately; The Operators words were absolute when it came to survival in the Raids. [A new area will appear.] [It is very useful in increasing your chances of survival, so I would recommend visiting it at least once.] [You will be sent to the Black Market in 10 seconds.] Sungjin could hear people murmur around him. New area? Whats that? Its probably useless without using tons of coins. Sungjin couldnt help but think You dont need it at all! [3, 2, 1, 0.] Along with the countdown, the people gathered in the Hunters Hall were scattered to their own instances of the Black Market. * Sungjin immediately began walking once he arrived. His destination was one and only; Kenneths Katana shop. Once Sungjin was close, he asked the Operator for the amount of Coins he carried. Operator, How many Coins do I have? [You have 12550 Coins.] Sungjin nodded and then entered the shop. And as always, Kenneth welcomed him inside. Welcome back, Mister Hunter. Hey Kenneth, sorry but Can I See the Blood Vengeance again? This was already the third time. Kenneth smiled brightly and replied. Of course you can, dont be sorry. And for the third time, Kenneth brought Blood Vengeance to Sungjin. Sungjin held the sword in his hands. Then, he held the Moon Specter in the right and Blood Vengeance in the left and tried swinging the sword with the sheath on. The swords smoothly sailed through the air. Sssh Sssh Kenneth hissed while clapping. I have seen a multitude of customers wield a sword but its the first time Ive seen anyone handle two swords so proficiently. Sungjin was also very happy with himself. The Moon Specter and the Blood Vengeance; he was now able to field both swords simultaneously. With these two swords, he wouldnt need to purchase any other weapon. Sungjin lifted up the Blood Vengeance and said Please let me buy this. Operator, pay. The Cube came forward and completed the transaction. Kenneth bowed and thanked Sungjin. 9700 Coins received for one Blood Vengeance. Thank you for your business. To her sincere and polite gesture, Sungjin replied in kind by also bowing his head. Thank you as well. Then, take care. Sungjin hung the Blood Vengeance on his belt. He had finally become a Dual Wield Swordsman. Sungjin was going to go straight back to the Ninety Nine Nights, but he thought of something. Ah Thats right. At the newly created area, there was a business he had to attend to. Sungjin passed many shops to make his way to the center of the Market. In a previously empty lot, a circular stall had sprung up which was run by three pig demi-humans. Do you have anything you wish to sell? Or is there something youd like to buy? Whichever it is, please come! Sungjin walked over. The Operator began her explanation. [This is the Achi Brothers Time is money plan] [Hunters can put up items for auction at this shop, which could then be purchased by other Hunters.] Sungjin walked up to the smallest of the three pig brothers. And then Operator, give me Manta. Receiving Manta from the cube, Sungjin handed over the staff to the pig man. Please put this up for auction. The Pigman replied Oh, this is a Heroic Tier item. The Minimum payout for Heroic Tier items is 2000 coins. If someone makes a bid for the item, the item will remain available until sundown for another bid. I know. Start the auction price at 3000 and set the instant buyout at 6000 coins. Sungjin knew the general prices of items thanks to his experience. Rare was between 500 ~ 5000, Heroic between 2000 ~ 5000 and Legendary was between 5000 ~ 50,000. Unique Legendary items were priceless, but they were typically unavailable due to the advantage they offered in the raid. Just like how Sungjin had no intentions to auction Romance of the Three Kingdoms. Understood. The Pigman took the item and placed it inside a larger cube at the center of their shop. If it gets sold, we will send the earnings to Ninety Nine Nights. Sungjin nodded. To be honest, items with magic enhancements like Manta werent likely to be sold. It was because most hunters were not ready to fight exclusively with magic until after chapter 7 or 8. But as long as he kept the item available in the shop, someone was bound to buy it. The item itself was not bad at all. Another Pig demi-human approached Sungjin. Anything you would like to buy? Sungjin shook his head, but he thought he might as well ask. Well Any Legendary Tier items available for sale? There are no legendary items for sale currently. Just as he thought. It was too early for Legendary items to be in the surplus. Since Sungjin had no interest in anything less than a Legendary tier item, he left the market without worry. Ok, Ill have to check back in another time. Sungjin immediately headed off to Ninety Nine Nights. He had already decided on tonights Menu. * Slurp It was the cold noodles, in a bowl with chilled soup. Sungjin drank directly from the bowl that Dalupin served the noodles in. It was so refreshing after the torturous desert Raid. You look much better now, Master. Soldamyr said sitting across the table. Thanks to Spiritual Link he was able to stay at Ninety Nine Nights along with Cain. Of course. Kutan Desert is the only desert Ive been to. That being said, dont you need to eat something? Yes, I only need to absorb mana from the atmosphere. I see Slurp slurp Cain was busily wolfing up the chicken meat. Sungjin petted his head. Good good, eat a lot, Cain. Cain was definitely bigger now. Last time it wasnt too noticeable, but now Sungjin was absolutely certain. Cain was growing at a very fast pace each day. Does this even make sense? Sungjin wondered, but he quickly dismissed his thoughts; time itself flowed strangely in the Black Market. The Raid always began in the morning, but by the time they returned, it was late afternoon. It wouldnt be strange if several days passed while Sungjin was participating in the raid. Once he was done with his meal, See you later Soldamyr. Bye Cain. Facing his host, Sungjin thanked him. Thank you for the meal. Sungjin left and returned to his room. He was fatigued due to the desert heat. He filled the tub and lay in the bath as he always did. Haa Sungjin couldnt help but sigh. He knew it would be a tough raid, but it was far more difficult than he had anticipated. It was physically taxing, but Kill me, and continue forward. Survive to the end and save us from our imprisonment. Please, bring salvation to mankind. After killing Igor with his own hands, he felt an internal turmoil. He had forgotten somehow but Once the final raid is beaten, Everyone trapped in the Purgatory will be revived. Igor and the Operator had reminded him of his mission. Very likely, the salvation of mankind rested on his shoulders. It was a heavy burden to take. Sungjin raised his gaze to the ceiling. But this isnt something I can clear on my own If he could complete every raid by himself, it would be perfect, but that was impossible. The way the Raids had been designed, cooperation with several teammates was necessary to clear it. The further along the raid he progressed, the more important his teammates became. It was not only about having strong teammates but having teammates he could trust. But often it was difficult to find both qualities in the same person. It was true in the real world, and it was especially true in the Raid. He couldnt help but recall Igors words. In some ways, isnt this just like how the world works? Competing over limited resources? This game is structured this way; work together until you clear the raid, and then Kill. Take the contribution points by force. This is a far more profitable outcome. He wasnt wrong. The design of the Raid seemed to encourage troll activity. It would be extremely rare to be able to find kind-hearted yet strong individuals, especially in a system that rewarded team killing. So does this system favor evil over good? If that was true, then something needed to be done, considering his previous failure. Sungjin lay back in the tub and thought to himself. He recalled Serin and Igors case. If I really intend to complete the final raid I cant be the only one to grow stronger I need to overcome the system and be able to influence the raid as a whole And then he thought of something. Overcome the system. There was a place where that might be possible. Sungjin got up from the bath and wiped himself down with a towel. Knock Knock Dalupin appeared as if he knew when Sungjin might be done with the bath. Please come in Dalupin greeted him politely and then handed over a piece of paper. It is the information brochure on the next Chapter. Sungjin accepted it and asked Dalupin Dalupin I have a special request for tonight. Go ahead and ask. Please wake me up at. At 4:20 am no, make that 4:10 am. Four in the morning? The Owl demi-human stared at him quizzically, not understanding what this was about. Dalupin blinked a few times. Sungjin answered Yes. You sleep during the day anyway, right? There was not an instance where Dalupin ever refused. Understood. After he had left, Sungjin went straight to bed. He had to sleep earlier tonight. He had to wake up at 4:10 am to make it to the hidden market which opened at 4:30. TL Note: The Romance of the Three Kingdoms was called Legendary Ancient Omnibus, but in this chapter, it is called a Unique Legendary item. It seems going forward, this is the verbiage the Author will be sticking to. Just slight shift in terminology, nothing substantial changed since we already knew that only one could exist (already unique) Also, we complete our second month today as translators^^ Hope yall are enjoying our work! Chapter 44 Chapter 44 C Black Market Fifth Shopping (2) Knock Knock Sungjin opened his eyes. Soon, Knock Knock He heard the knock on the door again. Sungjin turned towards the door and said I woke up. Thank you very much Dalupin. He didnt hear anyone from the outside anymore. Sungjin got up and stretched. After lightly washing his face, he dressed up and went out the door. Dalupin was watching Sungjin while blinking. Sungjin looked towards him and said Ill be going then. But where are you going at this hour? Sungjin stopped to turn and look at him. Are you asking because you really do not know? Dalupin fell silent. Sungjin turned his body to face him. Dont be like that, Dalupin. I dont want to come to resent the man who shelters and feeds me. He was curious as to what expression Dalupin had on his face, but Sungjin left the door. Woof Cain was watching him from the outside. He wanted to follow Sungjin. Ah Cain. Dont dont come this time. Cain answered Woof woof He barked twice. It seemed he wanted to come anyway. Sungjin stared at him for a moment before replying. Ok, do as you like. Sungjin led the way into the Black Market. Cain followed closely behind him. The market was dead quiet at night. The Black Market existed for the sake of providing service to a single Hunter. If the hunter was asleep, there was no reason to continue operations. With the exception of a single shop. Sungjin was searching for a lone shop. It was hidden deep within the Black Market; It was one of the most difficult shops to locate. It should be around here But he couldnt see it. Sungjin asked the Operator. Operator, what time is it? [It is currently 4:32 am 32 Seconds.] I got here a little early. Sungjin squatted for a second to look at Cain in the eye. Cain, the place where I am going I mean, the person I am going to meet. Hes someone dangerous. I do not know for sure, but thats what I feel. So you have to remain calm, okay? Woof Cain replied with a short cry. Sungjin was playing with Cains fur when he saw the light blink on and off. Sungjin turned to look. Then he saw that it wasnt the light that blinked but the surrounding, which was suddenly growing darker. There was a shop covered in darkness. It was the darkest place in the entire market, darker than anywhere else. That must be it. Sungjin swallowed and then tried to go into the shop. But. Whine Whine Cain was acting unlike himself and was very fearful. Cain, if you dont want to come, Ill go alone. Go rest at Ninety Nine Nights. Cain paced around restlessly and then sat down. I guess he cant help it. Ok, just wait there Cain. Ill be back. Sungjin entered the darkness. Within the shop was a stairway leading down to the basement. If not for the sensation of his feet touching the stairs, he wouldnt have been able to tell there was anything there due to the sheer darkness. Sungjin slowly and cautiously made his way towards the basement. Once the stairs ended, there was a small candle lighting up in what appeared to be a bar. There was not a single customer inside. Save for an individual seated in the back corner in the dark. What a terrible taste Sungjin walked over while thinking so. The Operator gave an announcement. [This place is the hidden shop, Darker than Black] Sungjin glanced at the cube. The explanation ended there. Normally she would continue by saying This place sells a variety of Katanas You can enjoy various flavors of tea in this shop for free. But there was no such explanation for this place. Well I guess that makes sense. How fitting that there is no explanation about the purpose of this shop. Sungjin walked over to the man sitting in the corner and sat across from him. Finally, the man opened his mouth to speak. He who searches for answers finds questions, and he who searches for questions finds answers. Welcome, young one. What do you seek? Sungjin was trying to see the man across the table. He couldnt make out the details due of the darkness. The man opened his mouth and said Do you wish to see my face? Let there be light! Illuminate! A small orb of light emerged from his hands and floated above the table. Sungjin was now able to see the man. He was a human. All the other vendors were demi-humans mixed with animals. But this man was 100% human. He didnt look particularly weird, but it was strange. His facial features gave off the feeling that he was Asian, and yet at certain angles, he looked western. While Sungjin was staring at him But why does my appearance matter? His face transformed; To Igors face. Sungjin was shocked. The man continued to speak, as his face continuously shifted. This time it was Serin Something like Hiros face Appearances Baltrens face Have no value. And after the last phrase, his face returned to normal. He continued, If you have questions, ask, if you have something you need, request. I exist only to fulfill those things. Sungjin was about to say something when he was cut off. With compensation. I will do, or answer anything with appropriate compensation. Sungjin hesitated for a moment before asking It exists, doesnt it? An item that lets you move between raids. * Sungjin lifted up his coffee mug. After taking a sip, he looked into the cups content. Black Coffee. It was black, but nowhere near as black as the darkness that had surrounded him. What an apt name, Darker than Black Thinking so, Sungjin picked up a green book he had laid on top of the table. Spell Book C Polymorph 5th Class Green magic Transform the target into a sheep. Duration depends on the Magic Power. If the polymorphed target is hit, the spell is undone. Soldamyr began to speak needlessly. It is a great spell. When you face multiple enemies, it is useful for polymorphing one or two until you finish the rest. Sungjin had seen the effects firsthand, and so he knew it was a good spell. He lifted up the book higher and said Memorize The spellbook burnt up with a green light. [Spell C Polymorph memorized.] [The incantation for the spell is Discard your fangs and become a tame sheep! Polymorph!] Next, Sungjin picked up a blue book. Spell Book C Chain Lightning 6th class Blue Magic Fire a bolt of lightning that hits the target and jumps on nearby enemies. Each successive enemy hit by the lightning reduces the damage for the next target. Once again, Soldamyr piped up. This is my signature skill. I cannot count the number of enemies that I have defeated using this spell. Boasting and reminiscing about his past was his signature skill. Sungjin was about to put the Genie back in the lamp when the Genie spoke again. One thing to note is that if you previously used Polymorph on an enemy, attacking other enemies with this magic may unintentionally strike them and undo the spell. Please keep this in mind as you use the two spells you have learned. Sungjin thought his explanations made sense. He nodded. Understood. Thank you for your tips, Soldamyr. Sungjin lifted up the book and shouted Memorize The Spell book burnt up with a blue luminescence. Since he was done memorizing the spells, it was time to raise the stats. Operator Sungjin called for the Operator. He told her the stat distribution he had thought of. Increase Strength by 1500, Dexterity by 2000, Endurance by 1000, Magic Power by 700, Mind Power by 1500. [Applied.] Show me my stats. The Operator displayed his stats on the hologram. Strength 5736 4412 (+1324) Dexterity 6621 5093 (+1528) Endurance 4310 3315 (+995) Magic Power 2105 1619 (+486) Mind Power 2616 2012 (+604) Unallocated Points: 0 What he learned from the previous stat allocation was the importance of Mind Power. After raising Magic Power to a high level, he found that he was unable to use magic when he needed to. Sungjin initially thought that he would increase his magic power slowly over time, but as he saw during the Kutan Desert raid, the effects were quite powerful, and it was very comfortable fighting against monsters with spells. Incinerate everything in your path! Fireball! Without that spell, killing sandworms that popped out of the ground would have been much more annoying. Sungjin stared at the modified status window for a second. At the current state, there should be no problem with magic I think I have more than enough status points. Sungjin considered his dilemma. With his stats, there was no longer a shadow of a doubt that Sungjin could beat the raids with stats alone. There was only one issue he needed to make a decision on. Should I try the next raid with the Treasure Hunter? He didnt think that there would be any problem. Almost every chapter had turned into a treasure hunt for Sungjin anyway. With every chapter, Sungjin had grown so powerful that clearing it posed no challenge anymore. So, the most obvious choice of action was to test how it would be to keep Treasure Hunter title active. Operator, change my title to Treasure Hunter. [Applied.] Sungjin finished all his preparations, so he picked up the sandwich sitting next to his mug of coffee and took a bite. The bread was soft and the lettuce crisp. The folded piece of ham perfectly complimented the rest of the sandwich. While enjoying the sandwich, he read the sheet of paper in front of him. Information on Count Dimitris Castle Ruins Sungjin asked the Operator without looking away from the sheet. Operator, how much longer until the Raid begins? [36 minutes and 24 seconds.] Plenty of time. Sungjin slowly read the content from top to down on the information sheet. Sungjin was more nervous than usual. By the end of this raid, he was planning on buying that item which would allow Sungjin to intervene in other raids. Unlike other times, Sungjin focused on the details written on the information sheet. What caught his eyes were the section about the boss himself. Boss Count Dimitris special ability is Drink Blood. If he succeeds in drinking blood, then he regains health and is empowered. Protecting your allies is the key to success in this raid. Protecting Im not very good at this And while reading through the information page, he was teleported away, to Count Dimitris Castle Ruins. Chapter 45 Chapter 45 C Count Dimitris Castle Ruins (1) Heee~ The sound of a horses neigh could be heard from the distance. And outside the shaking carriage window, a tall tower could be seen. The moon hung low over the tower, and unknown beasts were flying in the moonlit sky. Klopp klopp klopp klopp The shaking of the carriage matched the sound of the horses hooves. The place Sungjin was summoned to was inside of a shaking horse drawn carriage. More specifically, a carriage headed towards the Castle Ruins. [Welcome. This is Count Dimitris Castle Ruins] [It is the ruins of a castle built thousands of years ago.] [Please be warned: The inhabitants of this castle] [Have lived here since the time it was built.] The Operator gave an announcement, and the carriage stopped just as she finished. The carriage was parked outside a large door. A creepy droning voice could be heard from the outside. We have arrived, sir Hunter. Sungjin finally opened the door and emerged from within. In front of the door, the carriage driver was waiting for him. The driver was missing his head. This was his second time seeing him, but it still creeped him out. I dont like this place. Sungjin walked over and stood by the entrance. Haaam~ He couldnt help but yawn. It was because he woke up very early in the morning. [Synchronizing hunters.] Sungjin blinked and watched the people as they emerged. And as was his habit, he checked their titles first. Armored Soldier Guard First Class Marksman It was then that he noticed. Sungjin thought he hadnt seen clearly, so he rubbed his eyes and squinted. Wait am I seeing this correctly? He had not mistaken. Tall stature with shaven head, strange tattoo all over; it was a monk with blue eyes. He had an appearance that would stand out anywhere. Sungjin already knew his name. Mahadas! Sungjin shouted out the name before he could hold himself. It was the first time that he ran into someone from his previous life since the restart. Above the monks head read Elite Pugilist. The monk turned to look at Sungjin. Have we met?* Yes. Yes, they have. He was one of the few that survived until the end. When only a few dozen people are left, you often ran into teammates from previous rounds. Although he wasnt lucky enough to make it to the final 10, he had partied up with Sungjin on three occasions. They have struggled together for survival. And now they ran into each other during this life very early on. What a small world Sungjin couldnt help but hold his hands and shake it. Mahadas blinked a few times and stared at Sungjin, surprised. How did you come to know me? Thanks to having met three times in Raids, Sungjin already knew his background fairly well. He was originally a professional Tae Kwon Do fighter from Canada. Once he earned the championship for North America, he was recruited into the MMA scene. His toughness was legendary and as was the reach of his punches. And with his training in Tae Kwon Do, his kicking skills were ranked very high. With perfect physique for fighting, the MMA scene eagerly anticipated his debut match. However, during a practice match, a close friend and fellow athlete, died after an accidental kick to the face. So he put behind his multimillion dollar contract and entered into a Buddhist Monastery in Korea. Gazing at Sungjin with his shocking sky blue eyes, he said If you know who I am, you must be Korean But I am nothing more than an ordinary monk now. Please forget about my past. Then, someone else in the group recognized Mahadas; Armored Soldier. He raised his face plate and said Ah, I think I recognize you too. Youve shaved but you were some sort of a fighter right? MMA or something? His facial features suggested that the man was of South American descent. Perhaps from Mexico. Mahadas turned away, feeling uncomfortable for being recognized. Thats all in the past. It was then that the tall Guard decided to speak up. Hey, its okay getting to know each other, but lets include everyone, alright? And the last person there also piped in. The short Asian First Class Marksman Yeah. I dont know if the tattooed monk is famous or not, but lets first make preparations to beat the raid. Sungjin finally let go of the Monks hands. The two hunters were right, and this was Mahadass first time meeting Sungjin. Acting friendly and familiar more than this would probably be unwelcome. It was then that the Raid Objectives popped up. Count Dimitris Castle Ruins Raid Objective C Hunt the Thousand year Count Dimitri Time limit: 1 hour 30 minutes [Raid will begin in 3 minutes.] At her announcements, the Hunters gathered up and began preparations. The Guard began with his self-introduction. I am Dominic Spencer. I am from England, and as you can see, I use the Spear. He held up his spear for others to see and then he added. I am trying out some magic spells too. Offensive spells? Either way, its fire-based magic. The Armored Soldier twirled his mustache as he spoke up. My name is Giovani. I was from Mexico No, I am from Mexico. He seemed to be hiding something. Is he an illegal immigrant? Not that it matters right now If he were anything like Santiago, it would be problematic. The Asian man holding a bow was Chinese. My name is Peng Long. Chinese. I mostly use the bow, but I am also trying out magic. Mahadas gathered his hands together in a prayer and answered My name is Mahadas. My nationality I am Canadian but it doesnt matter now. Before entering the monastery, I had been taught Martial Arts and that is what I use to fight. Sungjin glanced to his side. Because there was actually a Chinese man on the team, it would be difficult to lie. So Sungjin revealed his true Nationality. Kei. Korean. Guard Dominic Spencer took the lead. There was almost always one in a group of 5 that is able to rally the team effectively. Lets discuss what were going to do. Especially you know from the information page The boss is a vampire that can suck blood and empower himself Giovani continued to rub his mustache into a point as he spoke. It seemed to be a deeply ingrained habit. So if he sucks blood he gets several times stronger? Sungjin had experienced it before, as well as read up on the information sheet. Once he sucks someones blood, he gets fully healed, and his stats increase by several times. In the previous raid, there was a case where one of the team members got bit. And so the raid was just barely cleared before time ran out. It would be great if it was possible for me to go alone and just solo the raid Sungjin gazed up to look at the Castle Ruins. This raid was different from all the previous ones. Unlike the previous raids, this zone was not designed to be traversed solo. That is until the raid boss was defeated. It wasnt yet clear if the Hidden boss or Hidden piece could be hunted alone, but until the raid boss is cleared, Sungjin was forced to tag along with his team. Sungjin glanced at his teammates. They were planning their positions in a formation. Since Giovani is a tank, please stand in the front followed by Martial Arts Monk and the Korean Swordsmanand me. Then Peng Long in the back. Right? Right. Also I noticed that at first the weapons and roles were randomly distributed, but as time progressed, it now looks like the system assigns us to teams according to roles, dont you think so? I think youre right. 1 Tank, 3 DPS, and then backline support. Since 2 Raids ago? Something like that. He would have to wait to see their individual skill, but no one appeared to be of poor character yet. And since Mahadas was on his team, Sungjin could relax a bit. While the four men continued to talk among themselves, Sungjin was thinking by himself. First, buy the Item from Darker than Black using the raid reward and starting with the raid after that I will start to influence raids other than mine. He already had 3 Legendary items. He even owned the Unique Legendary item Romance of the Three Kingdoms. Raids no longer posed any challenge to him. It was time to start thinking of the big picture. Search through other raids and help those with good moral character, and those who arent Kill them. And handpick the final 10 myself. This was Sungjins new plan of action as a result of the Igor event. He was more than strong enough to affect as many raids as he could within the limit of his power; he needed to exert his influence over the overall raid as much as possible. The end goal was to create the Final 10 Survivors who were all incredibly talented as well as those he could trust. People upon whom he could depend on with his life. Only then, would it be possible to clear the final raid. Last time, the final 10 were all unbelievably powerful individuals. Befitting to be called Selected by the Gods. But because of this, they had bickered and argued with each other without a good sense of cooperation and camaraderie until they were all wiped out. The raids were impossible to clear with simply strong individuals. He knew by experience. Within the raids, I will rise as a new God to rewrite the rules and take control over everything. While he was thinking so Hey, Korean Teenager! The Guard Dominic was addressing him. What do you think? Sungjin didnt know how to respond for a moment. He wasnt paying attention to the conversation. Now that he noticed, everyone was looking at him. Giovani realized that Sungjin was spacing out and complained. Hey, what are you thinking? This is a matter of life and death. How can you be so irresponsible? They must have been making quite a strategy among themselves while Sungjin was day dreaming. This party appeared to be very cooperative. At least for now. What should I say? Sungjin considered his options for a moment while pursing his lips. But he decided to answer truthfully. He had to work with these people for the time being. Um. Truthfully, I dont need something like strategy. And same goes for the rest of you. Everyones eyes grew wide at his claim. Dominic narrowed his eyes out of suspicion and questioned Sungjin. What do you mean? Sungjin answered youll see. Just follow me. Instead of answering he put his right hand on Moon Specter and the left hand on the Blood Vengeance. Before he could unsheath his two swords, Peng Long commented Two Two swords? Dual Wielding? Martial Arts expert Mahadas commented as well. That shouldnt be easy to fight with This wasnt something that Sungjin could easily explain in a short time. Pulling out the two swords, Sungjin put on a fancy display of martial prowess before the others. Woosh woosh woosh woosh The two swords glistened in the moonlight. The others who had thought just a moment ago we might have a troll were left speechless. And meanwhile, the Operator announced the time remaining. [The raid will begin in 10 Seconds.] TL Note: Where we wrote Have we met? the word by word translation becomes Do you know this ?? Сˡ, Which means Lesser Vehicle, which is a way for monks to respectfully lower themselves and refer to themselves (a form of self-referencing pronoun, such as I). This is one of the few pronouns in Korean that is different (Japanese has like watashi, ore, boku, etc) Also an update on our future projects: We have started work on 2 novels currently and you can expect one of them releasing next week. The novels are The man who grows stronger by breathing and MC hides his strength (tentative titles) We are going for a mass release for both and are working on it currently ???? Do consider supporting us if you enjoy our work! Chapter 46 Chapter 46 C Count Dimitris Castle Ruins (2) [3, 2, 1, 0 Raid commencing.] At the same time, Creak The iron gates automatically opened inward. But no one was moving. They were watching Sungjins sword dance in a daze. Sungjin held the Moon Specter and Blood Vengeance in a cross and tilted his head towards the entry way. Lets go. Sungjin stood at the vanguard. Followed closely by Giovani, Mahadas, Dominic, and finally Peng Long. With the exception of Sungjin, it was the original formation. Inside of the iron gates was a large garden. Even though it was called a garden, it wasnt like it was full of life. Dried and cracked potteries, broken pieces of glass, long dead flowers and twisted up trees, the garden was full of death. Woof! Woof woof! A dogs barking could be heard from the inside. Two Doberman showed themselves, but they did not look like any ordinary Doberman. Past the rotten cheeks, the teeth could be seen, and the eyelids were missing, showing the entirety of their eyeballs; They were zombie dogs. The hunters tensed up at their grotesque appearance. With the exception of Sungjin. Sungjin slowly made his way forward. The zombie dogs backed up to keep a distance from him barking all the while. Snarl! Woof woof! They continued to threaten him. Ignoring them, Sungjin continued forward. Eventually, the dogs charged towards Sungjin. Kaa! Heavily decayed with nearly nonexistent skin, the Zombie moved much faster than a live Doberman. But Woosh Woosh With a flash of Sungjins two swords, the Dobermans were bisected instantly. Sungjin continued to walk up to the front door without any sense of caution or urgency. He felt that something was missing. Looking behind him, the Hunters were all standing with their mouth agape. Only Mahadas was looking at the Doberman corpses. Sungjin shouted out to them Arent you coming? Come quickly; we have to go together. At his words, the Hunters came running towards the Castle entryway. In front of the gates, there were five strange looking stones. You all read the information sheet, right? Lets stand on top of each stone. Obediently the Hunters followed his instructions. And once all five took their place, a bell could be heard ringing in the distance. Ding~ Ding~ Ding~ And the hunters heard a voice coming from above. Ah, welcome! Its been such a long time since we last had guests! Hunters all looked up towards the sky. A cloud of bats flew together and formed a single figure on top of the tower. It was in the form of a man with a long cape. How do you do? I am the master of this Castle. The man whose face was whiter than the moon politely bowed to them. I am Count Dimitri. He opened his mouth and smiled. His sharp fangs could be seen clearly. Everyone was taken aback by his fangs, but Sungjin had other thoughts. Wait Wait a minutehold on. I have prepared a fun recreational event for our dear guests on each floor. Sungjin quietly spoke to the Cube. It was barely audible. Operator, get me Al Zard. The magic carpet emerged from within the Cube at his request. I have spent a long time preparing these fun little entertainments so you should have lots of fun. Enough that you wouldnt want to leave ever again. Hu hu hu hu.. The Thousand Year Count Dimitri let out a strange laughter. The Hunters watched him completely absorbed. But Sungjin was distracted; he was making a plan. If I take Al Zard up to him and kill him now, wouldnt the Raid be cleared? I hope you enjoy your stay. At the same time as his farewell, Creak The gates began to lift letting out rusty noises of moving gears. Before the Count stood back up from his deep bow, Sungjin threw Al Zard forward and shouted Flight The Magic Carpet opened itself. But Pew~ Peng Longs arrow flew first. Sungjin watched the arrow fly in surprise. The Arrow made it all the way in front of the Counts nose, but with a pop the Count reverted back to a large cloud of bats. His laughter filled the sky. Hahahahaha~ Damn Sungjin chased after the bats using Al Zard. He could hear the Counts voice coming from the mass of bats. You can only play with me after youve finished with the other little recreations I have prepared for you. Please come to the top of the tower. Then, I will do my best to entertain you personally. I dont have time for that A high-speed aerial chase ensued. Sungjin chanted an incantation while chasing the bats. Murderous thunder, Jump from foe to foe! Chain Lightning A ball of lightning gathered in Sungjins right hand and was shot out of the Moon Specter like a bullet. But, a small portion of the bats separated from the main mass and prevented the main body from being harmed. The bats that were hit by the lightning fell to the ground, but the masses of bats continued to escape. Once the bats reached the other side of the castle, they flew towards the moat. Sungjin began to recite a different spell. Incinerate everything in your But while he was doing so, the bats began to enter the sewer built on the inside of the moat. Sungjin quickly finished off the rest of the incantations. path! Fireball! He fired the fireball, but most of the bats made it into the sewer. Boom The fireball exploded and greatly damaged the entry way. Sungjin flew to the front of the sewer to look at it. It was very small. It would hardly fit a human being, or even Cain (albeit he did grow bigger recently). Welp. Sungjin returned to the front entrance of the castle using the Magic Carpet, filled with disappointment. The hunters watched him return. Did you manage to catch him? Giovani asked. Sungjin knocked on the Cube next to him and replied If that were the case, this guy would have said something. Sungjin glanced at Peng Long. Because of his arrow, the Count was able to get a bigger head start. I cant really tell him off though since all he wanted to do was help Sungjin shook his head and entered the castle. The other Hunters followed suit. The interior of the castle was dark. Dominic looked over to the cube and said Operator, I still have that lantern from the Cemetery, right? Please take it out for me. You dont need it Sungjin thought to himself, but he didnt say anything. He didnt want others to know this was already his second time experiencing everything. While the hunters were busy trying to light up the lanterns, Ti ta dii~ From the dark, a violin and other classical instruments began to play an orchestral song. At the same time, the lights in the castle came on. On the first floor was a large corridor. The previously pitch black ceiling was now brightly illuminated by chandeliers. Daa~ raa ta da~ The classical music continued to play in the background while Hahahahaha~ Hohohohoho~ Unnaturally laughing pairs of men and women appeared. The men wore a dress suit, and the women wore a fancy dress. The couples danced to the tune of the music, but each of them wore strange looking masks. The hunters faces had various emotions displayed on them. Dominic muttered This chapter just what It was written in the Information sheet but it was still odd to experience it first hand. Sungjin addressed the hunters. Dont be put off by them, stay alert. And in a moment during the middle of the song, suddenly Bang A loud smashing of the keys of the Piano could be heard, and the music stopped playing. Sungjin turned to the hunters and informed them Ok, it begins now. I will take care of most of them, so try to hunt safely. Keee ta taan~ ta ta taan~ The elegant and graceful music was replaced with an eerie screechy sound. The dancing couples threw away their masks all at the same time. Ugh Someone gagged upon seeing their faces. Behind the masks were deathly white faces, with fangs showing from their lips. Their faces twisted into a wicked grimace, and they began to screech. KYAA! Youre supposed to bait one of them at a time and fight them, but Sungjin muttered something. He held the Moon Specter and Blood Vengeance like a cross and charged alone into the narrow corridor. The well-dressed vampires also came charging towards Sungjin. Unlike the other kinds of undead, these were extremely fast. But there was no way these vampires could match the power of Sungjin who was wielding Legendary Tier swords in each hand. With each swing of his sword; heads, arms, and legs were cut off. While Sungjin charged onwards through the Corridor like a hurricane, a few stragglers began to attack the other four Hunters. Wait! Here they come! Careful! Giovani came to the Vanguard and raised his shield. Dominic raised his spear, and Peng Long nocked an arrow. But Taha! Mahadas dashed forward and kicked one of the vampires. He broke the chin of a female Vampire in a single blow. He turned to face the Male vampire and said Overheat With the command, the gauntlet he wore glowed bright red. Using the bright red gauntlet, he landed a punch exactly on the vampires diaphragm. Splat A strange sound erupted; A sound that was difficult to imagine that it could come from a human being. Wheeze The Vampire let out a strange sound of agony. When Mahadas pulled back his fist, a large hole had been punched through the vampires stomach. Giovani, who had been tense, lowered his shield. Dominic and Peng Long also relaxed their weapons for a moment. Taha! Mahadas began to hunt the multitude of Vampires with incredible speed and power. The Korean ahead of them already formed a mountain of vampire corpses. The three remaining Hunters glanced at each other. They understood deep inside. This raid could probably be cleared with just the two of them. But Peng Long began loosing arrows towards the Vampires in the distance. Giovani and Dominic saw that and also prepared their weapons. Uryah! They charged towards the Zombies. * Guard Dominic swung his Spear around, and couldnt help but feel that this chapter was very strange. The chapter is one thing but the teammates, especially those two Just surviving from chapter to chapter was a struggle. Had been a struggle. It was nice to get high contribution percentage, but survival came first. He had fought hard for the sake of his own survival first, and contribution second. But there was something very different with this chapter. The Korean teenager who charged onwards, slicing off limbs of vampires like a human tornado using two swords. And the monk who beat the monsters to a pulp using his fist. Between the two of them, he had to work hard to scrape together contribution points. He was also part of the top 0.01% of the best Hunters among humanity. No matter how strong the allies are, they cannot gift contribution points Dominics weapon was a Spear. It was a weapon designed to fight enemies from behind the cover of the tank. But right now, the tank Giovani wasnt able to get any points either. The Korean and the monk were rushing ahead killing everything in sight rendering defense and ranged support unnecessary. Peng Long had been able to try and get some contribution by shooting enemies far into the distance, but Dominic had no such ranged abilities. After considering his options, the only solution he could come up with was to charge ahead with his spear, even if he had to put himself at risk. The Vampire whose jaws were shattered was wandering about in front of him. Yaaah! He charged forward and stabbed at the Vampires head with his spear. Stab With a piercing noise, the Vampire died without even being able to let out a cry. He felt a rush of adrenaline upon hunting the undead. What if my teammates arent strong, but it is the enemies that are weak? Dominic thought as he charged towards another Vampire. Chapter 47 Chapter 47 C Count Dimitris Castle Ruins (3) After killing a single Vampire with his spear, Dominic scanned the hallway for another lone Vampire. There He took his spear and charged forward once more. Hhey! Someone shouted at him from behind, but he ignored it. If he didnt do something, he would be left with no contribution points to speak of. Dont worry; I am also skilled. He answered. Endless Needle! He shouted as he clashed against the Vampires. He aimed for the neck and stabbed with the spear. Kyaa! The Vampire tried to dodge the spear by tilting its head, but the weapon suddenly split into dozens of spears. And one or two of them pierced through the Vampires neck. Kuh! The Vampire grabbed the newly formed holes in its neck and fell to the ground. He had now taken two down and was feeling more confident. He searched for additional targets. Luckily he found a female Vampire wandering by herself in the distance. It turned to look at Dominic and screeched. Kaa! So you are his pair! He cast a spell Flying ball of flames, Fire bolt! The Fire Bolt he fired was aimed at the Vampires feet. The Vampire jumped high into the sky. But this is what he was aiming for. It would be easier to target enemies in the air. I shall send you with your partner. He watched the Vampire in the air to time its landing and have it land on the spear. However, Ugh He felt piercing pain on one of his legs. He couldnt move his feet. He looked down to see. The Vampire he thought he had defeated had stabbed his ankle with its long nails. It was still alive despite the holes in its neck. Dominic opened his eyes wide. But despite the pain and the surprise attack, he shouldnt have taken his eyes away from his other foe. Kaaa! The female Vampire that dodged the Fire Bolt earlier was now upon him. He turned to look at her. She was descending faster than he had anticipated. They can fly? His realization came too late. The Vampire was already past the spear tip. Dominic tried to take a step back, but his feet were held down by another Vampire. The Vampire flew into his embrace, ten claws scratching his back open. Aaah! He screamed out loud in agony due to intense pain, but it was not over yet. The Vampire clamped down on his neck and drew blood. Ack.. His vital was ripped open, and the blood supply to his brain stopped. Dominic felt faint, and he started losing consciousness. But before he passed out Pa! A sword came flying from somewhere and pierced the Vampires head. The hands holding Dominic loosened up. Haa! The sword came flying back and cut through the neck of the Vampire sucking his blood. The head fell off, and along with it, the fangs holding onto his neck. Ta ho! Mahadas appeared and kicked away the head of the Vampire holding his leg. He caught Dominic as he was about to fall over Are you alright? Kyaa! A crowd of Vampires tried to take advantage of the situation and surround them, but Giovani appeared and blocked them with his shield. Meanwhile, Pew Peng Longs arrows pierced through one of the Vampires arms. Giovani pushed the Vampires back with his Shield and Axe. While Giovani was buying time, Kei appeared out of nowhere and severed the heads of all the Vampires like the wind. The surviving Vampires were finished up in moments, and the battle was over for now. Giovani looked over to Dominic to scold him for running ahead alone. I told you to But he stopped himself once he saw Dominics ashen face. * Once Sungjin was done dealing with the last Vampire, he returned to the other hunters side. At the center lay Dominic. Sungjin inspected Dominics state. Why did he overdo it? He was able to save Dominic thanks to Telkron C Jesters Gloves, but his state looked dire. He was bleeding from his ankle and neck profusely. If I was even a little bit slower he would have already died. But if he got bitten by a Vampire Mahadas recited an incantation. By my authority, close the wound and remove the pain, Heal! A white light spilled out of his hands and covered Dominics injuries. His wounds disappeared wherever the light touched. Sungjin pursed his lips and gazed at him. He still uses white magic Mahadas was no tank, but because he fought without a weapon, he had to fight at the very front lines resulting in him getting injured often. So in the previous life, Mahadas had used various white magic, recovery magic, and buff magic. It was a wise decision. Thanks to Mahadass magic, Dominics condition improved. But his state was still strange. Are you alright Dominic? Dominic finally spoke I feel fine but somethings weird I feel dizzy. Sungjin asked the operator while watching Dominic. Operator, how long does Blood Curse last? [Blood Curse, duration is 30 minutes.] Peng Long asked Blood Curse? Sungjin frowned. Peng Longs reaction reaffirmed his suspicion. The information sheet did not contain any mention of the Vampires bites. Information sheet? Wheres the info? Sungjin came to distrust the Information sheet for this reason. Although it was informative, it always redacted few key information necessary to complete the raid. Sungjin was about to open his mouth to explain the effects of the Blood Curse, but Mahadas calmly asked the Operator. Operator, what is the Blood Curse? The Operator gave an explanation in her usual expressionless tone. [Blood Curse (Debuff): Duration 30 minutes. Lower all status points by 30% for the duration of the curse. Once the time runs out, the curse kills the target, and the target is reborn as a Vampire.] Giovani whispered. Kills my God. Is there no cure? Peng Long replied I checked every item in the consumable shop, but Ive never seen anything that reverts curses. Sungjin shook his head. This is not a poison; Its a curse. Does anyone have Remove Curse or Scroll of Remove Curse? Everyones eyes grew large. It was probably their first time hearing about a curse. Dominics eyes lost its lustre as he fell into despair. Everyone fell into silence. Sungjin thought about it for a moment. Remove Curse Soldamyr said that he couldnt use White or Green schools of magics There was no immediate answer. But, there was still a way. The only way available to them. Sungjin told them immediately. Even if we dont have Remove Curse, there is still a way to save him. The only way. Mahadas asked How? Complete the Raid before 30 minutes are up. As you all know, if you get teleported back to the Black Market, all your injuries go away. Everyone nodded at his words. Even if one took an otherwise fatal wound, if they were to be teleported to the Black Market, all their wounds would disappear as if nothing had happened. But there was a problem with this method as well. Operator, how much time is left until the Raid is over? [1 hour 19 minutes and 4 seconds.] Everyone turned to stare at Sungjin, thinking so its impossible after all. None of them had ever experienced being teleported back early; they had always been sent back when the time ran out. Even if we dont hit the time limit, if we reach 100% completion for the raid Sungjin was about to say, but he decided against it. I will do my best to save him, so please trust me. Giovani. Yes? What? Giovani answered in panic at being called out. Please protect Dominic. Even though his status points were decreased, you two should be able to keep each other safe if you two work together. Ah, got it. Giovanis helm moved up and down twice. Sungjin now looked over to Peng Long and Mahadas. You two, hunt with me. As fast as you can possibly manage. The other two men nodded as well. They havent had a chance to speak properly, but they already understood his strength; they trusted him. Let us hurry then. Sungjin pointed towards the elevator on the far side. Within the elevator was the same circular formation as the castle entrance. Please go stand on them. Everyone took their spots. Once all 5 of them took their place the elevator began to climb. Even if one of them died, they had to carry the corpse and place it on the slot in order for the elevator to continue moving. This part was written on the information sheet, although it didnt help improve their chances of survival. Clang clang clang clang The elevator made worrisome noises as it began to climb. Sungjin was thinking about various things as the elevator moved up. Will I be able to kill the hidden boss and find the secret location within 30 minutes? I can try but Still, there were two things going right for the team. First was that the monsters were not spaced far apart like in Ahennas forest or the Kutan Desert. They were all gathered up in the same floor. So all they had to do was clear each floor as fast as they could and kill Count Dimitri and the hidden boss within the thirty minute time frame. Second, he decided to bring Treasure Hunter this time rather than Master Hunter. He would be able to find both of the hidden elements of this raid faster than any previous raids. Of course, the thirty-minute window was extremely difficult to overcome. Sungjin glanced at Dominic. His face was very pale. If 30 minutes are not enough then with my own hands Sungjin reviewed his options while having such thoughts. Keep Romance of the Three Kingdoms for the Hidden boss. I may have to face the hidden boss alone. Then the only other thing I could use to reduce the time spent is Sungjin took out Cains wooden figurine and Soldamyrs golden lamp. He threw the figurine into the air and rubbed Soldamyrs lamp. Soon, Woof woof! Did you summon me, master? Two loyal summons appeared before him. The others stared at Sungjin out of surprise. Meanwhile Ding! The Elevator reached level 2. Level 2 was the Spider room. Due to the large amount of giant spider webs laid out, trying to clear the room normally would take considerable time and effort. But this time was different. Sungjin ordered Soldamyr. Soldamyr. Yes, master. Sungjin nodded. Burn them all. At his command, Soldamyr began an incantation. Eternal Flames of Hell! Blinding light and heat formed in Soldamyrs hands, and the Spiders in the room turned towards the Elevator. One or two began to make their way towards the elevator, but it was too late. Inferno! The ball of fire left Soldamyrs hands and quickly spread to everything it touched, setting them ablaze. Kiiii~ High-pitched screeches of the spiders filled the air as they cried out in agony. Several spiders ran amok across the room while on fire. It was a scene straight out of hell. While the other hunters were afraid to make a move, Lets go Cain. Woof! A lone man and his trusty wolf ran into the room. Chapter 48 Chapter 48 C Count Dimitris Castle Ruins (4) Peng Long took a glance behind him. The room was littered with corpses of spiders. Spiders that were burnt to death, sliced to pieces, head kicked in and bitten to death by a wolf. Giovani rebuked him from ahead. Hey, what are you doing, Chinese man? Get on. Peng Long looked forward again. The other four hunters, the Genie and the Wolf, were all in the elevator waiting for him. Ah, ok. Peng Long then took his spot on the elevator. Clang clang clang clang Once all the Hunters were in place, the Elevator began to rise again; the metal scraped against the walls. While the Elevator was moving, Peng Long glanced at Dominics face for a moment. His face was as pale as death, without a hint of vitality. The Vampires curse seemed to have sucked not only the stat points but also his motivation. It was understandable; 30 minutes left in his life with the clock ticking away. Then suddenly Sniff sniff sniff The large wolf went around the Elevator smelling everyone. Peng Long glared at the wolf. Ever since Ahennas Forest where he had almost perished upon being bitten by wolves, he had come to hate them unconsciously. The Korean hunter then issued a command. Cain, settle down. With one command the wolf obediently walked over and sat next to his feet like a tame puppy. Just a moment ago the Wolf was ripping the Spiders apart like a ferocious beast. He sure is loyal to his master While he was lost in thought, Kei suddenly spoke to him Mr Peng Long. Ah Yes? Do you have any abilities that allow you to fire multiple shots at once? Peng Long thought for a moment before replying. Ah, well I can use Split Arrow. I He began to try and explain to them verbally, but instead, he stopped and opened up the status window of his bow to simplify things. Dragons Claw Bow C Bow of Johan Heroic Bow C Strength A Dexterity B Active skill Split Arrow (III)* After the initial arrow hits, several magical arrows gets fired in the same general area. Cooldown 5 minutes. Dragons Eye (III)** Fires an audible arrowhead to sense enemies out of the line of sight. Cooldown 5 minutes. Bow wielded by the leader of the legendary 4 Great Thieves, Johan. It is said that the effectiveness of the bow greatly depends on the wielder. Its like this. Kei read the status window briefly and nodded. Then when I give the signal, shoot as many arrows as you can into the suits of armor. Peng Long tilted his head. Hmm? Which suits of armor? Peng Long wanted to ask, but Kei already turned his head towards the Genie and gave him instructions. Soldamyr, prepare your Chain Lightning. Understood, Master. While Peng Long was still out of it, the Elevator stopped moving. Ding! Accompanied by the bell, the Elevator doors opened. Unlike the first floor where they were greeted by dancing couples and music, and the spider swarm on the second floor, the third floor was dead silent. In the long corridor, there was nothing but rows upon rows of empty suits of armor donned on top of Mannequins. What kind of room is this? Where are the enemies? Giovanni asked. Peng Long thought to himself How did this man know that the next floor will have suits of armor? Peng Long also doubted that the man would answer his questions. Kei gestured to him and said Ok begin shooting. Aim to hit as many enemies as you can. Enemies? Peng Long was filled with questions, but he decided to act as he was asked to. Starting with the Blood Curse, he knew far too much. Even details not displayed on the Information sheet. Peng Long looked up at the ceiling. High above, a Chandelier was glistening where it hung. That should work. He aimed for the Chandelier and shouted Split Arrows! His arrow accurately hit the Chandelier, and once it struck, dozens of magical arrows appeared and scattered all over the room. It hit a majority of the suits of armor standing in neat rows. Intruders detected. To Arms Defend the master The Mannequins wearing suits of armor came to life, brandishing their weapons. Their speed wasnt all that impressive. Giovani readied his axe and shield. But Sungjin held him back. Wait for it Wait for it. The Suits of Armor came alive and began marching towards the elevator in a single file, perfectly in sync with their footsteps. Just a bit more Kei waited just a bit longer, and then he gave the Genie the signal. Soldamyr. The Genie immediately chanted an incantation. Murderous thunder, Jump from foe to foe! At the same time, Kei shouted out the same incantation as the Genie. Murderous thunder, Jump from foe to foe! Sparks of energy began to gather in their hands. Chain Lightning! Chain Lightning! A blinding light shot out from both hands and flew towards the approaching army. The suit of armor in the front was hit and was lit on fire, while the lightning continued to jump from suit to suit. Those hit by the lightning fell one by one. Only a few survived the attack and were standing on the far end of the room. Lets go! The heavily armored enemies looked very tough, but due to the fact that they already took damage from the lightning bolt earlier, they were easily broken by even Giovani and Dominics attacks. The third floor was cleared in the blink of an eye. The Hunters quickly boarded the Elevator and took their places. The elevator began to climb again. * Sungjin searched his memories. What was on the fourth floor again? He remembered. It was Frankensteins monster room. It wasnt very fast, so it didnt prove to be very threatening, but it had such a high HP that it took forever to kill. I think last time we attacked it nonstop for close to 10 minutes The Frankensteins monster felt like a mid-boss. In fact, in terms of HP, it had a higher hp than any other enemies Sungjin had fought so far; even greater than Count Dimitris himself. It was inevitable that fighting Frankensteins monster would take a bit of time. Sungjin looked down at his two swords, Moon Specter and Blood Vengeance. I guess it wouldnt be bad to test out how high my specs really are. But Ugh Dominic held his forehead and began to moan. There was no time to waste. He had to try his hardest to pull through. Sungjin turned to Soldamyr. Soldamyr, do you have any debuff magic that lowers the enemys defenses? Of course. Then use it right away on the enemy that will appear. Acknowledged. Sungjin turned to the other hunters and said Please give me a hand with the next one. Attack it with everything youve got. Peng nodded, Mahadas gathered his hands into a Prayer and answered. Certainly. Ding! The Elevator stopped, and the bell rang. The fourth floor was a laboratory. Unfamiliar tools and unknown chemicals lay all over the place. And at the center was a Giant, who stood still with his eye closed. Once the Hunters entered the floor, the strange contraption surrounding the giant began to move. It injected strange chemicals into the giants chest, and sparks of electricity zapped its head. Kraugh! Lets go! Sungjin yelled as he dashed forward. Soldamyr chanted a spell. Fragile body, broken will, Weakness! A strange black light appeared over its head. Pew Peng Longs arrow hit its head dead on, but Frankensteins Monster wasnt something that would die with just that. Sungjin ran in brandishing his Dual Swords. Haa Yaah! He ran in shouting. Taho! Mahadas came flying in with a kick. Sungjins swords impaled deep into the monsters chest, and Mahadass kick landed square on its chin. * Clang Clang Clang Clang The Elevator began moving up again. Sungjin looked behind him. The Frankensteins Monster lay there bloodied and in pieces. This time it took about a minute? Last time with all five Hunters it took almost 10 minutes, but this time it ended much quicker. Sungjin looked down at his swords. The damage is on a whole new level compared to last time. The other hunters wouldnt know, but Sungjin could tell the difference after having fought the Frankensteins Monster the second time. I might really be able to complete the raids by myself Sungjin took a look at the people around him. Like a true monk, Mahadas showed no change in his state; he was standing peacefully. But Giovani and Peng Longs expressions looked grim. Even though the Raid was progressing well, they looked concerned. Sungjin thought to himself, It must be because of the Contribution level. He understood their feelings somewhat. If it were something like a desert or the cemetery where he could go alone, they wouldnt be able to tell just how much contribution Sungjin was taking. But from beginning to end, the party members could directly see just how much Sungjin had taken for himself; watching 70~80% of the contribution points being monopolized right in front of their eyes must have felt very threatening. Even if they were weaker than Sungjin, these people were all within the top 0.01%; one of the strongest representatives of Humanity. They knew by experience that if they fail to grow stronger now, they will die for sure later on. The cause of why Dominic acted rashly wasnt difficult to guess. But it isnt as if I could afford to simply stop my growth This was a dilemma, and Sungjin was fully aware of the implications. Becoming stronger meant weakening his allies, and in most cases indirectly getting them killed. Becoming moderately stronger was better for his teammates, but Sungjin had become immensely powerful in the last five Raids. Even Mahadas, who survived until the late game in the previous life, was having difficulty squeezing out any respectable amount of contribution points. Whereas, without Sungjin, he could have potentially gotten as much as 40% contribution. And this side effect could only grow worse over time. The rich grows richer and the poor grows poorer.*** Just like in reality. The strong takes the larger share of the contribution and grows even stronger. Back on Earth, Sungjin had been part of the poorest of the population. But here, he was part of the richest No. He was simply the richest one of all. Once again, Igors words echoed in his mind. Isnt this just like how the world works? Sungjin bit his lips. Igor was definitely a vile man, but his words continued to stick in his mind. Sungjin shook his head. He decided to erase Igor from his memories. This is the last time I monopolize all the points. Using the points from this round, I will obtain that item from Darker than Black and this wont happen anymore. He will clear the boss together with the team but leave the trash mobs alone for the others to take. And for himself, he will hunt enemies while jumping from raid to raid. With this method, the current dilemma will naturally resolve itself. This game is structured this way Sungjin replied to the memory in his head. Just because the structure is retarded does not mean that I have to act like a retard as well. Sungjin steeled his heart. This was the last time when he was going to be manipulated by the system. Starting with next raid, he will freely travel between dimensions. Ding! The elevator bell rang as the door slid open. This was the fifth floor; the final level. In front of them, stood a well-dressed Count Dimitri waiting. [Warning!] [Boss Monster Thousand Year Count Dimitri has appeared!] TL Notes: *- Ability and item name from the game called Kingdom of the Winds, by Nexon (which is more than 20 years old now) **- Reference to Hanzo from Overwatch. (lots of Koreans complain that the one and only archer in Overwatch is a Japanese man, despite Koreans having far more legendary archers throughout history.) *** ??? ??? 渻 ؚؚ C Literal Translation is Wealth brings more wealth, Poverty brings more Poverty. Somewhat philosophical. Those who are rich know how to make money and do what is necessary to improve continuously, those who are poor do not know how to make money and do not do what is necessary to improve falling behind further and further. With this, we have now released 50 chapters of Master Hunter K. Oh but theres more! Click On the Next Chapter button for a Christmas surprise from us ???? Chapter 49 Chapter 49 C Count Dimitris Castle Ruins (5) Count Dimitri waited for them, dressed up in a fancy suit. And like before, he greeted them in an overly polite manner. Congratulations for making it to the top. Did you enjoy the recreation I had prepared for you? Sungjin didnt have time for idle chat. Pa! He threw the Blood Vengeance towards the Count. It was thrown right on target, but once it almost reached the Count, he burst into a cloud of bats and dodged the sword. He could hear the Counts annoying laughter from the swarm of bats. Hahahahaha~ Haa! Sungjin recalled the Blood Vengeance. The bats flew towards the podium and reformed into a human shape. The Count grinned mischievously as he commented, My my how eager It seems as though my servants werent able to provide a satisfactory entertainment for you all. The Count drew his Rapier. Then as the Master, I will be personally entertaining you all. Count Dimitri was a difficult boss to defeat. The annoying bat transformation, his immense speed, ability to cast magic, highly intelligent and the blood sucking ability. If he manages to grab one of the teammates even once, he becomes fully healed and empowered. Sungjin had to kill him before he had a chance to bite one of his teammates. So he charged towards the Count brandishing his two legendary swords. Count Dimitri waited for Sungjin to approach with his Rapier. The Count must have thought he could contest Sungjin with his Rapier. But for the first time, the Counts confident smile crumbled. Clang clang! In just two strikes, the Rapier was knocked out of his hands. He took a step back with eyes wide open. I wont let you escape Sungjin prepared his sword and slashed at the Count. But the feedback on the sword felt strange. Bang Along with the sound, the Count turned into bats and flew away. Meanwhile, the Count shouted an incantation. What is real is fake and what is fake is real! Illusion! Suddenly the swarm of bats multiplied. They flew higher into the air, before splitting into four parts and landing on four corners of the room. The four swarms assumed human forms once more. There were four Counts now. The others fell into a panic. Sungjin first returned to the group of hunters; it would be annoying if one of them were bit. Sungjin addressed the team. Damage dealers, its nice if you can attack, but it is more important to avoid being bitten. Especially Giovani, please stick close to the team and protect them. Got it. Soldamyr, do you have magic that can be used to differentiate the real from the illusions? You can always set it on fire to see if it turns to ash. Ah right Sungjins reply was thick with disappointment. Soldamyr bowed his head to apologize. I apologize, for not being able to use White Magic No, its fine. Just pick one of them on the right side and fire a spell at it. It will be done, Master. Sungjin looked down next and spoke. Cain, you take the one on the left. Ill ring the bell. Woof. Finally everyone else, please cooperate against that one back there. Ok. The four hunters answered together. Once Sungjin was done giving out instructions, he counted down. 3, 2, 1, lets go! Sungjin took out the Manyata from his pocket and rang it as he charged towards the Count. He didnt know if this was an illusion Incinerate everything in your path! Fireball! Soldamyr shouted an incantation. Grrr! Cain snarled as he flung himself at the Count. Taho! Mahadas charged in with a shout. Sungjin slashed at the Count. The Count seemed to shrivel, then fell apart in half before disappearing. Illusion! Which one is real? Sungjin looked around. Soldamyr shook his head. Cain was also left alone in his corner. The only one remaining was the one behind the others. The four of them were all looking up towards the ceiling. Sungjin followed their gaze and found the Count hovering over them; He was reciting an incantation. Steel-cutting Blades of Wind! Wind Cutter! Several green blades appeared at the end of his fingers and flew towards the hunters. Get behind me! Giovani raised his shield and tried to protect the hunters behind him, but he wasnt fast enough. Pi pi pit! Several blades were blocked by the shield, but others found their mark on Peng Long. Ugh The magical blades cut through his armor and left an injury. Sungjin ran towards the last remaining Count, but he rose back in the air and What is real is fake and what is fake is real! Illusion! Cast his spell and split apart again. Grrr Sungjin grounded his teeth. The Count was an irritating enemy to fight. The other hunters gathered up without having to be told by Sungjin. Even one victim could restore and empower the Count. The Count finished splitting into four again. Master, the time has run out. Woof! Woof woof! His two summons announced their time was over. Ah 10 minutes must had elapsed since their summon. Cain returned to his wooden form, and Soldamyr returned to his lamp. The options have shrunk now. Mahadas, take the left, Dominic take the right, Giovani and Peng Long take the one in the back Would have been great to be able to say, but if even one person gets bitten, the situation could only grow worse. Sungjin decided to change his mind. He was feeling rushed due to Dominics condition, but he decided to take it cautiously and take this situation calmly. I feel sorry for Dominic, but Ill have to take my time and handle all four on my own. Trying to rush this one though could cause an unintended casualty. Sungjin made up his mind and was about to jump into action when he noticed blood. He saw drops of blood in the room. It wasnt splattered all over the room, only in certain locations. Where did it come from? Sungjin searched his memories. The first time he faced the Count, he had thought that his sword brushed up against something. The Count could have been injured at that time. No, he must have been injured by that strike. All the illusions had a cut on their left arm. And there was only one which still had blood dripping from it. That must be the real body. Sungjin whispered to Peng Long who stood next to him. Peng, blood. Peng Long understood him with just those two words. Sungjin charged at him right away. Unlike last time, it seemed to have been taken aback. The Count recited an incantation. Stiff muscles and cramped legs, Slow! Sungjins movements slowed down slightly, and the Count immediately retreated into the air and turned into bats.. Illusion He didnt seem to understand how Sungjin was able to tell the fake. Even after the bats split into four, one of the swarm was still dripping blood. Peng! Sungjin shouted despite being slowed down. Peng drew his arrows and yelled. Split Arrows! His arrow flew straight and true. It landed on one of the bats of the swarm, and many magical arrows appeared nearby piercing all the bats around it. His skill landed dead on. Sungjin ran through the dead bats falling out of the air and returned the Moon Specter back into the sheath. The moment he saw the bats resume human form he yelled Deathly Wail! KYAAAAAA For a moment, the Vampire let out a cry of agony matching the tune of the screech of Sungjins skill. * Giovani just barely regained his sanity after a few moments of trembling in fear. He was slightly embarrassed, but the feeling went away quickly. DDie! Dominic was stabbing his spear in the air while hallucinating. Eeek! Peng Long was running amok in the distance. Mahadas had his eyes closed in meditation. Giovani scanned his surroundings to search for the Vampire and Kei. But the Operator gave an announcement. [Boss Count Dimitri Cleared!] [Returning to the Black Market in 1 hour 2 minutes and 45 seconds.] He saw in the distance Kei swinging his swords to shake the blood off of the blades before returning them to his sheath. Giovani saw the Counts beheaded corpse lying at Keis feet. He breathed a sigh of relief. But Kei came up to him and said Lets go. 15 minutes have passed until now so we should have close to 15 minutes remaining. There isnt much time to waste. Giovani was surprised at his words. Dominics complexion continued to grow paler, so something had to be done. But he still had a question. But where are we going? To that Kei replied Ah, thats right. Kei clapped once when he realized something and turned to speak to the Operator. Operator, Ill use the Treasure Hunter active once. Please give me a hint about a secret place or a hidden boss. [I will first inform you about the secret place in the map.] What is? Giovani began to ask, but Sungjin cut him off and put his finger on his lips. Shh The Operator began to speak in a similar manner to how she gives warnings. [A wandering merchant from lands afar,] [Climbed the mountain carrying his treasure.] [Finding a castle, he celebrated in joy;] [Master of that castle will pay for my treasures.] [But the only thing awaiting him at the old castle] [Were grotesque monsters and beasts, so he ran.] [But he was soon caught and turned into a cocoon.] The Operators explanation ended, and Giovani turned to look at Kei with more questions than before. But then Kei suddenly began to talk to himself. Wandering Merchant from afar Turned into a cocoon He muttered. Then he opened his eyes wide and began to walk towards the door. Lets go! Everyone was completely out of it. But they didnt have a choice but to listen to him. The hunters all took their spot in the elevator, and it began to move again. Clang Clang Clang Clang The elevator noisily made its way down. Meanwhile, Mahadas who had been quiet until now respectfully raised a question. Excuse me, but what is it that you are trying to accomplish? Kei answered his question. Ah This is a type of side quest which gives you a treasure as a reward. Treasure? Peng Long showed heightened interest at his words. Yes. Youll see when you get there. I think you all are very lucky. That guy his personality is a bit well, it should prove to be helpful. Giovani then turned to ask a question. What do you mean by helpful? Instead of answering the question, Kei said something else while drumming his fingers over his lips. You were all worried about getting low contribution points this round, right? Giovani, Peng Long, and Dominic all flinched. It was a sore topic to all of them. Kei continued to speak. The guy were about to meet will make you all a great deal. All of you should be able to get something good out of this. Kei continued to speak around the topic. Treasure is treasure, and a deal is a deal but whats going to happen to me? Dominic asked. Kei glanced at him. Ah Now that you mention it it might get solved rather easily Dominic tilted his head in confusion. What do you? At that moment Ding! The elevator Rang and they returned to the 4th floor at the Frankensteins Monsters room. In order to go down, they had to cross the room to the other Elevator on the other side. Kei quickly made his way across the room as he spoke. Please quickly follow me. And trust me, you wont regret it. Giovani remained curious about what he meant. Where are we going anyway? Kei answered. She said Cocoon earlier right? Were going to the Spiders room on the 2nd Floor Note: A short update on Main Character Hides His Strength. We are trying to do a mass release so that you have a good sum of chapters to read. But, we do not want to provide a serviceable read, we want to provide you the best read possible. We are hard at work on it and are sadly unable to make the mass release today. We will try our best to release it by Tuesday. Chapter 50 Chapter 50 C Count Dimitris Castle Ruins (6) Ding! Along with the sound of the bell, the five hunters arrived on the 2nd floor. The room still smelled of burning flesh. Sungjin took the lead and surveyed the room. Everyone, please search for a cocoon. There should be one hidden away somewhere around here. The four hunters began searching the surroundings. This was their first time looking carefully around the castle. They werent able to earlier due to the time limit. Cocoon where could it be? Sungjin used the Blood Vengeance and the Moon Specter as a prod to check areas covered by spider webs. But there werent very many spots left. Spider webs were very flammable, and the entire room had been lit at some point. Eternal Flames of Hell! Inferno! The spell Soldamyr had cast a few minutes ago was mighty to behold. It had caused collateral damage far exceeding what is possible with Fire Ball; It had turned the entire room into a scene from hell. Sungjin was worried. Did we accidentally kill him? Sungjin combed the whole floor, praying that he was wrong. Finally, Giovani called out to the others. Hey guys, look here! Everyone rushed to his side to see what he had found. He had found a small waterway. A small gap was put in between the stone to allow the water to flow freely. The waterway flowed across the room and was designed to drain out of the room through a dark opening blocked by vertical metal bars. Operator, Lantern Peng Long took out the lantern from the cube and checked inside the opening. Sungjin recalled the small sewer he saw while chasing the Counts bats. Sewer Please move aside. Sungjin pushed the others aside and used his two swords to slice open the metal bars of the waterway. Cling clang Once the bars were removed, Sungjin made his way through the opening. The others followed suit. The interior of the sewer was larger than expected. There was not a single drop of water on the walls or ceiling, only sticky webs. There were more webs the further they went in. It was an uncomfortable place, where invisible sticky webs would adhere to the face. But this gave Sungjin a sense of certainty. This is it. We found it. The webs continued to get thicker and thicker. Sungjin had to use his swords to cut open a path and continued inwards. And deep within the webs was a gigantic cocoon. It was a little smaller than a human being, but it matched the mental image of the Merchant he had in mind. Its most definitely that guy from before. Sungjin grinned as he cut open the Cocoon. Inside was an unconscious Ratman. The operator gave an announcement. [Congratulations.] [You have discovered the Hidden Merchant Ruff Han.] A rat found in a sewer How fitting. While Sungjin was thinking so in his mind, the other four hunters were surprised. Hidden Merchant? Is it talking about the Ratman over there? Sungjin slapped Ruff Han across his cheeks twice. Not enough to hurt, but enough to snap the ratman awake. Ruff Han blinked twice as he woke up. Ugh No. Nooo! Ruff Han began to scream as if having a nightmare. He then turned towards Sungjin and stammered. What? How did you where What about the spiders? Sungjin ignored him and said This is the second time I have saved your life. There are no more spiders. Now hand over the good stuff you promised me last time. Ruff Han blinked a few more times. He looked at Sungjin, and also at the other hunters present. Ah So thats how it is. Well, Thank you, since you did save me And then he turned around. There was a smaller Cocoon behind him. He ran up to the little Cocoon and gnawed away at the spider web there. Within the Cocoon was a cube that was a little different from the ones that followed the Hunters. He lifted that up and said Well then As a reward for saving my life, I will sell an item to each of you. Of course, it will be much cheaper than the prices youd get in the Black Market. But, since this is a special discount, you can only buy one item each. Got it? Once he was done explaining, he began to take out items from the cube one by one. The hunters concentrated on the merchants hands. He took out a large variety of goods. Gloves, shoulder pads, shoes, helm, necklaces, staves, axes, swordsthe hunters picked them up one by one to check the specs. Peng Long was the first to find an item he liked. Kaodum -Shooting Gloves of the Hunter of the Dark Heroic Gloves Defense 10% Passive Skill Focus Fire(III) C Each third hit against the same target deals 300% of the normal damage. Legendary Hunter of the Dark Vyens Shooting Gloves.* It is said that her hands never wavered while aiming an arrow towards her enemies. How much is this? Ah, thats worth 4400 coins in the Black Market. But I will sell it for 1600 coins, which is less than half that price. Everyone turned to stare at their conversation. Please let me get this. Operator, check out please. Ruff Han and Peng Long put their cubes together. Alright, Transaction complete. Ruff Han handed over the Archery Shooting Gloves. Peng Long received it and said Equip Once the gloves appeared on his hands, Peng Long smiled. He must have liked the gloves a lot. After all, he did just buy a heroic tier item for the low price of 1600 coins. Then were done with the archer Anyone else? Giovani and Mahadas began looking earnestly through the items in front of them. The only ones who didnt get into the shopping mood were Sungjin and Dominic. Sungjin had a good reason. In order to buy the item from Darker than Black, he had to save his coins. Dominic just waited slightly off to the side. He just wanted the shopping to be over quickly. It was understandable. Each moment the others spent shopping was cutting away at his remaining life. Sungjin glanced at Dominic before asking Ruff Han. Hey, do you have any item that can remove Curses? Ruff Han responded Ah if you need curse removal He rummaged through his rucksack. From within, he pulled out a luxurious necklace with a white diamond centerpiece. Innocence C Angels Blessings Heroic Necklace Passive Skill Magic Defense(II) C Receive 20% reduced damage from all sources of magic. Active Skill Purify(V) C Curses, fears, petrification and all forms of status effects and debuffs are removed. Cooldown 10 minutes. Snakes avoid those with Angelic innocence But this is a little expensive. Its almost Legendary tier item among the Heroic Tier. I assure you that this is a very good item. Sungjin nodded. 5th tier active, and an excellent passive. If anyone had no choice other than to buy it, it was Dominic Spencer. So how much is it? 2600. This is worth 6300 coins at the Black market. The item was being offered at nearly a third of the original price. Sungjin had thought that Dominic would buy it without hesitation. 2600 coins were a cheap price to pay for ones life. But Dominic hesitated. 2600 Sungjin asked Whats wrong? Dominic answered. To tell you the truth I dont have enough money. 2600 coins Everyone turned to look at him. Dominic lifted up his spear as he continued. This spear I had been saving up for it and bought it as soon as I could afford it. It took almost everything I had earned so far to buy it. So I am now left with only 1800 coins Everyone froze. Sungjin quickly thought about it in his head. 2600 I have that right now but Sungjin couldnt afford to spare his coins right now. The Item he needed to buy from Darker than Black would likely need all the coins he had currently plus most of what he would receive from the end of this Raid. The Item was not a bad one by any means, but Sungjin already had the Basilisks Eye. Innocence was not good enough to justify swapping Basilisks eye for it. Sungjin glanced at the others. It was then that Mahadas spoke up. I will buy the item then. Everyone turned to look at him. This Purify Skill, can it be used on others? Ruff Han nodded and answered his question. Of course. Then please allow me to purchase it. I will pay 2600 Coins. The transaction was over quickly. Once Mahadas equipped the necklace, he placed his hands on Dominics forehead and said Purify. The Diamond necklace glowed for a moment and the hand touching Dominics forehead began to glow as well. It was an extremely fitting image; a monk with his hands basked in purifying white light, healing another. Ooh Peng Long and Giovani couldnt help but exclaim at the sight and watched with their mouths open. But instead of Dominic or the hand, Sungjin was staring at Mahadas. Skilleddoes not hesitate to sacrifice self to help others. Color returned to Dominics face. The Vampires Blood Curse had been lifted. Dominic faced Mahadas and Sungjin and knelt on his feet; he put his hands on the ground and bowed deeply in the eastern style. Mahadas and Kei, both of you have saved my life. I vow to repay this debt someday. Sungjin indifferently received the thanks. Sure. To be honest, he didnt think it was possible for Dominic to ever repay him in any form. Mahadas gathered his hands respectfully, befitting that of his status as a monk, and replied magnanimously. It was no big thing. If you truly wish to repay me, then please, do an act of kindness for others. I would be satisfied with just that. Dominic was now no longer under a time constraint, so the group no longer needed to rush. 1 hour was plenty of time to search for and kill the hidden boss. The shopping continued. Giovani was torn between buying a pair of steel greaves versus a silver axe and finally decided on the former. It was the type of greaves that fired rockets to allow long distance jumps. It can be used to escape when surrounded by enemies, or rush to an allys aid when theyre in danger. Ruff Hans sales pitch won him over immediately. Dominic asked for and bought a ring worth exactly 1800 coins. Although the ring didnt provide nearly as much protection from spells as Mahadass Innocence, it was better than nothing. In the end, the only person who did not buy anything was Sungjin. Before he closed up shop, Ruff Han offered him an item. Although you think poorly of me, I do have to repay my debts so here you go. He muttered as he pulled out an item from his bag. What he handed over was not an item per se, but a Mystery Pouch. Someone completed Ancient Stories from the East, so the net worth has gone down a bit, but I guess if you get one of the East components, you can consider it to be a bust. Ruff Han returned all the display items back into his sack and then stood on all fours. Then until next time! If there is another! He disappeared into the sewers. TL Note *Most likely a reference to Vayne, the League of Legends Champion. Update on Main Character Hides His Strength. Hey all, as you know that the new novel is being translated by our new team, which is why we are going through the translation as well as a final check. 10 chapters have been translated and they will be released all together and we have gone through 5 till now. So we will need a bit more time and will try to release it asap(aiming for thurs-fri). Sorry about the delay, but we want to deliver our best so that you may have another pleasant read. Thank you Chapter 51 Chapter 51 C Count Dimitris Castle Ruins (7) Once Wandering Merchant Ruff Han ran away, the Hunters left the smelly sewer and returned to the 2nd floor room. Giovani, who was first to leave the sewer, found a spot without webs to sit and took off his helm. Whew I guess this chapter is pretty much done. Peng Long caressed the Archery shooting gloves as he replied It was hectic for a while, but there were no casualties. Everything turned out okay in the end. Dominic Spencer thanked the remaining two hunters as well. I am sorry my rash action inconvenienced you two as well. The men shook their head and denied being troubled. No, it wasnt bad at all. Alls well that ends well. Sungjin was last to climb out of the sewers and briefly stared at the men conversing with one another. It was a rather heartwarming moment. But it wasnt over yet; there was still the hidden boss remaining. Sungjin first placed the Mystery Pouch in the cube before addressing the other hunters. Excuse me, sorry to bother you all while you are resting. But there is one more hidden element remaining in this raid. Everyone turned to stare at him. Its called hidden boss as the name would suggest, it is a secondary boss hidden somewhere on the map. I am planning on going back to search for it. Does anyone want to come with me? Giovani asked in response. Hidden boss? Yes. Hidden bosses are stronger than regular Raid bosses. It should be hidden in the castle somewhere. But is there a point to seeking it out? Sungjin answered simply Killing the Hidden boss grants bonus points and coins for everyone. Also, it increases contribution level. The other Hunters looked among themselves. They were greatly benefited by Wandering Merchant Ruff Han, but their contribution levels were still extremely low. Peng Long asked Sungjin, So is our help necessary? Sungjin shook his head. No, it isnt necessary; I should be able to beat it alone. That being said, I am not going to refuse if anyone decides to help Sungjin dragged out the last word before he continued. Hidden bosses are typically extremely dangerous, and so I cant guarantee your safety. I dont know how it looks like or how it attacks; I dont know anything about it. Sungjins words made all the hunters pause to reconsider. It wasnt an exaggeration to call Hidden bosses a gamble on your life. Sungjin spread his arms wide as he said Feel free to act as you please. You are under no obligation to help out. Even though itll be tricky, I can manage alone. If you decide not to help out, you can stay far away in case I die. Mahadas moved closer and said I have decided to tackle any challenge that comes my way. I dont understand what is the point of these raids but through fighting, it could lead to some sort of revelation. Sungjin nodded. A fighter at his skill level would not become a hindrance. Peng Long raised his hands. Aye. I shall come as well. Supporting from a distance cant hurt. He was right, it wouldnt be bad at all. If he kept a good distance and attacked from afar, Peng Long had very little to be afraid of. The ones who would have trouble were the tank and the melee dps, Giovani and Dominic. Giovani wasnt happy about the prospect of facing a second boss. His facial expressions screamed Why not just go to the Black Market as is? Dominic seemed without enthusiasm, probably due to his near death experience. Sungjin addressed the two men. The two of you are welcome to stay behind and rest here. The other two, follow me please. But Dominic picked up his spear and replied. No, I owe my life to both of you. If I could be of even a little bit of assistance, I will gladly do it. Since Dominic declared his intentions to go along, Giovani must have felt nervous about staying behind. Well, Ill go along as well. I dont know about combat, but if its just helping to find something And so, for the first time since the restart, all five hunters left together to hunt the hidden boss. Sungjin addressed a question to the cube. Operator, I want to use the Treasure Hunter active. Tell me the clue to find the Hidden Boss. The Operator recited the second hint. [Loyal Knight of the count] [renowned on the battlefield] [betrayed and beheaded] [not even death broke his will.] [unwilling to let go of the reins] [he circles the castle, searching] [to find his head and return to battle] Sungjin looked around at the other hunters after hearing the hint. Everyone looked confused. Sungjin gave a request to the Operator. Operator, one more time. The Operator repeated the hint, and once again the hunters all contemplated the meaning. Beheaded Giovani was first to speak. So its something of a headless ghost? Peng Long replied. I feel that unwilling to let go of the reins is the key. Mahadas gave his thoughts. Circling the castle isnt that the most important part? After listening to all the hunters thoughts on the matter, Sungjin responded as well. In that case, should we take a look around the castle? Yes, lets. Once the men came to a conclusion, they took the elevators back down to the ground level. All the Vampires who were dancing in the hall had already turned to ash. The hunters walked past the ashes and came back outside. Once they passed the two zombie dogs laying outside, everyone suddenly remembered something. Headless coachman! Giovani was first to yell it out. Ah, youre right! Dominic shouted out in agreement. The five hunters cautiously exited the castle gates. The carriages were still standing in the same spot where they had left them. There was a horse-drawn carriage which had brought them to the castle at the beginning. The hunters slowly approached the carriage. Purururu A horse stood in place breathing out mist in the cold night air, and a coachman was sitting on the carriage still holding the reins. Hold on. Sungjin had the hunters wait behind him. He pulled out his two swords and approached the coachman. The headless coachman did not respond. Sungjin was about to try poking the coachmans arm with the Moon Specter, but the Operator gave a warning. [Warning.] Sungjin took a step back and prepared for battle. [Attacking a non-hostile lifeform will cause penalties from the Raid Rewards.] It was a different warning message then what he was expecting. It was just like the time he was trying to fight Wandering Merchant Aindell. Are we wrong? Sungjin began to doubt himself. But he then heard a droning voice. Sir Hunter? He was missing his neck, but Sungjin could hear someone speaking from the general direction of the coachman. It was a voice of a ghost. While Sungjin stiffened up, the headless coachman asked Did you kill Count Dimitri? Sungjin answered him honestly. Yes, I beheaded him The otherworldly creature before him laughed happily. Beheaded Ka hahaha! So in the end just like me Betrayed and beheaded He had the same background story as the hint; in other words, he was most definitely the hidden boss. Only, that it was unclear how to stop him from being non-threatening. Sungjin wasnt sure what to say to the coachman, so he stared at him. But it was the coachman who asked him the question. Excuse me but did you happen to see my head in the castle? Please find my head. I cannot return to the battlefield without my head Ah, got it. Sungjin returned to the other hunters after receiving the hint. Everyone, did you notice any heads inside the castle? A severed head? Everyone shook their head. Anywhere where they might have preserved a severed head? Giovani slapped his knees and replied. Now that youre asking, remember the 3rd floor? All of those suits of armors? What if the head was hidden in one of them? Everyone nodded at his suggestion. The full plates of armors were more than enough as hidden places, and indeed the hunters have not searched through them. It wouldnt be strange if one of the helms held a severed head. The hunters returned to the castle ruins. With the exception of Mahadas, the other three hunters didnt look very happy. Having to repeatedly search the castle was probably bothering them. Regardless of how they felt, the Hunters rode the elevator back to the 3rd floor, the floor full of suits of armors. Lets split up and search through the fallen helms. Everyone began looking for helms for a severed head. All empty here. Here as well. All empty. There were no results. Every helm was searched through, but not so much as a hair was found. Sungjin cradled his head and thought carefully. Head Severed head No matter how hard he thought, this room wasnt it. There was no head. 1st floor were filled with Vampires who turned to ash after being beheaded 5th floor only had the Count. 2nd floor had spiders, 3rd had Suits of armor, and the 4th floor only has Frankensteins monster Sungjin paused. A thought occurred to him. Frankensteins Monsters head. Frankensteins Monster was basically a flesh golem created by stitching together corpses and parts of several people. Sungjin called together the hunters. Please follow me. He led the hunters to the elevator and returned to the 4th floor. He inspected the Frankensteins monster they had defeated earlier. He pulled down the shirt of the monster and saw that the neck was stitched onto the body. Upon close inspection, the color of the skin where the neck was stitched to was different than the rest of the body. It was gruesome, but it wasnt the right time to be creeped out. Woosh Sungjin sliced off the stitches in one swing and beheaded the monster. He held the head and returned to the Elevator where the other hunters waited. Happy for finding the key to the Hidden boss, Sungjin smiled. The hunters stared at him with distaste. I thought he was an oddball but good at heart but hes actually just a weirdo after all! they probably thought of him. Sungjin didnt care. Once the Hunters returned to the 1st floor, Sungjin stood in front of the castle gates. He turned around for a moment and addressed the others. Please prepare yourselves. Those of you who dont want to participate should return first to the 1st floor. Once he was done, Sungjin took the head to meet the headless coachman. Excuse me, but is this Before Sungjin was even done speaking, the ghost of the headless coachman shouted Yes! Thats it! My head! Quickly! Return it to me! Sungjin held the Moon Specter with his right as he returned the head to the coachman. Once the coachman was reunited with his head, he didnt immediately stick it back on his body, but held it his hands and laughed loudly. Ahahahahaha! My head! MY HEAD! His head emitted green light, and the laughter started to come from the head instead. Ahahaha! Come! To battle! The Headless Coachman held his head in one hand and pulled out a longsword hidden on the horse, and destroyed the carriage in a single blow. Sungjin put his left hand inside his vest upon witnessing the coachmans actions. He was preparing to use the Romance of the Three Kingdoms. The Operator gave out a warning. [Warning! Hidden Boss] [Dullahan Knight Besgoro has appeared!] Note: Gamja suffered from a skin disease and so had to take rest the past week. Its why we were only able to release 2 chaps out of 4 last week. The 2 guaranteed chapters of last week will be carried forward and will be released within this week and the next. We apologize We have also released a new novel Main Character Hides His Strength. Do check it out! The next chapter button will directly take you to its main page. We hope you like it ???? OppaTranslations wishes you a Happy New Year! May this year go better than the last xD Chapter 52 Chapter 52 C Count Dimitris Castle Ruins (8) As soon as the Hidden boss Dullahan appeared, Sungjin deployed the Romance of the Three Kingdoms. There was no need to drag on the fight. The content of the book revealed itself. Sungjin wasted no time reading it out loud. When the Minister of the State, Dong Zhuo, decided to take her to the Mei Citadel, It was then Let us go, my steed! Shadow Run! The Knight shouted Hee!~ The horse stood up on its hind legs and let out a mighty cry that reverberated in the surrounding. She intentionally Sungjin was forced to pause while reciting the verses from the book. When he was interrupted, the book automatically closed itself. Damn! Romance of the Three Kingdoms returned to the front covers, and Sungjin looked back towards the Dullahan. The Dullahan was rapidly riding into the distance at an unbelievable speed. Sungjin quickly shouted Swift Paw! The claws emerged from his boots and he sprinted. But, although he was running at 10 times his normal speed, Sungjin was unable to close the distance. Swift Paws active period lasted just 10 seconds, but the Dullahan continued to speed away. What the how the hell am I supposed to catch up to this guy? Sungjin checked ahead and saw that the path was curved slightly to the left. Wait Sungjin stopped running and pulled out the Magic Carpet. Flight. He soared into the sky and checked where the Dullahan was running off to. As he thought; the knight was running in a huge circle, with the castle as the center. Count Dimitris castle was quite large, but due to the Dullahans speed, the Knight was finishing up the first lap around the castle in a very short time. The Hunters were standing around at the entrance with their weapons in hand, lost as to what they should be doing. Where did that thing go, Kei? Sungjin explained as he returned to the hunters. Hes coming back. Hes running a lap around the castle. And just like he said, the Dullahan came into view from the other side of the castle. Sungjin took out the Romance of the Three Kingdoms again. But the book stubbornly refused to open; as if secured by chains and locks. The Operator gave an announcement. [5 seconds remaining until Declamation is available off cool down] What? The Dullahans head shouted, interrupting his thoughts. Soldiers! To me! At his command, dozens of ghost cavalrymen appeared behind him. Each of the ghost soldiers held a weapon while riding a horse. One of the hunters muttered. My god Sungjin put the book away and returned to the inside of the castle gates. Standing directly in the way of the galloping cavalry could only result in death. Ahahaha! Cowards! Attack! Go bring me their heads! The Dullahan Knight issued orders to his soldiers. Soon, the ghost horsemen entered the castle walls. The Hunters, waiting inside, met them head on. Come at me, monsters! Giovani shouted raising his shield. Yaa! Dominic braced his spear with courage. Taho! Mahadas punched the head of the oncoming horse. Pew~ Peng Long wordlessly let loose bolts at the oncoming cavalry. Sungjin also faced off against a horseman. It came charging straight at Sungjin with a lance. But it was no match for Sungjin. Woosh In one strike, both the horseman and the horses head were severed. The horse continued forward, and ran into the wall, scattering into dust. Sungjin scanned the surroundings for the Dullahan, but he could not find him. Only a small portion of the cavalry had entered the castle gates. While the other four hunters were fighting against the cavalry army, Sungjin used the Magic Carpet to fly into the air. He saw the Dullahan Knight running in the distance, drawing the same circle around the castle. Sungjin concluded that the main body of the army does not enter the gates. Returning to the gates once more, he prepared the Romance of the Three Kingdoms again. I will do it this time. Sungjin began reading the words. It was different from last time. But he didnt have time to ponder the reason; the ghost cavalry army was almost upon him. As Cao Cao asked, those from Heibei are not used to Naval combat; riding ships gave them sea sickness. Is there anything we can do to solve this problem? To this, he answered, if you tie the boats together, it will reduce the shaking and be just like walking on land. As Sungjin calmly read out the verses, the cavalry grew ever closer; He was moments away from becoming a pancake. But Sungjin decided to trust the book and continued to read the verses until the end. Cao Cao slapped his knees and shouted, You are the answer to my prayers, Pang Tong! Once Sungjin was done with the declamation, the book automatically closed itself and returned to his embrace. The Operator gave an announcement. [Seance of Pang Tong Activated!] [Passive Skill Rapid Cast (IV) and Increase Mana (II) enabled] [Active ability Link Trap (I) is available for instant cast] Sungjin lost no time immediately casting the active skill. There was no doubt this hero was chosen for this very reason. Link Trap! Chains appeared before the cavalry army, and their speed visibly fell; from the speed of a runaway train to that of a crawling baby. Sungjin rode the Magic Carpet and rose into the air. There were lots of enemies and the point of a Strategist was to cast magic. Once he climbed high enough, Sungjin recited an incantation. Incinerate every But a ball of fire already gathered in his hands. It was the effect of Rapid Cast. Sungjin immediately understood and acted accordingly; He began rapid firing spells alternating his hands. Fire ball! Fire ball!! Fire ball!!! Fire ball!!!! Fire ball!!!!! Fire ball!!!!!! Once he fired six fireballs, the Operator gave a warning message. [Low Mana] Sungjin finally stayed his hands from firing another shot. The ghost cavalry was nearly stuck in place, moving at a snail crawl speed. Boom Booom Booom BOOOM Rumble RUMBLE Six balls of fire landed on the ground, and the Ghost army was reduced to ashes. The only thing standing after the fires had subsided was the Dullahan Knight. [10 seconds until the end of Seance. 9,] The Operator began a countdown, but it didnt matter. Sungjin pulled out his two swords and hopped out of the Magic Carpet. The Dullahan moved the hand holding his head to look back and forth. The head emitted green flames as he cried out loud How can this be! My cavalry! You Knave! The Dullahan Knight swung his sword towards the approaching Sungjin, but the Link Trap dulled his movement. Sungjin easily dodged the blow and used Moon Specter to sever the hand holding the head and Blood Vengeance to sever the head of the horse Shadowrun. Ahh Shadowrun was beheaded and turned into dust. Only the one-armed Dullahan remained. He had no weapons nor a horse remaining. Sungjin walked up to the knight to deliver the final blow. But green lights began to emit from the head, and he heard the head recite an incantation. Awaken and become my slave! From the first words, Sungjin knew what the knight was trying to do; He also had this spell memorized. The knight must have wanted to use the spell to resurrect his fallen soldiers. Sungjin had no reason to allow him to finish his magic. Sungjin pointed at the knight with both of his hands Pa! His two swords flew out of his hands and cut away at the remaining arm, and also his neck. Haa! Once the swords passed him, Sungjin cast the return spell. The swords sliced apart the head on its return trip and flew straight into his hands. The Operator gave out an announcement. [Hidden boss The Dullahan Knight] [Besgoro cleared!] Sungjin looked down at his swords. He was planning on swinging his swords in the air to remove the blood, but there was not a single blood stain on the blade. I guess he was a ghost of sorts. Sungjin grinned as he sheathed his swords again. Every enemy had been killed. Sungjin was planning on returning to the other hunters side, but then he saw the others staring at him with mouths hanging open. Pang Tong so youre the Master Hunter? Kei? He couldnt deny it. Treasure Hunter Sungjin raised his arms and answered I wasnt trying to hide it per se. The hunters were unable to look away from Sungjin. How did he get so strong? Magic how did he rapid fire so many at once? That book how is Romance of the Three Kingdoms obtained? Sungjin was considering how to respond to the others when he was interrupted by the Operators announcement. [All enemies slain.] [Beginning reward distribution.] Once reward was mentioned, the Hunters were finally distracted. [Monsters Slain. Zombie Watchdogs: 2. Vampire Nobles: 20. Giant Spiders: 30. Living Armor: 15. Frankensteins Monster: 1. Total 6000 points.] [Boss Monster Slain: Thousand Year Count Dimitri: 750 points.] [Hidden Boss: The Dullahan Knight Besgoro: 750 points.] [Final Point count: 7500. Distributing points.] First up was Dominic Spencers reward. Due to being bitten by a Vampire from early on, he wasnt able to rack up many points. [Your contribution is 3.0%. 225 Stat points, 225 Black Coins awarded. Raid Clear Bonus 2000 Stat points and 2000 Black Coins awarded. Distributing 2250 Stat points and 2250 Black Coins.] It was a low amount, but he didnt look upset. He just considered himself lucky to be alive. Next up was Giovani. Due to Sungjin and Mahadass strength, he didnt get many opportunities to fight as a tank. [Your contribution is 5.7%] Next was Peng Long. Thanks to his long ranged attacks he received a similar contribution level as Mahadas. [Your contribution is 8.2%.] Mahadas excelled in attacks, but by using magic and items to support his team, he racked up lots of contribution points from this round. [Your contribution is 12.2%.] Last up was Sungjin. [Your contribution is 70.9%. 5318 Stat points, 5318 Black Coins awarded. Raid Clear Bonus 2000 Stat points and 2000 Black Coins awarded. Item effect Additional 10% gained activated. Distributing 7318 Stat points and 8050 Black Coins.] 8050 Coins Sungjin calculated quickly in his head. Even though he had allowed the other hunters to take a few contribution points away from him, he had enough money left to buy the item from Darker than Black. Thats good. While Sungjin was breathing a sigh of relief, the Operator continued to speak. [And now we will distribute the items.] TL note: Romance of the Three Kingdoms references- There are two very different but linked scenes mentioned in the text. First one is about Dong Zhuo and Diao Chan. Specifically, the scene where Diao Chan is taken to the Mei citadel (???). Diao Chan is one of the most famous fictional characters that appeared in the Romance of the Three Kingdoms. To end the tyrannical rule of Dong Zhuo, which was destroying the Han Dynasty, Wang Yun asked his adopted daughter to create strife between Dong Zhuo and Lu Bu (Legendary warrior). She is first betrothed to Lu Bu, who becomes entranced by her beauty, and then is introduced to Dong Zhuo, who immediately takes her away to Mei citadel; site of untold savagery and debauchery where Dong Zhuo kept his large harem. Lu Bu is outraged and later kills Dong Zhuo. This plan is called linked trap ???. The text Sungjin actually finished reading out loud is the scene where Pang Tong tricks Cao Cao to use a flawed strategy. Pang Tong, by this point, was already a world renowned strategist and tactician. Pang Tong was working with Liu Bei and Zhuge Liang to bring down Cao Cao. Pretending to join Cao Cao as a strategist, Pang Tong gave Cao Cao the idea to tie boats together with steel chains so that the ships will stop rocking, and place the planks above the chains where the boat meets so that the men could freely run from one ship to another as if walking on land. The idea worked. Soldiers no longer had sea sickness. However, it greatly slowed down the progress of the ships to a crawl, especially at bends. Emboldened by the apparent success of chaining ships together, Cao Cao attacked deep into the Sun Quan territory where he was without cavalry support. At night when winds were favorable, Zhuge Liang launched an attack with unmanned boats filled with oils and torches which lit the chained ships on fire upon impact. Unable to pull away due to chains and planks linking the ships together, the whole of Cao Caos great fleet went up in flames, burning a large portion of his army alive, and drowning most of the survivors. Stranded in the marsh and river-filled Sun Territory without a proper navy nor seamen, Cao Cao was forced to retreat. This is the famous battle of Red Cliff. Pang Tongs great strategy which led to Cao Caos defeat at the battle of Red Cliff was called Linked Trap ???. The Author is doing 2 things. One, hes showing us that heroes may have overlapping special abilities. Two, hes showing off his incredible depth of knowledge and understanding of the text in Romance of the Three Kingdoms. I knew of both of these events, but I did not realize they were called the same thing until I read this chapter. If you enjoy our work do consider supporting us on NU and through Paypal or Patreon. Thank you:) Chapter 53 Chapter 53 C Count Dimitris Castle Ruins (9) The Item rewards were next, starting with Dominic. [Spider Silk Mantle] [Recovery Potion C Medium x2] Dominic, who didnt previously have anything draped over his back, immediately equipped the mantle. It appeared to be at least Rare tier, and he seemed to be satisfied with it. Next up was Giovani. [Vampire Slayers Axe] [Recovery Potion C Medium x2] He picked up the axe and muttered This is so much worse than my current Axe time to sell Next in line was Peng Long. [Arugo C Frankensteins Monsters Ringers Solution*] [Recovery Potion C Medium x2] Peng Long lifted up the item. Arugo C Frankensteins Monsters Ringers Solution Heroic Belt C Defense 5% Passive Skill First Aid (I) Once HP drops below 10%, the belt automatically injects recovery potion into the bloodstream. Cooldown 20 Minutes Ringers Solution attached to Frankensteins Monster. It is so large that it is the perfect size to be used as a belt on a human being. It wasnt a bad item. Drinking recovery potion in the middle of combat was difficult to say the least. The health recovered by the automatic system could be the difference between life and death. But, Hmm this is a tank item. As Peng Long suspected, it was meant to be used by tanks. Ill just sell it at the auction. As soon as he declared that, Giovani immediately ran up to him. Peng, sell that to me! You want to buy it? For how much? Give me some discount. I spent a lot with the Ratman earlier and dont have much left. You just received the raid reward a moment ago! While the two men were haggling, the rewards moved onto Mahadas. [Mahaeen C Frankensteins Monsters hard flesh] Heroic Shoulder pad C Defense 36% Passive Skill Living Skin(III) Recover 2% of the total health per minute Skin from Frankensteins Monsters shoulder region. It automatically regenerates upon taking damage. Mahadas unhesitatingly equipped the item right away. The green skin from Frankensteins Monsters shoulder wiggled its way under his clothes and made its way to the shoulders. It was great that the item was not visible from the outside. Last was Sungjins turn. [Blood Sucker C Vampires Ring] [Besgoro C Dullahans head] [Shadowrun C Ghost stallion] [Spellbook C Illusion] [Recovery Potion C Medium x4] Sungjin was reading the messages when the Operator gave out another announcement. [Congratulations! You have obtained the legendary item Besgoro C Dullahans head!] Sungjin picked up the items that fell before him. The first item to catch his eye was Besgoro C Dullahans Head. It was a legendary item, but the skull emitting green flames was still a strange item to behold. [Last but not the least, you will be awarded titles earned in the Raid.] Everyone received one title each. The title Sungjin received was [Summoner C Familiars summoned through Spiritual Link will last 10 additional minutes longer.] So not having this title equipped means that the bonus is only 5 minutes. This title wasnt all that great for now, as it only granted an additional 5 minutes to Soldamyr and Cains active time. It would probably be more useful once he was able to increase the number of summons available to him via Spiritual Link. Well, theres no downside to having more titles available to me Sungjin checked the item he received, starting with the Besgoros head. The Operator opened up a status screen. Besgoro C Dullahans head Legendary Helm C Defense 70% Passive Skill Ghost Vision(IV) C Enables low light vision.** Substitute Chanting(II) C Chants the incantation of the spell being thought of on behalf of the caster. Cooldown 1 minute Chat(I) C consult Sir Besgoro, who has a wealth of knowledge from countless battles. Active Skill Frenzy(VI) C Increases attack speed by 10% for each hit against the enemy. 1 Minute duration, 20 minute cooldown. Legendary Hero Besgoro was well renowned on the battlefield, but met a terrible end. Whispers of his grudge can be heard from his head. Sungjin frowned while reading the status screen. Its a helm?! The skull was covered in green flames. And yet this ghastly thing was still considered a helm. The specs were undoubtedly good. High defense rating and great skills, both passives and active. With the exception of Chat(I)***. Sungjin swallowed once and said Equip The skull grew large enough to accommodate Sungjins head and then jumped on top of his head. Once it was on, Sungjins vision changed dramatically. Despite being dark out, he could see as clear as day. So This is ghost vision Sungjin turned his head left and right. When he saw Dominic, Dominic jumped back in surprise. Wah! Sungjin felt the skull that was covering his head as he asked. Is it weird? Dominic replied No I mean its intimidating rather than weird Sungjin felt the skull that covered his head. Dominic was probably right. Suddenly, he heard a familiar voice from above. Hmmm. Are you my new master? Sungjin looked up in surprise. But there was nothing there. But this time he heard the voice from behind. Where are you looking? It is I! You are wearing me. Sungjin made a poker face as he continued to feel the exterior of the skull. Mister Besgoro? Yes, that is my name. Although, I have peerage so call me Sir instead of Mister. This was probably the passive skill Chat(I). It appears that the only person who can hear the voices was Sungjin. Mahadas worriedly asked Sungjin Is the spirit still haunting you? Yes. My grudge cannot be washed clean with just my death. Curse you Dimitri! Count Dimitri is slain. I have severed his head. I know. You told me. Youve done well, good job. He deserved to die! Sungjin recalled the Operators hint from earlier. Betrayed and beheaded. Anyway! He accused me of plotting a rebellion! No such thought had occurred to me at all! In fact, I was planning on joining his family as a son-in-law! Son in law? Yes by marrying the Counts Daughter. She had fallen in love with me. So I asked for her hand in marriage. But once he heard that, he falsely accused me of treason and had me executed. So that marriage sounds like he was against it. I stood on the battlefield fighting for his honor and clan for 40 years! Sungjin couldnt help but feel that there was something strange about what had been said. Did you say 40 years? Yes. I have killed so many in the name of the Count. So many! How old were you when you asked for her hand in marriage? Hmm I believe that I was 52 years old then. And the Counts Daughters age? 20 Sungjin unhesitatingly commented Thats totally criminal! Why? If I dedicated 40 years of my life, letting me have his daughter is fine, right? No, wrong. Totally not fine. Sungjin glanced at the others. The other four were staring at him. What a shame Their eyes seem to say. Sungjin slapped the skull on his head and said Ok, I got it. Count Dimitri is dead so let go of your grudge and pass on. But I want to roam the battlefields once more. Then shut up Fine. Call me when youre in battle. He finally stopped chatting. But Im never going to call you Sungjin checked the other items while thinking so. The next item was a ring with a bright red ruby. Strangely, the color of the ring resembled blood. Blood Sucker C Vampires Ring Heroic Ring Passive Skill Life Steal(II) C Steal health for 2% of the damage dealt by physical attacks on hit.**** Ring imbued with the power of Vampires. Count Dimitri had the power of this ring injected directly into his blood by someone from far away. Simple and easy to understand item. It only had one skill, but the effects were unimaginably powerful. Especially since Sungjins offensive power was off the charts. The last item was a small round coin. On it was minted an image of warhorses. Looks just like Mapae*****. Sungjin picked up the coin to inspect it. Shadowrun C Ghost Stallion Heroic Summon Passive Skill Spiritual Link (Shadowrun) C Summons Legendary Stallion who can run continuously without rest. 10 minute duration. Besgoros steed. After the death of its master, the stallion continued to serve its master in death. It was another summon. It would synergize well with the Title he had earned this round. Sungjin flipped the coin into the air. From midair Houhynhynm~ With a loud noise, a ghost stallion appeared next to him. Of course, someone couldnt help but speak up. Of all the many stallions I have ridden on in 40 years, he was the best! Ride him! Youll find no better mount! Sungjin climbed on top of the horse. Despite being a ghost, it made a great mount. Sungjin wanted to try running a lap around the castle like Besgoro had done. But, the Operators announcement interrupted him. [Returning to Black Market in 1 minute.] I should try out the stallion next time. Sungjin climbed down from Shadowrun. What? Why arent you galloping away on him? Besgoro asked. Sungjin replied There is only 1 minute left. I wanted to say goodbye to my teammates before we go. Sungjin first addressed Dominic. Stay well Dominic. I am glad we could save your life. Thank you, Kei. If we meet again I will definitely be of help. Next was Giovani and Peng Long but they were too busy haggling. 3500 3000 3300 I wont sell below this. Let me buy it for 3000 No, I will not sell it for 3000. Ill get a much better price at the Auction house. We fought and worked together side by side through a raid. Were comrades! Thats why I discounted it to 3300! They were busy quarreling. Sungjin passed them and spoke to Mahadas. He had displayed impressive combat prowess as well as commendable attitude and mindset towards others. Sungjin offered a handshake. It was good working with you, Venerable Mahadas. Mahadas returned the handshake and smiled. No, you were the benefactor, Kei. Youve worked hard for our sake. Then until next time we meet. Mahadas gathered his hands into a prayer. As our fate and Karma allows. [Returning to the Black market in 10 seconds. 10] The operators countdown began. Peng Long and Dominic haggled up to the last few seconds fervently, and finally, they pressed their cubes against each others. Meanwhile, they both turned towards Kei to say their goodbyes. Thanks, Kei! See you next time! Sungjin waved his hands towards the other Hunters. [3, 2, 1, 0] He was teleported away to the Black Market. TL Notes * Frankensteins Monsters Ringers Solution I know this is a mouthful, but Frankensteins Monster is the proper noun (proper name). So the correct sentence structure becomes (X)s Ringers solution. Aka Frankensteins Monsters Ringers Solution. Ringers Solution is a real thing. It is a type of IV drip. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ringers_solution **The raw actually says able to see clearly (perfectly) in the dark. But I recalled that the author likes western style rpg (especially DnD) so I used the DnD terminology here. It is not dark vision since it doesnt mean (not implied) he could see in pitch black darkness (perfect dark). ***The raw is closer to gossip or Babble basically, it means useless talk. ****The raw actually says Drink blood, but the effect is lifesteal (like league of legend with vamp scepter). So I went with Lifesteal. Vampirism was another interesting choice, but Sungjin isnt turned into a vampire, so it didnt seem right. And he doesnt have to literally drink blood for passive to proc so Drink blood wasnt a good translation either. ***** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Secret_royal_inspector The item called Mapae (Horse Requisition Tablet) was used by secret royal inspectors to requisition horses and soldiers from local stations, it gave them authority equal to highest rank in government with which they could dismiss anyone from office, including Governors (highest official rank) in the name of the king if they were found to be corrupt. It has the connotation of being associated with justice and rightful authority. Editors note: Cant wait for the item from Darker than Black ^^ Chapter 54 Chapter 54 C Black Market Sixth Shopping The first thing Sungjin did once he arrived in the Black Market was to check how many coins he had in total. Operator, how many coins do I have? [10900] Hmm We received new shipment! Please come and check them out! One of the vendors tried to grab his attention, but Sungjin paid no attention to him. The item he wanted to purchase at Darker than Black would cost 10,000 Coins. He only had 900 coins in excess. Theres nothing I can get with this. Sungjin thought of going to Ninety Nine Nights straight away, but he got an idea. Wandering Merchants Mystery Pouch. He didnt have a chance to open it yet. Operator, can you retrieve the Mystery Pouch for me? The Operator handed Sungjin the item. Once it was in his hands, Sungjin thought about it for a moment. Legendary Crafting material eh? Currently, the Ancient Stories from the East Romance of the Three Kingdoms was already complete. Once the Unique Legendary item is complete, receiving another material pertaining to it loses all meaning and becomes a redeemable coupon with the value of 500 coins to be exchanged for at the Black Market. Thats if Roulette lands on the Ancient Stories from the East volume parts The losses of opportunity would be unthinkable. It wouldnt be any better even if he got Ancient stories of the Middle East or West. From what he was told by the previous owner of Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Declamation worked independent of the item used, and could only be cast 1 time a day.* In other words, even if he gathers and crafts another book, it would be useless. And although the ingredients for each book would initially be worth 5000 Coins, if someone managed to gather and complete the book before he could sell it off, those pieces would drop in price to 500 coins each. I hope I dont get any book pieces Until now the total number of Pouches he had seen being opened were three; two by himself, and by Serin Han. And of those, all three contained book parts. If he was guaranteed to take a loss; it was better to go in with no expectations at all. Sungjin held the Pouch in silence for a while before he finally made up his mind. I wont open it. Ill just put it out on the Auction floor. That was probably for the best. For those who already owned the books, the item held no real value anymore. But on the other hand, it could prove to be useful to other Hunters. Taking others into consideration, it was the right thing to do to make it available for other people. Sungjin headed towards the Three Achi Brothers Auction house. Welcome, esteemed Hunter! Sungjin first asked them Did Manta get sold? The middle brother answered him back. No one placed a bid last night and so it was withdrawn. As I thought Magic hasnt really caught up yet with the general populace. Should we cancel the auction? No, no. Please continue to make it available on the floor. Okay, understood. Sungjin then showed them the mystery pouch and said And please put this up for Auction. How much would you like for us to sell this item for? Sungjin took a moment to consider. If a book comes out, each one is worth 5000 Coins if East comes out, only 500 Anyone who understood the true value of the Mystery Pouch would know that the pieces of Ancient Stories of the East were already worthless. I should make it cheaper than 5000But not too much lower than that. Sungjin replied Put the starting price at 3000, and buy out at 4000 please. This price seemed fair. It was an item with gambling element built in after all. If they were to pay 4000 coins up front and then receive a favorable outcome, they would be satisfied with the purchase, and if they pay 3000 coins but are still disappointed, at least it wouldnt be too big of a loss. Once he was done with his business, Sungjin left the Auction house and headed towards Ninety Nine Nights. * Grrrrr~! When he arrived, Cain was baring his fangs and growling towards something. The place he was facing was the stables; Stables which now held his mount Shadowrun. It was a stable that was always vacant, but thanks to Spiritual Link the stable finally received an inhabitant. Sungjin reassured Cain as he gently tried to calm him down. Oh Cain, please dont do that. Cain stared at its master. Sungjin glanced at Shadowrun. There were food and water filled at the trough before it, but it didnt seem to have touched any of it. Sungjin extended his greeting towards the ghost stallion. I look forward to working with you too. Shadowrun replied in a low tone. Brrr. Responding to the horse, Cain resumed Grrrr~ Cain was completely on guard against the horse. Even though they were both beasts, it didnt seem to like the fact that it was a ghost type. Sungjin returned his gaze to Cain and said. Ahh Cain, dont do that. You should make friends. Cain turned to look at him again. He didnt seem to want to do so. Sungjin couldnt help but say Oh well, lets go eat for now. Woof. Cain obediently strolled into Ninety Nine Nights. Sungjin followed behind him and entered the Inn. Sungjin was greeted by Dalupin and Genie Soldamyr who were waiting for him inside. Welcome back Thank you Dalupin. Good work today, Master. You did well today as well Soldamyr** Dalupin approached Sungjin and asked What would you like to eat for Dinner today? * Sungjin was laying down. He had eaten Dried Shellfish, Sharkfin, Swallow Nest Soup, and other unspeakable Chinese course meal in bulk; he wasnt moving anytime soon. I should go to bed early tonight if I want to wake up early tomorrow Sungjin glanced outside. It was already dark out, long past sundown. I wonder if someone bid on the Mystery Pouch And exactly when he thought of that, Knock Knock Dalupin knocked on the door. Sungjin opened the door for him as usual. And as always, Dalupin brought him a piece of paper and greeted him courteously. Are you getting a good rest? Yes, thanks to you. Dalpuin handed over the paper and said Here is the information page for the next raid. Sungjin accepted the sheet and answered Ah, thank you. But Dalupin had another piece of paper. And this this is a receipt from Time is Money Plan. Sungjin accepted the receipt. Receipt C 3400 Black Coins The item you placed on the auction, Mystery Pouch has been sold. 3400 Black Coins was paid by Head Hunter. Place the receipt into the cube to instantly redeem the amount. Sungjin was surprised to see Head Hunter as the purchaser since he already knew one such person. Thank you Dalupin. Oh yeah Please tell me. Please wake me up at three thirty again. Understood. Please have a good rest. Sungjin sent Dalupin away and read over it again. did she buy this? It was likely that there were other Head Hunters in the world, but buying Mystery Pouch so decisively, he was nearly certain it must have been her. But No, forget it The chances we will meet again is less than 10%. Becoming attached to any random hunter could only bring more pain. He had experienced it time and time again. He gazed at the receipt one last time before shoving it in the Cube. [Received 3400 Black Coins.] Sungjin walked out to the Balcony as he listened to the Operators voice. In the distance, he could see the lights coming from the Black Market. I guess somewhere out there, another hunter is seeing this view In another dimension, in another alternative Ninety Nine Nights, other Hunters lived and breathed. But the only time the hunters could interact with one another was during the Raids. Even though he had Spiritual Links with his summons, he could never meet another Hunter in the Black market. Hunters had to put their lives on the line to fight, but it was also a battle against loneliness. Sungjin let out a long sigh while staring off into the night. Sigh It was then [Attention Please.] [Head Hunter has succeeded in completing the Unique Legendary item One Thousand and One Nights] [All other copies will be destroyed, and the owners will be refunded by 500 coins.] Sungjin froze. One Thousand and One Nights; Arabian Nights. This was undoubtedly Ancient Stories of the Middle East. Sungjin couldnt help but recall the woman with long flowing hair. He thought to himself Serin I guess our chances to meet again are higher than 10% after all. Sungjin turned away from the balcony. Behind him was a full moon. * Sungjin climbed down the stairs back to the main floor. Dalupin came to see him off. Soldamyr was inside his lamp. Once Sungjin was outside Woof Cain barked and ran after him. Cain dont follow me. Im going there again. Cain didnt listen and showed that he was going to come no matter what. Ok fine, I guess you can come until the entrance or something Puuuff Shadowrun watched him from the Stables. Because he was a ghost type, he apparently did not need sleep. Sungjin put Ninety Nine Nights behind him and headed towards the Black Market with Cain by his side. He headed towards Darker than Black. Once he reached the corner where Darker than Black was located, Cain stopped walking and sat down. Sungjin wasnt sure, but the man seemed to inspire fear in others. He took the shape of a man, but he was most definitely not a man. Ill be back then. Sungjin said to Cain before entering the area. The stairway down was as dark as ever, but Sungjin was able to clearly see without trouble, thanks to Besgoros Ghost Vision. Sungjin unhesitatingly entered the darkness and entered the bar within. Inside, he saw the Hidden Merchant. Second visit already. Welcome. Sungjin approached him. I have come to buy the Item we discussed last time. The Merchant took out a small marble from his coat. Here it is, the Trollseeker marble. 10,000 Black Coins. Sungjin didnt hesitate. Operator, Pay. The Merchant handed over the Trollseeker Marble to Sungjin and said As the name would suggest, it allows you to forcefully enter a raid where a Troll has appeared. In exchange, you need to recharge its power. The recharge fee is a thousand coins each. Got it? Sungjin nodded. It was the same information he had heard last night. If you dont have money you cant use it. Just be aware. Sungjin replied looking straight into his eyes. That wont be a problem. I am confident that I will be able to make more than a thousand coins each time I use it. The man grinned widely, revealing his white teeth. Is that so. Sungjin thought as he held the Marble. Equip Adjudicator and hunt trolls in other Raids, and put the items I get, on the auction house That should earn me minimum 1000 coins per jump. He would cut away Trolls which obstructed the growth of other hunters as he empowered himself at the same time. Except keeping Adjudicator active That was the only part that was bothering him; he would need to keep Adjudicator activated as long as he planned to go Troll Hunting. He could neither use Master Hunter nor Treasure Hunter titles. While he was thinking so, the Hidden Merchant spoke to him first. Why are you looking so troubled? Do you believe that you are restricted to a single title per round? It was as if he read Sungjins mind. When Sungjin turned his head towards the merchant, he continued, taking another item out of his coat; a Star shaped item with a whirlwind drawn in the middle. Star of the Nameless. It is an item that allows you to change your title at will. Sungjins eyes opened wide. The Merchant grinned again, revealing his white teeth as he laughed. Did I not tell you when you first came? If there is something you want, ask me. Sungjin couldnt help but reach out to try and touch the item. The Merchant then muttered something, as if reciting verses from a holy book He who searches for answers finds questions, and he who searches for questions finds answers. TL Notes * Incase it wasnt clear, Declamation is a UNIQUE skill with global cooldown; You can only use declamation once a day, even if you had multiple books (or all of them). So having more books was literally useless. ** Sungjin speaks to Soldamyr with respect, treating him like an elder, not like a master to servant. Sungjin does speak politely to most people, but Soldamyr is the only person who Sungjin shows deference to and speaks with much respect. Sungjin does speak with Mahadas respectfully, but he uses language how religious person would behave with a holy man, not as a youth to a respected elder. Chapter 55 Chapter 55 C Black Market Sixth Shopping (2) Sungjin touched the stars whirlpool design. The Operator opened up the information screen. Paranova C Star of the Nameless Legendary Amulet Active Rename(I) Change the Title. Cooldown 10 minutes For some, Name is everything For some, Name is nothing How much is this? The man raised two fingers up. Twenty Thousand. Sungjin stared at the star for a moment. Even though the star was held in place, the whirl design seemed to spin on its own, as if Sungjin was hypnotized. 20,000 Considering that Legendary items could be bought for just ten thousand, it was an item of immense value. Even Sungjins most expensive item, Romance of the Three Kingdoms, was worth 15,000 coins in component costs. But here was an item being sold for 20,000. The item effects were unbelievably useful. Every 10 minutes I can change my title to use the full effects of each title If I were to change my title according to situation Sungjin kept the item in the back of his mind. Even if he were to receive a generous amount of raid rewards, it would still take two more chapters until he could gather enough coins to purchase this item. The man knew that as well. Well, you wont be able to get it now but Just know that this kind of thing exists. The man returned the star shaped item back into his suit. Sungjin stared at the man for a second. This man was on a completely different level compared to other vendors and merchants. Sungjin got an idea. Well then Is there any way for me to be able to stay in contact with other hunters? The man fell silent for a moment to consider Sungjins words. He then replied, Tell me more about what it is that you want to do. For example I met someone in a previous chapter, and I have become good friends with them. I would like to be able to meet them or at least be able to send and receive messages with them. Hmm Thats difficult to accomplish. Especially in this world You probably know this already The man turned to look at the Cube behind Sungjin as if to indicate the Operator. Communication between hunters is strictly forbidden unless you happen to meet each other during the raid So, is it impossible? The man raised his pointer finger and shook his head. No, theres no such thing as impossible. Its just in order to overcome the structure of this world, you are in need of the Power of God. Power of God? Yes. The Power of God. Sungjin tilted his head at the words of the man. The merchant continued to explain. Well, Power of God isnt anything as fancy as it sounds. The Power of God just refers to the holy ability to create something out of nothing. The Power of creation. He continued with his out of the world explanation. Then For example He took out something from within his pocket. Something like this? It was a glass bottle. It was cut into a precise shape. There was some sort of fluid contained within. What is it? Sungjin asked. He answered Touch it. As you already know, touching is free in the Black Market. Sungjin placed his hand on the bottle. Jasepit C Holy Water of Baptism Mythological Active Skill Baptism(I) Imbue the title of The Chosen One to the target. I am the grape tree. You are the branch. Myth? Even though Sungjin had been the longest surviving human in the previous raid, this was the first time he had come across a Mythological tier item. And the active skill was shocking to say the least. Forcefully change the other persons title to The Chosen One The bizarre active skill was something Sungjin couldnt even imagine to have existed. So he touched the Glass bottle again. It looked like an ordinary glass bottle, but it gave this strange sensation that his skin was sticking to it. How much is this? To his question, the merchant gave another question rather than an answer. How much do you think it is? When Sungjin couldnt answer, he laughed and said Just one. * 2000 to Strength, 2000 to Dex, 1000 Endurance, 500 to Magic Power and rest to Mind Power. Apply. [Applied.] And equip title Adjudicator. [Equipped.] Finally, Sungjin picked up the black spellbook in front of him. Spellbook C Illusion 7th Class Black Magic Create perfectly identical mimics. The number of illusions is based on the magic power. Soldamyr gave a tip from the side. It is a spell that is heavily influenced by Magic Power. Most mages would use this spell as a way to buy time to shout incantations. But you, who are proficient with the blade, should be able to utilize it offensively. Sungjin nodded. Memorize. The spellbook burned up in black flames. Next item to check after the spellbook was the information sheet. Information on Tahrakhan Plateau Sungjin picked up the sheet and the toast sitting next to it and walked out of the Ninety Nine Nights. He sat on the rocking chair placed in front of the door and watched the sunrise. He held the bread in his mouth, toasted with egg on top, for over a minute without moving. Finally, Soldamyr spoke up. Are you uncomfortable? Master? Ah? Mmm Sungjin finally bit off the first piece before responding. No I was just lost in thought. Then Ill be returning to the lamp. Please call for me if you need my assistance. Soldamyr returned to his lamp, and only Cain remained by his side. As if understanding what Sungjin was going through, Cain sat next to him motionlessly. Sungjin petted his head as he continued to think. Darker than Black it was even crazier than I imagined Definitely Someone elses thought interrupted Sungjin inside his own head. It was Besgoros voice. Sungjin asked him What? Did you see it too, grandpa? I am not your grandpa. I am a Knight. Call me Sir Besgoro. Geez, youre just a ghost, why are you so uptight? Okay, Sir Besgoro. Were you able to watch the whole thing? Anything you can see, I can see. Anything you can hear, I can hear. It was an unwelcome revelation. I should keep it off of me when I dont need it then. Sungjin thought to himself as he replied. What do you think it is? That place? That man? Im not sure even I, a ghost, finds him very peculiar. Actually, is he even a man? Is he even human? Or ghost? But not the same. He was closer to something like closer to the Devil or God. The man was definitely a mystery, in many ways. Well, whether or not he is a Devil or God he does seem to have the items I need. But why did you feel those items are necessary? I can see the argument for the star, but what about that Holy water? Where are you going to use that for? Its for marking the people I need. People you need? Yes. Strong, but also trustworthy. The ghost began to laugh at his words. Heh ha ha ha ha ha~ It was a ghastly laughter which echoed in Sungjins head. He decided to ask Why are you laughing? Such thing does not exist. Sungjin closed his mouth; he also knew what Besgoro was telling him. After all, he had experienced it first hand. Besgoro continued to speak. Well Kind people, those who are eager to help others, thats all good and all. But power does not gather around them. It is far more likely for them to have their power taken away. He who is strong has sapped much strength from those around him. Sungjin paused and remembered for a moment. Serin Han, Igor, Mahadas. And then he answered No. That is not always the case. Of course not. There are always exceptions. But the majority will be like that. Trust me. I have roamed the battlefields for 40 years. I have met countless allies, and watched most of them die. Sungjin silently listened. Besgoros 40 years of combat experience was something he could relate to. But in the end, the ones who survive are those who are strong, who became strong by ruthlessly and mercilessly taking and stealing from everyone around them. Those who monopolize every resource they can take. Sungjin refuted him. You must believe so because you only lived on the battlefield your whole life. The place Ive come from is a little different. To him, Besgoro gave a short reply. Its the same anywhere. And with that said, Besgoro finally went silent. Sungjin shook his head briefly, trying to shake loose the negativity the ghost had been trying fill his head with. He had a flashback. To Serin Han, Igor, Mahadas, people he met in the previous life, the final ten members. Araujo, Ryushin, Nada, Umkhuba, Ilich, Hildebrandt, Shunsuke, Mustafa, and Edward. Each and every one of those members were incredibly powerful people. Master among masters. In luck and in skill. Rightfully described as Those Chosen by the Gods. Sungjin was the best swordsman of them all, but in terms of his overall strength, it wasnt very high compared to the other nine members. The only problem with the nine masters was the pride befitting of their enormous talent. I will do the next one. No, it will be me If youre fighting over contribution level, cut it out. Shut up. Do you have any idea what happened in the last raid when he tried to solo the boss? In the end, they were wiped out. Truth be told, the reason why the team got wiped out was not due to lack of status points or ability; each of the members overflowed with power. The party was wiped out due to inability to cooperate. Sungjin lowered his gaze down to the ground. He could see his two swords, Blood Vengeance and Moon Specter. He then had a thought I am probably the strongest in this timeline. After all, Ive done a 100% clear on every raid. Of the nine others who were in the final parties, he had some who he could get along with, and others he could not. And of the final few, there were those who let their team get wiped out. Sungjin stood up. Star of the nameless and Holy Water of Baptism; Ill buy them both and create a brand new final ten members of my choosing. And with these new teammates, I will see to the end of the Final Raid. After he made up his mind, he took out something from within his jacket. It was a Ring. It was a simple ring, made of an ordinary metal. Only, that it looked peculiar. It was made to look like two wires were twisted around as it created the bend. Sungjin lifted up the ring and inspected the status window. Helix Ring C Ring of the Warlord Heroic Ring Passive Reign(I) Receive 1 White Coin from those who, knowingly and of their own free will, kisses the ring. Those who kiss the ring receive a permanent 10% loss to all future Raid coin rewards. Can only be used once per person. Between the two stairs, he lay and sang freely Holding the crown, the new King has returned. It was an item he paid 3000 Black Coins to purchase. Sungjin recalled the conversation from earlier. Just one? Yes, just one. But, its a different type of currency. Hes never heard of a white coin. At least, not from his memories of the previous life. I dont know what it does yet but Sungjin made a fist and stood up. I will obtain these things and rise as the new power and establish my rule over the Raids. Thinking of what he was going to do next, Sungjin returned to Ninety Nine Nights. The Sun gradually rose higher and higher into the morning sky behind him. Note: Do check out our new series Main Character Hides His Strength if you havent yet Chapter 56 Chapter 56 C Tahrakhan Plateau (1) The Sun shone brightly above in the spotless sky; not one puff of cloud obscured the view. But looking around, the cloud could be seen floating near the ground. The place Sungjin stood was a high elevation plateau. [Welcome. This place is the Tahrakhan Plateau] [The elevation is several thousand meters above sea level.] [Please be warned, due to long term isolation, the life forms that inhabit this Plateau] [Have evolved to survive in the harsh environment and have become particularly dangerous.] Sungjin shivered involuntarily. He was wearing a warm shirt that Dalupin provided him with his clothes, but it still felt very cold. However, Sungjin kept a positive mindset. It should warm up as I swing my sword around. [Synchronizing Hunters] One by one the Hunters appeared after the Operators announcement. Sungjin watched them materialize without thinking much about it. I dont think therell be any surprises But his prediction was off. Inquisitor, Pirate, Pugilist, Treasure Hunter Treasure Hunter? Sungjins jaw dropped as he stared at the owner of the title. The man was an Arab holding daggers in each hand, sporting a long mustache. He was short and looked unremarkable, but his large eyes visibly sparkled. Wow The fact that he has Treasure Hunter title means he managed to find a hidden element at some point in the past It wasnt too strange that he had received this title. It was already the 7th Raid. By now few of the others would have successfully found hidden elements along the way. But what was surprising was that he had decided to set the title active. First, he had to take 50% penalty on all other titles he didnt pick. Second, even if he could find the boss, he still had to overcome the difficulty of defeating it. Even Sungjin who had knowledge from the previous life waited six chapters until he felt safe enough to try switching Master Hunter to Treasure Hunter once. There were two possibilities. Hes either brave or stupid. Of course, he could be both as well. Sungjin suppressed his surprise and checked out the other teammates. The other three hunters looked fairly normal. Inquisitor was a large built westerner. The Pirate was a slightly tall Arabian and the Pugilist was an Asian man. The Inquisitor took a look around and commented What a peculiar title we have this round. Sungjin agreed with him, thinking of the Treasure Hunter. But he then said Two in fact. Sungjin turned to face the Inquisitor. Their eyes met. He had been looking at Sungjin. Treasure Hunter and Adjudicator The Pugilist said, cracking his neck by twisting it. Yeah, Ive never heard of those titles before. Treasure Hunter Do you get bonus rewards or something? And Adjudicator? What does that do? Sungjin stayed silent for a moment. Then the Pirate spoke up. One Westerner, two Middle Easterners, and two Asians? I hope to get along with the rest of you. Dont go sticking a knife in peoples backs. Sungjin turned his gaze towards him. Dont go sticking a knife in peoples backs? The ones who say such things were most likely the very same ones who would do exactly what they promised not to do. Innocent people who dont plan on doing such acts wont even mention it, as it wont even occur to them to think about it. Sungjin had lived at the bottom of the society before the raids began, and he saw countless individuals do the same thing. I will never scam you. He would likely aim to scam because scam is on his mind. I wont cheat on you. He is likely to cheat due to keeping himself aware of the possibility. Dont stab people in the back. He probably thought about it a lot, meaning hes more likely to carry it out. And the fact that his title was Pirate is suspicious. After all, Pirates are people who pillage from other people. While Sungjin was thinking so, the Treasure Hunter finally opened his mouth. Listen carefully everyone. Let me tell you something amazing. Sungjin looked at him through the slit of his eyes. No way Unfortunately, he was right. There are hidden elements in this raid. Not one, but two. The other three hunters were immediately interested. Happy that the others showed such interest in his words, he smiled as he continued. One is a secret location on the map or an item. The other is a hidden boss. Once the basic information was said, the others showed even greater interest. Of course with the exception of Sungjin who already knew all of this. The Inquisitor spoke first. Hidden Item? Hidden boss? Thats the first time Ive heard of such things. The Treasure Hunter looked smug as if he was revealing the secret of the universe. Yes. Each chapter has those things. And I know where to find them. Thanks to my title of Treasure Hunter. The Pirate asked If it is hidden items, is it worth a lot? Treasure Hunter nodded. He wasnt hiding anything. Once he began giving out free information, there was little reason to stop. Of course. Truth be told, just finding the place itself is a major advantage. For example in the last raid, there wasnt much benefit to other hunters from the killing of Besgoro, but being able to meet Wandering Merchant Ruff Han proved to be very fruitful to everyone else. Pugilist asked So if we kill the hidden boss, we can get additional items or coins? Treasure Hunter responded hesitantly. Yeess it should From his behavior, Sungjin knew So he probably wasnt able to actually kill any hidden boss yet. Finding versus killing the hidden bosses were two very different things; there was nothing to be gained if you cant defeat the hidden boss after all. Even if all five hunters were to cooperate perfectly, facing against bosses on the level of Soldamyr and Besgoro (Although both have now become his familiars) were no easy feat. They would have to prepare to lose one or two members on average. So Sungjin had been hesitant to tell anyone about the existence of hidden bosses. In most cases, accidentally discovering the boss meant death. The point Sungjin was curious about was at what chapter did he obtain the title. The Treasure Hunter was still busy answering questions. So when can we find those things? Hahaha, lets clear the raid first. We shouldnt have death hanging over our heads as we go searching for the extras, right? He seemed to love answering questions and to be the center of attention. Sungjin waited for the right moment to ask his question. So at what chapter did you get the Treasure Hunter title? Thats Although he was carelessly answering all the questions until now, he stopped at this point. Sungjin decided to manipulate him psychologically. I want to try and get that title too. You should let other people know how to get such an amazing title, dont you think? At his words, the man began to grin sheepishly. Remember that desert? Hook Line and Sinker. He probably couldnt have imagined that the person asking how do I get the title already has it. Sungjin nodded. Once we defeated the Raid boss Basilisk, we wandered around the desert and ran into a Sphinx. That Sphinx issued us a Riddle. The other Hunters focused in on his story. And elated by the amount of attention he received, he told a detailed recount of the solving of the riddle and how he came to arrive at the hidden Oasis. At the very end, he arrived at the point in the story where his team discovered the Lamp. The Pugilist swallowed once before asking And? He urged for the Treasure Hunter to continue. But the story ended there. Ah well that Lamp it was made of gold so I sold it at the Black Market. Unlike how excitedly he had told the story until that point, he was now stuttering. The Pirate decided to ask So? How much did you get? Ah um 2000? 2000? The Inquisitors eyes grew wide, the Pirate licked his lips and the Pugilist commented Wow, thats amazing! Sungjin stared at him as he thought Lies. 100% he rubbed it. Soldamyrs Lamp would have been discovered in a Worn state. It was a normal tier item with only one ability rub. Yes, it was made of gold, but with so much grime and wear, there was no way that lamp held value without cleaning. There is no way anyone decided to sell it without trying to rub it first. Most likely story is that Soldamyr was summoned as a result, and he ran away while being attacked by a barrage of magic spells, losing few comrades in the process. Sungjin continued to stare at the Treasure Hunter as he thought A liar, but not useless Sungjin had to equip Adjudicator in order to test out Trollseeker Marble. If he could get the Treasure Hunter to use his skill to reveal both locations, it would help him greatly. And of course, the reward is obviously mine. [Raid will begin in 3 minutes.] At the Operators announcement, the Inquisitor snapped to attention. My, look where the times gone. Lets put side story time for later and worry about our strategy for this round really quick. He wore a full plate mail and wielded a mace; a standard Tank. The Inquisitor title granted defense against magic attacks. The title itself could have been obtained after being hit by spells in Chapter 3 from the Lich, or Chapter 4 from ChoRoch, or even Count Dimitri from the previous round. Since it also gave a good boost to melee offensive power, it was a great choice for a tank who was confident in his defensive items. My name is Weiden Peller. As you can see, I am the tank. He must have been German. Blonde with green eyes and wide shoulders. Now that he thought of it, he even resembled Hildebrandt from the final 10 members of his previous life. Although Hildebrandt was taller. The Pirate spoke up. I am Jamar. I wield two scimitars. And just like he claimed, he wore two of them on his sides. Duel wielder. He didnt reveal his nationality, but no one piped up. Next was the Asian Pugilist. I am Shigetoki. As you can see, I am a Karate practitioner. He was probably Japanese. And just as the name Karate would suggest (Karate : Empty Fisted), he carried almost no items at all despite reaching chapter 7. Of course, in place of items, he had massive amounts of muscles. Next was the Treasure Hunter. I am Mustafa, I use daggers. He shared the same name as the previous final 10 member, Mustafa. But his appearance and personality were completely different. In the previous life, Mustafa was a quiet and earnest man. Sungjin also gave his prepared response. Kei. As you can see, a Swordsman. No one was particularly interested in him. Even the Inquisitor who had asked him about the Adjudicator earlier was distracted by the Treasure Hunter and gave no attention to him. Is anyone able to use magic here? While the four others gathered to try and discuss a strategy, Sungjin let out a long yawn and stretched. Haaa~ In order to go to Darker than Black at 4:30 every night, he had to get in the habit of going to bed earlier. Sungjin wiped away his tears as he thought I cant wait to quickly end the chapter and try out the Trollseeker Marble. He didnt know which unlucky troll he would be summoned onto, but there was no way to escape him. He would be forced to give up two items and die. The Operator gave an announcement. [The raid will begin in 1 minute.] Chapter 57 Chapter 57 C Tahrakhan Plateau (2) Tahrakhan Plateau Raid Objective C Hunt the Harpy Queen Laliha Time limit C 1 hour The Operators information page opened up, and the hunters gathered around to discuss. I guess theres no ranged attacker this round. I guess so. Dont we need some magic power? I can use a few. I tried to learn some myself but the magic power was too low to be useful. It wasnt worth it. I know. I tried to learn one or two, but sold the rest after I tried them out. While the hunters were chatting away, Sungjin was considering how he could coexist with the Treasure Hunter in the party. I dont like the idea that he might be able to find the hidden element before I do and take away the reward Sungjin tried to come up with ideas in his head about how to deal with him. Ill just use my Treasure Hunter active from the start. And once I complete the hidden piece, I will stick around that guy until he uses the hint, and then just end the Raid and collect the last hidden element. Once he was done planning his next move, Sungjin restlessly waited for the Raid to begin. [5, 4, 3, 2, 1, 0] The moment the Raid began he turned to the others and announced I have business to take care of so Ill be right back, friends. Go around hunting Harpies or something. Everyone turned to stare at Sungjin in shock. The Inquisitor was first to reply What the But Sungjin didnt have time to explain. There was always fundamental differences in priorities between game show participants and the man who aimed to become the director of the show. Try to hunt as many harpies as you can before I come back. Thatll be the only way you will be able to get yourselves some contribution points. Once Sungjin was done speaking, he flicked a coin into the air. Momentarily Hiiiihihihihi~ A horse appeared out of thin air and whined; Shadowrun had arrived. Sungjin climbed on top of the horse and grasped the reins before galloping off into the distance. For a brief moment, he thought of the hunters he was leaving behind but If they arent able to kill even normal mobs with four peopletheyre all going to die sooner or later anyway. Sungjin ended his worry. The weak dies. That was the nature of this game. In the first time around, Sungjin did not consider this and tried to keep everyone alive to the best of his ability, but after having to restart, he had become coldly calculative. Those with poor ability or nature will not be allowed to continue. It was true that the more people left to participate in raids the better, but in the end, only the best would be able to remain anyway. If any one of the four hunters in this round had the talent to reach the end game, it would become self-evident by the time he came back. To be honest, none of them looked good enough to be chosen Even if it werent from this particular raid, Sungjin would intervene in various raid teams to select his final members. And with the Chosen Ones he would beat the final Raid together. Becoming The one who overcame the boundary of the games rule could never be done if he simply acted and participated normally like all the others. Sungjin became more and more aware that he has become more than just another participant. Galloping away on Shadowrun, he called for the Operator. Operator, use the Treasure Hunter active. Please tell me where I can find hidden treasure or boss. [This is the hint about the hidden Treasure.] Sungjin concentrated on the content of the hint. [At the edge of Cliffs] [Abandoned by Parents and left alone] [The precious one survived and grew] [This is the way of the True Nobles] [Only those who break out of their shell and return alive] [May then lay claim to the throne] He heard it once, but he didnt quite get it. Operator, Tell me again. The Cube repeated itself. Sungjin stopped the horse while listening to the hint. Whoa whoa~ He stopped Shadowrun and checked his surroundings. It was difficult to see due to the thick layer of clouds drifting by. Even if he had Ghostvision, he could not see through objects. Luckily the clouds were constantly moving. Watching for moments when they thinned out, Sungjin was able to get a glimpse of the ground. It was possible to see very far on the Plateau. While looking around alone, Sungjin recalled What you can see I can see. He remembered about Besgoro and called upon him. Mister Besgoro~ He heard an annoyed voice respond. I told you to call me Sir! I dont feel like it. You should be thankful that Im even talking to a 52 year old man. Hmph! Ah thats right, youre not even a Mister. Just an old Bachelor. Besgoro snapped Bachelor! My god, the only reason why I didnt marry until this age was because I was too busy fighting on the battlefield! Ok fine Anyway, Mister Besgoro, I mean Sir, do you see the edge of the Plateau? No, I cant see it. Right? Ill ride on with Shadowrun so please let me know if you see the edge of the cliff appear. Alright. Yaa~ Sungjin urged Shadowrun forward. Although oxygen was thin this high up, it didnt matter to a ghost stallion. He galloped away without tiring out and ran across the Plateau. * Once Kei suddenly left, the other four hunters quickly went to work on hunting Harpies like Kei had suggested. They didnt like the fact that Kei decided to act alone and took off, but they didnt have any other choice. Baahh~ In the distance, a large male Goat was spotted. But its appearance was anything but ordinary. To begin with, the Horns were gigantic. The horns curled around into a spiral until it came to a point facing forward. But this point was as long and sharp as a spear point. It glared at the hunters quite unlike a herbivore would; it was intimidating. The Inquisitor held up his spear and muttered to himself. It looks like it would munch on skin instead of grass. As soon as he said something the Goat charged. Baaa~ The mountain goat charged at an alarming speed. The Inquisitor who took its momentum head on was flung away by the impact, but he still shouted Attack! After the momentum was killed, the Goat was defenseless against the Pugilist, Pirate and the Treasure Hunter. The Mountain Goat tried to fight back swinging its massive horns around to threaten the Hunters, but it was quickly killed by the focused attack of the three hunters, and the Inquisitor who quickly came back to join in. Once the first enemy was slain, the Inquisitor let out a sigh. Whew what kind of goat is stronger than a bear Well, the appearance dont matter, right? I thought the enemies steadily rise in difficulty as we progress through the Chapters. Everyone nodded to the Treasure Hunters words. The average stats of the survivors had to continuously rise faster and faster. Taking this into consideration, the Goat they were facing now was incomparably stronger than the Bear that appeared in Chapter 2. This world was indifferent to the common sense of Earth. The Pugilist seemed to be enjoying the situation, however. Its no fun if theres no challenge! It was at that moment Oof! The Inquisitor was raised into the air. The others looked up to see; He was caught by a Harpy and were being carried off somewhere as he struggled The Treasure Hunter quickly recited an incantation. Incinerate everything in your path! But the Fireball which left his hands missed the Harpy. What saved the Inquisitor was the Pirates spell. Steel-cutting Blades of Wind! Wind Cutter! One of the formless blades that left his hands landed on the wing. Kyaa~! The Harpy cried out in pain as she fell out of the air, along with the Inquisitor. It was a chance. All of the hunters rushed to the Harpy to kill it before it could escape. The Harpy tried to put up a fight with its sharp-clawed feet, but it was soon killed off by the hunters. The Treasure Hunter checked the Inquisitor. Hey, are you alright? Ugh His leg was bent the wrong way. He must have injured himself when he landed. Despite the pain, he managed to shout out in anger. I was stuck in the air! Why did you attack so recklessly? The Pirate was at a loss for words. Wow, even though I just saved you Arguments between teammates were bad news. The raids were difficult enough as it is even with full cooperation between all the members. If a fight were to breaks out between team members, it could only lead to annihilation. The hunters knew this through experience by now and acted quickly to resolve the tension before it could escalate. Dont be like that But the Pugilist added Why are you whining because of a small injury? You can just drink one potion and it goes away, right? But his words only fanned the flames. What?! You think potions solve everything? How about you stand in the front next time, lets see how well you do?! What are you talking about? Youre a tank, act like one. Ill do my job safely from the back. Its fair, right? In the open space of the Plateau, the rising volume of the hunters argument echoed far and wide. * Sungjin continued to push his horse forward. He could see monstrous goats in the distance, but they didnt chase after him while he rode the ghost Stallion. Sungjin recalled his old memories. Those guys were really tough back then In the past, the tank had been gravely injured when he was caught off guard and impaled by the horn of a goat. That hurts even now. Sungjin looked left and right to search for a cliff wall. But he couldnt see the edge anywhere. Sungjin called upon Besgoro. Sir Besgoro Not yet. He was acting quite unlike himself and responding with short replies. He must be angry at being called Old Bachelor earlier. This 52 year old grandpa sure acts immature Well, I guess I already knew this side of him when he said that he proposed to a 20 year old lady Sungjin doubted that Besgoro had a healthy, mature mentality. And due to existing for a long time as a ghost, he seemed a bit off as well. Ill just ignore this crazy old man and hmm, lets see Sungjin turned the horse towards a hill overlooking the area. However, even from this vantage point, he could not see the edge of the Plateau through the clouds below. Sungjin tried to go over the hint again. At the edge of Cliffs Maybe its an allusion? If that were the case, it would be a headache to try and solve it. What if it isnt literally the cliff wall? What could it be? While he was thinking that, Shadowrun stopped in his tracks. Whats wrong Shadowrun? While Sungjin was verbalizing his question, he noticed why. Before him was a sheer cliff face. So it wasnt an allusion. Sungjin dismounted from Shadowrun. Next, he carefully approached the wall and looked over the edge. He could not see the bottom. Sungjin looked around. The cliff continued endlessly. Wait is this Besgoro verbalized Sungjins thoughts. The entire Plateau must be surrounded by sheer cliff. In that case, it was time to change mounts. Sungjin addressed Shadowrun. Thank you for your hard work Shadowrun. Go rest in the stable Unsummon. Once Shadowrun vanished, Sungjin took out the Magic Carpet from the Cube. Flight. Sungjin rode the carpet and flew alongside the cliff face. As he checked the walls, he thought to himself, Claim the throne claim the Note: In Korea old bachelor is considered extremely bad; a major insult. Chapter 58 Chapter 58 C Tahrakhan Plateau (3) Die! Please! Inquisitor swung his mace desperately. Baaa~ The Mountain Goat let out a bleating cry as it fell dead. He quickly took a recovery potion out of his belt and drank it down. The wound on his side quickly closed itself. The effects of Recovery Potion were quite good, but it didnt numb the pain at all. The Inquisitor pressed down on his injury as he took a look around. They had killed 3 Goats and 2 Harpies at once this time. According to the Information sheet, killing 20 mobs would automatically summon the Harpy Queen. Its so hard to kill each individual mob at this rate, we might have difficulty summoning the boss in time As he thought about the partys progress through the raids, he checked the state of the other three hunters. All three of them bore small and medium wounds. This was an unavoidable situation for the lot of them. Because the Goats and Harpies suddenly attacked them en masse, he had been unable to cover for all of them. It was a stroke of good luck that they had no fatalities yet. Are you guys all alright? It was a phrase that anyone would have uttered by now, but the men were in silence. Each was too busy taking potions out of the cubes and drinking them. After they fought the first Harpy, they had created irreconcilable differences between each other and were too busy being overly mindful of each others actions. The burst of anger earlier had ruined their chances of proper teamwork. I dont know when they might turn against me Because of their uncertainty, they couldnt work together nor relax around each other. Inquisitor Weiden Peller looked over to the Japanese man he had nearly started a brawl earlier. He was skilled. Amazingly, his fists were more powerful than hunters wielding weapons. But I can no longer trust him. He was strong, but that became a cause for anxiety, as he didnt know how to deal with him later if the Pugilist were to suddenly betray him. For now, well have to work together until we reach the boss but As he thought so, he looked over to the Treasure Hunter. He was talkative, but his actual skill was subpar. He had a fancy looking daggers, but all he ever did was kill steal enemies at the very last second when there was no risk to himself. During fights, he was too busy running away from danger. Hidden Pieces what a joke. How can we go searching for treasure if we cant even complete the objective? He then turned his attention to the Pirate last. He had somewhat good skills, but nothing about him was particularly trustworthy. Appearance wise, he would have fit right in in any one of the conflict zones in the Middle East. The title could always be referring to his previous job as a Somalian Pirate This chapter had nothing but people he didnt like. He picked up his shield and Mace and turned his head. Now that he thought of it, there was another person that pissed him off. Go hunt harpy or something. He suddenly took off without warning, that Kei man. In some ways, he was the worst of all. The Raids were difficult enough as it is with all five hunters cooperating. But he had snuck out from the very start. The team power started at 4/5th of normal levels. Damn it, did he get himself killed alone or something? As he insulted others in his mind, he returned his gaze forward. He could sense that the others were following him. No one wanted to speak, but they still cooperated with each other on an instinctive level. Despite their hostility and distrust against one another, their teamwork was driven by survival instinct and necessity, despite their uneasy silence. What a fucking retarded chapter. * At the same time, Sungjin was riding the Magic Carpet along the outer edge of the Plateau. He was trying to see if he could spot any nest built into the sheer cliff wall. According to the hint he obtained, the hidden element should be some form of an egg. The Operator said Only those who break out of their shell and return alive She had said. While he was flying along the cliff face, Kei Besgoro called for him. He stopped the flight and replied. What is it? Did you find a nest with an egg in it? Besgoro was carefully watching the surroundings watching out for the egg. However, the words that came out of his mouth was different from what Kei had been expecting. Youve got guests. Sungjin raised his gaze up into the sky above. Harpies were flying towards him. One, two, three five in total. Once he was done counting his foes, he quickly gazed down below the Magic Carpet. The endless cliff wall continued on seemingly forever. Trying to fight winged opponents while standing on the magic carpet with his sword did not seem like a wise decision. Its time for magic. Once he made up his mind, Sungjin began to try and cast the spell. Murderous But he was interrupted. Murderous thunder, Jump from foe to foe! Besgoros skull shouted out on its own. Chain lightning! Lightning gathered on the tip of Moon Specter, and Sungjin immediately pointed it towards the flying monsters. Bzzzt! The lightning hit home with the closest Harpy and jumped to all the other harpies. The first two dropped like stones out of the air, and the other three harpies were stunned for a moment. Whoa Sungjin exclaimed. This is Substitute Chanting. Ill do the incarnation for any spell you are thinking of using. It didnt seem like he could control the timing for spell activation, but that wasnt a problem. If he timed it right, he could probably cast two spells simultaneously. Besgoro added Just be aware it cost double the normal amount of mana. Got it, thanks Besgoro. Being able to use two spells simultaneously would give Sungjin all sorts of combat advantages. While thinking of the possibilities, Kyah! One of the surviving Harpies came flying at Sungjin brandishing its sharp-taloned feet. Sungjin moved the Magic Carpet dexterously avoiding the Talons. At first, just one Harpy engaged in combat against him. But due to inexperience with flying, a sharp talon grazed the top of Sungjins head. It didnt hurt, but it made the hair on the back of his neck stand. Keeeyah! The second Harpy joined the fray. While dodging their attacks, Sungjin suddenly dropped his altitude rapidly, avoiding an attack in the last minute. This time, he dodged the talons by a large margin. Now that he was getting used to the enemies and flying, he figured out how to fight them. Once he felt confident, he waited until the third one arrived to tilt the Magic Carpet and swing his sharp blades. The swords sliced through one of the harpys right leg, and the other severed another harpys left wing. KeeyAhhh! The harpys signature battle cry turned into a scream of terror as it fell out of the sky. Sungjin watched it fall and grinned. Mid-air Combat isnt so bad But suddenly the Operator gave a warning. [Please return to the hunting grounds. This area is off limits to hunters.] [If you remain in the restricted area after 10 seconds,] Sungjin scanned his surroundings. He had dropped his altitude too far while trying to dodge the Harpys attacks. [You will die. 10] He could take dozens of attacks by the harpies and remain alive, but if that countdown finished, he was done for. Hey, Kei. Besgoro must have felt threatened by the warning message. I know. Sungjin immediately raised his altitude with the Magic Carpet, sticking close to the cliff wall. The two harpies continued their pursuit. So annoying Sungjin raised his swords. It was difficult to exhibit 100% of his potential while riding the carpet, but as long as he grazed them, it should cause instant death. Sungjin easy cut down one of the harpies. One down. And then he prepared for the next one. But the last one Kaa!~ Let out a long cry and turned to flee. Sungjin was about to give chase when he decided against it. The flight speed of Magic Carpet and Harpies were roughly the same. He would be wasting precious time trying to chase the Harpy. Also Harpies tend to flee when all their allies have been slain. If they manage to get away, they will return with a large number of reinforcements. The Information sheet said as much. The harpy would show itself again, and with many comrades in tow. Since I have to kill them anyway, its pretty convenient they will go gather all of them up on my behalf. Sungjin thought as he returned to inspecting the cliff walls. In truth, there was a time limit to the aerial inspection. The Magic Carpet could only fly for a total of 20 minutes. Once this happens, he would have to search for the egg on foot, hanging onto the cliff wall. When he thought of it, Sungjin began to grow nervous. How much time do I have left? But it was at this moment that he noticed something. Between the outcropping of minerals, he noticed something sparkling. Besgoro spoke up. Kei I saw as well. Sungjin moved closer to the shiny object. On it was a large nest. It was several times larger than a typical bird nest. And within, there was an egg roughly three times the size of normal chicken eggs. Slowing down the Magic Carpet, he carefully approached the nest. He felt a strange sense of dignity contained within the egg. The Egg was slightly golden in color. It looked like the egg could almost double as precious gem. Precious one survived and grew Sungjin recalled the hint from earlier. He put away his swords and gently lifted up the egg with both his hands. The Operator gave an announcement. [Congratulations! You have obtained the Hidden Piece] [Ra C Egg of Gold] He, La la~ Singing in happiness, Sungjin checked the status window on the egg. Ra C Egg of Gold Rare Egg Passive Skill Tremor of Beginning(I) C Will Tremble once a day Nobility is not determined by birth but by everyday conduct in life. Hmm? Sungjin tilted his head in confusion. It was a mysterious skill. In fact, it was strange to even call it a skill, or a passive. Most of all, it would tremble once a day of its choosing. It had no utility or function for now. Sungjin decided to ask Besgoro Excuse me, Besgoro, do you know anything about this egg? No, its the first time Ive seen one. Besgoro was useless just when he needed him. When Sungjin was about to reread the Status page Kyah~! He could hear unwelcome cries in the distance. When he turned his head to check, he saw a flock of Harpies flying his way. Oh my Sungjin quickly stuffed the egg into the cube and counted his foes. One, two, three There was too many this time for an accurate count. About a dozen or more. Sungjin looked up; he followed the cliff wall up to the Plateau. Now that he found the egg, he had no more business on the edge. No matter how strong he was, challenging dozens of winged monsters mid air with a temporary flight item would be a dumb move. Especially so close to the boundary he is not allowed to cross. The fastest of the Harpies was almost upon him, but Sungjin ignored them and continued to climb. And once he finally reached the Tahrakhan Plateaus flat land, he jumped off the Magic Carpet and spun twice in the air before landing on the Plateau ground. Behind him, countless Harpies threw themselves upon him. Sungjin unsheathed his sword and muttered Come then, dumb fruit flies; come fly into the raging inferno with your own wings. Chapter 59 Chapter 59 C Tahrakhan Plateau (4) Chain Lightning! Lightning gathered at the tip of Sungjins sword and blasted its way towards his enemies. Several harpies were fried, falling out of the air after a seizure. Sungjin tried to count them again. One two three four He had killed so many, but there were still four remaining. There were more than 10 to start with. The warning about reinforcement was no joke. Sungjin began reciting the incantation. Suddenly Murderous Besgoro began to shout out the spell before he could. Substitute chanting must have come off of cooldown. Sungjin timed himself and also chanted the incantation alongside Besgoro. Thunder, Jump from foe to foe! Chain Lightning! Murderous thunder, Jump from foe to foe! Chain Lightning! Two spells went off simultaneously, and the chain lightning burst forth from both hands. The first shot landed on a group of harpies and hit multiple targets, but his second shot fired from the left hand hit a loner without any splash damage. Hmm Sungjin checked his left hand. The feeling was very similar to dual wielding with swords; it required quick and complex calculations. He* was really good at chain casting one spell after another I should try to test how spells synergize when cast together when I have time in the Ninety Nine Nights. As he made plans for the night, he returned the swords to the scabbards. Before him lay dozens of sizzling corpses of Harpies. Sungjin checked the cube. No message about the Harpy Queen was announced. I guess it wasnt enough In some ways, this was better. Based on what happened with Oryx or Basilisk, Sungjin guessed that Summoned boss mobs will most likely appear where the most hunters are gathered. It was a guess made with a very small data set. Sungjin thought about the other four hunters. I wonder how they are doing they probably hate my guts by now It would be strange if they didnt. They were forced to try and do the raid while being a man short; despite having the opportunity to earn more contribution points without him present (although in actuality they will not), they would be having far more difficulties without the fifth member being there. But Sungjin couldnt help it. Besides, if they werent skilled or powerful enough to be able to kill the boss as a group of four, they werent good enough to go very far anyway. If they were weak enough to be killed here, they would die without question sometime in the near future. It was ruthless, but in order to survive the very late game, there was no choice other than to prove their own worth through power. Once Kutan Desert Raid finished, the Operator had congratulated the 600,000 hunters for reaching top 0.01% rank, but the real deal begins with the final 6000 hunters, the top 0.0001% ranks. Of course, once the raid had progressed to that point, Sungjin would already have begun a fight against enemies of a fundamentally different level. While he was lost in thought Hmm? He saw one harpy flying away in the distance. He must have just barely survived due to the skill hitting too many targets before reaching him. Should I let him bring more reinforcements? Sungjin considered his options, but he quickly made up his mind. If he killed too many harpies here, he would accidentally unleash the Queen on the unsuspecting hunters. Sungjin watched the Harpy fly for a moment before reciting an incantation. Discard your fangs and become a tame sheep! Polymorph! The Harpy who just flew past the edge of the Plateau suddenly turned into a sheep. The enemy, who suddenly lost his wings Baaa~ Disappeared over the edge of the cliff. [Low Mana] The Operator finally warned Sungjin of his mana level. Sungjin pointed towards the mountain of Harpy corpses and said Lichs beckon The Lichs finger uncurled itself and beckoned for souls to come. Sungjin felt himself refill with mana. After watching the process for a moment, Sungjin turned to look around. He felt that it was almost time for Harpy Queen to show itself around the other Hunters. Sungjin said Swift Paw Wolfs claws emerged from his boots, and he sprinted towards the direction he came from. I need to start intervene in other Raids Ill leave as many trash mobs undisturbed as possible so that the other hunters can have a chance to scrape together some contribution points. In the situation where there were limited amount of contribution points to go around, this was the most he could do for them. * Moooo~ The buffalo let out a deafening sound as it fell over on its side. It was a buffalo in appearance only; it was a monster as large as an elephant. The Hunters just barely fought off the enemy and gasped for air. Ha Haa Everyone was out of breath; Killing just one of this monster took them more than 5 minutes. Ugh Some of them were groaning in pain due to injury sustained by spear-like tusks. Once the fight to the death was over, the hunters took a moment to look at each other. Each and every battle was close, and the hunters were just barely overcoming their enemies. Instinctively, they came to an understanding We cannot kill the queen by ourselves. The four hunters wordlessly drank potions. No one spoke, no one moved. They couldnt hunt anymore. If they accidentally went over the threshold and summoned the queen, they were almost guaranteed to be annihilated. Even if they were able to just barely defeat the queen, it was obvious it would be at the sacrifice of at least half of the members. They had watched several teammates die over the course of 6 Raids. Thinking that it was going to happen to them in the near future, terror gripped their hearts. While the four men stood in mutual silence, it was the weakest Treasure Hunter who first broke the silence. I cant see us beating the boss with just the four of usWhat should we do? It was a problem they had no control over. The Pirate replied Beating the boss? Yeah, its going to be hard. Because of you. He mercilessly blamed the Treasure Hunter. He must have piled up frustration and complaints until now. What?! Whether it was intended or not, the Treasure Hunter held up his dagger threateningly. The Inquisitor intervened and broke up the fight. Stop. Even if you two fight, our situation wont get any better. The Pugilist, who was the main instigator of the previous infighting, said What about looking for that Adjudicator? I dont know where hes gone but The Treasure Hunter agreed with him. I think that would work. Having all five present would help immensely, wouldnt it? The Pirate was more pessimistic. The monsters are incredibly difficult to kill with the cooperation of us four. How could he have survived alone until now? He must have become Harpy food by now. That idiot must have been driven insane by fear It was at this timing Yo friends, what are you guys up to? The Adjudicator Kei suddenly appeared out of nowhere and stood in the center of the hunters. Not a single scratch or smudge dirtied him anywhere. He was neither Harpy food nor driven insane by fear as the Pirate had suggested. Kei turned around to look at the buffalo corpse and commented Looks like you guys were doing well. At the same time, the Cube suddenly gave out a warning. [Warning! Boss Monster] [Harpy Queen Laliha has appeared!] At her words, the hunters including Kei stared at the cube. Hmm? The hunters frowned, finding the situation unfair. We didnt hunt enough harpies though! Kei replied to them Ah There was that one Harpy that was chasing me earlier That must have been the trigger. Ahoo~ A strange song could be heard in the distance as a flock of harpies flew towards the Hunters. With just a glance, the hunters could tell that there were at least a dozen in the flock. The four hunters fell deep into despair. They had been just barely overcoming one or two enemies at a time, but now they had to fight at least a dozen simultaneously. Only Kei remained calm. He looked around to the others and advised Stand apart. Harpy Queen uses a sound-based attack which causes disorientation. Being hit as a group is dangerous. Harpies were fast gaining on them. Kei quickly said The one hit by confusion attack should crouch and stay still while the others protect him. And then try to slap the disoriented person awake. Thats all. The hunters stood some distance apart for now. Even if he didnt tell them this, it was part of the information written in the Information Sheet. But then Kei added Ah, just so you know, dont hit me while Im sleeping. I have someone else to wake me up. He fumbled around in his pocket while speaking and threw something in the air. A Wolf appeared out of nowhere. Grrr It was an intimidating wolf. Kei whispered something in his ears. Then glancing over the flock he muttered If I wanted to do it solo He took out a lamp from his coat and rubbed it. A blue genie appeared from the lamp. How may I serve you, master? Everyone stared at it in shock. Especially Treasure Hunter who leapt back. It was the same blue genie that killed his teammates back in Kutan Desert. The only reason why he survived the encounter with the Genie was that he stood at the very back when the Genie fired a spell at the team. He had turned into a sheep and had left the Oasis with everything he had. It was only two chapters ago when he barely escaped with his life. To others, he had boasted Sold it for 2000 gold But in reality, he was inches from death. So when he jumped back in fear, the Adjudicator Kei turned around to look at him and grinned; as if he already knew everything from the beginning. Ahoo~ The Harpies song became louder and louder. At the center flew a particularly colorful Harpy. It was not much bigger than other harpies, but anyone could tell she was the Harpy Queen. Kei bent over and whispered Cain, fight far away from me, and come bite my foot if I fall asleep. Woof! Bite within reason Woof woof He turned to look at the Genie. Soldamyr, stay close to that Treasure Hunter and protect him. Dont worry about me. Understood. Also, if Cain and I both fall asleep, wake us up with magic. If possible, with weak power The Genie bowed as he answered Understood. I will obey. Afterwards, he took his spot behind the Treasure Hunter. Eeeek! The Treasure Hunter couldnt help but cry out in fear and stepped away, but the Genie kept on approaching him faster and faster. Kei pulled out his two swords and gave an instruction to the Genie. Hey Soldamyr, lets bring them closer to the ground first. At his command, the terrifying genie said Yes, Master. He answered politely and began to recite an incantation. All-freezing winds! Razor sharp ice! Blizzard Storm! Blue lights left his hands and transformed the clear blue sky into a whirlwind of ice and powerful gusts of ice-cold winds. Kyaa! Many harpies fell out of the sky, struck by hail, or by frozen wings. But the Queen was surrounded by a large number of Harpies and were flying gracefully. Suddenly she Ahoooooooouuhh~ Let out a low frequency sound wave. Chapter 60 Chapter 60 C Tahrakhan Plateau (5) The Harpys song traveled through the air, and Sungjin felt his head go empty. Ah why is it me But dodging her sound attack was not possible. Sungjin tried to sit and lower himself, but his body looked up instead. Sungjin tried to look towards the right at Cain, but his neck turned the wrong way; This was the effect of the sound wave of Confusion. His body looked up when he wanted to look down, and looked to the left when he wanted to look right. Sungjin couldnt help but shout out his name. Cain! Grr~ Cain jumped towards Sungjin like a bullet to protect him. Kaaa! Several harpies tried to attack Sungjin while he was under the effect of the Harpy Queens song but were scattered like pigeons when Cain batted them away with his paws. Uryah! The Pugilist next to him was busily punching and kicking empty air. It was fast and filled with power, but he couldnt land a hit. He quickly became bloody due to all the harpies clawing away at him. The strange thing was that no one was running to his aid. If it was any other team, they should have formed a sense of camaraderie and actively act to help one another, but the other three hunters were busy attacking other harpies without caring. Even while his head was spinning, he could easily tell Theres no such thing as teamwork in this party. After 6~7 seconds Sungjin felt his senses returning to normal, so he pulled out his swords. The Harpies attacked rapidly from the sky, but Sungjins swords were much faster. Kyah! Sungjin quickly mowed down the harpies flying near them, but he could hear the Harpy Queen charging up for another shot. Ahoo~~ Cain! Before Sungjin even finished verbalizing his name, Cain separated from Sungjin immediately. Once Sungjin and Cain were separated by a safe distance, they resumed hunting nearby harpies. The Harpy Queens song became Hoooo~ And the song faded away. Sungjin wasnt the target this time. Who is it? Sungjin looked around while swinging his sword. The Treasure Hunter and Soldamyr were fighting against confusion while blinking and frowning. Try as they may, it wasnt something they could overcome on their own. Sungjin realized this from being hit. Kyaa! Sungjin called for Cain while facing off against the harpies. Cain. At Sungjins single word, Cain charged towards Soldamyr and bit his legs. Soldamyrs eyes opened wide. He stood by the Treasure Hunter who was still asleep standing and fulfilled his order diligently. Soldamyr, stay close to that Treasure Hunter and protect him. Paralyzing currents, Electric Shock! He fired bolts of electricity towards the harpies that were flying his way. Once nearby Harpies were taken care of, Sungjin looked up to check the queen. The Queen was still floating gracefully in the air. Pa! Blood Vengeance flew out of his hands. When the Queen noticed the sword flying her way, she nimbly dodged out of the way before the sword even reached the halfway point. Sungjin immediately recalled his sword. Haa! The sword returned without delay. Once she was gone the rest were easy enough to clean up. But she kept her distance and only used her ranged sound attack. Shes too far to use any long ranged attacks how can we fight her mid-air Sungjin saw the harpy corpses in front of him and got an idea. Awaken and become my slave! Rise of the Dead! One of the dead harpies raised its head. Sungjin climbed on top and commanded Fly. The Harpy flew into the air, gaining altitude little by little. It was slower than when it was alive, but this much was fine since he had a hidden card to play. And riding the Harpy, Sungjin slowly approached the Harpy Queen. Several harpies came to intercept him, but it was already his second aerial combat. Sungjin cut away at the harpies without much problem and continued to make progress towards the Queen. Because of the Zombie Harpys slow advance, the Harpy Queen was only slowly backing up as well, keeping distance. Your arrogant display of confidence ends here. Sungjin rang the Manyata C Masters Bell and then held on tight. Go! The Zombie Harpy flew forward much faster than normal towards the Harpy Queen. The flock of harpies protecting the queen shouted out in alarm. Kyaa! Sungjin stood on top of the Harpy and swung his sword once he was in range. Woosh He felt something hit his swords. But because of the speed, he couldnt tell what he had hit. He ordered his Harpy Hey hey! Turn around! Only then did the Harpy turn around. Checking the queen, she was untouched; Several of her guards were falling towards the ground. Damn The guards were working hard to protect their Queen. Sungjin prepared for another high-speed charge, but Ahoo~ The Queen began to sing. Sungjin had a bad feeling about this one. This isnt good He was up in the air, and no one was in any position to help him. Confusion and sleep were both lethal in his situation. Lets go! Quickly! Sungjin urged the Harpy forward. The Zombie Harpy flew towards the Queen like a bullet but Hoooo~ Queens song finished. Suddenly Sungjins vision began to whirl; The Zombie Harpy had begun spinning midair while carrying Sungjin. The Zombie Harpy was spinning so fast that no other harpies could get close, but Sungjin was about to puke from motion sickness. The Zombie Harpy, still under the effect of the confusion, finally crash landed on the Plateau ground. Ugh Sungjin gagged and dismounted the Harpy. There was no damage taken, but it felt terrible. Sungjin called upon Soldamyr. Soldamyr. He answered from afar. Yes, master? Is there a way to bring that Queen closer to the ground? Well There is one high-cost magic I could use. Due to the consumption, I can only use it once. Ok, go ahead and use it. Once is enough. But He heard the Queens voice again. Ahooo~ Sungjin gritted his teeth. He was going to try resisting confusion or sleep. But the target wasnt him. This time the Inquisitor and the Pirate were affected; This was a great opportunity for Sungjin. Harpy Queen is so irritating as an enemy. And none of the allies are remotely helpful. Im going to end this in one go. Sungjin immediately put his plan into action. Gripping the Blood Vengeance tightly, he began. Baptism of Blood Small knives came out of the swords handles and dug into Sungjins hands. Blood flowed from his hands as a sacrifice for the Blood Vengeance. Once the Blood Vengeance had a taste of its masters blood, the blade of the sword emitted a violet light; this was the Baptism of Blood. The sword caused damage to the master as it explosively raised the offensive power. He wasnt sure if it was entirely necessary, but he didnt want to miss this chance and take up more time. So Blood Vengeance was just a bit of insurance. Once the blood sacrifice was done, Sungjin called for Soldamyr. Soldamyr! Please give me a moment. Soldamyr glared at the Harpy Queen, who was singing before he began his incantation. Invert up and down. Reverse Gravity The harpies who were floating high above the ground suddenly lost their sense of balance due to gravity pointing the wrong way. It was the first time when the harpies, who spent their entire lives flying, had experienced loss of balance in the air. In order to fight against the new source of gravity, they struggled to flap and climb with their wings. But Reverse Gravity was aiming for this to happen. Once the gravity returned to normal, the harpies, who were flying to fight against the artificial gravity, suddenly dropped in altitude. Kyahh! Several Harpies crash landed on the ground with their heads first. The Harpy Queen attempted to reorient herself to the changed gravity once more, but she did not manage to do so before a scary man wielding two swords arrived next to her. Sungjin didnt hesitate to swing both of his blades; Blood Vengeance and Moon Specter. Sungjins Blood Vengeance with Baptism of Blood enabled had enough power to kill bosses in a single strike. The Operator gave an announcement. [Harpy Queen Laliha Cleared.] Once the Queen was dead, the remaining harpies quickly turned to run. If this were like any other time, Sungjin would have chased after them, but this time he let them go. If it was trash mobs, he could kill plenty of them in other raids. Since the raid was complete, Sungjin returned the swords back to their sheaths and returned to the hunters side. The Treasure Hunter was without a single mark of injury. Soldamyr had dutifully carried out the order. He looked exhausted as he said Master, I am low on Mana so Youve done well. Please go rest. Thank you, Master. With his parting words, Soldamyr returned to his lamp. Sungjin tapped the shoulder of the Treasure Hunter and said The reason why I kept you alive But You fucker! You wanna have a go? I guess your only ability is to get mad at those who save your life! The Inquisitor and the Pugilist were holding each other by the collar. It looked like a fight could break out at any moment. Sungjin turned to the Treasure Hunter and asked Why are they acting like that? Ahbecause one of them hit the other too hard to wake up from the sleep Are they kids? Sungjin couldnt help but sigh. He walked up to them. The Inquisitor held his mace high threateningly, and the Pugilist looked poised to throw a kick. Sungjin stared at them for a moment. If they were to become trolls after fighting If the two men were to fight, he could obtain four additional items. Once he realized this, he no longer wanted to stop their fight. If they were the type of people to start petty fights with teammates, they deserved to die here and now and go to the Purgatory early. Sungjin stopped his footsteps and stood by like an observer to a caged fight. Soon Woof woof! Cain returned to his side and sat down. Sungjin kneeled and matched Cains eye level. Who do you think will win? Im curious. Woof Because of that, the two men stopped to look at him. They had seen Sungjins overwhelming power when fighting the boss, so they couldnt help but be wary of him. The two men who were about to begin exchanging blows put away their weapons and stood back up straight. They exchanged stereotypical dialogue. Youre lucky you got off easy. Yeah right. You should count your blessings that you got saved this time. Sungjin replied exasperated. What? No fight? The two men did not answer. Sungjin patted Cains head one more time before standing up. If you wanna fight, go for it. The winner will have to fight me though. At his words, not only the two men who were about to fight, but the Pirate also tensed up. Sungjin turned to look at the Pirate and their eyes met. He quickly looked away. Sungjin had no definite proof, but he must have been waiting for some kind of opportunity. But due to Sungjins oppressive power, he couldnt bring himself to act upon his wishes. Seeing his actions, Sungjin thought I guess there are times when I should be hiding my power There was no need to trick people to fight each other, but there was also no need to prevent those who wanted to troll from trolling either. I guess Ill just let it slide this time. Sungjin turned around and returned back to the Treasure Hunter who stood away from the rest of the group. Chapter 61 Chapter 61 C Tahrakhan Plateau (6) Sungjin walked up to the Treasure Hunter and tapped him on the shoulder. Hey. Use your Treasure Hunter active now. He stared blankly back. Whatuse what? He who was showing off about being the Treasure Hunter all this time seemed to be clueless on what Sungjin meant. Treasure Hunter active skill. The one you were bragging about at the beginning. He finally understood and nodded. Ah ok It was clear that hes never used it before. Since he earned it at the end of Kutan Desert, the only place he had a chance to try it out was at the Count Dimitris Castle Ruins. But since he didnt recognize Besgoros skull that Sungjin wore around his head, he had probably only been to Wandering Merchant Ruff Han at most. If he had found Ruff Han, he would have been able to obtain something great. But as Sungjin watched on, he stuttered as he tried to ask the Operator to activate the skill. OOperator, Ill use the Treasure Hunter Active. If there is something hidden in the Plateau, please give me a hint. Once he finished, the Operator gave the verses. [King of the Plateau] [Sitting on a throne high above the clouds] [Uncontested and out of reach] [His only enemy was procrastination] [Offer a gift to defeat his enemy] [And the King will come] Another strange verse. Sungjin snapped his hands like usual and said Replay. But the cube did not respond. Sungjin looked towards the Treasure Hunter and said to him Hey, Replay. Excuse me? The Treasure Hunter was inexperienced with the usage of the Treasure Hunter active. I said, let me hear it again. Once Sungjin explained again, he finally spoke to the cube. Ah Let me hear it again. What you just said. [King of the Plateau] [Sitting on a throne high above the clouds] The cube repeated herself, and Sungjin fell into thought. Throne above the clouds Sungjin looked around. The entire Plateau was above the clouds already. The only place taller than their current location was a round hill at the center of the plateau. Even before Sungjin thought of the answer, Besgoro commented It must be there, at the place above the clouds. When he was running around searching for the edge of the plateau, he had been on top of that hill to survey the area. Although the rest of the plateau had a thin layer of cloud covering the ground like a low lying fog, but that area was completely clear of clouds. It was undoubtedly sitting above the clouds. Well, at least we know the location Sungjin pondered the latter parts of the verse. The only enemy is procrastination and he wants a gift to defeat it. He wasnt sure there was enough hint in the verses as to figure out what was needed to be done. Sungjin decided to ask the Treasure Hunter. Do you have any idea what this could mean? The Treasure Hunter opened his eyes wide and shook his head. Sungjin let out a sigh and added Forget about being a Treasure Hunter and focus on getting stronger first. Youre not even remotely useful in any way. Sungjin turned around without waiting for a reply. The other remaining hunters looked completely lost. It appeared that they were still shocked by the Operators hint function. Sungjin asked Besgoro Besgoro, what do you think? Can you figure out what gift it wants to receive? Well, I am not sure but It was ironic that the hidden boss of the previous round was working hard to try and figure out the method of revealing this chapters hidden boss. I guess the main question is what was he procrastinating? Well, then lets check out the throne first. Sungjin told Besgoro. Okay. To the people around him, it would have looked like Sungjin was talking to himself. After finishing his conversation with Besgoro, he turned to face the other hunters and said, I wont touch the normal mobs. If you all have time and ability, try to kill as many as you can. And for the hidden boss As he was speaking, he noticed that the others werent paying attention as they were too busy being on guard against each other; they were filled to the brim with hatred and distrust for one another. They look more like sworn enemies than teammates. Theyre going to have a hard time with combat. Forget about the hidden boss. Got it? Sungjin shrugged and walked away from the four hunters, leaving them behind. He headed towards the hill at the center of the Plateau. Besgoro commented on the hunters. What do you say you step in and provide leadership to those men? A real man should be capable of rallying other men and give directions. And if you need my advice on anything, just say the word. It was a word befitting of a former Knight. Once Sungjin had walked far enough to be out of earshot of the others, he replied No, its not the right time yet. Further down the line, therell be lots of opportunities for me to step in and take control, but it is too early for now. Is that so? Yes, the timing I think when only 100 or so hunters remain, I will have to take leadership and actively participate. And when the time comes, I want you to help me, Sir Knight. After being respected as a Knight and as a general, Besgoro laughed for the first time in a long while. I look forward to it. Ka ha ha ha~! * Sungjin diligently climbed the hill. Ghost Stallion, Magic Carpet, even Swift Paw were all on cooldown. So he had no choice but to go on his feet. Occasionally Baa~ A giant Mountain Goat came attacking to delay Sungjin while climbing the mountain, Woof Woof Cain called towards Sungjin. Hmm? Whats up, Cain? Did you find something? But Cain spun around once on the spot and sat down. What does that? Sungjin wanted to ask, but he was interrupted when Cain returned to the form of a wooden figurine. Ahh He must have wanted to tell Sungjin that his time was over. Okay okay, Ill understand you next time. Sungjin thought as he put the wooden figurine away into the cube. He called the Operator. Operator, how much time do I have left? [You will return to the Black Market in 48 minutes and 12 seconds.] Hmm Sungjin decided to ask another thing of the Operator. Operator, give me the Trollseeker Marble. A perfectly spherical marble emerged from within. There was a strange array of light contained within the marble. Sungjin held it up Tribyre C Trollseeker Marble Heroic Marble Active Skill Pursuit of Justice (I) C Teleport to the realm a troll is residing in. 1 charge stored. Wrath is one of the strongest motivator available to man. And then he placed it in his pocket. There was still plenty of time since all the dimensions proceeded at the same rate. If this dimension had 48 minutes remaining, then all the other dimensions should still have 48 minutes remaining on the clock. It should be nearly impossible for another party to have beaten the Harpy Queen by this time anyway. And as long as the Harpy Queen was still alive, the chances that a Troll had appeared by now was extremely slim. After confirming his remaining time, Sungjin leisurely strolled up the rest of the way up the hill. The Tahrakhan Plateau had a better view than any other chapter so far. If there were no monsters, Sungjin would have loved to be able to stay a few days for vacation. While having these thoughts, Sungjin continued to climb until he finally reached the apex. This must be the Kings Throne. Besgoro commented before Sungjin could. Right under the top of the hill, there was a cave opening. Sungjin jumped and took Romance of the Three Kingdoms out of his chest and cautiously entered the cave. The cave was dark, but he could see well enough with the Ghost Vision. But Its empty. I see that. Sungjin walked deeper into the cave. The cave was smaller than he had thought. It was about the size of an average apartment unit. It was large for a human standard, but lacking in terms of a throne befitting that of a king. Procrastinate what is he procrastinating? Sungjin snooped around the cave. Within this Throne Room there was nothing but skeletons strewn about. Sungjin picked one up. Hmm It was the only clue. Besgoro said Do you think hes procrastinating obtaining food? Probably. Sungjin examined the bone closely. There were many small bones, but a few were quite large. Could it be Sungjin dug through the bone pile and discovered a crucial evidence; It was a large skull with short horns growing out of it. This bone its neither a Harpys nor a Mountain Goats. What is it then? Its a Giant Buffalos skull Sungjin checked around for other bones as well. There were no bones the size of Human skulls that could belong to a Harpy, nor a skull with a comparably large and spiraled horn. The only skull he could find were two additional Giant Buffalos skull. I think I figured out what the gift is. Sungjin emerged from the cave and slowly climbed back down the mountain. Besgoro, please let me know if you see any Giant Buffalos anywhere. At his request, Besgoro immediately responded. Over there to the right. Sungjin turned his head slightly to the right. In the distance was a buffalo of an enormous size. It looked tough and difficult to kill, even if the person killing it was a king. Sungjin was about to cast magic when he changed his mind. What if I accidentally fry it too much and the King wants nothing to do with it? Sungjin pulled out his blade and said Ah yes. The offering will be thinly sliced steak. Once the Buffalo became aware of Sungjin, it bellowed Mooo~ It bellowed mightily as it charged towards Sungjin. Sungjin nimbly dodged to the left and slashed his sword against the right side of its neck, like a Spanish matador. However, a monster was a monster. Despite a cut that sunk a third of the way through, the Buffalo turned around unfazed and came charging again. Sungjin dodged to the other side and cut at the neck again. Once the Buffalos neck was cut twice, he began to fall; no one could take two of Sungjins attack to the neck, no matter how tough the creature was. It ran ahead a bit more until it collapsed. Sungjin returned the sword to the sheath and walked up to the Buffalo. The Buffalo was unbelievably large. A large cow weighs about a ton, right? And as he thought as much, he picked up the Buffalo straight up with his bare hands. It was a deadlift that was utterly impossible without status increases done by the Operator. Sungjin carried the Buffalo over his shoulder and walked back up to the Throne of the King. It wasnt too far from where he had killed the buffalo. Sungjin laid the corpse down in front of the cave entrance. Now that he was done, he suddenly had doubts. Do you think this is the answer? You dont really have other clues, do you? IF theres no response after a little while But the Operator gave an announcement. [Warning! Hidden Boss] [Manticore has appeared!] Where? Sungjin scanned his immediate surroundings. Then Besgoro said, Up. Sungjin looked up into the sky. From the distance, he could see an old mans head on top of a Lions body, and the tail of a scorpion. It was flying through the air with its wings. Sungjin prepared his Romance of the Three Kingdoms. Chapter 62 Chapter 62 C Tahrakhan Plateau (7) The monstrous Manticore was approaching from afar. Sungjin opened the book wide, and as always, the book depicted tales of ancient heroes. Sungjin carefully read aloud the contents. Guan Yu took precaution when he heard the pulling of the bowstrings. But no arrows came flying, so Guan Yu then chased him until the drawbridge without worry. But this time, an arrow did come flying and cut the straps holding his helmet. Todays passage was a little longer than usual. It was at that moment that Guan Yu realized that the man had the skill to hit a falling leaf of a willow tree from 100 steps away and that he had been spared. While Sungjin was reading from the book, the Manticore reached the top of the hill near the cave entrance and let out a roar. Graaah! But the book was already shutting itself. [Seance of Huang Zhong Hansheng activated!] [Passive Onslaught(IV), Haste(II) applied] The cube was giving an announcement when the Manticore jumped off the top of the hill to begin an attack on Sungjin. Sungjin tumbled to the side to dodge the enemys attack. [Active Skill C ShinGoongs Bow* (I) available for instant cast. ShinGoongs Bow While Sungjin was trying to understand the name of the new skill, the Manticore swung his paws towards Sungjin. Gragh! The four-legged animals signature attack was a clawed swipe. But Manticores attack was several times faster than even Ahennas. Even with Haste(II) activated, Sungjin couldnt dodge and had to block with his swords. Clang! Each of its claws had the length of Sungjins swords. Even a graze would cause considerable damage. The Manticore quickly followed up with a left-handed swipe. CLANG! It suddenly turned its back on Sungjin. Why? While Sungjin was wondering what was going on, suddenly the tail came flying towards him. There were long spike-like needles protruding from the tail; it wasnt something that he could block with his sword. Sungjin hastily tumbled backwards. Behind him was a steep cliff, so he intentionally rolled back a few more times. Meanwhile, he thought of the ShinGoongs Bow. He didnt know what it did, but he guessed that it must be some sort of a ranged attack skill. The Manticore gave Sungjin no time to recover. Rawr! It jumped high up in the sky and flapped its wings. The beast that looked like a lion with wings came flying towards him; a terrible might carried by limitless mobility. It flew at him at great speed. Along with the Manticores blazing fast speed, it came striking down with its deadly claws; The Manticore swiped with both paws simultaneously. It would be challenging to block both at the same time. Sungjin leaned one way and shouted Solidify! Booom From the front, the sound of Sungjins blade clashing against the beast let out a loud noise as Creeeeak~ The solidified mantle creaked against the claws that wrapped around Sungjin; it sounded precarious. Sungjin exchanged glares with the Manticore as they stared into each others eyes. Grrr The Manticore looked surprised. As if it was thinking There is a Human capable of blocking this attack? The Manticore jumped high up into the air and spun around swinging its tail. Countless needles from its tail came flying towards Sungjin. It was similar to the Ice Orb used by the Lich in the 3rd chapter. But this time, there was no Cain to take the hits on his behalf. The Solidify was already on cooldown. Sungjin had no choice other than to lower his profile, and try to block using Besgoro and Freeark. Pi pi pi pit The Needles landed all around him. One of the needles got past his defense and pierced through his right arm. Ugh It was a long time since he had last taken damage, and it hurt a lot. The right arm became suddenly unresponsive. Paralysis? It was unacceptable to have his hands paralyzed in a fight. Sungjin stood up and immediately took away the status effect. Free Ark Sungjins Chains glowed for a moment, and the Paralysis ended. Meanwhile, the Manticore landed. Booom It stood on top of the hill and grinned at him. How is it? Does it hurt? It seemed to be gloating at him. It began to anger Sungjin, and the Operator began a countdown. [Seance effects ending in 10, 9] Sungjin sheathed his weapon. He was initially planning on using it against someone in another dimension, but Gragh! The Manticore came flying at him while flapping its wings. Sungjin held the Blood Vengeance with his left hand as he unsheathed the Moon Specter. He then said Ghastly Wail. Moments later KYAAAAAAAAAAAA~~!!! An impossibly loud screech reverberated in the air, much louder than any harpy. The Manticores face turned into shock, and then it turned to fly away. It looked disgraceful as it tried to run away. And he calls himself a King Sungjin wanted to keep watching the Manticores embarrassing retreat but [5, 4, 3] He didnt have much time left on the Seance. He couldnt just let it end without trying the skill even once. Sungjin faced the fleeing Manticore and said ShinGoongs Bow In response to his vocal command, three arrows materialized and flew off into the distance. Hmm? Sungjin tilted his head. He didnt have many chances to try shooting a bow, but the trajectory of the arrows seemed odd. The Arrows were flying slightly to the left of the Manticores escape path. If things were to continue as is, the arrows would miss entirely. My If he couldnt hit the Manticore with these shots, the fight would devolve into a drawn out test of endurance. Sungjin picked him his swords and began to chase after the Manticore. But Besgoro suddenly said Bulls eye. Grah! The Manticore, who was escaping in a zigzag suddenly turned to the left. Besgoro continued All three shots. Shortly after, one of the arrows pierced the tail, and the other two landed on each of the wings. The tail was cut off, and the Manticore could not fly properly anymore. Baptism of Blood. The Blood Vengeance began to glow bright red, and he continued his chase while also reciting an incantation. Binding Besgoro began to recite the incantation before Sungjin even opened his mouth. Sungjin quickly followed suit and recited the incantation along with him. Frost! Frostbite! Binding Frost! Frostbite! The two incantations were completed in short successions, and the two sources of the binding spell were applied simultaneously. The Manticore found itself frozen stiff to the ground. It turned to look back at Sungjin. Its face, which was gloating earlier, was now twisted in terror. Whether or not it was due to the effect of Ghastly Wail or due to its circumstance, Sungjin could not tell. It tried to move its feet to face Sungjin, but it was too late. Sungjin finally found his chance, and his swords knew no mercy. Sungjin coated the hill thick with the monsters blood. The monster who terrorized other monsters and held the title of King of the Plateau, died while trembling in fear of Sungjin. [Hidden Boss Manticore Cleared!] The Operator announced happily. Sungjin let out a sigh. Whew~ No matter how much stronger he grew, the Hidden bosses were no easy foe. Sungjin swung his blades hard to remove the blood from his swords. Besgoro watched the blood fly through the air and commented Good! Excellent! This is it! My blood is boiling! Let us hunt more enemies! Besgoro was blood-frenzied, but Sungjin calmly resheathed his swords and asked the Operator Operator, how much time do we have left? [You will return to the Black Market in 41 minutes and 57 seconds.] Yes, We have plenty of time. Let us give chase to those Harpies who escaped from our fight earlier There should be more of them! Waste no time! Besgoro was thrilled. But Sungjin said Wait, Mr. Besgoro. We are going to go somewhere else. Somewhere else? Yes. Where? Well it is going to be this Plateau still but in another dimension. Are there lots of Enemies there? There will be enemies. Human enemies. At his words, Besgoro became elated. Huuumans?! Perfect! Even better! It appeared as though Besgoro lived on the battlefield for over forty years for reasons other than Count Dimitris orders. Sungjin responded Before we go, I want to do some preparations first. We wont know who we run into until we get there. Why do you need to prepare at all? Kei you are strong! Stronger than anybody else! Sungjin Of course they will be weaker than me but there might be two, three, even four enemies when I get there. Isnt it better to be prepared for anything than being caught off guard? Hmm Besgoro sounded annoyed, but he didnt argue back. He was fully aware that Sungjin could simply take him off if he wanted. Sungjin first checked his HP and MP. Operator, how much HP did I lose? [You have 46912/49620 HP.] Hmm? Sungjin tilted his head. He had used Baptism of Blood. It drained 1000 HP per second of use. But he had only lost about 3000. I think I used it for at least 5 seconds of the effect Sungjin asked in reflex Why? The Operator answered diligently to Sungjins question. [HP Event Log] [Loss: Manticores Poison Sting. Blood Vengeance: Baptism of Bloods active side effect.] [Gain: Blood Sucker C Lifesteal(II)s Effect] Ah Sungjin raised his hands to look at the ring with the large blood colored Ruby. Now that I think of it this item synergizes really well with Blood Vengeance He could use the effects of Lifesteal to counteract the side effects of Baptism of Blood. He wasnt sure yet, but if he were to fight without taking a hit, he could probably continuously keep the Baptism of Blood active without losing any significant amount of health. What about MP? [25641/44050 MP remaining.] He had used quite a bit of MP. But as expected, he had used less MP than he had thought. It was due to Soul Absorption effect of Moon Specter. Thanks to Moon Specter, he could passively replenish mana through combat without actively trying to refill his mana pool. Sungjin addressed Besgoro. Ill climb down the hill and hunt any monster I run into. Itll take too long to wait for item cooldowns to come back so Ill go troll hunting as soon as HP and MP are back to full. Troll Hunting? You said youre going to fight humans? Besgoro was showing his age. Ah well fine Human. * Sungjin held his sword with both hands and cut the back of the Mountain Goat. Baa~ The Goat was quickly cut down by Sungjins swordplay. He fought with a single sword for the first time in a long while for the sole purpose of refilling his HP and MP in one go. Sungjin asked the Operator, Operator, whats my MP? [44050/44050 MP.] All preparations were finished. Sungjin mentally prepared himself as he took the Trollseeker Marble out of his pocket and held it up. It was the second time he held it in this round, but this was the first time he would intervene with another raid. Sungjin swallowed back his spit and said Pursuit of Justice A beam of light fell from the heavens and surrounded Sungjin. The Operator spoke to him. [Dimensional transfer has been requested.] [Before Dimensional transfer can be completed, Raid Reward Distribution must take place.] [Beginning distribution of rewards.] Editors note: That cliff. Do read the note below on Romance of the Three Kingdoms reference ???? Translators Note: * C ShinGoongs Bow directly translates to God of Archerys Bow Original KR is ??. This could actually refer to a human who has god-like ability (not western idea of one omnipotent God, but polytheistic Korean traditional image of lesser god [like ?? Sanshin]) with a bow. The name Shingoong literally means God Archery. But thats misleading because you dont get the subtext and the cultural reference. Note on Romance of the Three Kingdoms Quote: Huang Zhong is one of my favorite heroes from Romance of the Three Kingdoms. Mostly because the stories of his deeds with archery are so ridiculously exaggerated. And his character stats, in Chinese historical simulations where he makes appearances, is EXTREMELY high. By the time he becomes a relevant character in Romance of the Three Kingdoms, he is already at an advanced age and is already considered a hero of the city he defends, ChangSha. The history departs from Romance of the Three Kingdoms here. History says that he simply urges his Governor to surrender, and the surrender is accepted. But in Romance of the Three Kingdoms, he is sent to duel against Guan Yu (2nd sworn brother of Liu Bei). In the first round, he is easily knocked off his horse by Guan Yus attack. However, Guan Yu does not believe in trickery and foul play in duels, so he pauses the duel and assists Huang Zhong back onto his horse so that they can have a fair fight. Between the 1st and 2nd round, Huang Zhong receives an order from the Governor to use his world famous archery skills to kill Guan Yu during the Duel. Guan Yu charges at him, but Huang Zhong runs. He does not wish to kill the man who has proven to be virtuous. But Guan Yu does not wish to stop. So he fires a shot to warn Guan Yu not to follow him, accurately and precisely cutting only the strap of Guan Yus Helmet. Guan Yu realizes that it was HE who was being spared. This part, where Huang Zhong fires a warning shot, is the passage described in the quote. When Huang Zhong returns, he is charged with treason for refusing to obey a direct order from the Governor and is sentenced to execution. But Wei Yan intervenes, inciting the peasants to rebel to protect the hero of the city, saying that ordering the death of the citys hero is nothing short of betrayal against the people and deserves to be punished. Huang Zhong is spared, and the Governor is killed. The city surrenders to Liu Beis forces. In order to fulfill his loyalty to his ex-governor, he feigns illness and refuses to join Liu Bei, but once Liu Bei personally visits him, he is convinced of Liu Beis virtuous and saintly personage and is convinced to join his faction. Later on during the war against Wei (Cao Caos country), Huang Zhong overhears Liu Bei whisper what can an old man do anyway and is enraged. He storms out with his men, and charges against an impossibly fortified enemy position. He duels against several enemy heroes, pushing deeper and deeper into the enemy territory despite various allied heroes trying to dissuade him until finally he is shot in the shoulder by Ma Zhong. Liu Bei laments that this occurred due to him carelessly saying something offensive, and Huang Zhong dies while Liu Bei watches on. Editors note: I bet we will cover a good part of Romance of the Three Kingdoms by the time Master Hunter K ends. Also we are recruiting translators and editors. If you are interested then do check our recruitment page for more info ???? Chapter 63 Chapter 63 C Tahrakhan Plateau (8) The Operator began reward distribution. [Monsters Slain. Harpy: 42. Dire Mountain Goat: 13. Dire Buffalo: 8. Total 6140 points.] [Boss Monster Slain: Harpy Queen Laliha: 900 points.] [Hidden Boss: Manticore: 900 points.] [Final Point count: 7940. Distributing points.] [Your contribution is 71.2%. 5653 Stat points, 5653 Black Coins awarded. Raid Clear Bonus 2500 Stat points and 2500 Black Coins awarded. Item effect Additional 10% gained activated. Distributing 8153 Stat points and 8968 Black Coins.] The number of Coins he had earned in the last chapter was 8050. Taking into consideration of the inflation between rounds, he didnt obtain all that much due to not reaching 100% completion. But it did not matter. Because from this point onward, he would obtain much more from hunting trolls than from the Raid Rewards. [And now we will distribute the items.] [Armantine C Spear of Paralysis] [Diora C Pants of Feather Fall] [Enhancement Stone] [Recovery Potion C Medium X2] Hmm? The Operator gave two rounds of congratulatory messages. [Congratulations! You have obtained the Legendary Item Armantine!] [Congratulations! You have obtained the Legendary Crafting material Enhancement Stone!] Sungjin stared at the items before him for a moment. A spherical orb with small jagged deformities rolled around. Sungjin picked it up. Did this item drop this early in the raids? He recalled seeing his first Enhancement Stone after at least ten chapters last time. But it didnt matter; Since Sungjin was almost fully equipped, it was better to get this than a useless Heroic Tier Item. Sungjin placed all the items into the cube as he thought to himself Should I power up the Moon Specter first? Or go with Blood Vengeance like last time? The Cube continued with the reward distribution. [Last but not the least, you will be awarded titles youve earned on this raid.] It was much faster to receive rewards alone than when receiving it as a group. [Blue Magician C Increases Blue magic effects by 20%] Ooh Sungjin was honestly surprised. It was the first time for him to receive a title specific to mages. He must have qualified for Blue Magician title due to frequently casting Chain lightning and Frostbite. Of course, he didnt need it immediately, but from what he had heard from before, there were lots of extremely powerful mage specific titles. Titles like Spell Master Sungjin concluded his thoughts on the titles for now. [Distribution has ended. Request for Dimensional transfer has been granted.] [You will be teleported in 10 seconds. 10, 9] The Operator began her trademark countdowns, and Sungjin uneasily shifted his weight while waiting under the beam of light. The thought of fighting other Hunters made him anxious. There shouldnt be anyone more powerful than me but Like how a Lion hunts a Rabbit*, I need to give my all. They are evil people. [4, 3, 2, 1, 0] The countdown finished, and the pillar of light grew even brighter. Sungjin closed his eyes. And then [Dimensional Transfer Complete.] He opened his eyes when the Operator gave an announcement. Hmm? Sungjin was standing exactly on the same spot. What happened? Sungjin turned around. There should have been a corpse of a Mountain Goat behind him from refilling his Mana but Baa A live Mountain Goat was standing in its place. The Mountain Goat came charging at him. Sungjin effortlessly cut off its head and surveyed the area around him. He was certain that he was in a different place; he had successfully entered a different dimension. So there is a troll somewhere in this dimension Sungjin pulled out his swords and began to roam the Plateau. * High-Level Guard ferociously swung his spear. Luckily, the tip of the spear caught the Harpy Queens talons. He shouted, Now! And in response, Pew~ Someone fired a shot and Incinerate everything in your path! Fire Ball! Someone fired a spell at the same time. Once hit by the arrow and the spell, Laliha Kyaa! Screamed in pain. And the one tasked with finishing her off was another man who appeared out of nowhere. He wore white turban over his head, and he jumped high up into the air and onto the Queens back. Landing, he stabbed her in the heart. The Operator gave an announcement. [Harpy Queen Laliha Cleared] Haa~ Whew Everyone let out a sigh of relief. And then they congratulated each other. Good work. Good job. Cant believe we beat it Mhmm. Only four of the men were congratulating each other. One of the five was silent; he had been ripped apart to pieces by the Harpy Queen. The hunters briefly turned to look at him. One or two of them gathered their hands and gave him a moment of silence. But no one spoke to him. And once the brief moment of silence ended, no one turned to look at him. It was because they felt guilty about his death. As the raids progressed, countless teammates perished until now. Too many died to mourn all of them. So the only thing remaining was the feeling of guilt. It was my fault he died. They couldnt help but feel this way, and so the Hunters found a way to cope. After all, whether it was the tank, the dps, or the support, it was partially their fault that a team member had died. So the common evolution of thought was to then think Im glad its not me. It was the same for the Armored Soldier Max OBrian. He was the tank for the team, but the Japanese man (he already forgot his name) had stood too far from him to avoid being hit by the sound waves. So when Max was hit by the sound wave and fell asleep, he woke up to the Japanese man already torn to pieces. The other teammates understood this and would not blame him for the death of the Japanese man. After shifting blame away from himself, he turned away from the corpse and drank his potion. Since the boss was slain, it was time to go hunting surviving mobs to collect additional contribution points. If there was time after killing the boss and more than three members were left alive, then the surviving members of the team should continue hunting for additional contribution points; This had become common sense. Everyone valued each and every status points and coins they could obtain. Lets go hunt the remaining mobs, shall we? At the Indian Assassin Atmans suggestion, the French Halbardier Guard Adrian and the English High-level Sniper Mason consented. Then, lets go. We need every point we can get. Max paused from drinking his potion to speak to his teammates. Wait lets take a quick break first. Sure, I am getting low on MP anyway. The remaining hunters waited until their HP and MP were replenished and then reentered the hunting grounds. Although they were down by one person, they were confident in their ability. It was because they were able to defeat the boss without much difficulty. (Although one died, but losing only a single member to the boss was considered to be a good outcome) Pulling was High-level Sniper Masons job. His precise arrows landed on Dire Mountain Goats, Dire Buffalos, or on Harpies from a considerable distance, and expertly brought single enemies at a time to the team. Since the four hunters only faced one or two mobs at a time, hunting was quite easy. Pew Masons arrow hit a Dire Mountain Goat and lured it in. Baa~ Adrian shouted once the Goat got closer Binding Frost! Frostbite! Affected by the freezing cold crystallizing ice at its feet, the Mountain Goat gradually slowed down. Max watched the Goat advance even closer and then lifted his shield high and shouted Steel Body! Metallic material seeped through the shield and coated his entire body. Shortly after, the Mountain Goat reached and charged into him. Clang! The combination of Adrians spell and his own active skill nullified all damages. Once the Charge was halted, Atman and Adrian poured their attacks onto the stationary Goat. Atman was proficient with short and sharp knives. He was so dexterous that he could counterattack harpies while dodging them. Max had always fought in the front, and could easily tell how rewards would be distributed. When he thought of the rankings in his head, the Operator often confirmed his guesses. In fact, he was good enough to even guess their general percentages. Since the guy has good offensive power and spells 1st place with about 35% contribution? He believed that Atman would easily receive 1st place with an extremely disproportionate rate of 35~40% of total contribution level. Atman was certainly skilled and strong enough to do so. Adrian and Mason were both weak, far weaker in comparison to Atman. Atman should be first, me second, Mason 3rd Adrian on the 4th? He guessed the order of contribution levels. While the four of them were fighting the Mountain Goat, Pew Masons arrow flew past the three hunters and missed its target. Missing in of itself was not too uncommon. By this chapter, most archers were skilled, but in the beginning, archers had missed more often than being able to land a hit. The problem was that the arrow flew off into the distance and landed on a Dire Buffalo. Baa~ The Mountain Goat was still alive and kicking. The Buffalo became enraged and Mooo~ Began to charge towards the Hunters. The cooldown for Steel Body was not over yet. No one could block the Buffalos charge yet. Max shouted Get out of its way! Dodge it! At his words, the hunters scattered. Max faced off against the Goat alone as he stepped backwards. The Buffalo came charging towards him. He was in mortal danger. Veil of Darkness, cover their sight! Blind! Atmans magic glowed brightly. The Buffalo became blind; it tripped and fell on its own. Good job Atman! Atman quickly ran to the Mountain Goat and shouted Quickly! The Spell wont last long! But Pew~ Another shot was fired. Max had thought that Mason had aimed to hit the fallen Buffalo. But Kyaa! It hit a Harpy in the distance. What are you doing? He shouted to which Mason replied with an apology. Sorry! Do you think a sorry is going to suffice right now? Max was becoming angry, but he couldnt help it. He had to face against the Dire Mountain Goat alone, and now a Harpy was on its way. The Buffalo regained its sight and stood back up. The only good news was that Atman had taken off his Turban and managed to stab the Goat in the heart. Now only two enemies were remaining. Max turned to face against the more threatening Buffalo when he heard an incantation being recited. Binding Frost! Frost Bite! Max had believed the spell was meant to try and reduce the Buffalos running speed. But Hmm? His feet were stuck to the ground. He was frozen in place. What? When Max was about to turn to look at Adrian, Ahhh! Atman was hit by the Buffalo and gored on its horns. Sajabakto ???? ʨӲ [sh?zi b t] C Chinese saying Even a Lion puts his everything into properly hunting a rabbit. As in, no matter how easy or trivial it seems, one should do it earnestly to avoid making careless mistakes. Chapter 64 Chapter 64 C Tahrakhan Plateau (9) Max shouted loudly. Atman! Atman was on the ground after being run through by the Buffalo. After just one hit, he was almost unconscious; But he was not dead yet. Max shouted to request help from his other teammates. Hey! Grab their attention real quick! He had not realized that the two behind him were intentionally pulling more monsters and interfering with the fight to sabotage him. Adrian and Mason glanced at each other and nodded; Trolling was a more delicate process than others realized. They needed the help of the monsters without putting themselves at risk of being accidentally killed alongside their allies. As arranged earlier between the two, they ran forward to assist Max who was fighting two large enemies at once. Ah so sorry I totally missed there. You think you can just wave it all off with a sorry? Max wanted to scream at him, but he held himself. He knew saying something like that was not going to help the situation. The other two cooperated in taking down the Harpy and the Dire Buffalo. Meanwhile, Pew~ Masons bow sniped the Harpy out of the air. Only the Buffalo remained. But even the buffalo became worn down by Maxs blade and Adrians spear, that it steadily lost health until Mooo~ It cried and fell over. Once the hunt was over, Max immediately ran to Atmans side. Atman! Are you alright? Atman was barely able to groan. Ugh It wasnt too late. He had taken a fatal blow, but he was not dead yet. It was then Pew~ Max heard Masons bow let loose an arrow and he turned to look. Mason had aimed for the helpless Atman. Max turned his body to protect Atman quickly. Stab The arrow embedded itself on his back. Ugh! Even Max understood that these two had been intentionally luring more enemies than they could handle, but it was too late to change anything. Adrian was already upon him brandishing his spear. Woosh! His spear came flying towards Max. Max just barely deflected the shot. The moment his spear made contact, Adrians Cube gave a message. [You have attacked your fellow Hunter. Entering Troll state.] [Hunters in Troll state receive 10% penalty to Raid Rewards.] [And in the event that the Troll is killed by other hunters,] [It will not inflict the Troll state on the attacker.] Adrian heard the message but didnt bat an eye as he continued to swing his spear. While blocking the incoming attacks, Max understood Ah, this isnt his first time! Then, Pew Mason let loose another shot. The spear came from the front and arrow from the side. He blocked the spear with his shield and tried to deflect the arrow with his sword. But the arrow had not been fired towards him. Atman! Max tried to stop the arrow, but he missed. Masons arrow found its mark on Atmans forehead and punched through. You Bastards! Max was filled with fury and angrily swung his swords, but Adrian nimbly jumped back and shouted an incantation. My path shall be consumed by inferno. Blazing Step! Each step he took caused fires to erupt. Max wanted to chase after Adrian, but couldnt due to the flames. Damn it! As he was swearing, Adrian fired a spell his way. Incinerate everything in your path! Fireball! They were insidious. Max lifted up his shield to block. From the other side, Cobra Snipe! Masons Active skill came flying at him. Max first blocked the Fireball with his Shield. Boom! There was a large knockback from the impact, but thanks to the expensive and high quality shield, it reduced the damage to almost nothing. Max then tried to deflect the flying cobra with his sword. Max had seen this skill before. It was a skill that sent a live cobra flying in the place of an arrow which bit the enemy upon arrival, dealing damage and inflicting poison. The problem was that he had only seen how it was used against the Harpies. The moment his sword nearly reached the snake, the cobra followed up the length of the sword towards Max What? And as he was shouting out, the cobra bit him on the wrist. Ugh! He nearly let go of the sword in excruciating pain. But Stab! Adrians Spear pierced through his left thigh. Ahh! Max screamed out loud and swung his sword wildly. Adrian predicted the counter attack and jumped out of the way before Max could reach him. Youmotherfuckers! No matter how much he swore and insulted them, it was useless. Mason fired a shot from afar, and Adrian recited spells. Max backed off as he tried to cope with the two mens ranged attacks. He wanted to run away, but his injury to the thigh prevented him from being able to walk normally. Hopping and staggering, he tried to turn and run. But Pew~ Another arrow flew and lodged itself in his left shoulder. Ahh! Max screamed in pain as he tried to drag himself away, but there was no way he could outrun the uninjured Adrian. He ran up and stabbed Maxs right leg as well. Uugh! He cried out loud. Where do you think youre going? He could hear mockery in Adrians voice. Max fell to his knees and collapsed. He couldnt use his legs anymore. He saw it; the premonition of his impending death. The goal of the two traitors were the contribution points, and they had initiated an attack against him intentionally. There was now only one possible conclusion. As Adrian and Mason approached him, Max tried to drag himself away using his arms. Then he ran into someone. It was Atmans corpse from before. Anger bubbled up inside Max. How could you just minutes ago we were comrades But Adrian and Mason began to grin listening to his words. Max wished he had something like a Grenade to take them down with him, but he had nothing at his disposal to pull it off. He had no power to do anything. And so in the last moments, he closed his eyes and made a prayer. Hear me, God; I fear no death. But I pray that those two sons of bitches die a miserable end. Once he was done, he shouted to his assailants Do your worst, scum! But Mason and Adrian were looking slightly above Max into the distance. They must have seen something. Adrian was the first to speak. What is that? Max turned to see what they were looking at. Behind him, he saw an Adjudicator wearing a flaming skull over his face while holding a sword in each hand. The Adjudicator, in his terrifying form, looked in turn at the corpse of Atman, the still bleeding Max, and the traitors Adrian and Mason. It seemed that he was reconstructing what was going on. Adrian and Mason were also trying to figure out the situation. Although the person before him wore a flaming skull over his head, it had the overall shape of a human with the title of a hunter. He even had his own Cube following him around. There was no doubt that he was a hunter. It was a hunter they had never seen before. That was their main point of confusion. He wasnt there at the beginning was he? Until this point, seeing someone else aside from the original five members of the raid was unheard of. Adrian raised his spear and asked Who Who are you? The Adjudicator turned to face him. They could see a humans eye deep inside the skull. The eyes looked sharp. And locking his eyes with Adrians, he walked closer. He didnt know much about this man, but he was definitely hostile. Adrian demanded Hey, Stop! But despite asking the other to stop, he tried stabbing with his spear. He thrust the spear straight towards the guys throat. It was the fastest and the most lethal strike he could have done. But even before the spear reached close to the mans body, he tilted his head slightly and moved out of the way, dodging the strike. With just this interaction, Adrian could guess just how powerful his enemy was. This guy is trouble! He was even stronger than Atman who had been hunting Buffaloes and Goats almost singlehandedly. Adrian turned to run as he recited Blaze Step He began to retreat while leaving a burning path behind him. Adrian looked behind to check and gasped; The skull clad Adjudicator paid no attention to the flames and chased him through the burning path. Adrian quickly called Mason. Mason! Mason did not need to be told what to do; he was already pulling on the string, readying another shot. It was obvious that the man would come after him after dealing with Adrian. Mason aimed for his heart and let go of the Arrow. Pew! The arrow rose high in the air. It was flying straight and true towards the Adjudicators heart but Whooosh He knocked it out of the air as if he knew exactly where it would land without letting up his chase against Adrian. What? The Adjudicator paused for just a second, but continued to otherwise chase Adrian. Mason changed his target; he aimed lower towards the moving legs. It would be more difficult to deflect the arrow with his swords. He nocked an arrow on the bow and took an aim. But, the skull recited a spell on its own. Become a tame sheep It was an older sounding voice. Polymorph. Eh? Was what Mason wanted to say, but the sound that escaped his lips was Baa~ The sound of a sheep crying. And while he was stuck making sheep noises, the Adjudicator swung his swords cutting off Adrians legs. Ahh! Adrian fell to the ground. He had tried to turn and swing his spear to keep distance but Woosh woosh With a simple swing of the Adjudicators sword, Adrians spear was effortlessly cut into three pieces. P Adrian wanted to say something, but the Adjudicator showed no mercy; He unhesitatingly cut off Adrians head. Mason saw the scene and thought What?! Now that he noticed, he was back to his human form again. When he realized this, the Adjudicator was already heading towards him. Mason quickly nocked the arrow on the bow and pulled. But the Adjudicator recited an incantation. What is real is fake and what is fake is real! Illusion. He split into five. Mason fell into a panic. Which one is real? But he had no chance to try and think this through. Five terrifying figures of a man wearing a burning skull was approaching him. He aimed towards the nearest skull-man and fired a shot. Please die! Pew~ The arrow flew straight and true, landing on the forehead of his target. But once it came in contact with the skull-man, the figure disappeared with the slight warping of the space. The arrow continued through and landed on the ground in the distance. It was a fake. He quickly reloaded another shot, but the quiver which should have been standing upright was standing at a 45 degree angle. Hmm? Mason was puzzled by his quivers strange position, but then he saw his hand fall; severed from the wrist. Pain quickly followed. AHHHH! Mason grabbed his stump of a hand as he screamed. The man with the flaming skull walked ever closer. Chapter 65 Chapter 65 C Tahrakhan Plateau (10) Mason yelled as he screamed out in pain from losing his arm What the fuck! Who the fuck are you? The man with the flaming skull mask paused, and pointed at the title above his head with the point of his sword. Adjudicator Since he understood speech, he was definitely not a monster. Mason placed his hand over his heart as he said YeYes, Adjudicator. I mean, Sir, I just wanted to live. I only did those things so I can survive. As he bought himself time, he tried to think as quickly as he could. The boots that he wore were the Boots of Emergency Escape. It could launch him more than ten meters into the sky and help him escape. If I can just get an opening As best as he could, Think about it if I didnt increase my contribution points from early on He discreetly picked up dirt with his unharmed hand. I have a family in the Purgatory. He aimed for and sprayed the dirt towards the skull mask, especially towards the eyes. But the Adjudicator knocked the dirt out of the air with unbelievable reflex. He didnt have time to be amazed by the Adjudicators reflexes. He was about to invoke the Emergency function when Snake Eye The necklace he wore suddenly opened its eye. When Masons eyes gazed into the terrifying snake eye staring from within, he found himself petrified. Emerg His tongue got stuck in place. The Adjudicator calmly walked forward as he began to speak. He, who for his own benefit Slowly, very slowly, he raised his blade. Steals what is not his The Paralysis was over. He immediately cried out Emergency! But before he could hop away, the Adjudicators blade swung down. It cleanly cut him in half. Blood splashed out from his wound. Mason heard, with fading consciousness, last of the Adjudicators words. You, and everyone like you, are enemies of mankind. * Max watched from afar whilst hugging himself. He had watched the whole thing from beginning to end. At the last possible moment when he had given up hope, the Adjudicator appeared from nowhere. And, with his superhuman swordsmanship and flashy magic spells, took down two trolls without so much as an injury. Max had seen countless hunters until now, but this was a whole new level, something beyond what he would believe to be human; His magic and swordplay both. As Max witnessed the spectacle before him, he thought to himself Hear me, God; I fear no death. But I pray that those two sons of bitches die a miserable end. He believed that his prayers must have worked and that the Skull-masked man was a messenger of God; a deliverer of Divine Justice. He who befits the name of Adjudicator. The Adjudicator gave some sort of last words to Mason and then executed him. Strangely, whenever the Adjudicator killed a hunter, some of the items that the hunters wore copied itself and dropped before him. The Adjudicator picked up the items and put them into his cube. This was an unnatural course of event; Normally the items owned by another hunter couldnt be separated from their owner, even in their death. Max felt as if some sort of miracle was in progress. Hes different from the others. While Max concluded his thoughts, the Adjudicator finished picking up the items and putting them away. He turned towards Max and approached him. Max looked up to him and asked haveYou come to answer my prayers? But then the Adjudicator ripped off the mask. Inside was an extremely young Asian man, having an irritated look. Why are you so annoying Max couldnt help but shut his mouth. * Sungjin had to take off Besgoros Helmet. The battle addict had been acting up each time Sungjin killed someone Nice! Kill him! Yeeaah! Youre the best, Kei! He kept on shouting in his ears. Even when he finished collecting items which appeared as a result of Adjudicator passive and made his way towards the last hunter, he asked Whos that guy? Another prey? No. Hes a victim. Hes weak anyway! End his life here! He was making unreasonable demands. Be quiet The lone survivor tried to tell him something when Besgoro interrupted. Why! How can I be quiet?! I havent been so riled up in such a long time! Besgoros elated voice washed out the hunters words. So Sungjin took off Besgoro from his head. Why are you so annoying He was an old man, but he was slightly insane. Sungjin understood how Count Dimitri might have felt. No matter how much renown his soldier accrued under his service, having a crazy old man demand the hand of his daughter would have driven anyone to order an execution. Once Besgoro was removed from his head, the color and saturation of his vision returned to normal. Sungjin looked up into the endless sky of the Plateau and took a deep breath. Whew But he felt an intense stare on him. The last survivor, the white man, was looking up at him. His eyes were full of wonder. Sungjin looked down at him. The man was bleeding from his legs. Are you alright sir? He looked to be 30~40 years old; a much older man than himself. He only nodded without speaking. He was a tank so he should be conscious of his HP level. Ah, Im glad to hear that. Sungjin tried smiling after. Once he intervened in this raid, he was able to obtain four new items from two trolls. It was a good haul. Most of the item he received appeared to be at least Heroic Tier. Sungjin estimated his earnings for this round. I should consider each of them to be worth at about 4000~5000 coins and then if they get bid on during auction.? No wait, I should first check their specs before I decide on their worth. But the man interrupted him with a strange question. Are you an angel? Sungjin tilted his head. Did he lose his mind from being betrayed by his teammates? Sungjin responded. An Angel? Do I look anything like an Angel? Well then how did you come here? The survivor couldnt understand how more than five hunters could have been summoned to the same raid. But there was no reason why Sungjin needed to explain him that. The cube interrupted the conversation on time. [All Trolls Eliminated. Returning to the Black Market in 3 Minutes.] The intervention must be designed to end as soon as the trolls are dead. Sungjin decided to give him some advice rather than answering his question. I cannot stay here so. I cant protect you. For the remaining time, please hide somewhere away from the monsters, collect your reward and return safely to the Black Market. He was an extremely lucky man. Not only did he survive in a hopeless situation to be saved by Sungjin, but he was able to monopolize all the points for this round. But the Survivor replied to him. Excuse me You saved my life How can I repay this debt? Sungjin was about to shake his head and say, its fine I wasnt doing this to get something out of you anyway, but then the ring on his hand caught his eye. A ring in the shape of two coiling snakes; Helix Ring C Ring of Warlord This is only 3000 Black Coins. Go ahead and buy it for now. Said the strange Merchant in Darker than Black and bid him to buy it, but the ring would be difficult to use to its full effect. Reign(I) Receive 1 White Coin from those who, knowingly and of their own free will, kisses the ring. Those who kiss the ring receive a permanent 10% loss to all future Raid coin rewards. Can only be used once per person. It was the only way to earn white coins for now, but because of the harsh penalty, it was not something he could easily ask of anyone. When he noticed the hesitation in Sungjin, he asked Please go ahead and ask anything. Thanks to you, I was able to obtain a second chance in life. Sungjin hesitated a bit more before he finally decided to ask This might sound weird, but would you be willing to kiss this ring? But The survivor didnt even try to listen all the way before moving to kiss the ring. Sungjin withdrew his hands. He could have let the man do it as is, but it did not sit well with his consciousness. Sungjin resumed the explanation as clearly as he could. In return, you will face 10% permanent loss to all future raid Coin rewards. Do you still accept? At his explanation, the Survivor froze. Sungjin nodded. I thought so Even though Sungjin was his savior, having to give up this many coins from now until the end would be a difficult burden to accept. But, the survivor decided to ask If you can answer one question for me, I would gladly do it still. Sungjin replied What is it? Knowing that I will receive such a penalty, why are you asking me to kiss the ring? Sungjin considered how he should respond. To obtain the White Coins. But if he mentioned the white coin now, he would have to make an endless explanation about the Darker Than Black among other things. After Deliberating, he decided to answer I have a Sa Myung. Sa Myung? Yes. You probably recall at the last visit to the Hunters Hall, if someone manages to finish and clear the final raid, all of humanity would be freed from the purgatory and would be revived As you can probably see, I have grown stronger as a result of being transplanted in different raids. What he actually meant by transplanted was the Restart, but he couldnt say that. I cannot tell you everything yet but if you were to kiss the ring and grant me my request, I can guarantee you that it will contribute a great deal towards ending the raid and saving humanity. As soon as Sungjin was done explaining, the Cube gave another announcement. [Returning to Black Market in 1 minute.] The survivor took a moment to think, but he eventually nodded. I understand. I will deal with the 10 Percent penalty and kiss your ring. Since you say this will save humanity, I want to beg of you to allow me to be able to kiss the ring. His words were filled with earnest feelings. Sungjin offered the hand with the Ring of the Warlord to him. The Survivor kneeled respectfully and kissed Sungjins Ring. The Survivors Cube was first to give an announcement. [You have granted Reign to another individual. Your coin rewards will permanently decrease by 10%.] Next was Sungjins Cube. [Obtained 1 White Coin as a result of Reign(I) effect.] And with her announcement a White coin materialized in front of him. It was of the same size, shape and weight as the Black Coin. The only difference was the color. Even for Sungjin, it was the first time he had seen it. The Survivor stared at the coin in wonder as well. Sungjin held the Coin up as he asked the survivor. What is your name? Max My name is Max OBrian. Max Sungjin kept his name in his heart. For the first time, he was about to reveal his real name out of gratitude. My N But the man grabbed his hand. It was a large and hairy hand. Sir Adjudicator please become even stronger and bring an end to these raids. In the Purgatory My wife and daughters are waiting for me. As he said this, his eyes grew red. Sungjin had nothing to say. He held the survivors hands in his own. Please believe in me. I will do it, I swear to you. The Operator began a countdown. [10, 9, 8, 7] Sungjin held his hands until the countdown completed. [6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, 0] Once the countdown was over, Sungjin was returned to the Black Market. TL note ?? Sa Myung I didnt feel comfortable translating this with a close english equivalent. It means, obligation, mission, duty etc. It means its something he must accomplish, its like he has a burden. However, there is an important subtext thats missing. ?? literally translates to Mission to the Death, a mission he must accomplish no matter what, no matter the cost, even at the cost of his life. I didnt feel that there was a satisfactory English equivalent that could convey how important he felt this mission was to him. I tried obligation but that felt like it was forced on him. Hes basically declaring hes prepared to die on behalf of all of humanity. As opposed to all these half-baked hunters wishing to save just their loved ones and family, or just themselves. It is disappointing that I couldnt find an English word to come even close to what this Korean word means. Chapter 66 Chapter 66 C Black Market Seventh Shopping Once Sungjin returned to the Black Market, he entered the First Drop as was tradition. Honey Milk Tea please and a suitable snack to go along with it. Understood, Mister Hunter. Ah, and can you get me a pen and a notepad? Right away. The Panda Man brought a pen and paper first. Sungjin picked up the pen and began to write. There was a lot to do today. Operator, How many Black Coins do I have? You have 10,268 Coins Sungjin put the number down on the top of the sheet and then asked Please take out all the items I obtained today. A pile of items was ejected from the cube. Depending on preference, some people would start with the best; others would start with the worst and wait until they get to the good part. Sungjin was part of the latter group. He picked out the least appealing item; the Helm. Steel Helm of Fire Resistance Rare Helm C 34% defense Passive Skill Fire Resistance(1) C Reduce damage received from all fire type attacks. It was the item dropped by the Spearman troll. Sungjin spun the pen around his finger. Rare item was usually priced between 500~5000 coins, and he had to pick the suitable amount to put it on the Auction house. Selling for too low was obviously a loss, and pricing it too high would prevent it from being sold. It is only rated at rare, but the defenses are high and the fire resist isnt a bad passive to have its not amazing but somewhat usable. Sungjin wrote on the memo Steel helm for 1000 start, 1500 instant purchase. He moved onto the next item; a spear. It was an ordinary looking spear. Sungjin picked it up without much thought. Vaiden C Spear of entrapment Heroic Spear C Strength A Dex C Active Skill Fiendish Needle(I) C reveals several hidden blades from the spear. Enemies pricked by the blades move according to the Spearmans will for 1 second. Effective period 10 Second, Cooldown 5 minute. The greatest joy in life is taking away anothers freedom And having him do as I please C Tyrant Amnar the 2nd Hmm? It is a Heroic Item? Unlike how it looked, it had great stats. Sungjin held the spear up and said Equip And he tried the active skill right away. Fiendish Needle And from the center, knives spread out to the side. Fwoof The blades pointed outward radially. It was a vicious and intimidating looking array of sharp edges. So if I were to use the active while having enemies impaled by these It was painful to even imagine. He had very little expectation from it, but it was better than what he had expected. He could use it from some distance, and either pull enemies in or push them away. It had a good strategic use, especially if there was good synergy with teammates. He had something this nice, and he decided to go trolling? It was a very effective weapon for the purpose of trolling. Sungjin put down the spear and put down the price; 3500 starting price, 4000 instant buy. Mister Hunter Xiu Ran had returned with the Milk Tea and snacks as requested. Sungjin took one sip of the tea. The sweetened black teas aroma, mixed with the soft milky texture soothed Sungjins tension. Mmm~ Sungjin enjoyed the sensation as he picked up the next item. Next one was the shoe of the archer. Emergency Boots Rare Shoe 18% defense Active Skill Emergency(II) C Fly 20 meters into the sky. Falls gradually. Cooldown 10 minutes The freedom of soaring through the air The winged shoes looked nice, but the effects were so-so. The effect itself was not bad; it would be useful for a mage or an archer. The less flexible the item, the less value it holds. Sungjin quickly wrote Winged shoes, 700 starting price, 1000 instant buy. Next was a bow. Hydra C Bow of Cobra Heroic Bow C Strength A Dexterity D Active SKill Cobra Snipe (I) C Fire a live Cobra. The live cobra dodges obstacles and bites the target to apply poison. The poison deals ticking damage up to 300% of a regular shot. Cooldown 5 minute. A cobra, chasing down its prey. Hmm It wasnt bad item on the surface. Problem was that archers poured all their resources into obtaining good bows; It may seem like a good thing, but they were already 7 chapters in. Although a majority of the hunters wouldnt have been able to obtain a heroic weapon until now, Archers wouldnt be one of them. Sungjin wrote Snake Bow starting price 3000, 3500 instant buy. Now that he checked his total, he had about 8200 minimum and 10,000 maximum income that he can expect from the items. Taking into consideration that one round of transportation only cost 1000 coins, it was an enormous return on investment. When Sungjin took a look at the amount he thought I am going to get rich quick Considering that he received 8968 coins from the previous Raid, it was like doubling his income. In terms of comparing to a normal hunter, it was like receiving 4~6 times the amount they would have gotten. It was only possible because there were two trolls in a single raid. Sungjin whistled as he checked out the other items one by one. Diora C Pants of Feather Fall Heroic Pants 34% defense Passive Skill Feather Fall(II) C Reduces falling damage. Beauty is welcomed everywhere. Sungjin stared at it as he held it in his hands; It was decorated by what appeared to be Harpy Feathers. This is totally not my style Also, he couldnt come to like the passive Feather Fall. Just when would this be useful? Sungjin tilted his head, wondering. But he decided to wear it since he had no protection below. Equip He wore the pants. It automatically shrunk to fit his legs. Well Since I will start ignoring normal mobs it could come in handy when trying to buy time Sungjin decided to leave it as is. The last item was a familiar looking spear. It was a grotesque spear in the shape of the Manticores tail. Unlike other items, it was a Legendary Tier weapon. Armantine C Spear of Paralysis Legendary Spear C Strength SS Dexterity C Passive Skill Paralyze(II) C Enemies hit by this spear are paralyzed for 0.3 seconds. Active Skill Poison Sting(II) C Fire a volley of needles from the spear. Cooldown 10 minutes. Manticore poisons its prey, not only to paralyze them, but to make the meat softer. As expected of a Legendary Class weapon; it was an amazing item. It easily rivaled Blood Vengeance or Moon Specter in specs. But Sungjin could not use it due to it being a spear. Just how much should I charge for this? Sungjin continued on his delightful dilemma. * Once Sungjin was in the auction house, he handed the items over one by one, reading out the prices he had written on the notepad. Ah, those boots start at 700, 1000 instant buyout. Hydra starts at 3000, buyout at 3500. Understood. Boots of Emergency starts at 700 instant buyout at 1000. Hydra starts at 3000 and 3500 instant buyout. Is this correct? Sungjin nodded and at the end, he asked Did any legendary Tier items get put out for Auction? To which the pigman replied Just one. Sungjin opened his eyes wide. Theres someone whos selling a Legendary Tier Item? Already? Really? Please show me. The Pigman pushed forward his cube. And from the cube, an information page popped up. Name Tier Type Armantine Legendary Spear Starting Price Buyout Price 10,000 15,000 Sold by Adjudicator The auctioneer rubbed his hands as he asked If youre interested in it, would you like to see the specs? Item was Armantine, sold by Adjudicator. Sungjin replied while holding his forehead. Thats the item I just handed to you. Ah, is that so? Some of the NPCs at the Blackmarket were unintelligent like this from time to time. Sungjin still took the time to verify how much it was being sold for. Starting Price 10,000, Buyout Price 15,000 Sungjin had pondered over the price for a great deal of time. But in the end, he decided to put it at a high price. Even if it doesnt get sold immediately, someone would eventually come to buy it in a chapter or two. After verifying the item was properly registered with the correct amount of money, Sungjin said Thank you. Please send word if the items get sold. Of course, not a problem. Once he was done thanking the NPCs, he left the auction house. As he expected, no one else was in any position to sell a legendary tier item. It would be unthinkable; legendary tier items this early on were irreplaceable treasures. Once he was done working, he returned to his friends waiting for him at the Ninety Nine Nights. * That was some great Indian food. Thank you Dalupin. Dalupin bowed deeply. Sungjin had feasted on Tandoori Chicken. Ill be going to bed now. Woof woof! Cain answered him. Lets have a discussion tomorrow about multicasting, Soldamyr. Yes, Master. Once he was done speaking to Soldamyr, he returned to his bedroom. The room was already dark. He didnt take very long at the dinner, but he did spend much more time at First Drop than hes done before, checking out a larger list of items. Sungjin lay in bed and stared at the ceiling. In a few moments, Dalupin would come by with a receipt if any item at the Auction house were sold. It would be beating the dead horse at this point but; the more coins you had, the better. Money was power, especially in this world. I wonder how many were sold. Sungjin called the Operator while lost in thought. Operator [Yes, Sir Hunter.] Give me the White Coin. The white coin came from within the Cube. It was of the same shape, size, and weight as the black coin. Sungjin stared at the coin for a while. In order to overcome the system set by this world You need the Power of God. The Merchant at Darker than Black had told him. Please become even stronger and bring an end to these raids. He recalled the words of the survivor from the intervened world. Sungjin stood up and prepared to shower. He would have to wake up early tonight. Editors Note: To fit tables properly for our mobile readers I often split them in different lines like in here with the auction table. In chapter 63 there was an item named Pants of Obedience. Due to lack of context and item description we went with the korean version of the word in raws. But in this chapter with the item description we found out it was actually the Chinese version of the word that had to be taken. Hence, it has be renamed to Pants of Feather fall. Gamja is down with flu since yesterday. He has been ill for about 2 weeks now and with the flu his condition only worsened. Translating this chapter took him 2 days due to his condition which is why we couldnt release it yesterday. We will be waiting for him to get better, we will try and continue translation but there will be delays till he gets better. Hoping he gets well soon Chapter 67 Chapter 67 C Black Market Seventh Shopping (2) Sungjin finished his bath and emerged from the bathroom. Shortly after Knock knock Dalupin gently knocked on the door. He was apparently aware that Sungjin had completed his bath. Sungjin answered while wiping down his hair with a towel. Come in He could hear the door open from behind him. I have brought the information sheet for tomorrows raid as well as receipts for items sold in the auction house today. Sungjin pointed towards the table next to the entryway without turning and said Please leave it on that table, Dalupin. And please dont forget to wake me up in the night. Understood. Sungjin heard the door click shut behind him. Once he was done wiping his hair, he headed over to the table and checked the things Dalupin left behind. There were four receipts in total. Sungjin picked up the first receipt. Receipt C 1200 Black Coins The item Helm of Fire resistance which you had put on auction was sold for a total of 1200 Coins to the Pugilist. Place the receipt into the cube to instantly redeem the amount. He had posted the item for a starting price of 1000 and instant buyout at 1500, and it had been sold somewhere in between. Not bad Sungjin placed the receipt into the cube. [You have received 1200 Black Coins] Sungjin checked the next receipt. The bow Hydra containing the skill Cobra Snipe was sold for the starting price of 3000. Someone had placed a bid and obtained it without any contest. As I suspected the demand for bows is low Sungjin also put the receipt into the cube. The next item was Vaiden, the spear with Fiendish Needles. It was put up for 3500 coins with an instant buyout at 4000 coins. But someone opted for the instant buyout in this case. Hmm It was technically a good thing when someone opts for the instant buyout. But it gave him mixed feelings. Should I have sold it for more? This was probably a common feeling afterwards. Sungjin inserted the receipt into the cube and took a look at the last one. Hmm? He was surprised when he read the content. Receipt C 3000 Black Coins The item Manta C ChoRochs staff which you had put on auction was sold for a total of 3000 Coins to the Offensive Mage. Place the receipt into the cube to instantly redeem the amount. It was the item he put up for auction two chapters ago and had forgotten about. After being available for auction for two days, someone had finally placed a bid on it and got it at the starting price. The buyers name was Offensive Mage It was about the right time for mages to begin appearing. The Spellmaster Ed had sometimes said this; At first, it is extremely difficult to invest into Mind Power and Magic Power, but as time goes on, you learn that doing so is extremely efficient. Of course, in order to grow stronger, good items and expensive high class spellbooks become necessary to purchase. Sungjin also placed the receipt into the cube. [You have received 3000 Black Coins] The two items still available for auction were the Rare class Emergency Boots and the Legendary class Spear Armantine. The Emergency Boots wouldnt appeal to the general populace, and the Armantine would be a financially intimidating to purchase at 10,000 coin price point, even if it was very attractive. Even Sungjin, who kept 70% or higher contribution every single raid, did not receive more than 9000 coins in any given raid. For a typical Hunter, they would need to save up everything for two raids to be able to afford it. Well, it is a great item so it should eventually sell. Sungjin asked the Operator as he finished up his thoughts. Operator, how many coins do I have right now? [You have 21468 Black Coins] In one raid, he had obtained more than 20,000 coins. At this point, he could even afford the Star of the nameless. I thought it would take me at least two raids to reach Sungjin went to lie down on the bed once he was done with the receipts. He would be busy later at Darker than Black. * Ha~ Sungjin arrived in front of Darker than Black, letting out a thick white fog from his mouth due to the cold. It was too dark in this area, so Sungjin took out Besgoro. Equip He wore the helmet over his head. Ghost Vision allowed Sungjin to see more clearly in the dark. Besgoro spoke first. Youre going back in there again? Yes, from now on I will be coming here every night. You said its no big deal. He seemed to have regained sanity on his own after a while. He replied seriously I just dont like the atmosphere of that place. Even a ghost like me feels spooked by that place. Sungjin didnt reply and just swallowed. Sungjin had experienced death before, but for some reason, the merchant inside inspired fear far greater than death. While Sungjin was watching, the surrounding suddenly grew even darker; it was 4:30 am, it was time to enter. Please remain quiet while I am negotiating a sale, Besgoro. I have no intention to speak in that mans presence. Sungjin entered Darker than Black wearing Besgoros skull. As always the man inside was sitting at a table within. Welcome. So, did you find the TrollSeeker Marble useful? Sungjin nodded. More than I ever imagined. So how many Black Coins do you have? Sungjin was about to answer when his own cube responded on his behalf. [21468 Black Coins] Sungjin couldnt help but be surprised and looked back and forth between the man and the cube. It was the first time he had witnessed the cube responding to someone other than the owner. In response Shink Sungjin drew his blade and pressed it against the mans neck. Who are you? He responded You want to know? Ill tell you if you hand over 10,000 coins. Sungjin was about to take him up on his offer when White ones He was interrupted. 10,000 white coins. That was almost an impossible amount to gather. When Sungjin stared at him with narrowed eyes, the man placed his hands over the Moon Specter and said Put this away. You know this already, threats dont work in the Black Market. Sungjin stared at him a bit longer and then put away his sword. He was right. Sungjin crossed his arms when the man said You managed to gather more than 20,000 Black Coins in one Raid Extraordinary. Did you come to buy this then? He lifted up a star shaped accessory with a spiral design. It was none other than Star of the Nameless. Sungjin stared at it for a moment before asking the man, Last time you said He who searches for answers finds questions, and he who searches for questions finds answers. Yes. I wasnt the one who came up with it but well I quoted it. I have a question. Go ahead. Sungjin placed the TrollSeeker Marble onto the table as he continued. Can more than one of these be used per raid? At his words, the man grinned widely. As if he was waiting for this question to pop up. Yes. Sungjin did not hesitate to say Buy two more, recharge the used one. At Sungjins words, he suddenly replied politely. It will be 21,000 Black Coins dear customer. Purchase. At his word, the Cube lit up brightly. [Purchase complete] The Operator announced, and Sungjin picked up the marble that he had put down on the table. It regained the bright colors which indicated it was ready for use once more, becoming indistinguishable from the other two marbles he had purchased. Sungjin put away all three marbles he had purchased. From now on, he would be able to meet a minimum of three trolls per round. The man commented Kill the trolls and gather more coins. A good idea, but. When Sungjin stared with his eyebrows raised, the man continued. Youll be pressed for time. If you want to teleport to another dimension, youll have few minutes of buffer time in between. Sungjin was fully aware of this. Ill work around it. At his words, the merchant grinned. Since you used 21,000 coins out of 21468, I guess this is goodbye. There is nothing you can buy with only 468 coins here. Sungjin tilted his head and responded instead No, there is one. What? The merchant blurted out surprised for the first time. Sungjin took out the white coin from his pocket. I got a white coin. The man looked at the white coin with his eyes wide. Suddenly an information page appeared from the cube. White Coin Ordinary Currency Passive Skill Exchange(II) C Item used as an intermediary in buying and selling Coins obtainable only through truth and honesty. Used in the purchase of special items. It didnt feel good, someone else using the cube forcefully. Seeing the item, the man whispered Real Sungjin grinned this time. What, did you think I would paint a Black Coin white or something? Really Unexpected. So, what are you looking to purchase? Sungjin was about to ask for the Holy water of Baptism when he got an idea. Is there anything else other than the Holy Water of Baptism that I can get with the White coin? The merchant answered. Yes. What else is there? Please make me a list. To your question, you can obtain the list if you pay about a hundred Black Coins. Sungjin frowned. He just did whatever he wanted. Sungjin decided to just buy the Holy Water of Baptism for now since he was curious as to its effects. Then please give me the Holy Water of Baptism for now. Got it. The man took out the vial out of his pocket and placed it on the table. Sungjin asked one more time before he completed the transaction. So with this item, I can speak with other hunters, is that right? Not only speak you can do much more. Sungjin just stared at him. This mysterious man did not reveal all the information at once, although there were no lies either. Sungjin handed over the coin personally and said Purchase * Once he was done with the transactions, he returned to the Ninety Nine Nights and entered his bedroom. On top of the table next to the door was the information sheet that Dalupin had left behind for him. Information pertaining to Rudala C Dark Elven City Sungjin was going to read through it when Yawn He couldnt suppress a yawn. He was still not used to waking up at the crack of dawn. Sungjin held the note for a moment as he deliberated. Then he made up his mind. My rest is more important than this information. Convincing himself of his lie, he jumped back into bed. Note: The trollseeker marble stores 1 charge which allows him to transfer once between dimensions. For more transfers, he needs to recharge which costs 1k coins and can only be done by the merchant at Darker than Black. I think many readers must have thought that he can use the same marble again and again but that is not the case, he can use it again but he needs to recharge through the merchant. So if he wanted to intervene in more raids he needed to have more tablets coz he cant go to the merchant during the raid. So now he has 3 tablets so more troll hunting yay^^ Thank you readers, it was nice reading your comments supporting Gamja wishing him a quick recovery! He has just recovered from the flu and mhk will be back on schedule from now:) Also, we now have a Glossary page. This will track Ks current equipment, summons, titles and spells and will keep being updated. Shoutout to Valenstein! Thank you for helping with the chapter numbers for the Glossary page! Chapter 68 Chapter 68 C Dark Elven City Sungjin opened his eyes. The ceiling came into view. Uh He was just going to close his eyes for a moment, but he had overslept. Sungjin quickly stood up to look out the window. The sun was high up in the sky of the Black Market. Operator, how much time do I have left until the Raid? [1 hour 21 minutes 21 seconds remaining] It wasnt too late. He could still have breakfast and prepare for the raid. Sungjin first allocated his stats. Allocate 2000 to Strength, 2000 to Dexterity, 1000 to Endurance, 1000 to Magic Power, and 2153 to Mind Power. [Applied.] Show me my stats. Title: Adjudicator HP: 61120 MP: 68800 Strength 9674 8412 (+1262) Dexterity 10457 9093 (+1364) Endurance 6112 5315 (+797) Magic Power 3587 3119 (+468) Mind Power 6880 5983 (+897) Unallocated Points: 0 Sungjin saw the status window for the first time in a while. His growth was coming along well. Despite receiving only half of the Master Hunter Passive, his Dexterity was still over 10,000. His stats were high enough to assassinate any ordinary Hunter with ease. The only problem was making sure not to become overconfident and underestimate his opponents. Especially since the skills attached to equipments become more important than the status themselves. In order to maintain this level of overwhelming superiority, Sungjin needs to collect Coins diligently. Once Status allocation was done, Sungjin stood up and picked up the information sheet on his way down to the dining area. Dalupin, please make meAbalone rice porridge for breakfast. Understood. Once the breakfast was ordered, he sat down at the nearest table. Cain came by and wagged his tail. While Sungjin was greeting Cain, Soldamyr came to greet him as well. Have you slept well, Master? Sungjin motioned for Soldamyr to come closer. Come here for a sec. We need to discuss about our plans for the next chapter. Soldamyr came closer upon request. Sungjin asked I think we need to beat the Raid faster than ever before Is there a good method? Soldamyr tilted his head and asked Faster? Yes. Were fast now, but even faster. Soldamyr stroked his chin. Since he didnt have an opportunity to experience jumping dimensions, he didnt understand why Sungjin was chasing for an earlier clear time. Sungjin took out the three Trollseeker Marble from within as he explained. I want to be able to clear the boss and hidden boss in the shortest time possible and then intervene in other raids. Soldamyr picked up one of the marbles. Ohh Even without the help of the Operators status window, he seemed to know the effects of the Marble. It was as expected of Kutans best Mage. Sungjin picked up the Information Sheet and had a look at it. Information pertaining to Rudala C Dark Elven City Boss Monster C Mayan Priestess Kerenis Time limit: 1 hour 30 minutes. Time available for this raid is only 1 hour and 30 minutes. Even if we can defeat the boss and the hidden boss within 30 minutes, it only leaves 20 minutes per realm. If you consider the time it takes to find and kill the trolls, its a fairly tight schedule, dont you think? Soldamyr replied Cant you just mow down the enemies as you have done thus far? I could, and I have been until now. But now I want to minimize the time as much as possible. Even for me, I cant help but use up time when dealing with normal mobs. Soldamyr listened to Sungjin silently. Sungjin continued. And considering the effort that goes into killing normal mobs, its an inefficient use of time in terms of contribution points. Trying to fight multiple enemies without the help of item actives and spells take too long. But at the same time, those things should be saved for when I face Bosses, Secret bosses, or Trolls in other Dimensions. Right? Soldamyr nodded. Even if Sungjin had a monster of an advantage over the other hunters, trying to sweep normal mobs without any help of items or spells would take a little bit of time. So in the end, I want to figure out a way for us to move the most efficient way possible. Understood? Hmm Soldamyr stroked his beard. Sungjin gazed down as he continued. And as you saw in the last raid If I kill all the mobs, I cause unintentional collateral damage. Since I will end up monopolizing all the resources. Soldamyr raised his eyebrows. His behavior seems to suggest but you were fine doing so until now. Sungjin felt obliged to say The reason why I monopolized all the points until now is because I had to grow strong enough to be able to make a difference. And to be fair, hunters who cant make it to the top 0.01% Sungjin swallowed before he continued. dont have enough proof of future potential. So I monopolized all the points knowing it would give heavy disadvantages to everyone else on my team but this point forward I want to consider the big picture and help the hunters. Sungjin rolled the marbles on the table as he continued. Since I obtained a brand new income mechanism, I no longer have the need to monopolize everything. It would be more beneficial to spend that time hunting trolls instead. Soldamyr nodded again. He was a being of extraordinary intelligence and did not need additional information to understand. So, is there any way we could speed up the chapter clear time without causing problems for others? At his question, Soldamyr responded What about assassinating the boss? Assassinate? How? Soldamyr began chanting an incantation without further explanation. Walk the dark no matter the light, Shadow Walk A dark light source appeared on his hand and shortly after Cain vanished. Hmm? While Sungjin was surprised, Soldamyr explained It is a black magic which can hide the presence of creatures in shadows. If you can reach a shadow within 5 seconds, you can maintain invisibility indefinitely. Otherwise, the spell effect wears off As he was speaking, Cain reemerged from invisibility. 5 seconds must have passed. If you use this as you move about you could probably reach the boss without having to fight even once. If you do so, youll shorten the time needed to finish the raids without affecting everyone elses contribution levels, am I right? Sungjin nodded. As long as it was not kill x number to summon type boss, he would be able to pull off the assassination. And luckily the next boss Priestess Kerenis was the wait at a certain location type boss. But in order to do that you would need to cast the magic from the very start. If you dont use any other spells, you can maintain the invisibility for up to 30 minutes. Sungjin nodded, but stopped and said But I cant use this method every chapter. Its too much of a loss of my power since it means that you wont be able to assist me in battles much at all. Soldamyr lowered his head at Sungjins subtle praise. Then if you visit the spell shop, you can find a higher rank magic called Invisibility. Because it is white magic, I am unable to cast it but With your level of Mana, you should be able to use it without problem. Hmm Sungjin nodded and looked out the door towards the Black Market in the distance. Last time before he died, he had been to each of the five types of magic shop in order to sell Spell Scrolls. Sungjin looked towards the general direction of the Spell shop as he said Yes until now I didnt have any spare Coins to buy myself Spell Books outside of ones dropped by the bosses but Now I should have surplus of coins, so it is a good time to start investing in Spells as well. Ill make sure to visit the spell shop after the next raid. Please give me advice on what spells would benefit me most when we get there. Soldamyr gathered his hands and bowed as he answered. Understood, my Master. Having his master be interested in his area of expertise must have pleased him. The moment the conversation with Soldamyr was over Excuse me sir Dalupin asked. Sungjin turned to look at him. He was waiting a few steps away with a steaming bowl held on top of the tray he was holding onto. It was the Abalone rice porridge he had ordered. I know you are busy coming up with strategies but if you wait too long, the porridge will lose its warmth and flavor Dalupin carefully explained. Ah, please serve it now. Sungjin quickly accepted the dish. Thank you Dalupin. Ill enjoy it. Dalupin bowed once and then returned to his spot. Sungjin picked up a spoonful of porridge and took a bite. Perfectly sticky rice, scattered green onion and carrots, and the small shrimps of the porridge worked harmoniously to enhance the flavor. However, the main ingredient of Abalone rice porridge is obviously the Abalone slices. Plenty of Abalone Dalupin always diligently accommodated Sungjins taste in food. The feeling of Abalone hidden within the rice gave it a pleasant chewing experience. Mmm~ Sungjin mindlessly spooned away at the food. Meanwhile, the cube suddenly made an announcement. [Ra C Golden egg shook once] It was a strange announcement. Sungjin put down the spoon he was holding and reread the announcement. Ra? Now that he thought of it, it was an item he had received from the previous raid. The hidden piece Golden egg. Sungjin paused his meal to ask the Operator Operator, let me see the egg. The Golden egg emerged from the Cube. Sungjin checked the egg as he picked up the spoon again. I dont see any visible changes? Sungjin held it up with his left hand. The Operator displayed the information window. Rajen C Golden Egg Heroic Egg Passive Skill Tremor of Beginning(II) C Will Tremble twice a day The being sleeping within Has not yet decided to be patrician. I feel like something has changed from before But it didnt seem useful yet, so Sungjin checked the egg over one more time and then returned it back into the cube. There wasnt much time left before the Raid starts. He resumed shoveling food into his mouth. * Inside the dark cave, white magical sources of light floated around. The orbs of light illuminated the gray structures of the city which were built vertically up into the cavern walls, where the buildings were constructed in steps like the arrangement of pinecone seeds. Among those many buildings, KIIIii~ An eerie screech reverberated in the air. The place Sungjin arrived was the underground Dark Elven City. The Operator gave an announcement. [Welcome. This place is called the Rudala C Dark Elven City.] [It is one of the smaller cities built by the Dark Elves.] [But please be careful. A closed off community like this] [tends to harbor ill will against outsiders.] Sungjin tilted his head left and right to stretch himself out. Finish both bosses in 30 minutes and spend 20 minutes per realm for trolls. Sungjin was pressed for time like never before. He breathed in deeply to prepare himself. One good part was that he already knew where the hidden boss is hiding. Even with Adjudicator equipped, he would be able to find both of the hidden elements in no time. Sungjin took a moment to reminisce about the past. This was the first chapter he had come across the hidden boss at that time. And I almost died there. Sungjin couldnt help but grin. He pulled out both of his swords. Lets see how much things changed I cant wait. Chapter 69 Chapter 69 C Dark Elven City (2) [Synchronizing Hunters] Sungjin held his swords as he watched the hunters appear. Iron Wall, Commissioned Officer, Green Mage, and High Level Swordsman. This time every single title was excellent. It was due to the fact that only the strong were able to move forward in the raids. The first person Sungjin looked at was the Iron Wall. He seemed to be a short Southeastern Asian man, but he had a sturdy build. The Commissioned Officer was a white man with a longsword hanging from his side. He was even taller than the tank Iron Wall. He possessed a sharp gaze. The Green Mage was a man from India. He wielded a metallic Staff and was quite muscular. Sungjin wasnt sure how he came to master Green magic, but its quite likely that he had used combat staff techniques until then. Since no matter how high the initial value of Mind and Magic power one started off with, no one could nonchalantly walk the path of the mage from the start. So most mages would have had to start off with a weapon and transition gradually to a true mage class. Just like Sungjin had. The last one was the High Level Swordsman who was an East Asian as well. Everybody took a look at the other. They checked to have an idea of what each person could do, and what specializations they could potentially have. Also, to see if anyone had the potential to become a Troll. Once 3 seconds of silence had passed, Lets introduce ourselves Let us begin with the introductions. The Commissioned Officer and the High Level Swordsman had simultaneously made the same suggestion. They locked eyes. The Commissioned Officer spoke first. My name is Allerimo Romanelli, Italian. Next was the Green Mage. Sanjiv Wali, India. While everyone was introducing themselves, Sungjin checked Jasepit C Holy water of Baptism inside his vest. Clear fluid was splashing about inside the bottle. I can bestow a title Sungjin had no idea what effect the title would have, but it was an item outside the bounds of common sense. Sungjin returned the item back into his vest. Well I should first see if anyone is good enough to make a connection with. But he had to be extremely careful about who he would use it on. The White Coin was extremely difficult to gather. People like Max Obrian were an exception and not the general case. Because even if they are saved, selfish people will make selfish choices. I am Liwei, Chinese. Sungjin noticed something during the High Level Swordsmans indifferent introduction; Black handle, red scabbard, shortish length of the blade. He has Blood Vengeance! The swordsman held the same sword as himself. To be fair, it wasnt that unusual since anyone could buy Blood Vengeance from the Black Market at the Last Edge. But because of the Active Penalty not everyone can really utilize that sword properly Baptism of Blood drained 100 HP per second. Even Sungjin, who had a higher HP than most tanks, still didnt dare use the active thoughtlessly. The swordsman must be extremely confident of his skills. This gave Sungjin a thought. Yeah, its about time everyone managed to get at least one Legendary Item. Sungjin fell into thought while he stroked his chin. This was an important realization; the possibility that each of the trolls owned a legendary item. If they all had legendary items with incredible skills like Kamram, Moon Specter, Besgoro, Sungjin would probably be okay with 1 on 1, but 2 on 1 or 3 on 1 would present real danger. Sungjin recalled the Enhancement Stone he had received in the previous chapter. The time has come to take the next step Spell scrolls are one thing but Sungjin was interrupted from his thoughts when he realized that everyones gazes were focused on him. It was his turn for a dishonest introduction. Sungjin turned his attention to the other hunters and said Well to be fair, these introductions have no meaning Now only those who were used to the system remained. It was about time Sungjin became honest about his intentions. I will hunt the boss monster alone and then leave. Please work together as a group and increase your contribution level through normal mobs. One by one, the hunters tilted their heads at his words. I will hunt the boss monster alone. And then leave. It was hard to understand what he meant by that. Despite their confusion, Sungjin said In the chance that I notice anyone with brilliant talent before I leave the chapter, I will speak to them alone or something. The Green mage was first to respond. What is this about? What do you mean by going alone? You wont stick with the party? Sungjin bit his lower lip before answering Yes. As a response, the High Level Swordsman pulled out his Blood Vengeance and pointed the blade threateningly towards Sungjin. What are you? A Troll? It was a sensitive response. He must have had to face a difficult battle against trolls in his previous rounds. Sungjin replied back. Not a troll just think of me as someone different. I dont think youll be disadvantaged by my actions since Im just going to do my own thing and leave. The High level Swordsman got red in the face as he yelled How is that not being a troll you fucker! The Commissioned Officer broke his silence and joined in as well. Yes, your action is basically in line with that of a troll. A raid can only be completed by the cooperation of five hunters, but here you are insisting that you will be going alone. If that isnt words and actions of a troll, what is? The Italian man seemed to be unaware of a system designated troll. It was possible that people didnt know too much detail about trolls yet. Sungjin sighed at their words. Well I think you wont understand it yet, but youll have a better understanding towards the end of it. That my method will be safer and more rewarding for you all. Finally, the Operator gave an announcement. [Raid will begin in 1 Minute.] Sungjin walked forward towards the starting line of the Raid, which was a major intersection that led directly into the Dark Elvan City. He wanted to save every second from the Raid timer. Hey! Stop! Sungjin heard the High Level Swordsman call out. He ignored him and walked on. Finally You bitch! The High Level Swordsman couldnt stand it and charged towards Sungjin with his Blood Vengeance drawn. Sungjin glanced at him; he was fast. But only in terms of ordinary hunters. Sungjin decided to humor him. The swordsmans method of fighting was interesting. First, he began with a straight thrust Clang! The swordsman used the rebound from the collision of swords to launch a counter attack. If it was any other hunter, this technique would have caught them off guard, but Bang! Sungjin easily blocked the counter attack. And this time, followed through and launched his own strike. Boom! Three strikes were exchanged. The Blood Vengeance the swordsman held flew out of his hands and was embedded in the ground behind him. The Swordsman trembled. How Sungjin glared at him. I told you. I am a special existence. What kind of stupid The Swordsman backed up as he began to stutter after losing his grip in three strikes. His appearance reminded Sungjin of the Trolls who begged for forgiveness. Seeing that, Sungjin felt like pranking him. Now that I think of it. Should I just let him hit me a few times and have him enter troll state? Then there was a chance where the other Blood Vengeance would become his. But Sungjin erased such thought from his mind right away. Forced Troll state was as damaging to the hunter community as Trolling. If he partook in forcing troll state on others, he would never be able to gather white coins which required absolute trust in one another. And from experience, people who forced too many people into troll state were recognized as a Troll by the system and automatically put into troll state without attacking anyone. Well Even though I took care of him for now he did actually try to kill me After hesitating for a few moments, the Swordsman finally snapped awake and ran to pull his sword out of the ground. He and the other hunters looked at Sungjin with suspicion. How did he get so strong? Surprise What kind of a man is he? Both suspicion and respect were reflected in their eyes. Sungjin spoke to them once more. I will repeat myself. I am a spe No, well I am a weird existence Even if it doesnt make sense, please understand. If you just listen to my advice and hunt normal mobs, then nothing bad will happen. I am going to Sungjin stopped speaking and asked them a question that had just occurred to him. Anyone know about Hidden bosses here? During his first run, this raid was the first time Sungjin actually ran across a Hidden boss. By this stage, few of the Hunters should have at least heard rumors of it. Do you not know? The Iron Wall twitched in response. Sungjin looked at him. The hunters expression showed Sungjin that he knew about hidden bosses. Which one did you find? Hidden Merchant? Gravekeeper? Or Cyclops? He twitched again when Cyclops was mentioned. How did you One out of four Sungjin reiterated himself. I will only kill the boss and the hidden boss and disappear. Just know that. Finally [Raid will begin in 10 seconds. 9, 8] The countdown began, and Sungjin took Soldamyrs lamp out of his pocket. He then rubbed the surface. Have you called for me, Master? The Blue Giant Soldamyr appeared. Sungjin commanded Soldamyr, as we discussed. Soldamyr began changing before Sungjin was even done giving the command. Walk the dark no matter the light, Shadow Walk! And Sungjin disappeared from sight. Walk the dark no matter the light, Shadow Walk! Soldamyr also hid himself. As soon as he was done, [Raid commencing!] The Raid began. Sungjin told Soldamyr Lets go. Yes, Master * The Dark Elven City was a perfect place to use Shadow Walk since if not for the raid, the entire city would have been in perfect darkness without the floating lamps. The silvery white colored magical sources of lights were acting as lamps, but they were easy enough to dodge and stay within the shadow. That did not mean that Sungjin could afford to put down his guard. Guards patrolled the city wearing heavy armor armed with swords and spears. Even those looking like civilians wore daggers or short swords at their waists. Killing one or two civilians were no big deal, but if they ran to get help from the guards, it would lead to a drawn out fight. Even for Sungjin killing the boss, killing the hidden boss, and finding the hidden piece within the 30 minute time limit was no easy feat. Sungjin stealthily moved without noise, hiding from the lamps and keeping to the shadows. He would sometimes do a countdown 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 In his mind as he ran across a lit area into another shade. Doing this repeatedly helped Sungjin get used to it making it easier. Sungjin peeked into the center of the city where the temple was located. Inside the temple, the Priestess Kerenis awaited. Sungjin ran across the lit area towards the shade. 5, 4, 3, 2 He reached the building. But Intruder! The guards voice could be heard. Sungjin was surprised. What? The guards passed right by him and headed down into the city, where Sungjin came from. Besgoro, who Sungjin had forgotten about, spoke up. They must be talking about the other hunters. Besgoro was most likely right. This was even better for Sungjin since he wouldnt have to hide from the guards. Sungjin became emboldened. Swift Paw. He whispered, taking out the hidden claws. Then 5 He began counting, running up the side of the structure. 4, 3, 2, 1 And before 5 seconds were over, he hid behind the structure into the shadow. He waited for a second before once again 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 he ran with incredible speed. He repeated this two more times. Sungjin ran across the Dark Elven City while running on the roof top. And in no time at all, he arrived at the temple where Priestess Kerenis was located. Only 3 minutes passed since the start of the Raid. The old Knight Besgoro said indifferently. I guess youll set a new record today. Chapter 70 Chapter 70 C Dark Elven City (3) Sungjin entered inside the Temple while still hidden within the shadow. He could hear an eerie prayer from within. Kaima O Great God Listening to the prayer gave a strange feeling. He recalled, past the dark and narrow passage and inside the Temple building, five Dark Elves would be standing. At the center directly under a bright source of light Your children are preparing for war, The Priestess would be found in the middle of a ceremony with four Dark elves kneeling, facing the Priestess from all four directions of the compass. And as he expected, the Priestess was praying for a blessing. Give us your blessing As soon as her prayer finished Sssss A giant anaconda appeared from nowhere and slithered around the perimeter of the temple. The Priestess pulled out a sharp dagger and recited an incantation. Mabe Laodi Kasber Once she gives her command, the giant serpent will throw itself against the Priestesss dagger. Sungjin had seen this scene once before; the scene of the priestess blessing the other four Elves with the blood of the anaconda. It goes without saying that Sungjin had no intention of watching it happen again. Sungjin whispered under his breath while hidden in the shadow. Soldamyr, do not join the fight. Its a waste of mana. Soldamyr whispered back. Yes, Master. Sungjin returned his attention to the center of the Temple. An orb of light floated above the Priestess. He would not be able to approach her without losing the effects of Shadow Walk. Will I be able to reach her in just 5 seconds? I should have saved Swift Paw for now. Sungjin took a deep breath. Meanwhile, the Priestess Kerenis had already beheaded the Anaconda and was in the process of pouring the blood into the chalice. A disgusting act to behold. But the more concentrated she was, the easier it would be to pull off the assassination. From the darkness, 5 Sungjin began an internal countdown as he charged towards her. 4 He reached the steps at the edge of the altar 3 He jumped off from the top of the stairs 2 Soaring through the air 1 He held Blood Vengeance and Moon Specter in each hand, intending to cut her down on his descent 0 But one of the male Elves kneeling before her stood up to block Sungjins attack with his shield. Clang~! The sound of metal colliding with metal rang through the hall. The Operator gave an announcement. [Warning! Boss] [Priestess Kerenis has appeared!] Sungjin bit his lips. Tsk I wanted to try and kill the boss before the Operator can even announce it He had definitely made it within 5 seconds, but they must have automatically responded to the sound of his running. The attention of the five elves was now directed towards him, and each of the Dark Elves picked up their respective weapons to fight him. Intruder! Defend the Priestess! The male Dark Elf who had blocked the attack with the shield took out his axe from his side; a traditional Tanker. To his left stood a Swordsman with jealousy in his eyes. To the right was a skinny dark elf with a spear, and to the far side was a bow-wielding female dark elf Archer. At their center stood the Priestess wielding a dagger and a chalice, both still dripping the blood of the anaconda. 5 VS 1. If he had come with the other hunters, it would have been a mirror match. But Sungjin chose the path of a lone wolf; fighting one versus many was a foregone conclusion. But even so, 5v1 is too disadvantageous. Sungjin threw the Wolf figurine to his side. Ahoo~ Cain appeared next to him and took a stance. It was now 5v2. But the Priestess Kerenis wasnt just standing idle. Awaken and become my slave! A spell Sungjin was all too aware of. Rise of the Dead! The corpse of the Anaconda came back to life due to her spell. 6V2, but numbers werent everything. Pew The female Archers first shot announced the start of the fight. Sungjin parried the arrow and charged towards the enemies. The Tank once again stood in his way to block him. If you think you can stop me, its your mistake! Sungjin exchanged two blows with the Tank. Cling Clang! The Tank had just barely deflected both Blood Vengeance and Moon Specter using his shield and axe. but Clang! CLANG! With two additional attacks from Sungjin, his eyes grew wide. He must have realized that he couldnt handle Sungjin on his own. Rugos, Maran! He took a few steps back as he called the names of his allies. The Swordsman and Spearman ran forward to cross swords with Sungjin. They stood on either side of Sungjin and launched their attacks. Clang! Sungjin dodged the spear by ducking out of the way and deflected the sword with Blood Vengeance and then counter attacked by spinning around and launching a back kick into the Swordsmans undefended stomach. Pow Ack! Kicked in his diaphragm, the Swordsman backed off holding his stomach. Sungjin used Besgoro to make sure he couldnt interfere by chanting a spell. Discard your fangs and become a tame sheep! Polymorph! The Swordsman was hit by substitute casting and turned into a sheep. You! The Tank ran forward to attack with his axe, but Sungjin was able to utilize Kamram to multitask and block even his blows. His dexterity allowed him to fight in a 3v1. Shh~ The giant Anaconda came to attack Sungjin but Woof! Cain jumped in and bit the snake in the neck. Thanks Sungjin thought to himself, as he continued to exchange blows with the Tank. The Tank was pushed back until he was only a few steps away from the Priestess. Once their master was in harms way, the Spearman and the Archer fought even more fiercely. Haa! The Spearman stabbed away as he spun his spear around nimbly. Pew~ The female Archer somehow found a way to weave her shots between the movement of her allies to threaten Sungjin. Sungjin still managed to avoid being hit by the axe, spear, and arrow as he dodged everything. These four guardians were stronger than normal mobs but weaker than the actual bosses. Compared to the hidden boss of the previous round, the manticore, they might as well be fighting in slow-mo. As strikes continued to land, the enemies were starting to become bloodied. But the problem was the boss. As her guardians defended her, Kerenis recited an incantation. Aching bones and loosened muscles It was one of the most famous spells, Slow. Sungjin prepared mentally for the spell. I will undo the spell with Free Ark as soon as it lands. Slow But the target was not himself, but Cain who was fighting the Anaconda to the side. The anaconda immediately wrapped itself around the slowed Cain. Damn it! Sungjin used his right hand to deflect both the Tank and the Spearman at the same time as he pointed the Blood Vengeance towards Cain with his left hand. Pa! The sword was fired towards the Anaconda and landed exactly on its body. While his left hand was free, Sungjin quickly pulled out Manyata C Masters Bell and rang it Ding~ Ding~ A short sound rang out. Cain sped up suddenly and escaped the Anacondas bind and charged towards the Priestess. The Priestess tried to stop Cain using her dagger, but Cain was currently invulnerable to damage. Cain ignored the dagger and bit deep into the Priestesss shoulder. Priestess! The Archer and the Spearman immediately turned their attention towards Cain. Meanwhile Ha! Sungjin recovered his sword. He was finally doing a one on one with the Tank. Sungjin began by swinging the Blood Vengeance Clang! He tied up the enemys axe, and he pretended to attack the Tanks shield before Woosh Changing directions and striking the axe out of his hand. Clack! The axe flew far off into the distance. Panicking, the Tank tried to move his shield back and forth to try and keep up with Sungjins dual blades, but stopping Sungjins attack with only one shield was impossible. The Tank saw the blades attack from two directions simultaneously, one from above and one from below, and couldnt respond in time; He couldnt block either of them. Ahh! He had worn a full plate, but Sungjins two sharp blades cut through the armor and skin alike. The Tank was defeated, giving a moment of respite for Sungjin to survey the situation. The Archer and the Spearman were prying Cain off of the Priestess. Cain spun around and returned to Sungjins side. He spat something out; still bleeding chunk of Dark Elven skin. The priestess glared at Sungjin and Cain in turn and suddenly threw the Chalice forward. The chalice flew at an incredibly slow rate in comparison to the Archers bow, not to mention it was flying in the wrong direction. The Chalice fell before Sungjins feet. But Whats this? Sungjin had watched it fly towards him without much thought, but the blood contained within the chalice suddenly evaporated and turned into vapor. Sungjin breathed in the vapor and sensed something wrong. This is dangerous Sungjin jumped back. It must have contained the anacondas toxin*. Cain also jumped back, but he was staggering. Whine Wolves had a far superior sense of smell, and so the effects must have been much faster to manifest in Cain. While Cain and Sungjin were getting out of the way of the Vapor, the Priestess shouted an incantation. Close the wounds and erase the pain, Heal! The Tank who was moaning on the floor stood up. He picked up his shield as if nothing had happened. The Spearman picked up the axe and tossed it back to him. The Tank stood like a wall between Sungjin and the others. The Swordsman returned to normal and took his spot to the Tanks left. The Archer was already nocking another arrow. Sungjin frowned. This might take a while Sungjin looked towards his right hand to the Moon Specter I wanted to save this for the Hidden Boss The hidden boss of this raid was extremely powerful. But if he were to try and save Ghastly Wail now, the fight might drag on longer than its 10 minute cooldown. Sungjin made up his mind and sheathed his sword. Pew~ The Archer launched a shot. Sungjin deflected the shot with the Blood Vengeance on his left hand. Keeping his hands over the handle of the Moon Specter, he dashed towards the group of Dark Elves. The Tank, Swordsman, and Spearman all charged at him simultaneously, but this was what Sungjin was aiming for. Ghastly. Wail. Sungjin said as he pulled out the Moon Specter. Kyaa! The unearthly screech reverberated in the air, and the Swordsman and Spearman immediately fled. At least the Tank still stood his ground, but he was shaken by fear and unable to move normally. Sungjin ran past him and headed towards the Priestess. If anyone in the enemy party could cast heal, taking them out was always the first priority. Pew The Archer in the back had received the least of the Ghastly Wails effects and tried to keep Sungjin away, but it couldnt buy much time. The Priestess stuttered as she tried to chant BBroken Mirror and ddead crows She tried to recite an incantation for a curse, but Sungjin reached her and with the first strike Clang Knocked the dagger out of her hands Woosh And removed her head with the second strike. Splat [Boss Priestess Kerenis Cleared] The Operator gave an announcement. Besgoro whispered. It took longer than 1 minute, Kei. Sungjin dug his ears as he responded. Yeah yeah I know. Tl note: real anacondas dont have toxin, but this is fantasy so please allow the author to exercise creative freedom. Chapter 71 Chapter 71 C Dark Elven City (4) How dare he to the Priestess! The four dark elves upon regaining their senses rushed towards Sungjin, but without the Priestesss magic, they werent much more than regular monsters. Sungjins swordplay and Cains teeth took them down one at a time. Sungjin, who had turned all of the Dark Elves into corpses, began to calculate in his head. Ghastly Wails cooldown is 10 minutes so at this point I need to first find the hidden piece, then find that guy It should take about 10 minutes. He spoke to the Operator immediately after organizing his thoughts. Operator, Im going to use Treasure Hunters effect. Let me know if theres a hidden piece here. Soon, the Operators voice spilled out from the cube [An oracle that reads the past and sees the future] [All who meet him cannot cease their awe at his mystique] [People gathered like clouds; drawn to him by the rumors] [But he has never read the stars, only people] [Peoples hearts are ultimately their fates] [It is but an easy task to foretell destiny if you can read the heart] Sungjin lightly scratched his forehead. He didnt care to listen to it twice. He chose to seek help from Besgoro. Besgoro? Did you hear it? I heard it. Can you make any sense of it? No, but considering it is referring to an oracle we should go visit a fortune teller, shouldnt we? It was an advice that anyone could give, but it also didnt look as though struggling about it here would get them to an answer any faster. Lets just get out of here first. Sungjin left the temple with Besgoro on his head and his two summons: Soldamyr and Cain. The city extended out like a cone with this temple at the center. It was possible to look out across the entire city with one sweep from here. A fortune teller A fortune teller Sungjin muttered to himself as he looked around the city when Soldamyr spoke from his side. Master, over there. Hm? Where? At Sungjins inquiry, Soldamyr pointed towards a direction. Halfway down the cone stood a cylindrical building with a domed roof. If you carefully examine that dome you can see something like a design on it. Sungjin carefully examined, as he was asked, for a few seconds. A half-open sleepy eye could be seen when the magic light, that floated above the entire city, moved above the dome. The image appeared to be drawn in a type of illuminating material that sparkled brightly when viewed under the light. Soldamyr spoke again at his side. That half-open eye is the eye that looks into truth. An eye made of mirrors. It represents Jeremiah, one of the two Great Magicians. Based on Soldamyrs familiarity with it, the pattern seemed to have some magical significance. So? In reality it is not a typical symbol for an oracle, but if they were related that place looks highly likely. Still, Sungjin regarded it seriously. Lets look around once again. If we step down from here, it wont be as easy to find another place. Yes, Master. Sungjin walked around the entirety of the temple once more with Soldamyr while scanning across the city. Master. Yes, did you see something? Over there This time, Soldamyr pointed towards the end of the city; an area guarded by soldiers. There was an area veiled by a dark cloth towards the inside of a cave. Sunjin spoke full of confidence. Ah~ That place isnt it. What? That looks suspicious no matter what Sunjin spoke, facing him again That place has the hidden boss, so look somewhere else. Sungjin knew very well what that place was. It was where he first met a hidden boss. In his previous life, Sungjin and his party had gone to explore the caves right after defeating the raid boss. Is that so? Yes, so is there anywhere else other than the cave? Well, other than those two places nothing else seems to stands out. It could be because were at the peak how about over there? The third place Soldamyr pointed was the entrance area that Sungjin passed over. It was the direction Sungjin had come from, where the area was not illuminated by the pale glow of magical orbs of light but a red glow from real burning flames. Ah, not over there. It looks like other hunters are hunting over there. Ah, youre right. Listening carefully, one could hear a battlecry. It sounds like things are going well. Sungjin looked over the city one final time with those thoughts in mind. No matter how hard he searched, no other location stood out. Lets head over to the location with the sleepy-eyed pattern. Yes, master. Magic once more Sungjin asked Soldamyr to cast his spell once again. However, Cain and his wide eyes staring back at him came into view. Soldamyr, can you hide Cain as well? Yes. I have enough mana, but But? There is about 6 to 7 minutes until the summoning expires. The Summoning duration is 15 minutes, and he had been summoned since the start of the raid, so the numbers added up. Ok. Just get me over there Ill do the rest. Sungjin turned and spoke to Cain. Cain, you can follow along by our scent, right? Woof! Walk the dark no matter the light, Shadow Walk. Sungjin, Cain, and Soldamyr became hidden through the spell. Before stepping down from the temple, Sungjin took a peek over at the area covered with the black cloth. He gauged the distance to it from the dome with the image of a half closed sleepy eye. It should be okay to sprint that distance once I find the hidden piece C Sungjin came down from the temple moving from shadow to shadow. On the way were lightly armed and armored civilians and patrols with medium armor and armaments, but Sungjin did not provoke them. With only 10 minutes having elapsed, this was the fastest cleared raid on record and bypassing normal mobs was a big part of it. There was a clear benefit to passing by all the regular monsters. Sungjin felt confident that he could clear both hidden elements within 30 minute time limit. A very talented party would be able to take down a boss in thirty minutes. It met up with the duration limit. Well, if theres any time left. I can hunt some normal mobs. Sungjin continued to walk through the darkness with these thoughts. He was soon able to arrive at the sleepy-eyed dome. He could clearly see that the building was unique up close. Contrary to the plain and simple buildings surrounding it, the entire building was engraved with elaborate symbols: sun, moon, stars, and astrological signs. Along with some traditional oracular symbols, animal symbols such as cow, snake, lamb, and other similar animals were present. The Sleepy-eye pattern on top of the dome was also engraved in several places. It was definitely looked like the home of a fortune teller at first glance. Looks like I found the right place. Sungjin confirmed his thoughts as he looked towards the entrance, but the entrance had an excessive number of dark elves lined up as the hint stated. People gathered like clouds; drawn to him by the rumors Despite the sheer number of people gathered, the reason he didnt notice them earlier was because all of them were completely silent as they stood in the queue. I guess these people never heard of small talk Sungjin thought to himself as he began to roughly count their numbers. One, two, three, four It looked to be around more than 10 people, and among them were some soldiers that were part of the crowd judging by their medium armor and weapons. It would be easy enough to fight them, but if he was discovered here, it seemed like he would have to face countless elves jumping out of the woodworks. If I get into a fight here, Its going to drag on for a while To the contemplating Sungjin, Grr A low growl from Cain could be heard. It was a warning he gives when he spots some normal enemies. Sungjin knelt down and spoke to him in a low voice. Cain, can you lead these guys away for a bit? When it gets dangerous after youre revealed, Ill release the summon. Ok? Cain responded at a volume that matched his master. Arf He responded quietly. Ok. Go on, Cain. His figure couldnt be seen, but Dash dash dash Sounds could be heard. Cain, who came out of the shadow, appeared in front of the dark elves after a while. It looked as though a large wolf appeared out of nowhere. Grrr He bared his teeth. Kya!!! Several dark elven women began screaming in fear. Who is this guy? Some of the dark elven men drew their blades. Cain rushed forward in front of the people causing several dark elves to run, and others to chase him. Soon, the massive crowd of people that formed in front of the fortune tellers house was gone, and Sungjin carefully entered inside. The interior of the building was bizarre, resembling the Temple of the Snake*. The sinister symbols, stuffed monsters that couldnt be identified, and hypnotizing patterns on the carpet stood out to him, but he didnt have any time to spare admiring the decor. Sungjin walked right inside, and he could hear a voice beyond a thin cloth. Is there anything you desire, sir customer? Sungjin approached the cloth covering without any thoughts in particular. However, the voice spoke again. Hidden piece? There is no such thing here. How did he know? Sungjin drew back the thin cloth covering. There was an androgynous figure adorned glamorously with various jewels and makeup to a degree sitting in front of a crystal ball. While Sungjin was frowning at the gaudy appearance, the oracle was also taken back by Sungjins presence. Human! The voice indicated that the figure was male; A male with makeup. The surprised man drew a hidden blade from beneath the table, but the fact that he was a hidden piece and not a hidden boss indicated how weak he was. Swish Sungjins blade cut through his neck, and he fell where he stood. Sungjin began to look around his surroundings. No matter what, the crystal ball stood out the most. It was something common enough for all fortune tellers to have a couple of them. Sungjin examined it more carefully, but the Operators explanation window didnt come up. Sungjin threw it roughly towards the ground and looked around once more. Just what could it be At this moment, Besgoro added his thoughts on the matter. Reading ones mind. Isnt that it? Sungjin looked around and spoke to him. What do you mean and where? Over there. The earring that he is wearing. Sungjin looked down. A necklace on his neck, a nose ring on his nose, and he had an earring in each ear with different colors. One was blue, and the other was violet. Which side? No Look at the light Sungjin held the mans neck and shook him roughly. Whenever the light hit him just right, the violet earring on the right revealed the sleepy-eye symbol that had been seen before. He felt bad, but there was no time to pull it out gently. Sungjin pulled out a knife and cut off the entire ear. The Operators voice could be heard. [Congratulations. You have found the Hidden Piece] [Jeremiahs Eye Acquired.] Sungjin tried to extract it from the ear, but from the outside Arf Arf Cains cries could be heard. Sungjin grabbed the dark elfs ear with the earring and left the fortune tellers house. Get him! Voices could be heard. Sungjin hid back into the shadows and said Cain release summon Soon, Cains wooden figurine appeared in his hand. Good job, Cain. Sungjin gave Cains wooden statue a kiss and stuffed it into his pocket *Temple of the snake Angkor wat C Temple in Cambodia Chapter 72 Chapter 72 C Dark Elven City (5) Sungjin returned to the darkness. Soldamyr didnt have much time left, but he was still curious about the earring he had obtained as a hidden piece. Taking it out, he held it up and read through the information screen. Trite C Eye of Jeremiah Heroic Earring Passive Skill Legilimency(I) C Read the surface level thoughts of the person you are conversing with. Activated by touching the earring. 10 seconds duration once the conversation begins. Cooldown 10 minutes. Fate is determined by the mind. Change the mind to alter the fate. Legilimency? Mind reading? It was a skill he wanted to have from time to time. But it wasnt necessarily helpful during combat. It might be useful in sniffing out a potential troll but He wasnt quite sure where it would come in handy. He would have to try it out once or twice. Sungjin went ahead and equipped it for now. Equip Master, I have 1 minute remaining until summon ends. Soldamyr let him know the time. Got it Sungjin resumed running from shadow to shadow as he made his way through the city towards the city limit; Towards the hidden bosss tent. Once he was exactly on the other side of the raids starting point in the middle of a residential area, Soldamyr said It is time Master. Ok, thanks for your hard work. Soldamyr returned to the lamp after time over. The magic was undone, and both Sungjin and Cain reemerged from invisibility. Sungjin did a quick mental calculation. Since I summoned Soldamyr at the same time as the Raid start, it has taken me only 15 minutes for the Raid boss and the hidden piece Even if it takes me 10 minutes to kill the Hidden boss I have plenty of time remaining. The most typical timing a for a troll to appear is after the main raid boss is defeated. A talented group of Hunters would take minimum 30 minutes to beat the Raid boss. Starting with the next raid I might be able to make use of one or two additional Marbles on top of what Ive got. It wasnt over yet, but more than half of his plan was already completed. Even if thats the case I should still see how fast I can finish everything. Since I still have to get a feel for how long troll hunting will take in the other chapters. Once Sungjin was done making plans, he snuck his way towards the black tent where the hidden boss was hiding. He tried to keep to the dark and sneak by the elves without the help of magic. And he successfully passed a few. It reminded him of playing hide and seek as a child, avoiding the line of sight of the elves, dodging in and out of the shade. But when he was almost upon the black tent towards the edge of the residential area, his eyes met with that of a patrol. Human! The patrol yelled immediately. Haa oh my Infiltration without the help of magic was difficult. And this was his first time trying to be discreet. Sungjin drew his blades as he watched the elves come charging towards him with swords, daggers, and spears. * Behind him, countless Elven corpses littered the ground. Sungjin grumbled as he put away his swords. If you just ignored me, it would have been better for everyone. It took additional three minutes to kill the normal Dark Elves. He intentionally didnt use any magic. Sungjin felt that using Magic might attract even more mobs, and he didnt want to make the effort of managing his mana. Although it took more time, foregoing spells had a positive side effect. The cooldown for Ghastly Wail was almost over. Sungjin asked the Operator. Operator, is Ghastly Wail available to use now? [Cooldown will be over in 12 seconds.] It was as good as ready for use. Sungjin glanced at the Black Tent. The Hidden boss awaited. Initially, there used to be two Elves standing guard at the entrance, but they were gone now. He didnt remember killing them, but they must have gotten involved in the fight earlier and died. Sungjin took a deep breath before going in to fight the boss. Sungjin opened up the black cloth and stepped inside. On the inside of the tent was a small entrance to a cave. Sungjin recalled the memory of the first time he had stepped into the cave. * The last time he was here, he had succeeded in hunting the Priestess Kerenis with the cooperation of four other hunters, and the group left the Temple of the Snake together. The consensus of the group was There is still time left, so lets go hunt the remaining monsters. So the hunters left to search for mobs. Then and now, the importance of coins was indisputable. Sungjin at the time had no idea that Hidden bosses existed. Thanks to the abnormal amount of luck Sungjin had been able to collect higher than average contribution from chapter to chapter. And when someone pointed out the black tent and said That black tent looks suspicious. Do you think its hiding a hidden boss? He was surprised. Hidden boss? There are hidden bosses too? Someone else replied What? You havent heard of them yet? Of the five hunters, three were aware of the Hidden bosss existence. And among them, one or two had even fought and won against one. Emboldened by their previous success, one of the hunters had suggested Should we go get the hidden boss this round? All five hunters were of high skill. They sustained no significant damage against the main boss and exhibited great teamwork. So they slowly made their way towards the black tent while killing the Dark Elves. And once they killed the final two guards at the entrance, they entered the tent. Behind the tent was a round cave. Sungjin and his teammates entered within. Soon, the cave led to a place where the light was intense. At the end of the cave, they saw bright sunlight and green leaves. The tent was actually the exit of the cavern. On suddenly coming out into the sun, their eyes were blinded. While they were adjusting to the light, they discovered that a single Dark Elf was standing alone to the east. When they hastily prepared for battle, the Dark Elf began a conversation with them. Did you guys come to run away too? One of the hunters replied. What are you? Are you the Hidden Boss? Hidden boss? I dont know what that is but if you wish to challenge me, I will gladly accept. The hunters sheepishly glanced at each other. They had massacred countless dark elves until now. Having one Dark Elf accept their challenge was amusing. One of the hunters responded. Sure, we challenge you. Except, we will fight as a group of five since thats how we have always fought. The Dark Elf drew two blades from his side and said Thats fine. It wont even be a fight without at least five of you anyway. At the same time, the Operator gave a warning. [Warning! Hidden Boss] [Exiled Dark Elf Calian has appeared.] And of the five hunters who challenged him, two were killed and the other three barely managed to escape back into the cavern. * Sungjin couldnt help but grin remembering the past. At the time, I didnt realize that hidden bosses would be so much stronger than regular bosses Once he left the cavern, the sunlight greeted him once more. Thanks to the Ghost Vision, it didnt overwhelm him like last time. Instead of squinting in the sun, Sungjin took out Romance of the Three Kingdoms from his vest and prepared it. The Dark Elf was waiting outside like before. Once Sungjin approached him, the Elf began the conversation the same as last time. Did you come to run away too? Sungjin wanted to read the Romance of the Three Kingdoms and land a preemptive strike since the opponent was no pushover. But when he opened the Romance of the Three Kingdoms, every page was blank. Sungjin was shocked. Is it because its before a fight? The Romance of the Three Kingdoms was a magical book that picked the passage best suited for the situation. It appeared as though if there was nothing to fight it would show an empty page. But if I dont use this before the fight its difficult to find the timing to do so After using it a few times, Sungjin felt that the time required to read a full passage was a major disadvantage. Being able to read it from start to finish gave him a great advantage, but it was not easy to do so. In the past, he had watched the owners quickly read the book while the other hunters bought time for them to do so. The same would not be possible for Sungjin who was alone. I should go ask in Darker than Black how I can reduce the time necessary to read the book. Sungjin closed it for now. Im not sure if I will be able to manage reading this book during this fight But there was not much else he could do. Having only the desire to read alone was not enough for him to be able to read the book after all. He closed the book, and instead decided to use magic to launch a preemptive strike. Burn everything in your path! But [Warning! Attacking a non-hostile lifeform] [will result in penalty for raid rewards] The Operator let out a warning. Sungjin stopped in the middle of the incantation. What is this? The Dark Elf asked What are you doing? Are you trying to challenge me? It appeared that he must say I challenge you in order to turn the Elf into a hostile lifeform. How strict. Sungjin grumbled as he replied. Yeah challenge. Alone? Sungjin nodded. Yeah. Understood, o warrior. Let us clash blades. The Dark Elf pulled out his two blades from his hips. Dual Wield versus Dual Wield. Once his sword was out, the Operator finally gave a warning. [Warning! Hidden Boss] [Exiled Dark Elf Calian has appeared.] The combat had begun. Sungjin once again opened Romance of the Three Kingdoms. This time, large fonts had appeared on the page. Dong Zhuo attempted to enter the castle, but the Horse refused to move forward. Finding the horses behavior strange But there was no time to read anymore, as the Dark Elf came charging towards him. Sungjin threw aside the book and met his attack by unsheathing his own two swords. Soon Cl Clang! A deafening sound of clashing steel rang out. The two of them struggled in a contest of strength using the four swords. But neither was able to overpower the other. Besgoro spoke. This guy hes really strong And as soon as Besgoro was done, the two combatants pushed each other away, momentarily putting some distance between the two before the fight resumed when they both charged against each other. Sungjin used one hand to strike from top to bottom while using his left hand to strike diagonally up from below. A strike without pattern, an attack that was impossible to pull off without Kamram; a perfect dual wield style of fighting. But Calian responded in kind, blocking both attacks as if he himself also wore Kamram. An extended exchange of blows began in earnest. Slashing, blocking, counter attacking, parrying, in a span of few seconds, dozens of strikes were exchanged. Sungjin forcefully pushed the man away. Besgoro commented You guys are neck to neck There was a good reason why five hunters lost against him; The Exiled Dark Elf Calian was just that strong. He didnt want to admit it, but it would be difficult to defeat him with only his swordsmanship. Sungjin returned the Moon Specter to the sheath and said Baptism of Blood Small blades emerged from Sungjins sword and bit into his hands, drawing blood. Sungjins blood drenched the Blood Vengeance, and becoming thrilled at the sight of his opponents blade glowing red, Calian shouted excitedly Come, Challenger! Cliffhanger? Nah2 chaps released today. So click next and read on:) Chapter 73 Chapter 73 C Dark Elven City (6) Sungjin charged towards Calian with only Blood Vengeance while keeping his hand on the Moon Specter. He was planning on using Ghastly Wail to find the opportunity to strike him down using the empowered Blood Vengeance. But that was no easy feat. Once Sungjin got close Woosh woosh He swung with both swords nimbly. Sungjin backed off while parrying the strikes with only Blood Vengeance. From experience, the effect of Ghastly Wail was stronger the closer he stood to the enemy. But Calian was too strong to use it in close melee. Sungjin couldnt help but back further up as he continued to block Calians attack with one hand before shouting Ghastly Wail He quickly activated the ability and drew out the blade. Kyaa~ An earsplitting screech reverberated through the air, and the ever-confident Calian backed off with a surprised look on his face. It didnt look like the Ghastly Wail applied full effect upon him, but it was enough. It was a golden opportunity. I dont know if I will get any other chance to take him down. Sungjin charged at him. But Light of Aeon. Something glowed brightly from under Calians armor, and he returned to normal. Sungjin quickly swung his reddened Blood Vengeance, but Clang! Calian crossed his blade and blocked the blow. Sungjin gritted his teeth and swung his swords twice more Clang! Bang! Calian didnt counter attack and only blocked the oncoming strikes. He had even less opening then when he was also counter-attacking. Failing his attempt to catch his opponent off guard, Sungjin backed off. What a monster. Sungjin swore under his breath and pressed the side of his sword. The Baptism of Blood ended. There was no reason to needlessly drain his HP. This time Calian charged towards Sungjin. He was slightly stronger than Sungjin in swordsmanship. The two fighters would occasionally graze against cloth or skin, but no one took significant damage. And during the fight What a ridiculously strong opponent. Besgoro said what was on Sungjins mind. If Sungjin at least had Cain or Soldamyr, it would have made things easier, but their activation period was already over. And for some reason, Sungjin wished to win 1 on 1 against him. Clang clang click clack! The two fighters and their four swords clashed mightily but to no conclusion. Meanwhile kill It was a voice he hasnt heard in a long time; Yanhurats whisper. Sungjin ignored it as he continued to fight. But for some reason, Besgoro responded to the voice. Whats this sound? He must have heard it somehow as well. Kill Did it say kill? Sungjin was busy fighting for his dear life, and two ghosts were chattering away. Getting distracted, Sungjin used his two swords to push Calian away and made some distance. Ah shut up! Meanwhile, Calian chanted a spell. Lance which pierces all! Lightning Bolt! Sungjin tumbled to the side to dodge the spell. Now that he thought of it, This Dark Elven Swordsman knew how to use magic. But Sungjin was the same. Eye for an eye, magic for magic. What is real is fake and what is fake is real! He had Besgoro start an incantation first and then used the spell he wanted to try using in conjunction with substitute chanting. As Besgoro began his chant, Sungjin also recited an incantation. Burn everything in your path! Last time, there was a slight delay between the casting of two spells, but this time Sungjin matched the timing perfectly. Illusion! Sungjins body split into 6. Fire Ball! Six Fireballs were shot from six Sungjins, all in different directions. Of course only one was real, but it looked as if six were fired at once. Calian who took on the Ghastly Wail without batting an eye panicked. He didnt know how to dodge the attack, so he backed as far as he could, using his swords to shield his body. Boom! Calian was lucky. The farthest fireball was the real deal. But it was still effective. The incendiary secondary effect put his mantle on fire. It was certainly an effective method, so there was no reason not to try again. Sungjin chanted the spell again. Fireball! But Reflect Magic He muttered something, and his right sword glowed bright purple. He watched the six fireballs carefully and reflected only the real one. What? The fireball changed directions and came flying towards Sungjin. Sungjins eyes grew wide as he rolled over to the side and yelled Solidify! And shortly after Boom! The ball of fire exploded. Although Sungjin had surprised him the first time, he already figured out a way to tell the real attack by the next cast. My god after just once he was able to tell the real from fake. Without watching the fireball explode, or without knowing which one is the real caster, it is an impossible feat. Sungjin stood up once Solidify was over. He pulled out his swords. After the last counter attack, he made up his mind. This guy is too strong to take it lightly. He had forgotten for a long time; The raid was a game where you had to put your life on the line. If he is unable to defeat the enemy in front of him, he will die. Once he prepared himself, he asked Besgoro Mr. Besgoro, you said that Frenzy increases attack speed the more I attack? Specifically 10% for each hit you land. Sungjin didnt listen to him all the way as he took out the Yanhurats Necklace from his pocket. Equip He put it on instead of Basilisks Eye. Snake Eye would be an interesting ability to try out against Calian, but to make sure the job gets done, this way was better. Once he had Yanhurats Necklace on Kill! Kill! The voice grew faster and faster. Besgoro seemed to be sensitive to its voice. Kill I say Kill It must have had a stronger effect on him due to his long career on the battlefield. Sungjin answered the two ghosts. I will. Once he was done making preparations, Sungjin once again Baptism of Blood Activated Blood Vengeances active effect and fed it his blood. Sungjin noticed Calian get excited after seeing Blood Vengeance glow crimson red. And it was right for Calian to be; sacrificing his own HP to empower his strike was nothing short of telegraphing that a large attack was coming. Calian took precaution. Protection of Darkness, return everything to null, Dark Shield! Soon his entire body was enveloped by a dark aura. Black magic which raised the defense. Sungjin had seen someone use that in the past. Kill! Kill! Kill! Lets go kill him! I want to see that elfs blood! The ghosts were getting out of hand. Sungjin shouted Frenzy Besgoros Frenzy mode was activated. And finally Kill kill kill kill! He finally accepted Yanhurats plea. Zealot Baptism of Blood, Frenzy, and Zealot. Using all three effects simultaneously, Sungjin charged towards Calian like a banshee. Calian was caught off guard at Sungjin who began moving three times as fast as before. He had to put everything he had into defense, using both of this swords to protect himself. Clang clang ching clack! Calian was a master at swordplay. He was able to keep up with Sungjin who was moving three times the normal. But even he could not block all of Sungjins blows. In the middle of his iron defense, just once Pew~ Moon Specter grazed against his upper arm. And this was just the beginning. Frenzy kicked in, and Sungjin began to move even faster. Calian took a few steps back to defend but Woosh Blood Vengeance grazed against his calf. He thought to himself Its still okay. I didnt get hit in the vitals. But the danger of Frenzy was in these little hits. Each time an attack successfully landed, sungjins power and speed would grow, giving up more and more hits. Calian gave up a third hit. This was the end. The Ghosts who saw blood shouted loudly Kill kill kill KILLLLL! Finish him off Kei! Cut off his head, and lets see his blood! Drowning in the frenzied shouting of two ghosts, Sungjin lost his sanity. * [Clear] When Sungjin came to, the combat was already over. He heard the Operators warning. [Warning! Half HP] Hmm? Sungjin was surprised and immediately turned off the Baptism of Blood. Now that he thought of it, he didnt need to keep this one on either. After two or three hits, bonus damage didnt matter after all. Keeping Baptism of Blood active in an unconscious state was a dangerous gamble. Im just lucky that there are no enemies around Sungjin turned around. Calians corpse was cut apart to pieces until it was no longer recognizable as a body. Sungjin held up his blade to respect him. An amazing adversary. If it wasnt for my items I couldnt have hoped to defeat him. After thinking so, Sungjin held Yanhurat. Unequip And returned it to the cube. Besgoro was still frenzied. Kill them all! Kill them! Unequip! Sungjin took off Besgoro for now and held it on his side. Sungjin sat down for now and took a breather. Whew He was a powerful enemy. Most hidden bosses were difficult to defeat with the cooperation of five hunters, but this Calian was strong even among them. It was the first enemy in a while that could reawaken a sense of peril in Sungjin. Now that I think of it once I began buying stuff in Darker than Black I stopped investing in myself. As the chapters progress, enemies continuously grow stronger. And the further the chapter goes, the bigger the difference between each successive chapters. If he couldnt keep up with the pace, he would perish. Once Sungjin obtained Romance of the Three Kingdoms, he felt that he relied on the item too much. Sungjin turned around. The book was laying on the ground nearby. He had dropped it at the start of the fight due to being charged at and interrupted. Sungjin walked up to the book and dusted it off. He thought to himself. These book items have such glaring weakness It took too long to read out the passages. After all, the item depended on the tank providing the time to read the passages safely without interruption. Its previous owner had done the same. For one reason or another its time I looked for upgrades. Sungjin put away the book. He asked the Operator about the time. Operator, how much time passed since the Raids start? [24 minutes 32 seconds have passed.] Ok He still had some time. And he had lost a great deal of HP and MP. Sungjin re-entered the cavern. He planned to kill a few more enemies to replenish HP and MP. There wouldnt be any troll as strong as Calian, but there was always a possibility that he would get outnumbered. Before going back in, he reequipped Basilisks Eye and Besgoro. The moment Besgoro returned to Sungjins head, he shouted out in glee. Hey, Kei, why didnt you use that item earlier? That combined with my Frenzy would make you unstoppable! Sungjin thought to himself rather than reply Sigh such a good item but why does it have such a weird passive? Chapter 74 Chapter 74 C Dark Elven City (7) Sungjin was back in the cavern. He had half HP and MP. He wished to replenish them using his Vampires Ring and Moon Specter respectively. He had spent 25 minutes on killing both bosses. He had enough time. In fact, because he had lots of time remaining, he decided to take it slow and think for a moment. When I teleport where would trolls most likely be standing? In about 5 minutes, the fastest Hunters would be finishing up the boss. Once thats done, the Trolls would officially begin to appear. 1 hour remained on the clock, giving each teleport roughly 20 minutes of activity time. He would be on a tight schedule. From realm to realm, he would need to find the trolls. The combat itself wouldnt take as long as the search for the trolls. And if he took into consideration of searching for those willing to grant him White coins or comrades worthy of Holy water of Baptism, he really didnt have much time to waste at all. So he had to lower the time spent searching for trolls as much as possible. Sungjin pointed at a corpse of an Elf he had slain earlier and said Lichs Beckon He replenished his mana as he took a look around the city. The best place would probably be at the temple where the raid boss was. It was located at the center of the city, at the highest point. He would be able to see where the hunters were fighting in one glance. Sungjin held his blades out as he began to climb the city. The Elves blocked his way back up, but they were no match for him. Perhaps due to having concluded a fight to the death with a true blademaster, killing the other dark elves felt like he was challenging little kids to arm wrestling. Whoosh Each time Sungjins swords danced, dark elven heads rolled onto the floor. As he was hunting, Sungjin asked the Operator, Operator, HP He kept on checking the HP as he slaughtered the Elves. Meanwhile, Sungjin ran across the hunter groups. Eh? You! Adjudicator It was the other four hunters he had come to the raids with. They were shocked to see him as if they had seen a ghost. It was no wonder; unlike other raids, the Cube would have randomly said [Raid Boss Appeared] [Boss Cleared] [Hidden Boss Appeared] [Hidden Boss Cleared] Sungjin said to them Ah As promised I only killed the bosses. Feel free to kill everything else around. The hunters fell silent at his words. How are you able to do this? No one dared to ask. Sungjins words and actions were already of another world. Especially the High Level Swordsman was nervous thinking Sungjin might do something in retaliation for picking a fight earlier and was avoiding eye contact. Sungjin saw his behavior and couldnt help but grin as he walked by. There were not many enemies left on his way back up to the temple. The four hunters must have cleared them out diligently. Nonetheless, Sungjin continued to hunt the occasional elves on his way up to the temple. [HP Full] The Operator said as Sungjin swung his swords, shaking off the blood on them. Time since raid start? [30 minutes 12 seconds] It was time to move on. Sungjin resheathed his swords and took out one of three Trollseeker Marble from his vest. Sungjin entered back into the temple since he wouldnt be able to take full advantage of the marble if he gets delayed by normal mobs. One he was sure no Dark Elves were nearby, he lifted up the marble and said Pursuit of Justice! Despite being deep underground, a pillar of light came down from above and surrounded Sungjin. [Dimensional transfer has been requested.] [Before Dimensional transfer can be completed, Raid Reward Distribution must take place.] [Beginning distribution of rewards.] The Operator rapidly gave out the rewards. [Monsters Slain. Dark Elf Civilian: 44. Dark Elven Guard: 25. Dark Elven Mage: 8. Total 728 points.] [Boss Monster Slain: Priestess Kerenis: 1100 points.] [Hidden Boss: Exiled Dark Elf: 1100 points.] [Final Point count: 9480. Distributing points.] [Your contribution is 65.5%. 6209 Stat points, 6209 Black Coins awarded. Raid Clear Bonus 2800 Stat points and 2800 Black Coins awarded. Item effect Additional 10% gained activated. Distributing 9009 Stat points and 9910 Black Coins.] [And now we will distribute the items.] Sungjin unconsciously swallowed. This part always made him nervous. [Artemio C Mage Bane] [Darke C Cursed Chalice] [Mamaya C Finger of Brainwashing] [Enhancement stone] [Spellbook C Slow] [Spellbook C Dark Shield] [Recovery Potion C Large X2] The Operator gave two rounds of congratulatory messages. [Congratulations! You have obtained the Legendary Item Artemio!] [Congratulations! You have obtained the Legendary Crafting material Enhancement Stone!] Several items fell before Sungjin. Sungjin picked them up as he put them away. The one he had his eyes on was the Elegantly curved Legendary sword Artemio This is definitely It was Calians magic sword which he used to deflect Sungjins fireball. Sungjin wanted to pick it up to see the information screen, but the cube was preoccupied with giving announcements. [Last but not the least, you will be awarded titles youve earned on this raid.] [Assassin C Attacking unsuspecting enemies increases damage by 100%] Assassin I think someone had this title recently Now that he thought of it, it was the rapist from back in Giants Canyon. Thanks to him, Sungjin felt a little bit of reluctance from using this title, but the effects were great. Whether it was the raid boss or trolls, if he could successfully land a sneak attack the title would come handy. Equipping the title doubles sneak attack damage, not equipping it retains 1.5 times the damage that means if I see a chance for ambush I should take it As Sungjin was thinking, he recalled the existence of Star of the Nameless. It was such a good item, as it allowed adjusting title according to the situation. The fight against Calian might have been more difficult due to having to equip Adjudicator over Master Hunter. The 20,000 price tag was probably well worth it. I dont know how much the items I got this time are worth but Ill keep them in the basket for now. [Distribution has ended. Request for Dimensional transfer has been granted.] [You will be teleported in 10 seconds. 10, 9] The Operator began her countdown, and Sungjin mentally prepared himself. No mercy for the wicked. He who trolled once will inevitably troll again. He had to eliminate them thoroughly from the raids as early as possible and prevent them from being able to reach late game. And on the side use Adjudicator passive to earn additional black Coins. For Sungjin it was like killing two birds with one stone. [5, 4, 3] As the countdown was finishing up, Sungjin stretched and hopped like a short distance sprinter. He wanted to reduce the time spent searching for the trolls as much as possible. In other dimensions, tens of thousands of teams of hunters were still making their way through the Raids. Even if only one out of ten thousand dimensions contained trolls, there would be dozens of trolls to catch. Being able to use Trollseeker marble as often as possible was for the best. If he is able to use all three marbles effectively, he could consider getting even more of them. [2, 1, 0] The countdown finished, and Sungjin was teleported somewhere else. * All five Hunters were strong and talented. They cooperated perfectly with each other and reached the Temple where the Raid boss awaited them. Once they reached the inside of the temple Kaima O Great God, your children are preparing for war, give us your blessing. They witnessed the Priestess and her four guardians carrying out a strange ritual. They glanced at each other and whispered among themselves. It looks like we should be able to launch a surprise attack while theyre distracted. Yeah, lets start off the fight by picking off the archer and the Priestess. Yeah remove the damage dealer first. Thats not a bad idea. They had planned to ambush the boss. But, Sssss A giant Anaconda killed itself against the Priestesss dagger, and the Elite Sniper who was watching couldnt help but Gasp! Make a strange noise. Who goes there disturbing our holy ceremony? The priestesss voice rang out, and the battle began without successfully carrying out the ambush. The ambush failed, but the battle went favorably. The hunters were powerful enough to reach the raid boss within 30 minutes. The problem began when she started using strange brainwashing magic. When she extracted a rotting finger from her robes and pointed at someone, it led them to turn against their teammates. They lost an ally and gained an enemy. And of all the targets, the one affected was the Slaughterer, a strong damage dealer. While the hunters were in disarray due to being unsure how to respond Ahh! A casualty occurred at his hands. The other three worked their hardest to take down the source of the brainwash, but during the process Oof A second casualty occurred right at the end. The two survivors and the Slaughterer who finally became free of the Brainwashing took down the Raidboss and [Priestess Kerenis Cleared!] [Returning to the Black Market in 58 minutes and 23 seconds.] They managed to clear the raid. But the hunters werent happy. Of the two survivors, the Destroyer wielding a giant hammer addressed the Slaughterer. This is all your fault. Why is that? Why? You got brainwashed like a retard and killed the tank, you know that right? What? How was that my fault? That was the Bosss skill! If you had been hit by that, then you would have been in my position! Do you think you would have been able to stop yourself if you were under the effects of it? I wouldnt have been hit in the first place. Stop spouting bullshit. If you want to blame someone, blame that Sniper for ruining our ambush earlier. I fought hard. I couldnt do anything about the Brainwashing. The Elite Sniper who was listening on the side also joined the argument. What are you talking about? What difference do you think that really made? We would have fought the same way in either case. And you would have been brainwashed no matter what. Killing your allies with your hands. I didnt kill them because I wanted to kill them! The three of them continued to shout and argue, and in the end, the Destroyer couldnt hold back his anger and finally swung his hammer. Chapter 75 Chapter 75 C Dark Elven City (8) Destroyer swung his hammer. What Striking the Slaughterer who was flung far away by the impact. The Destroyer ran in to finish him off, lifting his hammer high in the air, yelling Shatter Earth But before he could land a shot on the Slaughterer Blink The Slaughter used magic to get out of the way. Boom! The entire Temple shook violently. At the same time, the Destroyers body became enveloped in a red aura, and the Operator gave an announcement. [Attacked an allied Hunter. Entering Troll state] There were more announcements about raid reward, but the enraged Destroyer ignored the rest of it, searching for the Slaughterer with bloodshot eyes. Pew~ The Elite Snipers arrow revealed the Slaughterers position. He was at the stairs of the Temple. 2 to 1 situation. The Slaughterer escaped the temple with the other two in pursuit. A minute after the three hunters left the area, a white pillar appeared within the temple and a man walked out. * Sungjin took a look around. Inside was the Priestess and her four guardians corpses. As well as corpses of two unfamiliar hunters. Where is he? The troll? Sungjin walked out of the Temple and took a look around. The temple was located on the highest point in the city. He could see everything from up here. In the distance, the Hunters were halfway between the starting point and the temple. He didnt know why they were fighting there, but Sungjin immediately used Swift Paw And ran towards them using the hidden claws. 10 seconds later, he saw Slaughterer fight against the Destroyer and Elite Sniper both of which had the red aura. Besgoro commented Its two. Four items. Sungjin was happy just thinking about it. He nodded. Its two. But it was then that the Slaughterer suddenly turned the tables. Root them to the ground! Entangle! He used magic to hold the Destroyer in place Blink And used teleport to charge towards the Sniper. Before Sungjin could do anything, his axe split the head of the archer. Now just one. Despite fighting in a 2v1, he had been able to take one down. He was just that strong. You! Once the Destroyer got out of the magical roots, they engaged in melee combat. Without intervention, Sungjin could lose both of them. I wont let that happen. Sungjin moved quickly. The other troll was preoccupied with the Slaughterer to notice Sungjin approach him. When the Destroyer lifted up his hammer, Sungjin cut off his hands from behind. Ahhh! The Destroyer was disarmed by Sungjin from behind in an ambush though he wouldnt have been able to put up a fight up from up front. Sungjin followed up by beheading him right away. Ack! With a short cry of pain, the Destroyer kneeled over. The Slaughterer stared at Sungjin in surprise. It must be difficult to imagine a Hunter from the outside. Sungjin stared at him. He probably wouldnt kiss the ring even if I ask right? He didnt feel that the man would agree. He was strong. He would have easily won this 1 v 1. There was no real reason to accept Sungjins request of 10% permanent penalty to the raid rewards. After staring at Sungjin for a moment with wide opened eyes, he finally asked Who are you? An enemy? Sungjin answered with pursed lips. Try me, if you think so. The Slaughterer didnt know what to do. Sungjin just walked over to pick up the items from the ground and put them into the Cube. Sungjin said to him Feel free to spend the remaining time however you like. Dont try to fight recklessly alone. Sungjin left it at that and walked back up the hill to the Temple. Picking the temple as the teleport location was a good idea. All the hunters would have to pass by it at some point, and it was a great vantage point for the whole city. Once he was back in the temple, Sungjin took out the second marble. Besgoro said We should act even faster next time since the Trolls could have the tables turned and killed before we get to them Youre right. Sungjin nodded. If he had acted right away, he could have taken the second Troll down and obtain two more items this round. Once he was mentally prepared, Sungjin shouted Pursuit of Justice [Trollseeker Marble can only be used once every 10 minutes.] [Please try again in 4 minutes 27 seconds.] Oh really? Sungjin took a look at the marble for a second. There was no mention of a cooldown period. It might be due to the fact that it was a consumable type item. Since the Operator made an announcement, he couldnt do anything to change it. Well even if its 10 minutes, I still have enough time so it should be okay. Sungjin took a look around. In the distance, he could see the black tent leading to the exit of the cavern. The place where the Hidden Boss was waiting. But even if he killed additional mobs in this realm, he wouldnt get anything. As the merchant of Darker than Black said, there is only one raid reward distribution. He had time to burn and had nothing to do. So Sungjin took a seat at the stairs and asked the Operator Please give me the items I got from the last raid distribution. At his request, the Operator gave him three items. An elegantly curved sword, a chalice, and the shriveled up finger. Sungjin picked up the sword first. It was a legendary item if I recall Artemio C Mage Bane Legendary Scimitar C Strength S Dexterity A Passive Skill Spell Eater (II) C Reduces damage taken from spells by 20% Active Skill Reflect Magic (IV) C Reflects offensive type magic spells under 6th Circle back at the caster. Cooldown 10 minutes. Sword specially designed for Mage Hunters. Oooh Sungjin nodded happily. It was a specialist sword. Active and passive were all anti-magic. This sword would make fights against mages easier. And the offensive stats were great, befitting that of its legendary status. Sungjin decided to Equip Test the sword by swinging it in midair. It was slightly different from the Katana style swords he normally wielded, but it should be similar in theory. This is worth using as my third weapon. With these stats, it was well worth carrying around. Switching it with Moon Specter or Blood Vengeance when facing mages would make things easier. Sungjin hung the sword from his left side, behind the Moon Specter. If he had gotten this in his previous life, he would have put it up for auction ASAP, but he could now afford to have an extra sword around. The next item was a Chalice. A chalice with a grotesque image of a snake decorating it. Darke C Cursed Chalice Heroic Support Weapon Passive Skill Empower Black Magic(III) C Increase power of black magic by 30% Active Skill Spiritual Link (Maragor) C A snake possessing potent venom and enormous strength. Call upon Maragor. If Summon is killed, or if 10 minutes pass from the time of summoning, it disappears. The Chalice of the Priestess Kerenis. Cursed is more accurate than Blessing. Now that you mention it He remembered someone who used this in the past. One of the final 10, the only woman among men, Nada. Sungjin reminisced about her for a moment. She had a rough demeanor but had perfectly smooth and clear skin, upturned nose, large eyes and bright emerald iris. She was quite a beauty But unlike Serin Han, she managed to survive to the end without having to hide her face. It was due to her monstrous speed, lethal dagger skills, and extremely powerful black magic. Among the Final 10, none of the 9 surviving men ever dared make a move against her. But this is completely useless to me It was the truth. Thanks to Kamram granting Sungjin the ability to dual wield his swords, items he had to hold with an offhand were useless. The Snake he would keep as a summon was also unappealing. It would be a useful support item for any black mage though And Sungjin already had Cain and Soldamyr. I should just sell it off for about 4000 Coins. Sungjin put the Chalice into the cube. The last item was a finger which had completely dried up like a mummys. Mamaya C Finger of Brainwashing Heroic Accessory Active Skill Mind Control(II) C Freely command the target for 10 seconds. Suicide or self harm is impossible on the controlled target. The user is unable to move for the duration of the ability. Cooldown 20 minutes. Dark Elves were masters of advanced hypnotic magic. And through it, it is said that they could take away fear from allies or control the minds of the enemies. A strange ability on a strange looking item. Sungjin turned the item around this way and that to inspect it. How am I supposed to use this? Control the target for 10 seconds, but no self harm is permitted. Besgoro commented Even if you cant harm him yourself couldnt you run him off the cliff or throw him into the middle of a group of enemies? But I also cant move meanwhile. Thats quite a large penalty. It would be easier for me to just step in and kill them myself. Thats true but it could be useful to have around. Sungjin decided not to sell it for now. He couldnt really visualize how he could make use of it, but as Besgoro said, he felt that it would come in handy someday. Once Sungjin was done checking the items, he picked up the marble again. About 4 minutes would have passed by now. [Request for Dimensional transfer has been granted.] Perfect timing. Dimensional Transfer was approved [You will be teleported in 10 seconds. 10, 9, 8] The countdown began, and Sungjin teleported for the second time. * Of the five hunters, two were killed during the hunt. Of the three remaining, two of them ganged up on the third to divide the contribution points among themselves. And they were successful. Whew good job. You too. The hunters exchanged a fist bump clad in a red aura. Before them was a dead spearman. One of them commented This guy monopolized too much of the contribution points. The other hunter replied. How were we supposed to survive with him alive? The hunters tried to justify their action in their minds. But they got another idea. If he dies, I get everything. They had betrayed their allies for more points. There was no reason not to betray the last one remaining. Without a word, both of them moved away from each other at the same time. They looked into each others eyes and grinned. You thinking what Im thinking? You too? Alright, lets fight to see who gets all the points. Sounds good. The men picked up their sword and spears and faced off against each other. And finally they ran in to clash swords. Clang! Note: Some readers were asking why K had such a high contribution level when he said he didnt hunt normal mobs to those hunters. He actually did hunt. He hunted the 4 servants of the priest, he hunted many dark elves while gaining his HP MP back after killing the secret boss. And since both bosses were killed by him plus when he transferred the entire raid was not completed yet, there were still normal mobs so the moment he transfered till then he had the lions share of the contribution. Chapter 76 Chapter 76 C Dark Elven City (9) Once he was done transferring into the new realm for the second time this Raid, Sungjin quickly took a look around from the top of the Temple roof. He observed two individuals fighting in the distance. Hey, Kei Besgoro spoke first. I know, Im going. Sungjin gave a quick reply and made haste towards the hunters. He didnt know who was the troll yet, but he was going to protect the victim and eliminate the troll. But now that he got closer, he noticed that both of them were shrouded in red auras. Sungjin didnt understand what could have caused them to turn against each other, but it would be a great loss if they continued to clash weapons until one died. Hey, stop fighting Trying to stop them would probably be a waste of effort. As he ran, Sungjin chanted a spell alongside Besgoro. Discard your fangs and become a tame sheep! Polymorph! Discard your fangs and become a tame sheep! Polymorph! The same spell was cast simultaneously with two voices. The two trolls turned into sheep at the same time. Disarming his prey, Sungjin pulled out his two swords. He attacked the sheep closest to him. On being hit, the magic was undone. Who the fuck! There was no reason to say anything back. Sungjin moved to behead him. But he shouted a familiar activation word. Snake Eye He wore the same basilisks eye necklace that Sungjin wore around his neck. The closed eyelid opened up, and the snake eye stared at Sungjin petrifying him for a moment. Oh? Sungjin immediately followed up with Free Ark And freed himself from the spell, continuing his attack. The troll was shocked when he saw that his basilisks eye didnt work and tried to put up resistance, but he was no match for Sungjin. Blood Vengeance pierced his heart. Ugh He let out a short cry of agony before collapsing onto the floor. Sungjin turned around. The Spearman had come out of polymorph already and was alternating his glance between Sungjin and the troll. He probably didnt know what to do with the sudden appearance of an enemy. If both of them were able to work together they might have stood a chance. Sungjin shook his head at Besgoros comment. Probably not. The troll stuttered a few words out before coming to charge against Sungjin. The second troll also did his best to put up resistance against him, but ordinary hunters could only buy few seconds against Sungjin. Clang! Clang! Clang! Splat! Sungjin pulled the Moon Specter out of the Trolls chest. The troll kneeled over. Blagh He spewed blood from his lips. Good, good! Besgoro was enjoying the sight of blood. On the other hand, Sungjin was more preoccupied with picking up the items that had dropped. Like a housewife picking up ears of grains, Sungjin picked up the fallen items and put them away in the cubes. Operator, how much time passed since we came here? [7 minutes and 21 seconds.] Sungjin thought to himself Hmm I think I was rushing a little bit too much this time. He had reserved about 20 minutes per jump; a period of time he had decided on when he was still in the Tahrakhan Plateau. But that kind of allocation of time only made sense due to the fact that he was thinking in terms of the wide open area of the Plateau where searching for trolls would take a long time. It was only made worse by the fact that the Kill X number of mobs to summon Boss style raid caused the Hunters to scatter across a wide geographical area, making it time-consuming to search for Trolls. On this map, the Priestess Kerenis was always found on a single predetermined location at the highest and the most central point in the city, so finding trolls was extremely easy. I should start estimating the time based on the terrain of the raid. It wasnt like Sungjin had perfectly memorized every detail of every Raid, but he had beaten every raid boss with the exception of the one that killed him. He would be able to make a fairly good estimate on the time he would need per raid. Sungjin returned to the Temple; there was no place better suited for searching for trolls. Sungjin sat on the stairs as he inspected the items he had obtained this time. This is probably worth 4000 coins. This is probably 2000 no 1500 is better. Yeah, I cant even imagine anyone really wanting this thing. He was calculating the worth of the items he had obtained. Normally, he would pass through the Black market once, and when he returned to the Ninety Nine Nights, he wouldnt leave again for the night. But Sungjin planned to spend his day differently. Put items up for auction, eat dinner and wait for the Receipts to arrive, and head back out into the market again. He had heard that 7th circle and higher spell books were extremely expensive, almost impossible to buy with raid rewards alone. I also want to buy Star of the Nameless and since I collected two Enhancement stones time to go visit Smithy of Kargo. From experience, he had nowhere near the number of coins needed. Sungjin finished calculating the prices of the six items he had obtained through troll hunting and stood back up. Pursuit of Justice For the third and last time, he activated the dimensional teleportation. * Once he arrived at the third instance of the Temple, Sungjin wanted to step out and begin the search for the hunters, but then he heard battle ensue from within the temple. Sungjin entered deeper into the interior of temple when he saw Boom The troll Berserker landing a shot to the head of the Guard with a hammer. Pffk A direct hit on the head, the Guard died instantly spewing blood. Tsk Sungjin frowned. There was not even enough time to save the man. The only thing left for Sungjin to do was take revenge; to avenge his death. Sungjin snuck up behind the Berserker as the troll was taking a breather, and stabbed him in the back once he was in range. Squelch The strike would have the Assassin passive applied on it which he had obtained today. The ambushed Berserker died on the spot. Sungjin withdrew his sword. The interior of the temple was a mess. The corpse of the Raid boss, her four Guardians, and now the corpses of hunters also littered the ground. Sungjin who had long been around corpses of hunters felt no desire to stick around in such a place. He wanted to collect the fallen items and leave the place when Cough Within the Temple, Sungjin heard a sound from the other side of the pillar. He immediately headed towards the source of the sound. There lay a tall and pale westerner, Goliath. He was propped up against the pillar, bleeding out. He must have been gravely injured by the Berserker. Sungjin approached him. Hey, are you okay? How Cough cough He seemed to want to say something, but he stopped to cough up blood. His state seemed dire. Who are you Sungjin frowned as he answered Focus on the important things first. Do you have potions? The man barely answered. Idrank them all Now that he said it, Sungjin noticed the large amounts of empty potion bottles strewn about the ground. After staring at the man for a second, Sungjin took out a Medium Recovery Potion. The Medium Recovery potion healed up to 1000 HP; Sungjin whose HP exceeded 50,000 had no use for such a small potion. Go ahead and drink this for now. If your bleeding stops, you wont have to worry about dying at least. But the man shook his head. Im not bleeding out. Cough Sungjin took a closer look, and as the man had said, he was without a scratch. Then? I am afflicted by poison from the cursed Chalice Ah He was not taken out by the troll. As he was tanking the boss, he had fallen victim to Kereniss weapon. One of his legs was bloated containing a deep shade of purple. Dont you have any antidote? I had one, but I already used it earlier against the Anaconda. I didnt expect the Priestess to have her own poison attack Sungjin couldnt help but slap his forehead. If you are the main tank You should keep a minimum of two He wanted to say, but he stopped himself. There was no reason to lecture a dying man. Sungjin stared at him for a moment longer before saying Operator, get me the large Recovery Potion. He retrieved the large recovery potion he just received recently and handed it to the man. He looked at Sungjin for a moment ThThanks. He expressed his gratitude and then drank the potion. Large Potion heals 10,000 HP. With this, he would be able to hold on for few more minutes at least. Sungjin asked the man Hey go ahead and ask the operator. How much longer you have until the poisons duration ends. The man turned to the cube to ask the Operator Operator how much time is left on this poison? [Kereniss Lethal Toxin, 8 minutes 12 seconds remaining.] The man fell into despair. Its over. I calculated earlier 10,000 HP is lost every minute. I tried to hold on drinking every potion I carried with me, but I dont have As the name would suggest, Lethal Toxin was a dangerous poison. If he werent the tank, he wouldnt have been able to last this long. Sungjin frowned as well. Even if I hand over every potion I have ever received it still wouldnt be enough He had never bought a single potion; he did not need them. Especially once he got the Vampire Ring. The only things he carried with healing properties were the Large Recovery potion which he had already handed over, few medium potions and a handful of small potions. Although he could extend the mans life for a few more minutes, it was meaningless; his death was already set in stone. What should I do? But the man interrupted him. Thanks for trying, but I think this is the end for me. Sungjin couldnt just watch a man die before his eyes without doing anything. But theres nothing you can do. Besgoro said. Sungjin bit his lips. But a thought occurred to him. Wait He took out the Romance of the Three Kingdoms. He could use the active skill once a day, and it had not been used yet. Sungjin gingerly opened the book. If its blank this man will die and if not He thought as he opened the page. Luckily there was a text. Sungjin unhesitatingly read out the content. While Guan Yu was busy playing Go with Ma Liang, he began an incision on his skin, grafting out the part affected by poison. Medicine was applied on the wound, and the skin was sewed back together with thread. The man stared at Sungjin, curious as to why he had begun reading verses out of a book. Sungjin noticed his gaze but continued reading. Surgery complete, Guan Yu stood up laughing and said my arm feels as good as new, there is no pain. Doctor, you have the hands of a god, as he stretched his arms, moving them as he normally would. Once Sungjin finished reading the verses, the Book automatically closed itself. [Seance of Hua Tuo Activated!] [Passive skill Enhance White Magic(IV) applied] [Active skill Techniques of the God of Healing (I) available for instant cast] Hearing the name of the skill calmed him down. Whew Sungjin took a breather. The man continued to stare at him without a clue about what was happening. What What was that just now? Sungjin grinned. What do you think it is? Its a way to save you. Sungjin placed his hand on the bloated leg and said Techniques of the God of Healing A bright light burst forth from his hands. * Mister Hunter! Please take a look at my wares! Ive got new shipment! Sungjin made his way through the market with light-hearted steps. He had gained quite a lot from this raid: Items and coins from the raid reward Items to put on the auction house obtained through Troll Hunting. And finally a white coin he obtained from saving a dying man. Shopping is always joyful. If one is rich. Hmm~ hm~~ Sungjin hummed a tune as he strolled through the Market. Translators Notes: For those of you not aware of what Go is, it is a Chinese strategy game with complexity thats out of this world compared to Chess. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Go_(game) Read the article if you are interested. Now, note on the context of the Romance of the Three Kingdoms: This is perhaps one of the best known stories of Guan Yu and his ridiculous manliness. But on the other hand, it also features one of the most mystical figures in Romance of the Three Kingdoms; The miracle worker Hua Tuo. I know this story off the top of my head, having been obsessed with the three brothers (Liu Bei, Guan Yu, Zheng Fei) as a child. So heres the translated version of the text that Ive read as a child on the scene described in MHK. It was late in the war against Wei. Guan Yu is nearing the end of his life. The wars between Wu, Wei, and Shu became intensified as armies grew increasingly larger and better trained. Guan Yu was tasked with the protection of a large hotly contested region, and as usual, he personally participated in the battle. However, he was hit by a poisoned arrow and was forced to withdraw to recuperate. The poison quickly spread deep into his bone, and his condition worsened despite resting. Worried for his fathers life, his son calls for the legendary Doctor Hua Tuo. After Hua Tuo inspected the wound, he announced that the severity of the wound and the spreading of the poison demanded immediate medical attention. Hua Tuo requested that Guan Yus mouth be gagged, and also be tied to a sturdy pillar, with a minimum of four strong men to hold him down. Guan Yu asks shocked Why are such things necessary? To which Hua Tuo replies The procedure is extremely violent and painful; I will need to cut open the skin, remove the affected tissue and scrape away the poisoned surface of the bone. Only when all the poison has been removed can I apply medicine and sew close the wound. A man will go mad from pain and resist animalistically, making the procedure impossible without complete and thorough restraint. Guan Yu laughs. How can I call myself a man if I let myself be affected by a small cut? Worry not, Doctor. I shall cause you no trouble with the procedure. I will play Go with Ma Liang to pass the time so please be at ease and operate upon my arm. Guan Yu sat down in front of the Go board and began to play. Ma Liang couldnt help but watch nervously as he saw Hua Tuo begin cutting away and drawing blood. Guan Yu did not bat an eye. Undistracted by the surgery, he began winning against Ma Liang who in turn was very distracted by the disturbing sound of flesh and bone being scraped out of Guan Yus arms. Guan Yu laughed as he pointed out simple mistakes Ma Liang was making during their game. An hour passed and the scraping of the bone was complete. Hua Tuo applied medicine and took a needle, sewing thread into the skin of the arm, shutting it close. He tightly wrapped the bandage around Guan Yus arm, completing the procedure. Guan Yu continued to play on. Surgery is complete, sir Guan Yu Hua Tuo said, incredulous that Guan Yu would not notice that the vicious ordeal was over. Oh? I see that you are done. I say, my arm is as good as new! There is no pain! He said, moving his arms as if he really felt no pain. Your surgery skill is on par with the Gods of healing. Surgery is one thing, I have never met a man so tolerant of pain. Hua Tuo commented, bowing deeply. I have never met a man with so much valor. Indeed. I have lived and breathed on the battlefield as long as I have lived, and yet I have never felt as uncomfortable around a wound as I have felt today watching the surgery be performed before my eyes Ma Liang said, wiping away sweat and taking a breather. It is thanks to the god-like skill of the Doctor that I am able to do this Guan Yu said, as he used his newly operated arm to place the winning stone onto the board. Chapter 77 Chapter 77 C Black Market Eighth Shopping Starting bid 4000 and instant buyout at 4500 please. Auction House Time is Money Plan Sungjin was putting up the items he had obtained today for auction, handing them to the three pig brothers. Starting bid 1500, instant buyout at 2000 for this one. Understood, Mister Hunter. One item from Raid Reward, and six items from the Troll Hunt; Seven items in total were put up for auction before he returned to Ninety Nine Nights. Cain greeted Sungjin with tail wags. Woof Woof! Sungjin wanted to pet Cain by kneeling as usual. But Cains head was within reach without having to bend over. Sungjin was amazed. When I first got him, he was shorter than my knee Cain was growing with each passing chapter. Sungjin said after placing his hand on top of his head If you keep growing like this, youll be taller than me at some point At his words, Woof! Cain barked some more. As he grew taller, his voice also grew deeper. When he was smaller his barks were on the cute side, but now it sounded sturdy and dependable. Now that he took the time to take a closer look at Cain, Cain was starting to exude a mystical aura like that of his mother (or perhaps Grandmother) Ahenna. Good. Grow and become stronger Cain. That makes me happy. While Sungjin was exchanging greetings with Cain, Brrr The sound of a horse could be heard coming from the stable as if Shadowrun was appealing for attention. He couldnt call Shadowrun due to not having any opportunity within the Dark Elven City, so his mount remained neglected. Hey Kei, can you place me on top of Shadowrun? I have to talk to him about something. I know you are a ghost, but how can you communicate with a horse? Besgoro answered Long time comrades of the battlefield can understand each other without words. Like you and that wolf. It was somewhat a plausible explanation. Sungjin walked up to Shadowrun to do as he asked. Cain who was following closely behind Grr! Growled threateningly; he still seemed to dislike Shadowrun. Sungjin took Besgoro off of his head and placed it on top of the saddle of the horse. Leaving it was no problem because there was no one around to take it away or steal it. Despite Ninety Nine Nights being an inn, it was reserved solely for Sungjins use. Well, to be more accurate, the entirety of the Black Market was created for the sole purpose of Sungjins use. If he were to leave a coin on the market grounds, the same coin would remain there indefinitely day after day undisturbed. That is, if the hunter who put it there leaves it alone. Sungjin returned to the interior of the Ninety Nine Nights along with Cain. Inside Welcome back, Master. The Genie Soldamyr Good work today, sir. And Innkeeper Dalupin awaited him. Sungjin replied to their greetings and took a seat at the table. Should I prepare a meal? Sungjin nodded. Yes, please do. He had many things to do tonight after dinner. Is there something you would like to order? What should I pick? Sungjin tapped on the table trying to remember the past. One menu finally popped into his head. Chicken. Korean style. Half of them fried, other dipped in sauce. 500cc glass of beer. Get Cain a fried chicken. Understood, Right away. Dalupin left for the kitchen. Sungjin beckoned Soldamyr. Soldamyr, please come closer. Yes Master I put up seven items up for auction today. I dont know how many of them would sell today, but I think we can expect about 30,000 coins. Soldamyr couldnt help but show surprise at Sungjins words. What an amazing amount of earnings. And on top of that, theres 10,000 coins from the Raid Reward as well so expect about 40,000 coins to be available later today. Once we finish dinner and get the receipts, lets head back out into the market and buy a 7th class or higher spell book from a shop. Understood, Master. Not long after, Dalupin reemerged from the kitchen with freshly fried chicken and a glass full of cold beer. Sungjin first picked up the fried chicken and took a bite. The crispy skin of the chicken gave way to the soft juicy meat hidden within. The juices which oozed out of the meat was still hot. Sungjin reached over and took a swig of his beer. Ahh~ Sungjin wiped away the foam from his lips and took another bite out of the chicken. * Bang! Sungjin put down the glass of beer. It was his third cup. He had emptied the cup to the point where no foam remained. The drinks were just as good as the food served in Ninty Nine Nights. He wanted to drink more, but if he took any more than now, it would affect his reason for shopping and perhaps even affect his ability to fight tomorrow. From experience, three glasses of beer was his safe limit. Sungjin expressed his gratitude to Dalupin. I ate really really well Dalupin. Dalupin bowed. He probably would have known without Sungjin saying anything, judging from the fact that the fried chicken was reduced to clean bones. Within the raids, Dalupins care and cooking were one of the few sources of comfort. Sungjin exited the inn while rubbing his full stomach. The sun was setting in the distance dyeing the sky orange. The Auction house operated until sundown; afterwards the receipts for the day would arrive. Sungjin sat on the rocking chair situated on the outside of the inn and watched the sun go down while he waited for his food to digest. Once the sun finally set below the horizon Ring ring A delivery boy appeared out of nowhere, riding a bicycle. Upper body of a pigeon, lower body of a human; a pigeon demihuman. Dalupin came out of the inn to accept the deliveries. All of it were for Sungjin; no wonder since Sungjin was the only customer in the entire market. Dalupin thanked the delivery boy. Thank you for your work. The pigeon delivery boy completed the transfer of parcel and then Ring Ring Got back on the bicycle and returned to the darkness. Sungjin wordlessly held his hands out towards Dalupin. He handed over everything he had received. There were six receipts. Out of nine total items put up for auction including two from before and seven from this time, six out of nine were sold today. Sungjin read through them. Receipt C 4700 Black Coins. The item Helm of Fire resistance which you had put on auction was sold for a total of Sungjin only briefly scanned the first receipt. For the rest, he only checked the amounts. 1500 3700 4100 While he was checking his receipts Hmm? The last receipt caught his eye. 12,000 Receipt C 12000 Black Coins The item Armantine C Spear of Paralysis which you had put on auction was sold for a total of 12,000 Coins to the God of Spears. Place the receipt into the cube to instantly redeem the amount. There were two points of surprise in this receipt. First, someone spent 12,000 coins in one go. The next was the fact that they obtained the title of God. God of Spears Sungjin knew just one person from the previous life who managed to obtain that title. One of the final 10 members. Ryushin He utilized Ancient Chinese Spear techniques and most certainly reached a God like level of skill. Obtaining God tier title was difficult otherwise. I guess he managed to survive until now as well. If his skill was anything like in the previous life, it was no surprise that he would have survived until now. Except for an extremely unlikely and excruciating situation, like if all four others turned against him to try and kill him, he would have had no trouble surviving. Of course, all 10 of the final members were all within that level of skill. Sungjin reminisced about him for a moment. Hey, Sungjin. Dont you think as God of Spears and God of Swords, we should find out once and for all whos better? His skill was undeniably great. But along with his skill came an incredibly high pride in his ability. With pride came ego and excessive competitive spirit. If anyone managed to get higher contribution point than him, he would be unable to contain himself and explode. You fucking retarded Operator, how the fuck did I get so little? This side of him made him difficult to deal with. If I ignore that side he was a good guy maybe we will see each other again. After five chapters, that is to say, after Kutan Desert the number of survivors numbered at 600,000. Since then, three more chapters have passed. Although Sungjin had no idea of the exact number, the amount should have significantly decreased by now. It was about time for Sungjin to start running into at least one of the previous final members. Especially since Sungjin had Trollseeker Marble which allowed him to take a look at many times more hunters per round, so chances of running into them had increased. Sungjin took a moment to think about them again. Araujo, Ryushin, Nada, Umkhuba, Ilich, Hildebrandt, Shunsuke, Mustafa, and Edward. Through the many hunts they shared, Sungjin had seen their personalities, even the worst parts of them which were revealed in moments of crisis. They were all individuals of incredible skill and talent, but not all of them had a stellar character. Sungjin had divided them into groups worthy of Baptism and those unworthy. The most desirable is Probably Nada. And the least desirable is Sungjin was interrupted. [Attention Please.] [Spellmaster has succeeded in completing the Unique Legendary omnibus Edda C Norse Mythology] [All other copies will be destroyed, and the owners will be refunded by 500 coins.] Sungjin stared at the cube. Spellmaster There was only one person who could have possibly earned that title. The person he wanted least to baptise. Edward. Sungjin stood up as if he sat on lava. He didnt have time to waste; he had to get stronger. He had to get strong enough to the point where he could take on all 9 of the previous final 10 and win alone. Sungjin shoved the stack of receipts into the cube. [27500 Black Coins obtained.] Sungjin verified the amount and said loudly Soldamyr Calling over his loyal Genie. Sungjin had called for him in an uncharacteristic tone, and Soldamyr hurriedly emerged from the inn looking a little shocked. You called? Lets go. To buy the spellbook. His masters expression was grim. Soldamyr lowered his head lower than usual and said respectfully Yes Master Before heading out to the Market, Sungjin stopped by the Stables. Besgoro was still on top of Shadowrun. They should have had enough time to speak. Sungjin picked him up and said Equip And put Besgoro back on top of his head. He could see clearly in the dark once more. Sungjin said to him Mister Besgoro, if you have anything to say, please tell me. Since you and I share the same spell list. Got it. Seeing his owner prepare to head somewhere Woof! Cain followed closely behind. Sungjin left with Cain and Soldamyr towards the darkened market. This was the first time he was heading towards the market after sundown, with the exception of heading to Darker than Black at four thirty. Chapter 78 Chapter 78 C Black Market Eighth Shopping (2) Sungjin and his three comrades strolled into the Black Market in the dark. Unlike its name, the market was bright despite the night. Sungjin passed the center of the market and the auction house towards the west, where the spell books were piled up into a large mound in shops. There were five such shops. Five colors Blue Red Green White and Black schools of magic each had their own stands and vendors. The vendors were all half human half dragons, only the color of their scales was different. Sungjin first walked up to the stall run by the blue colored dragonkin. In the previous chapter of Tahrakhan Plateau, Sungjin had earned the title of Blue Mage. If the mana costs were the same, picking the school of magic with the most bonus was a no brainer. [The Blue Magic Shop Blue Hole is run by Merchant Lochness*.] [This shop sells various kinds of Blue Magic Spellbooks.] Once Sungjin entered the shop, the Blue Dragonkin greeted him. Welcome. Pray, what does thee seeketh? I just want to look around for now. Like his color would suggest, the Blue Dragonkin had a cool and calm personality. Do as you please. Sungjin walked up to the spellbooks. Soldamyr began his explanations. Blue Magic focuses on illusions and transformations. But it also covers Ice and Lightning magic, so it has plenty of destructive power. Sungjin checked the book covers. The names of the spells were written on the front. The Ice Shield he had seen before, to Ice Bolt, Blizzard Storm, Confusion. Flight, etc. A dozen or so spellbooks were on the table. Anything youd recommend? The only ones I could recommend to my master would be this and this. Soldamyr picked out two volumes and handed them to Sungjin. One was Teleport, and the other was the Mana Shield. Sungjin was planning on picking them up and reading the information sheet But even before he could, Soldamyr already began explanation for his choices. Teleport is a spell that moves you to the location you can see with your eyes. It is 6th class magic. Since it moves you to where you want to be moved in the distance, it would be a great asset in reducing the amount of time necessary to move about. Location I can see? You mean I could go anywhere? So if its like that Desert or Tahrakhan Plateau where there are no major obstacles, I could potentially go anywhere on the map at will? Ah of course it uses more mana the further you are trying to go. If you do not have enough mana, youll stop somewhere along the way. Hmm I understand. Sungjin picked up the Mana Shield. He was well aware what this spell did because many mages in the late game used it. Soldamyr began his explanation anyway. 7th class magic which substitutes damage taken with MP instead of HP But I almost never get hit at all I understand. However in the future Since you have a sword that absorbs mana per hit I thought that it synergizes well with you, is all. Sword that absorbs mana probably referred to Moon Specter. He was right. Although he didnt need it any time soon, keeping it in mind was probably a good idea. Taking one more look at the books, Sungjin picked them up and asked the Dragon Kin. How much are these two together? Teleport is 6300 Coins, and Mana Shield is 11200. Oh He had known that high tier spell books were expensive, but it was much more expensive than he had thought. No matter how affluent he got, he felt that he should check out his options before buying any. Sungjin placed them back down for now. Ill go check out the other shops first before I decide. By all means. The next shop was run by a Red Dragonkin. [The Red Magic Shop Red Burn is run by Merchant Cahal.] [This shop sells various kinds of Red Magic Spellbooks.] Hiya Human! The Dragonkin must have personalities matching the color of their scales, Sungjin thought. No need to check other shops! Red magic is the best! This shop owner was quite motivated. Soldamyr whispered to Sungjin Red Magic is the most destructive school of magic, focused on the offense. For recommendations Soldamyr went and picked up Inferno and Volcano. Just reading the name gave Sungjin clues on what they did. Soldamyr gave explanations on them. Inferno spreads out in a straight line and deals damage over time, whereas Volcano is able to deal damage on a far larger scale. Hmm I see. Sungjin nodded and checked out the other books. Then a particularly fancy book caught his eye. The entire book seemed to be shimmering in intense heat, and the title read Meteor Strike This is? At his question, Ah that Soldamyr hesitated. But then he was interrupted. Thats the best spell there is! The Red Dragon answered on his behalf. That spell summons a giant meteor which is capable of destroying everything if you have that spell, you can instantly wipe out all your foes in a split second! Soldamyr added onto its explanation. Yes, it is a very high impact spell if you are able to utilize it properly, you could probably do significant damage to all enemies in the map from the start. But it is a 9th class spell Master, you will not be able to use it at your current state, and the price will be unbelievably high. Sungjin didnt hesitate to ask How much is it? 137540 Coins Sungjin tilted his head when he heard the amount. What? The Red Dragon let out steam from the nose as it answered I said its 137540 Coins. And as always, the price is non-negotiable. An item past 100,000 Coins in cost. It was the first hes ever heard of it. Sungjin couldnt help but be surprised, so Soldamyr added Spell Books always increase in cost as it moves up the tier list. By 9th class magic, it is a country scale spell so the price is something that cant help but be very high. Price being high was fine and all, but 120,000 was too over the top. Even for Sungjin who managed to sell up to seven items in the auction house after one raid would need to save up coins for 3~4 raids to be able to afford it. Ok Next shop What?! youre not buying? Sungjin left behind the Red Dragon and entered the next shop. It was the White Magic Shop kept by a White Dragon. The place Sungjin had originally intended to come from the start. [The White Magic Shop White Sky is run by Merchant Marses.] [This shop sells various kinds of White Magic Spellbooks.] The White Dragon looked graceful. What do you seek, Hunter? Take your time searching. His voice was low and dignified. Sungjin first headed towards the invisibility magic. He did not have to search very far. Lifting it up, he asked What class is this? After hearing that spells could go as much as hundreds of thousands of coins, he wanted to verify its price first. It is 5th class It wouldnt be very expensive. Sungjin kept the book and checked other spell books as well. I do want a recovery type magic as well Even though Sungjin wouldnt need it, he wouldnt know when it might be handy to have it around, like in the case of the previous round. And he wouldnt be able to call forth the Seance of Hua Tuo each and every time. Even if the effects werent as impressive, having few recovery magic would be for the better. Soldamyr picked one and handed it to Sungjin. It was the most famous recovery magic of all: Heal. Sungjin accepted it as he asked What class? 3rd Class. The barrier to entry is not very high, but the effect depends on the Magic Power, so those without high Magic Power cant use it effectively. Hmm, youre right. Sungjin nodded and continued to check other items. Is there anything I can use to undo status effects? Take this one as well. Soldamyr handed a second book to Sungjin called Purify. Purify is a spell used to heal status effects. It can remove curses, confusion, charm, and blind. What about poisons? You can get that over there Soldamyr pointed towards the green colored shop. Ok, I need all of these, how much are these three together? 7520 Coins, Sir Hunter 7520 Coins, in other words, price of a cheap Legendary Item. Operator, checkout The cube moved to finalize the sale. Sungjin said to the White Dragonkin Please send it directly to the Cube. Understood While the Operators Cube was paying and transferring items, Sungjin noticed another fancy covered spellbook. The book displayed the name Resurrection. Sungjin picked it up. Revival is possible? It was an amazing ability approaching the realm of God. Sungjin intentionally called forth the information screen this time. Spellbook C Resurrection 9th Class White Magic Revive one deceased creature. Only usable within 3 minutes of death. Soldamyr spoke from the side. Possibleyes. But in order to make use of it, you need a much higher Magic Power. With your current level of magic power, it wont even activate. My Magic Power? Whenever he used Fireball or Chain Lightning, he noticed improvements in power as his stats rose, but he never thought too deeply about the actual value of Magic Power he had aside from the ratio of how he invested his stat points. Sungjin asked the Operator Operator, whats my current level of Magic Power? [3119, 3587 after bonuses are applied.] Sungjin turned his head to ask Soldamyr. How much more do I need? Soldamyr tilted his head. Truth be told, I do not know this numeric system of measuring Magic Power so I do not know for sure But from my observations of your spell power, I would estimate that it should be somewhere close to 20,000. 20,000 Magic power. His highest stat was Dex, and it was only at 9000. He would have to raise his Magic power for a long time still. 9th class magic are originally classification of spells that rival the power of God. Your Magic Power is rising quicklybut you cant help it that it is not immediately available. Also Sungjin could guess what he wanted to say next. Because its a 9th class Magic It would require an absurd amount of Coins. Sungjin held the Resurrection and asked the White Dragon. How much is this? 141857 Coins. Cough Sungjin let out a false cough hearing the price. It was even more expensive than Meteor Strike. Ah, understood. Sungjin headed to the Green Magic Shop next. But on the way, he had a question. Hey so whats the 9th class spell for Blue Magic? Soldamyr stared at Sungjin for a moment before answering. To tell you the truth Its the spell I was developing for the past few hundred years within my lamp What is it? At Sungjins insistence, he finally answered. It is Time Reversal Magic Hmm? As you might imagine, its magic used to go back in time. But I mean Sungjin did not listen to Soldamyr all the way before entering the shop. He immediately asked the owner Do you sell Time Reversal Magic here? The Blue Dragonkin couldnt help but open his eyes wide at his question. And after searching through a pile of books, he took out a fancy and well-decorated book and handed it to Sungjin. As expected, the book had Time Reversal printed on the front. Sungjin looked behind him towards Soldamyr and asked Go back? In time? How far? Chapter 79 Chapter 79 C Black Market Eighth Shopping (3) Sungjin asked holding up the spellbook If I use this and go back in time my memory remains intact? Yes, of course. If I reverse time, how many seconds can it go back? That depends on the Magic Power. As he listened to Soldamyr, Sungjin felt If I want to master magic as well, Im going to need more stat points. The effectiveness of a spell is proportional to Magic Power. And in order to properly utilize it, he also needed a fairly high value of Mind Power which affects MP. Sungjin originally wanted to continue using swordsmanship as his primary source of damage and use magic on the side as a backup support utility. But the more he found out about what magic was capable of, the more he wanted it. According to my research, Magic Power affects the rate in which you go back in time, and Mind Power affects the duration of time reversal. With Masters current level of Magic and Mind power, draining your entire pool would result in some fraction of a second of time reversal. Of course, such a small reversal of time would prove to be useless. Sungjin asked while holding the book up. How much is this? The Blue Dragonkin skipped straight to the price. 162414 It was a monstrous sum. But considering its effects, it was a reasonable amount. In a fight against a master, being able to go back in time for even a few seconds would be a significant advantage. And Even omitting combat usefulness, he could think of a few other utility for it. Sungjin put down the book for now. I am glad that I came. Even though he was unable to afford the spells he wanted for now, these spells would be immensely useful in the future. Sungjin headed to the Green Magic shop next. Welcome. Is there something in particular you are looking for? The Green Dragonkin was soft-spoken and polite. I am looking for magic to nullify poison. Ah, we have that here. The Green Dragonkin searched for and handed Sungjin a Spellbook. Neutralization. It was a type of purification magic. Soldamyr added an explanation from the side. The potency of the purification is affected by Magic Power level. The type and severity of poisons and toxins it can counteract grows with Magic Power. How much is this? It is 3570 Black Coins Hmm Check out. Please. Once Sungjin was done buying the spell he wanted, he asked Do you sell 9th class magic here? Of course As if he was prepared to hand it over at any time, the Green Dragonkin pulled a book out of a stack and handed the fancy well-decorated book to Sungjin. The book title read Force of Nature It was difficult to tell what this spell does with only the name. Sungjin accepted the book and glanced over to Soldamyr. He quickly understood what his Master wanted and began an explanation. This magic turns the very environment into a friendly state. The explanation was a little lacking. When Sungjin made a face, the Green Dragonkin further gave an explanation. Force of nature; It is a spell that makes all animals, plants, and even the unseeable amoeba in the area wish to be helpful to you. For destruction or reconstruction, whatever you wish. It was a more detailed explanation than before, but he probably needed to use it first hand to fully understand what it does. Sungjin put down the book for now. Thank you for explaining it to me. The last place Sungjin went to visit was the Black Magic shop kept by a Black Dragonkin. The Black Dragonkin saw Sungjin enter the store, but he looked annoyed. Huh? If you want something, get it and get out. How unsociable Sungjin checked a few things in the shop. It was a shop full of curse type magic like Rise of the Undead Age Confusion Slow. Sungjin asked Soldamyr. Any recommendations? From here something like this would be good. Soldamyr handed Sungjin a spellbook of Anti Magic Shield. It is a spell which can be prepared ahead of time to block a single incoming spell. A type of magic counter so to speak. Other schools of magic have a similar spell, but none are as versatile or effective as this. It sounded useful. Especially considering what happened before. Sungjin immediately decided to buy it. How much is this? The Black Dragonkin answered uncaringly. 6050 Coins. It was quite expensive. But Sungjin still wanted the spell. He took a moment to check his funds. Operator, how many Black coins do I have left? [30358 Coins remaining] He still had a large sum remaining, but he needed to save money for spending it at Darker than Black. Star of the Nameless is one thing I wanted to get one or two more marbles Sungjin began calculating in his head. Lets see Teleport was 6300 if I get them both 12350 Coins then I wouldnt have enough for the Star He would have to choose between the two spells. Sungjin deliberated on his choice before finally making up his mind. Since I already have invisibility I can forgo the teleport for now. I want to buy this please. He purchased the Anti Magic Shield spellbook. He didnt need Soldamyr to tell him that he would need strong Magic Power to stop powerful magic. After buying the spell he needed, he searched for the 9th Class Magic Spell again and found it. The 9th class magic spell was called Summon Black Hole. Even the name was terrifying. Soldamyr gave an explanation to Sungjin. It is not a well-known spell. The Red Magic spell Meteor Strike causes only physical damagebut Summon Black Hole it causes damage across the dimensions or so it is said. Hmm ok. Sungjin couldnt really tell how it worked. Black holes were a difficult concept to grasp to begin with. Once Sungjin was done taking a tour of the Magic Shops, he ended his shopping. In the end, Sungjin bought five spells; Heal, Invisibility, Purify, Neutralize, and Anti Magic Shield. After taking a look at the spells he purchased, Sungjin realized that they were all supportive magic befitting a magic swordsman rather than a true mage. Since he was a swordsman to begin with, it couldnt be helped. Later once I have higher stats I should be able to use those spells. Sungjin left the market and reentered Ninety Nine Nights. He memorized all the spells he obtained and went to bed as early as he could. He still had business to attend to in Darker Than Black. * Welcome The merchant in Darker than Black welcomed Sungjin with wide open arms. So how goes the hunt? So so. Sungjin answered indifferently as he sat down in front of the merchant. I have a question for you. Ask anything. Sungjin took out the Romance of the Three Kingdoms out of his vest and placed it on top of the table. About this The man picked up the book and commented Ah, this thing Its quite fun. Ive read it at least 10 times I think Its a great item but there are moments when it is difficult to read it. Any solutions? Ahwell if you think so The man pulled out something from his pocket. It was a luxurious looking gold framed Monocle. Gourmets old monocle. It reads the book on your behalf. Gourmet. It was a familiar name. Sungjin searched his memories for a moment before responding. Gourmet? The bookshop owner Gourmet? Yes. It is the monocle Gourmet used to wear. Sungjin picked it up to check the Operators information screen. Gourmets Monocle Heroic Accessory Active Skill Substitute Reading (I) Reads the book on behalf of the user. Gourmets Monocle. He initially had only one bad eye, but through years of intense reading, sight in both eyes went bad. This is worth 15,000 Black Coins. Will you buy it? Sungjin stared at the item. He had 24308 coins remaining. He wanted to buy this as well as the Star of the Nameless. But instead of those Just give me two more Trollseeker Marbles. He chose to buy more marbles instead. Judging from the previous rounds, he had plenty of time left over. Instead of buying items that he wouldnt immediately need, it made more sense to invest in increasing his income. Sungjin took out the three marbles from his pocket. And recharge these. Total is 23,000 Coins. Check out. Now Sungjin had a total of 5 marbles. Now I should be able to get almost 4~50,000 coins per raid. That was Sungjins thoughts. Since he purchased spells he needed this time, he could buy the items after the next raid. Sungjin pulled out the White Coin next. And with this The man was surprised each time Sungjin brought the White Coin. Where did you get THIS one? A long story. Anyway, you said theres nothing else other than the holy water that I could be buying with just one coin right? Right. Sungjin thought for a moment. Rather than save up White coins, it would be more beneficial to buy and carry a second Holy water of Baptism, since he was expecting to enter 6 realms per chapter. What if he ran into two hunters he really liked? Then give me another one. Sungjin flicked the coin over to the man with his thumb, and the man snatched it out of the air. Once he put it away into his vest, he pulled out another vial of Holy Water of Baptism. Sungjin also placed this into the cube. He stood up from his seat. It was good doing business with you as always. Yeah. Sungjin wanted to leave right away. No matter how often he came here he couldnt get used to it. But on his way out before he reached the stairs, he suddenly thought of a question. Sungjin stopped and turned around to re-enter the shop to ask the man. Hey, I no longer have a problem with making money thanks to the 5 marbles I have purchased but My stat points arent keeping up. So, is there any way to dramatically increase my stat points? The man grinned at Sungjins question. I have thus said; He who seeks questions get answers and he who seeks answers find questions. I believe you have finally gotten used to how this shop works. The man pulled out a small triangular vial about the same size as the Holy Water of Baptism from within his vest. It was filled with Black Liquid. Its an elixir. The moment you drink it, it raises the total amount of unallocated stat points you have. Sungjin stared at the vial of black liquid before asking So, how much? * In the early morning when Sungjin arrived at the Ninety Nine Nights, he headed back to bed. But he couldnt sleep. 9th circle spellsand the elixir There was a lot on his mind. After spending 20 minutes rolling about the bed and staring up at the ceiling, Sungjin got up from the bed. He picked up the Information sheet left behind by Dalupin. Sungjin carried that downstairs to the lobby, but he was also not feeling very hungry. He said to Dalupin One vine of grapes and two oranges please. After ordering two different fruits, Sungjin began to read the content of the information page. Information concerning Magicians Ivory Tower Chapter 80 Chapter 80 C Magicians Ivory Tower (1) Sungjin peeled the orange four ways. Past the peel was the succulent looking meat of the fruit. Sungjin ate the orange with one hand as he continued to read the information page. Chapter 9 C Magicians Ivory Tower Raid Objective C Hunt the Mad Magician Lenin Time limit: 1 hour 30 minutes What caught his eye was the part where it said Chapter 9. Ah so were already at this point The reason why Sungjin was acting this way was because of the 10th chapter, the Red Dragons Lair. From that point onward, the raid format would change from 5 man teams to 10 man teams. And the Raid boss Red Dragon Kal Ghal was stronger by over two times than previous Raid bosses. Being unable to work in groups of 10 would inevitably lead to casualties. And the boss was strong enough that Sungjin had no assurance he could overcome it on his own. I need to better prepare myself for the next raid Sungjin put down the information sheet after wrapping up his thoughts. He moved onto final preparations for the raid. Operator put 2500 points in strength, 2500 in Dexterity, 1000 in Stamina, 1000 in Magic power and 2009 in Mind power. Sungjin initially wanted to try raising Magic power by a large amount to enable the use of 9th class magic as soon as possible, but taking that route could lead to weakening his overall power. As he experienced thoroughly during the fight with the Exiled Dark Elf Calian, neglecting to raise Strength and Dex could lead to instant death against bosses. But if I follow that kind of logic, I should be keeping Master Hunter activated at all times But for now, he was in no position to take away the Adjudicator, since doing so would effectively cut his income by half. He once again vowed to purchase the Star of the Nameless after this raid. Sungjin took a moment to recall his memory of this raids Hidden Element. Yeah I remember where it was Since he knew where the hidden element was, he would only need to use one round of Treasure Hunter Active skill to find the hidden boss. From this point onward, Sungjin knew one or more hidden elements of each chapter. This was due to the fact that past this point in the raids, the other hunters had become aware of them and In that chapter, it was hidden there Gossiped about where the previous raids hidden elements were found. Completing his preparations, Sungjin peeled the last orange and ate it. But meanwhile [Rajen C Egg of Gold has trembled twice.] The Operator gave an announcement. Oh right He had forgotten again. Operator, give me that for a sec. The cube ejected the golden egg, and Sungjin inspected it. Rajenta C Golden Egg Legendary Egg Passive Skill Primordial Tremor (III) C Tremble three times in one day The bird strives to leave the egg. The egg is the world. To be born, one must destroy ones world. Whats this? It changed again. Sungjin thought to himself. Suddenly the egg shook. Tremble Sungjin held onto the egg tightly to prevent himself from dropping it. And then the egg shook a second time. Tremble And then a third Tremble And at the same time Crack The egg burst open, and he could see an eye from within. Sungjin stared at the eye beneath the eggshell. There was a slimy eagle chick blinking within. The Operator gave an announcement. [Congratulations. The Legendary Item Rajenta C Golden wing Obtained.] Sungjin carefully placed the egg on top of the table. The eagle broke open its egg and climbed out. And finally, Sungjin realized that the creature was no eagle. It had the eagles head, but with the lions body. Besgoro was first to speak. Its a Griffin. That was the case. Rajenta was a Griffin The wings were golden in color, so a Golden Griffin. Besgoro gave a suitable title to the creature. The color of the wing suggests a rare breed, so Id guess it is a Royal Griffin. It must be of a noble birth. Soldamyr who stood at the side also commented. Oh, it is a Royal Griffin. This breed of Griffins is born with a stronger resistance to magic than any other breeds. Cain was wordlessly staring at the baby Griffin with his ears pointing straight up. With everyone watching, Sungjin picked up the Baby Griffin. The Griffin was a little large considering it was just born. Estimating its size, it looked to be about 60 cms. Rawr! It let out an adorable cry. And at the same time, a 10 to 1 miniature version of the golden egg appeared in Sungjins hands. It was probably similar to Cains Wooden figurine for summoning purposes. Sungjin looked back and forth between the egg and the newborn Griffin. The Griffin stared at Sungjin with big round eyes. Species of birds imprint with the first being they see when they are born, considering the being to be their parents Since the Griffin had the upper body of a bird and lower body of an animal, Sungjin wasnt sure if it was considered avian or mammal. But whichever the case it was, it was clear that Sungjin ought to raise it. Operator, how much time is left? [Raid will begin 1 hour and 32 minutes from now] Sungjin took a glance at Dalupin. Dalupin was watching the scene from afar. Dalupin, please take care of this child while I am away. Dalupin gave a bow. Understood, Sir Hunter. Meanwhile Rawr! The baby Griffin sat on top of Sungjins hands and gave another adorable cry. Its cuteness level knew no bounds. Sungjin spent the remaining time playing with the baby Griffin and was finally teleported away to the Magicians Ivory Tower. * The town was in flames. The burnt wooden structures collapsed and choking ash filled the air. Kyaa! A scream could be heard in the distance. It was the scene of hell. At the center stood a lone and pale ivory tower. The Operator gave an introduction. [Welcome. This is the Magicians Ivory Tower.] [It is the place where the Magician Lenin, the one who burnt the town, lives.] [Please be warned: The mad magician is not the only one who lives here.] [His dangerous experimental Homunculus also roams the tower.] As soon as the Operator was done, HAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Burn! BURN! A silhouette of a mage throwing fireball after fireball into the town from the sky could be seen. This was the Mad Magician Lenin. His magical attacks burnt all the remaining structures in the town. After exhausting the targets in the town, the Mage flew back to the top of his tower and disappeared. Sungjin had a thought Wait If I could fly up there, couldnt I just go straight to the boss? Unlike the Count Dimitris castle ruins, this raid had more freedom. If he could fly like the Mad Magician, it looked possible to skip to the end. Sungjin now had a total of 5 Trollseeker marbles. In order to use all 5 of them, he needed a minimum of 50 minutes. In other words, he had to complete all the parts of the quest within 40 minutes. He had to find a shortcut. As Sungjin was watching the top of the tower, the other hunters arrived. [Synchronizing other Hunters.] The summoned hunters had the following titles: Mountain, Hoplite. Highlander, Green Magician. It was now difficult to see any ordinary titles; only the best remained alive. Greetings. Lets work together Everyone was familiar with the Raids. And among them, the Green Magician raised his hands and Anyone found hidden pieces or bosses? He asked the group. The Hoplite and Highlander raised their hands. Sungjin watched for a moment and raised his hands as well. It appeared that only the Mountain was still unaware of the existence of hidden pieces and bosses. Whats that? So the hidden elements are The Green Magician took the time to explain to him what it was about. While watching the interaction, Sungjin had a thought. Looks like its about time I started looking seriously for my real comrades. I didnt know that The Mountain looked visibly upset due to having missed all those opportunities, but the Highlander offered words of consolation. Dont be so disappointed. Hidden pieces are a pain to find, and Hidden bosses are not only well hidden they are extremely difficult to kill. Ive only managed to kill one so far. Hoplite asks Which one did you get? Me? The Wolfman in Chapter 2. But I havent seen any ever since. Really? There was something like that in Chapter 2? I killed the Gravekeeper in Chapter 3. Green Magician jumps in the conversation. I met the Gravekeeper too, but two of my teammates got turned into undead so I had to keep running away until the time-over. I found an exiled dark elf or something last chapter. But after we found him the tank died in 3 seconds The hunters continued to converse among themselves as Sungjin watched silently. The Green Magician asked Sungjin So which one did you find? All of them He couldnt answer like that. Not to mention they would not believe him. Sungjin pondered his answer for a moment before responding Well isnt it more important to consider what were going to do this raid? At his words, the conversation finally returned to the strategy for this raid. So the overall formation should be Mountain in the front, followed by Highlander and the Adjudicator, then Hoplite with the Green Magician in the rear. Green Magician what kind of magic can you use? I can use healing magic called Regeneration, Suns Aura, a spell that reduces damage taken While the four men were earnestly discussing the plans for this raid, Sungjin continued to stare off into the distance at the Magicians Tower. The top of the tower did not end in a point, but on a flat landing. The Raid Boss Mad Magician Lenin awaited the hunters at the top level on the 10th floor. Originally, the hunters had to fight through each of the floors to reach the boss. But it looked like it should be possible to take the Magic Carpet all the way up to the top floor and skip right to the end. If so, I could finish the raid by myself. Otherwise, Id have to go along with these guys Meanwhile, the hunters were wrapping up the talk. Ok lets do this. Glad to be working with you. Alright, good luck everyone. This party seemed to be going in the right direction. At least on the surface. [Raid will begin in 10 seconds. 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, 0] The raid began, and the door to the 1st floor of the tower opened up. Lets go. Mountain declared, but Sungjin stopped them. Wait a minute. Sungjin took out the carpet from the Cube Flight. He flew up the side of the tower alone. Hey Wait! Other hunters were staring up at Sungjin. Despite feeling the hot stare on the back of his head, Sungjin continued to climb the tower alone. At the top was a beheaded corpse of a lion. What is this? Sungjin thought as he landed on the top floor of the Tower. When he moved closer, he saw a magic circle drawn underneath the corpse. Like the name would suggest, truly the act of a Mad Magician. Sungjin ignored the corpse and looked around for a stairway down. The way was open. If he were to enter through there, he would likely face the boss right away. Sungjin rode the carpet back down towards the ground and about half way down, he addressed the rest of the hunters. You guys cooperate and make your way up the tower as fast as you can. Ill give you guys a reward if you do. What?! Everyone was shocked. Sungjin had become used to that reaction. I am going to start at the top and make my way down. Then, until we meet again. Sungjin bid them goodbye for now and headed back to the top, towards the stairway. Note: The egg had the name Ra when it was first introduced to us. That time it trembled once a day. After trembling its name then changed to Rajen after whichit trembled twice a day. And finally, on trembling its name changed to Rajenta. It then trembled thrice and hatched. Chapter 81 Chapter 81 C Magicians Ivory Tower (2) Sungjin returned to the top of the tower riding the Magic Carpet where the beheaded lion lay on top of the magic circle formation. Justwhy Sungjin looked around the roof. There wasnt anything else worth noting. And from the stairway, HAHAHAHAHAHA! He could hear the mad laughter of the Magician Lenin. Sungjin recalled his past memories. Freeze! Burn! Die! This raids boss was so out of his mind; he was impossible to predict. This raid was originally designed to be beaten from the ground floor up to the 10th floor where the boss awaited, but Sungjin jumped to the top and was planning on working his way down. In other words, just one floor down was the raid boss. On top of the stairs, Sungjin held the Artemio instead of the Blood Vengeance. This weapon was a specialized sword to combat mages. Not only does it reduce damage taken via spells by 20%, but it could also reflect spells. Whew Sungjin took a deep breath before heading down the stairs. At the center of the tower was a large gaping hole spanning across floors. Above the void was the Mad Magician, talking to himself. Why! Why pick that child over me! I cant accept it! Damn that senile old man! Sungjin who was sneaking his way down the stairs noticed the Magician yelling at thin air and thought Hey I might be able to finish this faster than I thought Most mages arent able to deal with Sungjins blade up close. If he manages to get close, he could end the fight in a few seconds. Sungjin recited an incantation. Freedom from all prying eyes, Invisibility Sungjins body disappeared from sight. Meanwhile, the crazed Magician Lenin continued to yell at nothing. Yes! Right! That has to be it! He must have thought He must have believed I would overcome him! Yes! He was afraid of me! Because I am a genius he cannot hope to contain!* While he was busy talking to himself, Sungjin continued to sneak upon him. He had earned the Assassin title last round. One or two shots should take him out. Yes, I am a genius a genius I will beat that old one He was now about 2~3 meters from him. When he was about 2 steps away from the boss, Sungjin leapt. But You little piece of shit! Lenin suddenly disappeared with a flash of light. Clang! Sungjins swords found nothing but air, striking the ground and leaving marks. Lenin reappeared a distance away. The Operator made an announcement. [Warning! Boss] [Mad Magician Lenin has appeared!] Sungjin failed his assassination once again although this was only his second attempt. Why cant I do it? He thought to himself. Lenin took out a staff from under his coat. It was a long stick with three heads decorating one end. A strange staff. Stranger still, because the heads were alive and moving. Woof Woof! Arf! Grrr! Each of the heads made noises on their own. Oh yeah, I forgot about that What weird tastes Sungjin frowned. Lenin said to him I knew you were approaching me since a while ago. Cerberus warned me ahead of time, Assassin! Cerberus, it seemed to be the name of the three-headed staff. If there are three dog noses, noticing my scent is a foregone conclusion Assassination was difficult to pull off. Sungjin took up a proper fighting pose and prepared his swords. If assassination does not work, all he had to do was defeat it normally. Who are you? Did the puppet king send you? Or the old man? I dont care either way. I will immolate you, freeze the corpse, and then present your severed head. He continued to speak nonsense. He was undoubtedly insane, too far gone. Sungjin had no time to listen to his mad ramblings. The crazed magician Lenin began an incantation. Blink The boss disappeared. This was the most annoying factor about this boss; the ability to instantly teleport to any location within the tower. He heard an incantation from behind Burn everything in your path, Fireball Sungjin hesitated for a moment before deciding to use the spell he had just learned. Spell-devouring magic field, Anti-Magic Shield! He had Besgoro recite the incantation with the substitute casting as he also prepared his own spell. Burn everything in your path Lenins fireball reached Sungjin first and collided with his shield. Boom! Luckily the spell held. Sungjin backed up slightly upon impact, but the embers did not fly his way. Sungjin grinned as he said Fireball He fired a counter attack. Seeing the spell fly his way, Lenin chanted Blink And disappeared once again. Boom! The fireball exploded. He dodged? Sungjin took a look around, but Lenin was not too far from the blast site. Grrr He must have not been able to totally escape taking damage. Sungjin grinned once more as he charged towards the enemy, who responded by chanting an incantation. Awaken my blades, and defend me. Living Edge Soon, autonomous swords came to life and circled around him. They didnt look very threatening, but they werent something he should ignore. Clang! Bang! Sungjin chased after Lenin while parrying away the living swords. The magician retreated while waving his Staff to ward Sungjin away. Despite his inaccurate swings, the three dog heads attached to the ends Grrr! Kept on trying to bite Sungjin. Annoying! Sungjin knocked the swords aside with his blade and tried to strike the dogheads, but Blink The Magician escaped a short distance away. Sungjin was starting to become irritated. He now had five marbles. In order to use all five of them, he required a minimum of 10 minutes each or 50 minutes in total. So he had to clear the main objective within 40 minutes. He didnt have time to waste at the boss. Sungjin returned the Moon Specter to the sheath and held Artemio alone. With one sword, he held it straight ahead; he was preparing his sure-kill strike. He thought to himself while looking at his reflection on the sword. Magic reflect at a perfect timing He was planning on using it. But Freedom from all prying eyes, Invisibility The Magician chose to hide instead. Sungjin charged ahead towards the last seen location but stopped himself. Even if he wanted to use Ghastly Wail, he had to locate his enemy first. Sungjin took a look around. He couldnt see any clues as to the magicians location. Grrr And then Spreading Death, Orb of Ice From a corner, the air began to freeze as a ball of ice began to form and slowly approach Sungjin. He didnt have enough time to cast Anti-Magic Shield. He would most likely not succeed in reflecting it with the magic reflect. Solidify Sungjin attempted to block it with Saels Mantle, but the Solidification took too long. Du du du Sungjin had to take a few of the initial icicles with his bare back. He could hear Lenins laughter. Hahaha! Idiot! Moron! Did you believe you could dare face off against a great Magician such as I? Sungjin was beginning to become enraged. I was going to save this for later But he needed him to fight against a Mage. Sungjin quickly pulled out Soldamyrs lamp and rubbed it. Soon the Blue Genie appeared and greeted his master. Did you summon me, Master? But he didnt have time to respond. Fireball! A fireball came flying from nowhere. Soldamyr immediately responded in kind. Impenetrable glacial wall! Ice Wall! A wall of Ice appeared before Sungjin Boom! And it blocked the Fireball just in time. Soldamyr quickly grasped the situation. An invisible enemy. Sungjin replied I dont care how, find him! Soldamyr immediately cast another spell. All-freezing winds! Razor sharp ice! Blizzard Storm! At his command, the entirety of the room began to freeze up. Sungjin also felt chilly, but he gritted his teeth and surveyed the surroundings. He saw an outline of a person appear in the blizzard. There Sungjin turned towards the location Pa! He shot the Moon Spectre. The sword flew straight towards the snowman but Blink The enemy escaped once again. Haa Sungjin returned his sword to his side. Realizing his invisibility was countered, he released the spell. The Magician was covered in ice. Sungjin asked Soldamyr, Is there a way to counter his blink? Soldamyr answered Blink allows instantaneous movement through space, but he is unable to cancel the transfer. If you attack multiple locations simultaneously The Magician attacked meanwhile. Melt the skin and rot the bones. Killing Cloud A purple fog appeared from the staff. Sungjin could tell just from the color that the fog was dangerous. While he was wondering how he could deal with it, Soldamyr reacted. Push away my enemies! Gust! The purple fog turned around and flew towards the enemy. He quickly Blink Dodged the spell he cast. However, Cough Cough He began to cough. Sungjin noticed earlier with the Fireball, but as Soldamyr said, the escape mechanism with the Blink was not perfect. Then if we attack as three it should end quickly. Sungjin called forth Cain as well. Woof! Sungjin did not wish to waste any more time in this chase. He addressed his two summons. Soldamyr, use magic to force his hands. I will go around towards his left, and Cain, chase him from the right. Intentionally move to his right side. After his short command, Soldamyr began casting his spell. Lance which pierces all! When Soldamyrs spell came flying Blink! Magician used his spell to escape, but Cain was waiting where he reappeared. Even he could not cast Blink back to back. He swung his staff Cerberus to retaliate. Woof woof! Arf! Grr! The three heads of Cerberus bared their fangs towards Cain, but Cain knocked all three heads aside with a single swipe. Whine! The heads all cried out in pain at the same time. Lenin lost his grip on the staff and became disarmed. Cain came charging forth. Lenin became frightened and yelled Blink! And teleported, but it was close to where Sungjin was waiting. Got you now! Sungjin had intentionally kept his distance while Cain was fighting. Sungjin quickly swung the Moon Specter. Ack! Lenin was cut in the stomach, but still retaliated with Frost Bite! However Reflect Magic Sungjin knocked aside the magic which headed his way with the Artemio, causing it to grab the Magicians feet instead. What What?! Before he could recover from his surprise, Sungjin swung his Moon Specter. His neck was severed in a flash. The Operator gave an announcement. [Boss Mad Magician Lenin Cleared] TL NOTE * The raw does not specify gender for the old one. Therefore I had to go with male pronoun unless the future chapters proves otherwise. The status screen for the spells learned by K in his latest Black Market visit havent appeared and so hasnt the status screen for the Griffin summon. When they are shown we will add them to Glossary. Chapter 82 Chapter 82 C Magicians Ivory Tower (3) Whew Sungjin wiped away the sweat from his brows. It was a short, but intense battle. Blinking everywhere with spells Sigh It took much longer than expected. In order to use all five marbles, he had to finish things as quickly as possible. Sungjin made his way down the stairs. If this is the tenth floor the hidden pieces were located Sungjin tried to remember the past. As he made his way up while fighting the mobs, he came across a secret door. Contained within was a magicians hat; a hat which granted temporary status boost. Was that the 5th floor? Or was it the 6th? It was the place where a Manscorpion was, but he couldnt recall as to its exact location. He was too busy trying to survive first time around, where clearing the objective was a difficult challenge in of itself; he didnt have the time to sit around memorizing the location of secret items. Sungjin thought to himself, Well, I should see it as I descend. Lets go Soldamyr, Cain. Sungjin climbed down the stairs with his two summons. The summons lasted 15 minutes thanks to the Summoner passive. It was in his best interest to make his way down the levels while he still had dependable allies. And thus he arrived on the 9th floor. The 9th floor unexpectedly had a large black goat roaming the level. The goat looked innocent enough. But Baa~ When the goat let out a cry, Sungjin felt sleepiness wash over him. Resistance proved futile, and his eyes closed themselves. Sungjin was about to call out Soldamyrs name who was following behind him Soldam He didnt manage to finish before falling asleep. Electronic Touch! Soldamyr used electricity to wake him, but the goat was already charging upon him. Sungjin braced his two swords against the goats charge, but Pow! Cain came flying like a thunderbolt from the side, crashing into the goats side and flinging it away. Baa~ The Goat cried as it was pushed away. Cain returned to Sungjins side Grr Cain bared his fangs and made threatening growls. T..Thanks, Cain. Sungjin thanked him as he recalled the past. The goat was no ordinary goat; it could cast magic, a Goat Magician. Probably a creature created by the Mad Magician Lenin. The Goat began to cry again Baa~ A magic circle appeared before the goat. A fireball was fired from the magic circle. It was much smaller than the one fired by Lenin, but it was still quite a size. Sungjin chanted a spell. Anti Magic Shield The ball of fire flew straight at Sungjin. Boom! And exploded. What kind of Goat shoots fireballs Regardless of how strange the monster was, he had to beat it quickly. Sungjin charged towards the Goat again. The Goat swung its head around, trying to attack Sungjin with its horns. But that was a mistake. There was no way it could hope to beat Sungjin in a melee. Sungjin didnt bother dodging its horns and used the Moon Specter to strike the horn. Crack! The horn broke off with a loud snap. The Goats prized horns were cut off with a single strike of the sword. The Goat became terrified and Baa~ Cried as it retreated. Sungjin dashed forward to try and finish it off, but Oong A bright light enveloped the Goat, and it teleported away a bit to the side. It was the same Blink used by its master. Sungjin grinded his teeth. I see You learned a great trick from your master Sungjin addressed his summons. Same tactic as before. At his command, Soldamyr began to chant. Cain ran towards the Goats right, and Sungjin ran towards the left. It was the strategy that beat the Goats master; there was no way the goat would be able to overcome this. Lightning bolt! Baa~ The goat escaped the trajectory of Soldamyrs spell, but it ended up moving closer towards Sungjin. Sungjin used the Blood Vengeance to behead the beast. Swinging the sword, Sungjin removed the blood from the blade. Soldamyr came up to him and said This creature was created to cast magic. Yes, it is impossible for ordinary goats to cast spells otherwise. Soldamyr picked up the severed head of the goat. What is he Sungjin was about to ask when Soldamyr whispered Mark of ill Omen Sungjin stared at him. On the Goats forehead was a red upside down pentagram. Whats that? Soldamyr explained with a grave expression. This is a forbidden formation. Forbidden? What kind? Its a taboo spell which merges two species together. Really? Yes. Just drawing this in Kutan is punishable execution on the spot Sungjin crossed his arms and said The master of this tower is such a nut job. You didnt see earlier, but he burnt all the buildings down around the tower. Sungjin didnt take it so seriously, but Soldamyr remained grave. Sungjin said to him Hey, lets make our way down. Were supposed to meet the others halfway. * Sungjin progressed down the stairs while annihilating monsters on the way. The difficulty of mobs on each floor rose from bottom to top, so someone like Sungjin who was making his way down from the top found each progressive floor easier than the last. Sungjin finally reached the 6th floor where the hidden piece was located, guarded by a Manscorpion. The Manscorpion was a strange looking creature. It had a body of a giant scorpion, like those of Kutan Desert, but had the upper body of a man growing on top. The human part wielded sickles, and although Sungjin wanted to try to speak to it, the Manscorpion wore a metal helm which concealed its face. Well, Ill see after I kill them. Sungjin pulled out his swords. Soldamyr informed him Master, this is my last spell. He had fought all this time without rest, so it was unsurprising. Ah, ok. Sungjin turned towards Cain Cain, go destroy his tail. Sungjin made the request and then charged straight ahead. Lightning Bolt! Soldamyrs spell came flying from behind Bzzzt! The Manscorpion who was hit by the spells spazzed out on the spot. Taking advantage of this moment, Sungjin swung his two swords together and cut off both of its claws at the same time. Ugh The Manscorpion let out a strange cry of pain as he swung his sickle to retaliate, but Sungjin dodged it by simply tilting his head back. It nearly reached, but it was all calculated. The large tail came bearing down on Sungjin but Grr! Cain bit down and held onto the top part of the tail. Haa hoo The Manscorpion continued to let out a strange cry of agony. Sungjin was getting tired of it. He ran up the body of the Scorpion and cut off the wrists of the human portion of the Manscorpion, disarming it. Then holding the Blood Vengeance upside down, he plunged the sword into the center of its scorpion side, killing it. The tail lost strength and became limp. And although the human portion had only lost its hands it still went limp and died. Hmm Sungjin considered taking off the helm of the Manscorpion to see his face but decided against it. He didnt think that he would like seeing whatever was hidden underneath. Sungjin turned around. Soldamyr was already back in his lamp. Taboo spells it really does leave a sour taste. He thought to himself. But then from the stairs leading down to the next floor, What do you think happened to him? Why do we need to worry about him at all? But the boss was cleared Forget it, lets just get ready for the next enemy. Voices of others could be heard. The hunters had arrived. Sungjin went to meet the others along with Cain. Yo~ Nice timing. Reactions to Sungjins appearance were highly varied. You The Green Magician was speechless. Did you kill the boss? Alone? Mountain immediately asked out of curiosity. Why did you go alone? The Hoplite chastised him. And finally You fucking troll! Die! The Highlander came charging towards him. Sungjin thought as he watched the man run towards him. This happened last time too Sungjin readied his weapons and parried the Highlanders two handed sword. One strike, two strikes, three strikes were exchanged and this man was strong. Not only was he quick, but his strikes were heavy as well. Sungjin took on a downward strike head on and was planning on pushing the sword aside. But when Sungjin tried to push off the sword, the Highlander gave no resistance and instead rotated the sword, using Sungjins push to help turn. Because of it, Sungjin was forced to make useless movements. The Highlander used this opportunity to attack Sungjin. Wooosh~ The sword made threatening noises as it came flying towards Sungjins undefended side. Sungjin hurriedly brought his Blood Vengeance back down to block it Clang! The man retreated after his attack failed. The Highlander had a rigid expression. He blocked this? His eyes seemed to say. But Sungjin was also surprised as well. The attack just now required his full attention to block it. If he did not have at least double the Dexterity and Strength, he would have fallen prey to the earlier attack. Hey hes really good. Sungjin just stared at the man. The Highlander was a young white male. Blonde, blue eyes, agreeable features, and handsome looks. The Highlander requested assistance from his teammates. Hey! What are you dong? Help me! But the others remained hesitant. They must have felt uncomfortable attacking another hunter. By now everyone should have become aware of the Troll System. They must not want to land the first strike. Sungjin found it interesting. Curious about something, Sungjin decided to test the Trite C Eye of Jeremia. Sungjin touched the earring hanging from his right ear. The Earring required a conversation to activate. Sungjin faced the other hunters and said I am not a troll. All I did was run ahead. And soon he heard everyones voices all at once. So the announcement about killing the boss was true? But isnt that exactly the same thing as trolling? Well, since hes not in troll state I shouldnt attack him first and get the penalty. If either one of them dies my contribution percentage should rise. I wont get in the way and just watch. Things may end up playing in my favor. He could hear the sound of their inner voices. It was the most interesting of experience. And of the voices, the one that had the most impact on Sungjin was That mother fucker shut the fuck up! It was the Highlanders rage fueled thoughts. He came charging towards Sungjin once more. Clang! The Highlanders two handed sword exchanged blows with Sungjins two blades. Hey, why are you doing this? You really dont know? And whisper-like voices could be heard. We almost died because you left the team! He didnt seem like a bad person. Sungjin wanted to explain to him Hey, Im not a troll. Its just No excuses! The conversation did not last very long. He came charging towards Sungjin with the large sword. And his inner thoughts could be heard. Trolls like you are enemies of mankind! You little piece of shit! Sungjin watched him charge in, but couldnt help but grin. Hey this guys pretty righteous! Note: Dont worry no cliff as its a double release! Click the next chapter ???? Chapter 83 Chapter 83 C Magicians Ivory Tower (4) Clang clang! The swords exchanged blows. Sungjin wanted to speak with him more. Hey listen to what I have to say But the only reply he got was the swinging of the swords. And because either the conversation ended or 10 seconds passed, Trite was no longer active. The only way to interact with the Highlander was Clang! Clang! Through the sword. The Highlander was filled with rage. Enough to be willing entering the troll state to kill Sungjin. Actually, Sungjin could have allowed one or two attacks to land to put the Highlander in troll state, kill him, and take two items. But Sungjin decided not to do so. Sungjin liked him. And also, his reason We almost died because you left the team! He was not wrong. The difference between Sungjin and the Highlander was that the Highlander had not experienced the latter stage of the raid; their knowledge was different, and their perspective was different is all. Willing to sacrifice himself to carry out justice kind of an idiot but a man with good intentions. Others in the same position as him were thinking Is he telling the truth? I hope it doesnt bring harm to me. This can play to my favor And he was also strong. Each time Sungjin blocked a blow, he could tell that the man was unusually skilled with the blade. He was talented with extremely high stats. Lets find out more. Sungjin held the sword in a cross as he blocked, and pushed away the two handed sword. Binding Frost! Frostbite! His feet froze in place. He couldnt run away anymore. You fight with the sword, and yet you still use this kind of hex? It looks like he had no resistance to magic at all. Its just like looking at my past self. Sungjin thought as he asked Hey, you. Whats your name? Why the fuck does that matter? It didnt look like he was willing to share his name. Hes certainly strong enough And I like his sense of righteousness. But it wasnt like Sungjin could use the Holy Water of Baptism on someone who didnt want to receive it. What should I do? In the short time Sungjin was considering his options, the spell lost their effectiveness and the Highlander came charging at him immediately. But I saw everything I need. Sungjin finally became serious as he used the Moon specter to block the attack and used the Blood Vengeance to knock the two handed sword away. Clang~ The Highlander was surprised. He had believed he held the upper hand the whole time, but not only had Sungjin parried the attack with just one hand, but was able to knock the sword out of his hand with a strange motion. The three behind the Highlander were also shocked. They were well aware of the Highlanders strength, having climbed the tower alongside him. And the Highlander lost so simply. Sungjin raised his sword to the Highlanders neck and asked Ill ask again. Whats your name? But he glared back at Sungjin and said Kill me. He was prepared to die. Sungjin watched him for a moment more before putting his swords away. I am not a troll, well I am sorry I left you guys behind I only did that because I had my reasons Explaining his circumstance or persuading others is difficult. The Highlander quickly ran over to his sword and picked it back up. Even if the fight a moment ago could be called just and passionate, trying to recklessly charge against a foe of insurmountable difference in power is idiocy. If he takes another step But luckily, he walked over to the other hunters after retrieving his sword. Not a bad judgement. Sungjin liked him a lot. If not now, Sungjin hoped that he could meet him later on so that he may baptise him. Sungjin left the other hunters alone and headed towards the stairway to the fifth floor, where the hidden piece was waiting. Cain wordlessly followed. Cain was becoming wiser. When he felt that the Master was in danger, he would unhesitatingly sacrifice himself to save Sungjin. But even though his master was exchanging blows with strangers, he calmly sat in place. He must have realized Sungjin was fighting to test the strangers strength. How smart. Sungjin patted Cains head as he stepped on the first step of the stairway when he realized Ah right this hidden piece can be used by everyone. Sungjin stopped and faced the other hunters to tell them Hey, come here for a sec. As an expression of apologynot really but, since there is a hidden piece here, so come get it. The hunters were standing in place despite Sungjins words. They were still being cautious of him. Well do whatever you want. Theres nothing but corpses upstairs anyway. Sungjin climbed down the stairs after he spoke. He now paid attention to the wall of the stairway. The height of the stairs in the tower was standardized between the floors. With the exception of the stairway leading from 5th floor to the 6th. There were three more stairs between these two floors compared to any other stairway in the tower. In other words, there was a larger gap between the floors here. And in that gap was a hidden room. I guess you could call it floor 5.5 Sungjin checked each of the bricks on his way down. There was something weird here for sure But he ended up reaching the 5th floor. On the floor was a corpse of a beast with a lions head and the body of a dog. A liog. When Cain saw it, began to growl. Grrr. Sungjin glanced at the monster as well. He remembered killing that last time around as well. The forcefully combined dog and lion. forbidden spell It was a beast he did not want to look at for too long. Sungjin turned around and climbed back up the stairs while rubbing his hands over each of the bricks. Along the way Click One of the brick was loose. Its this Sungjin pulled the brick out. It came out without any resistance. Inside was a red button. Then Rumble rumble The wall along the stairs opened up. At the same time, the Operator gave an announcement. [Congratulations!] [You have found the Hidden Place C Magicians treasure horde] Sungjin entered the room. The light came on automatically and illuminated the entire area within. The room was full of eye-catching treasures. Between the mountain of golden coins, there were golden crosses, silver cups, gem boxes made out of rubies and sapphire scattered across the room. An ordinary person would be overwhelmed by such a sight. But Sungjin held no such attachment to gold. If only these coins were Black Coins, gold was useless. Sungjin treated these mounds of gold the same as piles of stone as he walked among the treasures. And meanwhile What is this? He could hear voices from behind. Wait is all of this gold? Rich! We are rich! They shouted in excitement. The others must have followed him down. Sungjin stared at them. Three of them were visibly elated. The Highlander wasnt showing it outright like the others, but his eyes were large. Of them, one acted upon his impulse right away. The Green Magician ran forward and stuffed a diamond necklace into his cube. Sungjin watched with narrowed eyes. Why are you doing that But when he put the necklace into the cube, the bottom of the cube opened up and let it drop out. You cant even take it back with you He already tried it once. Any item not owned is discarded by the cube. Sungjin left them alone and continued to walk deeper into the room. On the far side was an extremely worn out pointy hat of a Magician. It was a stereotypical wizard hat. Sungjin picked it up. And then Who are you? The hat spoke to him. Sungjin responded without being surprised. I am Kei. A Hunter Hmmm really? You werent surprised at all by my appearance. You must be quite a veteran hunter. A veteran yes since this is my second time around The Magic Hat continued to speak I dont know how you came to this tower but if you can, get out. The master of this tower is becoming more and more deranged. Dangerous things may happen. Dangerous things have already ended though. I know. If you mean Lenin I already killed him. Kill? Sungjin nodded. Yeah, I killed him. The hat paused for a long time. So he went crazy in the end? It asked. Sungjin nodded Yes. He had completely lost his mind. In his insanity, he razed the town and began strange experiments in the tower. By experiments you mean combining different species? Yes. So in the end so thats what happened The magic hats dialogue changed a lot from before. I think last time he just upped my status a bit what did I say to get him to do that again? While Sungjin was trying to recall the past, the Magic Hat said to him Lenin was my friend. It was an utterance mixed with regret. Sungjin decided to listen to the hat. When he was first assigned to this town, he protected this town from monsters and was well respected. But he changed when he completed his mission and returned to the Capital. Now that he thought of it, he remembered these words. But Sungjin still listened to the story quietly. His teacher was at the Capital. Orkin of the Blue Ocean. A great Magician. But he did not select Lenin as his disciple. He picked an unknown child instead. Sungjin felt people approaching from the back. The hunters had arrived and were listening in on the story. He had devoted his whole life to his teacher and at first, he tried to understand the teachers choice But he never overcame the feeling of rejection and slowly lost his mind. And finally, he crossed the line experimenting with Taboo Magic The hat stopped speaking as if it was struggling with rising emotions. I tried to stop him and ended up like this after losing. Hunter, I thank you for taking care of him on my behalf. Sungjin bowed for a moment. Thank you was sure to be followed by some sort of reward. The hat continued and said As a proof of my gratitude, I will give the rest of my remaining magic power over to you. Do you accept? If he thought about this for a second, this dialogue was a bit different from last time. When he had visited the hat last time before he killed Lenin, Take some magic power from me. Please kill my friend Lenin on my behalf. Something like this had happened. Well, in either way, reward is reward. Sungjin nodded. Well, Ill take it gratefully. The Hat glowed for a moment, and a blue ray of light came down upon Sungjin. The Operator gave an announcement. [You have obtained 5000 allocated status points.] The reward was done with this. Sungjin was about to put down the hat. But the hat asked one more question. The ones standing behind you are they comrades? Sungjin looked back. Behind him were Highlander and the three others who were watching. He couldnt use Trite to read their minds, but their inner thoughts could be heard loud and clear. Please PLEASE say yes Chapter 84 Chapter 84 C Magicians Ivory Tower (5) Sungjin looked over the hunters. Stat points 5000. At the current level of chapters, it was about the same amount of stat points as getting 30~40% contribution. It was a large sum, even to Sungjin. To the rest of the hunters, it was an incredible amount. It would be the same or more than receiving double the stat reward for this round. So the hunters all watched with eyes full of hope and expectations. The Highlander tried to maintain his cool, aloof disposition, but even he could not help but be interested in the free reward. When Sungjin didnt answer for a moment, the hat repeated itself. Those people, are they allies? It wasnt for sure, but it seemed like whether or not they get anything from the hat depended on Sungjins answer. What should I do Another moment passed. Then, Highlanders eyes met with Sungjin, and he turned away. Cute. Sungjin grinned and said to the hat Yes, they are my allies. They worked hard to take down Lenin, so please give them strength as well. There was a sudden shift in everyones expressions. The hat called them forward. Really? Good work everyone. Please come forward one by one. Sungjin handed over the hat. And when he looked over to everyone, they thanked him. Thank you The Highlander was wearing a hard-to-decypher expression. He was probably confused on whether Sungjin was good or evil. Well think what you want. [You have obtained 5000 unallocated status points.] He heard the loud announcement from behind. Sungjin left the room, leaving the others behind. He immediately allocated the points. Operator, please allocate 1000 points to each of the stats. [Applied.] There is going to be plenty of fighting from this point onward. Meanwhile, Cain came forward. Grrr arf He gave a short bark. Sungjin could understand Cains intentions by now. Ah, ok Cain. Good work today. Go rest. Cain turned into wooden figurine on the spot. Sungjin picked it up and placed it in the cube. Since he found the hidden place, it was time to find the hidden boss. Sungjin asked the Operator Operator, use the Treasure Hunter active. Tell me a hint about where the Hidden Boss is hiding. The Operator gave a verse. [The final magic prepared by the Magician] [Requires a courageous Lion,] [a wise Goat, a cunning Snake] [and most of all, an intelligent human.] [When these ingredients are gathered on the formation] [A supreme lifeform will be born.] This time the hint was a little short. Lion, Goat, Snake, Man and a formation. There was a formation that Soldamyr told Sungjin about earlier; the upside down pentagram. A forbidden taboo spell. but that was on the Goat head Sungjin thought Swiftpaw. He took out the claws and climbed back up to the 9th floor where he fought the goat. And as before, he found the upside down pentagram drawn on its forehead. Its a taboo spell which merges two species together. When Soldamyr was explaining earlier, Really? He had listened to it absentmindedly without giving it much importance. Sungjin picked it up and turned it over few times to take a look around the head. There was nothing else of interest; Just the upside down pentagram. Upside down Pentagram forbidden formation He remembered The Lion Corpse on the roof! There was a larger Magic formation drawn on the rooftop there. Sungjin brought the head of the goat up to the 10th floor. Waiting there was the beheaded lions corpse, the magic lay formation below it. It wasnt clear earlier because of the corpse but upon reexamination It is a pentagram The formation described in the hint must be this thing. Sungjin searched his memories. Goats Head Lions body is already there and then the rest? The first thing that came to mind was the 5th floor, where the Lion Dog lay dead. Sungjin left behind the goat head on the pentagram and climbed down the stairs once more. 10th floor, 9th, 8th, 7th, 6th, and finally the 5th floor. The Hunters were still in the 5.5th floor, inside the treasure room. Wow! Look at this! How much do you think this would sell for? Hundred thousand? Million? 10 million? Look at this gigantic diamond. Dont you think it would sell for at least a million? They were unable to break away from avarice, despite knowing it was all in vain. Sungjin only glanced at them as he went to the 5th floor, where the Lion corpse laid. The body had spear wounds, and a deep cut in the forehead by a large sword. Most likely the work of Hoplite and Highlander. Sungjin checked the corpse. On the underside of the ear of the lion was a Pentagram. Sungjin used the Moon Specter to separate the lions head from the dogs body. So whats left is the Snakes body and the brain of a human There ought to have been a snake somewhere in the tower. Should I head down first? Sungjin was thinking, but he noticed someone looking at him. The Highlander and the other hunters were watching him. They must have noticed him pass by and came to say words of gratitude. The Green Magician began. Thank you. We were able to obtain a great deal of stat points thanks to you. Mountain added as well. Thank you. I didnt think something like a hidden place would Sungjin disregarded their expressions of gratitude. Whatever, did you see any snakes in the tower? The Green Magician replied 3rd floor, there is a snake monster on the 3rd floor. Really? Sungjin approached them with the newly severed head of a lion. And then he handed it off to the Highlander. He accepted it without a word of complaint. Because there was no rejection, he must have felt less cautious towards Sungjin. Sungjin looked at him straight in the eye and said If you go and take this to the roof, youll find a magic formation. Please take this over there. And then If you consider that you already received 5000 stat points beforehand, its an easy quest, right? Then Ill leave it to you. After saying what he wanted, Sungjin headed down the stairs. Glancing back before leaving the room, he saw the others head towards the roof as he had asked them. Sungjin passed the 4th floor reaching the 3rd floor. A large corpse lay there with the body of a turtle and the head of a snake. It was a grotesque monster. Sungjin checked the Snakes body and found the pentagram as expected. Body right? Sungjin cut off the body. Until now, he collected 3 out of 4 ingredients. Now the last one was the intelligence of a human. Sungjin recalled the Manscorpions helm. Sungjin returned to the 6th floor where he had left the helm on, thinking he wouldnt like to see what was underneath. But once it was removed, the face was that of an ordinary teenager. Sungjin cursed Lenin in his mind as he said He really was crazy huh Sungjin checked the body. But no matter where he looked, he didnt find the pentagram. Is this the wrong one? When he thought of it, there was a second human type monster. The Boss monster, Mad Magician Lenin himself. No way Sungjin returned to the 10th floor. He picked up the corpse of Lenin and checked all around. But he did not find a single red pentagram anywhere. Was there any monster on the 1st or 2nd floor with human parts? But no matter how hard he thought, he had no recollection of any other human part in this chapter. The 1st floor should have been a skeleton mixed with a zombie, and the 2nd floor had a winged puma. There should only be those two Sungjin thought as he put down Lenins body. As it fell his tongue came out, and on it was a red Pentagram. My god his own self He went off the far end. Sungjin left his body alone for now and only brought the snake corpse to the roof. All of the hunters waiting on the roof turned towards Sungjin at the same time. The Green Magician asked first. Did you really kill them all by yourself? They would have seen Manscorpion on the 6th floor up to Lenins corpse on the 10th. Sungjin threw the corpse of the snake on top of the formation and answered. Well, they certainly didnt bite their own tongues and suicide, thats for sure. Mountain asked while pointing at the pile. What are these for? He had never come across hidden pieces until now. Wait just a bit longer. I will show you the hidden boss in a second. Everyone tensed up at the mention of hidden boss. Well run away if you want. I can pretty much guarantee this boss is going to be fairly difficult. The hunters glanced each other and whispered. Sungjin left them behind and returned to the 10th floor. He lifted it up and carried the corpse on his back and brought it up to the roof. Last warning. Anyone who wants to run, run away now. You can die here. Everyone gulped at his words but did not budge. They had their own determination. well, at least they can buy time for me to read the Romance of the Three Kingdoms Sungjin said to them Well, then lets work together. Finally Sungjin threw the body of Lenin on top of the Pentagram. The Pentagram began to glow brightly. The hunters took their position behind the Mountain. Sungjin stood at the very back, taking out the Romance of the Three Kingdoms. The Operator gave an announcement. [Caution! Hidden boss] [Terrible Chimera has appeared] But despite the announcement, the creature couldnt be seen past the incredibly bright pentagram. Opening the Romance of the Three Kingdoms revealed a blank page. So its not yet? Meanwhile, a familiar voice rang out from inside of the pillar of light. Yes! This is it! The greatest body Ive always wanted! It was the Mad Magician Lenins voice. The light disappeared, and a monster, far more grotesque than any other, appeared. To begin with, the goat head grew out of the side of the Lions body. It had the tail of a snake and Lenins human torso also grew out from the top. It was an intimidating appearance. Sungjin quickly opened the Romance of the Three Kingdoms When Sima Yi pursued him up to the West Castle The book now held content, but when Sungjin tried to read it Baa~ The goat cried. And at the same time, an irrepressible drowsiness took over Sungjin. Meanwhile, Lenin could be heard chanting an incantation. Murderous thunder, Jump from foe to foe! Even as Sungjin heard Lenins chant, he was unable to resist the drowsiness. But it was then, Power of Lightning! The Highlander was gathering the power of electricity into his two-handed sword. What is that? But Sungjin lost his consciousness. Chapter 85 Chapter 85 C Magicians Ivory Tower (6) Lenin, who was growing out of the center of the Chimera body, fired a lightning bolt out of his hands. The Highlander lifted his sword high and shouted Electro! The bolts of lightning that left Lenins hands were pulled into and absorbed by the Highlanders Two handed sword. The Highlander immediately charged towards Lenin whose body was situated at the center of the Chimera. But that was no easy task since the rest of the Chimera was defending it. Woosh The Highlander had to defend against the Lions front paws. The Mountain and Hoplite ran in to assist, but they also had to contend with the Snake forming the tail. While a fierce fight broke out, the Green Magician placed his hands on Sungjins forehead and chanted The morning has come, Awakening. Sungjins eyes soon opened. As soon as he was awake, he checked his surroundings. The Chimera was busy fighting off three hunters. The only one to fall asleep was him. It was not an area of effect spell. But Baa~ The Goat cried again. This time the Mountain fell asleep. Since the Tank was no longer in combat, the other two men were suddenly in peril. The Lion and the Snake attacked the remaining two men; the Hoplite and the Highlander. The Hoplite was able to ward off the Lions claws with his shield and spear, but the Highlander was unable to defend against the Snake due to being preoccupied with defending against the Lion. He was bit in the shoulder. Ugh! There was no time to nonchalantly read the book. Sungjin closed the Romance of the Three Kingdoms and dashed forward to help the two men. He warded off the Snake with the Moon Specter and cut off the claws of the Lion. Kah! You! Lenin seemed to recognize Sungjin. Sungjin replied Ill kill you the second time! But it wasnt as easy as he had said. Despite the fact that four independent creatures were mixed into the Chimera, they moved as one living being. The Lion was clawing with its paws, the Snake continued to look for a chance to strike, and the Goat and Lenin used magic attacks. Baa~ Unextinguishable inferno of hell! Everyone was in danger. Sungjin moved quickly to seal the Chimeras movements. Snake eye The eye of Basilisk opened from his necklace, and the Chimera froze up in place as a whole. Sungjin held his sword in a cross and slashed against the Lions face in an X shape. The Lion lost both eyes at the same time. Kragh! A wild beast cried out in agony. The Chimera flinched. Sungjin moved to strike again. But Baa~ The Goat cried once more, and the Chimera flew up into the air. Damn it I have to use my spells Sungjin looked up at it and Pa! Fired the Blood Vengeance, but the Lion knocked it out of the air with its paws. The Lion had lost his eyes but seemed to be able to see due to other sources of sight. Haa! Sungjin readied his Moon Specter. But Close the wounds and erase the pain, Heal! Lenin cast healing magic while floating up in the sky. Unfair The bosses until now were specialized towards either magic or physical attacks, but this Chimera was good at both; a jack of all trades. The Lion and the Snake were the warrior type, while the goat and Lenin were the Magician type. A similar creature to Pach and ChoRoch, where the individual parts worked in harmony to support one another and became stronger as a whole compared to the constituents. While watching the Chimera heal itself in the air, the Mountain and the Hoplite chanted Lance which pierces all! Lightning Bolt! Steel-cutting Blades of Wind! Wind Cutter! And sent spells flying towards the boss. However, the size of the lightning bolt or the wind blade was small. Their Magic power was far less than Sungjins. Seeing that, Sungjin thought Theres no way that will do any damage And as expected Baa~ The goat cry generated an anti magic shield, protecting the boss from harm. Of the spells the Hunters were using the one that proved most effective was Counteract the Poison and return to nature, Neutralization! The spell the Green Magician used on the Hoplite. It was a recovery magic Sungjin also knew of. Followed by Natures power of healing, Regeneration! He followed it up with healing magic. According to Soldamyrs explanation, it was a little different than the White Magic Heal in mechanism but it had similar effects. Thank you The Highlander expressed his gratitude towards the Green Magician. Sungjin put away the Blood Vengeance and equipped the Artemio for the Magic Reflect. Aim for a well-timed counter attack. But once the Chimera was done healing, it climbed higher up in the air. Sungjin thought while looking up What is he doing? Until now, Sungjin had never seen the boss escape from the fight. But Sungjin shortly realized the enemys intentions. The Chimera climbed high into the sky and suddenly plummeted down at high speeds. The Mountain who had been readying his shield for defense realized that it was not an attack that should be taken head on. DDodge it! The hunters scattered chaotically. BOOOM! With a deafening noise, the Chimera landed on the top. But the tower began to collapse due to the impact. Rumble rumble Eh? The floor collapsed, and everyone including the Chimera were forced into the 10th floor. They couldnt see due to dust and were put off balance. Kragh! The fully healed Lion came charging towards the hunters. The target was the Hoplite who was isolated from the rest. Before anyone could do anything to stop it, the Lion ripped off his entire arm. K The Snake took that time to grab him and throw him off of the tower. The Hoplite sailed through the air as he plummeted down. Edwin! The Highlander shouted out his real name, but his fate was sealed. You Bastard! The Mountain and Highlander charged towards the Chimera out of anger. Sungjin joined them in the charge. While the Mountain suppressed the Lions paws, the Highlander stabbed the Lions arm and cut off the tongue of the Snake. They were a good duo. While the two of them were facing off against the Lion and the Snake Sungjin ran to the left. The target was the Goat. It had an incredibly short chant of Baa~ and showed nearly as high magic power as Lenin. Number 1 priority for elimination. But because it died once to Sungjins hands, as soon as it noticed Sungjin charging at it, the whole Chimera jumped back in response. At the same time, Lenin chanted a spell. Incinerate everything in your path! It was like as if he was using substitute casting all by himself. Shortly afterwards Baa~ A ball of fire appeared at the Goats Mouth. The two of them must have planned to cast the same spell at the same time. The hunters other than Sungjin were panicked by the sight and scurried off to hide behind the rubble. But Sungjin thought This is my chance. Gripping Artemio tightly, he ran. Reflect Magic! Artemio glowed purple. At the same time, he thought to himself Anti Magic Shield and Besgoro chanted on his behalf. Spell-devouring magic field, Anti Magic Shield Fire Ball! The balls of fire left Lenins hand and the Goats mouth at the same time. Sungjin readied the Artemio and swung his sword like a batter in a baseball game. Bing~ Artemios purple blade clashed against the fireball and reflected the attack back towards the Goat Kabooom! It made a massive explosion. The embers flew all over, but Sungjin was safe since he was protected by the Anti Magic Shield. The Chimera, whether it was the Human Goat Lion or Snake, was unable to immediately recover from the blast. But even this wouldnt last very long. Sungjin decided to go all in. Frenzy The eyes of Besgoro began to glow bright red, and the sword of Sungjin moved even faster than before, speeding up as he began to cut up the Chimera. The Lions head was severed, the Snake was cut down the middle, and the Goat was pierced through the head with the Sword. Due to his immense speed, the Chimera was unable to react and could only flinch. Only Lenin could act in response. Defy Gravity! He was trying to use Flight to escape into the air again, but Sungjin had already prepared by sheathing the Moon Specter; He didnt hesitate to pull the trigger. Ghastly Wail The wail was activated. KYAAAH! Because of the Wail Fluaahhhh! Lenin began to scream. The incantation failed to activate. Lenin trembled in fear and put up his hands in submission Mercy. Forgive me. Lenin was typically out of his mind, but now that he was scared it seemed as if he was back to normal. Sungjin was going to take his time to finish off Lenin, but the main body of the Lion became a problem. When Sungjin moved closer to the Chimera, the Lions body automatically ran backwards to escape. The problem was that behind him was empty air; the outside of the tower. The Lion ran away scared out of its wits and flung itself out of the tower. Eh? Sungjin was about to run over to the edge and chase after the Chimera but Boom A loud crash was heard from below, and the Operator gave an announcement. [Congratulations. Hidden Boss] [Terrible Chimera is Cleared.] Sungjin still walked over to the edge to look down the side of the tower. The four creatures were in a bloody heap where it became impossible to tell which part corresponded with what animal. The enemy this time was no easy foe. It was cleared thanks to the help of the other hunters, but if he had fought this one on one, it would have dragged on for quite a while. And in the process, the Hoplite had lost his life. The raid is designed to be just barely beatable when investing every coin and status points one could get their hands on. For several chapters Sungjin focused on buying marbles rather than using his coins and stat points to empower himself; it was slowly making these fights more and more difficult. Next time I wont think about how to get more coins and just buy the item from Darker than black. Sungjin wrapped up his thoughts and turned around. He could see the Highlander. The White man who had carefully observed Sungjins actions. He was silent. He must be mourning for the Hoplite. Damn it If only I was stronger Sungjin couldnt help but think Really he is just like my past self Sungjin had been the same. Whenever a teammate would die, he would become depressed as if it was his fault. Enough to affect the next raid. But after experiencing this dozens of times, he had become desensitized to the feeling. Sungjin walked over and placed his hand on his shoulder. It is not your fault. The Highlander looked up to stare Sungjin in the face. It didnt look like he distrusted Sungjin any longer. But he soon let his head drop. As he hung his head, a tear drop fell down his cheeks. It was an entirely different image compared to when he was fighting Sungjin earlier. Seeing him like this, Sungjin thought Strong and incredibly humane Should I baptise him? It was a dilemma. Chapter 86 Chapter 86 C Magicians Ivory Tower (7) Sungjin watched the Highlander. For one reason or another, he reminded Sungjin of his earlier days. Sungjin took out Jasepit C Holy Water of Baptism from his vest. The holy water splashed around inside. It looked the same as when he had first obtained it two raids ago. Sungjin was becoming increasingly curious as to its effects. What did the title of Chosen One do? The reason why Sungjin continued to hesitate was because obtaining White Coin was a difficult task. When it came to Black Coins, he could try harder and get more (with 5 Trollseeker Marbles, he could earn several more times the coins earned by others), but he couldnt do the same with White Coins. White coins obtained from Reign required sincere submission, so it wasnt something he could earn just by putting in more effort. It isnt something I can afford to use recklessly [All monsters eliminated.] [Beginning Raid Distribution] Eh Now that she mentioned it, this chapter was an Ivory Tower. A tower where ordinary monsters had no hiding place. The Hidden boss was the last enemy remaining. [Monsters Slain. Halfdead body: 1. Manscorpion: 1. . Magic Mountain Goat: 1. .Total 10,000 Points.]* [Boss Monster Mad Magician Lenin 1300 points.] [Hidden Boss Terrible Chimera 1300 Points.] [Combined Total 12600 Points. Distributing points.] The reward began with the Mountain. [Your Contribution is 12.4%] Next was Green Magician. [Your Contribution is 13.1%] Followed by Highlander. [Your Contribution is 21.7%.] It was high as expected. A high value among elite hunters. Sungjin could guess what happened until they reached the 6th floor. Of course, it couldnt hold a candle to what Sungjin was about to receive. [Your Contribution is 52.8%. Stat points 6653 points Black coins 6653 points.] [Raid Clear Bonus 2500 Stat points and 2500 Black Coins awarded.] [Item effect Additional 10% gained activated.] [Distributing 9153 Stat points and 10068 Black Coins.] [And now we will distribute the items.] Everyone was busy accepting items from the raid reward. It was probably the most anticipated moment in the raid. Sungjin patiently awaited his turn. And soon the Operator distributed Sungjins share. [Chimerao C Ring of Fused Beasts] [Merka C Pulp of Evolution] [Enhancement Stone] Sungjin obtained 3 items in total. If something had to be pointed out [Congratulations! Legendary Item Chimerao C Ring of Fused Beasts] [Legendary Crafting Material Merka C Pulp of Evolution] [Legendary Crafting Material Enhancement Stone obtained.] All three were legendary items or crafting materials. This suited Sungjin just fine since a wishy-washy heroic class item would only end up in the Auction house. Sungjin picked up the items he received this round. The first was the ring. Chimerao C Ring of the Fused Beasts. Around the round Diamond centerpiece, four animals Lion, Snake, Human, Goat decorated the ring. Sungjin put it away for now. Next was the item Merka C Pulp of Evolution. This item was also very strange. It was a type of fruit with a light green color similar to that of a melon. On the surface was a cloud shaped pattern. Sungjin picked up the item and sniffed it. Ugh The smell was too strange. It couldnt possibly inspire appetite. Where am I supposed to use this? He wouldnt be able to find out more until he checked the Operators Information page. Sungjin placed this item into the cube as well. The last item was the Enhancement Stone. An item which enhances another item. I already got three I should visit the smithy soon There were many places for him to spend Black Coins. [Last but not the least, you will be awarded titles youve earned on this raid.] Sungjin didnt have high expectations of titles anymore. Thanks to his near perfect playthrough thus far, he had already obtained all the important titles such as Master Hunter, Elite Samurai, Adjudicator, Treasure Hunter and the like. Well.. It should still be useful But [Iron Will C Auto protects twice against abnormal status such as Sleep, Confusion, petrification, and blind. Ohh It was quite a good title this time. It was a title many tanks used in the past. Is it because I was forced to sleep twice? It was a good title nonetheless. He didnt feel the need to keep it active at all times, but if it could automatically block a single status effect, it would make fighting much easier. After the distribution was complete, [You have reached 100% completion. Returning to Hunters Hall in 1 minute.] Sungjin said to the Operator Hey wait I dont want to be summoned back this moment. Is that possible? [It is possible.] Then send me back at the time-over. The Operator changed her words at his request. [Understood. Returning to the Hunters Hall in 57 minutes and 14 Seconds.] The Operator informed everyone of the remaining time. 57 Minutes The schedule was tight. Sungjin had a total of 5 Trollseeker Marbles. It was not a large map by any stretch, but there was no telling what could happen so Sungjin had to hurry. But before he could transfer dimensions, he had unfinished business to take care of; The baptism of the Highlander. Despite receiving his raid reward, the Highlander remained depressed. Sungjin stared at him. What should I do But there was no time to be hesitating. Sungjin made a decision. Yeah, I need to find out what this does anyway. Ill just go ahead and use it since I have another one on standby. I should be able to get a White coin one way or another Sungjin approached him. Hey, whats your name? This was the 3rd time he had asked. If he wouldnt respond this time, Sungjin was prepared to give up on him. No matter how just, no matter how skilled, Sungjin had no reason to forcefully create a relationship with a man who disliked him. But the Highlander looked up and told Sungjin his name. Franz. Franz Hosenfeld. After sharing Hidden place Bonus stats and overcoming the Chimera, he had no longer suspected Sungjin. Sungjin took out the Holy water of Baptism and said Ok, Franz. I will Baptise you Franz gazed up at Sungjin. Oh and I have no idea what this actually does. But Go ahead and get baptised. Its probably nothing harmful. Franz tilted his head at Sungjins words. What do you mean? He didnt have time to explain everything. Sungjin hesitated for a second before repeating himself. Its not going to harm you probably. Franz must have realized something was odd and tried to get up, but Sungjin did not wait for him. He decided he was going to baptise him by any means, even by force if need be. Sungjin opened the lid to the glass vial and poured the holy water over his head. Baptism Bright light left Sungjins body and flooded towards Franz. Franz lifted up his hands and said What is this? He asked, but Sungjin had no answer. He knew nothing about this process. The remaining two hunters watched this strange sight as well. One giving, one receiving, and two watching; the four men were silently watching for about 10 seconds. Then the light began to dim and ebb. And once the light ended, the Highlanders cube made an announcement. [You were Chosen by someone. Title granted.] [Chosen one C Receive 20% of the choosers stat as bonus stat. Once a day, you may summon the Chooser with his permission.] WHAT? Everyone on the spot shouted out in surprise. Sungjin was no exception. I cant believe this Youre going to get 20% of my stats as bonus? Sungjin had about double or triple the stat of others. Receiving 20% of stats from Sungjin would likely give him more bonus stat than having Master Hunter title equipped for the Highlander. Highlander was also surprised. 20%? Operator, show me my stats. Title: Highlander HP: 52320 MP: 6100 Strength: 6407 5216 (+1191) Dexterity: 6974 5715 (+1259) Endurance: 5232 4500 (+732) Magic Power: 525 13 (+512) Mind Power: 910 11 (+899) Unallocated Status points: 1650 The Highlander was shocked after checking his stats again. WHAT Every stat had risen by an enormous amount. Strength, Dexterity and Endurance, even the stats he had ignored such as Magic Power and Mind Power had risen by a considerable amount. The hunters watching were also surprised. The Green Magician looked back and forth between Sungjin and the status screen as he said Wait, if this is 20% your stat its so high! He must have calculated Sungjins stat points based on the bonus amount. But the Highlander said No this is not 20%. The Chosen One title isnt Active. The other two hunters were even more surprised. The bonus showing up on the status screen was not 20% since the title was not active; the bonus represented just 10% of Sungjins stats. Wait so 10%?! All of that is just 10%? The calculation became even simpler. The Green Magician and the Mountain looked at him in surprise. Multiplying Highlanders bonus stats by 10 gave Sungjins Basic Stats. My god Thats incredible! They couldnt help but be astonished. Sungjin had three times or even four times more stat points than others. And that was even with the Master Hunter deactivated. The Highlander looked at him with respect. So you really did go easy on me earlier. Sungjin silently nodded. The Highlander could tell with just the stats that if Sungjin had wanted, he would have died in just seconds. He didnt understand Sungjins circumstance, but Sungjin had enough strength to be acting alone, and more. The Highlander gazed at Sungjin a bit longer before bowing his head and apologizing. I am sorry for attacking out of nowhere. Sungjin replied No, no. In fact, the reason why I decided to baptise you was because you attacked me. The Highlander lifted his head back up. What? He looked at Sungjin with puzzled looks. But Sungjin was telling the truth. If the Highlander had thought Its none of my business Theres no reason for me to attack if its disadvantageous for me Like the others, Sungjin wouldnt have wanted to baptise him. Sungjin replied I told you earlier even if you cant understand all of it theres a reason for it all. If you want an explanation, I could give one but Sungjin glanced at the cube. The Chosen One Title was unexpected, but it was time to leave for Troll hunting. He didnt have any time left. Sungjin asked him In the explanation for the Chosen One title it said you could summon the chooser which is to say me, right? Note: * The author dosent provide the number of monsters killed in the distribution in this raid and instead uses For anyone wondering about the whole 20% point thing whether it will affect K, the Chosen One is a title so K does not lose 20% of his stats. Like Master Hunter title where his stats increase by 30% similarly on equipping the Chosen One the persons stats increases by 20% of the choosers stats. Chapter 87 Chapter 87 C Magicians Ivory Tower (8) Highlander Franz nodded at Sungjins question. Yes It most definitely said I could summon the chooser once a day So when the raid is over, go to the Black market. Once you activate the title, call for me. We can continue talking there. Ill let you know about whats going on. He tilted his head. But Couldnt you just tell me now? We have 50 minutes left Sungjin shook his head. It is BECAUSE there are only 50 minutes left. Excuse me? Sungjin frowned. Look, it will take a while for me to explain so lets talk when we meet at the Black Market, okay? He still looked confused, but Ok. He nodded for now. Sungjin took out the Trollseeker Marble from his vest. This was the 10th floor where the Raid boss was. In other words, the perfect place to begin the search for Trolls. Sungjin immediately Pursuit of Justice Wanted to use it, but he was interrupted by the Green Magician and the Mountain. Excuse me Adjudicator Please choose me as well! Me too I need stats. Please baptise me! Sungjin looked at them. What a difficult situation. He only had one bottle left. He couldnt use it on just anyone. Sungjin said to them I am sorry, but I cant do this for everyone. They looked very disappointed. I am sorry. Sungjin was about to leave them, but once more Please reconsider. Ill Ill do anything. When they held on to him, he got an idea. Then Ill make a proposal. It is a difficult proposal What is it? Sungjin showed them the spiral pattern Ring on his left ring finger; the Helix Ring If you kiss this ring with a genuine and sincere submission towards me Before he could even finish his sentence Ill Ill do it. Me too. They answered without hesitation. But the explanation was not over. I will baptise you when we meet again. This is what Sungjin thought. If the Holy water of Baptism cost 1 White coins each, there was no reason why he wouldnt baptise them if they gave Sungjin the White Coin now. They dont seem to be bad people per se But the Green Magician felt suspicion. Next time? Yes, next time. The Mountain also tilted his head. When would that be? Sungjin shrugged. I dont know the answer to that. But, if you can continue to survive, we will eventually meet, dont you think? Sungjin did not tell them about the Power to go between dimensions. They silently looked at each other. Then Well go ahead and do it for now. Me too. But there was one last hurdle to overcome. But if you kiss this ring, youll receive a permanent 10% reduction in coins received from Raid Rewards. Are you sure about this? What?! Excuse me? An expected reaction. No way Hes right! What are we supposed to do with 10% less coins? How are we supposed to survive the upcoming chapters? Thats why I said it is a difficult proposition. But I cant help it This baptism is not something I can do without compensation. They fell silent. Sungjin said to them Then Ill just take it that no one wanted to do it Ill excuse myself now. Sungjin prepared to leave. They wasted his time. But, Green Magician tried one more time. But if so, why did you baptise the Highlander? I read his mind, and he was a good guy. He couldnt say this. Sungjin gave a simpler answer. I liked his skill. At his words, the Green Magician closed his mouth. Using skill as an excuse, the Green Magician was unable to respond. Sungjin gazed at him as he said Pursuit of Justice And used the Trollseeker Marble. [Dimensional Transfer Requested.] A pillar of light came down upon Sungjin. The Highlander and the others were shocked by what was happening. No surprise as this was probably their first time seeing it. Usually, a message of You must first receive your raid reward should have appeared, but this time he was already past the raid distribution. [Request for Dimensional Transfer accepted.] [Teleporting to the requested dimension in 10 seconds. 10, 9] What is this? The Green Magician, Mountain, and even the Highlander Franz came to touch the pillar of light which surrounded Sungjin. But the light was like a thick glass which perfectly isolated the interior from the outside. They couldnt reach inside. [4, 3, 2] Sungjin said to Franz in the last second. Ill see you at the Black Market in a bit, friend. Franz nodded. Yes. Soon [1, 0] Sungjin was teleported; To the Dimension where trolls awaited him. * Woosh Shhew Two swords came at the same time. The Overlord watched the path of the sword carefully and aimed to block both of them with his metallic shield. But when he moved to defend, the red one of the two swords suddenly changed directions. An impossible movement. The Overlord opened his eyes wide. How?! But it was already too late. The red sword cut deep into his undefended side. Ahh! The Overlord cried out in pain. He had never experienced such pain while fighting monsters, but the enemy before him, the Adjudicator was too powerful. With eyes filled with fear, he looked upon the Adjudicator Please Mercy! Im sorry! He tried begging Just go take a rest in the purgatory. The Adjudicator showed no mercy. Gragh! The Overlords head flew away while still inside of his favored helm as he was beheaded. Whew The Adjudicator Sungjin immediately asked the Operator Operator, Time spent in this Dimension? [3 minutes and 12 seconds.] Besgoro said This was the fastest yet. A new record. It was his fourth dimensional jump after separating from the Highlander. He had beheaded four Trolls thus far. Youre right. It was because he was right next to where I was summoned When Sungjin arrived, only the troll Overlord was left remaining. Despite having murdered a teammate, the Overlord was leisurely smoking a cigarette. So he was caught by Sungjin and lost his head. Next to the corpse of the Overlord was the corpse of Lenin and the other Hunters. Sungjin glanced at them. Two burnt to death, one frozen to death, one beaten to death and the one I killed. Looking at their cause of death, it was easy to guess what had happened here. They just barely overcame the boss with two survivors when the Overlord decided to betray his comrade. Blinded by greed of monopoly Their party had the worst of luck. But what could they do apart from blaming their fates? Then Well thats all good and all, but why are there only one each? Besgoro mumbled. Trolls you mean? Yes. I know what you mean. Yes, in the previous raids, he had run into multiple trolls on several occasions. But this time there was only one Troll per jump. Well, its a good thing there arent many trolls though. But two trolls is double, and three trolls is triple the rewards. He was right. Sungjin walked over to pick up the items dropped by killing the Overlord. He thought as he placed the items into the cube. Still, I cant believe there was only one troll per raid my estimated income is lower than I thought. Not only Black Coins, but he also didnt even have an opportunity to earn White Coins either. There were one or two hunters who were saved by Sungjin. Thank you Thank you They had expressed their gratitude. But they didnt do any more than that. Sungjin had tried his best to convince them Hey did you guys manage to find the hidden piece? And even took them to the hidden location to give them 5000 stat points But losing 10% in raid rewards is a bit They refused to kiss the ring. The penalty was too large. Besgoro continued to complain. How unfortunate that you can only receive raid reward once. Sungjin responded indifferently Yeah When he led the hunters to the hidden place after saving them, the magic hat said Who are you Kei, Hunter. I just returned from killing Lenin. Lenin? You killed Lenin? He had acted as if he had never seen Sungjin before. Then as a reward, I will give you my power. Although the event was the same, Sungjin did not receive anything in return. It was just as the merchant in Darker than Black had said. Reward distribution happens only once. This also applied to hidden places. Well, I cant help it. I guess Ill just have to focus on beating up the trolls. Well yes Thats certainly your specialization. Sungjin took a big stretch. There were no hunters left alive, so he had plenty of time. Hmm, I guess Ill check out my items now. The items he had received from troll hunting were no good, but the ones he had received from the reward distribution, the legendary class items, were good. Operator, give me the items I got from the distribution earlier. Not the Enhancement Stone though. Theres two. A ring and a smelly fruit came out of the Operators Cube. Sungjin picked up the Ring. Chimerao C Ring of Fused Beasts Legendary Ring Active Skill Magicians Ice (IV) C Immune to Fire for 5 seconds. Snakes Serum (IV) C Immune to Poison for 5 seconds. Lions Courage (IV) C Immune to Fear for 5 seconds. Goats Fire (IV) C Immune to Ice for 5 seconds. Shared Cooldown of 10 minutes. Nature is designed by God. The ones who break the design Will face suitable punishment. It was good. The abilities were as expected of a legendary class item. Sungjin had an immense physical advantage, but status effect spells often gave him a headache. With the spells he learned from the last round and with the title of Iron Will he earned this time, he should be able to swing his sword without rest. Equip Sungjin put it on immediately. Now Sungjins fingers were getting full of rings. Only a few more fingers to go. About time I need to start picking and choosing. Sungjin thought as he looked over to the smelly fruit lying next to him. Merka C Pulp of Evolution Legendary Fruit Passive Rapid Growth (I) Allows Spiritual Linked summons to undergo rapid growth. If the creature reaches a checkpoint, it immediately evolves the creature. A fruit that grows in a country to the south. It speeds up bodily function and rapidly increases growth. Sungjin stared at the information sheet. Rapid growth and evolution? Chapter 88 Chapter 88 C Magicians Ivory Tower (9) Evolution Evolution eh? Sungjin was staring at the fruit when Besgoro made a comment. So you can give it to the Wolf or that baby Griffin. I guess so. Sungjin inspected the fruit for a bit longer before returning it to the cube. It wasnt something meant for him to eat. Operator, how long has it been since we arrived? [4 minutes 55 seconds.] There was still 5 minutes remaining. Yeah? Then give me some items the trolls dropped. A pile of weapons came flooding out of the cube at his command. A total of 8. Sungjin picked them up one by one, determining their auction prices. He couldnt have possibly guessed that he would run into an old teammate in the next Dimensional jump. * Hey whats the point of this? At the 5th floor of the tower, the Elite Samurai asked while severing the head of the lion. The Owl Hunter replied. Well its an ingredient to unlock the hidden boss. The Owl Hunter was holding the snakes head from the 3rd floor. Does it really work with shit like these? With severed monster heads? I thought the bosses were hidden on the map somewhere. The High Level Berserker replied Well its different on every map. Some are hiding in human form, other times its camouflaged into the canyon wall. Ive only seen it twice I see. But how did that woman know how to do this? You heard earlier. Something about Treasure Hunter or whatever. Thanks to her we got bonus 5000 status points after finding the hidden place. How do you get the Title? I want it as well. If I knew, I would have it already. The Elite Samurai picked up the Lions head as he said Ok. Now lets see how strong Hidden Bosses really are. The hunters each carried a head and headed upstairs. But along the way, the Elite Samurai asked the Operator Operator, whats my contribution? [Your Contribution is 14.4%.] What? Only that much? The Owl Hunter also checked his contribution. What about me? [Your Contribution is 13.2%] It was even lower. The Owl Hunter pointed at Elite Samurai and shouted What? I did worse than this guy? What? Watch your mouth! How can you say that after seeing my swordsmanship? At his words, the Owl Hunter grinned as he replied It is because I saw your skill that I say this What? The Samurai and Owl Hunter snarled at each other as if they were about to break into a fight. Dont fight. Do you want to become a troll? The five hunters all agreed to try hunting the Hidden Boss together. If one person were to flag themselves as a troll, the rest wouldnt let it slide; the troll would just die uselessly. So the two men stopped arguing to look around. The High Level Berserker said I checked earlier, and my contribution was on the low 10% as well. The Iron Will on the top floor was the same. The four of us combined are only 50%. The rest are the womans. Owl Hunter said Really? I mean I thought that might be possible The Elite Samurai also nodded. Shes really strong if it only wasnt for her strength He licked his mouth. It was a simple expression, but the other two men thought the same thing. Almost no women survived to this late stage of the Raids. Even from very early on, they were almost nonexistent. It was the first time the men have seen a woman in a long time. And a very beautiful one at that. Once they arrived at the 9th floor, Its my turn now The last person with an empty hand, the High level Berserker began to cut off the head of the Goat. But among them, the Elite Samurai decided to say Hey. Just in case if we survive the hidden boss The others turned to look back at him. How about we steal her contribution points? He was suggesting they engage in trolling. The others froze in place for a moment. Samurai continued to explain. Her contribution is too high, dont you think? If this continues as is we will die later on. And before we take her points we could enjoy the moment. At his suggestion, the men couldnt respond. The High level Berserker paused from beheading the Goat and said But shes strong. Even if all three of us take her on, we have no guarantee we can come out on top. And we dont know if Iron Will will take our side. Well lets watch the situation and see what happens. Hows that? The Owl Hunter broke his silence and joined in. Ok, Im in. The High Level Berserker lifted his axe up high and finally finished cutting off the Goats head then replied Im in as well. The three men all climbed up to the roof past the 10th floor. At the ceiling was the Tank Iron Will holding the corpse of Lenin, and the one who commanded the men, the Treasure Hunter. The three men all stared at the Treasure Hunter for a moment. Slightly tall, lean build, with a long pair of legs. On top of it all, the leather armor which failed to completely conceal her ample breasts, flawless skin, and her pale blonde hair The three men thought back to their earlier conversation. and enjoy the moment She pointed at the Pentagram with her dagger. Here, put it here. The men obeyed her command and placed the corpses on top of the pentagram. Soon a bright red pillar of light appeared. [Warning! Hidden Boss] [Terrible Chimera has appeared!] The three hunters glanced at each other when they heard the announcement. * Sungjin spoke while checking the information page. This is good enough to receive 4500 Coins right? Besgoro was also inspecting the item as well. 4800 no, I think you can even go as high as 5000 Coins. 5000? It doesnt look THAT good. You dont have anything to lose from raising the price. Ok sure, Ill try with the higher price. If it doesnt sell, I can just lower the price at that point. Its not urgent after all. Yes. Sungjin placed the item into the cube and said Operator, how much has time passed since I arrived at this Dimension? [9 minutes and 46 Seconds.] Really? Ok, it is almost time to leave. Sungjin took out the Trollseeker Marbles from his vest. Only one was still glowing. Sungjin picked it out and said out loud Pursuit of Justice [Dimensional Transfer Requested] [Dimensional Transfer request granted] He had gotten used to dimensional transfer by now. After finishing the final dimensional transfer, Sungjin took a look around. Hmm? Something was odd. There was no corpse of Lenin lying around anywhere. There were evidences of combat, scorches of fire and remnants of ice, but no boss. Why Sungjin tilted his head. Boom! He could hear a sound coming from above. No way they went for the Hidden Boss? Sungjin quickly climbed the stairs to the roof. There he saw one of the final 10 survivors from the previous life, the Black Magician. Seeing her here Sungjin thought, but Besgoro interrupted him. Its a woman! And she has a killer body! Sungjin had no time to sit around chatting with Besgoro. Die you witch! The Elite Samurai and High Level Berserker were ganging up on her. She might die Besgoro warned Sungjin. Probably not. Sungjin shook his head. Nada chanted a spell. What is real is fake and what is fake is real! Illusion! Her body split into five. Elite Samurai and the High Level Berserker both cut down one illusion each, but there was something they were not understanding. Her skill with the dagger was unparalleled. During the fight Ahhh! The Samurai screamed out in pain. Several of his fingers from the hand he held the sword fell to the floor. Oooh Strong women are my favorite! Besgoro said unnecessarily. Here! This one is real! Samurai yelled. The Berserker stopped facing off against an illusion and turned to run towards the real Nada. This time Sungjin ran in as well. He didnt take action to protect Nada. It was to make sure he could protect the Trolls from Nada. If she kills the trolls, the number of items he could gain decreases. Nada dodged the sword and axe acrobatically and waited for a chance to counter-attack, when Sungjin suddenly intervened. All three combatants were shocked at the sudden intruder. Oh excuse me Sungjin said as he pulled out his sword. Ghastly Wail KYAAAAAAAH! A deafening screech reverberated in the air, and the Elite Samurai and the High Level Berserker turned to run in terror. Sungjin was going to slowly bring them down, but Nada who was standing next to him (despite taking the full blunt of the Wail) asked with a completely relaxed voice Who are you? It appeared that she had an item which nullified fear effects. Sungjin gazed at her. She stared back as if it was their first time meeting. Well Theres really not much to say Lets hunts those trolls first. Sungjin said before running up to the Samurai. Eeeeack Seeing as he had obtained the title of Elite Samurai, he could have parried at least three or four of Sungjins strikes, but he was steeped deeply in fear with several fingers missing. Sungjin swung his two swords. Clang! The Elite Samurai was able to stop the Moon Specter which was coming from above, but he couldnt respond at all to the Blood Vengeance that came from the side. Splat He collapsed to the side with a sickening sound. Sungjin was about to take care of the Berserker as well, but his state was a little strange. His entire body exuded a crimson aura, and the red glow shining from his eyes did not seem like it was due to fear. Now that Sungjin took a closer look, something was shining on his neck. Something that Sungjin also carried in his pocket. Yanhurat Sungjin tensed up as he quickly raised both of his swords up in a stance. Chapter 89 Chapter 89 C Magicians Ivory Tower (10) The Berserkers body turned red; The eyes became bloodshot and blood colored lights burst forth as if his eyes were on fire. Most likely, Yanhurat was busily shouting Kill! Kill! Kill! Into his ears. Hes going to power up. Careful Kei. Besgoro warned. Sungjin knew to be careful without it. No matter how much of a difference in stats they had, that state was dangerous. Binding Frost! Timing himself along with Besgoros chant Incinerate everything in your path! Sungjin delayed his spell to activate it slightly after Besgoros spell, in order to use the opportunity when the enemy is held in place to strike with the Fireball. But Frostbite When Besgoros spell reached him, a round protective veil appeared and warded off the chilling spell. A prearranged protective magic from an item or title must have triggered. Even so, there was no reason not to fire the finished spell. Fireball! A ball of fire formed on the tip of Blood Vengeance and flew towards the Berserker. Boom The spell landed on the ground and exploded, but the Berserker had already run out of the damage zone. He came charging towards Sungjin at an unbelievable speed. Sungjin followed up with Basilisks eye Snake Eye! The Berserker paused for a moment, but a round veil appeared, and the Berserker resumed his charge. Immunity? It didnt look like he was going to die obediently. Sungjin prepared his swords. The Berserker got within range and began attacking at random. There was no strategy or technique; He was simply relying on pressuring the opponent with pure strength and speed. Anyone else would have had difficulty defending against such frenzied attacks, but not Sungjin. He patiently and calmly blocked each swing of the Berserkers Axe with his two swords. Clang Clang Clang chingchingching Dozens of blows were exchanged in a matter of seconds. He was stronger than any other hunter Sungjin had faced until now; his attacks were on par with Calian from the previous chapter. But the difference between the Berserker and Calian was that the Berserker only had 30 seconds to make his move. Once the 30 seconds were over, Sungjin would automatically win. And only focusing on defense was easy enough. The only reason why Calians fight was difficult because he had to find the timing to counter attack. Clang clang clang! Just defending was enough to win. And it wasnt as if the Berserker would do anything other than attack while under the zealot state. He could only continue to swing his weapon. It was a matter of time until the Berserker was killed by Sungjins blade. But another problem popped up. Awaken and become my slave! Sungjin was facing off against the Berserker when he heard a chant from behind. Rise of the Dead! And Krraagh! The Elite Samurai was raised as an undead and joined the fight. It began attacking the Berserker. It was now 2 against 1. The Berserker who was focusing on attack earlier was now outnumbered. Because the Elite Samurai was someone skilled in life, his reanimated corpse retained some of his abilities and made the combat easier, but Sungjin began to worry. This isnt good The Berserkers fate was sealed in stone, but if he were to die at the Samurais hands it would be disastrous; no items would drop. Meanwhile, Nada chanted another spell. Unholy power, strip the skin and expose the bones. Frenzy! Sungjin decided to give it his all as well. Frenzy Red light burst forth from Besgoros eyes and Sungjin aimed for the shoulder and the elbow, where it would be difficult to dodge. The Berserker was not standing still, so the attacks only grazed him, but that was enough to speed up Sungjins attack speed. Sungjin stabbed the sides and thighs as well. And when his speed increased by three tiers, he beat the Zombie Samurai in beheading the Berserker. Splat The Berserker died even before the effects of Yahurat had worn off. Two items fell to the ground. Whew Sungjin took a deep breather and then turned around to face Nada. Nada was looking at him with eyes of suspicion. What are you? The Zombie Samurai was still in a battle stance. It was poised to strike him if Nada commanded. She seemed to be unsure if he was friend or foe. Sungjin put away his swords to reassure her. Ahh, dont worry. But Besgoro was shouting in his head. Wow, its even bigger up close, Kei! He was right. Her chest was overflowing. He tried to ignore him and continue saying I am an ally. But Look at those boobsboobs Because of Besgoros distractions, Sungjin became tongue-tied. I am boobs. What? Nadas facial expression suddenly changed. She picked up her dagger and was just about to come charging towards him. AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Besgoro began laughing hysterically. Damn it! I am boobs Boobs! Sungjin threw off his helm. I am an ally. I am not your enemy. But she was already completely on guard against him. The Elite Samurai Zombie looked like it was about to come charging towards him at any minute. In order to let her feel safe, Sungjin raised his hands up and took several steps back. Im going to tell you again, I am not your enemy, nor am I a Troll. Nadas cube confirmed his story. [All trolls within the chapter slain.] [Resuming reward Distribution. [Your Contribution is 100%.] [12600 Stat Points and 12600 Black Coins] She monopolized the raid due to her party being wiped out. She had obtained even more points than Sungjin. And Sungjin stayed still while she was receiving her reward. [Congratulations] [Chimerao C Ring of Fused Beasts] [Merka C Pulp of Evolution] [Cerberos C Gatekeeper of Hell] [Enhancement Stone] She received one more item than him. Cerberos, Lenins staff. [Last but not the least, you will be awarded titles youve earned on this raid.] Despite nearing the end of reward distribution, Nada did not lower her guard against him. Sungjin was forced to consider the worst-case scenario (having to fight her). Seeing her with the Treasure Hunter Title, she must have had fought with several hidden bosses and collected several hidden pieces. She would probably be weaker than him, but not by much. Even so, he did not wish to fight her. Sungjin liked her quite a lot (not as a member of the opposite sex, but as a fellow human being). A Dagger and Black magic user did not inspire an image of a kind human being, but these difficulties only made her stronger. And when interacting with her, she would say Ill depend on you, Sungjin. Ive got your back, Sungjin Careful, Sungjin. She was warmer and kinder than anyone else. In his previous life, she trusted him and had followed his leadership. Were in the party again. Its always reassuring to have you in the party. But this time around, it looks like everything was going wrong. Sungjin recalled what happened just now like a movie reel. I am boobs Sungjin shut his eyes tight. Fuck! When he opened his eyes, she glared at him as if he was a rapist. He could understand her feelings. That kind of thing probably occurred to her almost every round. She would have had similar experiences to Serin. [High Level Black Magician C Increase power of Black Magic by 30%] [Returning to Hunters Hall in 3 minutes 32 seconds.] 3 minutes 32 seconds This was the last Troll hunt. The original time over of 1 hour 30 minutes for the chapter must have been coming to a close. Hearing the operator, Sungjin said one more time to her I am not an enemy. And she replied Then what are you? Sungjin hesitated, but he decided to tell her the truth. He couldnt afford to lie to his future comrade. I am Sungjin glanced up and pointed at his title floating above his head. An Adjudicator. I specialize in hunting Trolls. At his words, Nada gave an unexpected answer. I know. Adjudicator, I have that title as well. Hmm? Now that she said it, it was almost obvious that she would have it. The chances of her running into trolls are much higher than him. Taking that into consideration, he should have expected it. Sungjin checked behind him. The corpse of the Owl Hunter held a bow, and a similar bow lay on the ground close by. She was also trying to hunt trolls for items. Well, before that, how did you get here? You werent here when the raid started. Sungjin had to think for a moment. Do I tell her about Darker than Black? But telling her about that was a little weird. Sungjin felt that if he were to tell her this, it may cause a change, a change that could become difficult for him to control. So Sungjin decided to give a short answer for now. I have an item that allows me to travel between Dimensions. It allows me to intervene in other parties. Thankfully Where did you get that? She didnt ask that. She only said If youre done, go ahead and leave. She seemed to view Sungjin as a subject of fear. Probably due to seeing him fight the Berserker earlier. She did not fear having to fight three other hunters in a 3 v 1, but she was on edge after seeing him fight the Berserker. Sungjin said to her I cant leave immediately. And I also have no desire to fight you. How can I know that? You are not a troll. What do I gain from killing you? But there is one thing he could gain even without killing her. As he said with his own mouth earlier Boobs Nada did not relax her guard against him. Sungjin frowned. It didnt seem like the situation could be resolved with just a conversation. Sungjin said to her Whether or not you trust me, Ill just go and collect my items. But if you attack me meanwhile, Ill have to respond. Sungjin slowly began to move. Nada was carefully observing Sungjin. She looked like she was about to come attacking him. But she would also not choose to attack Sungjin unless he was a troll. She was also afraid of becoming a troll herself. Especially against an opponent who professed to be a troll hunting specialist with the title of Adjudicator active. Sungjin picked up the Elite Samurai and High Level Berserkers dropped items and placed them into his cube. He couldnt help but think I want to baptise her She was the most dependable and trustworthy companion of the last 10 survivors. She was skilled and a good human being. She was worthy. Her skills would be needed this time as well. Problem was that she was now completely convinced that he was a pervert. I wish I could use the 9th tier Blue Magic to go back in time Meanwhile, the Cube made an announcement. [Returning to the Hunters Hall in 1 minute.] Only one minute left. What should I do? Sungjin squeezed his brains for answers. Chapter 90 Chapter 90 C Black Market Ninth Shopping (1) What should I do? Sungjin remembered about the Eye of Jeremiah on his ear. If he could read her mind, he could possibly find a solution. Sungjin decided to start a conversation. Whats your name? He touched the earring. Why do you need my name? He could now hear her thoughts. 1 minute until Black Market Ill just have to be careful for another minute then nothing will happen. But I still havent got the chance to grab the item After hearing her thoughts, Sungjin glanced behind her at the bow the Owl Hunter had dropped. It must have troubled her. Whats the point of hunting trolls if you cant even pick up their items afterwards? Each Item she took from the Trolls must have been worth more to her than Sungjin, who picked up multiple items from across different dimensions. Sungjin pointed at the bow next to the Owl Hunter and said Hey, go ahead and grab your item. Its a shame if you cant even collect the Item you got from troll hunting, right? I dont think this guy is a troll per se It looked like she had lowered her guard a bit. She slowly moved backwards while watching Sungjin. Sungjin continued to stand still to make sure she can feel safer. And like that, she placed the bow into her cube without taking her eyes off of him. Once it was away, Sungjin moved forward, but she still held out her dagger towards him. He said boobs earlier Theres no way I can put down my guard. Seeing how fast he pulled out his sword earlier, he could put me in danger in a split second. Reading her thoughts, Sungjin put all of his swords away in the cube. I have zero intentions to fight. I just want to talk. He put them away? What is he planning to do in case I attack? She was now deeply confused. She asked him What is it? I am not an enemy. In fact Ive come to help you. Help with what? Trolls are already dead. He couldnt hear her thoughts anymore. The 10 seconds must have passed. Sungjin pulled out the Holy Water of Baptism from his vest and said This is an item which increases your stats by a large margin. Ill use this on you. Why? How do I know it is not a poison? Its not a poison. Im telling you, its beneficial. If it is really that good hand it over. Ill use it on myself. Sungjin slapped his forehead. There was no time to convince her. But he didnt want to lose this opportunity. It was then that the Zombie Samurai collapsed. Sungjin didnt do anything, and it just died on its own. It meant she was out of mana. Sungjin considered his options. Then he made up his mind. He couldnt afford to let her go. She already proved her worth in skill and as a person. Sungjin prepared himself. Whew He let out a long sigh and then charged towards her. Her eyes grew wide as she brandished her dagger against him. She was fast. She must have had high stats despite also investing in mana on the side. But that was only in comparison to other hunters. Perhaps she could have put up a fight against Sungjin with Black Magic, but without mana, there was nothing she could do. Sungjin twisted his body and dodged all of her strikes, and then he grabbed her wrist. Once her hands were caught, she tried to kick him in the groin, but he moved to the side and dodged her. Because of Sungjin moving to the side and her missing her kick, she lost balance and began to fall. Sungjin quickly raised his hands and grabbed her behind, holding her up. Her sizable breasts jiggled in front of his eyes. The situation was turning strange again. Nada began to swear. You son of a bitch! It was too late to straighten out this situation. Sungjin pushed her down to the floor and saddled on top of her to prevent her from moving. Fucker! Nada continued to shower him with insults, but she couldnt do anything. Sungjin opened the bottle of Holy water with one hand and sprayed her with it. Baptise Bright light emerged and enveloped her. At the same time, the Operator gave an announcement. [You were Chosen by someone. Title granted.] Baptism was a success for now. Sungjin quickly got up and pulled her back up to her feet. I am sorry, I had no choice. But Nadas expression towards Sungjin was far more wrathful than it had ever been. Get out of my sight you piece of shit! Sungjin decided to ignore everything and focus on the key points. Title! Check the title! If she would just check the title, she would understand what had happened. [Chosen one C Receive 20% of the choosers] Before the explanation could finish [Returning to the Hunters Hall in 10 seconds.] The Countdown began. The chapter was about to be finished. [9, 8, 7] Along with the Cubes countdown, Sungjin said to her Please check your title and status screen! [6, 5, 4] But she was glaring at him as if looking at a rapist. And please call for me, at the Black Market [3, 2, 1] Or if youre ever in danger! [0] Along with Sungjins words, the two disappeared from sight. * Sungjin was summoned to a room with what appeared to be an infinite number of columns called the Hunters Hall. The room was full of people, but no one spoke. Most of them appeared exhausted. Meanwhile, the Operator began to speak. [Welcome. Everyone present here has overcome nine chapters thus far.] [Out of 7,310,067,613 participants in the first raid] [the number of surviving hunters is 183,655.] [Everyone present represents the top 0.0025% of humanity] [and have proven with your own hands, your strength and your worth] Sungjin looked around. There were still plenty of people around him, but it wasnt like last time where the crowd of people extended without end. It was now possible to see the edge of where the crowd ended. [Please continue to grow stronger and stronger] [And clear the final raid.] The Operator disappeared from the pillars. Instead, the image of staff members of Sungjins orphanages appeared; Principal, Teachers, friends, etcetera. It was time to see the people stuck within the Purgatory. Sungjin never felt strongly about the people within the Purgatory, so he looked around him. By now, almost no one cried at the sight; if anything, they looked more determined than ever. They have seen it often enough to get used to it; the remaining people were all strong enough to be able to move on. [Once again,] [If someone manages to clear the final raid] [Everyone in Purgatory will be revived.] Among the silence, someone yelled out loud with annoyance. So why were we called here? The Operator gave an explanation as if responding to him. [From this point onward the raid will be carried out in not 5 man, but 10 man member format] [The map and monsters will become more difficult to reflect this increase in membership.] 10 man teams? Twice as many people? People began to whisper. But [Starting with next raid, please take extra precaution to preserve your life.] [Teleporting to Black Market in 10 seconds.] Even 5 man teams were not trustable Right, what are we supposed to do now? You tell us that NOW? Shouts of anger filled the hall but indifferent to their complaints, [2, 1, 0] Everyone was soon teleported away from the spot. * Once back at the Black market, Sungjin plopped down at the First Drop. Haa What would you like to drink, sir? Xiu Ran asked Sungjin politely, but Sungjin replied half-heartedly. Ah cold water. Water. Ah ok She left to get him a glass of water. Sungjin drank it and then remembered Nadas words. Get away from me you piece of shit! Sungjin massaged his forehead. In the past So you survived. I look forward to working with you. Leave the back to me She was so friendly with him. This time, things went as wrong as it could possibly go. But if she checks her title she should understand my intentionsright? In truth, Sungjin was also somewhat interested in her due to her outrageous appearance. But a chance for a good first impression was forever lost. Sungjin took out Besgoro from the cube. He headbutted the skull before putting it on. You Perverted old man! What? You were the one who said it out loud It was because you kept on saying weird things! Hey, why are you like this? As if Im the only one in the wrong? You were staring at her too. At THAT. I told you before, but I can see what you can see those enormous breasts. Theres a difference between thinking it and saying it out loud The only difference is that I am more honest with myself. You said it out loud because you were focused on it as well, dont you think? Sungjin couldnt say anything to respond. It was the truth that his eyes were glued there as well. Besgoro continued. So did you baptise her? Did you spray that sticky fluid all over her Sungjin took off the helmet before he finished. Wow, this senile old thing even after death Sungjin vowed to get a different helm as soon as he finds one. Although it would be difficult to find one that could replace Substitute casting and Frenzy. Sungjin returned Besgoro back into the Cube. He drank the rest of the cold water and Thank you for the water He left the shop. He had baptised Franz and Nada. He wasnt sure about Nada, but Franz would definitely call him. There was much he needed to do before the meeting with Franz. Sungjin first visited the Pig Brothers auction house to put items up for sale. Set this ones starting price at 3000, and 3400 instant buyout. This one 3500 starting price and 4500 instant buyout please. Understood, Items put up for auction. After putting up the eight items he had already determined the prices for, Operator, give me the four items I got from the last dimension. He checked the items obtained from the last dimension he had visited. But one of the four items caught his eye. Eh It was a necklace which looked like something an ancient South American Inca or an Aztec would wear; The necklace of the Berserker, Yanhurat C Mad Gods Voice. Two identical items I heard something about synergy in the past I guess its about time I visited Kargos. Kargos was a blacksmith who worked at a smithy to the southern end of the Black market. It was about the right time to begin using the Enhancement stone, so Sungjin wanted to take care of everything at once. Sungjin placed both Yanhurats into the Cube and picked up the other Items dropped by the Samurai and the Berserker Set this at 2000 and 2500 instant buyout; this at 2700 and 3200 And placed them all on the auction house. Thanks He put the auction house behind him and began walking. Sungjin thought of the two individuals he had baptised. Hmm, I hope he doesnt call me until Im done with my things I should have told them to call me after sundown. He thought about Franz as such. Will she understand my intentions if she checks the title and stats? What if she thinks I am an irredeemable pervert? He thought about Nada. Chapter 91 Chapter 91 C Black Market Ninth Shopping (2) Sungjin headed towards the southern part of the market. It was around here While he was walking Clang! Clang! He could hear the hammer banging away at the anvil. Sungjin headed towards the sound. Soon the furnace and the anvil came into view; Sungjin found Kargoss Smithy. The Operator gave an announcement. [This is the Smithy of Kargos] [It is a place where items can be modified and enhanced.] Sungjin entered the smithy and greeted the owner. Hello Welcome A dwarf half the size of Sungjin returned his greetings. Any requests? I want to enhance some things. Oh ho, really? What item would you like to enhance? Sungjin removed the three swords from his hip, Blood Vengeance, Moon Specter, and Artemio, and placed them on top of the counter. Hmm? All of these? Sungjin shook his head. No no. I want to pick one of them I was just wondering if I could preview the enhancements before I make my decision. Kargos shook his head at Sungjins question. Eey, of course not. I see I treat all items that pass through my hand like my own children; I give it my best for my children. But just because I am their father does not mean I can predict how my children will end up as adults. Sungjin was a little disappointed as he would not be able to make a more informed decision. Ok, in that case Sungjin picked up Blood Vengeance and put the sword back on his hip. He then picked up Artemio and put it away as well. The last one remaining was the Moon Specter, which he handed over as he said Please enhance this item. The reason why he chose Moon Specter was simple. Sungjin already knew Blood Vengeances enhancement effect. The enhanced Blood Vengeance would get an incredibly strong skill, but it wasnt something he needed any time soon. He hasnt used Artemio for very long, so it was lower on his list of priorities. Although if he was to consider its role as the ultimate anti mage weapon, it seemed like it could also prove to be quite useful Hmm, you sure? Ok, lets see Kargos received the Moon Specter from Sungjin and inspected it. The Moon Specters appearance couldnt be more worn out; He had found it buried within an ancient Columbarium. The paint had long since peeled off, and the pommel was terribly damaged. But Kargos inspected the sword without minding its state, and then he pulled out the blade from the scabbard. Ooh He exclaimed once he saw the sharp edge of the blade. This is a Legendary Class weapon. He recognized the weapon in a single glance. Yes. Do you have Enhancement stones? Legendary items require three stones. I brought three. Sungjin took three out of the cube and handed it over. Hmm Very good. Ill take care of this guy. When should I come to pick it up? Sungjin knew the process from having enhanced Blood Vengeance in the past. But Moon Specter was a different item. But Kargos gave the same answer as when he had taken Blood Vengeance to enhance. Tomorrow morning. Tomorrow morning it is. Yes. 8 in the morning about one hour before the raid start. Sungjin nodded. It wasnt too bad. All he had to do was just come by in the morning. He had asked out of worry that he might not get the sword back in time. Understood. Then Ill leave it in your capable hands. Sungjin said. Kargos then held out his hands, palms facing up. 10,000 Black Coins. Ah Sungjin had forgotten. Enhancements required money. Sungjin asked the Operator, Operator, how many coins do I have right now? [12,146.] Sungjin quickly did the math in his head. I still have 3 unsold items left over from last time; I put up 7 new items todaya total of 10 Depending on competition and number sold, Sungjin expected anywhere from 30~50,000 coins. 20,000 for Star of the Nameless, 15,000 for Gourmets Glasses 35,000 Sungjin felt he could afford to spend 10,000 coins here. No items were as urgent as improving his item. The only thing that bothered him was being unable to buy the Elixir, but it was something that could be solved with money later. It was more important to buy items for the moment. About the Elixir I can probably take my time. While Sungjin was taking time weighing his options, Kargos added You could also pay when you come to pick it up. Really? Yeah well if you arent able to pick up your item because of lack of funds, youre the only one in trouble, right? He was right. The Moon Specter was worth far more than 10,000 coins. Legendary crafting material Enhancement Stone was without a question priceless. Leaving behind his weapon here without picking it up was like leaving his clothes with a dry cleaner and not coming back to pick his things up. Sungjin nodded. Then Ill just pay when I return to pick up the sword. This was better for Sungjin. He would be able to plan his budget better after he got his receipts from the auction. Kargos nodded. Okay. Sungjin decided to ask Ah and I heard from before Yeah? I heard that if you have two of the same item, you could get something called Synergy or something Ah, yea. Thats possible. If you have two items, you can Combine them. Combine? Yeah. You can mix identical items and multiply the effects. The rating rises by one level. And then how is it related to enhancement stones? Combining items have the same effect as using the Enhancement stone. But instead of Enhancement stone, you are using two items. And the number needed? The number is the same as with Enhancement stone. To raise the rating from heroic to legendary, you need another identical item or one enhancement stone. To go from Legendary to Unique legendary, you need three identical items or three Enhancement Stones. Understand? Sungjin turned towards the Operators Cube. Operator, give me Yanhurat. Both of them. Two Yanhurats came out of the cube. Sungjin handed it over to Kargos. They are Heroic class items. Kargos inspected the Yanhurats and glanced towards Sungjin and said This is quite a dangerous item. Great effects but terrible consequence. Sungjin nodded. I know. But if you add these two items, it improves not only the effect but also the side effect will you be okay with this? Sungjin bit his lip. Yes it is not an item I would ever use other than dire circumstances. Yes, Sungjin never relied on the strength of Yanhurat unless it was absolutely necessary, like when he was not yet strong enough in chapter 2 against Ahenna, or when he met the crazy strong boss Calian in chapter 8. If he was going to keep it around as his last resort, then it was better to have maximized risk/reward. Ok then I could combine them immediately Except it will cost 3000 coins. And the fee is non-negotiable. It was a small price to pay for the return on investment. Sungjin said Ok, please do it now. Kargos took the Yanhurats into the smithy and placed them into a box and asked Sungjin Hey, do you know this box? Its quite a famous one. Sungjin shook his head. It was an item he had never seen before. He had only ever enchanted items here in the past. He had never combined items. Really? I guess some people dont know. Kargos shook the box twice. From the box Jiiang! A burst of light shot out accompanied by a loud noise. Kargos calmly opened the box and handed the Yanhurat to Sungjin. The Operators Cube gave an announcement. [Congratulations. Legendary item Yanhurat C Mad Gods Whisper obtained. Sungjin lifted up the new item to inspect it. Yanhurat C Mad Gods Whisper Legendary Necklace Passive Skill Indomitable (II) Immune to all types of restraints and debuffs. 10 Second duration. Active Skill Zealot (V) Increase damage and speed by 500% for 30 seconds. Reduce HP to 1/5 after the effect ends. Necklace with the sealed power of the Mad God Yanhurat. His faint whisper can be heard from the necklace. Whoa Sungjin carefully looked over the necklace. It was unbelievably more powerful. The effect jumped up from 3X to 5X the speed and power. 5 times more powerful than now It would be near impossible for any other hunter to even follow his movements with their eyes. But in return, the penalty would reduce his HP to 1/5. Having only 1/5 HP remaining would be dangerous even for Sungjin. The Item doesnt say it, but there was another hidden penalty; unbelievable rebound right after use. The item explosively increased strength and speed for a short time, so not only did HP decrease, it would temporarily limit the strength and speed of the user afterwards. Since the item had upgraded specs, the rebound would be even worse than before. As Sungjin was looking at the item Kill! I said Kill them! The voice of Yanhurat was yelling faster than before. Sungjin jumped back in surprise and hurriedly put the item away in the cube. The effects have upgraded but now I have to be even more careful when using it. Kargos asked Sungjin innocently How is it? Its great. Then Ill see you tomorrow for the Moon Specter. Ah, Ok. Sungjin left the Smithy after finishing his business and returned to the Ninety Nine Nights where Dalupin and his comrades were waiting. At the front yard of the Inn Woof! Kii? Cain and the baby Griffin Rajenta were playing. Cain had by now fully matured and Rajenta was only just a newborn, but they were already similar in size. They were of different species after all. When they noticed Sungjin approaching, they stopped playing and came running towards him. Rajenta even flapped his wings on the way. Sungjin embraced his two beasts as he said Haha! Im back, lets go inside Cain, Rajenta. Brrrr The ghost stallion Shadowrun was waiting calmly in the stable, unlike the two animals. Sungjin had no opportunity to use him recently, but there would be a time when he is needed. When Sungjin entered the inn, he saw the last summon. Welcome back Master. I am glad to see you are well. Magician Soldamyr greeted him in. Im glad to see you as well. Sungjin sat down at the nearest table. Dalupin came forward to ask Welcome back. What should I get for you? Yes, I would like Sungjin thought about it for a moment and named the first food that came to mind. Hamburger. Please give me a hamburger. Two paddies of meat and two layers of cheese. Lots of lettuce. Understood. While Sungjin was ordering food, he noticed Cain and Rajenta. Have those two eaten? Ah, you typically eat with them, so I havent fed them yet. Ah thank you very much. Please also serve them food when you finish the burgers. Understood. It is said that eating together improved trust between people. It was no different for animals. Once the dinner was ordered, Sungjin folded his arms and leaned back on the chair. Cain and Rajenta were playfully nudging each other. Then he remembered something. Sungjin said to the cube. Operator Was it the Fruit of Evolution? Give it to me. Note: The Unique in Unique Legendary means there can only be one of its kind like we have seen in the case of the book Romance of the Three Kingdoms. But we think it might not be correct when it comes to weapons (The author has used the same term for the higher grade of weapons as seen in the chap). We are asking the author regarding the term and will update accordingly. Chapter 92 Chapter 92 C Black Market Ninth Shopping (3) Sungjin held Merka C Pulp of Evolution without much thought. But as soon as the item emerged from the cube, Kr? Aru? Cain and Rajenta stopped rolling around and fell silent. They were staring at the fruit in Sungjins hands. Hmm? Whats going on? Sungjin was tilting his head. Soldamyr swallowed audibly as he said What an enticing fruit. Enticing? Sungjin moved the fruit closer to take another whiff of the fruit. Blagh It still smelled strange But all three of the summons had their eyes glued on the fruit as if it was the most delicious smelling food in the world. Soldamyr tried to appear calm, but he couldnt look away, and Cain was uncharacteristically panting with his tongue out. Rajenta was trying to climb on top of Sungjins knees. Kaa! Go away Rajenta; Im not giving it to you. Sungjin pushed Rajenta away. But from the door, Hiii! Even Shadowrun had come. Sungjin put the item away for now. Rajenta flew up and pecked the cube few times with its beak. Of course, the Cube remained unscathed. Just what Soldamyr answered Sungjins question. I believe that it is a fruit that contains a large amount of Mana. To tell you the truth, I felt a strong compulsion to eat that fruit as soon as I noticed it. Really? Yes. I have never partaken in alcohol or smoking but Id imagine that it was similar to an alcoholic man getting a whiff of a drink. He must be onto something about the fruit containing large amounts of mana, judging by how Cain and Rajenta were still staring at the cube. Thankfully Sir Hunter, your dinner is served. Dalupin arrived with a large burger and plates of Raw meat. Cain and Rajenta turned their attention to their own dinners. Sungjin picked up the burger Dalupin had brought him and thought. This item I should only give it to a summon when none of the others can witness it. He took a big bite out of the hamburger. Crunch The sound of the crispy lettuce crunching in his mouth was followed by the soft bread, the succulent meat, and the thick flavor of the cheese coming together in his mouth. Mmm~ Sungjin let out a satisfied moan as he began eating his burger. While he was busy eating his meal, the Operator suddenly gave an announcement. [The chosen one requested your teleportation.] At the same time, the image of Franz appeared above the cube. [Will you accept the request? 10, 9] Hmm? Sungjin stopped eating his burger and stared at the image. [7, 6, 5] Franz looked nervous, with his arms crossed and tapped his feet. [4, 3, 2] It looked like the time would run out if Sungjin just stared at the image. Sungjin said to the cube Okay I accept. [Teleport request accepted.] As soon as the words had left his mouth Sungjin vanished from the spot and reappeared in the Black market. Seeing Sungjin appear next to him Franz couldnt help but exclaim Oh! In surprise. It works! YYeah Sungjin took a look around. This was close to the auction house at the center of the Black Market. It looked the same as his market, but it appeared that he had really teleported elsewhere. Franz asked Sungjin How is this possible? Sungjin was about to answer when he felt a pang of hunger. The hamburger he bit into was gone. Sungjin asked Franz. Have you eaten dinner yet? No, not yet. Then lets first eat then talk. Sounds good to me. The two men entered into the entertainment district of the Black Market. * [Welcome! This is Yaochans ThumThum] [A shop selling many different kinds of steamed buns.] What would you like to eat, Mr. hunters? A bulky bear demihuman approached them. Being called Hunters felt awkward, as he had always shopped alone. But the shop owner didnt seem to find it strange that there were two hunters present. As if Sungjins presence was expected. Sungjin ordered first. Mandu Soup, please. And Shrimp Gyoza. Franz ordered as well Ahwell what he ordered. Once the order was made, the men fell silent. It wasnt like they had become best of friends after just one raid. They were slightly awkward. What should I say? Sungjin was unsure how to proceed. But Oh yeah you asked earlier, how is this possible? Ah, yes. So basically He was looking straight at Sungjin. But the only thing Sungjin could tell him now was I will let you know when the time is right. So its a secret for now. That was it. Sungjin had thought this earlier, but allowing him to know about Darker than Black was still too early. If he recklessly tells people about the shop, an uncontrollable development may occur. Ready you say? Yes, not only for you but for me as well. Going from dimension to dimension The Bear demihuman interrupted them Your food is ready Gyoza and steaming bowls of Mandu Soup were brought to them. Sungjin picked up the chopstick and said Is a quite a dangerous thing. It was not a lie. To begin with, Trolls were those who aimed to monopolize points by murdering their own teammates. They broke an unspoken rule to take more points, so they were naturally stronger than most others. And because they had no inhibitions about attacking others, those with a similar level of skill were put at a large disadvantage. Of course, it was different for a Troll hunting specialist like Sungjin. So I will keep it a secret for now. When the time is right, I will let you know. Thankfully, Franz did not pry further. Ok understood. Then please let me know when the time comes. Sungjin nodded and continued to eat the Mandu with his fork. Sungjin thought 10/10 reaction. If he had demanded to know at this point, Sungjin would have regretted baptising him. Oh by the way, what is your name, Sir Adjudicator? I cant continue to call you Adjudicator, now can I? Sungjin looked at him and said K. He told him his cover name. There was no reason to let anyone know his real name. He was becoming used to the new name anyhow. Ah, I see. Kei. I dont know how this happened but thank you for choosing me. Sungjin replied Well, there are lots of reasons why I chose you but first, about that buff, you can probably tell that I am quite strong. Yes, I understand better than anyone how strong you are. And the stronger I become, the more power up you get. Franz nodded. What I want from you is cooperation. To work together in overcoming the final raid together Cooperation, you understand right? Of course. But isnt the raid designed for us to work together already? Yes. but along the way, there are plenty of people who have stopped wanting to cooperate with others. You mean Trolls? Yes. Have you come across them? Yes. Twice. Once at the Cemetery. Once at the Plateau. I took too much Contribution so they became jealous of me. As Sungjin thought, Franz had already met trolls. But the fact that Franz was sitting here eating soup with Sungjin meant that the one who died was not himself. Do you have the Adjudicator title? No, what does the title do? The title allows you to claim two items when you kill a troll. Oooh I would love to have a title like that. Those bastards Franz stopped eating to grip his fork tightly. This side of Franz reminded Sungjin of the time Franz came charging towards him. Oh yeah he was this kind of guy. The title of Adjudicator fits him better than I. Sungjin thought. Anyway, there are always trolls. Even when only a few people remain they ar will still exist. Sungjin was about to say are there and corrected himself since he couldnt reveal that he had experienced things before. So my goal is to eliminate trolls and gather people like you who are, well so to speak, cooperative and good individuals to finish the raid together. Thats a great plan. Franz looked at Sungjin with sparkling eyes. Yes. As you might have noticed from your Chosen One title my stats, you can have as much as 20% of it as bonus. In other words, the stronger I become, the stronger you become. You understand, right? Yes Franz nodded. I will continue to become stronger. Which is to say you will become stronger as well. So when there are not very many remaining, in the end, I hope to find you there. That is no problem. If I cant even survive with his kind of buff It means that I have no right to be there in the first place. If there is something you cant overcome yourself, you can call upon my help once a day. I can help take care of business on your behalf. Ah, I dont think Ill need to do that though But in case of Hidden bosses or trolls Franz became serious at Sungjins words. If I come across a troll, I will kill them myself. Sungjin grinned. Ok. Good. Ill rely on you. No, Ill definitely be the one to rely on you. And so the two men shook hands over the bowls of Mandu Soup. Afterwards, the men exchanged small talks. So Franz, are you German? No, I am Austrian Which is closely related to the German people. What about you, Kei? Ah, I am Korean. * Once the dinner was over, Sungjin said to him From now on if you dont have anything else to do, call for me at 6 pm. Itd be nice to share dinner with someone else, right? That sounds great. Ah, and I have one more tip. There is a ring merchant close to the weapon shop. Go and buy a Ring of the Rich and equip it. Ring of the Rich? Yeah. Most people arent aware of it but it is an extremely cost efficient item. Make sure you buy it. Understood. Sungjin said to him at last Ok then Until next time. In Be careful of the next raid. Ok. Sungjin was about to return to his own dimension when he remembered something. Oh yeah. Yes? Theres something I have to do before I go. Sungjin said to the Operator Operator, please give me Cains Wooden Figurine, Soldamyrs lamp, Rajentas egg, and Shadowruns medallion. Items poured out of the cube. Hmm Sungjin stared at them and then picked up Cains Wooden Figurine. He threw it in the air. A bull sized Cain was summoned to the Black Market. Awooo~ Sungjin said to the Operator after watching Cain howl. Give me the fruit too. When the Merka Fruit appeared, Cain was transfixed upon the fruit. Sungjin threw the fruit towards Cain. You wanted to eat it right? He picked Cain for two reasons. First, Cain was continuing to grow larger and larger. In terms of being close to the milestone, Cain would be the closest. Second, Cain was his oldest Summon that Sungjin was most comfortable utilizing in combat. If anyone deserved to be empowered, it was Cain. Cain devoured the fruit in one bite. His entire body was enveloped in bright light, and then he grew rapidly. Sungjin was forced to turn his eyes away due to the blinding light, but the Operator was the one to tell him the result. [Congratulations. Legendary item Grand Kin C Master of the Forest Obtained.] Chapter 93 Chapter 93 C Black Market Ninth Shopping (4) After the blinding rays of light subsided, Sungjin and Franz stared at the gigantic figure of Cain standing before them. He was about double the previous size. His eyes were level with Sungjin now. The suddenly-taller Cain took a look at himself and then Awoo~ Let out a long howl. He sounded quite pleased. Just then, Sungjin noticed that the figurine had changed as well. The figurine was larger and slightly glossy. It was looking more like Cain now. Sungjin held the item up for inspection. Grand Kin C Master of the Forest Legendary Summon Special ability C Spiritual Link (Grand Kin) Spiritual Link(Grand Kin) C Loyal Familiar, Summon Grand Kin. If Summon is killed, or if 10 minutes pass from the time of summoning, it disappears. Grand Kin who inherited the Forest from his mother. According to legend, he can communicate with other creatures of the forest and command the spirits. Whoa Sungjin was staring at the screen. Franz was also standing wide mouthed. This from chapter 2? He must have mistaken Cain for Ahenna. Although, the current form of Cain looked just like her. Grr? Cain walked towards Franz. Perhaps due to his size, Franz unconsciously took a step back. Whao Cain tilted his head and turned to look at Sungjin. He began to resemble a human. Master, who is he? How can you be in the Black Market together with him? He seemed to ask with his gaze. Sungjin pet his head and said Hes my comrade. Just like you are mine. Comrade. Cain seemed amazed and turned to resume staring at Franz. Sniff sniff He smelled the air as if trying to memorize the scent. Sungjin said to Franz He is my friend Cain. As you can see he is a wolf but he is the most dependable ally. I see. Now that the Comrade was mentioned, he thought of something. Oh yeah about that Please tell me. Sungjin scratched his head and said What do you think of taking 10% penalty from Raid reward in Coins? 10% Is this about the Ring of the Rich? Didnt you say that it would give me additional 10% instead? Eh? Sungjin stopped as if he was hit in the head. Now that he thought of it, buying Ring of the Rich would eliminate the 10% penalty. Ah in that case follow me. While on the way to the Jeweler, Sungjin told Franz about the penalty. Of course, not everything was revealed. This is a secret but in order for me to Choose someone, it needs the sacrifice of another. A permanent 10% reduction in coin reward that kind of sacrifice. Really? What I want is for you to also partake in that sacrifice. If you can handle that burden, it will allow me to select another Chosen as a Comrade. Ohh While they were exchanging words, they arrived at the Jeweler. Sungjin asked as soon as he entered the shop Meridian, Heart of Gold C Ring of the Rich please. Alright The Cat shop owner retrieved a simple blue sapphire ring from the back. Sungjin said to Franz Ill buy this for you. Its only 500 coins But Meridian took away the ring and said Wait! This isnt 500 coins. Hmm? Sungjin was shocked. That was a long time ago. Its 5000 coins now. What? Sungjin exclaimed. Meridian explained This item gets more expensive as time passes. Its such a popular item that the price fluctuates. She was right. He had received between 500~1000 coins in bonus last round. So if this only cost 500 coins, he would see a return on his investment the very next round. Anyone who is aware of this rings existence would save up to buy it ASAP. But 5000 coins is too expensive! Sungjin was beginning to get angry. Meridian replied in a calm voice Its still on the cheap side. Further on the raid, this becomes even more expensive. I cant give you any discount. You know already right? The rules of this place? There was no such thing as barter. Ugh Franz stepped forward. Ahh Kei, Ill buy this myself. Its supposed to be my item anyway. But I am just trying to use it to reduce your penalty You already gave me an incredible amount of stat points. If I could pay just 5000 Black Coins to buy this much stats, I would buy it a hundred more times. And I do have some coins left anyhow. Before Sungjin could reply Please give me that. He immediately bought the ring from Meridian. And then Now on to the next He faced Sungjin. Sungjin stared at him for a moment before presenting the Helix Ring. * When Sungjin returned to the Ninety Nine Nights, Dalupin was cleaning away Sungjins uneaten burger. Ah You disappeared and didnt return for a while, so I was cleaning up now. Sungjin said to him Dont worry and clean up. I ate somewhere else. And Cain was behind him Grr~ He was unable to enter the Inn and was stuck outside. Youll probably have to feed him double the amount. Dalupin saw Cains figure and replied Ah youre probably right. He nodded. Rajenta stared at Cains enlarged body and Kaa? He hid himself behind a chair. It would be difficult for them to roll and fool around like before. Soldamyr saw Cain and understood that Sungjin must have given him the fruit. Cain is looking more dependable now. Yes. On the next opportunity, it will be your turn, Soldamyr. No no, even if I were to eat that thing, I doubt much would change in me. Is that so? While Sungjin was exchanging words with him, Dalupin approached them with a stack of papers. Here are the receipts from the auction, and the information page on the next Raid. Sungjin first checked the information sheet. Information pertaining to Red Dragons Lair This time reading the information sheet in detail was important. Sungjin put the sheet into his vest and sat on the table to review the receipts. This is 3000 the minimum price. Damn I should have sold it for more. This one is 5300! Nice! Oh! 7000 instant buy?! Lets see, Knight of the Emperor? An excellent title. Must be skilled and wealthy. Sungjin counted the coins like a child receiving his allowance and put the receipts one by one into the cube. He had sold 9 out of 10 items up for auction. He was now so experienced with selling via the Auction that he could be considered a master. Sungjin asked the Operator So how much did I make this time? [41151 Coins] Whats the total then? [50297 Coins.] The most pressing item is Star of the nameless at 20,000 coins. Gourmets monocle 15,000 coins. And Moon Specters Enhancement cost of 10,000. 45,000 Coins in total I have enough. He would have 5000 coins remaining after buying everything he needed. It was because the income from the Auction was higher than he expected. 5000 coins left I should get the Elix Then he remembered. Oh wait Recharging the marbles He had forgotten for a moment. He would need 5000 coins to recharge all five of them. His remaining funds were 297 Black Coins. Ok, Elixir is for next time then Sungjin got up after making up his mind. He had finally finished everything he needed to for today. The only thing that was left to do was to shower and rest. But once again, he remembered Nada If she checked her status screen, it would have resolved her misunderstanding of his intentions. And if she checked the Chosen One title, she would be aware that she is able to call him. I wonder if she will call me Sungjin looked out into the darkness through the window. But throughout the night, [The chosen one requested your teleportation.] No such announcement came. * Here is the Star of the Nameless, Gourmets Monocle. Sungjin gathered them from the table. Finally, the man handed over five brightly sparkling marbles. And they are done recharging. Sungjin put all the marbles away. And finally he took out the white coin and said in a business-like tone One more Holy Water please. But at his request, The Man grinned with a knowing smile. Eh, are you enjoying the Holy Water? Yes. His grin grew revealing his teeth. Hmm Ok, good luck. A distasteful laughter. Sungjin wanted to leave. But then the man said one more thing. The next raid is the Red Dragons Lair. This was the first time he ever mentioned anything about the raid. Sungjin turned and said Yes. Hmm Well, good luck. The Red Dragon is well a historical and a powerful being. A strange nuance; As if he was hiding something. I know. Sungjin replied and left the shop. It was still dark outside. Operator, time? [4:45 AM.] Is Moon Specter done upgrading? The Smithy was on the way to the Ninety Nine Nights anyway, located to the south. It was only a slight detour to visit the Smithy first. He felt that it couldnt do any harm to visit it on his way back, since if it was already done he wouldnt have to make a second trip later. Well, there is nothing to lose. Sungjin made up his mind and turned his feet towards the smithy. It was still before the first twilight of the day. Clang! Clang! He could hear metal clash against each other in the distance. Sungjin continued to walk over to the Smithy. He saw Kargos hammering away, sweating buckets late into the night. Sungjin got quite close to him, but he continued to hammer away not having realized that Sungjin had arrived. Clang! Clang! Sungjin continued to stand silently as to avoid distracting him. Kargos continued to hammer away for another hour. Clang! Clang! He hammered and hammered until finally he dipped the entire length of the sword into the cold water and extracted it. The Moon Specters bluish blade reflected the moonlight and became even more vibrant. Kargos closely inspected the blade and muttered to himself (although he wasnt alone) Whew almost done. What a difficult item to work with. But definitely worth the extra effort. A blade with this much Death Ki And at that moment, Sungjin who had been watching for over an hour finally interrupted him. Thank you for your hard work Kargos. Oh My Goodness! Kargos flinched as if he had seen a ghost. You surprised me! How long were you standing there for? Since just a moment ago. Kargos calmed his rapidly beating heart. Well anyway, the sword is finished. This was most definitely a possessed sword a ghost blade. Sungjin was surprised to hear that. Oh, you were able to tell? It is a sword with the power of a spirit Of course I can tell. And His voice trailed off. He then said Well, see for yourself. He handed over the newly upgraded Moon Specter to Sungjin. Editors Note: So do yall want an April fools from us tomorrow? Honestly, I have no idea what to do and spending time to mess with a chapter to fool yall might just earn me the ire of many which also doesnt seem like a great idea. Hmm, thinking of not doing it Chapter 94 Chapter 94 C Black Market Ninth Shopping (5) Sungjin checked the updated and upgraded Moon Specters status screen. The Operator brought up the display shortly. Moon Specter C Possessed sword of the Malevolent Spirit Unique Legendary Katana C Strength SS Dexterity S Mind A Passive Soul Absorption(IV) Recover 4% of the total mana per hit. Blessing of the Ghost(I) C Spirit of the Ghost Blade protects the user. Active Skill Deathly Wail (IV) A ghost will roam the vicinity for 10 seconds to induce strong fear in all nearby creatures. Cooldown 20 minutes Sword possessed by a malevolent Spirit Many things had changed. Sungjin checked each stat, comparing them to his memory. Strength and Dex and the mind all rose by a tier. Soul Absorption rose by 2% Blessing of the Ghost? Whats that? Deathly Wail changed to a continuous type. But 20 minute cooldown? Thats too long! Should I just be happy that the effect upgraded from fear to strong fear? Sungjin was checking the changes one by one when We finally meet, Master. He heard a soft feminine voice coming from the sword. He was shocked on hearing it and stared at his sword. Kargos grinned when he saw Sungjins reactions. He must have heard her voice while working. I have always been protecting you, but I was unable to greet you until now. I am Moon Specter, the spirit sealed within the blade. Sungjin said to her You are the ghost from the cemetery That is correct. You were unafraid of my appearance and even decided to keep the sword I am bound to. Most people ran away due to my appearance I died once too He didnt tell her what he was thinking and instead replied Thank you. I have defeated many of my foes with your help. I am glad to hear that. Sungjin felt a little embarrassed when he noticed that Kargos was watching him exchange words with the ghost. Like with Besgoro, speaking with the spirits would look like he was talking to himself. Sungjin bowed deeply towards Kargos. Thank you for your hard work. Yeah. Go ahead and draw the sword first. Sungjin did as the blacksmith asked and pulled out the sword from the scabbard. Wow Sungjin couldnt help but exclaim when he saw the blade. The blade of the Moon Specter had always been impressive, but it looked even more sinister and fancy. Kargos said I noticed that a spirit was sealed into the blade while working on it so I put in a bit more effort in fixing it up. Its like someones home you know. Thank you very much But you know about the scabbard I havent gotten started on it yet, so its the same as before If you just wait another hour, I can make you a new one. No no, theres no need. Ill use the old one. Are you sure? Its so worn out. No, it will be fine. I like it better this way. Sungjin shook his head. The Moon Specters worn out appearance was better. The visual of a specter jumping out of a tattered and aged scabbard was like a scene out of a horror movie. Fear is more effective when it is unexpected. Yeah? Then do as you please. Then Ill go ahead and hand over the fee now. Ah alright. Sungjin sent forth his cube to complete the transaction of 10,000 coins. Thank you. Ill be back again. Sungjin left once he bid goodbye. He headed towards the Ninety Nine Nights after leaving the smithy. Meanwhile, he asked the most pressing question in his mind. How did you become sealed in the blade? I always had a weak body since young. I was 20 when I died of an illness. My parents mourned my death and anchored my soul to the Columbarium. I grieved my fate, but I found solace in that place. Sungjin recalled the Columbarium the day he found Moon Specter. It was old and weathered, but it still looked like it was well decorated when it was first built. But the day after I died, the Necromancer Oryx appeared at my grave and cast a strange spell upon me. He had known of my passing at a young age and intended to turn me into a banshee Necromancer Oryx. He was the Greysoul Cemeterys hidden boss. I put up a fight, so Oryx sealed me within one of my fathers swords. That is why I was unable to move on and was forced to wander around the sword. Yeah Necromancer Oryx I killed him though? Yes, you had slain him using me. Thanks to you I was able to get my revenge. Sungjin tried to remember the event. Now that he thought of it, he had obtained the sword before fighting Oryx. He had no idea he was carrying out her revenge for her at the time. I would like to thank you once more. No need. I only did it because of the mission anyway. But are you okay? Continuing to fight while trapped in that sword? Yes, It is fine. At first, I was afraid but I am used to it now Its fun watching everyone run away terrified of me. Dont you want to move on? No. Things are fine as they are now. Ill move on when the time is right. Her words made him feel strange, hearing from a 20 year old virgin lady that she had grown accustomed to the bloody battle. Oh yeah, what does the Blessing of the Ghost passive do? How does it activate? After I became a ghost, my perception had vastly improved. Well not really perception more like 6th sense? If something dangerous is happening without your awareness, I will give you a warning. He wasnt sure how yet, but it sounded like it could be useful. Really? Thanks. Youre welcome. While exchanging words with her, he recalled Besgoros existence. Ive got two ghosts now at least this lady seems calm enough could they speak to each other? If they could Besgoro is a perverted old man who cant keep his eyes off of young ladies Even as he thought so, he said to Moon Specter Well, I look forward to working with you as always. Me as well. Sungjin arrived at the Ninety Nine Nights while having a conversation with her. He arrived next to Cain who had grown so large that he could no longer enter the inn. Woof grr Sungjin had an idea of what Cain wanted to convey. Ah.. I was just retrieving this When Sungjin lifted up the sword to show Cain, Cain looked around, as if he was seeing something invisible. Hmm I think Ive heard that animals could see ghosts with their eyes Yeah, I came with the lady. Im not sure if you were aware of her since before though. He said as he entered the inn. Behind him Arf woof! Cain barked. Sungjin said to him Ok, see you in a bit Cain. * Gourmets Monocle use with Romance of the Three Kingdoms Star of the nameless Star of the Nameless would come in handy throughout the chapter. Use Master Hunter to start, switch to Treasure Hunter for the hidden pieces, and finally Adjudicator for troll hunting. Operator equip the Master Hunter title. [Applied.] Sungjin had activated the Master Hunter Title for the first time in a while. Afterwards, he allocated his points. 2000 to Strength, 2000 to Dexterity, 1000 to Endurance, 1000 to Magic Power, and 3853 to Mind Power. [Applied.] How do my stats look now? Title: Master Hunter HP: 108100 MP: 127990 Strength: 18086 13912 (+ 4174) Dexterity: 18971 14593 (+ 4378) Endurance: 10810 8315 (+ 2495) Magic Power: 7955 6119 (+ 1836) Mind Power: 12799 9845 (+ 2954) Unallocated Points: 0 The main goal of stat allocation was the continual growth of Strength Dexterity and Endurance. Followed by Mind power and Magic power. If Magic power rose by too much, then he would only be able to cast spells once or twice. He had the help of Moon Specter and the Lichs finger to assist in regaining mana, but he needed high Mind Power to use multiple spells per fight. More so if he wanted to chain spells together with Besgoro. Now that Sungjin was looking at his stats, he thought I should start allocating points as soon as I get them so that it could benefit the people who receive buffs from me. The Chosen One receives 20% of his basic stat points. If he allocates the points earlier, they can benefit from his stats. The stronger the Chosen Ones become, the easier the end game would become. Once he finished allocating points, Sungjin prepared his gear one by one. If one thing changed, it was that he had Moon Specter as the starting weapon. In the past, he had left the Moon Specter on his side at times due to having lower attack rating than Blood Vengeance, and lower Magic resist compared to the Artemio, using it primarily for the Ghastly Wail. But now the stats of the sword outshone both of the other two swords. Dont worry. Ill slowly upgrade you guys as well. Once he was done double-checking his things, he took out Besgoro and equipped it. Finally, Besgoro said to him I missed you, although it has only been a day. Sungjin shook his head. No thanks. But whats this feeling Sungjin felt a premonition. No way can he sense Moon Specter? But Ah, Hello Mr Besgoro. I can hear the two of you speak. Moon Specter was the first to speak. Ooh I see that the Moon Specter lady is now able to communicate as well. Congratulations congratulations. Thank you. The worst case scenario came to pass. Sungjin cringed thinking that Besgoro was going to make sexually harassive statements towards Moon Specter with him stuck in the middle. Sungjin, worrying for the future, preemptively said I forbid you from speaking to each other. It cant be helped if you are conversing with me, but speaking with each other without me present is absolutely not okay. Ok. Understood, Master. The two ghosts agreed for now. Sungjin decided to put the final nail in the coffin. Especially you Besgoro grandpa, if you break this rule I will sell you off at the auction house. Okay okay. Anyway what about that boo I mean the glamorous lady, did she not contact you afterwards? Sungjin remembered about Nada. The day had passed and the morning came, but she still had not contacted him. Yes. Sungjin answered feeling downhearted. He came back down to the 1st floor of the Ninety Nine Nights. Dalupin, Vanilla Latte and one slice of cheesecake. Understood Mr Hunter. Once the breakfast was ordered, he began to read the Information regarding the Red Dragons Lair in great detail. The next raid was the 10 man Raid. No matter how strong Sungjin had become, this was no longer a format of Raid he could complete alone. Sungjin read the note while munching away at the cake. And when the time came, he was teleported. To the Red Dragons Lair. Editor: Poor Besgoro getting CBd by Sungjin xD Glossary will soon be updated for the items and there will be character names as well Chapter 95 Chapter 95 C Red Dragons Lair Black clouds blocked out the sun. Ash fell like rain from the sky, and scalding gas shot out of the cracks in the earth. Lava flowed down the path, melting all in its way. Sungjin arrived in the middle of the cave. A round obsidian above helped keep the temperature down. The Operator began an explanation. [Welcome. This is the Angor Volcano] [It is the place where the Fire Dragon Khal Gal made his lair.] [Please be warned. The Red Dragon Khal Gal just reached full maturity] [and is infamous for his brutality.] The level of difficulty for this raid was really high. If the ten hunters arent able to cooperate effectively, then it was purgatory time for everyone. Sungjin stopped to try and recall the events from the past. Its been a while. I thought I was going to die here for sure. During the previous raid, the tank had died and Sungjin was forced to take vanguard, but he was blown away by a single strike from the dragons paws leaving him in a half-dead state. By the time he regained consciousness, only 3 of the original 10 were still alive. Now I should be able to pull the same weight as 5 people so the clear shouldnt be impossible but I should still be cautious Just then a terrible thought crossed his mind. But does this map have a hidden boss too? It was difficult to imagine that there would be a boss on this map who was even more powerful than the Red Dragon Khal Gal. In fact, the raid title was Red Dragons Lair; having a creature or being more powerful than a Dragon coexisting in the lair seemed illogical. Well, it is possible. Since not all chapters have hidden pieces He could just check later with the Treasure Hunter skill since he now had Star of the Nameless. But wouldnt it be really difficult alone I think this time I really do need the help of others after the Red Dragon is defeated. I think majority of the hunters While Sungjin was preoccupied with his plans, the Operator announced the arrival of the other hunters. [Synchronizing Hunters.] Nine hunters began to appear around Sungjin. The titles and the gears of the hunters were extravagant by this point since they were wearing the best titles they had obtained during the process of overcoming adversity. The gear was also purchased and sold via the Auction House, allowing them to match their gears more effectively to their style of combat. To the point where they were no longer any different from Sungjin at first glance. But because of that, it could prove to be a problem. Because everyone was strong, they could be unwilling to listen to others. Despite the need for cooperation, their belief that I am great would close their minds and hearts to the words of others. And because there were now 10 individuals, it would be difficult to rally them under one banner. The boss was one thing, but the true difficulty of this raid lay in effectively working as a team. The previous final 10 were annihilated for the same reason. The chance of a troll appearing was higher than ever before. Sungjin prepared to use Jeremiahs Eye Ill preemptively check for anyone having strange thoughts. Meanwhile, someone said Everyone has seen the information sheet right? Lets split up according to roles and discuss our strategy. The 10 hunters split up by roles and began to discuss among themselves. The tanks are us two for this round. We could take turns aggroing the Red Dragon. Is anyone here able to cast recovery Magic? Sungjin was able to use healing magic, but he stayed quiet. If he were to cast spells, he would be able to do it better than anyone else, but pigeonholing him to a healer role was a waste of his abilities. Not to mention he didnt look anything like a healer while carrying three swords. Melee DPS please gather here. The Barbarian wielding a giant Halberd was gathering people. Sungjin went to join them. A total of four hunters were gathered. The Barbarian addressed the group. You should be aware from the information sheet, that the dragon is able to use claws and breath attack from the front, and his tail from the back. We should split up and attack the dragon from the sides. Since being clumped up into one group is a bad idea, splitting up into teams of two will probably be better. How do we decide on the grouping? Well everyone present should have roughly the same level of skill so wouldnt it be okay no matter how we split up? Lets just group up the way we are standing right now. The Barbarian used his giant Halberd to divide Sungjin and himself away from the other two. So Sungjin was put into the Right flank attack group along with the Barbarian. In truth, there was a large difference in skill levelthe other groups were making plans as well. The most obvious was For archers, please try to be wary of the Dragons front. Ill warn you as soon as I think the breath attack is coming, so please dodge it. It was a tall and skinny black man with the title of Immortal. He was taking on the leadership role with his loud voice. He looked just like the black sidekick from Ironman as he passionately gave instructions to the others. Others as well. I will shout out warnings so pay attention to my signals. Sungjin watched him with interest. This gathering of hunters was now considered the cream of the crop; being able to assume the role of the leader in such an environment meant that he was gifted as a leader. Magicians please come here for a moment. What are your school of magics? I use Red and Black Magic. I use Green and White Magic. Its great that your classes dont overlap. After discussing with the magicians, he addressed the four melee DPS. How did you divide the left and right flank attackers? Barbarian indicated Sungjin and himself and said, We are the Right flank. And pointed towards the other two. They are the left. The Immortal glanced over the four men. Then his gaze fell on Sungjin and he froze. Eh? He stared at Sungjin for 3 seconds. Sungjin also stared back. Have we met before? He had difficulty remembering faces of foreigners. He tried to compare faces of other black men he met with the Immortals face. But he couldnt quite grasp it. It was someone he had never met before. But then he said Master Hunter Master Hunter Kei? Hmm? Sungjin was shocked. How did he know my name? Kei was his alias, but very few people were told thus far. The Immortal came forward to shake his hand enthusiastically. He looked even more like the black movie star from Ironman. Whats going on? Theres no way I cant recall anyone that looks like this. While he was thinking so, the man continued to say I wanted to meet you at least once, Master Hunter Kei. Sungjin asked him how did you know my name? I have heard of you. A man on a completely different level from anyone else. Someone skilled enough to clear a chapter alone. His words brought the attention of the other eight hunters onto him. Master Hunter Kei, that is you right? Sungjin didnt respond. He was not in a position where he could deny it. But he decided to ask once more How did come to know my name? A man you saved told me. Who? Hiroaki ah Sungjin realized what had happened. The one spreading rumors about him was the Elite Samurai he had met in the 3rd chapter. Sungjin asked him When did you meet him? Dark Elven City so Chapter 8. He had survived. He was incredibly strong so I praised his skill, saying Ive never met anyone so good with the sword but he said there was a man he couldnt hope to match I asked him for the name and he gave your name. Master Hunter. Master Hunter Kei was the man. I see He had thought something like this might eventually happen later on but this was faster than he expected. Everyone was focused on the two mens conversation. He didnt typically like having the attention focused on him, but this was the moment when he thought it would be the perfect opportunity to utilize Jeremiahs Eye. There was no timing as good as when everyones attention was on him to read their thoughts. Sungjin touched the earring on his left ear as he gave a half-hearted reply. Well, hes such an enthusiastic child he must have exaggerated the truth. He could hear the inner thoughts of the 9 other hunters. Master Hunter I didnt think it was an ordinary Title as I thought That Helm isnt that the head from the vampire castles hidden boss yeah, its the head of the secret boss! Did he kill him? I couldnt even touch him He has a ring on almost every finger. Where did he get all of them? Three swords the worn out one looks terrible but the other two are without a doubt of the legendary class. Hes probably only a little stronger than others its unreasonable to believe he is able to beat chapters alone. Lucky. It looked like this raid was going to be dangerous, having someone strong is really reassuring. Was he really someone that strong? I guess Ill find out since hes going to be on the right flank with me. Where did he get that? How many hidden bosses did he defeat? He has a similar build to Hiro is he really that strong? There was a problem. Because he heard all nine voices at once, he was unable to tell whose voice belonged to whom or properly recall what was said. The only ones he remembered in detail was that of the Barbarian and the Immortal who still grasped his hands. If I want to listen to nine peoples thoughts at once. Its going to require a hell of a concentration Sungjin thought as he addressed the nine others. Even if I am strong, it doesnt change the fact that we will need to cooperate on this round. Please trust one another and let us work together. He heard voices once again. Ah hes strong and a good human being. A great man. Trust? What empty words. How can I trust strangers? There are trolls everywhere. Immortal and two dependable teammates. I guess this raid will go smoothly. Among the voices, one stood out to Sungjin. Ill cooperate for now. At least until but if I monopolize 10 peoples worth of contribution how much would that be? Sungjin focused on the voice. A rough voice. But he didnt know who the owner of the voice was yet. The only two voices he knew for sure was the Immortal and the Barbarian. Sungjin continued to speak. If we work together we will be able to finish this raid without a single casualty. Hmph. I dont know how this raid is going to go but if only two or three remain Ill make my move then. He was a troll without a doubt. He was looking for an opportunity to strike. Sungjin paid a close attention to his voice. Killing the dragon is one thing if I wait for a chance while avoiding harm, an opportunity will That was as far as he heard. The Jeremiahs Eye must have run out of time. The Immortal said Yes, just as you said, we will all get out of this alive if we all work together. He put his hand out among others and said Lets do a cheer before we begin. The others came forward and placed their hands on top of his. Sungjin participated as well. Lets win, go team! He shouted raising his arms. Go team! Sungjin raised his hands but didnt shout along, choosing to concentrate on his hearing. Go team! Among the voices, he heard a familiar rough vocal from before Chapter 96 Chapter 96 C Red Dragons Lair (2) Here it comes! Careful! The Immortal shouted while covering his body with the shield. A magma golem came charging towards them from the distance while letting out immense heat, stomping loudly. The hunters tensed up at its sight. This magma golem was designed to be fought in a group of ten; it was much stronger than normal mobs of most other raids. To compare it to other chapters, it was nearly as strong as the main raid bosses of the other chapters, or perhaps just a little bit weaker. Taking it lightly for being a normal mob could lead to instant death. And if anyone were to die, it would make the later fight against the Red Dragon more difficult. Woosh The Golem swung both of its arms made of Lava. The two tanks of the team, Immortal and Iron Wall each stopped an arm but were pushed back with every strike, even being sent flying a short distance. Meanwhile, the other eight hunters launched their attacks, clubbing and stabbing. Ice Lance! Some fired spells Ssst sst Others fired bolts and arrows. But everyone had to be careful. Being hit by stray droplets of magma would lead to serious burns. Ahh! The barbarian waved his hands as he backed off from the front. The Magician in the back quickly shouted Frozen wall, to me! Ice Shield! He protected the Barbarian with an ice barrier. The Barbarians glove was on fire. A droplet of magma must have landed on him while swinging his spear. He quickly removed his gloves, but it was after he had sustained a severe burn. Seeing his injury, everyone else began to move more cautiously. But one of the key strength of the magma golem was that it had an enormous health pool. Despite ten hunters endlessly smashing against the Obsidian exterior of the golem, it could still fight on. If they didnt have a swordsman like Sungjin who exceeded common sense that is. While the other hunters were focused on the golems front, Sungjin slid between its legs and went to the other side Binding Frost! Frostbite! He fired the chilling air from his hands. Because of the immense heat of the magma, it was difficult to freeze it. It did slow it down slightly and successfully reduced the amount of magma that splashed back. After casting the spell, Sungjin charged towards the golem with the newly upgraded Moon Specter and the Blood Vengeance. But then the magma golem used its left arm to swing towards Sungjin. A Magma Golem does not have front or the back; such logic only worked with humans who had limited joints. The magma golem was able to attack Sungjin without difficulty. Sungjin blocked the arm with the Blood Vengeance on his left hand. Clang! And used the Moon Specter on his right to cut the arm. Then Boom! The arm of the golem which withstood the attack of others sliced off without much difficulty and fell to the ground. The other hunters exclaimed at the sight. Wow The golem looked impervious to all the attacks until now, but Sungjin was able to sever a large portion of its body with a single strike. Truth be told, even Sungjin was shocked. Sungjin looked at the Moon Specter which had upgraded to a Unique Legendary Tier weapon. SSo sharp Last time he faced the Magma Golem, he had used the Blood Vengeance. But in that time, he had to cut the same spot again and again until he could deal a bit of damage. As I thought just one tier makes so much difference Sungjin thought as he began to cut apart the Magma golem. Meanwhile, the other hunters became emboldened and joined in the attack. Soon the Magma golem collapsed on the spot. Whew Everyone let out a sigh of relief. Lets take a quick break before we move on. Everyone who had taken damage including the tanks sat down to take a drink of their potions. Meanwhile, an Asian man came up to Sungjin. His title was Blue Magician. It was the same title Sungjin owned. From the earlier fight, I noticed you used the spell Frostbite you also have high magic power. Excuse me but how much is your magic power right now? Sungjin didnt really want to answer, but he decided to make a half-hearted reply anyway. Well, about five thousand? That should be about right. He couldnt afford to act like a loner in this raid. Ohh, amazing. You have strong physical stats but a high magic power as well. Sungjin focused on his voice rather than his words. This man had an unmasculine soft and high pitched voice. It was very different from the low and raspy voice of the troll. Ahh yeah well Sungjin replied absentmindedly as he checked the other hunters. Everyone was silently recuperating, no one spoke. I need to find out who the hidden troll is So I can make preparations ahead of time. Sungjin wanted to leave the Blue Magician behind and have a conversation with the others. The first person he spoke to was the Royal Ranger, an archer. He was a red headed Caucasian, but his skin was clammy and unshaven, giving him an ill look. Do not judge a book by its cover he knew, but his appearance bothered him regardless. Sungjin approached him and asked Hey, are you alright? He replied Ah, Master Hunter. It was a thick tone, but a clear one. It was not the rough tone of voice he had heard before. And he was polite. I am fine. Thank you for your concern. He was then approached by the black middle aged axe-wielding Destroyer who asked Hey, what is that sword made out of? What are its specs? How did you cut off the golems arm in one strike? He pointed at the Blood Vengeance instead of the Moon Specter. Blood Vengeance was far neater and beautiful in appearance. And he must have thought that it must have been the Blood Vengeance which cut off the arm instead of the Moon Specter. Sungjin picked up the Blood Vengeance and said Well Legendary class. Bought from the Market. Oh really? How amazing. A low tone. But far lower than anyone else. He had a low pitch even among men. So hes not it. Sungjin wanted to speak to two more hunters, but the Immortal announced Okay, lets continue. As you might have read, the chapter has a maze, so it is possible for us to run out of time before we even get to the dragon and die then and there. Everyone prepared to leave, standing up and picking up their equipment. Sungjin was forced to stop searching for the Trolls voice. But Kaa~ phew Someone spat phlegm from behind. A white man who had been smoking all this time, the Friar. He was a healer who mainly used white magic, and had been smoking at every opportunity since the raid began (Sungjin didnt smoke, but there was a merchant who sold cigarettes in the market. Cigarettes were not considered a combat related item, so it was provided for free). Sungjin carefully observed him. He had thought that smoking might have something to do with the roughness of the voice he had heard earlier. But he answered back politely. Master Hunter, right? Are we going? Ah yes. Sungjin nodded Did I get the wrong person? But then he added This raid is proving to be difficult, as expected. We are going to have to cough When he coughed, his voice was identical to what he had heard earlier. If I monopolize 10 peoples worth of contribution how much would that be? Rough voice full of phlegm. It was this guy after all. Despite thinking so, Sungjin said to him I will be giving it my best, Sir Frior. I look forward to your support. Of of course. The guy was pretending to be upstanding. Except for his smoking, he looked very clean and presentable with cleanly shaved beard and short cut hair. I guess the bad guys have to keep up appearances Sungjin thought as he continued to glance at him. He was pretending to be a White Mage healer, but without a doubt, he had spells from other classes as well. Actually, trolling while pretending to be a Healer is extremely advantageous. It is easy to earn the trust of teammates while healing, it does not reveal any aggression, and it allows one to stand in the back while being protected by everyone else, which improves chances of survival. So, he would pretend like this till the end and suddenly strike when one or two people die. If this was the case, then an incredibly dangerous situation could occur. If he pretended to be preoccupied when a heal was needed, he could freely manipulate the number of survivors in a party. Landing a spell or an Arrow on an ally by accident would have you flagged as a troll by the Operator, but a Healer not healing being flagged as a troll is highly unlikely. Sungjin stared at him as he thought Wow he is smarter than I thought. What should I do? He couldnt out him as an undercover troll. The only reason why Sungjin found out was by reading his mind. There was no evidence to present to the others. And at this point, everybody was aware of the 10% penalty for trolling, so unless they were like Franz and were deeply righteous, they would not attack anyone unless they were already flagged as a troll first. Even if Sungjin declared This guy is a troll The only thing he will hear back is And the evidence? So, what the hell do you want us to do? Become a troll first? And etcetera. Well my hands are tied He had no choice but to continue for now. At least until the raid boss, Red Dragon was killed. Well if close to 10 Hunters survive he probably wont try to commit trolling alone. Sungjin decided to focus on defeating the Red Dragons first. This raid was 2 hours and a half hours long. He had to complete the raid as soon as possible in order to go hunt trolls in other raids. But the two tanks in the front stopped walking. The Immortal looked behind and said It is a fork in the road. What should we do? Sungjin tilted his head to look ahead. The pass split into two. The only thing visible inside of the dark caves was the red hot lava lazily running downhill. Sungjin stared at the lava as he thought Where was the boss again? The Dragons Lair was a maze leading from Cavern to Cavern, and within a large cavity in one of those Caverns lay the sleeping Red Dragon Khal Gal. The problem was that Sungjin didnt really remember the path. The first time he had come here, Sungjin had been too preoccupied with survival to worry about remembering exactly what path they had taken. And he had never thought that he would ever return to the Dragons Lair again. Goodness if we get lost here, I wont have time to go hunting for trolls But then the Barbarian stepped forward and said Our priority is killing the red dragon first, right? Since we can increase our contribution points after the fact. Of course Thats right I have the guide title. The title can guide us to the boss. Oh yeah, thats right There was definitely something like that. Henrik from the Cemetery had obtained the same title. The Barbarian glanced at everyone present and said Then I will use it right away. Operator, I will use the Guides special effect. Please show us the way to the boss. The cave to the right became blue. The Barbarian pointed towards that cave and said It must be that way The hunters headed towards the Direction he pointed out. Sungjin followed suit. It sure is nice to have more people sometimes. Chapter 97 Chapter 97 C Red Dragons Lair (3) Krragh! Flames were shot out from the hellhounds maw. The hunters split up to get out of the way and regrouped once the flames had passed. The Immortal standing in front attacked the beasts head with his blunt weapon. Whine The hunters rushed forward to attack the hound as well, and it was soon defeated. The hunters readied themselves to continue to fight. There were two additional hellhounds. But the hounds further ahead already had their heads separated from their bodies. Master Hunter Kei Sungjin swung his swords to remove the blood from the blades as he said I suppose there are no more enemies in this area. The Immortal looked back to the others and asked Anyone in need of a break? No one spoke up. Let us continue then. There was another fork in the road further ahead. The Barbarian stepped forward once more. The Operators cube indicated the left path. But, the blue color was much more intense than the first time. This time it is to the left. Since the color is becoming more intense, we must be getting close. I see. Lets not get careless everyone. Ok, lets go. The Immortal once again rallied the party and led the way. Sungjin walked with the others, standing close to the center of the formation. The Hunters walked down the path until they reached an area where the lava fell like a waterfall and gathered into a pool. It was like a hells version of an onsen, where finding a devil enjoying a lava bath wouldnt feel out of place. And seeing this area triggered a faint memory. Ive seen this before we must be close. Then the Immortal suddenly stopped. A person? A silhouette of a person could be seen in the distance. While the hunters were hesitating, Sungjin remembered and shouted No! Thats! But a spell came flying their way already. Eternal Flames of Hell! Inferno! The fire split into several strands and came flying towards the Hunters. The Hunters were able to get out of the way and dodge the spell due to having been fired from a distance, but this is what the enemy was hoping for. He then Burning flames, protect me! Fire Shield! He covered his entire body with fire and leapt up over 10 meters into the air while gripping his spear, towards the backline of the hunters formation. While the hunters were staring up at him with open mouths, the enemy targetted the Blue Magician standing in the back. Once the Blue Magician realized that he was the target, he quickly chanted Ice Shield! He tried to protect himself with magic, but the Dragon Demihuman easily broke through the barrier with his spear and stabbed the mage through his shoulder. Ahh! Bastard! The nearby hunters swung their weapon towards the enemy, but the spirit fires orbiting the Demihuman targeted the attackers. Wwhat? The hunters all backed off. Meanwhile, the Dragon Demihuman aimed for the Mages neck as he swung his weapon. The one to block the attack was none other than Sungjin. Before the demihuman could stab Pa! Sungjin fired the Blood Vengeance out of his hands and had it strike the tip of the spear. When his attack was interrupted, the ranged hunters fired arrows and bolts towards the enemy. The Demihuman jumped high into the air to dodge the attacks and chanted a spell. Incinerate everything in your path! Fireball! There was no way to dodge the Fireballs explosion. Even if it doesnt cause fatalities, it would delay the raid. Sungjin had Besgoro chant Spell-devouring magic field, Anti Magic Shield To protect the hunters as he Haa! Retrieved the Blood Vengeance. Boom! The fireball landed on the magic shield. But there was no additional damage. Once Sungjin verified the situation, he readied his two swords and charged towards the Dragon Demihuman. The Dragon Demihuman was a master of both spells and spears. Clang clack! The enemy spun his spear rapidly to face off against Sungjins swords. But what he couldnt predict was that neither of Sungjins swords was ordinary. Sungjins swords were able to cut off the thick arm of the Magma Golem like a hot knife through butter. The spear was shortened with each touch of his blade. The enemy panicked due to losing his ability to melee and prepared to run, but Sungjin was not someone who would him escape. Snake Eye The Basilisks eye on the necklace opened. The Dragon Demihuman briefly paused and Sungjin used the Moon Specter to behead him. Whoa The hunters standing behind Sungjin stared at him. Most of them had their jaws hanging open. Few even gave an applause. Sungjin felt bashful with so much attention and gestured as he suggested Then let us continue. The Immortal closed his mouth and nodded. Ssure. The Hunters began to move once more. Meanwhile, the others kept on glancing towards Sungjin. He was the center of attention again. The Friar was also staring at him. Sungjin remembered about his earring Trite and thought The cooldown was 10 minutes, right? I think about 10 minutes have passed by now Sungjin intentionally started a conversation with Friar. Hey, hand me a cigarette. Ah, sure. The Friar handed over a cigarette without complaint. Sungjin put it in his mouth and asked Lighter too. The Friar lit a match and brought it to Sungjins cigarette as he asked Do you smoke as well? Sungjin touched his earring as he answered Yeah, well I quit though. Sungjin pretended to smoke as he peeked into the others thoughts. He could hear the Friars voice first. This guy Hes too strong! He even has Anti magic Shield even though the enemys fireball was incredibly large I dont think my spells would work on him He could hear other peoples thoughts as well. Master Hunter Kei the rumors were true. Hiro was right hes twice no even stronger than that. That man is incredibly powerful. But the most important thoughts to hear was that of the Friar. Sungjin focused his attention on the roughest voice. I dont think its possible to pull off any stunts as long as he lives. Or maybe if he was to troll yeah, how else would he have gotten that strong? Should I quietly propose an alliance? Sungjin discarded his cigarette as he listened to the voice. Alliance I could use that. The path suddenly grew spacious. It was originally too narrow for more than 3 or 4 hunters to walk side by side, but now it was wide enough for 7 hunters to walk together. In other words, they were almost at the cavity the Dragon lived in. Soon the width of the path increased once more. Sungjin suddenly recalled. Thats right to the left here The Immortal who was walking ahead turned left and Gasp! He made a sound and stopped. What is it? The hunters stepped forward out of curiosity and froze up likewise. Sungjin leaned over to peek at the boss like the others. Just as I remembered gigantic. There was a colossal cavity ahead. And within slept the coiled Red Dragon. The head itself was double the height of two adult men. The body was roughly the size of a 5~6 floor tall building. The claws on its hands were longer than most swords, and the fangs were longer than most spears. Its tail was easily over 10 meters long. It was the second time, but the dragon was an intimidating enemy to face. The Hunters all froze in place like dolls. Even they who had overcome trials and tribulations would feel a primal fear against such a creature. The Immortal who acted as the party leader said to the hunters Wwell then. Lets prepare for the battle first. He said and walked back towards the team. The hunters restocked the potions on their belts and checked their mana levels as they made their final preparations against the boss. The preparation was completed in a sincere atmosphere. Seeing the dragon had forced them to think this might be my last fight. Sungjin was also preparing himself; how should he fight the boss. What should I use? There were many things at Sungjins disposal, but considering the cooldown times, the ones he could use only once per raid were as follows: Romance of the Three Kingdoms Seance, Soldamyr and upgraded Cains summon. I should try to save them for later but The problem was the hidden boss. He didnt know if there was a hidden boss on the map, but the thought that there was a hidden boss stronger than the Red Dragon made it necessary for Sungjin to hold onto his best tools. It was difficult to imagine just how much stronger the hidden boss could possibly be if the raid boss was already at the level of an adult Red Dragon. But if he went too far in trying to preserve his strength, it could make it difficult to defeat the Red Dragon as well. His actions could potentially bring harm to others. If so, it would make facing the hidden boss even more difficult. If the number of hunters left alive drops below 10, it could even lead to several hunters refusing to participate in taking on the hidden boss. It was true in the past, when even one person was lost in 5 man teams the party would completely give up attempting the hidden bosses, since it was highly probable that the party would get wiped out. Avoid using it as much as possible but do not hesitate if I think the hunters are about to die. I dont think there is a problem with completion itself but if even one person were to die, I probably wont even be able to propose taking on the Hidden boss. Sungjin placed Soldamyrs lamp, Gourmets monocle, and Cains Figurine on his belt. And finally, he took off the Basilisks eye and hung the Yanhurat around his neck. I really dont think this guy is something I should be using but He couldnt be too careful. Of course, being forced to use it would indicate that the party had been effectively wiped out. Sungjin looked down at his belt and thought If need be, Ill use one or two no, even if I have to use all three, Ill keep all the hunters alive. Only then will I be able to propose fighting the hidden boss. He put away the Blood Vengeance and equipped the Artemio instead. The Dragon used powerful spells. Once he was done preparing, Sungjin glanced at the Friar. He was busily smoking away looking grim. I guess the backstabber is feeling nervous. Even for a healer who was protected by the rest of the team, it wasnt like a Dragons breath had eyes and was aimed towards a specific person. He would have to give it his best this time around. Anyone could tell that the Red Dragon was not an opponent they could hope to defeat by doing the bare minimum. And the Friar was afraid of Sungjin. As long as Sungjin breathed, he would be afraid to commit to troll activities. Ill just assume hes with us for now. Sungjin finished getting ready. The Immortal asked with a shaken voice Everyone ready? They all gave a stiff nod. He led the way, and the hunters followed behind. A sudden turn to the left. The hunters stiffened up at the sight of the great Red Dragon, but they couldnt back out now. Turning around would only lower morale. The Immortal said Lets do it. The hunters had grim expressions on their faces as they began to charge towards the dragon. The sleeping dragons nose twitched, and the Red Dragon muttered Hmm smell of meat His eyes opened up suddenly. Human Meat How appetizing! The Operator gave an announcement. [Warning! Boss Monster] [Red Dragon Khal Gal has appeared!] Glossary page of Master Hunter K has been updated with items, equipments and summons. Plus Ive added a section which lists the names of the Chosen Ones and the chapter they were baptised in and a section of the potential future teammates introduced in earlier chapters. Some spells and Rajenta info isnt there yet as their status screen hasnt appeared yet in the story despite the introduction. They will be updated as more info comes along in future chapters. Chapter 98 Chapter 98 C Red Dragons Lair (4) The awakened Khal Gal slowly sat up. Once it opened its wings, it was roughly twice as large as when it was lying down. The hunters were thoroughly intimidated by the sight, but they couldnt slow down their pace. There was no way out now. If they didnt kill it, they would die. The Immortal who stood at the vanguard lifted up his hammer and shouted Gods Blessing! A bright light enveloped the man. Fireflies how fun! Khal Gal showed interest in the light for now. Meanwhile, the hunters split up into groups as they had planned earlier. The two tanks stood directly in front of the Dragon, and the melee DPS ran to the either side with Sungjin and the Barbarian to the right. The archers and the mages stayed behind in the back. The battle had begun for real. Khal Gal used his right hands to strike the tanks who were in the front. Woosh The Immortal who was closer to the attack than the Ironwall turned to block it. He then intentionally dashed forward to dodge the sharp claws. But he couldnt dodge the log-like arms. He had his shield at the ready, but the moment he was hit, the light of protection dissipated and he flew away. Unbelievable power. The Ironwall ran forward and swung his axe towards the Dragons stomach. Still, he was unable to hurt the dragon through its scales which were harder than steel. Tss tss tsst! His axe did no more than leaving a few scratch marks on the surface of the scales. Annoying little flies, how ticklish Khal Gal used his left hand to swat the Ironwall down to the ground. The Ironwall picked up his shield to defend against it, but his back bent half way back due to the attack which carried the Dragons body weight. Ahhh! Khal Gal opened his mouth. He had aimed to devour the immobilized hunter, but Ping! Pa pa pa! Bolts and arrows flew towards his open mouth. On noticing the incoming strikes, the dragon quickly closed his mouth. The bolts and arrows merely bounced off the dragons snout, but it had saved the Ironwall for now. Meanwhile Ice Shield The Blue Magician provided him with a shield Heal And the Friar healed the Ironwalls injuries. The Immortal who had been knocked away was back into the fray. Sungjin who had run towards the side was looking at them nervously. He remembered that in the previous round, all the tanks had died and only the three DPS had survived to finish the chapter. But now, if he were to fight using his full strength, he could disrupt his teams plan. Something like a tank keeping the mobs aggro and attention on him was only possible when the hunters had similar levels of strength. The dragon was no fool. If everyone was doing 1 damage, and someone suddenly dealt 5 damage, he would naturally focus his attention on the one doing the most. Sungjin did follow the tanks strategy of going to the right, but he intentionally stood as close to the tanks as he could, next to Khal Gals left arm. Since I might have to Sungjin swung his swords into the Red Dragons side. But his swords made an entirely different kind of sound. Pazzzzt Artemio knocked away several scales before coming to a stop, Paaa And the Moon Specter cut deep into the body of the dragon. And then Kraghh! The Red Dragon Khal Gal let out a cry of agony. That much was fine. But the dragon immediately turned towards Sungjin to the surprise of everyone else. The Tanks were okay, but the melee DPS standing to the left of the Dragon were hit with the full force of the tail Aack! They were flung off into the distance and were embedded into the ground. One of them collapsed where he landed. But the most shocked was the halberd-wielding Barbarian next to him. He froze in his place when he saw the Dragon glare in his direction. So it has come to this Sungjin decided to draw its attention to himself. The Khal Gal shouted in rage when he saw Sungjin You dare injure my body! It swung its right arm towards Sungjin. Sungjin jumped up high to dodge it, but the dragons wrathful strike did not end there. It breathed in. Breath? Sungjin carefully watched its mouth. Taking a breath attack head on would be dangerous even for him. But he then heard the guardian spirit of Moon Specter say Master, please mentally prepare for his shout, Huh? Sungjin didnt even have time to respond. The Dragon who looked like he was about to launch a breath attack suddenly I WILL KILL YOUUUUUU! Let out an ear-splitting bellow. All the other hunters became fear stricken due to the earth-shaking roar. Sungjin was also affected, but he was able to regain focus with an unnatural recovery speed. The Operator gave an announcement. [Iron will used. Remaining count: 0] The Barbarian began to shout I wanna live! I want to live! He began sprinting towards the cavern wall. Sungjin refocused his attention and swung his two swords towards the Dragons throat. Kragh!! The Dragon took a step back, shouting in pain as an X shaped cut was made in his neck. Sungjin wanted to run in for additional strikes, but Khal Gal began swinging his hands wildly, so Sungjin had to back off and wait for an opportunity. But the dragon did not stop there. He unfurled his wings and began to fly away. What the fuck The tanks who recovered faster than the others tried to run up to him, but they were unable to get close due to the immense gust of wind kicked up by the wings. The bolts and arrows were likewise useless. After flapping his wings, the dragon took to the air. Khal gal began to fly around the spacious cavern. The hunters all shouted Ice bolt Wind cutter Holy Missile Firing spells Shh shh shht Pew~ And launching bolts and arrows from a distance. Sungjin also Murderous thunder, Jump from foe to foe! Murderous thunder, Jump from foe to foe! Chain lightning! Chain lightning! Used Besgoro to launch two lightning spells at the enemy. The dragon wriggled and cried out in pain when the spells landed upon the dragon. It must have done some damage. Sungjin was about to chant another spell when Master, dragons breath is coming. Moon Specter gave another warning. Sungjin focused his attention on the Dragon. A large amount of steam was forming at his snout. That one is real Sungjin shouted loud enough for all the hunters to hear Breath! The hunters were surprised to hear his words and focused on the dragons mouth as well. Then the Dragon began to grimace. Once the hunters saw that, they instinctively escaped the area the dragon was pointing his mouth to. Fwooooooooosh An incredible amount of fire came spewing forth. Khal Gals breath divided the field into two halves. The ground continued to burn intensely as if it was made of oil. The interior of the cave heated up rapidly and became as bright as day. But because of that, it became difficult to tell what was what. It became impossible to tell if anyone was hit by the breath or what was going on on the other side. No one was screaming, but if anyone was hit by that breath attack, they would have melted before they even had a chance to scream. Khal Gal chanted a spell. Incinerate everything in your path Two large balls of fire appeared in its hands. The size of the flames was massive. Soldamyr had once said that Magic originated from Dragons. And the five colors of magic were taken from the five colors of dragons, and that their color corresponds with the magic that they use. In other words, this dragon was the source of Red magic. The effect of any red magic that the dragon would choose to use would be incredibly powerful. Sungjin watched the ball of fire grow larger and larger in Khal Gals hands and thought to himself. What should I do? Sungjin decided to use Artemio to reflect the spell rather than nullify with the anti magic shield. Attacking the Dragon while it is in the air would be difficult. To finish it off, he would need to force it back down to the ground. Magic reflect. Artemio began to glow a bright purple. Fireball The giant ball of flames came flying from the dragon. Sungjin watched the path of the spell and then reflected the spell towards the direction he saw the dragon flying towards. The fireball changed directions when it came into contact with the Artemio and flew back to the dragon. Meanwhile, on the other side of the fire wall Boom! The fireball exploded with a loud noise. Sungjin was worried for hunters on the other side. did they survive? But he couldnt help what he had no control over. If they died from that attack, that was as far as they were fated to go. The fireball Sungjin had reflected back flew accurately towards the direction Sungjin had picked Khal Gal did not change directions and continued to fly counter-clockwise. And soon, the fireball landed on one of the Dragons wings. Boom! With the great explosion Kragh! The dragon tilted midair for a moment. The red scales did not catch on fire, but at least it seemed to have taken damage from the blast. The dragon flapped its wing to regain balance, but he was already tilted too far. The Dragon ran into the wall and slid to the ground. Sungjin wanted to rush towards the dragon immediately, but the wall of fire was blocking his path. It was far too strong and tall to attempt to jump through. Sungjin tried to look beyond the flames. The hunters were huddled up behind the Ice wall the Blue Magician had erected. They had managed to make themselves an emergency shelter to hide behind. Sungjin shouted at them. Its our chance! Focus your attacks on it! The Hunters rushed out from behind the wall and ran towards Khal Gal. The Dragon stood up from the wall and asked for assistance. Your master is in danger. Help me. At his command, Grrr Woof woof! The sound of barking dogs could be heard from behind the Dragon. This guy, after pretending to be strong Sungjin remembered this part of the Dragon as well. When the Dragon felt endangered, it would request assistance from nearby monsters. Sungjin checked the hunters on the other side of the fire. The tank Ironwall, as well as the other Hunters, were unable to snap out of it and focus on the fight. If this continued, the hunters would start dying one by one. Not to mention that right now was the best opportunity to finish off the dragon. I guess I cant help it. Sungjin threw the figure of Cain into the air. Come out, Cain. A wolf taller than a man appeared. Cain saw the Red Dragon and Grrr Bared his teeth, but Sungjin pointed towards the mob of spear clad Dragon Demihumans and Hellhounds and said Cain, take that side. Arf. Cain answered with a short bark, followed by a long howl. Awwoooooooo Suddenly, smoke appeared around Cain and wolves materialized with poof sounds. It was a familiar sight of Dire and Gray Wolves. Is this the effect of growth? Sungjin watched for a moment before telling Cain Ill leave it to you then. Awoo~ Cain replied before leading his pack towards the monsters. Sungjin looked towards the Dragon. The fire wall created by the breath attack was starting to get low. Sungjin watched it for a bit more before he jumped in and ran across the fire, towards the injured Red Dragon. Since Master Hunter K has a Prologue chapter and a chapter 000, hence this chapter 98 marks the 100th release! ???? Chapter 99 Chapter 99 C Red Dragons Lair (5) Sungjin ran to the other side of the firewall created by the Breath attack. The Immortal and the other hunters were facing the Dragon, but they were in a precarious situation. The Immortal had to take on the full brunt of Khal Gals attack alone. He was having trouble even while working together with another tank, so it goes without saying that it wasnt so smooth sailing for him. Even a half-assed swing of Khal Gal pushed the Immortal back by more than a meter. Gah! Sungjin was afraid that the Immortal might die, so he cast a spell from afar. Close the wounds and erase the pain, Heal! Sungjin cast the heal on the Immortal as he hurried forward. Once Sungjin was standing next to the Immortal, Khal Gal shouted in anger You I will devour whole! Khal Gals large claws came flying towards him. Although they were named claws, they were the same lengths as spears. Sungjin tumbled backwards to dodge out of the way and then hopped into the air. Boulders were gouged out where the claws passed through the ground. No matter how high Sungjins HP was, one or two direct hits would most likely prove fatal. Sungjin put his life on the line and carefully observed the Dragon. It was then, when the Dragon swung its arm again, that Sungjin noticed liquid falling from its neck region. Blood? Even as he dodged to the side, he carefully observed his opponent. It was the place he had slashed the Dragon with his two swords in an X shape. It was difficult to see due to its red scales, but the scales were missing where Sungjin had struck the Dragon earlier. It seemed to be slowly bleeding from there. Thats it. Sungjin shouted out loud Everyone! Concentrate your attack on his neck! You can see an X mark if you focus! At his instructions, the bolts and arrows, and the spells became focused on that point. Even hunters from beyond the firewall launched attacks towards the neck. Khal Gal became frustrated when the attacks began to be focused on his neck; he was a creature with a long neck and short arms. He tried to cover his wound with his wings, but it was not a good solution due to one of the wings being wounded from the magical blast earlier. The Dragon attacked out of annoyance at having to defend a weakness, but Sungjin nimbly dodged every attack. The Dragon became enraged and shouted Damn it! Where are my minions? I command you to help me! He looked over to the exit, but his minions were already halfway annihilated by Cain and his pack. Goodness! Khal Gal who had been arrogant until now finally realized that he was outnumbered and began to scream loudly. IT CANT BE! He began flapping his wings wildly like a chicken, running amok in the cavern. The hunters who had organized themselves into formation while attacking had to scatter to dodge its attack since being stepped on or being swept away by the tail would be lethal. But the battle continued smoothly. The hunters who were scattered quickly reformed back into groups after the Dragon passed, resuming the prearranged formation and continuing to launch attacks. Khal Gal continued to take on damage to its back and wings from them. Sungjin thought Everything is going smoothly And he charged towards the Dragon. But it was then, Master, brace for Terrorizing Roar. Moon Specter gave a warning. The Dragon wasnt running for the exit; it had been hiding its face as it prepared to unleash a shout attack. Sungjin quickly called out Careful! Hes going to shout! He warned the other hunters. What should I do? If it was just a simple shout, it would be easy to withstand the impact, but there was a subtle magical element to it. The moment the sound of the shout hit the ears, it would cause anyone to lose their mind and show their backs to the enemy. And the number 1 priority target of the Dragon was none other than himself. If he was out of his mind with terror, the Dragon would use anything and everything in its disposal to try and kill him. I was protected by the Iron Will passive earlier, but I dont have anything like that left He then recalled something important. Sungjin checked the rings on his fingers. He could see the shape of the Chimerao C Ring of Fused Beasts. There were figures of four animals shaped into the ring. Man, Snake, Goat, and Lion. Lion gave immunity to fear, right? Sungjin held the ring as he watched the Dragons mouth. Sungjin was aiming to use the active skill as soon as the Dragon cast the shout attack to launch his counter. But it was then The Immortal walked up to Sungjin and said Ill protect you from the shout. Please prepare to counter attack, Master Hunter. What? He didnt have time to respond. The Dragon who had been facing the wall suddenly turned as if he had finished his preparations. His snout was flared as if he was about to shout. But the Immortal took out a bell and said Bell of Silence. Ring The ring gave off a tranquil sound. and Sungjin felt a strange sensation; The feeling of stuffy ears one would get after climbing back down from a mountain. Khal Gal opened his mouth and shouted I will kill you all! You damn mortals! But Sungjin was unable to hear anything. The Immortal tried to say something to him, but he couldnt hear him either. It seemed as though the item he used would create a field of sound nullification. So Sungjin was unable to hear anything from the gigantic Dragon who had shouted his lungs out. The other eight hunters, Cain and the other wolves standing a distance away, and even the hell hounds could be seen running away as fast as their legs could carry them. Once Sungjin understood the situation, he quickly gathered himself and ran away as fast as he could. Ahhhh! Screaming at the top of his lungs. * The Immortal was surprised. Careful! Hes going to shout! Once he had heard the warning from the Master Hunter, he had acted to protect (since Sungjin was as strong as everyone else combined) and came running towards him. He used the Bell of Silence to protect him from all sounds. The plan had worked. Once the bell rang, he could not hear a sound despite watching the Dragon mouthing some words. But the Master Hunter still turned to run away, screaming. The Immortal was stunned. What happened? He had used the Bell of Silence (usually used on spell casters to prevent their incantations from completing) several times until now. The effects were Create a small field of sound nullifications. But now it seemed that it had no effect. No, the item had worked. He himself had been protected by the item from the effects of the shout. He stared blankly at Sungjin who had been running away. Ke he he! Yes, run you little runt! He watched Khal Gal chase straight after the Master Hunter. I dont know whats going on but The Immortal ran forward to protect him from Khal Gal, but Khal Gal paid no attention to him. The Dragon must have realized that killing Master Hunter was the top priority. So the Immortal was forced to yell Master Hunter! But then he realized that the Master Hunters state was strange. He had switched out one of the swords; From a purple glowing Scimitar to a Katana with a Red Aura. The Immortal realized that he must have something planned. Die you little bug! Khal Gal must have not noticed the switch. He only focused on trying to catch Master Hunter who was still screaming AHHH! But Master Hunter, who had been running away, suddenly turned and hopped on top of Khal Gals paws, and jumped towards the Dragon. The place he was aiming for was the X mark he had made earlier. * Sungjin stabbed both Blood Vengeance and Moon Specter into the Dragons neck. Thanks to the X mark he had made earlier, his wound had become like an archery target for him. Kaaa! Khal Gal who was stabbed in an open wound let out a cry like never before as he backed off. Sungjin who had successfully tricked the Dragon with his acting moved to finish him off. But the Dragon wildly flapped his wings as he began to run away once more from him, much like a giant chicken. It was difficult to follow up and attack the Dragon while he was running amok. Sungjin chased the dragon and continued to slice and stab at it at its tail and wings, but this wouldnt ever amount to a fatal injury. I just need one more chance The dragon was bleeding profusely from its neck. Sungjin looked for an opportunity while chasing him, but then he saw the dragon take a deep breath again. What is it this time? Moon Specter answered the question for him. Master, Please be careful of the Breath attack. This time it was a breath attack. Sungjin turned to the other hunters and shouted Its a breath attack! The hunters scattered at his words. They knew how dangerous this attack was from before. Sungjin gazed back up at Khal Gal. He was flaring his nose with his mouth closed. He really was planning on using Breath. Sungjin actually had the confidence that he had enough speed to dodge the breath attack since he could make a rough estimate of the trajectory by watching his neck. He was just worried about Cain and the others behind him, since the Breath was something that could accidentally strike when randomly fired. Even grazing against the breath attack was fatal. Sungjin felt pressed to make a decision. What should I do? But a plan of action popped into his head, and he immediately moved to act upon it. He fed Blood Vengeance his blood. Baptism of Blood Using the reddened Blood Vengeance, he first cut Khal Gals tail. Khal Gal was unable to scream out due to gathering the air for his breath attack and glared at Sungjin instead. Sungjin decided to taunt him. How far will you run, lizard The Red Dragons eyes were filled with rage. Sungjin purposefully positioned himself close to a wall and gripped the Moon Specter. Phmph A large amount of steam was let out from the nostrils. He was about to unleash the breath attack. Seeing that, Sungjin said Ill leave it to you, Moon Specter. And drew the blade. Ghastly Wail. Kyaaa! Moon Specters screech filled the air at the same time Khal Gal began to unleash his attack. The Red Dragon who had been aiming towards Sungjin raised his head in terror and his attack burnt nothing but the ceiling. His wound was easy to see now that his gaze was up facing the ceiling. Sungjin prepared his swords and dashed towards the enemys neck. But it was then Khal Gals eyes returned to normal, and he lowered his gaze towards Sungjin once more. Master, that creature has strong resistance to Fear. Cliffhanger! Well, dont worry coz the next chapter will release in about 2 hours from now. I know most of you have been waiting and wondering why there was a delay in chapter release. The reason is Gamja the translator of this novel has been very ill this past week (he hasnt been able to work on the chapters since Tuesday). He just got a bit better on Friday and so we were able to translate and edit in the weekend to finally post this today. We were also able to do another chapter and are releasing it today itself as noted above. (Update: Its out!) Our schedule should resume again. Sorry about the delay. If theres any delay, we always put out an announcement in our Discord server. So do join it to keep yourself upto date and also participate in our little community there. We are currently recruiting Korean translators. So if you are interested in giving it a spin mail us at oppatranslations@gmail.com Chapter 100 Chapter 100 C Red Dragons Lair (6) Before he was teleported to the Red Dragons Lair, Sungjin had thought while reading the information sheet. Getting hit head on by the Red Dragons Breath attack? He didnt even want to imagine it. No matter how high the endurance thats a one-way ticket to purgatory Sungjin took a sip of the Vanilla Latte as he was arranging his thoughts. The rings which covered every single finger sparkled in the light. Among them, the one that caught his eye the most was the newest addition, the Chimerao C Ring of Fused Beasts. A ring decorated with the image of Man, Snake, Lion, and Goat. Each gave immunity to Fire, Poison, Fear, and Cold for 5 seconds. Sungjin played with the human figure of the ring as he thought If I use this I can survive 5 seconds in the breath. But he shook his head. No I shouldnt even consider that as a possibility. With or without the items, being touched by that This happened this morning. * Khal Gal regained his bearings and readjusted the breath attack back towards Sungjin. Sungjin ran alongside the wall, but the enraged Khal Gal continued to breathe out flames after him. Sungjin waited until the attack stopped since there was a physical limit to how long the breath attack can be sustained. But along the way, Khal Gal swung his arm down, and Boom blocked Sungjins path. It was a resolute attack, one where the dragon prepared to sacrifice his own arm to take Sungjin out. Sungjin had no place to run. A hopeless situation; Sungjin decided to try the option he had come up with in the morning. Magicians Frost With his command, the Chimerao C Ring of Fused Beasts emitted a blue light. And above Sungjin came Khal Gals immense breath of flames. The blinding light forced his eyes close as he was pushed against the wall due to the pressure, but he did not feel any heat. The immunity to fire had begun. Sungjin started to count 5 seconds from that position. 5 Moon Specter was worried Master! Master!! She shouted at him 4 Besgoro who had kept quiet all this time also urgently shouted What are you doing Kei? If you die, I die too! 3 Once 3 seconds had passed, Sungjin regretted his decision. Who cares if 1 or 2 hunters die? I shouldnt have put my back against the wall. If the breath would last longer than 2 seconds, then this would be the end of his second life. 2 But once he had counted 4 seconds, he no longer felt any pressure. 1 Sungjin opened his eyes as he counted the last second. The usually arrogant Khal Gal was staring at him with a hint of despair. He had been firing the breath attack from before when Sungjin had used Ghastly Wail. The attack had barely ended within the Magicians Frosts 5-second immunity. He smelled something burning, so he looked to the side to see the dragons arm burnt black to a crisp. He had sacrificed his own body as a last desperate measure. He had no more fight left in him. Hes done for Sungjin nimbly jumped on top of the Dragons arm and ran towards the body. The Dragon turned away to try and escape, but Sungjin did not allow him to. Sungjin who leapt from the arm to the shoulder, Baptism of Blood Activated the Blood Vengeances ability and pierced the X-shaped wound on the chest of the Dragon. Kaaaah! Khal Gal screamed. But this was not the end. Sungjin used the Blood Vengeance as an anchor and rapidly slashed against his neck. Meanwhile, the other Hunters began to beat, stab, and shoot the Dragon from afar. Khal Gal let out a cry of agony and struggled desperately, but to no avail. This cant Khal Gal lasted only a few more seconds before he collapsed, bleeding out from the first wound he had received. Sungjin, who had spent every last bit of his strength to swing and stab Khal Gal, dropped alongside him when Khal Gal finally fell. He listened to the Operator while laying on the ground. [Congratulations. Boss Monster] [Red Dragon Khal Gal has been defeated!] The announcement couldnt be more welcome. Woof! Cain came running up to Sungjin. He must have been worried for his masters well being. He licked Sungjins face which was covered in blood. On becoming slobbered, Sungjin said to Cain Ahh, Cain Im fine, Im fine. Meanwhile, the other nine hunters came running towards Sungjin as well. When Sungjin finally sat up, the hunters bowed towards him one by one and said It was absolutely amazing, Master Hunter. We survived thanks to you. If its you Maybe I cant help but respect you. Sungjin stood up and looked towards the Friar. He also looked astonished as the rest. He had guessed that Sungjin was strong, but Sungjin had proven to be far more powerful than he had ever imagined. Sungjin straightened himself as he said Good work everyone. Lets take a break before we continue. * Inside of Khal Gals Cavern, the Hunters replenished their lost HP and checked their equipment. No one had taken significant damage. All thanks to Sungjins extraordinary contribution to the fight. The Hunters exchanged words with each other about Sungjins bloody battle with the Dragon. If it werent for Master Hunter, not all of us would be here right now. Maximum 8? 7? The rumors were true. He might have been able to come all this way alone. Sungjin felt bashful from the praises and sat a distance away from the others, speaking to Cain. So, where did your comrades come from? That forest? Woof. I see, good work. Thanks to you taking a load off our backs, it was easier to take on the boss. Good work Cain. As Sungjin said that, he walked up to the chewed up corpse of a Hell Hound. He had been using MP throughout the fight and Baptism of Blood had drained some of his HP as well. Lichs Beckon Sungjin used the Lichs finger to replenish his MP. Close the wounds and erase the pain, Heal! He used his own spell to heal himself. The Operator gave an announcement. [HP is at max value.] Sungjin asked in addition Elapsed time? [The time spent in this raid is 34 minutes 48 seconds.] It ended earlier than he thought. The fight against the Red Dragon was one thing, but the Barbarian acting as guide was a major contributing factor. I never really gave it much importance but goes to show that theres no such thing as a useless title But he still had to hurry. This Chapter was a maze. He had no way to know exactly where the others would be located when they commit to trolling. He may have to spend up to 20~30 minutes per jump to search for trolls. I should hurry. Sungjin quickly returned to where the Hunters were gathered. If everyone is rested As soon as he opened his mouth, the others turned to look. They were all men, but they seemed to be attracted to his overwhelming strength. It was a strange feeling. The Immortal stood up and said Let us go search for more monsters. We should aim to increase our contribution points as high as we can. Lets do that. Lets go. Sungjin said to the hunters, who were getting ready to leave, You all know about the Hidden Pieces right? What do you think of searching for those? They all looked to one another. Not a single person asked Hidden Piece? Whats that? Itd be great, but If we find it, great, if not, oh well. Dragons hoard I feel like it should be worthwhile And among them Wouldnt the Hidden boss be incredibly difficult? Someone finally mentioned the Hidden boss. Sungjin said to them I have Treasure Hunter Title so lets search for the Hidden Pieces with that as the base. Of course, well hunt along the way but finding treasure is even better. About the hidden boss lets think of that a bit later. Everyone nodded at his words. Sure. Hidden Pieces are always welcome. Sungjin, who seemed to have gotten the groups approval, spoke to the Cube. Operator, give me the Star of the Nameless. The Operator soon took out a star shaped pendant with a whirl design. Sungjin said to the star Rename. It was the first time Sungjin had used such a command. The Operator asked [Which title would you like to rename to?] Treasure Hunter [You have been renamed.] Sungjin looked up to check his title, but he didnt need to. The other Nine Hunters were staring at his title with their mouths open. Wait you can change titles in the middle of the Raid? What an amazing item No one asked. How did you get it? Everyone just assumed hes special and let it slide. Sungjin gathered the hunters and said The Treasure Hunter ability gives us hints about where the Hidden pieces are located. I will use the ability in a sec but I will need the wisdom of everyone here to help me. Their eyes sparkled at his words. They didnt know the effects of Master Hunter title, but they had understood through intuition that Treasure Hunter ability was extremely good. Please listen to the hint from my Cube, and let me know if you think you understood the clue. Everyone nodded at his words. I feel like Ive become a teacher or something. Sungjin asked the Operator, Operator, Ill use the Treasure Hunter Active. If there is a Hidden Piece on the map, please give me a clue. The Operator gave a verse at his request. [Red Dragon of Avarice, Khal Gal] [Slain many, in the hundreds of years of its life;] [Taking their treasure, hoarding them in his lair.] [The path is red, a place only he could go] [Rolling over mounds of treasures to cool his heated wings] [is his most cherished past time.] Sungjin carefully listened. The important parts seemed to be as follows. Red path, only he could go, covered wings Red Path? But everything here is either black or red Only he could go couldnt anyone go where that dragon can fit? Covered wings I think this is the key. Sungjin nodded. Ok, I see. So lets find out where the hidden boss is. I dont know if we can beat it or not but we should be aware of where it is located first so we know how to avoid it, right? Everyone nodded at his suggestion. Yeah, Good idea. At least we wont run into him while walking down but Sungjin let out a fake cough and asked the second question. Cough Operator, where is the Hidden boss located? [She who hears, she who came] [She has learned of the childs unruliness] [And awoken from a long slumber to visit.] [Be warned that above the proof of wickedness] [Lies, also, her wrath] It was short. But it was something quite different. Sungjin, as well as the rest of the hunters, became mute. What the hell is it talking about? Everyones expression seemed to say. Sungjin stroked his chin and then asked once more Hey Operator, can you tell me the hint again? Chapter 101 Chapter 101 C Red Dragons Lair (7) Note: Last chapter in the Hidden Piece clue line a slight change has been made. The line To roll over mounds of treasures with covered wings has been changed to Rolling over mounds of treasures to cool his heated wings. The reason being there was a spelling error in this sentence which led us to translate it as covered wings instead of to cool his heated wings. When we read this chapter while translating we checked back and realised the error. Change has been made in the last chapter as well. The hunters fell silent after the second hint. The first one had been confusing enough, but the second one was even more obscure. But the pale faced Royal Ranger raised his hand and said Excuse me Sungjin pointed at him like an instructor at school. Yes, please speak your mind. The Ranger glanced around before opening his mouth. I dont know about the hidden boss but I think I understand where the hidden piece might be located. First hint is the Red Path. I believe this indicates that we should follow the lava flow. Since theres nothing red here except lava. Everyone nodded. Second, a place only he could go, I think this also indicates something that has to do with lava. Because of its size its ridiculous to think we cant go anywhere that the dragon can go otherwise. If you have to move through Lava to get to it, it would be difficult indeed to get through it unless you were the dragon. A likely explanation. Finally, cooling the heated wings I think this is the key. His wings became heated. In other words, it is a place where lava could drip onto its wings. At his words, everyone exclaimed Ohh Hes right Sungjin let the part about the hidden boss slide for now and said I feel that the Royal Rangers deduction is probably right. Then lets go and try to find this hidden piece. Hidden boss needed the consent of everyone present anyhow. Ok. Lets do that. Sungjin glanced at the Immortal. The Immortal stepped forward when he noticed Sungjin look at him. Ok let us go. * The Hunters followed the slow flowing Lava while cleaning up the mobs. Half of them were killed by the Master Hunter and his giant Wolf, but there were no complaints. The monsters were difficult enough to kill with 9 of them working together. Although an outrageous percentage of contribution point was flowing towards the Master Hunter, the hunters did not raise a word in complaint. They must have thought to themselves He is just that kinda guy. After a long search through the tunnels, they arrived at a large open space which was slightly smaller than the Dragons main chamber. The most eye-catching feature of this open space was the slow moving lava fall. It was quite a distance away, but even from this point, it looked intensely hot and uninviting. But when Sungjin was looking at it, he recalled the Royal Rangers words. Red path, only he could pass and heated wings. And this open space was quite suspicious. It was a very wide open space, yet not a single monster could be found nearby. Sungjin moved closer to the lava fall. As he moved closer, he felt the unbearable heat against his face. Sungjin ignored the heat the best he could and approached the lava fall. The size of the fall could possibly just barely accommodate a dragon. No, perhaps it was slightly smaller. it is said that a Dragon is capable of transforming into human form Sungjin thought about closely inspecting the immediate area around the lava fall; The source of the lava, the pool where the lava landed, and the lake of lava where the lava from the fall slowly flowed. But then he noticed strange fragments close to one of the walls. They were slightly different from one another, but they were similar enough. Once the hunters realized Sungjin had found something, they started gathering behind him one by one. Whats that? Sungjin stared at it intensely. And soon, he came to understand the source of the fragments. Those are footprints. Someone asked Footprints? Sungjin explained to them Yes, footprints. They look like broken fragments but its debris is left from stepping on lava and then stepping back off of it. Those are footprints that were left behind as the lava cooled. The others were impressed by Sungjins swift understanding of the situation. Oh, you must be right! That means The others followed the fragments with their eyes. The footprints led to the lava, like a red path. Just as the hint said, it was most definitely the red path they were looking for. The hunters continued to follow the footprints further on. The red path, as expected, ended up inside the Lava Fall. There? Ehh Upon closer inspection, the footprints could be seen going up the side of the Lava Fall, and suddenly stopping half way up. Behind the lava fall there must be a hollow space It looks like something only a Dragon can enter for sure. I can see why a dragons wings might have gotten heated. But how can we go there? That was the main problem. First, flight must be a possibility. It would be impossible to even approach the Lava fall without a way to fly. Second, they had to deal with the immensely hot lava falling from above. Being touched by the lava would melt the body before they could reach the treasure trove. Sungjin looked down upon the Ring of Chimerao. If he used it, it could make him immune to the Lava. If I can enter there within 5 seconds But this method had its own problem as well. First was the flying carpet. It had minimal magical protection on it as a raid reward item. But if it was damaged, he would be unable to use it for the rest of the chapter. And coming back out of the Lava fall would become an issue. He could possibly just wait for the cool down on the Ring of Chimerao to refresh, but if the carpet were to fail mid-flight, he could fall into the lake of lava and perish there. Dying like that after finally defeating the dragon was definitely undesirable. What should I do? Sungjin stood before the Lava Fall and considered his options while the rest of the hunters were silently standing still. No one could think of anything to do. But watching from afar would solve nothing. Sungjin decided to just take out the carpet and check the lava fall from above. He then moved to the side of the Lava Fall to take a look inside and spotted a hollow space beyond the Lava. This must be the right spot But the space between the lava and the opening was too small; just wide enough for someone to fit their arms through. The wide carpet, as well its rider Sungjin, would not be able to fit through there. And I cant go in sideways either Sungjin decided to check from above. Beyond the fall, the lava was slowly flowing downward. Sungjin flew above the flowing river. Even though it was called a fall, the flow of the lava was not rapid due to its viscosity. Sungjin watched the flow for a moment. Now that he thought of it, he recalled his fights against the Magma Golem earlier. Frostbite The Golems hit by the spell would rapidly cool and slow down. What if? Sungjin raised his hands towards the fall and chanted a spell along with Besgoro. Binding Frost! Frostbite! Binding Frost! Frostbite! Two blasts of spells were fired from Sungjins head and hands. And slowly, little by little, the fall hardened. Once the spell came to an end, the Lava had completely hardened up. The flow of Lava followed the newly formed edge, and the width of the lava fall had decreased Sungjin directed the magic carpet to return to the side of the fall. The gap which was previously only large enough to fit a human hand was now large enough for a man to pass through. Its a success, you smart bastard. Besgoro shouted in glee. But it was still dangerous. Sungjin rode the magic carpet back down to the rest of the hunters and asked the Blue Magician Hey, you. You know how to use frostbite, right? He had asked Sungjin earlier how high his Magic power was. He must have known how to gauge the strength of Sungjins spell because he also knew the spell. As Sungjin expected, Yes, I know how to use it, Master Hunter. Please get on. Sungjin made space on the carpet. The carpet was only large enough to carry two adults. Once Sungjin had the Blue Magician on the carpet, he took him back up to the lava fall. The hardened lava was still there, but it wouldnt last very long and would eventually melt again. Sungjin told the Blue Magician We are going to use magic to harden the lava here which will further reduce the width of the fall. You understand right? Yes, I watched you do it. Ok. Once Sungjin was done speaking to him, he cast the spell together with him. Binding Frost! Frostbite! He used the spell to harden the edge of the lava flow. [Warning: Low mana] Sungjin who had cast his spell until he was drained out of mana thought This should be enough And returned to the side of the lava fall. The width of the cascading lava had shrunk even further. The empty space hidden behind the lava was now fully visible. It was now large enough to freely fly into the hole. Sungjin looked back at the others. I think we can pass through here now. Anyone who can fly Even before he finished his sentence, the other eight hunters Power to defy Gravity, Levitation! Used magic to float into the sky To me, Adaram Summoned a giant eagle Sky Walking Or used active items to step into the air. One or two hunters were unable to fly, but they were helped by the others around them and approached the Lava fall. I see these people made it this far for a reason. Sungjin thought as he entered the opening first. Inside of the opening was a much larger, wide open space. It was a space nearly as large as the Dragons main chamber. This chamber contained an unimaginable quantity of gold and treasures. He had seen a similar view in the Magicians Ivory Tower, but this was on a completely different scale altogether. If the Ivory Towers room was something of a Treasure room, this was akin to A Mountain of Treasure. The Blue Magicians mouth dropped. My goodness Sungjin didnt show it, but he too was surprised. What an absurd amount. Sungjin picked a suitable spot to land and lowered the carpet. The place he stepped on was a mound of gold. Sungjin thought to himself His hobby was rolling all over the treasure? I can certainly see why. The hunters who followed from behind stared at the room with bloodshot eyes. And several people tried to shovel the gold into their cubes but were sorely disappointed. Sungjin picked up one of the gold coins lying around. The sparkling gold contained an image of a mans face. He had a large nose but a full beard. A portrait of a slightly skinny man. Judging from the crown, it must be the portrait of the king. Above the image were unrecognizable words of an unknown language. Hmm is this the face of this worlds king? Sungjin checked another coin. But this time, there was a different portrait. The man had worn a similar crown, but unlike the previous image, he had curly hair, a flat nose, and a roundish face. Ohh Sungjin tried checking several other coins in curiosity. Just from the ones he noticed the differences of, he could see that there were at least ten different individuals. So all these coins were collected over different generations over different eras taking this back to the human world would probably make you unfathomably rich, right? Sungjin thought has he put the coins back down on the mound. It was something that he would not be able to take with him. The most important thing is the Hidden Piece. Sungjin said to the other Hunters You cant take the gold. But the hidden piece is located somewhere around here, so please search for it. Chapter 102 Chapter 102 C Red Dragons Lair (8) Sungjin and the other hunters began to comb the treasure mountain for the Hidden Piece. Between the endless amount of gold, there were necklaces filled with diamond, scabbards and swords decorated richly with precious metals and gems, and other eye-catching items, but the hunters steadily lost interest in them. No matter how decadent the decoration, it was worthless if it wasnt obtainable. And along the way, one of the hunters shouted HHere! The hunters quickly gathered to where the man had shouted from. There was a gargantuan Treasure Chest, nearly as tall as a grown man. And embedded on it was a crystal of Amethyst much taller than a man. The chest was placed at the center of the mountain of treasure, like a centerpiece. With a glance, it seemed obvious that it would contain something precious. The hunters surrounded it. Sungjin watched the scene from the back. One of the hunters stepped forward to try and open the top. But then he turned to ask Hey Help me with this. Sungjin along with everyone gathered up at his request to assist with moving the lid. Yiieah! With the effort of half a dozen Hunters, and several helping from the side, the lid of the Chest Boom Opened with a loud noise. Everyone looked expectant. But within lay nothing but black stones. What is this? Whats going on? They couldnt contain their disappointment. Someone even said This must not be the Hidden Piece But then the Operator gave an announcement. [Congratulations. Hidden Piece] [Dragon Heart Found] The announcement immediately turned the mood around. Dragon Heart? This stone? Everyone bent to pick up the stone. Each and everyone checked the Operators status screen. Sungjin also checked the Screen. Dragon Heart (Small) C Source of Magic Power Legendary Crafting Material Dragons heart is the Source of all Magic power. Black stone is the source of mana, the origin of Magic Power. Crafting Material that means it is possible to make something Sungjin was staring at it when another Hunters Cube announced [Congratulations. Legendary Crafting Material] [Dragons Heart is obtained.] No one understood what it was for, but it must be something amazing they all thought. Luckily, there was enough to go around. I was worried there wasnt going to be enough. Would I be able to say I am going to take one anyway? I dont want to give up a hidden piece but if I insist on one, what will the others say? He was worried needlessly. There was enough Black Hearts in the chest for each of the hunters. Sungjin thought to himself Its possible that the Hidden Pieces are designed so only one can be obtained per Hunter. Since I have never witnessed a fight occur over a Hidden Piece Sungjin thought, but his worry soon came to fruition. He had initially worried about there being too little, but the problem was the opposite. There were too many. After each hunter had picked up one, six more remained on the ground. It was a Legendary Crafting Material. It could be sold at the auction house for more than 10,000 coins a piece. The hunters very briefly checked each other, but they soon ran in to try and secure a Dragon Heart for themselves. A fierce fighting broke out. Move! Get out of my way! You are already holding two! Damn it, get out of the way if you already got another! Sungjin watched from the side as the things unfolded. He was unsure how to proceed. What should I do? Should I join the fray? But I dont want to. However, those are really valuable While he was in a dilemma, the struggle became intensified. Those forced out from the pile of rocks looked like they may even draw weapons. You fuckers! Sungjin quickly tried to come up with a solution. If someone commits to trolling what about the hidden boss? If even one of them were to die, taking down the Hidden Boss would prove to be difficult. Of course, if a troll were to show up, he would be rewarded, but Sungjin raised his sword and shouted STOP! Everyone froze in place at his command. Sungjin said to them Stop for a second. He didnt have anything thought of. He was most definitely the strongest of them all, but it was not like he could do as he pleased. No one could complain if he demanded that he take one or two more. But the limit would be at that. Trying to take more would only buy hatred. It was possible that the hunters would turn to trolling as a group against him. So he first said to them Stop for now and lets think of how to distribute the leftovers fairly. But the problem was solved easier than Sungjin thought. The Friar who was sitting inside of the chest used Sungjins interruption to try and sneak another one into his cube. But the Operator gave a warning. [Only one Hidden piece may be obtained per Hunter.] All the hunters who had previously wrestled froze in place. What? The bottom of the Friars Cube opened up, and the Dragons Heart landed on the ground letting out a Kussss An awkward silence passed over the hunters. The mood between party members had been quite good thus far. Master Hunter Kei: The Hunters accepted his actions despite him taking the lions share of contribution points. And when fighting a seemingly insurmountable boss, they had worked together and formed a sense of camaraderie. But thanks to the fight over the hidden pieces, all of it was ruined. Everyone had turned their backs on their comrades and fought for their self-interest. The Immortal who had not joined the struggle said Now now, lets not fight. Take only one. Only one each. He tried to ease the tension, but it was already too late. More than one or two were on the verge of committing troll activity. Sungjin grasped his forehead. I wont be able to suggest the Hidden boss after all. Only moments ago, they looked upon the treasure together Wow look at this Emerald crystal What about this ruby crown? Was it worn by a king? They had shared these comments with each other, but now it was completely silent. However, it was at that moment Tsszt The space itself above the treasure mountain bent and a person walked out. Everyones eyes fell upon the newcomer. The person was a woman. Red hair and Yellow eyes. Sharp nose and smooth skin, a young lady with breathtaking beauty. After arriving on top of the mountain of treasure, she took a look at her surroundings with a crimson hood over her head. Sungjin thought to himself What? Is she a hunter from another realm? But there was no title above her head. In other words, She could be a monster. Sungjin thought. So he Sshing! Pulled both of his swords out of his scabbards. The other hunters became tense and followed suit in pulling out their weapons. Meanwhile, the woman in red hood noticed the hunters and slowly walked towards them, stepping over golden coins. Sungjin was watching her in silence, but the Immortal was the first to ask WWhat are you? Who are you? She threw a glance his way. Of all the different ways she fulfilled the word perfect beauty, her shocking yellow eyes were the most eye-catching. Sungjin stared at her eyes as well. But the iris of her eyes was in a slit like that of a cat. Sungjin felt a Deja Vu when he looked into those eyes. What is it? I feel like Ive seen it before Was it the Basilisks eye? He had thought. But the answer was closer than he thought. Just before Smell of meat! Human Meat! Eyes which looked down upon them. Sungjin realized She has the same eyes as Khal Gal! While Sungjin was figuring things out, she reduced the distance between her and the Hunters slowly. I said, who are you? The Immortal asked once more, but she did not respond as she continued to make her way forward. The hunters began to move away in intimidation. Someone even slipped on the coins and fell. Meanwhile, she approached the Chest and picked up one of the hearts, whispering So the rumors were true The hunters watched her. She placed the Dragon Heart back into the Chest and bent over to return the other Dragon Hearts into the chest. Until this point, the hunters watched without much thought. But after returning all six remaining hearts into the chest, she closed the lid shut with just one slender arm. The lid which took tremendous effort from half a dozen Hunters. No one at this point believed her to be an ordinary human. Only a monster in human form. But then she spoke for the first time to them. Yo, humans. Are you the ones who killed Khal Gal? No one replied. By calling them humans, she had indirectly confirmed that she was not one. She asked again. Ill repeat. Are you the ones who killed Khal Gal? She glared at the hunters as she asked. Her gaze looked strong enough to kill a weak hearted man. One of the hunters replied meekly Yes The one who replied was the Barbarian. He was also surprised that he replied, and closed his mouth with his hands in shock. It seemed like the strength of her intimidating gaze was enough to compel a truthful answer. The hunters became tense. They were afraid of her reaction. But she then responded with Oh really? She then placed one hand on the chest and said Move And the chest disappeared in an instant. The other hunters thought Is it an active skill? But Sungjin looked at her and asked Excuse me are you A dragon like Khal Gal? She turned to look at him. Her eyes were exactly the same as the Dragons. Yes, Khal Gal is the Son I bore. All the hunters tensed up even further. Just now Are you the ones that murdered my son Yes, we have murdered him. They had essentially exchanged this conversation just now. And with none other than the mother of the Red Dragon Khal Gal. But the conversation continued to flow in a completely unexpected direction. Well, he was a problem child. He killed his brethren, just to take possession of their hearts. The womans brows slightly twitched into a frown as she spoke. Sungjin recalled the hint from earlier, about the hidden boss. Be warned that above the proof of wickedness lies, also, her wrath. The proof of wickedness most likely referred to the hidden piece, the items each of the hunters had collected, the Dragon Hearts. But she didnt seem to mind it much at all. She only said one more thing to the hunters. Good job. I had come to kill him, but you saved me the trouble. Sungjin thought as he looked upon her. Khal Gals mother is the Hidden boss? We have to face a much older Dragon? Currently, we are recruiting Korean translators. So if you do know Korean and want to give it a shot please email us at oppatranslations@gmail.com. Do support us if you enjoy our work and do join us on Discord Chapter 103 Chapter 103 C Red Dragons Lair (9) Sungjin swallowed in reflex. Besgoro said to him Hey, Kei. Its common sense that a Dragon grows stronger as they age. Several times over. Lets skip this one. The one you killed earlier is a really young one, you know? But her Sungjin recalled the opening introductory message the Operator gave as he arrived. Please be warned. The Red Dragon Khal Gal just reached full maturity and is infamous for his brutality. Khal gal just reached full maturity. And this was his mother. Even if their age difference was unknown, it was without a doubt she was much more powerful than her son. Sungjin glanced at the other hunters for a moment. The hunters were almost unable to breathe due to intimidation. It was impossible to ask them to fight. They were all probably thinking Please let us go in peace. Besgoro commented Look, theyre freaking out as well. Meanwhile, Khal Gals mother ignored them as she took a look around the Mountain of Treasure. She picked up a necklace from the mound and said My, its an item from that kingdom A kingdoms heirloom is considered quite precious and he managed to steal it. No wonder they blamed me. She was unconcerned with the Hunters. She walked around the mountain of treasure and said Ill have to check them slowly at home. She whispered as she placed her hand on the mountain. Move. The entire mountain of treasure began to glow. And soon, treasures which had been giving off irresistible glow disappeared all at once. Including the gold coins upon which the hunters stood. Oof All the hunters fell on their behind. They were left in the air with the treasure gone. Now the only ones left in this giant space was the hunters and the woman. She turned her gaze upon them Yes, brave adventurers who have slain a dragon. If you got everything you came for, get out. It is a rule to destroy lairs of dead dragons. I will give you 30 minutes. I will blow up this volcano in 30 minutes. So get out of this lair, and run as far as you can from here. Someone asked the Operator, Operator, how much time remaining in the raid? [1 hour and 58 minutes] The timing didnt match. If she exploded the volcano, everyone would die. There was nowhere to run. If they left the Volcano, the Operator would tell them This area is forbidden for Hunters. 30 minutes wont work Someone whispered. Ooh She arrived between the hunters and grabbed a cube. What All the hunters were shocked to see what she had done. The Operators cube never took a hit from any monsters. It would dodge incoming arrows, or fly higher if there was a fire. And no other hunters could so much as touch the cube of others. But the cube was caught by her, and very effortlessly. Whoa Someone let out a strange sound. But once she inspected the cube, she said Whats this? You arent just any adventurers, are you? She rechecked the hunters as if seeing them for the first time and said And not people of this world to boot. Those who are fated to cross dimensions So thats why you were sent to kill Khal Gal. How sad. Who designed all this? No one knew what to say. She, for the first time, was a monster who seemed to understand the circumstance the Hunters were trapped in. But then she stopped fiddling around with the cube to say Then Am I a boss too? Everyone was shocked. They had long lost the will to fight against her. But she was the one to suggest that she must be fought. Noting that no one replied, she turned to the owner of the cube and said Hey tell me Human, am I a boss? Someone you must kill no matter what? The hunter was unable to reply and stood in place. So she lowered her tone and asked again Tell me. Truthfully. As if under a spell, he began to tell her everything he knew. You are a hidden boss. A boss thats much stronger than the raid boss; a secret. There is no requirement to kill, but doing so is rewarded with large bonuses as a part of hidden elements. She began to laugh at his words. Ka ha ha ha! Really? How fun! And a hidden boss what a pleasing name, Hidden Boss She suddenly turned around and said So? Any challengers? Nobody moved. She grinned and said Come on, try. I promise. If you can defeat me, then I will give you a REALLY good reward. A reward that can completely turn around your pitiful fate. But the hunters still couldnt dare. Her son Khal Gal was already immensely powerful. There was no hope against her. Sungjin was also checking the others state. It would be difficult to fight alone. If it was just Khal Gal, I could have put my life on the line and won alone, but if its about his mother who is far stronger than he there is no possibility of success. Sungjin already decided to give up on the hidden boss. He had already collected all the hidden pieces up until now. Giving up on it just once would not drastically affect his future performance. It was the right decision to preserve his life now. But, she added Ah I guess you all learned to be careful. I guess youve learned a thing or two while traveling between dimensions. She twisted her neck twice before continuing. Obviously, it would be impossible to defeat me with even a hundred more of you. But what if I imposed a penalty on myself? About three? She grinned mischievously. One, I will fight not in my dragon form, but in this human one. My physical powers will greatly diminish. The hunters had seen her close the lid to the chest with one arm. Her reduced power was only in comparison to her dragon form, not that she had grown weak by the hunters measure. Two, I wont use any magic above 8th class. Since doing so would probably kill everything in here. This also was no major penalty upon her. When Khal Gal launched a fireball (and two at the same time) the size of the fireball was massive. If she were to seriously use magic, the class was not even the main problem. Finally, Including my clothes, if you can hurt me in any way, Ill consider it your victory. How about it? The hunters glanced at each other. Just clothes They thought. But, she threw in another word. Oh, but that doesnt mean Ill stop at just grazing your clothes. I dont have such a precise control over fire magic. This brought the hunters back to reality. They would have to bet their lives to even scratch her clothing. This hidden boss must have been set to scratch the tip of her clothes level of difficulty. Sungjin, as well as the other hunters, seriously pondered over this. What should I do? Is it worth betting my life here? As if she read his mind, Moon Specter said I am prepared to fight, Master. Besgoro said to her in surprise Hey dont say something stupid, lady. If he dies, we die and disappear as well Besgoro was against it. Hey Kei, you arent seriously considering fighting right? Thats madness! Just look at her, you can tell, right? Her pure strength, not to mention her completely ludicrous teleportation magic. Did you ever see that kind of magic? Thats a dragon class power. Power which completely supersedes the idea of Classes, magic at its natural state. If that woman so much as thinks youre dead, youll just die. Sungjin was in a dilemma. She was undoubtedly powerful. But the reward for merely causing a scratch against her clothes was making him have second thoughts. Especially with her promise of A reward that can completely turn around your pitiful fate strongly urged his will to fight. Youll die like a dog Sungjin. Give up. He thought, as well as If I give up now, wont I die later anyway? After a little bit of time passed, she sighed as her enthusiasm waned Yeah well I guess it was too much to ask for. Im done with this boss pretend so Sungjin raised his arm to stop her. Wait, could you give us a moment to discuss this? She grinned at his request and nodded. Sure. For us Dragons, time has very little value. I will give you one days worth of time to talk it over. Or two Ill give you a week. But it was physically impossible for hunters to actually take advantage of her good will. Especially for Sungjin who was on a time limit. Sungjin gathered the hunters and said to them Anyone here who wants to try? No one dared to speak. Sungjin grew frustrated and touched the Jeremiahs Eye as he asked again Ill ask one more time. Anyone here who wants to try? He could hear the inner thoughts of others. No way, this is suicide. Im out. Master Hunter I know hes strong, but isnt he overestimating himself? If it is with him it might be possible but its too dangerous. If it is Master Hunter, he might be able to leave a scratch on her clothes. But what if I die meanwhile? Whats the point then? I feel like even if all 10 of us were to cooperate, a few of us would die this is too dangerous of a gamble. It was mostly negative. Not a single one of them seemed interested in trying to figure out if the challenge was even feasible. Sungjin who took turn looking at the dragon of unknown age and the hunters thought What should I do? Its too tempting to just give up now He considered his options. Ah if it is him, he might help a little Sungjin took out Soldamyrs lamp from his vest. He had been saving Soldamyr to face the hidden boss anyway. If they were to give up now, there was nowhere else where Sungjin needed him. Sungjin stepped away from the others and rubbed the lamp. The Genie was about to greet Sungjin as normal but Have you called for me, mas eh? He couldnt finish his words as his eyes grew wide. He saw the woman across from Sungjin and asked Master, that creature He must have noticed she was no human in a glance. Shes a hidden boss. Just like you were once. He tsked. What You can probably tell but A Dragon. Red Dragon. Yes. How is she in your eyes? How strong is she? Unimaginably strong. Strong enough to have no match in this counno, this entire planet. Really? You can tell that just by her appearance? No that would not be possible to judge with just her appearance. In fact, doesnt she appear to be a human woman of about 30 years of age? He was right. She had a rigid expression, but in some ways she even looked as young as twenties. Although that was up to the interpretation of the beholder. Thanks to an immortal contract, I am able to measure the level of mana. From what I can see of the mana of that creature She is about 10,000 years, perhaps even older, dragon. 10,000 Years. She would have had to begun her life long before written history to have lived to the current day. So Sungjin asked him So, do you think we have a chance? A chance? No. Truth be told, the only reason why master and the rest of the hunters are still alive is because she has allowed it. I know that. But she said if we can so much as graze her clothes, she will consider it our victory. How about it? Do we stand a chance? Hmm Soldamyr fell silent as he carefully contemplated the idea. Currently, we are recruiting Korean translators. So if you do know Korean and want to give it a shot please email us at oppatranslations@gmail.com. Do support us if you enjoy our work and do join us on Discord Chapter 104 Chapter 104 C Red Dragons Lair (10) 10 Seconds later Soldamyr finally opened his mouth after carefully thinking. If you think rationally, its impossible. But Then just remain rational, you gloomy shut-in mage Besgoro yelled, but only Sungjin could hear. I think there is a chance. In ancient text of every country and every age, it is well known that a Dragon is powerful, but an arrogant creature. If you can find a way to use that to your advantage, you may be able to damage the clothes. Soldamyr gave a positive response for once. Hmm, really? Sungjin realized that he must have wished to fight her, seeing how happy he was to hear that there was a chance. Sungjin turned to look upon her. She had certainly been arrogant all this time. Obviously, it would be impossible to defeat me with even a hundred more of you Of course, if she decides to fight seriously, there is no chance of victory. But seeing her like that, shes just searching for a source of entertainment. Soldamyr was right. Ka ha ha ha! Really? How fun! And a hidden boss what a pleasing name, Hidden Boss She had been extremely pleased when she found out that the hunters might fight her. Soldamyr continued to explain To a powerful Dragon, especially an ancient dragon, their worst enemies are actually boredom and apathy. A Dragon who is thoroughly bored will amuse itself with crazed acts of violence until it is killed by comrades or heroes, and a dragon afflicted with apathy might sleep for tens of thousands of years until it dissolves into mana. If you really do begin to fight her, she will try to entertain herself with you. And perhaps, an opportunity will present itself. Sungjin resolved his will upon hearing Soldamyrs words. The she-dragon had been the most irregular creature he had ever come across. She grabbed the Hunters Cube with her hands. She had said the Hunters had a pitiful fate. She seemed like a being existing outside the boundary of the Raid, something out of its control. Of all the NPCs and monsters Sungjin had ever met, she was unique in that she seemed to know something about the raids. He didnt know what reward she might give, but whatever it was could most definitely help in bringing the raids to an end. If I die here then that just means my potential only amounted to this much. Ill just cheer on the others from the Purgatory. Sungjin steeled his resolve as he returned to the others. He told them Anyone coming with me? You you want to try? Are you serious? Everyone was surprised at his words, but not one person stepped forward. Sungjin asked one more time. I have decided to challenge her. Will no one come with me? The hunters continued to look around, but no one responded. It was no surprise since he heard their inner voices earlier. If everyone came along to take her on together, they might be able to graze against her clothes, but participating would increase the chance of getting themselves killed. They will die if they are unlucky. This is weighing heavily on their minds. I guess I am stuck alone in the end Sungjin left behind the others as he headed towards the dragon. Hey, crazy guy Besgoro shouted, but Sungjin said to him I have already made up my mind, Besgoro Hey youre out of your mind Why not help me, since Ive already committed myself to it? If you distract me, you only increase the chances of me dying Besgoro tried to stop him, but there was nothing more he could do as a spirit. He just shut his mouth again. Moon Specter, Ill rely on you too. Of course, Master. Please just say the word. Sungjin finally stood before the dragon. Standing so close, he felt intimidated. Sungjin closed his eyes. If I die First thing in his mind was Cain. He was not a man, but it was the closest creature he had bonded with since the restart. Before he had flown past the Lava Fall, (Cain was too large to carry with the Carpet) Cain was returned to his wooden figurine form and sent back to the Ninety Nine Nights Inn. If Sungjin was unable to return to the market tonight, he would be saddened. Next was people he had befriended through the Raids, such as Franz, Nada, Serin, Mahadas, and others. Well, farewells are an integral part of this Raid anyhow. Sungjin opened his eyes while thinking so. Before him was a Dragon in a Human form. Sungjin prepared himself for the last time, using the Star of the Nameless. Rename. Master Hunter. He changed his title back to Master Hunter. It was the most powerful title he had in his repertoire. He sheathed Moon Specter once more. She would be called forth along with Ghastly Wail. Instead, he held the Romance of the Three Kingdoms with his right hand. Blood Vengeance would have been better for damage, but damage didnt matter; he only needed to land a single shot. Instead, it would be a good idea to prepare one round of magic reflect. Sungjin felt the necklace around his neck, the Yanhurat. I guess the time to put my life on the line came earlier than I thought. An Item he had hardly ever used. An item he had only used in case of emergencies during combat. This time, it was unavoidable. Kill, Kill The Necklace which was usually noisily shouting was strangely quiet. What does it differentiate between people? Like now? But it would activate once he gave the word. It was that kind of item. Sungjin finally said to his loyal comrade, Soldamyr. Soldamyr, Ill need your help. Yes, Master. If I die, please tell Cain Im sorry But he replied with I am connected to you with a contract. If you die, I cannot maintain my form. Really? Soldamyr replied stoically. Yes. Then lets fight for our lives. Yes, Master. Sungjin finally stepped up before the Dragon. She looked at him and asked So, are you prepared to fight me? Sungjin answered her. Yes. She glanced at the hunters behind Sungjin. So? How many of you will fight me at the same time? Sungjin gave her an answer. Just I She was shocked to hear his answer. What? Sungjin repeated himself assertively. I am going to challenge you alone. She narrowed her eyes into slits when she heard him. Ohh really? Challenging me alone without any assistance from your comrades. I cant even tell if youre brave or foolish what a puzzling human Her voice trailed off as she spoke, but soon continued But no matter. Having the courage to overcome the fear of death is the noblest state for a living being. She faced the hunters behind Sungjin and said to them Stay out of our fight. At her words, the nine hunters disappeared suddenly. You could die just because she said so While thinking that Besgoro was probably right, she interrupted his thoughts with a question. But will you be okay? Youre almost completely out of mana Sungjin was shocked when he heard her. Thats right! He was busy preparing his equipment and had forgotten to think about his mana. He had spent nearly all of it at the entrance of the Lava Fall earlier. Low Mana He had heard the Operator warn him, but he had let it slip out of his mind because he was too busy searching for Hidden Pieces. Ah please give me a second. Ill go refill my mana But she gestured. No, Ill do it. And with just her utterance, Sungjins body gave off a blue burst of light. He felt his energy being replenished. Sungjin asked the Operator, Operator, my Mana? [At Maximum] Filling up the Mana of an enemy. She was entirely disinterested in winning or losing. She was only looking forward to how Sungjin might amuse her. But thanks to that I have a chance. She extended her hands out of her robes and said Come, mortal. At the same time, the Operator gave an announcement. [Warning! Hidden Boss] [Khal Gals Mother Ariane has appeared!] Sungjin immediately shouted Substitute reading Gourmets monocle sparkled once and flew into the air along with the Romance of the Three Kingdoms, beginning to read it automatically out loud. Cao Caos great army pursued deep into the night and reached the fields of Changban. It was a familiar passage. It was the same passage as his first Seance, Zhang Fei Yide. Romance of the Three Kingdoms always selected the best passage for the situation. With this I will be able to seal all her spells for a short duration of time. But she was already firing spells his way. Eternal Flames of Hell! Inferno. The size of her inferno was colossal. It was strong enough to potentially cover the entire cavern in flames. Soldamyr quickly cast a shield using a spell. Anti Magic Shield But Soldamyrs spell broke the moment the flames reached it. Seeing that, Besgoro and Sungjin both cast two additional Shields at the same time. Anti-Magic Shield Anti-Magic Shield But her flames burst through those as well and continued to fly towards Sungjin. Sungjin watched the flames carefully and dodged by tumbling away. Despite flying past three layers of Anti-Magic shield, her inferno was still massive. Sungjin turned to look at the Romance of the Three Kingdoms. Hurry But Gourmets Monocle was still reading the book. But he stared down at the army while blocking the bridge Meanwhile, she flew up into the air and fired another spell. Incinerate everything in your path. Fireball. It was a Fireball in name only. From Sungjins perspective seeing from below, it looked more like a meteor. Soldamyr yelled Master! For him to yell, he must have judged that there was nothing he could do. It was something he could not manage with only his magic. Sungjin activated Artemio here. Reflect Magic Artemio began to glow with a purple light. But Sungjin couldnt help but feel skeptical. Can something like that be reflected? It was under 7th class. It met the requirement for the ability to work, but Sungjin was still unsure if it would work properly. But he didnt have any room to ponder on the subject. Being hit by that head on would mean instant death. Sungjin used Artemio to strike against the fireball. Luckily, the meteor-like ball of fire flew backwards, back towards the Dragon. Oooh, you survived two of my spells how fun. But she put her hand forth and absorbed the enormous ball of fire. It looked like just about anything was possible for an ancient dragon. There was no damage, but he had earned plenty of time. I am Zhang Yide! Gourmets Monocle successfully completed the Substitute Reading. [Seance of Zhang Fei Yide activated!] [Passive skill C Enhance Attack(III), Swift(III) applied.] New powers flowed into Sungjins body. Sungjin immediately ran towards the dragon. But she was more interested in the book than him. Oooh that is that the power of an ancient omnibus which survived the ages? How interesting, how fun She laughed as if she was truly enjoying herself. Sungjin on the other hand grit his teeth as he charged forward. Chapter 105 Chapter 105 C Red Dragons Lair (11) Sungjin ran towards her. She began to mutter something when she noticed him, but he immediately called out Shout of Changban! Then from behind him, Come and battle me to the death! An earsplitting yell filled the air. It was just for a moment, but she paused during her incantation. Sungjin used this chance to get within melee range of her. When he prepared to strike her with Artemio and Moon Specter, she took out a thin and short stick. The stick was only as long as Sungjins forearm. But once she grabbed the center of the stick, Shing! The short stick became a slender staff. Having taken out her staff could only mean that she has decided to face Sungjin with physical attacks. It meant Shout of Changban was effective. It all depends on swordsmanship now Sungjin thought to himself as he swung with both swords, with Artemio from the left and Moon Specter from the right; A difficult attack to stop for a normal person. But she leapt back a little as she rotated her staff. Clang ching! She managed to deflect both swords. And whatever material the summoned staff she held was made of, withstood the blade of Moon Specter which could even cut through obsidian, without a scratch. In a split second, Sungjin was frozen in place after getting both of his swords deflected. She fixed her posture and stabbed with her staff. A tremendous speed, she had aimed for his heart, but Sungjin dodged to the right and out of harms way. But her staff paused midair and readjusted its course for his left side. It was as if she had been baiting him to make this move. But Sungjin was able to shift his direction at the last second and dodge it. It was probably thanks to Romance of the Three Kingdoms Swift(III). I am slightly faster Getting confident, Sungjin looked to the Dragon to counter attack. But, the staff that should have been next to him was nowhere to be seen. The staff was already raised above her head. Feeling an instinctive fear, Sungjin immediately held his two swords above his head. Clang! Right above Moon Specter and Artemio was her staff. If he had been even a little bit slower, her staff would have taken the place his skull would have been. Sungjin felt a chill crawl up his spine. On the other hand, Ooh, you can block this? She said to Sungjin. This was when he realized Those earlier attacks she was going easy on me The first two thrusts against him were done slowly on purpose. She had used the slow left and right attack to limit his range of movement and had planned to land a swift strike against his head down the middle. She was still toying with him. She lifted the staff slightly and brought it back down. Despite being such a short distance tap, it contained an enormous amount of power. And this is after her physical strength became weakened in human form Sungjin glanced at Yanhurat with the corner of his eyes. He wanted to test her strength first, but he had seen enough in just 3 hits. Sungjin pushed with every ounce of his strength to knock her staff away and get out from under her weapon. But after he backed off Clang Artemio broke in half. [Warning, Weapon destroyed.] Huh This was the first time he had ever seen a legendary tier weapon break. Luckily, broken equipment were automatically fixed when hunters were sent back to the Ninety Nine Nights. So Sungjin quickly pulled out the Blood Vengeance. And using the same hand, he picked up Yanhurat and said Lets kill, Yanhurat. Soon, Kill! Kill! It replied in a pace much faster than ever before. Sungjins entire being began to glow red. Khal Gals mother Ariane immediately held her staff properly when she saw it. She must have realized what the red aura meant. Kill! Kill! Kill! Kill! Listening to its whisper, Sungjin charged towards her like a bullet. This was Sungjins fastest possible state, boosted even further by the Romance of the Three Kingdoms buffs. Sungjin swung his blade faster than his own eyes could see. She wielded her staff with graceful motions to block Sungjins attacks. Sungjin attacked as if he went mad. Clclclclclclclclangclclclclclclang The air was filled with nothing but continuous strikes of swords upon the staff. She was busy defending herself from his attacks. Kill! Kill! Kill! Kill! Kill! Kill! Kill! Kill! Kill! Kill! Sungjin was in a state where he couldnt think properly due to Yanhurats crazed shouts, but he still thought to himself One of these should hit But no matter how much time passed, she had not allowed Sungjins two swords to even come close to the sleeve of her shirt. If those under the Zealot state are unable to kill their opponents, they will end up getting killed instead. More importantly, Romance of the Three Kingdoms Seance was ending sooner than the Yanhurats Zealot. Once Zheng Feis Seance ends, his speed would drop. At the same time, she would regain the ability to cast spells again. Then Sungjin was as good as dead. Sungjin squeezed every drop of strength in his body to try and swing harder and faster. Thanks to Kamram which allowed Sungjin to swing his swords independently of each other, he used more and more intricate attack patterns. But amazingly, she rotated her staff with elegant movements, blocking his irregular attacks. She no longer smiled, indicating that she was being pushed to her limits, but she still managed to hold on. [10 seconds until the end of Seance. 10] The Operator began a countdown. He only had 10 seconds remaining. But this was when Besgoro shouted Sungjin, use Frenzy Frenzy. An active skill which increases speed by 10% for each hit landed. But there was no point in using it. If he couldnt reach his enemy, what was the point? The first time he touches her, hed win. There was no point to using Frenzy. Sungjin continued to swing his sword while ignoring Besgoros advice. But [9, 8 ] The time continued to pass. But then Besgoro said one more thing. Activate Frenzy and cut yourself. Sungjin, despite Zealot, heard him. What? He had doubts but [7, 6] There was no time for hesitation. He would die in 6 seconds. Frenzy [5, 4] Sungjin activated Frenzy, and flipped his sword around and cut his side. He cut twice using both swords. Four strikes within 1 second. Ugh It hurt. There was no time to cut himself carefully with his swords. [3] Ariane paused and gave Sungjin a look. What? Giving up? She had thought perhaps Sungjin had fallen into despair and was trying to suicide. And it made her sorely disappointed. The toy broke. She thought. And it created an opening against her. Sungjin attacked her with the swords drenched in his own blood. With a speed incomparable with before. [2, 1, 0] In the last remaining 3 seconds, Sungjin launched dozens of attacks. And then [Seance has ended] Finally, the effect of Romance of the Three Kingdoms had come to an end. And as soon as it came to an end, Ariane who had been blocking Sungjins attacks suddenly said Stop Sungjin who had been swinging his sword with the intent to kill suddenly froze in place. He couldnt move. Is this Dragons Voice? It required no incantation. Her words were simply obeyed. An ability reaching the realm of godhood. No matter how Sungjin looked at it, she was taking it easy on him. Once his master was in danger, Soldamyr who was reduced to watching the fight while sweating (since his magic was also sealed) quickly flew over and tried to protect his master. Sonic Wave But You stop too. Soldamyr was stopped by her command as well. She addressed them while they were both stuck in place Ha you were amazing. Really. Sungjin examined her hooded outfit while he was stuck. He was checking for any rip since the hood had been the primary target of his final rush. But not a single thread had been harmed of her clothes. Its over. But the Operator gave a congratulatory message. [Congratulations. Hidden Boss] [Khal Gals Mother Arianes bet is a success] Sungjin was shocked. But she doesnt look hurt anywhere! Just then from her left cheek, a line of blood had appeared. One of his strikes had landed. Ariane used a finger to wipe her cheek. The cut disappeared without a trace. Ariane licked her finger. Then with a complicated look, she said to Sungjin. Haa it was fun after all but I didnt think you could actually hurt I was going to kill you after having my fill of the fun. Seeing her say that, Sungjin couldnt help but feel that she may have had a cruel heart akin to that of her son. But a promise is a promise. She relaxed her expressions and said Move. You did well. Sungjin was able to move again. Kill kill kill!!!! Yanhurat was still shouting despite the fight being over. But she said Ah, calm down first. And immediately the voice was cut off. Sungjin returned to normal. And shortly after, extreme fatigue hit him. It was for only a few seconds, but he had fought past his physical limit. Sungjin planted Moon Specter and Blood Vengeance into the ground to support himself as he leaned on them. She spoke to him meanwhile. How extraordinary. Even if you had help from this and that the fact that a human can pull that off it was incredible. She was truly congratulating him from the bottom of her heart. Now that the fight was over, it would be in his best interest to befriend her. Sungjin said to her I have learned much from you. Speed is one thing I have never seen anyone so skilled with a staff. She responded without any expression on her face Well, I have lived over a hundred times longer than you. But you were different It was unbelievable Sungjin bowed at her compliment. And replied You said earlier, that we were in a pitiable fate. I dont know how much you know about our circumstance but I want to end it. This fate of ours. And I want to stop fighting. Please help me. She grinned at Sungjins word and said Such old cliche lines. Hero is victorious, and the Dragon rewards him with treasures. Sungjin became nervous at her words. But she soon added Okay, well the Hidden Boss lost. Ill have to spit out a reward. Something really good, right? Sungjin couldnt help but nod. Chapter 106 Chapter 106 C Red Dragons Lair (12) Ariane lifted her hands up and said Summon And on her palm was a small ring. She handed it over to Sungjin. Sungjin examined the strange ring. The ring was transparent, and a mysterious blue material floated within. The material moved unpredictably. It sometimes bundled up together, separated, or flowed like water. While Sungjin was watching the material, Ariane said Its an item containing the power of the strongest Wizard in human history, Anatol of the Blue Sky. Sungjin tilted his head when he heard this. He had heard the name Blue Sky Wizard before. But Soldamyr next to him replied My goodness, this object contains that wizards power? Sungjin stared at him. Now that he thought of it, Soldamyr mentioned it before. There are several famous wizards in history, but among them, Wizard of the Black Flames, Wizard of Purple Light, and Firmament Wizard are the most famous. Since I am a blue magician myself, I respected and studied the Wizard of the Blue Sky Anatol the most Sungjin held the ring above his head. But instead of an information screen, he heard the Operator say [Unclaimed item.] Sungjin frowned. Even if he found something in a raid, if the Operator did not officially grant the item to him, he couldnt check any info nor use it. Just what kind of item is it? He thought when Ariane told him Put it on. Sungjin replied to her But I cant equip nor use it right now. Hmm? What do you mean? Sungjin tapped on his cube and said Without the Cubes permission, even if I have an item like this I cant use it. Probably once the raid is over, I will be granted the item as part of the normal raid reward process. And once its been officially awarded to me, Ill probably be able to use it. Hmm really? Ariane walked up to him and snatched the cube out of the air. It was the second time he saw it happen, but it was still amazing. She could grab others cube. Ariane said as she took a look at the cube. This really does look like an item related to Sungjin opened his eyes wide. You know who made it? Sungjin never even imagined that the cube hid clues as to its maker. He immediately asked This I mean you know someone that made the Operator? Ariane gave Sungjin a look as she replied I dont know for sure but an item has a creator of some sort, right? The Operator was a tool for progressing the Raid system. If there was a maker of the system, then it meant he was the architect who planned the whole thing. Just who I cant tell you any more than that Mother warned me not to get involved with it. Mother? Seeing his surprise, she replied in a matter of fact manner. What? Every living being has a mother, right? She was right. Sungjin was abandoned and orphaned as a child, but someone must have given birth to him. What had surprised him was the fact that she also had a mother who was taking care of her. Ariane was plenty strong on her own. He couldnt even imagine how powerful her mother must be. Sungjin said to her Couldnt you give me the smallest hint about it? Who planned and carried out this raid system? Ariana looked off to the side for a moment before replying. Its not exactly correct to say the raids were planned and carried out per se how to say this More like the raids are being watched and recorded since theres meaning in doing so. She said something he couldnt quite comprehend. Sungjin thought of using Jeremiahs eye to find out more. If he could read her surface thoughts (if it was possible), he might find out something more profound, but unfortunately, it was on cooldown. Well if its just hint She raised her hands once more Summon. She had summoned a pen. She handed it over to Sungjin and said Try using this. I dont know if this will give you a hint though. Sungjin accepted the pen. The pen looked very ordinary. Its exterior looked like it could be found in any regular stationary shop. When Sungjin was busy looking at the pen, Ariane suddenly said her farewell. It was fun, Human. I hope that my presents will help you escape your tragic fate. Sungjin looked at her. He had so many questions for her, but it didnt seem like she would tell him any more than what she already did. Thank you very much. Sungjin lowered his head to express his gratitude. Then Ill take my leave. When he looked back up, she was already gone. The only thing remaining was the ring and the pen she had left behind. Although it wasnt officially awarded to him, it was still something he had earned. Sungjin was about to place the items into his pocket, but he noticed a piercing gaze. Soldamyr was tilting his head to see the item in Sungjins hands. Sungjin handed the ring to him. Soldamyr was overwhelmed that it was offered to him, and carefully received the ring with both of his hands. Ohhh this is the Sungjin wasnt sure yet, but it was apparently an amazing item. Sungjin asked him So what is it? I dont know Just there is an incredible amount of Mana contained within. Sungjin took the Ring back. The material within was still moving strangely. If I want to find out whats in it I need to quickly get to distribution. All he had to do was use the Trollseeker marble. But he couldnt use it here yet. If he were to use it here, he might have to spend quite an effort and time to get to where the trolls might be. Dimensional transfer was best used where the boss was located. Sungjin moved back to the Lava fall and said Soldamyr, give me flight. Power to defy Gravity, Levitation! Sungjin left the cave with the treasure with Soldamyr. Once they were out of the spacious cavern, he could see the hunters in the distance. The hunters were shocked to see Sungjin again. AAlive Did you succeed? Sungjin moved between them and said Isnt it obvious? Ohhh Amazing. But he had no time to be listening to their praises. Sungjin said to them I am going to leave here. The rest of you work He was about to finish his words when he noticed the Friar. A potential troll. Originally, he was planning to trick him with Lets troll together, and kill him after, but it would take too long. Sungjin just said to the Hunters Work together and hunt rest of the mobs. What? Youre leaving? Several hunters asked, but he didnt have time to answer their questions. Sungjin shook his hand and said Well I cant explain everything but Mr. Immortal and Mr. Friar, may I see the two of you real quick please? Sungjin called them over. The hunters were curious about what Sungjin was up to, but they didnt dare interrupt what he was doing. They were already seeing Master Hunter Sungjin as a monster stronger than a Dragon. The Immortal and Friar came forward as instructed. Sungjin faced them and said For Mr Immortal Please rally the other hunters and hunt down rest of the mobs. If you utilize your leadership, you will be able to manage it with the nine of you. The Immortal had been cooperative with Sungjin from start to finish. Yes, Master Hunter. Ok, go back for now. Sungjin sent the immortal back to the group and was left alone with the Friar. The Friar couldnt possibly know what Sungjin wanted to say. He probably thought Sungjin just wanted to say Since you are a healer, please take care of the others Like Sungjin had done with the Immortal. But Sungjin suddenly said I know what youre planning. Excuse me? Disregarding the Friars surprise, Sungjin just continued to speak. I dont know if you are going to do it in the future or not but Ill give you just one warning. If you do it in the future, I will be coming after you to kill you. Sungjin had avoided using the word, but his words made the Friar freeze up. Sungjin had correctly read his mind. You understand, right? Sungjin patted his shoulder twice and walked over to the others. Then I hope we see each other again, friends. Sungjin left behind the hunters and walked back to the cavern with Khal Gals corpse. After taking out the Trollseeker marble, he said Pursuit of Justice Pillar of bright light came down upon Sungjin from above. [Dimensional transfer requested.] The distribution began. [Monsters Slain. Hell Hound: 48. Magma Golem: 4. Red Dragon Demihuman: 2. Total 32000 points.] [Boss Monster Slain: Red Dragon Khal Gal: 2000 points.] [Hidden Boss: Khal Gals Mother Ariane: 2000 points.] [Final Point count: 36000. Distributing points.] [Your contribution is 58%. 20880 Stat points,20880 Black Coins awarded. Raid Clear Bonus 3000 Stat points and 3000 Black Coins awarded. Item effect Additional 10% gained activated. Distributing 23880 Stat points and 26268 Black Coins.] Because it was a ten man raid, despite his percentage being the worst hes ever seen, the reward was several times higher than in other raids. [And now we will distribute the items.] Sungjin solemnly awaited the items to appear. [Redrun C Red Dragon Scale Armor] [Aio C Ring of Great Sage] [Mu C Brush of reply] [Merka C Pulp of Evolution] [Enhancement Stone X3] An incredible number of items burst forth. Not only had he been rewarded with the items Ariane had handed over, but he also received Scale Armor, Pulp of Evolution, and three Enhancement stones. [Congratulations, Legendary Item Redrun] Everything he received was of legendary class. Sungjin put everything away except for the Scale Armor, Ring, and the brush. Meanwhile, the Operator granted him a title. [Last but not the least, you will be awarded titles youve earned on this raid.] [Dragon Slayer C Attacking a Dragon deals four times the normal damage.] Ooh Dragon Slayer was an attractive name. And the passive deal four times the damage, although it wasnt immediately useful, if he ever had to fight a dragon, it would prove even more useful than Master Hunter title. Since I have Star of the Nameless, there might be a day I might use it Sungjin decided to keep it in mind. [Distribution has ended.] [Request for Dimensional transfer has been granted.] [You will be teleported in 10 seconds. 10, 9] Sungjin said to Soldamyr, Soldamyr, lets meet back at the Inn. Yes Master Soldamyr bid his farewell, and soon after, Sungjin was teleported. To the new Dimension. * Sungjin took a look around. Khal Gals corpse was visible on the other side, with his tongue hanging out. It must have been a relatively successful party Sungjin had killed Khal Gal and even cleared the hidden boss, but not much time had actually passed. The fact that Khal Gal was taken down so quickly meant that this party had been full of strong members. I dont think they could have gotten far Sungjin decided to run towards the cavern where the Hidden piece was located. Since if there were any trolls, they would have gone in that direction. But even as he ran, he checked the items he had obtained from the raid by raising them above his head. Normally he would have slowly checked them after killing the trolls, but this time he couldnt hold himself back out of curiosity. Just what does it do? Chapter 107 Chapter 107 C Red Dragons Lair (13) The first thing Sungjin held up was the Red Dragons Scale Armor. It looked like it was an item made of Khal Gals scales judging from the size and the colour of it. Sungjin held it in the air as he ran. The Operators information screen soon popped up. Redrun C Red Dragons Scale Armour Legendary Breastplate Protection 43% Passive Skill Dragon Scales (Red) C Reduce damage from Fire by 20% Dragons Rage (I) C Each hit taken increases stack of Dragons Rage by one. Maximum 25 stacks. Active Skill Dragons Breath(Red) C Consume all stacks of Dragons Rage to fire Dragons Breath. Armour created from Khal Gals scales. Although the scale is much smaller, it could recreate Dragons Breath. The information screen shook up and down as he ran, but he could understand its core features. Ooh Sungjin immediately Equip It had already been ten chapters, but he had not a single armour on his chest, and now he obtained a legendary class item. I can now use Dragons Breath but how does it work? He didnt know its effects, but he would eventually come to know what it could do. Next was the most important ring. Red Dragon Ariane had said it can alter your fate and Soldamyr was deeply impressed with the ring that he held up. Aio C Ring of the Great Sage Unique Legendary Ring Passive Skill Great Sage (Blue) C Allows casting of every Blue Magic Spells. Active Skill Empower Magic (V) C Increase Magic power by 5 times for 30 seconds. Usable once a day. Ring containing Anatols Power. He had created items like this ring from a very young age. The most immediately noticeable feature was the fact that it was a Unique Legendary Tier Item; an Item only one person in the entire world was allowed to use. Seeing how a veteran mage such as Soldamyr had accepted it with both hands with respect gave proof of what a precious treasure it was. The price on it would be astronomical. Sungjin continued to read the information sheet. There were two very eye catching details. Allows casting of every Blue Magic Spells. And Increase Magic power by 5 times for 30 seconds. These two if these two can be combined Sungjin recalled the time he had visited the Dragon Demihumans Spellshop. Then He could think of a few interesting scenarios but in the distance, Binding Frost! Frostbite! He could hear someone casting a spell. Sungjin quickly Equip Put the ring on one of his fingers, and put the pen away in his pocket. He ran towards the source of the voice. Now that he thought of it, he still had the title of Master Hunter hanging over his head. Sungjin took out the Star of the Nameless. He had changed his title to fight Ariane. Roughly 10 minutes should have passed by now. He then said Rename To use the item to change his name to Adjudicator and headed into the fight. * Iron Will Tanabat was happy until just a moment ago. In the first ten man raid, he was nervous facing the gigantic dragon but thanks to his powerful allies, he was able to survive after killing the beast. Of course, he had been scratched on his chest and received a severe burn on his head due to the breath attack. But after dozens of minutes of intense fighting, the battle had ended without a loss of life. Thank you, Buddha. He gathered his hands and prayed. Then he walked up to the teams most skilled combatant, the Divine Archer to thank him. Thank you, Divine Archer. If it werent for you I would have died. The Divine Archer was a Mideastern Asian on the smaller side, swift and agile, and was incredibly accurate with the bow. He had blinded the dragon with his arrows. He also used some strange magic to prevent the Dragons reinforcements (Hellhounds and Dragon Demihumans) from joining the fray. If it werent for him, one or two hunters would have died. Despite Tanabats expression of gratitude, he remained humble. Its no big deal. It was all thanks to you Iron Wall sir for doing a good job. He answered. Humility despite strength, polite demeanor despite rough appearance (large nose, thick beard); Tanabat thought highly of him. I hope we can meet again. The Raid continued to progress after the boss was slain. Of course for the purpose of increasing the amount of contribution points. If they were lucky, they would be able to obtain the hidden piece. But meanwhile, there was a problem. Someone decided to ask Operator, whats my Contribution level? One by one, people checked their contribution and noticed it was very low, around 8 to 10 percent. The reason was obvious; it was because the Divine Archer had taken the lions share. Tanabat also had a small percentage of less than 10, but he didnt mind it. He had accepted it as the fair share proportional to his skill. So he couldnt predict that several unhappy hunters would collude to troll. While the group was hunting the hellhound together, he noticed that the arrows from the Divine Archer had stopped, so he turned to check. Behind, four hunters were attacking the Divine Archer at the same time. Whats going on? Tanabat tried to get them to stop, but it was pointless. Four hunters were hellbent on trolling. It wasnt clear when they talked it out, but they were working together against the Divine Archer. Four trolls were flagged simultaneously. Tanabat proactively jumped into the fray to protect the Divine Archer. So it became 4 versus 2. The enemy was still twice their number. But because the Tank and Archer synergized well, they were able to put up a good fight. The problem was that three of the other hunters who were watching joined on the side of the trolls. Then the Red Mage who had been firing spells beside the Divine Archer had joined on the side of Tanabat, but it was still 7 to 3. Tanabat fought fiercely, but the Red Mage was eventually killed. One of the enemies finally got shot down and killed by an arrow, but it was still 6 to 2. Tanabat was in danger of being killed for choosing to protect a talented individual from jealous and greedy hunters. That is, until moments ago. 6 Trolls at once, Ive hit Jackpot. Someone suddenly appeared in the middle of the fight. An Adjudicator wielding a sword in each hand appeared, surprising everyone present. Is it a monster? Or a hidden boss? But it didnt matter what or who he was. In the middle of the pitched battle, he was either an enemy or an ally. One of the trolls shouted to the Adjudicator Who are you? Do you also want to die? The Adjudicator began to swing his sword without reply when confronted. And once the fighting began, Tanabat couldnt help but become even more surprised. He was unbelievably skilled. Divine Archer who could land every arrow was amazing, but his skill was on a completely different level. He had begun to fight with six trolls alone. The Divine Archer supported him as well with support fire. Thus, three out of six trolls were killed within seconds. The trolls who saw that Uh MMercy! Began to run away. They ran back towards the Khal Gals main cavern. Adjudicator chased after them without a word. But the Divine Archer was even faster than him. Pew~pew~ The arrows flew and landed on the heel of two of the hunters Pew~pew~ Followed by arrows piercing their hearts and head. This angered the Adjudicator. Hey! Divine Archer! Stop! Ill kill them, I will! Tanabat couldnt quite understand him, only that he expressed the desire to kill them with his own hands. And the Divine Archer Eh? Was surprised. He put his bow down. The Adjudicator turned towards the last troll and Frost Bite! Froze him in place and cut off his head. Of the ten hunters, only Tanabat and the Divine Archer remained alive. Tanabat couldnt help but feel tense when the Adjudicator walked towards them. He didnt know who it was, but it was possible that the Adjudicator was hostile against everyone. He turned to the Divine Archer and said Hey Shouldnt we make a run for it? But the Divine Archer shook his head. No, that man hes not a bad man. Tanabat didnt know with what evidence he said that, but Tanabat couldnt relax. Not many, not even villains, could indiscriminately swing their swords at someone they just met. But the Adjudicator very unhesitatingly and skillfully pulled it off. So Tanabat found it difficult to trust him. He held two blood dripping swords and wore a flaming skull over his head. Tanabat had seen many strange hunters as chapters progressed, but this man seemed particularly far from normal. The Adjudicator walked from corpse to corpse to pick up fallen items. Upon closer inspections, he was picking copies of armours and equipment the dead hunters were wearing. As if he was a kind of was a kind of scavenger picking through corpses. I thought it was impossible to take items of other people As Tanabat was thinking so, the Adjudicator finished picking up the items and said How sad there were six, but I could only kill four of them He muttered to himself as he walked towards Tanabat and the Divine Archer. To them he then asked Hey, are you two alright? Tanabat nodded. But the Divine Archer said Its been a while. Adjudicator tilted his head and replied What, you know me? Tanabat also stared at the Divine Archer. He was curious as to how they could know each other. But then when the Divine Archer raised his hands to touch his neck, he pulled away the skin. And beneath the darkened and rough skin, he saw the exact opposite, unblemished white skin. Tanabat couldnt help but be astonished. When the Divine Archer lifted up the skin of his face no his mask, the entire body began to transform. He who had looked like a very hairy middle eastern man was now transformed into an asian woman with an elegant straight hair. While Tanabat was staring with his jaws wide open, he could hear the voice of the Adjudicator from behind. It has certainly been a while, Miss Serin Chapter 108 Chapter 108 C Red Dragons Lair (14) Note: Title of Serin changed from Divine Archer to God of Bows Sungjin stared at the maskless Serin. Straight long hair, white skin, high nose and glossy lips. She still boasted graceful and elegant appearance. The only thing that changed was the God of Bows title above her head and few pieces of equipment. And even most of those were upgraded since the last time. But then Besgoro couldnt contain his habit. Ohh, its a beautiful Asian lady this time. She has smaller boobs than the other lady, but its still fantastic. Hey Kei, since when did you Sungjin took off Besgoro as he said It looks like youve been well, Serin. You too, Kei. Her gaze contained a look of fascination. She had treated him coldly last time they met, but this time she acted much more friendly towards him. Sungjin thought as he looked upon her I had thought wed eventually run into each other but it was much quicker than I anticipated Its probably due to travelling through dimensions, but still, a strange fate that ties us. Even for Sungjin who could travel between dimensions, the maximum number he could run into was limited to 49 people per round. As far as the probabilities go there was a very small chance for them to run into each other, but they were able to meet again against all odds. Sungjin glanced around at the corpses and said I guess your luck with comrades is still poor. She smiled at his words and said Well, theres bound to be trolls here and there. More importantly She held up her mask. Thanks to you telling me about this I didnt have to go through that again. No one seemed too interested in a bearded man. Sungjin grinned at her words. She had picked an excellent mask for herself. She asked Sungjin So, how did you get here? You werent here when we started, right? This was the main question most people asked. If it was anyone else asking the question, Sungjin would have found a suitable excuse to avoid the issue, but Sungjin decided to tell her the truth. But the Southeastern Asian man standing next to them bothered Sungjin. Sungjin glanced at him. The fact that he stood on the other side of the trolls probably meant he was a good man, but Sungjin couldnt tell his secrets to someone he didnt know. Sorry, but can you leave us for a bit? At Sungjins request, he obediently moved away from them. Once he was out of earshot, Sungjin said to her There is an item for finding trolls. So I use it to track down and kill trolls that appear in other dimensions. Ahh Sungjin pointed to the title above his head I got Adjudicator title from that round. I am putting it to good use. Ah is that why you were shouting that you wanted to kill them? Yes If it was anyone else, I wouldnt have stopped firing arrows. Because I have it too, Adjudicator. Now that he saw, there were items fallen around corpses finished off by arrows. She must have obtained the title of Adjudicator meanwhile. But then I heard a familiar voice. So I stopped. Ah, I see. Then you were. Thank you. Sungjin expressed his gratitude. She also had Adjudicator but had yielded the trolls for Sungjins sake. No, I am the one feeling grateful. Dealing with six at once would have been difficult for me. I am glad if you think that way. You have saved me twice already. I dont know how to repay you Her voice trailed off as she spoke. Sungjin pulled out the Holy water of Baptism from his pockets. Luckily, he had one more thanks to obtaining a white coin from Franz. Theres no need for repaying Please just let me do this. She tilted her head. Excuse me? Sungjin shook the bottle slightly as he held it up. The holy water splashed about within the glass bottle. This is an item which grants 10% of my stats as a buff. Also, it allows us to meet again. When you need me. She replied back to him. We can meet if I need you? Yes. What do you Serin looked deeply confused, which was expected. The ability of this holy water was something outside the boundary of common sense of the raid system. This is Sungjin was about to explain but stopped himself. It would be easier to just see it, so Sungjin decided to skip the explanation and move straight to the baptism. She would likely accept it without any clarification. Please hold still At his request, she calmly stood still. Sungjin opened the glass bottle and poured the liquid over her. Baptise Light burst forth from her figure. It was already the third time he had seen it, but it was still an unfamiliar sight to behold. Few seconds later, the light faded away, and the Operator gave an announcement. [You were Chosen by someone. Title granted.] [Chosen one C Receive 20% of the choosers stat as bonus stat. Once a day, you may summon the Chooser with his permission.] She was astonished at the Operators explanations. Bonus is 20%? Yes, please check it. Operator, My status please. She opened her status screen and checked her stats. And was astonished again. I didnt even equip it yet so this is 10% of your stats? Yes, well yes. She looked back and forth between the screen and Sungjins face. It looked like she had difficulty believing her eyes. Sungjin scratched the back of his head as he said Well, you can probably guess but its a good title. See if its worth equipping it. More importantly, the next part is key; you can request the chooser to appear by your side once a day. She swallowed audibly. I see. As it suggests, you can summon me once. During the raid, or once the raid is over. Since you cant change your title mid-raid try calling me after the raid is over. Tonight. After Sungjin thought for a moment. He had promised to meet Franz at 6 in the evening. 5 PM. Please call me. Well meet and have a conversation then. So all I have to do is say your name? Yes. If you ask the Operator But when Sungjin was about to explain, he was suddenly interrupted. [The Chosen One requested your teleportation.] Sungjins cube suddenly spoke. He turned to stare at the cube. Is it Franz? What a timing But the image displayed on the screen above the cube was not Franz, but Nada. The image of Nada spoke to him. Hey, Mr Boobs. You said to call for you when Im in trouble right? I am in trouble. Sungjin was shocked to see her. Behind her, Sungjin could see Khal Gals breath attack filling the screen. If she was saying she was in danger, then she was truly in peril. I cannot lose her. [Do you accept the request? 10, 9] The Operators Countdown began. Sungjin quickly said to Serin Someone is requesting my help. I have to go. Serin nodded hesitantly Yes I saw She was able to see the image of Nada appear from the cube as well. But Mr Boobs? Sungjin face flushed bright red. [8, 7, 6] But there was no time to clear up the misunderstanding right now. The timer was ticking. Theres no time to explain. Please call me. 5 PM, got it? Yes I understand. [5, 4, 3] Finally, Sungjin pointed to the direction of the Lava fall in the distance and told her The hidden piece is behind the Lava Fall in that direction. You can enter the location after freezing the lava. Please search for the hidden piece. And finally [2, 1] He told the Operator, Ill accept. Summon. [Teleport request accepted.] And after their brief reunion, Sungjin disappeared from the spot. * Once Sungjin was gone, Serin continued to stare at the spot he disappeared from. Then she said in a small voice Just what Master Hunter Kei appeared suddenly with the title of Adjudicator swinging away with his swords, rushed to collect fallen items, performed a strange baptism out of nowhere, and disappeared before she could get a grip. There were so many things I wanted to ask about on our second meeting She thought as she walked over the corpses to collect the fallen items from the trolls. Tanabat walked up to her and asked Is it someone you knew? She answered Yes, he is someone I met when in a past raid. I see. He was quite a monster. Yes. Well, I think hes probably the strongest hunter. Is that so? Well Once I saw the way he handled his sword earlier I think I can believe that. Whats his name? Kei. Kei Kei you say what a simple name. Is that his real name? With his question, she finally remembered He promised that he would tell me his name if we meet again Because of how sudden their meeting and separation was, she had no chance to ask. He said to call for him at 5. She asked the Operator. Operator, Remaining time? [1 hour and 38 minutes.] Then Once the Raid is over, she would arrive at the Black Market at around 2 to 3 pm. In other words, there were roughly 4 to 5 hours until she can see him again. Ill make sure to ask him this and that when we meet. She told herself as she turned to look at the Lava Fall Sungjin had indicated. She could probably fly over there. She turned to Tanabat and asked Hey, are you able to fly? Yes. My boots have a flight feature. Really? Then lets go there together. The hidden piece is located there apparently. Hidden Piece? Sounds good. Air Walk. His item activated and he was able to walk up into the air as if he was climbing a ladder. Serin fluttered her cape as she said Sylphid, let me fly. Winds began to blow, billowing against her cape. Soon her body floated in the air. The cape she wore was a cape of the Fairies. Flying was but one of its features; it was able to use the power of wind to push projectiles out of her way. She flew into the sky and approached the Lava Fall. She was happy that she could see Kei again, but the ending was oddly slightly upsetting. Why is that so? Serin asked herself. Then she recalled earlier Hey, Mr Boobs. You said to call for you when Im in trouble right? I am in trouble. She recalled the face of the woman who had called for Sungjin. The woman had western features and looked extremely alluring. So I wasnt the only one he chose She thought as she flew above the location said to contain the hidden piece. Also Mr Boobs what was that about? Strange questions popped into her head one by one. Chapter 109 Chapter 109 C Red Dragons Lair (15) Sungjin was teleported to another dimension along with a bright light. He tried to search for Nada as soon as he arrived, but he didnt have a chance to even look around because there was a giant ball of fire falling towards him from above. Eeh He didnt have many tools at his disposal. It was too late to chant something, and Artemio was broken. Sungjin was forced to resort to his last line of defense, throwing his frozen mantle over himself and shouting Solidify! Soon from close by, Boom! The ball of fire exploded. Thanks to deploying his spell on time, Sungjin was able to withstand the attack without being blown away, but he had to take on the resulting fire blast head on. Ugh Sungjins hair curled, and his skin got slightly burnt. But thankfully, Sungjin was wearing the Red Dragons Scale Armor (Most likely made of Khal Gals own scales). Unlike other parts of his body, the parts protected by the scale armor had been mostly protected from the flames. This is really useful. Sungjin thought to himself as he took a look around. The first thing he noticed was Khal Gal running rampant, flying around the cavern. He was firing balls of fire as large as his fists as he flew by. Sungjin looked around for the other hunters and groaned. Ugh He saw several corpses ripped in half, or turned into cinders. Only five hunters were still alive. As she had said, they were in trouble. Sungjin checked Khal Gal again. Khal gal was slowly coming back down to the ground. But Sungjin couldnt see any major wound on his body. The party had been unable to deal any meaningful damage upon him despite the sacrifice of half of their members. Wow I need to focus this time its really dangerous. Sungjin thought as he prepared to fight Khal Gal once more. But this time, Blood Vengeance and Moon Specter seemed to bite harder than before. Despite not landing any proper hits, Khal Gal bellowed out in pain each time his swords made contact with his scales. Ah right I had that. Sungjin just recalled that he had earned the Dragon Slayer Title. Although he did not receive the 4x damage boost due to not having the title equipped, it still granted him double the damage compared to the last time he had fought Khal Gal. Nada used her signature black magic to support Sungjin. Tense muscles, brittle bones, weakness She harassed the dragon. The other hunters were greatly stunned by Sungjins appearance, but they began to join Sungjin in the offensive. Sungjin succeeded in defeating Khal Gal once more with their help. Kraghwagar Khal Gal let out a death throe as he collapsed into the ground. Wahh! We did it! While the other hunters were celebrating their victory, Sungjin leaned against the fallen dragon and Whew Let out a deep sigh. It was a difficult fight. Because he had blown all of his cooldowns on his major items, he had no help from his items this time around. If it wasnt for his Dragon Slayer title, he might have had to put his life on the line to finish the dragon off. Nada approached the resting Sungjin. She first expressed her gratitude. Thank you. All of our tanks had burnt to death, so we were in a pinch. But you saved us. Sungjin waved his hands and said Ah, no problem. Instead Boobs! Ooooh! Great as always! Sungjin removed Besgoro once again and took a deep breath before replying. Did you come to realize that it was all a misunderstanding? To his question, she raised both of her hands and said Well, yes. You kept trying to help me I think I had the wrong idea about you. Sungjin nodded without getting up from his spot. Thats really great. Back then there was just not enough time I didnt have a choice. I thought over it last night I realized you probably had reasons. Sungjin wrapped up his break and stood up as he said Well then Ill be on my way. Way? Where to? I have to visit other dimensions too. Nada replied to his words. Other dimensions? Right now? Sungjin a had total of five Trollseeker Marbles. But he had spent far too long in this one. Most of the Trolling will occur right after the defeat of Khal Gal within his main chamber, so he could reduce the time it took to find trolls in each jump by simply starting off in the chamber, but there was no guarantee with the raid system. If the trolling occurred in the middle of the maze, he might have to invest a great deal of time combing the map for them. Well I want to give you a better explanation but I dont have time this time around either. But since you can request my summon once a day, you can wait until the next time you are in danger. If not Sungjin took a pause to think. He had appointments at 5 and 6 pm. 7 PM. If you want, please call me at 7 pm. Seven Got it. Sungjin faced the other four hunters and said If its just five hunting might prove to be a bit dangerous She lifted up her staff at his comment. It was the Mad Magician Lenins staff of Cerberus. Normal Mobs will be fine with just the five of us. Since Im here. Sungjin looked upon her. Then since the Hidden Piece is behind the Lava fall that way, please collect it first. The Hidden Treasure is among the Dragons treasures. Sungjin was reminded of something as he spoke. Ah! And do not challenge the Hidden boss if you can Well, most people wont even want to try anyway but Understood. Once he was done with the conversation, he used the Trollseeker marble once more. It was a sudden and unexpected reunion, but he was glad that the misunderstanding was somehow resolved. Sungjin had now obtained three trustworthy and dependable allies. Sungjin used the Trollseeker marble to hunt trolls in other realms. Because the raid was composed of ten hunters, the scale of the battle was quite large, or overwhelmingly one-sided. The second teleportation led to a place where the hunters were battling three on three. Sungjin who arrived on the scene was able to kill two of the three hunters and collect their items. The third place he arrived had two survivors dueling to monopolize the points. The men had mutually attacked each other, and both had entered troll states. They were fighting with their lives on the line, but the winner, in the end, was Sungjin from another Dimension. When Sungjin separated the two fighters, they saw him as an enemy. Due to the appearance of an unexpected enemy, the hunters had agreed to a temporary truce, but they were no match for Sungjin. Sungjin killed them both and collected their items. The fourth dimension only had one troll left. He didnt know what happened in this realm, but he killed the lone troll and took his item. Sungjin asked the Operator from the fourth raid Operator, Time remaining? [28 minutes and 32 seconds remaining.] Sungjin spent 2 hours endlessly running, killing, and teleporting. Whew so busy Sungjin was exhausted. But, still he made his way to the Red Dragons Corpse to use the final marble. This is the last one and then its finally over. Finally, he said Pursuit of Justice A pillar of light appeared and enveloped Sungjin. Once Sungjin was teleported, he tried to look for the other hunters again. But instead, he was facing Khal Gal who was sleeping on his hands. Sungjin did a double take and took a step back. He wasnt close enough to wake the dragon yet, and the Dragon continued to sleep. Sungjin thought to himself, What is going on? How is this possible? Wait, did the trolls act before they even took on the boss? This was not an impossible event. Trolls like Friar If he dies, I act. If he lives, I do nothing Carefully planned out their trolling, whereas others were closer to You pissed me off. Die They didnt think of gains or losses and simply acted out on emotional impulse. Of course if this happens before the boss fight, it becomes nothing short of suicide. I thought something like this could happen on a rare occasion, but It was still shocking to experience it for real. Then just where are they? The surviving hunters? Sungjin cautiously walked back towards the entrance of the cavern, taking care not to awaken Khal Gal, and began his search. But he didnt have to travel far. The remaining hunters were huddled together right at the bend before the cavern. Sungjin quickly counted them. One, two, three, four Four hunters remained. They had given up even attempting to raid and sat in place. Sungjin approached them. What are you guys doing? Why are you sitting here? They were shocked to see Sungjin. Eh? What? Adjudicator? You werent here at the start Sungjin didnt answer but threw his own question. Dont worry about me but what happened? What are you all doing here? The four hunters wordlessly stared at the ground. Finally, one of the hunters let out a withering sigh. Sungjin could see the despair on their faces. Even Sungjin had felt intimidated when facing the Dragon with all ten members of his party intact. But the remaining members of this party were just four, not even half the original number of hunters. They felt hopeless, he knew without a doubt. They would die if they challenged the dragon, or if they simply waited out the timer; their end would be the same. Sungjin asked them A troll appeared here right? And thats why the number shrank so much? So where are they? One of the hunters replied Troll? Yeah, there was one. He died by our hands. He gestured with his chin. There was a corpse of another hunter in the distance. While Sungjin was being summoned, the other hunters must have finished him off. Sungjin asked him So why did he end up trolling? Once again, the hunters became mute at his question. Sungjin became impatient and swung his sword in the air before saying Answer me. If you give me a good answer, I will save you all. Two of the four hunters looked up to stare at Sungjin. What do you mean? I dont know who you are, but do you think you can kill that dragon? Sungjin stared at them before deciding to lie. I am someone who appears before those who lose their will to continue a helper. Helper? Now everyone was staring at him. Yes Helper. You all were thinking that it was over for you guys, right? And thats why youre just sitting there, right? Everyone fell silent once more at his words. But the reason behind their silence was different. This time, the silence was because Sungjin was right on the mark. Sungjin swung his swords once more and said I will ask you one more question. Are there any other trolls? If you answer, I will slay the dragon on your behalf. Chapter 110 Chapter 110 C Red Dragons Lair (16) No one responded to him. Saying I will slay the dragon on your behalf. must have not appeared feasible in their eyes. Sungjin glanced around. Luckily, there was a corpse (well, closer to a pile of rubble) of Magma Golem nearby. Sungjin pulled out Moon Specter and walked up to it. Then, he picked a suitable spot before swinging his sword. The Magma golems body was cut like a hot knife through butter. Clank At the same time, the hunters had their jaws Clank Drop to the ground. Sungjin swung his sword around and pointed to his scale armor to say I already killed that dragon twice now. This armor I am wearing is proof of that. So, I ask once more. Where are the trolls? Then someone answered Earlier when we were killing mobs someone missed their mark with an arrow, and a Dragon Demihuman came running towards us. We had to face two Dragon Demihumans at once. Meanwhile, three hunters died in combat and while the others argued and bickered over whose fault it was, another three died. Yes there was a troll earlier but there are only the four of us remaining now. Really? Sungjin frowned. He had come with the aim of hunting trolls, but there was no troll to be had. Well, I expected this to happen at some point Haa Sungjins motivation ebbed, so he sat down in front of the others. There were certainly some raids more difficult than the others, but this raid was feeling especially long. Cleared the Dragon, found the hidden piece, tested by the dragons mother, reunite with Serin during troll hunt, and kill the dragon a second time. So many things happened The hunters looked nervous when Sungjin continued to sit in place. Souh are you really going to kill it for us? That dragon? Sungjin looked up at them. They were pitiful people. Anyone less skilled than the previous final 10 survivors would find it near impossible to kill that dragon with just four members. If Sungjin chose not to help them, they were guaranteed to go to the Purgatory. But there was also no real benefit for Sungjin to help them. I did promise them but It wasnt easy facing that dragon, even for him. And he would have to fight without the help of Cain or Soldamyr. If he was unlucky, it could become quite dangerous as well. Sungjin couldnt help but seriously reconsider. What should I do? They were originally going to die, should I just let them be? Challenging the dragon would require Sungjin put his life on the line. But in return, there was nothing to be gained. One of the hunters seemed to realize what Sungjin was thinking, and began to beg Please save us Once one hunter started pleading, the others joined in. Please Sir Helper, please save us Sungjin scratched the back of his head. He couldnt say no after hearing their sincere appeal. But, their desperation reminded him of something. Sungjin looked down at the Ring of the Warlord. If they willingly and knowingly kiss the ring I can obtain a white coin. They were facing imminent death. There was not a single person who would refuse the ring if it were to save their lives. Ah well A promise is a promise. But you four must promise as well. What kind of? Kiss my ring before I go to fight him. Just know that you will take a permanent 10% penalty to black coin rewards every raid. What will you do? The hunters didnt hesitate to nod. Ill do it Ill do it too. They came up one by one to kiss Sungjins Ring. [You will take 10% penalty to all future raid Coin rewards.] The Operator warned them, but they didnt heed her words. Losing 10% later was supremely preferable to dying now. Thanks to the hunters, Sungjin obtained four additional white coins. Perfect This might actually be a better outcome than if I had killed four Trolls instead Sungjin thought as he prepared to clear the dragon one more time. He first allocated the 23880 stat points he had obtained earlier. He had told himself that he would immediately apply the points as soon as he gets them to boost the bonus Nada and Franz received from Chosen One title, but he had forgotten about it due to running into Serin. Operator, apply 5000 to Strength, 5000 to Dexterity, 5000 to Endurance, 5000 to Magic power, and 3880 points to Mind Power. [Applied.] And then Sungjin took out the Star of the Nameless. Rename. To Dragonslayer. [Applied.] Master Hunter title was great, but against Dragons, this title was superior due to the X4 damage bonus. Sungjin took out his two swords and took a deep breath. And then he was reminded of another item, Aio C Ring of the Great Sage. Sungjin held it up. Empower magic should I try it out now? The Empower Magic increased his magic power by 5 times for 30 seconds. Sungjin had promised to try it after discussing with Soldamyr, but trying it out now didnt seem like a bad idea. But if the mana consumption jumps up by five times the expenditure is going to be immense Sungjin asked the Operator Operator, what does my stat look like now? Soon Sungjins status screen opened up. Title: Dragon Slayer HP: 153120 MP: 157840 Strength: 21749 18912 (+2837) Dexterity: 22532 19593 (+2939) Endurance: 15312 13315 (+1997) Magic Power: 12787 11119 (+1668) Mind Power: 15784 13725 (+2059) Unallocated Points: 0 When the Hunters saw the status screen, their jaws dropped once more. They seemed even more surprised than when they had seen him slice apart the Magma Golems body. Sungjin didnt mind them as he quickly did math in his head. Five times the current magic power Then the magic power would surpass 60,000. And with such high value of magic power, there was only one spell he could use. The 2nd Circle spell Frost Bite. Well since theres nothing else I could have used anyway I guess I could try it out now. Sungjin finished his preparations for the fight and walked towards the dragon. The hunters watched him leave as they asked So what should we do? Sungjin faced them and said If youre not in danger, feel free to use ranged attacks. Ok. Yes Sungjin, once again, walked into the cavern of Khal Gal. The dragon of this dimension was still sleeping. He prepared his swords Whew And took a deep breath before beginning his charge towards the Dragon. Hearing someone run towards him roused the dragon. Upon seeing Sungjin, it said Hmm? Whats this? You? How did you obtain an armor made of the scales of my brethren? Its actually your own scales Sungjin thought as he ran towards the Dragon. Well whatever die. A half-asleep Khal Gal was not very threatening. His arrogant personality also made his attacks slow(at least in comparison to later on) and the attack pattern was simplistic. Most importantly, this was the fourth time (once before regressing, three times this round) they fought. An enemy he was now very familiar with. Sungjin was already used to Khal Gals attacks. He expertly dodged the dragons attack and swung his blade. But Ahhh! The effects were far better than he had expected. It was probably because the Dragonslayer title was the most effective title to use against Dragons. After a few strikes from his blade, Khal Gal ran away by flying into the air. Ill burn you all! Sungjin already knew what he was trying to do; Khal Gal was readying his breath attack. Aio should I try it now? Sungjin reached out with his hands towards Khal Gal and said Empower Magic. The Ring on his finger suddenly lit up as the material contained within began to glow with blinding lights. Meanwhile, Sungjin began to feel a change. His mind felt like it was becoming cloudy, yet focused. And although it wasnt tangible, he could feel a tremendous amount of power settle inside his body. Is this the effects of Empower Magic? Sungjin immediately followed up by shouting towards Khal Gal Binding Frost! Frostbite! And an unbelievable amount of cold left his hands. The magma instantly hardened in place, and Khal Gal who was hit head on by the wave of cold air flapped a few more times before freezing up and plummeting towards the ground. Boom! Sungjin looked down to stare at his hands which released the cold. What the The numerical value was increased by five times, but the effects seemed to be more than five times as powerful. Khal Gal was surprised likewise. So he forced his unresponsive chin to say You.Humanhow. Sungjin decided to finish him off for now. The Dragons lower half had completely frozen solid while in mid-air before, and he was unable to break free. Sungjin shouted as he ran up to the dragon Frenzy Besgoros vision turned red, and Sungjins blades began to move faster and faster. And it only increased. Khal Gal desperately tried to escape, but after being hit by a spell produced by the ridiculously high value of Magic Power, he was unable to put up even an iota of resistance before he died where he landed. From the other hunters cubes, Sungjin heard [Congratulations. Boss Monster] [Red Dragon Khal Gal is cleared.] Sungjin who defeated Khal Gal for the third time, Whew Let out a short sigh. I am getting stronger arent I He felt this more clearly in this round than any other before. The first time he faced Khal Gal, the dragon was barely overcome after a difficult fight. But on the third fight, he had defeated the dragon without the dragon being able to respond in any way. The growth of stats, Dragon Scale Armor, and the Dragonslayer Title all contributed greatly, but the most memorable was the effectiveness of the Aio C Ring of the Great Sage. Since it single-handedly took down a dragon with a 2nd circle spell. If I can just find out how to use this effectively Just like Ariane said, it might be enough to change his destiny. Sungjin turned the ring around in place. He wanted to watch the material floating on the inside. But the other hunters came running at him, hugging and yelling Thank you! We are saved thanks to you, Dragonslayer! You are my savior! Thank you so much! Thank you! Sungjin became surrounded like a victorious baseball coach. This marked the end of the long and exhausting exploration of the Dragons Lair. Chapter 111 Chapter 111 C Black Market Tenth Shopping Sungjin was teleported to the Black Market along with a bright pillar of light. It was the most tiring raid he had ever been through. I cant believe I had to clear the same boss three times Sungjin took his seat in Xiu Rans First Drop. The Operator then said to him, [Congratulations. To all the Hunters who have overcame the 10 man raid Red Dragons Lair] Sungjin sat up and looked at the Cube. [The next Raid will take place two days from now. Please rest for today and tomorrow and revitalize yourselves.] Ah thats right. There were two days of rest period before the next raid. In his previous life, he was so out of his mind with trying to survive that he didnt really pay much attention, but he remembered now that he thought of it. Xiu Ran walked up to Sungjin who settled down on his seat. What should I get you, Mr Hunter? Sungjin pondered his choices for a moment. Sungjin had been in the sweltering heat of the volcano with free flowing lava until a moment ago. His cheeks were still burning from the heat of the volcano. Sungjin asked her Do you have Cola here? Yes, we do. Then Cola Please. With large sized ice. Okay Coming right up Xiu Ran brought a glass of Cola filled half way up with blocks of ice. Sungjin greedily gulped it down. Haa much better. Drinking an iced drink seem to blow away all the heat and fatigue. Sungjin kept the drink next to him as he begun to inspect the items he had earned this round. Operator, give me all the items that I earned this round except the Fruit of Evolution and the Enhancement stones. The Operator soon dumped the items into a large pile. Sungjin glanced over the items and realized Oh yeah there were few more things. He still had the Dragon Heart and Mu C Pen of Reply. He couldnt check the heart due to running into Ariane, and the pen as he was busy saving Serin from trolls and missed the chance. Sungjin picked the two items out of the pile and placed them separately on the table. The first one he picked up was the Dragons Heart. It had the exterior akin to blackened stone, but the surface was smooth. Sungjin picked it up, and the Operator soon displayed the information screen. Dragons Heart C Origin of Mana Legendary Crafting Material Heart which supplies the Dragon with an immense amount of mana; it is extremely valuable due to being considered the highest grade mineral. There are only a few blacksmiths in the world who can work with this material. Sungjin immediately thought of Kargos when he read the information. Few Blacksmiths or not, hes the only one in the Black Market so Sungjin placed the item into the cube for now. The only thing remaining was the pen. Ariane who had given him the pen had told him Try using this. I dont know if this will give you a hint though. Followed by It was fun, Human. I hope that my presents will help you escape your tragic fate. Sungjin picked up the pen as he mumbled Just how is this supposed to help He couldnt really understand it. Unlike Aio C Ring of the Great Sage, it didnt look like it could be of use in combat. Sungjin lifted up the pen. Mu C Pen of Reply Normal Pen Writing Spell (I) C Writes the stored message. Once the message is written, it loses the ability. A pen used when conveying a message That is difficult to say out loud. what the hell, its normal grade. Sungjin was slightly disappointed. He was fairly sure it wouldnt be useful in combat, but he was still hoping he was wrong. Well, whatever the case is I should check the stored message. Sungjin picked up one of the Napkins on the table. The napkin in First Drop seemed stiff enough to write on with a pen. He put the pen on top of the napkin and said Writing Spell The pen began to move by itself. Sungjin let go of the pen, and the pen wrote He who searches for answers finds questions But the message was surprisingly familiar. And he who searches for questions finds answers. Sungjin read the completed message and thought of the Darker than Black Merchant. The man had definitely uttered this from time to time. Sungjin started at the pen. It continued to write. 4:30 in the morning, head to the 3rd district, last building on the right, underground. Once it was done writing, the pen fell haplessly to its side. It must have completed its function. Sungjin checked the final few words it had written on the napkin. Then he muttered to himself What is this This pen was most definitely writing the instructions on how to get to Darker than Black Merchant. Well it really IS one way to change ones fate Problem was that Sungjin already knew about this particular thing. He remembered a bit about the past. When I first heard about this hidden merchant it was one raid before the last one I participated in Memories came flooding back to Sungjin. For a moment he relived the past. I tried going there at night, and it was there. Really? Really. It even sold items that lets you cross into other dimensions. Other dimensions? How? How should I know? He said something like chasing trolls that reside in the other dimensions? But theres only ten of us left already. Whats the point of travelling to another dimension? Well, thats true The one who had told Sungjin about it was definitely Edward It was Spellmaster Ed. Sungjin stared at the napkin as he thought Wait hold on that means he had already met Ariane and won? Then why Ariane had said that the pen might be able to help change his fate. And the Pens purpose was to show the way to the hidden merchant at Darker than Black. And Sungjin already knew about it. Ariane had said I cant tell you any more than that Mother warned me not to get involved with it. It meant Sungjin was already aware of the secret Ariane was afraid to utter out loud. How did this happen? Sungjin felt deeply puzzled about the situation. But it wasnt something he could figure out by thinking alone. If he could go back in time to ask Edward himself, it would lead to something, but that was an unrealistic expectation. He was already dead. And meeting him again was no good since Ed wouldnt have any memories of the past round. First I should talk to him in the morning. That merchant he doesnt answer everything I ask but I can at least show him the napkin. Sungjin thought as he placed the pen into the cube and the napkin in his pocket. Then, as usual, he began to inspect his items one by one. These were the items taken from trolls. The total number of trolls hunted today were 8. There was a total of 16 items earned. There were many trolls due to larger party sizes. Sungjin checked each and every item. Thanks to the chapters progressing, most of the trolls owned mostly heroic tier items. This is 4500 and 5500 coins. This is 6000 to 8000. The number of items increased, but the average value of each item rose as well, so it was even more profitable. Meanwhile Eh? Among the items, Sungjin found a Sword he already owned; another Blood Vengeance. When did I pick this up? There was a reason why Sungjin didnt notice it immediately. It was due to the swords scabbard. Someone had altered (Kargos offered this service) the color of the scabbard. Only the color had changed; the contents and the specs remained the same as his own Blood Vengeance. If it is the same item I could use it for upgrades! Sungjin thought to himself and so didnt assign a price for the item. He didnt know if items could be mixed with enchantment stones in upgrades. But there was a high chance that Blood Vengeance, which was sold in the regular shop, was owned by other hunters as well (and he had seen someone else carry Blood Vengeance already). Sungjin put a memo about every item other than Blood Vengeance and placed them into the cube. He had done this often enough to the point that he was able to generally gauge the worth of an item by just glancing over it. Once he was done pricing all the items he had, he headed towards the auction house. When he arrived, he simply handed over the list he had written and said Please price them as listed. He handed over the items en masse. Understood, Dear Hunter. They bowed deeply towards him. In truth, Sungjin was a major player (since he is the only one able to place more than ten items up for auction per round) in the auction house. Once he was done taking care of business, Sungjin decided to drop by Kargoss Smithy before he headed towards Ninety Nine Nights. He wanted to ask about crafting using Dragons Heart and to use up his Enhancement Stones. But he remembered something. Now that I think of it Sungjin returned to the Auction house to ask the pigmen Hey, are there any Blood Vengeance put up for auction? Its a Legendary class Sword. No two identical items could be purchased in the Black market with the exception of consumables. But if it was used by another hunter, he could buy it and use it for upgrade purposes. But the Pigmen checked the listing and shook his head. There are none, Mr Hunter. Ah I see Should I send a message to you in case one is put up later? Thatd be good. Sungjin said absentmindedly. But then he thought What if I used Franz Nada and Serin? Enhancement stones were a very difficult item to obtain. It was not sold anywhere in the market. But on the other hand, Blood Vengeance could be (at least once) purchased by anyone with more than 9800 coins. Since he already had one from earlier, if he could obtain just two more, he would be able to upgrade it right away. Trading with Chosen One would definitely work. So theres that method. Sungjin made a fist and hit his open palm on the other hand. Then he would be able to use his three Enhancement stones from this round on Artemio. That will work. Sungjin thought as he made his way towards Kargoss smithy. Kargos was sitting on a chair smoking through a pipe. He saw Sungjin and said Yo, Looking healthy, Dual Wielding Swordsman Hunter. So, how was the upgraded Moon Specter? Sungjin replied It was beyond my wildest imagination. Moon Specter whispered to him Please let him know I am extremely thankful to him for returning my voice to me. Sungjin then said Moon Specter is thankful as well. Kargos looked slightly bashful as he said Yeah well it was something you commissioned for anyway. Sungjin smiled and said Anyway, I have work I would like for you to do. Oh? What is it? Sungjin took the Dragon Heart out of the cube as he said You know what this is, right? Kargos? But Sungjin didnt need any reply. The moment Sungjin had pulled the heart out of the cube, Kargoss eyes grew wide in surprise. Chapter 112 Chapter 112 C Black Market Tenth Shopping (2) Kargos asked Sungjin with huge eyes. Isnt this the Dragons Heart? He could recognize the heart with a single glance. Sungjin answered Yes, this is Dragons Heart. Kargos was unable to take his eyes off the heart as he asked Where did you get this? Sungjin answered in a matter-of-fact tone. From the Dragons Lair. The Raid this time was Red Dragons lair, didnt you know? But Kargos shrugged as if this was the first hes heard the news. Really? I didnt know. Sungjin tilted his head. I thought all the merchants knew where each of the raids took place? Thats because everyone else gossips. And you? I, well, I only speak to my hammer and anvil. Somehow it seemed fitting. Ah, I see Well, anyway are you able to craft anything with this? Craft yeah, its possible if I give it my all. But what kind of form would you like? Sungjin tilted his head again. Form? Yes, form. Like Weapons, Armors or accessories. You can pick any kind of weapon. Armor could be made according to which piece you want. He picked up the heart which was slightly larger than a mans fist as he said With this much its too little to make a breastplate or armored pants, but I should be able to make most forms of weapons. Sungjin thought that the best option for now was a defensive item. He decided to ask What kind of armor would work best? I think a Shield or a Helm would work best Sungjin repeated what he heard. Shield or Helm As soon as helm was mentioned Besgoro urgently began to speak. Oy Kei, you arent thinking of leaving me behind and making some replacement item, are you? Right? I can cast magic for you as well as increase your attack speed; you know that right? Last time we fought against the dragon, I was the MVP! I hope you didnt forget Sungjin stopped him Okay okay. If you stay quiet, Ill make something else. Kargos raised his eyebrows at Sungjins words (which probably sounded like Sungjin was talking to himself). Hmm? Sungjin raised both his hands and said Ah its nothing. Sungjin considered other pieces of armors. Shield was no good since he had to hold his weapons on each hands. Sungjin asked Kargos Arent gauntlets or boots fine as well? Kargos shook his head. No, The Dragons Heart can only give its full effect as a single unbroken item. If you break it into half, the power drops to a quarter or below. What about an accessory? Well you might be able to wear it around like a belt buckle for accessory, but wouldnt that be too unsightly? If you have something this size hanging from the front of your pants? He was right. If something like that was swinging about as he swung his swords, it would be distracting. What about shaving off a bit of it? Kargos shouted loudly as if Sungjin had said something incredibly offensive. Most definitely not! Sungjin stared back in surprise. I told you earlier that the Dragons Hearts effects depend on its weight. If you shave it off, its the same as shaving off its stats. Sungjin fell into a dilemma. But he knew that with the amount of material he had, the only piece of armor he could get made which could be worn with equal weight distribution from left to right side of his body was limited to a helm. However, Besgoro was already taking up that spot. Although Besgoros comments were unbearable from time to time, it was undeniable that Besgoro was also incredibly useful. What should I do Sungjin considered his options for a moment before replying Then Shield but I have never had nor used a shield before. I am more comfortable blocking with swords instead. Kargos suggested Then Why not make another sword? Sword? Yes, Sword. Sungjin glanced down at his belt; he already had three swords hanging from it. But Kargos pointed towards the left side where Moon Specter hung alone and said Since you have two on the right, shouldnt you add one more on that side to match the balance? Well if you consider this from strictly numerical point of view And this Dragons Heart the effects are increasing the mana of the wielder. Sungjin listened quietly. I see. So Im thinking, why not make a specialized weapon for magic? Specialized for magic? Yes, a sword for magic. From what I see, you have weapons with different specializations. The worn out sword carries the spirit of the lady, the sword stinking of blood is specialized to deal damage. And the last Scimitar is a kind of anti-magic weapon, is it not? How did you I can tell by looking. Arent you switching out your swords depending on the situation already? That Yes, its true. So. You should probably be okay with having one more, right? A sword meant to be used when casting spells. Since your swordsmanship is among the best, you should be able to switch them out easily during a fight, right? Sungjin carefully considered his suggestion. He came to the conclusion that it would be okay to have one more sword. Then Ill make another sword. Yes yes, I think thats for the best as well. Then how long would it take to make the sword? It would take two days. And 10,000 Black Coins. Sungjin nodded. Yes, I understand. Then do you have any other request for me? Sungjin put down Artemio and said I also want to enhance this one. Really? And enhancement stones? I told you before, but it takes three more stones to upgrade legendary class items. Sungjin placed his hand on his cube. Operator? The cube flew closer to him. Sungjin removed three Enhancement Stones from within and handed it over. Kargos looked slightly surprised. My, you already gathered three more? A Dragons horde contains a large amount of treasure, you know. Ooh I see I see Kargos received them and said Then for these come back tomorrow. And the cost is 10,000 as always. I guess it doesnt matter that youre already working on making a new sword? Yes, since it takes over a day to melt the Dragons Heart anyway. Ah, is that so? Yes. So when you come tomorrow, this scimitar whats the name again? Artemio. Yes, Ill have Artemios upgraded version, and the next morning Ill have the new magic sword ready for you. Sungjin bowed at his words. I understand. Then Ill leave it in your capable hands. * Sungjin headed to bed once he arrived at Ninety Nine Nights. He had originally planned to discuss with Soldamyr about Aio C Ring of the Great Sage (since it would allow Sungjin to use every kind of blue magic, but Sungjin was ignorant as to what spells were available) but once he arrived home, he was too tired and did not feel like discussing it then. Sungjin lay on the bed as he checked the time. Operator, whats the time? [3:22:58 PM] He had promised to meet with Serin at 4 pm. I dont have much time to rest. Please set the alarm for 30 minutes from now. [Understood.] Sungjin closed his eyes as soon as the alarm was set. Although he was busy today, he would be able to rest aplenty tomorrow. I should take a day off tomorrow and look for good eateries. The Black Market was filled with small cafes and restaurants like Xiu Rans First Drop. Dalupin was able to cook food from any country, but each of the restaurants had their own take on technique and menu, making it worthwhile to try out different places. Now that I think about it it would be nice to go somewhere with Nada and Serin too There was no better place for dates than the Black Market, since everything unrelated to combat was free. Due to being forced to fight everyday in raids with his life on the line and having been isolated from other people for so long, he was unable to think of it sooner. Well, its not impossible at least. I dont know how it would actually go Sungjin slipped into sleep while thinking so. And then [Mr. Hunter, 30 minutes have passed.] Sungjin stood up after hearing the Operator. His hair was disheveled when he woke up. Sungjin absentmindedly fixed his hair. He didnt spend much time worrying about his appearance, but when considering the fact that he was going to meet Serin who was a high-class beauty, he naturally came to feel that he should at least avoid the worst. While he was looking into the mirror and fixing his hair, the Operator gave him an announcement. [A Chosen One has requested your summon. Will you accept?] [10, 9] Before 2 seconds passed, Sungjin gave his answer to the Operator. [Yeah] And he was teleported away. * The place he was summoned to was a cosy cafe with a calm and graceful atmosphere. If First Drop was a small cafe meant to down tea quickly before heading out, this place was more intended to be enjoyed leisurely for an hour or two while holding a conversation. I didnt know a place like this existed While Sungjin was taking a look around, Serin spoke from across the seat. This place is good, right? I found it recently while roaming the markets. It has great atmosphere and has great coffee and confectionaries. I see Sungjin nodded as he turned to look at her. It was the first time he was meeting her outside of the raids. He felt awkward. He felt like he had to say something quickly. He began to squeeze his brain for words. Hmm What did I say when I told her to call me? Sungjin had asked Serin to call him over so he could explain various things to her. Why he chose her, what effects it had. And what was his end goal etcetera. Sungjin was just about to begin speaking to her when she took the initiative. I had a bunch of questions. Instead of saying what he was going to, he replied to her. Ah ok. Please ask. What did you want to ask? Sungjin had thought she would want to ask about the Chosen One title. But her question was something entirely outside of his expectations. How old are you? Sungjin hesitated for a moment, but he decided to answer. I am twenty-seven. Oh really? Then I am one year younger since I am twenty-six. Ah is that so? Serin was a world-famous sports star, but Sungjin had never paid much attention to the celebrities. So he had no idea what her age was. Yes, so Can I call you Oppa? From now on? Sungjin nodded. Ah yes please, by all means* Oppa, please dont be so formal, I am a year junior. She seemed so cold and proper earlier, but for their third meeting, she was being very gentle. Sungjin felt extremely awkward and leaned forward to take a sip of the coffee to fill the gap and give himself time to think. I didnt think she was this kind of person Note *So in Korean, there is formal speech (reserved for adults, strangers, and people of respect) and informal speech (with friends, juniors, or people who are socially below you). Sungjin had always spoken with formal speech with everyone. Serin found out that Sungjin was older and asked him to treat her like a junior, which he feels extremely awkward doing. Also, her speech pattern goes from formal/uptight/stiff to increasingly gentle and friendly. The place marked in the chapter is exactly the LAST sentence Sungjin is allowed to speak formally, and she forces him to address her informally (and treat her like a junior or dongseng). Which is to say, she asked him to treat her like someone close to him. And in KR, this is significant, because it indicates shift from stranger/acquaintance relationship to that of a budding romance Chapter 113 Chapter 113 C Black Market Tenth Shopping (3) Cough Sungjin let out a fake cough twice. He was caught off guard by Serins sudden change in attitude. Ah, as you I mean okay Ill avoid formal speech from now on. Please do, Oppa. Being called Oppa felt extremely awkward. So Sungjin tried to speak more to conceal his discomfort. So earlier someone called because of emergency. It was another Chosen One like you, and she was in danger. Ah yes I I saw that too. But Serin had a dark expression as she spoke. Sungjin recalled the situation earlier. Hey, Mr Boobs. You said to call for you when Im in trouble right? I am in trouble. He put his hand on his forehead. Oh right No matter how he thought of it, the situation did not paint a good picture for him. Sungjin quickly changed the subject. So well How was it? How did it go for you since the time we split up at the Canyon? I gathered the book like you said, Oppa. All three volumes, and combined them. She took a book out of her pocket. The cover read Thousand and One Nights. Just as I thought she was the one who made it. He had thought of this possibility. She continued to explain. After I got the 2nd part, I gathered more coins. I saved up five thousand coins pretty quickly, but I waited a bit more before buying. And meanwhile when I was checking the auction house Sungjin finished her words for her. And you bought a mystery pouch, right? Oh my, how did you know? I was the one who put it up for sale. Really? Serins eyes grew wide and gathered her lips into an O shape. Sungjin thought So you can make faces like that too She had a poker face the entire time Sungjin had seen her before, but now she was acting just like a normal mid-twenties lady. He had seen her face in posters and advertisements (for makeup or sportswear) giving a charismatic smile, but he got a glimpse of her real self. Sungjin replied as calmly as he could. Yes. You can tell by the title of the person who put it up for sale. Wasnt it Master Hunter? No. I bought it from Treasure Hunter Sungjin retraced his steps in his memory. He had enough spec and had been using Treasure Hunter title around that time. Ah Yeah, Treasure Hunter is still me. I sometimes switch up my titles. Ahh So you got a 1st or 3rd part from there. Yes. I was really nervous, but I was lucky enough to overcome the 1/3 chance of getting the same part. I received the 1st part from the pouch, so I bought the 3rd part from the goat merchant to complete the book. Yeah? How is the effect? Good. Its usually strong enough to beat most bosses with ease. And if we felt confident wed attempt hidden bosses. Really? What bosses were you able to defeat? Dark Elf Village and the Magicians Ivory tower, those two. Now that he saw, she was wearing the Chimerao C Ring of Fused Beasts on her finger. Seeing her wear the same ring made it feel like they were wearing a couples ring. I see Sungjin nodded. And this raid, I somehow ran into trolls But once we got to the location with the Hidden Piece Hidden Piece What did you do with the Dragons Heart? Ah that I decided to make a quiver. The old Blacksmith man said itd imbue mana into my arrows Sungjin continued to exchange words with Serin about the raids. It was awkward at first, but he felt his relationship with Serin had grown deeper. Meanwhile, she then asked Now that I think of it Oppa told me then Mmm? What did I say? That if we meet again, youll tell me your real name. Sungjin nodded. Oh yeah, thats true. So? What is it, your name? Sungjin breathed in, and for the first time since he regressed back in time, he told someone his real name. Sungjin. Sungjin? Yes. Last name? Thats Sungjin pursed his lips. When he looked at the wide-eyed Serin, he suddenly remembered why he even bothered to use an alias and hide his identity. About that Ill tell you once the raids are over. Why? The reason why he decided to use an alias was simple; using his real name would only make them closer. And watching someone close die made the pain so much worse. In his previous raid run, Sungjin had told his name to everyone he was friendly with. But most of them Sungjin this is it for me Save yourself! Save me! Sungjin! Sungjin run! Had died while screaming out his name. So this is why he didnt want to tell anyone his real name at all. There was something strange about names; knowing and calling each other by names had a strange power that brought people closer. On the other hand, using an alias would keep a certain distance from others. So Sungjin had been avoiding saying his name to others. Until now. Sungjin looked into Serins eyes and said Well Sungjin thought I dont want to watch you die while screaming out my name But couldnt say it and instead said I have a circumstance. Circumstance? Youll find out as you continue through the raids. Sungjin didnt think very deeply as he said this, but Serin picked up on something and said Its weird though. Oppa always speaks as if youve done all of this before. Sungjins eyes grew wide Me? Yes. Even at the time we first met and even now Sungjin flinched slightly but Before regression, I was the final remaining hunter and have been given a second chance. He couldnt tell her that. He tried his best not to let his feelings show. Well I guess it could look that way. Since I am strong. But who could have guessed things would have turned out this way? But then she added Liar. What? She pushed her long hair out of the way to show Sungjin her ear. Past her long flowing hair was a purplish earring adorning her lobes. Eye of Jeremiah! Sungjin couldnt help but drop his jaws. The Earring was none other than an item that allows the user to read the minds of the other. You know what this is, right? Since Oppa is wearing one as well. Sungjin couldnt respond and froze in place. I touched it just before I asked the question. I am sorry for reading your thoughts, Oppa. I didnt want to use it Sungjin grasped his forehead. She had told him earlier that she had defeated the Dark Elven Villages hidden boss. If she was able to clear that map so thoroughly, she had a high chance of discovering the hidden piece as well. But think of it. Being strong is one thing. You ran forward and killed the boss as soon as the raid started, then knew that a hidden boss was hiding somewhere on the map; it was all too suspicious. And then you even knew about the existence of the mask, the book. And now dimensional travel? You knew far too much for someone going through it the first time. So how far did you read my mind. Until the part where you said you were the final survivor and was given a second chance. If she had heard until there, she already knew the most important parts. Sungjins regression was discovered. She continued to speak while Sungjin kept his hands on his forehead. But, I mean you didnt need to keep it a secret. Its not a demerit to say you were the final survivor. You came back and are still doing your best to finish this raid, Oppa. Sungjin thought of what she said. Certainly, she was not wrong if the person he was telling his secret was someone he could trust with his life. She brought her pointer finger to her lips and said Then that means in the last raid I died once already? Sungjin just gave up and told her. Yes. You would have died. I dont know how far you got but even I died. As the last human to lose. I see She nodded twice. She remained calm despite hearing the truth. Knowing that she had died once, or the fact that this raid was being repeated for the second time did not seem to shock her. Then I guess I dont need to keep it a secret. The biggest reason why Sungjin had kept the regression a secret was first and foremost because he had thought no one would believe him. Second, he thought everyone would think that he was strange. Third, because hearing that this is not the first time the raid is going on might come as a shock. But she had believed him 100%; she had already thought he was strange. And she was evidently unaffected by the truth. Sungjin decided to tell her Well, please keep it a secret from others. Youre fine but it could come as a shock to others. Ok, Oppa. And I told you last time, but the number of people in the raid will continue to fall as it progresses. Well, having lots of people would be great but we cant save everyone. Serin nodded. She should have witnessed many deaths until now. That happened last time. 1000 remained, then a 100, then 50, and so on, the number of people kept on dropping until the final 10. There were only 10 of us left but there was an internal friction, and we ended up failing. Serin listened to Sungjin silently. So, my plans are as follows. Find strong and trustworthy teammates to form the final 10 and breakthrough the last raid. In other words, pick those who are to become the Chosen Ones, like how I have chosen you. Listening to Sungjin, Serin pointed to the title above her head. Well, this title is amazing for sure. Thanks to Oppas stats being so high, with this I dont think Ill have to worry about dying for a long time. As long as I am not extremely unlucky. If you are unlucky, you can just call me. Ah, right. I see. Yes. And as you saw there are two more Chosen Ones other than you. I would like for all of us to meet if possible but Sungjin thought of Darker Than Black for a moment. There he might find a solution to his problem. Ill try to find that out on my end. Anyway, Ill be continuing to looking for people to pick; People who are strong and dependable so that we can finish the raid together. Serin suddenly said I see. I think thats a wonderful idea, Oppa. Sungjin took a sip of coffee and said I mean well this was the best that I could come up with. I see. Is there anything I could be helping you with? First, become strong. The stronger you are, the stronger our team will be. Okay, and? What Sungjin just said was something very obvious, as even her survival depended on it. Sungjin tried to think deeper. Something she could help him with. Then, Besgoro who had been silent all this time finally spoke up. What do you say, Kei? Ask her to summon you at night. You need a way to destress after the raid Sungjin immediately took him off. Sungjin had forgotten about him due to his long silence. He must have been waiting for this kind of timing. Haa I let my guard down. Sungjin let out a sigh and told her Something you could help me Now that he thought of it, he recalled that he wanted others to purchase Blood Vengeance on his behalf. Last Edge I have something to take care of there. Lets move first. Okay, Oppa. Serin followed suit and stood up. Sungjin walked into the Black Market with Serin. Then Sungjin remembered Oh yeah, Serin. By the way Serin looked up towards Sungjin. If you ever see someone by the name Adrian or Ed, even if you have to resort to shooting him in the back and become a troll for a round, please kill him. Hes blonde and uses magic. His title is probably Spell Master. Spell Master Ed But why? Sungjins face became rigid as he said That guy fired magic on his allies back at the last second. Chapter 114 Chapter 114 C Black Market Tenth Shopping (4) Sungjin walked with Serin together towards the Last Edge. Serin continued to ask Sungjin about various things along the way. He fired spells on his own teammates in the past? Yes. Why? You might already know from experience but people dont tend to make rational decisions here. Many arent able to prioritize the good of the group, and instead, covet momentary and immediate benefits for themselves. Or worse put their pride above logic or reason and kill out of spite, even if they know it might lead to their own death. Mmm So Oppa was swept up in his betrayal and died? Mmhmm Hmm Serin pursed her lips and fell into deep thought. I didnt think Id ever be able to tell this to someone. Sungjin thought as he continued to walk down the road. Meanwhile, Serin asked again. What is this Ed person like? How was he? He was a good man. Serin was surprised to hear Sungjins answer. Excuse me? Sungjin repeated himself. He was a really great guy. Seriously. Gentle, smart, thorough there was nothing bad to be said about him. That is, before that raid began. Really? Yes But why did that kind of person do such a thing? I guess you cant judge a book by its cover. I dont understand at all Sungjin felt the same. He wanted to ask Ed why he chose to do what he did, but Ed was killed by the mobs after casting his spell. Even if they met, he would not remember what he had done; Sungjin would never know why Ed decided to troll at that moment. How were the rest of the final 10 members? They were really strong. I was the best with the sword among them but that doesnt mean I was special in any way. Everyone was good at their own respective specializations. Really? Yes, the fact that I was the final one to die was simply due to luck. When Spellmaster Ed fired his magic, I was slightly away from the group. So Ed was caught by monsters and died and I was the final hunter to put up resistance before I was also killed. Hmm The two had arrived at the Last Edge meanwhile. Kenneth greeted the two hunters. Welcome, huntersss Sungjin turned to look at the far end of the shop. The spot that was empty in his own dimension was taken up by a Blood Vengeance here. As I thought its there. Sungjin told Kenneth Could you please get me the Blood Vengeance over there? Kenneth obeyed and brought him the sword. This is the legendary item Blood Vengeance. Price is 9800 Black Coins. But then Kenneth added But A guest hunter is unable to purchase anything from this shop. Ah, I know. Sungjin turned to Serin to say Serina*, can you buy it for me? And then sell it to me for 9800 coins. Ok, Oppa. Serin did as Sungjin asked and stepped forward. Please complete the transaction. She bought the sword with her own coins. Sungjin said to her Ah, but please dont equip it even as a joke. If you equip it, it becomes bound to you. Okay~ Serin immediately initiated a trade with Sungjin. Blood Vengeance for 9800 Black Coins. Sungjin took the sword after the trade was complete and placed it into his cube. This makes it the 3rd Since he had promised to meet with Franz later, he could just obtain his fourth from him and combine the sword then. Sungjin said to Serin. Thanks. With this, I can increase the tier of the weapon one more time. Youre gathering three more Legendary tier items, right? Like the Enhancement stones? Yes. Did you manage to gather any Enhancement stones? I got some from the last raid, so I already requested upgrades. Bow and mantle. Ohh really? Meanwhile [A Chosen One has requested your teleportation. Will you accept the request?] The Operator asked him again. Serin and Sungjin both turned to look at Sungjins cube at the same time. On the cube was Franzs face. Mr Kei. Its me, Franz. Sungjin told Serin Ah, this is another one of the Chosen Ones. Just like you. I see I guess you have to go then? Yeah. Then lets meet again tomorrow since tomorrow is a holiday. What time should I call you? Sungjin thought for a moment. He had promised to meet Nada at seven tomorrow. If I meet her then we could eat a meal together. He wouldnt be able to eat two dinners back to back. Sungjin told Serin Tomorrow one o clock. One would be the best. Okay got it, Oppa. Then see you at one. Alright. Sungjin then teleported to another dimension. Franz was standing in front of a restaurant in the Black Market. He asked Sungjin May I ask who was that? That lady? He must have meant Serin. Sungjin replied Ahh, shes another one of the Chosen Ones. He~ really? She was a real beauty. Mmm well, I guess so. So did you decide yet? What to have for dinner? I found a place with good beer and food, so I wanted to head there. Oh? Sounds good, lets go then. Sungjin and Franz arrived together at the pub. [This is Monos Cool and petty] The owner was a bulky looking gorilla. He brought them a dish full of large sausages in one hand and two bubbling mugs of beer in the other. Sungjin and Franz had sausages as a relish with beer. It has been a long time since Sungjin shared a drink over a meal with somebody else. So how was it? This raid? Ah not too bad. Thanks to your title we were able to defeat the boss without much trouble and get to the hidden piece. Of course We couldnt attempt the hidden boss. When they were done eating, they walked over to Last Edge together where Franz, like Serin, bought Blood Vengeance on Sungjins behalf. Sungjin prepared to return to his own dimension after the trade was complete. Lets meet tomorrow too since we dont have anything else to do anyway. When would be a good time to call? Hmm about three o clock? Eh? But if we meet in time for lunch or dinner Ah, sorry those time slots are already reserved so I dont think I can make it. Lets just have tea after lunch or something. Okay. Then see you again at three, Mr Kei. Yeah. It was a good drink. Sungjin left Franz. Return. When he was teleported, he was sent back to his bedroom at Ninety Nine Nights. Sungjin came downstairs. Dalupin and his summons were waiting for him. Dalupin spoke first. Esteemed Hunter, about dinner? Ah, I already ate. Please feed everyone else. I have already served them at the proper time. I see. Thank you. Also have any receipts come today? Not yet, sir. It is almost time though Sungjin checked outside. The sun was setting. According to Dalupin, a pigeon demihuman should be arriving wearing a backpack containing the receipts from todays auction sales. Sungjin asked the Operator Operator, how many Black coins do I have right now? [You have 6965] Hmm Sungjin searched his memories. The cost of combining Heroic Tier Yanhurat was 3000 coins. But Blood Vengeance was a Legendary tier weapon. I am just a bit short of 7000 coins currently, do I have enough? It was possible that he didnt have enough money to combine the items. Instead of making two trips, he decided to stay and wait. There were two things he had to do first anyway. First was who to give the newly obtained Pulp of Evolution. Second was to find out more about Aio C Ring of the Sage. Sungjin first called over Soldamyr. Soldamyr, come here. Yes, Master. Soldamyr floated towards Sungjins table. Sungjin removed Aio from his finger and showed it to him. This is great wizards When Sungjin was having trouble to find the words, Soldamyr who was always quick witted finished his thoughts for him. Anatol. ** Yes, Anatol. It contains his power. When I used it the effects were really amazing. What does it do exactly? It allows me to use every blue magic and temporarily raise the magic power by 5 times. Really? Yes. With the level of Mana I had, I could only use a 2nd class magic just once but the spell was able to freeze up the Red Dragon completely. The Red Dragon? Yes. And that was done while being inside the volcano. It was such an unbelievable power. The numerical value was 5 times the actual effects seemed to be even more than that. Soldamyr replied to Sungjins observation. By nature, magic gains additional effects the more potent it becomes. Then suddenly Ring Ring The deliveryman had arrived on a bike. Before Sungjin could say anything, Dalupin went up to the deliveryman and retrieved the receipts to hand it over to Sungjin. Thank you. Sungjin quickly flipped through the receipts. There were enough that it would take a bit of time to look through them. Sungjin handed over the ring to Soldamyr and said Anyway, it unlocks all blue magic spells and increases magic power by 5 times; please think of different ways we could use this. Yes, Master. Sungjin handed the ring over and checked each receipt before inserting it into the cube. Since most of the items were heroic tier, Sungjins income was better than ever. I should be able to afford the elixir tomorrow with this much While Sungjin was thinking that, Soldamyr muttered, 5 times with a bit of effort, it sounds like that will be possible Sungjin overheard his muttering and asked What do you mean by That? Ah master Soldamyr snapped awake from his deep thoughts. Did we not go to the Magic shop together? We did. Didnt we speak about it? Reversing time? Ah He was right. If the Ring truly unlocked every spell, it meant it also had unlocked the 9th class blue magic spell that could turn back time. Reversing time how much was the book again? He didnt remember the exact value, but it should have exceeded 150,000 Black Coins alone. Sungjin became even more thankful to Ariane. Even ignoring the fact that the item could temporarily boost his Magic power by five, the item she had given him was far more valuable than even the spell book worth 150,000 Coins. Taking into consideration all of the 7th and 8th class spells, it was easily worth well over 200,000 coins. I hope that my presents will help you escape your tragic fate Sungjin recalled her words. And looking into the darkening sky outside the window, he muttered Thank you so much, Ariane. * You attach a or ya after the name to indicate youre referring to them in a friendly way, usually to someone your junior. It indicates a close relationship. There is no gender restriction (guys to guys, guys to girls, girls to guys, girl to girls). Used for people of equal or lesser social standing. ** The name Anatol means sunrise in Greek. Chapter 115 Chapter 115 C Black Market Tenth Shopping (5) Note: Term change Ring of Helrick to Helix Ring explained at chapter end note. One two three four Sungjin counted his receipts. There was a total of 10. One of the items he had put up last time as well as 9 of the 15 items he put up for auction today was sold. Sungjin shoved all ten sheets into the cube at once. Operator, how many coins do I have now? [You currently have 59065 Black Coins.] Hmm really? Sungjin lost the sense of scale for the amount of money that he had. So much money after buying two legendary class item like Blood Vengeance compared to my last life Running around diligently during the raid had paid off. Since I got roughly 50,000 coins from 10 items each one sold for an average value of 5000. I guess the average worth of items has gone up? The cause was twofold. The reason was the trolls now had better items, and the hunters buying items from the auction house generally had more money to spend. It was a really good day. Sungjin stretched. And Haaa~ He couldnt help but yawn. Sungjin rubbed his eyes and recalled I said I would fuse Blood Vengeance as soon as I had the money But he didnt feel like making the trip to Kargoss smithy. He could drop by the smithy at night on his way back from Darker than Black and fuse his sword then. He had to go there to pick up Artemio anyway. Sungjin stood up from his seat to head to bed. Soldamyr who was next to him asked Are you going back upstairs, Master? Sungjin replied Yeah. I am too tired today. Ill be retiring early today. Please research on the ring until tomorrow. Understood, Master. Sungjin who returned to his room didnt take a bath like he normally would and only took a quick shower before collapsing into the bed. He fell right to sleep. * Four ten in the morning, Sungjins eyes opened themselves. He had gotten used to this sleep schedule and waking up early every morning. Sungjin quickly washed his face before putting on day clothes and leaving the room. He saw Dalupin walking up the stairs. He must have come to wake Sungjin up. When he saw Sungjin, he quietly moved out of the way. Sungjin passed him and reached the 1st floor. Soldamyr was inside his lamp. He didnt require sleep, but it must have been easier for him to research while inside the lamp. Outside the Inn were the animals he had spiritual link with; Rajenta, Cain, and Shadowrun. Shadowrun looked like he did not need sleep at all. After Shadowrun saw Sungjin wearing Besgoro, Brrr He let out a sound once. Cain noticed his master leaving, and stood up as well but Stay Cain Cain was stopped by Sungjins gesture and command and returned to sleep. The youngest of the bunch, Rajenta, was the only one to sleep soundly in his straw nest. As Cain had once done so, he was growing rapidly day by day. Estimating his rate of growth, Rajenta would likely grow to be double the size of Cain. Well, I did hear that Royal Griffins grow to the size of a small dragon. Sungjin left them behind and headed towards Darker than Black alone. He took the napkin out of his pocket on the way. And on the napkin was the following message. He who searches for answers finds questions, and he who searches for questions finds answers. Sungjin read the completed text and thought of the Darker than Black Merchant. The man had definitely uttered this from time to time. Sungjin stared at the pen. There was more to the message. 4:30 in the morning, head to the 3rd district, last building on the right, underground. It was written by Mu C Pen of Reply, the message which Ariana was unwilling to speak out loud due to her mother telling her not to get involved with that man. The individual that even the mighty dragons were afraid to cross was none other than the merchant of Darker than Black. Sungjin said while holding onto the napkin Just what is he? God? Demon? Or? If anyone saw Sungjin right now, he would appear to be talking to himself, but there was indeed someone that was listening. It was Besgoro. Who the fuck cares. Why are you wearing me every time you go there, but take me off when youre meeting with pretty ladies? Thats because I can see better in the dark wearing you. The shop Darker than Black is just as advertised. Furthermore about when Im talking to ladies You know exactly why, right? Besgoro did not reply. He seemed upset. Is this how a 50 year old man should act? Sungjin thought as he entered into the Darker than Black. The merchant was sitting in the same spot as usual. Thinking about it, the merchant seemed more like a piece of furniture like tables or chairs rather than a person. Once Sungjin arrived, he greeted Sungjin. Ah, youre still alive, Master Hunter K. His words expressed surprise, but his tone of voice said otherwise. Sungjin asked him You already knew though, that Id be back. Well, I could predict to some extent that you would. But once again his words were mismatched to his tone. Sungjin took the seat directly in front of him. This raid was really difficult. The boss Red Dragon, as well as her* mother Ahh, so you met her? Ariane? Sungjin stared straight at him and asked You know her? I have heard of her, although Ive never directly met her. He looked slightly up as if thinking about something and said Its just that Ive met her mother before. When she was a tiny hatchling. Sungjin was surprised and asked When Ariane was a hatchling? If what he said was true, it would be an incredibly long time ago. But the man shook his head. No, no. Ive met HER mother when she was an infant. Sungjin couldnt believe it. If true, it meant that his age was more than a few thousand to tens of thousands of years old. Sungjin stared at him, and the man said What is it? Are you curious about my age? Sungjin said bluntly Its not like youre going to tell me even if I ask you anyway. Well, thats not entirely true. Also something like age is completely unimportant, isnt it? Sungjin said to him It is important to a human being. We also value acting our age. But not you. Since you arent human. He grinned at Sungjins accusation. How can you be so sure? Then are you human? You cant be. There is no way. Well feel free to think what you want. Sungjin took the napkin out of his pocket and handed it over. Here. The merchant narrowed his eyes and said What about this? Ariane gave me this. Telling me that it would help me alter my fate. But I already knew where to find you from before I died in my previous life. And so I was able to meet you before ever meeting Ariane. So? Despite that, you were unsurprised to see me. In other words you already knew that I am a regressor, right? The merchant placed the napkin on the table and said Yeah, theres very few things I do not know. Sungjin asked Then what are you? And just what is this raid for? The man answered In this dimension, I just sell few knick knacks and work as a merchant, but in other dimensions, I am an information broker. I give answers to questions, but I demand payment for the value of the information. And? You want me to pay? Of course. How much? The first question, What are you? You might not recall, but you already asked me that. And the price of that information, as I already said before, is 10,000 white coins. Sungjin frowned. With the way the Raid works, it was physically impossible to gather 10,000 White Coins. Second question, what are Raids for? The Operator already gave you that answer in the past. To prove the strength of humanity. Prove the worth of your species, and everyone goes free. Or the race is eradicated. Its that kind of game. Sungjin glared at him. It didnt seem like he intended to give any straight answers. What about this question? Is there such a thing as the last raid? Hmm about that I can tell you for 100 Black Coins. Just 100 Black Coins. It was a very small amount. Sungjin immediately said Complete transaction. As soon as Sungjin finished uttering his words, the man immediately gave an answer. There is a last one. In terms of the chapters remember the raid you died on? Yes. Its not far from there. The last one. Sungjin was shocked. Really? Im not called information broker for no reason. I give guaranteed answers to any paid question. We werent far from the end at that chapter that means from now on Sungjin fell into deep thought. Soon, the man asked Well, did you come only to ask questions today? No, thats not it. Sungjin shook his head. Please recharge these. Sungjin placed the five marbles on the table. The Merchant picked them up briefly before returning them to the table. The Marbles regained their luminosity. Recharge complete. Sungjin put those marbles away into his vest. And I was going to buy Elixirs today before that is there any item that can gather the Chosen Ones into one spot? Trying to meet them all one by one is proving to be inconvenient. Ahh, for that He reached into the darkness and pulled out a short staff. The Staff was similar to the Helix Ring in that it was in a double helix shape. A round gem was embedded on the tip, and upon closer inspection, Sungjin could see that the staff was decorated to look like two dragons competing for a Dragon Ball.* Helix Staff C Staff of the Warlord. The price is 30,000 Black Coins. Once a day, you can call upon every Chosen One into one spot. In addition, you can check whats happening to the chosen ones and teleport there yourself. It was good. Furthermore, it allowed him to choose to enter a dimension without having to wait for a Chosen to request a summon first. Sungjin liked it a lot. But the price was hefty and made him hesitate. 30,000 Black Coins. It was expensive even for Sungjin who was relatively rich. Sungjin deliberated for a moment. Well Do I need this now? Sungjin quickly considered his options. He had roughly 54,000 coins in total. He owed Kargos 20,000 Coins. And if he takes the cost of combination for the Blood Vengeance, he could run short if he paid 30,000 Coins here. Sungjin made a decision and said Ill buy it tomorrow. Elixir as well. Really? Do what you like. Before that Sungjin took out the white coins from his cube. There were four in total. Sungjin said while holding them up. Is there any item I can buy for four White Coins? But the merchant replied There is nothing you can buy other than four Holy Water with those. How much do I need to gather before I can buy something else? Ten. If you can gather it, then you can purchase a different item. Really? Then give me four Holy Water for now. Sungjin handed over the white coins. He decided to have enough holy water to increase the number of Chosen Ones to nine. Afterwards, he could save up to buy something else. The Merchant handed over four bottles to Sungjin. Sungjin received the bottles and stood up. He did wanted to spend not a single more second in this place than he had to. The Darker Than Black merchant told Sungjin Then see you tomorrow. Once out of the shop, Sungjin headed towards the Kargoss Smithy. While other shops were closed, the smithy alone gave off a brilliant light. Sungjin took out Blood Vengeances out of his cube as he made his way to the smithy. One, two, three Blood Vengeances Sungjin even removed the Blood Vengeance hanging from his waist and carried them in his embrace as he made his way to the smithy. * Apparently Khal Gal is a girl Originally I had translated the ring as Ring of Helrick. It looked like it was a nordic/european name, and it wouldnt have been a bad guess per se. But as I was translating another Helrick Item, I realized huh. both items are described to be twisted around. Then I realized that the shape is basically a double helix, and the phonetics of helrick is the same as helix in Korean. Henceforce, the ring of Helrick is Helix ring, and the staff is Helix Staff. Change will be made in all previous chapters. Chapter 116 Chapter 116 C Black Market Tenth Shopping (6) Sungjin entered Kargoss Smithy with the four Blood Vengeances. Clang, Clang, Clang As always, Kargos was extremely focused on his craft. Sungjin watched him work. He was sweating profusely as he was hammering away at Artemio. Sungjin stood still as to avoid distracting him. But meanwhile, Kargos said to him without stopping his hammer. You came? Sungjin was slightly surprised but managed to answer Yes. Please wait a bit longer. Its almost done. Sungjin stood in place as asked. But then Kargos said to him Whats this? Identical swords four of them? Looking to fuse them? Kargos didnt turn around even once. He must have seen Sungjin through the reflection on Artemios blade. Yes He continued to hammer away. Well if youre bored, you can do it yourself too. Myself? Yes. Fusing them is easy. Put them in the box and shake a few times. Sungjin leaned his four Blood Vengeances against the wall and walked into the smithy; there he found the box Kargos used to fuse items in the past. The box was a gray cube with gold corners. Sungjin brought the box to where he kept the Blood Vengeances. Kargos added The price of fusion for a Legendary item is 6000 Black Coins. Complete Transaction. Sungjins cube floated towards Kargoss cube and came back after briefly making contact. Sungjin opened the top of the box. It was a peculiar feeling; the inside looked much more spacious than the exterior size. What is this? Sungjin checked the inside of the box. Meanwhile, Kargoss hammer never missed a beat. Well as long as the fuse works thats all that matters. Sungjin held himself as he inserted the Blood Vengeance one by one. The Blood Vengeance was originally longer than each of the sides of the gray cube, but there was plenty of space inside even after all four swords had been placed within. As I thought some sort of magical box. Sungjin put the lid on the box and shook it twice. But the box made no noise. It wasnt as if it gave an announcement like the Operator would have. Did it work? Sungjin opened the box again. But inside was only a single sword remaining. Sungjin picked up the sword and immediately pulled it out of the sheath. The red glint in the swords blade seemed to be denser than before. It worked. Sungjin held the reddened Blood Vengeance up to inspect it, and the Operator displayed the status window for the item. Blood Vengeance C Bloodthirsty devourer Unique Legendary Katana C Strength SSS Dexterity S Active Skill Baptism of Blood (V) C Consumes 10,000 HP per second from the user to increase attack power. Passive Skill Vengeful Spite (I) C When HP hits 1, become invulnerable for 1 second. Final Strike (V) C When HP hits 1, the next hit against enemy deals 5 times as much damage. He who wishes to confront great evil must become a sword. A Sword sharper and stronger than any other. Sungjin slowly read through the stats. It was the sword he had used in his previous life, so he knew the stats through and through, but because it had been a while since he last used it, he needed to read through it again. Strength is triple S. Dexteritys S is okay Baptism of Blood takes 10,000 HP per second. I could only use it for few seconds in the past but I should be able to sustain it much longer now. Vengeful Spite and Final Strike remains unchanged from before. Sungjin carried the upgraded Blood Vengeance out of the Smithy and swung it few times to test it. This is it this feeling Regaining the sword he had used in his previous life made it feel like he had returned to the past. Sungjin put the Blood Vengeance back into the Sheath and returned to where Kargos was working. Few minutes later, Kargos put down his hammer and wiped away his sweat. He said to Sungjin Its done. He handed the brilliantly sparkling Artemio along with the scabbard to Sungjin. Sungjin accepted the sword and raised it above his head. Artemio C Magic Slayer Unique Legendary Scimitar C Strength SS Dexterity S Passive Skill Spell Eater (III) C Reduces damage taken from spells by 30% Mana Burn (I) C Each strike with the sword reduces 10% of remaining mana of the opponent, and deals damage equal to mana lost. Active Skill Absorb Magic (VII) C Absorbs offensive type magic spells used against the caster under 7th class. Cooldown 10 minutes. Expel Magic (VII) C Fires absorbed spell. 3 Uses available. Cooldown 10 Minutes The Sword of Artemio who abhorred magic, Ironically He came to be unable to live without the support of magic. Hmm.. It was the first time he had ever seen Artemios upgraded form. Sungjin checked the specs carefully. The first thing was that Strength and Dex rating had gone up by one tier each. Although it had one less tier in Strength compared to Blood Vengeance and it did not have Mind power damage boost like Moon Specter, so it lacked overall damage. But it had amazing passive and active skills. Sungjin especially paid attention to the latter half of the information screen. Spell Eater blocked additional 10% of the incoming damage. This was great because no matter how fast Sungjin was, he could not always dodge area of effect spells. The Mana Burn effect was also excellent. It was a skill befitting the name of Magic Slayer, a passive thats likely to prove to be a bane of any magician. Against mages, it might even have higher damage than Moon Specter and Blood Vengeance. Finally, the active skill had changed. Magic reflect disappeared, and it split into Absorb Magic and Expel Magic. This means I can control the timing of when I want to fire it back. And I can do it up to three times? This is too good! There was no sword quite as good against mages as this one. Sungjin expressed his gratitude to Kargos. Thank you Kargos. I am much stronger thanks to you. This is my job you know make sure you pay, and you can go. Ah, right. Sungjin called for his cube. By the way that Dragon Heart is it? Yes. Its still being melted down. I checked it this morning, and I can begin to work on it soon. I see, Ill pay for that now as well before I leave. Hmm? Are you sure? Yes, since spending money here is essential anyway. Well, its good for me, so. Sungjin ordered his cube to pay 20,000 Coins and complete the transaction. Then Ill see you again tomorrow morning. Yeah lets do that. Sungjin bowed deeply before returning to Ninety Nine Nights with the three Legendary swords hanging from his side. He passed Dalupin who was awake the whole night and returned to his bedroom. If it was any other time, he would have thought Sleep now or prepare for raids? But Sungjin prepared to sleep without worrying about it today. He had plenty of time before the lunch date with Serin. Before he went to sleep, he took a glance at the swords he kept next to the bed. Moon Specter, Artemio, and Blood Vengeance. The sword that caught his eye this time was the enhanced Blood Vengeance. He had swung this sword until the moment he died in the previous life. Sungjin fell asleep while still staring at the sword. Perhaps because of it, Sungjin had a dream that night. Of the events of the past. * Everyone ready? A massive hammer and a similarly large Shield was held by a mountain of a man, who addressed the others. His name was Hildebrandt. With a height of over 2 meters tall, he carried a weapon, a full plate armor, and a shield, all of which weighed a hefty sum. He was the teams dependable main tank. He was originally a professional bodybuilder representing the country of Germany, so he had incredible strength, stamina, and athletic ability. Until the end games, he had maintained 1st place in contribution in every raid. I am always ready. Replied Ryushin, standing on one leg in a crane stance, holding his leg on one hand and a spear on the other. He was the pupil of a grandmaster of an ancient Chinese martial arts sect, and had unbelievable skill with the spear befitting his title of God of Spears. He had a strong ego and a competitive spirit, so he often had frictions with the other hunters, but most hunters backed off once they saw his ability. I am also ready. Araujo was a crossbowman from Brazil. His occupation was that of a Soldier; he said he had traveled through the Amazon rainforest and had real combat experience. He learned how to wield a crossbow from his father as a child. Not only was he skilled with it, but he was also highly proficient with a dagger, and could fight melee as well as ranged. Umkhuba ready Umkhuba was an African aborigine. He used a much shorter spear than Ryushin and had an extremely quick and agile body, along with natural instincts he was born with. He was famous for being able to launch overambitious attacks and come out without a scratch. I have yet to finish praying to God. Please give me a moment. Mustafa was a Mage. His area of specialization was green and white. He had started with three to four times as much magic power than anyone else, so he knew he was destined to become a Magician from the start. He had tried to utilize magic from the very start. So his understanding and proficiency of the spells were very high. Then Ill also take this opportunity to pray. Nada was teams one and only woman. She was proficient with the dagger and was a master of black magic. She had an amazing figure, but no one dared to provoke her. Praying in this situation? The speaker wielded an axe and buckler. No one knew much about Illich besides the fact that he was a Russian. He had defined muscles on par with Hildebrandt, with a withdrawn personality. But he sometimes discussed with Ryushin on combat skill, and with Araujo on strategy. The consensus of those who have spoken to him was that he was once a soldier and a high-ranking commissioned officer at that. Hmm I am ready as well. Shunsuke was an archer. The Japanese man was quiet and collected, but whenever he held the bow, he seemed to transform, shooting arrows like some battle machine. He was hard to understand, but his skill was dependable. I am ready. Sungjin said raising his hands. His position was that of the main forward damage dealer. His job was to swing his Bloodthirsty sword, Blood Vengeance, without rest. Sungjin took a look at his teammates. With the exception of Mustafa who was bowing and praying to some far off location and Nada who was making cross signs, everyone else looked ready. Sungjin clapped his hands and said That means we should be good to go as soon as those two finishes. But someone grasped his shoulder and said What? But Im not ready yet, Sungjin. Sungjin turned around. The man who was fixing his boots while holding onto Sungjins shoulder was he; the best magician in the team, Edward. Chapter 117 Chapter 117 C Sungjins Nightmare Demon Kings Castle Raid Objective C hunt the Demon King Chadnezzar Time Limit 5 hours The hunters reached the gates in previously arranged formation. Sungjin embraced Blood Vengeance as he took a look around. Hildebrandt and Illich were having a discussion in the front. The information sheet mentioned this, but the thing we should watch out for. Yes If a mage appears, I will mark it. Ill leave the rest to you. Ryushin and Umkhuba were stretching on the 3rd row. Hou Hou Umkhuba was making strange noises as he hopped lightly in place. Ryushin stretched his neck side to side, then tapped on Umkhubas six pack as he said Watch me, Umkhuba; Ill get a lot more contribution than you this time. Umkhuba opened his mouth wide in a grin Haha, we shall see about that. What? You wanna mess with me? Operator will judge fairly. Fine Let us see whos better once and for all. Fourth row was Araujo and Edwards spot. Araujo who was in his 40s was always complaining to Ed who was in his 20s. Hey Edward, please listen to me this time. Youre good and all but youre always doing your own thing. I am the strongest when I do what I want. Thats what I mean, thats the problem. The last row was Shunsuke and Mustafas spot. Both men were silent. Shunsuke was checking his crossbow rails, and Mustafa was reading some sort of book. Sungjin looked over them as he thought This is humanitys final expedition But a set of large boobs suddenly came into view. Sungjin, looking forward to working with you again. Sungjin was startled and took a step back. The person sharing his row was Nada, the dual wielder who wielded both the dagger and staff. Ill be in your care, Nada. Sungjin had become friendly with Nada after running into each other often in raids. She was a little intimidating to approach at first due to her merciless use of daggers and zombies in combat, but she was a kind and warm woman at heart. I hope this Raid is the last one. Demon Kings are usually the final bosses in stories or games, right? Well, I guess Ill go take a trip to Korea once Im done, Sungjin. Im curious how you lived your life in the real world. Iwell Sungjin couldnt give her a straight answer. He was orphaned since infancy and had lived the most difficult of childhood and was barely scraping together a living. She continued to ask What do you want to do when you go back? Hmm Actually There isnt anything that I want to do in particular That was when Edward jumped into the conversation. Youll probably find tons of things you want to do if you make it back Sungjin and Nada turned to look at him. He was always full of energy and often invited himself into other peoples conversations. What do you mean? What do you mean what do I mean? It should be obvious, right? Once the raids are over, we will become rich. Unimaginably so. When Sungjin tilted his head, he explained What do you think will happen once the raids are over? Nada gave an ordinary answer. Hmm Ill meet my family and speak to them again. But Sungjin couldnt say anything. He had no family. Edward said Yes, youll go visit your family and then? Hmm I told Sungjin that Ill visit Korea as well. You can go to Korea but you should also go see the whole world. The whole world? Edward nodded as if it was something obvious. Of course we have to go on a world trip. Even if we dont intend to, well probably have to. As the final 10 members who saved the entire human race. What do you mean by that? Edward replied with his arms spread apart. Its obvious, right? Well become heroes of humanity once the raids are over. Nada and Sungjin said at the same time He-ro? Ed once again nodded as if this was common sense. Of course, hero. How? It is because we are the final ten. We would have saved every country, as the final ten heroes who brought salvation to mankind. Dont you think well get a heros welcome? Sungjin narrowed his eyes. And exactly who will know this? Well.. wouldnt Operator let everyone know? Like, announce the names of the final 10 or something. Nada also shook her head. I dont know Edward remained optimistic. Well, if not we can just go around saying that we were. If all of us can tell the exactly the same story, they cant help but believe us. And people that died along the way can provide witness testimony. If we put down our memories and experiences into memoirs and autobiographies, I bet theyll sell like crazy. Itll probably become worldwide best sellers. And if that happens, wouldnt we be fabulously rich? Will we? Of course we will. And we arent just any heroes; we will be the saviors of the world! It wouldnt be strange if we become superstars with companies begging us to appear in their commercials. It might be to a point where we no longer need money in our lives. Hmm is that so? Ive never really thought of it too much. Well, me neither What? I bet other people think the same way I do. Isnt that right Hildebrandt? The Operator gave an announcement at that point. [Raid will begin in 1 minute.] Hildebrandt said from the front World famous, fabulously rich, heroes of humanities, all good. But lets discuss this after this raid. Illich added Go back to your spot Edward. Its about to start. Edward then shut his mouth and returned to his spot. There was only one more minute left. It was for just a moment, but Sungjin had a pleasant daydream. I never thought of it it could be true Becoming famous worldwide and live as a VIP. If so, he would finally be free from money problems that plagued him his whole life. Just thinking about it made him happy. Meanwhile [10 3, 2, 1, 0] [Raid has begun.] The gates of the Demon Kings castle opened along with the Operators announcements. * The skeleton mage recited a spell using the staff he held out in front of him. Eternal Everyone knew the spells by the incantations at this point. All the hunters immediately split up. Flames of hell. Inferno The flames came flying towards the hunters, but thanks to splitting up ahead of time, no one was hurt by the spell. The hunters quickly reformed formation and continued to attack. But Edward! Mustafa! Illich bellowed loudly, but it was too late Eternal flames of hell, Inferno Eternal flames of hell, Inferno Staffs of two additional skeleton mages launched flames from their staves. Anti-Magic Shield Edward and Mustafa each cast their Anti-Magic Shield to protect the hunters, but those who didnt manage to run into the protected areas were burnt by the fires. Ahh! Sungjin who happened to be within the area of the shield ran out brandishing his sword. Baptism of Blood Blood Vengeance began to glow bright red as he attacked one of the Skeletal mages. It was a very risky attack. If another mage were to hit Sungjin with a spell few seconds after the Baptism of blood was used, it could mean instant death. But Sungjin believed in his teammates. Luckily, while he was confronting the skeletal mage, the hunters who werent hit by the spell had already launched their attacks and kept the other two busy. Whew Once the battle was over, the hunters checked each others conditions. Are you okay? Luckily no one had died. But Illich began to bellow. Damn it! Everyone turned to face him. Ive told you to cast protection on the tanks in case of danger! His voice was meant for Edward and Mustafa. Hildebrandt was defending them. I got mine it appeared around me. Mustafa shrugged and answered Well It looked like it might be bad if Sungjin and Shunsuke were to be hit, so I protected them instead. Illich frowned deeply as he said Damn it, if you were going to make your own decisions on the fly why are we even planning ahead of time? Did your God tell you to do that too? Are you in contempt of God? Complaints began from another side as well. Why didnt you use it for me? If you can protect me, I could have finished it in a blink of an eye. You all know I am the best. Focus me. Haa I couldnt swing my spear because I was too busy dodging fire It was Ryushin. Stop uttering nonsense. We have to respond to what is happening. How can you be so self-centered? Araujo scolded him. Shunsuke also joined in. Hes right. You have to think of the team. Ryushin then got mad at Shunsuke and said, Dont give me that crap. Mind your own business. Sungjin grasped his forehead. Several raids were ruined because of fights like these. And even until the end, everyone was still bickering among themselves. Sungjin shook his head. Then he noticed that Edward, who was always full of energy had an incredibly foul expression. It was then that Sungjin felt a premonition of something going wrong. * The raid continued after the argument. After four hours passed out of the five hour time limit, the group finally reached the gates to the Raid boss Demon King Chadnezzer. Nobody had spoken, but as Nada had said Demon Kings are usually the final bosses, right? Similar thoughts ran through their heads, so they were more tense than usual. Even Sungjin, who didnt think much of the situation, felt elevated expectations. If we kill him we might really have done it The Demon King had a monstrous appearance suitable for his name. His skin was red with black runes tattooed all over his body. He had horns growing out of his head and a third eye on his forehead. He had six arms, and the hands held a sword, hammer, staff, spear, and two shields. His entire body was shrouded by an unidentifiable black material, and whenever he moved, the material moved with him. Haa you dare intrude upon my castle Do you not value your life? He unfurled his robe as he stood up. Come, my subjects, kill these intruders! Three portals appeared at his command, and monsters poured out of them. Everybody to their positions Sungjin who was in charge of the portal in the back ran towards it as promised. The plan was for him to kill enemies for a while, and then join the team up front when the signal was given for the final confrontation against the Demon King. But the battle was far more difficult than they had expected. It was a given that seven hunters facing off against the Demon King would have trouble, but Nada and Ryushin werent able to properly deal with the portals they were assigned to and were being pushed back. Hey! Heal! Please help me here Sungjin also gave it his best to hold them back, but the monsters poured out of the portal endlessly. So eventually he was being overrun. As prearranged, Sungjin requested help from Edward Edward, support fire here! He soon heard Edward chant an incantation. Divine spear of destruction, Spear of God But strangely the spell did not come flying his way. Kaaa! Ahhh! Instead, he heard cries of agony coming from the hunters side. Sungjin looked back in shock, and then he was surprised a second time. Instead of helping Sungjin, Edward had fired the spell onto the hunters. Sungjin thought for a moment Whats going on? Mind control? But that wasnt it. Edwards body which began to glow red was a definitive proof. Troll? Sungjin couldnt believe his eyes, but this was without a doubt the proof of a troll. The hunters formation which was barely holding on against the Demon King quickly crumbled due to Edwards surprise attack. The six other hunters who were facing the Demon King were first. Infighting in my presence? What a joke. Die. While the formation was broken, the hunters were wiped out in a single strike. Sungjin thought Why? Ahh! Meanwhile, Ryushin was slain. Nada also took few steps back, and Sungjin watched as holes appeared on her body. Sungjin shouted at Ed. Why! Ed did not say anything. He smiled faintly, and shortly after, his entire body disappeared from the Demon Kings attack. The monsters now converged on Sungjin. Kiii! Blood Vengeance cried. It meant that his HP had reached 1. The 1 second of invulnerability had begun. And another second later, Sungjin died, as the final human to fall. Chapter 118 Chapter 118 C Black Market Tenth Shopping (7) Ah! Sungjin opened his eyes. A familiar ceiling entered his vision and he sat up on the bed. Feeling his forehead, he discovered that he was drenched in sweat. Cold sweat? Sungjin let out a long sigh. Haa He relived the moment he had died in his dream. He must be the only one in the world capable of doing so since a dead man cannot dream. Sungjin who just dreamt of his old teammates from his previous life thought about them for a moment as he laid back in bed. About what he should do if he were to meet them again, and who he will choose to be his teammates once more. In the first row was Hildebrandt. He had a cheerful demeanor. Even in moments of peril, he wouldnt forget to crack a joke (they were often not funny). And he had said that his daughter was in purgatory. He was a man dedicated to ending the raid from start to the end. He passes Second was Illich. He was a bit more difficult. He definitely had great skill, but he was very easy to anger and lacked flexibility. Whenever anyone deviated even slightly from the agreed strategy, he would berate them harshly. He is rejected. He certainly had leadership potential but this time I am the leader. The second row had him and Nada with whom he had already reunited. Once again, they will fight alongside each other in the 2nd row. Third rows first member was Ryushin. Like other members, the probability of him surviving this far is very high. Just a few chapters ago, someone had purchased a legendary spear from the auction who Sungjin believed to be him. But he wasnt someone Sungjin wanted in the final ten members. He was far too egoistic and prideful. Even though I had to put up with it in the past I am much stronger than he is now. Rather than me putting up with him, he wouldnt be able to stand having me around. Rejected. Next was Umkhuba. He certainly had unbelievable physical prowess. But he was far removed from the civilized code of ethics and often had issues with communication. He would certainly be able to pull his own weight, but he would often do something bizarre that greatly shocked the rest of the team. I dont think Umkhuba passes Next was Araujo. He had a high understanding of tactics and strategy, but he was also on the nagging side. Hmm but at least he wouldnt try to provoke a fight like Illich does he pass? No no. He thinks too highly of himself and has too many complaints. He will most definitely try to lecture and contradict me too. Next was Edward. There was only one choice. Rejected no, even if I have to put up with becoming a troll for one round, I need to eliminate him. Next was Shunsuke. Shunsuke had been in Sungjins team twice in the raids towards the end, but he always remained silent, and Sungjin never had an opportunity to hold a conversation with him. I still dont know anything about that guy so, for now, its a defer decision or does that mean I should just reject him at this point? Last was the healer Mustafa. He came from a different cultural background so he was occasionally difficult to understand, but he was deeply motivated to end the raids to save his family. And the number of skilled healers were low to begin with. He passes. Now that he thought of it, aside from Nada and himself, only two out of the eight remaining hunters had passed his judgement. Hildebrandt and Mustafa. Sungjin thought of them for a moment. Although they were from a very different background, they were also quite similar in some ways. Sungjin took a moment to think of what that was. And soon, he came up with the answer. family is it Others had families as well, but the two men were the only ones who had carried their family photos in their wallets when they were first dragged into the raids. Look, look Sungjin. They are my daughters. They all resemble their mother, arent they such beauties? In our country, we all lived together. Look look, this is my wife, my son, daughter, brother, brothers wife The two men were deeply motivated by the desire to rescue their families and felt a strong sense of responsibility towards putting the raids to an end. Sungjin grinned while thinking of them. Well, it isnt like all fathers are like them though. Sungjin was an abandoned orphan. Sungjin stood up from his bed. But when he absentmindedly looked towards the window, he saw lights leaking into the room through the gaps in the blinds. Sungjin walked over to the windows and opened the blinds. The sun was already high up in the sky. He recalled that he had a lunch appointment with Serin. Operator, what time is it? [11 o clock, 42 minutes, 32 seconds.] There wasnt much time before his appointment with Serin. Sungjin began to prepare himself hastily. * A demi-human with the head of a lion and body of a human came to ask How would you like your steak prepared? Sungjin stiffened up. He was unfamiliar with these kind of places. Serin answered first. Um Id like it done medium rare. Sungjin quickly ordered the same Ah, me too. The place Sungjin was teleported to was a fancy restaurant with a classical orchestra being played in the background. The restaurant was near the auction house, on the top floor of the only five-story building in the Black Market. I knew this place existed but He never thought he would come here until today when Serin had him teleport here. Sungjin was inexpertly cutting his steak with the knife and fork as he exchanged words with her. It was their second meeting, but he had even less to talk about than last time. If they were in the middle of Seoul, they might have been able to share a few words. But in the middle of the raids where people were forced to kill or be killed, the only topic they could speak about was of the raids. If you see anyone good during the raid, recommend them to me. Recommend? Sungjin nodded. Yes, to become our comrade. What kind There are a few criterion, but first and foremost is being a good human being and having a strong sense of teamwork. As you can tell this raid cannot be beaten alone. I understand. Serin nodded quickly at his words. She had seen many trolls. She would understand better than anyone else. And it would be best if they were strong too, right? Yes of course although Oppa is probably the strongest. Hearing the word Oppa was still strange. Well, yeah. And no, thats all. Those two things. Kind and strong. Well that I think will be hard. What is? Finding someone simultaneously strong and kind. This raid rewards selfish behavior which is why trolls exist. She had thought the same way he did. I think so too. But it isnt like there are none. In fact, it is because they are rare that they have value in finding. I see. I understand Oppa. Ill look for them. Thanks. Ill depend on you. * Comrades, you say? 3 pm. Sungjin was eating waffle with Franz at a waffle house. His hands were getting sticky from the sauce and so eating was much less graceful than earlier, but Sungjin preferred this. Yes, Comrades. People we want to add as a Chosen One like yourself. Hee how exciting. Getting more Chosen Ones. There are two others besides you. Ah I saw one of them. The Asian beauty from before. Yeah well there is a Western Beauty as well. Really? Yes. She doesnt look like a stereotypical Caucasian but shes from Europe like you. Ooh, I see But is it okay Mr Kei? What is? Picking comrades by their looks. Eh, that isnt it it just so happened Haha it was a joke, a joke. And Im a man after all. I like having beautiful women on our side. Anyway, if you see any dependable and trustworthy individuals, please let me know. I got it, Kei. * Didnt you see last time, when you called me for help the female archer who was standing by my side? Hmm I didnt see. Nada said as she put a fork wrapped in pasta in her mouth. 7 PM. Sungjin was having his third meeting of the day with Nada. Sungjin, Looking forward to working with you again. It was much different than when he saw her in his dream. Serin was the same; women seemed to be creatures who drastically change their behavior based on levels of friendship. The situation was quite dire; I must have not noticed it, Kei. Well, that makes sense I guess, since the Dragons breath was being fired towards you as we spoke. Anyway, so theres a long haired Asian woman and another guy? Yes So, how many empty spots are remaining? Taking ten man raid as the standard, six spots. Six She put down her wine to gaze out the window. The night scene of the Black Market was visible through the window. After staring at the light outside, she said to him Strong but trustworthy comrades, does six more even exist? She spoke as if she had also experienced The last Raid. So Nada feels this way as well Sungjin said to her Then focus on trustworthiness. Since if they reached this far, they have already proved that they are skillful. And about being strong Being given the Chosen One title can probably make up the difference. Probably. And this is just a guess, but everyone given the Chosen One title will probably survive to the end. The Chosen One passive is such a gigantic stat buff in of itself. And we can even ask for help when in danger But calling me all the time is a problem as well. She grinned at his comment and said I know, I know. Anyway, Ill leave it to you. If there is anyone youd recommend as a comrade, let me know. What will you do after you are called? I will hmm need to interview them. Nada opened her eyes wide as she said I~ntervie~w? Yes, interview. I need to meet them face to face and exchange a few words, see their approximate strength, and check to see if they have the right qualities to become our comrade. It wont be easy though. Nada smiled. Kei youre acting like some sort of CEO. Sungjin frowned slightly. But he couldnt come up with any retort. * After separating with Nada, Sungjin returned to his bedroom. But only a few seconds later, Knock knock Dalupin came knocking at the door. What is it, Dalupin? Receipts have arrived from the Auction House today as well, Mr Hunter. Now that he thought of it, there was that possibility too. Sungjin quickly got up to open the door. Dalupin handed over the receipts as well as the information sheet for the next raid. Thank you Dalupin. Dalupin bowed deeply and left. Sungjin put down the information sheet as he checked the number of receipts. One, two, three, four, five, six? Six receipts. Every item up for auction had been sold. I knew it I priced the items perfectly. Sungjin stuffed the receipts into the cube. He then asked the Operator Then how many black coins do I have? [You have 46215 Coins.] With this amount, he would be able to buy the Staff of Helix and the elixir. Sungjin came down to the 1st floor as he thought so. As promised, Soldamyr was waiting for him. Sungjin asked him So, how is the research progressing? He had tasked Soldamyr with researching on Aio C Ring of the Great Sage for the day. At his question, Soldamyr answered Master, I was able to gain some insights. Chapter 119 Chapter 119 C Black Market Tenth Shopping (8) Insights tell me in detail. The Ring of the Great Sage you wear is undeniably powerful. The ability to use all existing blue magic as well as multiplying the Magic Power by 5 You could buy a country if you were to sell the ring. Sungjin lifted up his hands to take a look at the ring inside which a strange blue material floated around within. But it looks like any old cheap toy ring you could buy for a dollar at a street vendor and this thing is worth as much as a country? But as you can probably tell, you can only make use of the amplified Magic Power if you have sufficient mana to handle it. Hmm There is a great deal of Blue Magic that would become very useful with higher mana pool. Even if it isnt a spell at the pinnacle like the 9th class spells, theres still Ice Shield, Teleport, Ice Lance, Blizzard Storm and other powerful spells that exist in every class. But the only spell you can use right now is Yeah, the 2nd class or below, Frost Bite; Just one. Yes, that is correct. I believe it was said that you can use the effects of the Ring of the Great Sage for up to 30 seconds upon activation but thats not all that important. There is too little mana to matter Mmm He was not wrong. Then I need to raise Mind Power from this point on, right? And a lot of it? Yes, that is correct. And avoid raising Magic Power for now? That is also correct. While it is nice to have a high amount of Magic Power, you cant use any of it as it is right now. And if possible, using higher class magic will be more useful. The common belief is that it is a much more effective use of mana to use one class 4 spell than two class 2 spells. Hmm really? Yes. Sungjin pondered for a moment. In the past, Edward had most certainly said One shot of Fireball is better than two rounds of firebolt. But if you think of it that way, then the most efficient use of mana is to just use the 9th class magic. Yes, that is the case. I have never used it, so I do not know for sure but if you are able to turn back time anything should become possible. Especially for Master who is skilled with the sword Mmm yeah what do you think about my current level of Magic Power? How many seconds would I be able to go back in time with the 9th class spell? Assuming I have enough mana. For the exact number I cannot say. However, I will say this that Master is already an excellent mage. And with the help of the ring, Master can rise to the prominent ranks of a Great Wizard and leave a mark in history as a user of the 9th class magic. Really? Mmm Then I should first aim to raise my mana. For that purpose, please look at this. Soldamyr placed a sheet of paper on top of the table. Sungjin took a look. On the paper was written 11119, 13725 These were somehow a familiar set of values, but Sungjin couldnt immediately recall where he had seen them. Sungjin asked Soldamyr What is this? This is Masters current Magic Power and Mind Power. Ahh, I see. Last night, Soldamyr had asked Master, what is your current Magic and Mind power levels? So he answered with Operator, show Soldamyr my current stats. But he soon forgot about it. Soldamyr pointed towards the numbers on the page. Those are masters basic stats. He then quickly wrote additional values. 12787, 15784 These are in the case of 15% bonus, which is when you have any title equipped other than Master Hunter. And these are 14455, 17843 Your stats when you use the Master Hunter title. If you raise your Magic Power by 5 here, it becomes 72275. And if you multiply another 9 on top of that, it becomes the amount of mana required to activate the 9th class blue magic spell Time Reversal, which comes to 650475. What an absurd amount. Yes, it means you need roughly 50,000 more Mind power in order to use it just once. If I had known this would happen, I would have invested fewer points into magic power. No, not at all. If your magic power is too low it could result in going back by a mere second or two after using all that mana to cast the spell. That would also be very unhelpful. It is better this way. Just work hard towards slowly building up your mana and unlocking one class at a time. Hmm yeah. But it is still a little disappointing. I had thought I might be able to use the Time Reversal right away. 9th Class magic were often called Spells of the Divine Order. Typically only Dragons are able to cast them as they are the true masters of magic power. Without a Dragons Heart Sungjin tilted his head when he heard that. Hmm? Yes? Just now did you say Dragons Heart? Yes, Dragons Heart. That I got one last raid. Excuse me? Dragons Heart? The origin of mana? Yeah Soldamyrs mouth was agape. What? Now that he thought of it, Soldamyr was not around when Sungjin had picked up the Dragons Heart. Sungjin had called him out after meeting Ariane and not even once after returning to Ninety Nine Nights did he have a chance to see it, as Sungjin left it behind at the Black Market as soon as he arrived. That where is it now? I left it with the smithy, to make another weapon. Huh In that case well just have to believe in the skill of the blacksmith. I do not know what kind of blade would be made but It would be great if the sword retained the true nature of the Dragons Heart. Sungjin asked him By True nature Supplying Mana. If the sword can do that, You might be able to use the Time Reversal as early as the next round. Mmm, I see Sungjin paused for a moment to look out the window as he thought Well, we cant help but believe in Kargos He promised to make a spellblade Ill just take his word for it. But then he remembered his words. I treat all items that pass through my hand as my own children; I give it my best for my children. But just because I am their father it does not mean that I can predict how they will end up as adults. The die has already been cast. Now all he could do was pray that the roll was favorable. * Four Thirty in the morning, Sungjin headed towards Darker than Black again. Ill buy that emperor staff or whatever you called it. I guess the troll hunt is going well? Here you go. Sungjin received the item and held it above his head. Staff of Helix C Sceptre of the Warlord Heroic Staff C Strength B Dexterity C Active Skill Draft (I) C Summons all Chosen Ones. Chosen ones are able to reject the summon. Cooldown 1 day. Mandatory Draft (I) C Forcefully summons the Chosen Ones who rejected the Draft. Those who are summoned this way are unable to leave the Dimension for 10 minutes. Cooldown 1 day. Inspection (I) C Select a Chosen One and check the situation. May choose to teleport to the Chosen One being viewed. Cooldown 5 minutes. The child grinned jestfully as he said In the world of kings, I will become the smallest, yet the largest king of the jungle But his eyes were filled with certainty. Sungjin accepted it. It had all the functions he was promised. Summoning and observing. But then it also had a peculiar function he did not expect. Can refuse the summon and then forcefully summon Sungjin muttered to himself. The Darker than Black Merchant said If there is a king there is bound to be a disobedient subject. Perhaps even a rebel Mmm Sungjin thought for a moment. Nada, Franz, and Serin. He had only gathered people he trusted, so he didnt think about the possibility of betrayal before. Well That probably wont happen. I picked them myself Sungjin thought to himself as he looked up. But then Darker than Black merchant broke into a grin and said What do you think, what if you lost your memories of the past and had run into Edward. Dont you think you would have chosen him too? Sungjin stiffened up from his words. Edward had been extremely gentle and kind. If Sungjin had not regressed to the past and had met Edward I would have chosen him, without a doubt. It was true. He had a great personality, high ability, and great skill with magic. And he even managed to gather all the parts of the Stories from the West, obtaining a book equal to the Romance of the Three Kingdoms. Thinking of its possibility, it deeply shook Sungjin. Betrayed by the people I picked, with the bonus stats that I gave That would be dangerous. He had told Nada that he would conduct an interview, but an interview was nothing more than a single momentary interaction. It couldnt reveal a persons innermost nature. If I were you, I would put that eye to good use. Eye? Sungjin stared at him. Sungjin noticed that the mans gaze was off to the side. He was looking at his ears instead of his eyes. Sungjin realized that the eyes he was referring to was the earring, Eye of Jeremiah, the mind reading earring. Then he got an idea What if I use it on this man? So Sungjin intentionally touched the earring as he said Ahh this. Yes, this is very good. The man immediately replied Yes, but dont go trying to read my mind. Sungjin visibly withered. As I thought, it doesnt work. The merchant pointed at Sungjins hands and said You seem to value that ring a lot, but I think differently. I think that earring will be far more useful to you. Sungjin thought about it carefully. Hes not wrong. And then the man muttered Well, both of them contain power of half god half humans but anyway, this is it for shopping, right? An. no. I still have16215 coins. So I want to buy an elixir. I told you last time, but you can buy the Elixir in multiples of thousands. Then Ill buy as many as I can. 16,000 complete transaction. How cool, you are. Sungjin raised both his hands and replied I already bought everything I needed. The man took out a glass bottle containing a black colored liquid. The bottle had exactly the same design as the Holy Water of Baptism. Except, the liquid contained within was of a different color. Sungjin accepted it and drank it right away. Although the color was black Sungjin felt odd and checked the bottle after he drank it. The color is black but theres no flavor or smell. Well, its that kind of item. Sungjin said while looking at him with eyes full of suspicion. Operator, how many unallocated stat points do I have? [You have 3200 Unallocated Points.] Sungjin stopped being skeptical. The effects are good. Then Once the next raid is over I will be back. As you wish. Sungjin placed the Kings Sceptre into the Cube as he left Darker than Black. Kargos should be close to finishing turning a Dragons Heart into a sword. Sungjin headed towards the Black Market. But meanwhile, he recalled the Merchants words. Perhaps even a rebel. Sungjin muttered to himself in the empty Black Market street. Rebel A rebellion Translator Note: The elixir, when bought, is always the same volume, contained in a single bottle. A 400,000 coin elixir is going to have the same volume contained in one bottle as 1000 coin elixir. For example, we just saw in this chapter that K spent 16k coins on it and gained 3200 stats that means here 5 coins equaled 1 stat point. No1Oppa: the Inspection skill of the Staff of Helix sounds so cool ( ? ?? ?) Chapter 120 Chapter 120 C Black Market Tenth Shopping (9) Sungjin arrived at the Kargoss Smithy. Bang Bang Bang Kargos was diligently hammering away at the anvil. Sungjin, as always, stood by as to avoid disturbing him during his work. But no matter how long he waited, the hammering didnt stop. It was 5 in the morning, and everything other than the Smithy was shrouded in darkness. Sungjin stood and waited for over two hours. Once the sun began to rise over the horizon, Kargos finally wiped the sweat off his brows and said Whew finished. Whether or not it was due to the fact that the Dragons Heart was a difficult material to work with, or because a sword had to be made from scratch, it took much longer than when he had the Moon Specter upgraded. Sungjin who had waited with his arms crossed walked up to him and tapped him on the back. Thank you for your hard work, Kargos. Eh. Go ahead and take it. This is your fourth sword now. Kargos handed the sword to Sungjin. Wow Sungjin couldnt help but exclaim in awe. It was not because of the sword but because of the elegance and beauty of the scabbard. The scabbard which was made of steel was decorated with images of a Dragons teeth and tongue, and flames which shot out of them. When Sungjin tilted the scabbard to inspect it closer, the flames seemed to come alive and dance. Wow, when did you make this, Kargos? Wellyesterday morning Dragons Heart wasnt quite fully melted when I finished Artemio, so I put some work into this. Thank you, Kargos. Eh, you are our smithys regular. By the way, shouldnt you check the content too, dont you think? As he suggested, Sungjin pulled the sword out of the sheath. From the tip of the sword to the hilt, the entire blade was black in color. It did not have a crossguard, so the boundary of the blade and the handle was difficult to find without looking closely. But its simplicity added to its beauty. Dragons Heart needs to remain in one chunk he said so is that why its shaped like this? Sungjin thought as he lifted the blade above his head. Held like this, it looked like an elongated horn. Nameless Sword C Nameless Sword Legendary Katana C Strength S Dexterity A Magic Power B Active Skill Mana Flow (I) C Provides half of the mana used for the next 10 seconds. Depending on the size of the Dragons Heart, there is a limit to mana provided. Passive Skill Mana Respiration (I) C The Dragons Heart and the user restores 1% mana per second. The first thing he noticed was the name. Nameless Sword Theres no name? Sungjin checked the information underneath. The Stats boosts were on the ordinary side for a Legendary Class weapon, but it was special in that it also had a boost for Magic Power. How fitting for a spellblade. And finally the all-important skills. Active and passive both were related to mana. Mana Respiration passive was something he could substitute to an extent with Moon Specter, so it was not all that impressive. Well, it is better when there arent any monsters to kill nearby The most eye-catching thing was the Mana Flow. Between the Unique Legendary class swords he carried like Moon Specter, Blood Vengeance, and Artemio, the reason why he would choose this sword would most likely be in order to use this Active. It can provide half the Mana cost with this passive Soldamyr was right It looks like an active skill true to the nature of the Dragons Heart is imbued to the sword. Since it provided half the mana, it was like doubling his Mind Power. The only part he hesitated on was that there was an upper limit. Hmm it means it cannot give unlimited mana. I dont know how much it will end up being but it should be more than what I have. While Sungjin was looking at the swords specs, Kargos asked from the side. How is it? Do you like it? Ah Yes. I think Ill have to study the skills a bit more but It looks like the sword we had hoped for was made. Although this sword it doesnt have a name, does it? Of course it doesnt have a name. Its hot off the workshop. Go ahead and name it however you like. Hmm what should I name it Sungjin pondered for a moment while holding the sword. I dont have much confidence in naming things The sheath has a figure of dragons inscribed upon it the Blade itself is made of the Dragons Heart itself well the name should include a dragon somehow, right? Sungjin thought for a moment about Dragons. And so he came to think of the Dragons he had met the last raid. Khal Gal and Ariane And among them, he found a name he liked. Ariane. Hmm? Ariane? A person I mean a Dragon I am indebted to and I was wondering if it would be okay to name this sword after her. Hmm, Ariane. It sounds rather feminine I think it matches this sword perfectly. When I made this sword I imagined a rather cold, expressionless perfectionist mid 30s woman as I was working. Somehow Kargos image of the sword matched Sungjins perfectly. Well instead of 30s, she was closer to 3000s something woman but she did look about 30 outwardly. Sungjin said to him Ill use the name Ariane. And the nickname? For the nickname Sungjin thought for a moment, but Kargos suggested What about Dragon Lady? I think it matches this swords image perfectly. Ah, that sounds good. Ill go with that. Then tell the Operator, that you want to name the nameless sword. Operator. I want to name this sword. The name is Ariane, and the nickname is Dragon Lady. [Clearly state the name and nickname one more time please.] Name is Ariane, nickname is Dragon Lady [Ariane C Dragon Lady, is this correct?] Yes [This item is now Ariane C Dragon Lady. The new name of the item will be valid in case of equipping, de-equipping, or selling.] Sungjin tried swinging the new sword Ariane once or twice. Perhaps due to being made of Dragons Heart, it was slightly on the light side. Thank you, Kargos, for making me such an amazing sword. Yeah yeah. Well when you get more Enhancement stones, bring it back. I am also curious to see how far this one will grow. Ah Ok got it. Sungjin nodded. No matter how good Arianes Passive and Active skills were, he wouldnt be able to do more than some trivial tests for the moment. The new sword was a rank lower than all three other swords; Moon Specter, which can imbue enemies with a powerful sense of fear, Blood Vengeance, with its immensely high damage output, Artemio, a sword specialized in hunting down mages. Thus, It could be difficult to justify using it as one of the main swords. Then I will see you later. Alright. And the price is oh right, you already paid. Thats right. Ok. Come back when you need me. Sungjin left behind the smithy and made his way towards Ninety Nine Nights again. He thought about Arianes Active skill Mana Flow as he walked. Since it could basically double my mana Even with the Ring of the Great Sages Active skill, I can use up to Class 4 spells. I should ask Soldamyr what spells are good to use. Since the Magic Power jumps up by 5 times, doubling his Mind Power barely made up the difference. He would have to focus on raising his Mind Power for a while. While he was thinking this, he suddenly had a realization. Wait If Magic Power multiplier bonus is B it is 1.0x. And if I use the Ring of the Great Sage the bonus from Magic Power becomes 5.0x! Even SSS grade only granted 4.0x multiplier, but using this sword with the Ring of the Great Sage Active Skill would temporarily boost the damage bonus higher than a SSS grade weapon could. Whoa Sungjin stopped to stare at his new Sword Ariane. * Sungjin finally arrived at Ninety Nine Nights. The time was already 7:30. Rajenta and Cain had already woken up and were romping around. Sungjin who saw them play remembered Ah Right. I got another Pulp of Evolution last round. Cain stay there. He ordered Cain to remain. Rajenta, follow me. Kyan? Rajenta tilted his head 45 degrees to the side. Ill give you something nice, so come along. Rajenta followed Sungjin away from the Inns courtyard. Once he checked that he was far enough from Shadowrun and Cain, Sungjin placed his hands on the cube and said Operator, give me the Pulp of Evolution. The fruit came out of the cube. And not even a second later Rajenta snapped at the fruit with his beak and swallowed it whole. Yeah yeah, I told you I was going to give you something nice. Rajentas body glowed brightly as he began to grow. Uhh But he was growing much larger than Sungjin had anticipated. Rajenta was originally half as tall as Cain, but now he was much taller than Cain. Whoa I knew that Griffins were said to be tall Unlike the time with Cain, no message came announcing that Rajenta had risen by a class. But he had now grown very large; Large enough to ride. Kuu? Rajenta seemed to find it odd that the world, including his master, suddenly shrank in size. I didnt shrink, Rajenta. You grew up. Can you fly now? Kuuun Rajenta flapped his wings from where he stood and lifted himself into the air. His golden wings flashing in the light as he soared into the air was quite a sight to behold. Royal Griffin? I had heard it was a precious bloodline I can see why. But now that I think of it since he grew up this much I might be able to bring him into combat. Sungjin finished his thoughts and left, leaving Cain who was barking at the flying Rajenta behind as he entered the Ninety Nine Nights. Because he had spent so much time at the Smithy, he didnt have much left before the raid began. Sungjin showed the new sword to Soldamyr and said Soldamyr, this is the sword made of the Dragons Heart. Ooh, is that right? What about its specs? Sungjin held Ariane up. The Operator showed the newly modified Arianes spec sheet with the name applied. Ariane C Dragon Lady Legendary Katana C Strength S Dexterity A Magic Power B Ooh, it supplies half the mana used? That means Sungjin exchanged words with Soldamyr about the new Swords abilities and how it might be used when Rumble A sound came from his stomach. Ah its already time for breakfast. Sungjin turned to Dalupin to say Dalupin, for today He was about to order but he stopped himself. Ahh, wait a second please. He paused to ask the Operator Operator, how much time is left before the raid? [1 hour and 26 minutes] It wasnt too late. It was likely time for everyone to have breakfast. Sungjin returned to his bedroom. On the table was the Information sheet he had received last night. Sungjin brought the sheet back down to the ground floor and sat on the table. Sungjin made another request of the Operator. Please give me the Helix Staff. The staff emerged from the cube. Sungjin tapped the staff on his shoulder as he read the first line of the information sheet. Information on Kariharan Frostplains Hmm, this place He recalled the last time he had done this raid. He even knew where the hidden piece was. Sungjin picked up the staff as he continued to read the sheet. He thought it would be a good idea to introduce everyone to each other before the Raid began. Sungjin lifted up the staff and said Draft It was time for a meeting over breakfast. From the cube, images of Serin, Nada, and Franz appeared. Translators Note on spellblade damage (In case you are wondering about multiplier dialogue) Lets take Magic Power to be 100. A weapon with SSS on MP will have a 4x multiplier. So damage will be 400 (1004). Now take the case of this blade which has B in MP. B is 1x multiplier. When the user uses the Ring it increases his MP to 5x the original. So from 100 his MP becomes 500. Now with B on sword the damage is 500 (5001) So as we can see here that in this case the damage outdoes the damage of a SSS tier stat weapon when using the ring. Chapter 121 Chapter 121 C Black Market Tenth Shopping (10) The first persons face to pop up was Franzs. He seemed like he was still half asleep, he answered while blinking his eyes. Hmm? Mr Kei? How did you Whats this, you havent gotten up yet? I was just about to start getting ready. Get up, lets have breakfast together. But how did you I have a new item. Then from the other side of the screen, the Cube asked Franz [The Chooser is requesting your summon. Do you accept the summon?] He looked at the cube briefly before answering Ill head over after I wash my face then. Sure. The second person to appear was Serin. Whathuh Oppa? She was already sitting at a table in the inns dining room. She had her full combat gear on, and had probably completed her preparations for the raid. Its a new item Have you had your breakfast already? No, I was about to order Then come over on this side and lets eat together. Ok, Ill do that, Oppa. Both of them appeared near simultaneously before Sungjin. They glanced around Sungjins Ninety Nine Nights. This would have been the first time they had traveled to a dimension other than their own. But there was nothing in particular that they would find different. Other than the lamp and the blue giant. Sungjin said to them Sit. The two of them sat in the closest chair looking uncertain. And then they finally began glancing at each other. Sungjin wanted to introduce them to each other, but Nada was not here yet. Its easier to just do the introductions once But Franz extended a greeting to Serin first. Nice to meet you. I am Franz Hosenfeld. Hello, I am Serin Han. But there was still no response from Nada. What is this did it not work properly? Sungjin was checking the sceptre when Nadas image finally popped up on the screen. Sungjin immediately knew why her response was delayed. In the screen, Nada only had a bathrobe on. He must have initiated the summon in the middle of her shower. She asked with slightly raised voice Whats the meaning of this? Sungjin was panicking, but he replied in as calm a tone as he could muster. Ah Im trying to have all the Chosen ones meet She looked past Sungjin to the two others sitting behind him. And her cube said [Do you accept the summon? No response for 3 minutes will end in automatic rejection.] She gave her cube a look and said alright. Ill be there soon. And two minutes later, she also appeared in Sungjins dimension. Her outfit changed to that of day clothes, but her brown hair was still slightly wet. She must have had to hurry. Nonetheless, the four of them were finally seated together around one table. Sungjin clapped once with his hands and said Now Ill officially introduce everyone to each other, in the order chosen First Franz Your last name is Hosenfeld, right? Franz nodded. Yes, Franz Hosenfeld. Austrian. He uses a two handed sword Hes skilled and very passionate so I picked him. After having some serious crossing of swords of course. Franz must have remembered what had happened as he put his hand through his hair and said Franz. Nice to meet you all. Second is Nada. She is from Spain. Then she said Hmm? How did you know? I dont think Ive told you that? Sungjin froze when he heard that. She had told him her nationality during the first round of raids, close to the chapter where everyone was wiped out. You told me last night, you cant remember? Hmm Nada pursed her lips as she tried to search her memories. She was right, but she was led to believe that she somehow forgot about telling him since there was no other way she could think of how Sungjin would know otherwise. Anyway, she is a master of both dagger and black magic. So I chose her. Nada crossed her arms as she said to Serin and Franz briefly Hello. Finally, Serin Han. A Korean like me. An interesting fact is that she was one of the nations representatives in the Olympics for Archery and had won the Gold Medal. Franz opened his mouth to say Ahh I thought I saw her before I think Ive seen her on the internet. On the list of beautiful Women Olympic stars. Serin lifted up one hand and covered her reddened face. Sungjin grinned as he said Well, in our country she was already a national hero. Shes probably a better archer than anyone else. Serin bowed while keeping her hand covering her face as she said, Nice to meet you all. Once the introductions were complete, Sungjin pointed at the information sheet before him. From now on, if there isnt anything going on, I want to call everyone over for breakfast and speak about the upcoming raids. Everyone nodded. Then lets order first. We can speak while eating. Dalupin. Sungjin called for Dalupin. All four hunters ordered breakfast from Dalupin with much familiarity. Sungjin and the people chosen by him filled the tables as they shared stories over breakfast. Now that I think of it Nada uses magic, what about Franz and Serin you two? Do you use any spells? No, I almost dont use any magic at all. Me too. I have tried in the past, but investing into Strength or Dexterity is more cost effective when using the bow. Yeah, I know. But you have stats you got from me; Magic Power and Mind Power. Yes Thats true. If you want to take advantage of what you have, then why not have a spell or two learned? Hmm I guess thats true as well. Once this raid is over, both of you head to the Black Market to see if there are any spells that fit your style of fighting and learn one or two. If its possible, pick from just one color of magic to learn. Yes, understood. But why do we need to pick a color? Serin asked, but Nada answered instead. Titles regarding Magic tend to benefit a single school at a time. Like giving bonus effects to Black Magic, or lowering Black Magic spells mana costs things like that. Ah really? I see, thank you, Ms. Nada. The three of them were able to hold pleasant conversations without the need for him to get involved. But where did Ms Nada learn to use the dagger? Sungjin listened to the three of them converse with his arms crossed. Now that he thought of it, picking members solely based on his own preference could lead to issues later. In the Final 10 before his regression, there was a subtle issue between members. They didnt always openly antagonize each other, but Illich despised Mustafa for being sly, and Araujo was always scolding Edward. Nada also mentioned that she avoided Umkhuba for giving her strange looks, and Ryushin picked on Shunsuke for his Japanese Imperialism and caused a fight. The Three people so far seems fine but the others have to get along with them as well Sungjin thought of such things as he ate breakfast. And then meanwhile, he recalled about Jeremiahs Eyes ability to listen to others thoughts. Should I test it? It just so happened that the only person who should be aware of the earrings existence was sitting on his left side. Sungjin pretended to lean on his arm as he touched the earring to activate it and listened in on the others internal dialogue. For 10 seconds How lucky to be able to share breakfast with such beautiful ladies. Ill be able to go into the raid with full motivation. Franz was a very simple man. Sungjin liked this about him. But even if we have comrades whats the point if we cant enter the raid together? Nada was thinking of something else entirely different. Wow, look at Ms Nadas breasts. So large Serin must have been sneaking glances at Nadas breasts. Her Endowments must be the subject of attention even for people of the same gender. But then her voice continued by saying Now that I think of it She called Sungjin oppa Mr Boobs Cough Sungjin paused from ripping his croissant by coughing. Well, at least it didnt seem like they had any deeper thoughts about each other so far. To begin with, seeds of discontent are sown during raids; peaceful breakfast time like now couldnt easily cause any friction. Well, it would be nice if they could become friendly until then. Sungjin finished the rest of his food. Once the breakfast was over, Sungjin waved his hands towards the three others. Then lets meet each other tomorrow morning once the raids are over, everyone. Each of the three others returned to their dimensions. It was roughly 30 minutes before raid start. Once everyone had left, Sungjin crossed his arms and sat down on his spot. The next raid was another 5 man raid. After going through a 10 man raid three times alone (especially after fighting Ariane), a 5 man raid could no longer give him any sense of anxiety. The next 10 man raid was Chapter 14 was it? Sungjins focus was already set on the next 10 man raid. From this point onwards I have to set my goal to be able to take on a 10 man raid alone. Sungjin made up his mind. The best way to reduce uncertainty in raids was to just become stronger himself. I just have to give it my best each time. And now, each time he grew stronger, his Chosen ones grew stronger with him. He now needed to make an effort not only for himself but also for the people he had picked. And for a moment, Sungjin thought of the merchant in Darker than Black. Perhaps even a rebel This was a difficult problem to solve since it was impossible to read into their core nature. Sungjin grasped his earring Unequip He took a look at it. Inside the purple gem, there was a sleepy looking eye staring back at Sungjin. This only lasts 10 seconds Sungjin stared at the eye. But then he thought of an incredibly simple solution. What if I grow so strong that it never occurs to them to rebel? It was true. Last time, the Friar who had been looking for an opportunity to troll was unable to dare commit the act after seeing Sungjins overwhelming power. This might be the simplest and the most effective way to prevent problems. Chosen Ones get 20% of my stats and the stats I get from Master Hunter title is 30% so they can never surpass me using the bonuses. I will always win in a 1v1. If a rebellion is to succeed, they would need a minimum of two Sungjin thought about it for a moment, how it would be to fight Serin, Nada, and Franz at the same time. Somehow, the three of them were Swordsman, Mage, and Archer; none of them had overlapping roles or position. Hmm It wouldnt be easy Sungjin continued to play the scene out in his mind. So summon Cain and Soldamyr first Have Romance of the Three Kingdoms to auto-read itself ah, and Serin also has the Thousand and One Nights. Hmm In that case He sat for a few minutes running simulations through his mind. Sungjin eventually came to a conclusion. Its close, but I can just barely win. It would be hard, but he was confident he could win. Before Khal Gals Raid, he would have definitely lost, but Sungjin now had the power of the Ring of the Great Sage on his side. The main problem was being stabbed in the back during an all out brawl. This was the most vulnerable moment for a betrayal. The reason why Edwards troll led to the teams annihilation was because he had betrayed the group as they were facing the Demon King. Edward was strong, but he could not have possibly won a fight alone against just 2 of the Final 10 members. Sungjin closed his eyes and continued to think. I have to filter the members well and monitor them carefully and I need to get so strong that I can remove any elements of instability so that I can bring the raids to an end. And then he was teleported. To the Eleventh chapter. To the Kariharan Frostplains. Note: In an earlier chapter it was said that raids will be 10 man format instead of 5. Its an error in the raws itself as we can see here that there will be 5 man raids and a few 10 man instead. We will ask the author for correction of verbiage in the earlier chap. Chapter 122 Chapter 122 C Kariharan Frostplains Woooooo~ Powerful gusts of wind came from beyond the darkness. The winds were strong, strong enough to push a man down. And the snow from above rode upon the winds as they fell from the sky. The two elements merged and covered the world in white. The mountains, the trees, the plains; the endless blizzard blanketed the entire Frostplains. And in the midst of the freezing cold was a rider galloping through the snowstorm. Then Grrr A Sabre Tooth Tiger as tall as the rider on top of the horse blocked his way. The Sabre Tooth Tiger was the most dangerous creature to live on the Frostplains. Its large size, its physical strength to match, its claws as strong as steel, and teeth as long as swords, and finally its snow white coat which allowed it to perfectly blend in with the environment like a chameleon, all combined made the Sabre Tooth Tiger a deadly predator. The beast slowly snuck up on his mark, looking for an opportunity to strike and then Krah! It leapt up to ambush the rider. A moment of life and death. But then, the body of the Sabre Tooth Tiger became separated into three pieces as if someone had cut it with the aid of a ruler; The head, the torso, and the lower body. Red blood splattered upon the white Frostplains. The man who had dealt with the Sabre Tooth Tiger in a single blow, Sungjin, was muttering to himself. Wow You have become such spectacular weapons, Blood Vengeance and Artemio. Sungjin returned his two swords to their scabbards. The upgraded Unique Legendary swords he wielded boasted amazing specs. Especially Blood Vengeance with its SSS Strength rating which delivered a stellar performance. Well the stats are the same as before but having it made right after Chapter 10 is probably why it is overpowered Sungjin thought to himself as he looked back into the darkness, towards the place where the snowstorm was raging. Besgoros Ghost vision allowed Sungjin to see as clear as day in the dark. Sungjin focused his eyes into the distance. The Frostplains went on as far as the eyes could see. And in the middle of it was a palace made of ice; the home of this Raids boss, the Ice Witch. Sungjin muttered to himself. Thank you, Besgoro. I had such trouble last time because of the darkness. Well Shadowrun is the one doing all the work. Sungjin pet Shadowruns neck out of gratitude. Shadowrun neighed once. The Ghost Stallion was able to run without rest without becoming cold even through this blizzard. Lets go Shadowrun Sungjin whipped the reins once. The Shadowrun ran full speed headlong into the wind, unaffected by it, towards the frozen Palace. The closer he got to the Frozen Palace, the stronger the blizzard became. In truth, the blizzard was the most difficult enemy to overcome. Considering the stats of the monsters in this map, they were actually quite ordinary. Ordinary, except for the fact that the monsters, Sabre Tooth Tiger, Yeti, Ice golems and the like were completely unaffected by the cold or the snow. On the other hand, the Hunters were struggling to keep warmth despite the thick snowsuit and could barely move properly. Of course, none of these factors were a handicap to Sungjin. He was already strong enough to finish this raid alone. He was only worried about the others. He was not worried for the other four hunters he had left behind to go ahead, but the Chosen Ones that were fighting in their own dimensions. Sungjin thought to himself How are the others doing? * The giant snowman, Yeti, came charging at Nada. The fingers of this monster alone was as large as a mans fist. Nada first escaped the reach of his grasp as she swung her daggers. Woos woosh Krrr One of the Yetis thumbs was cut off. The monster became enraged and came charging towards her even faster than before. Nada shouted quickly Domingo! Domingo was the name of the Zombie she brought around with her. It was the name of a classmate she disliked long ago. Domingo dove in and bit away at the Yetis arm. The Yeti turned his attention away from Nada to look at Domingo. Before the zombie could be flattened, another hunter wielding a trident stabbed the Yeti at his sides. Stab Along with the sound, the Yeti turned his attention away from Domingo to chase the hunter with the trident. The trident wielding hunter yelled out in fear N Next! This time someone chanted Firebolt! He used the magic to burn the Yetis fur. The Yeti turned his attention away from the trident hunter to chase the magician. Nada thought to herself while watching the scene. Its exactly as the Master Hunter had told us. This was what the Chooser Master Hunter Kei had told them during the unscheduled breakfast meeting. The Yeti boasts an incredible strength and endurance, but it isnt all that bright. Yetis tend to focus on the last person who hits them. So after one person attacks, if the next person strikes before the Yeti can counter, it will switch targets to the new attacker. So if you plan a delayed attack and take turns striking it in a circle, it will just go round and around until it dies. The information sheet only said it is a simple and unintelligent creature, so Keis instructions were far more detailed and complete, as well as being effective in battle. After the Yeti was passed along from hunter to hunter and each of the hunters had hit it two or three times Kughagh It cried out and died. Oohh its true, this thing just as Miss Nada had said Meanwhile, one of the hunters asked Nada How did you know about this? It wasnt written on the Information sheet. Nada didnt have much to say, so she shrugged. I want to know that as well. Master Hunter Kei, he had too many secrets. * Serin was more focused than ever before. To begin with, the strong winds made it difficult to aim the shots, and second, the target was covered in white fur, making it difficult to distinguish it from the environment. But in spite of it all, Pew~ The arrows which left her bow hit its mark at the base of the Yetis neck. Kughagh The Yeti came charging at the hunters enraged. Serin readied another arrow as she nocked it on the bow and prepared to let it fly. Whenever a hunter was about to be in danger, she would immediately Pew~ Let the arrow fly and have the monster come after her. Even if the Yeti charged towards her, if anyone so much as grazed the monster it would change target, so the Yeti was no real threat to her. She calmly prepared another arrow on her bow, and when a hunter was just about to be hit Pew~ She turned its attention towards her. Just by controlling the timing of her arrows, she was easily able to control the movement of the Yeti, making it easier to hunt the beast. Kughagh Once the Yeti had fallen, the hunters approached her and said Wow, youre a really great shot Hassan Where did you learn to shoot, Hassan? Hassan, as in Serin, stroked her beard as she answered Well, I learned it, long ago. The Mask even changed her voice. She didnt have a whole a lot of meaning in picking the name Hassan. When she was looking for masks to buy, she found one which turned her into a middle eastern man and the first name that popped into her mind was Hassan. A common name. Thanks to it, not even other people of middle eastern origin questioned her. Where are you from? When she was asked this question, she was a little flustered as to how to answer. But as a bearded man, one of the Chosen Ones, she was progressing through the raid without much difficulty. Serin was already quite strong, but once she obtained Master Hunter Sungjins bonus stats, she became even more powerful. She has not given it a try yet, but even if one or two allies were to die no, even if she was all alone, she felt that she could possibly beat the regular Raid boss on her own. The reason why she had to ensure the safety of her comrades were, that the Hidden bosses would be difficult to beat otherwise. Serin wanted to make sure to defeat the Hidden Boss this round. She already kind of knew where to find it. Oppa told meBasement of the Frozen Palace There is a Hidden Boss frozen in there During the Briefing in the morning, Sungjin had informed the three Chosen Ones the location of the Hidden Boss. It was a valuable information that could not be found on the information sheet. Serin gripped her fist. I will defeat the Hidden boss of this round and become even stronger. * The man in the front, Frozen Heart lifted up his hand and spread his fingers. This was a signal for them to stop. Franz asked him Why But as soon as he began to utter his words, a Yeti came walking out of the blizzard into view. Frozen Heart lifted up his shield and gave a short command. Ready Four other hunters surrounded the Yeti upon his command. Franz was one of the hunters. Once the Yeti was in the right distance, he ordered Attack The first hunter ran in and attacked the Yeti and fell back. Franz was the second. Before the 1st hunter could be attacked, he swung his two-handed sword and stabbed the creature. The third hunter was Frozen Heart who swung his axe and transferred the aggro upon himself. This was the method Master Hunter Kei had informed the others to use. Frozen Heart was a natural born leader. Once he had learned of the strategy from Franz, he assigned an attack order for the hunters and gave command during the fight. And Franz, as well as the other hunters, found themselves naturally following his orders. Frozen Heart had something about him. A certain charisma that compelled people to obey. Strictly speaking, Franz ought to be stronger, but strangely, he couldnt help but feel that he had to obey. It was true that as an ex-military, Frozen Heart had more experience with leadership. So the Hunt continued. It was during the hunt when Uhh A problem arose. The 1st hunter who was supposed to hit the Yeti after the 5th hunter, had missed. The 5th hunter was in danger of becoming folded in half by the Yetis attack. Franz wouldnt watch on by without doing anything. He prepared to charge at the Yeti. But Frozen Heart reacted faster than anyone else, blocking the hit with his shield. Boom! Franz had thought he might have sustained an injury. Frozen Heart was strong, but Master Hunter Kei had told them Yetis attacks are really dangerous. Anyone other than the tanks will probably die in one hit, and even tanks would have difficulty sustaining more than two hits. Probably. But the one to spit blood and die was not the Frozen Heart but the Yeti. Kughagh Embedded at the base of the dying Yetis neck was Frozen Hearts Axe. Frozen Heart walked up to the dead monster with cold eyes deserving his title, as he pulled his weapon out of the beasts neck. He directed his attention to the 1st hunter. Careful. A comrade almost died because of you. His glare, as well as his words, were cold without equal. The 1st Hunter apologized. Ah Sorry Most people would find such cold demeanor off-putting, but Franz who liked the strong found it to be a merit. This man even though he does not have the Chosen One title his power is almost on par with mine Franz approached the man out of curiosity. Hey, Frozen Heart. What. What did you say your name was? Frozen Heart looked up into the sky and then said his name as if he was letting out a sigh. Illich. Chapter 123 Chapter 123 C Kariharan Frostplains (2) Frozen Heart tapped on his axe as he asked So, the place where the blizzard is the strongest is where the Boss is at? Franz nodded. Yes. He narrowed his eyes as he continued to ask Where did you get this information? Franz paused for a moment. Go to where the blizzard is the most intense. The Ice Witchs Frozen Palace is there. He had found out through Master Hunter K. But Franz couldnt just tell him straight out because Kei also said earlier this morning C For now lets hide the fact that the Chosen Ones and I can meet like this. Once you find out about the Chosen One title and its bonuses, youll naturally come to want the title as well. But I dont wish to grant the title to anybody except those I really trust. In other words, he had to keep the morning meeting a secret. There is a title. I dont have it equipped right now, but it gives hints about where the boss is. Really? Like Guide or whatever? Franz nodded Ah yes like that. He narrowed his eyes even further and asked Hmm ok. Then what does the Chosen One title do? A question too close to the target. Well it raises stats byabout 10%. Franz lied. For some reason, it wasnt easy lying to him. Oh, really? All stat points? Uh yes, all. Thankfully, Illichs curiosity stopped there. Really now? What an excellent title. I would love to have it myself. A great title to have as active and 5% even when unequipped. An exceptionally fine title. Franz kept his mouth shut. The Chosen One title did not grant bonus stats equal to 10% of the owners stats, but 20% of the much higher Master Hunter Keis stats. Unless he asked the Operator C Operator show me my stats C there was no way for Illich to check Franzs stats for himself. Then lets get going. The direction where the blizzard grows thicker is that way. Illich pointed towards a direction. To Franzs eye, he could not discern a difference from one direction to the next, but being Russian must have given Illich a keen awareness of the severity of the storm. Franz looked upon the mans silhouette from behind. This man I dont know about being a good human being or whatnot but in terms of skill he definitely deserves becoming a Chosen One. His combat prowess was one thing, but his level-headed judgement, his quick thinking, his ability to lead, he was superb in all ways. When we finish I should inform Mr Kei. Franz thought as he made his way through the snow of the Frostplains. * Sungjin held Shadowruns reins. Whoa whoa~ The horse stopped on the spot. Shadowruns two glowing eyes were seen in a reflection from ahead; they had arrived in front of the Ice Palace. The Frozen Palace was made of transparent ice, and so the image of Shadowrun and Sungjin on top were reflected back at them. Operator, elapsed time? [3 minutes 42 seconds.] Oh really? We got here pretty quick then. Sungjin looked behind him and said Thanks for your hard work. Go rest Shadowrun. He returned Shadowrun into the medallion and placed him back into the cube. Sungjin who was now alone then walked up to the palace. In the time before his regression, he and his party had wandered about aimlessly for a long time before they stumbled upon the palace. It was because the area was covered in darkness, and the only thing that reflected in the light were the eyes of the monsters. How were we supposed to know that the boss lay waiting where the winds were the strongest? Yes, the road to the Ice Palace was the blizzard itself; one had to walk towards the blizzard which first appeared to be nothing more than an obstacle. Strangely, the blizzard subsided upon arriving at the Palace. It was as still as the eye of the storm. He had shared this information with the Chosen Ones: Serin, Nada, and Franz. Just knowing this bit of information would greatly decrease their chance of death to almost zero. It looks fascinating even now Sungjin was touching the walls of the palace when a pair of eyes appeared behind him. The creature must have thought that it had caught Sungjin unaware. Well, I dont think Id lose even if it had ambushed me from behind. Soon Kragh! The Yeti came charging towards Sungjin. Sungjin hopped to the side and swung Moon Specter. Two of Yetis fingers were sliced off upon contact. The enraged Yeti screamed C Kuaagh! C and came charging towards Sungjin even faster, but it was bisected by the follow-up strike of the Blood Vengeance, and it fell where it stood. So annoying Sungjin swung his sword to remove the blood from his blades before he headed into the Frozen Palace. Once inside, he saw two large columns. One of the strange pillars was round, and the other was edged. But the pillars began to transform until it assumed the form of a giant. Sungjin thought to himself Oh yeah this thing. The moving columns were none other than Ice Golems. The Ice Golems looked greatly deformed. One sported proportionally tiny legs, but one of its arms was far too long, whereas the other had an unbelievably long head. However their physical appearances were, they came attacking Sungjin with the longest limbs of their bodies. But they didnt particularly pose any danger. Just by holding his swords out in defense, whenever the swords made contact with the body of the Ice Golems C Creak Crack C The parts that touched his swords fell off and became icy rubble. After blocking each of their attacks five or six times, the golems fell over on their own and stopped moving. Once the golems fell, a piercing laughter reverberated through the palace. Oh ho ho ho ho! The woman who was slowly walking down the stairs was the boss of this map, Ice Witch OElliah. You must not value your life, choosing to come here. She then continued to say some more useless words to Sungjin, but he didnt pay any attention to her. He was trying to resolve a dilemma in his mind. Hmm now lets see where would be the most appropriate place to test the Ring of the Great Sage? He could only use the Ring of the Great Sage once a day. While he was thinking about it C [Warning! Boss Monster Ice Witch OElliah has appeared!] Then become part of my collection! C the boss fight had begun. Sungjin put away Moon Specter for now and took out Artemio. She immediately cast a spell. Spreading death Sungjin lifted up Artemio and shouted Absorb magic Artemio began to emit a deeper and brighter purple than ever before. Orb of Ice The orb she had created then soon burst, filling the room with innumerable ice shrapnel. Sungjin waited for a suitable timing to strike one of the shrapnel with Artemio. Then suddenly, the shrapnel which was spreading throughout the room came rushing back into a single spot and became absorbed into Artemio. Hmm so this is how it works. Once Sungjin had checked the newly upgraded Artemios effects, he charged towards OElliah. Seeing her spell disappear without an effect, she waved her left hand while being unsettled. Then suddenly a tall wall of ice formed between Sungjin and her. What is this? Sungjin cut down the wall with a single stroke of his Blood Vengeance and resumed the pursuit of the witch. Then he saw a white gaseous cloud fly towards him. Sungjins eyes opened wide on seeing the incoming strike, and he tumbled backwards out of the way. The cloud was none other than subzero liquid, a magical material that freezes anything upon contact. OElliah expelled the white fog as she slowly approached Sungjin. This one is trouble The material she was unleashing was dangerous. From the first moment of contact, it slowed the movement until after three or four seconds when it could transform anything it touches into an ice sculpture.* Then she would use the sharp end of her staff which was in the form of an icicle to stab the helpless sculpture in the neck. It was a peerlessly despicable method of fighting. Thankfully the effective range of the fog was not all that far, so Sungjin retreated a suitable distance away and then C Pa C fired his Blood Vengeance towards her. The Witch raised another wall of ice to block the sword. The Blood Vengeance became stuck in the ice and C Haa C it could not be recovered by the item effect. Ugh how annoying After being blocked twice, Sungjin decided to just use the Ring of the Great Sage. He first pulled out the new sword Ariane. This sword was necessary to use the Ring. And then he said, Empower Magic Sungjins Ring of the Great Sage began to glow. The Witch continued to approach him. Sungjin walked backwards as he recited an incantation. Incinerate everything in your path The illumination of the ring grew intense as if the ring was about to explode. And Ariane which Sungjin held began to give off a strange sound. Ooong. Soon, Sungjin finished the incantation. Fireball Once the incantation was complete light filled Sungjins vision, blinding him as if he had turned on the light after spending a long time in the darkness. What is this? Sungjin asked himself. A fireball of an unbelievable size spilled forth from him. He was too close and could only perceive it as light. The fireball flew straight towards the Ice Witch. The Witch erected another Ice Wall out of surprise and BOOOOOOOOOM!!!!!!!!! The fireball exploded with a deafening roar as it made contact with the wall, but the resulting firestorm was similar in scale to his fireball from before. Sungjin was pushed back from the spell he himself used. Soon, the Operator gave an announcement [Boss Monster Ice Witch OElliah Cleared.] At the same time Drip A drop of water fell upon the base of Sungjins neck. Cold Sungjin looked up. And when he did Drip drip drip Several more drops fell on his face. The Fireball from just now had spread all the way to the ceiling and burnt a hole through it. Sungjin looked around. It couldnt be collapsing, right? But shortly after Rumble rumble The entire palace began to fall apart. Sungjin checked his surroundings. His Blood Vengeance that was stuck on the Ice Wall had fallen to the floor and lay in a puddle. Sungjin put away Ariane which had done its duty. Haa And retrieved his Blood Vengeance before getting out of the palace. Creeeak rumble Once it began to collapse in earnest, it did not take long for the entire palace to break apart. Sungjin watched from a distance away. He looked up and saw that the blizzard had dissipated completely. Once the Ice Witch is slain, the snow stops. Whew Sungjin let out a sigh of relief and moved on to the next item on his agenda; Search for a hidden piece. He knew where the Hidden boss of this map was located. But the one whose location he wanted to ask about was that of that of the hidden piece. Sungjin was about to call upon the Operator to use the Treasure Hunter active. But he noticed something shining from within the rubble of the Ice Palace. It was the six-pointed star which had been hanging from the top of the Palace ceiling. Thats The interesting thing about this star was none other than the fact that while the rest of the palace had melted away and collapsed due to the intense heat, the star alone remained intact and unaffected, giving off a light. Sungjin approached the thing. He stood upon a fallen pillar as he picked up the star. Ugh It was unbearably cold. But the Operator soon said [Congratulations. You have obtained the Hidden Piece, Star of Winter.] TL NOTE *She is basically a mixture of Elsa from Disneys Frozen and Mei from Overwatch Note: we tested using dashes (-) to mark where sentences are broken up midway for SFX or dialogue interruptions at the suggestion of a reader. Please let us know if you prefer having this or not in the comments. Chapter 124 Chapter 124 C Kariharan Frostplains (3) Franz, Illich and the others arrived at the Ice Witchs Frozen Palace. The two giant pillars supporting the interior of the palace transformed into two Ice Golems and came attacking the hunters. But Frans and Illich displayed their martial prowess and quickly subdued the monsters. It was the same with the Ice Witch. Her spells were definitely powerful and her Ice Walls annoying. Her fog spewing staff was very dangerous as well, but she was unable to put up a proper resistance between the two mighty hunters. Only once C Im in dan C a hunter was frozen solid by her fog, but Illich came charging in with his shield like a lightning bolt. Shield of Conviction He held his shield up to block her attack and pushed her away. Franz joined the fray. He swung his massive two handed sword to fire a sharp wind blade. Wind Slicer The Ice Witch raised an Ice Wall to block Franzs attack as she backed away. Franzs wind blade divided the wall into halves, and so Illich and the other hunters ran in to rescue the frozen hunter and bring him to the other side of the wall. The strange thing about the Witchs freezing fog was that despite freezing the person on contact, the hunter would quickly return to normal as soon as he was warmed back up. After 3 minutes and several clashes later Kyaaa! She died spewing blood, as Illichs axe was planted in her chest. [Boss Monster Ice Witch OElliah Cleared!] The hunters celebrated at the Operators announcements. Good work everyone. You two were really amazing, Illich and Franz. Franz glanced at Illich. He had only spoken on the subject of the battle, and even that little bit was communicated with as few words as possible, so Franz was unable to make a judgement on his person. But the memory of Illich rescuing the team member from the clutches of death remained strongly imprinted in his mind. Franz became filled with certainty. This man hes a little hard to approach but he would make an excellent teammate! But Illichs sense of leadership and personal charisma was so high that Franz worried it might make the man unwilling to listen to Master Hunter Kei. The Chosen One group was designed to run with Master Hunter Kei at the core. To begin with, he was three or four times stronger than anyone else, and his power was distributed among the others. And thanks to some source of information, he even provided details about the raids before it began. It was questionable if Kei would accept Illich and vice versa. While Franz was thinking about such things, Clap Clap Illich clapped his hands twice to gather everyones attentions. Good work everyone. Now, lets search for the next objective. Clearing isnt our only goal, right? The hunters who were celebrating their victory reformed before him at his words. Illichs perfectionism only made him even more difficult to approach as a person. He raised his hands to ask Does anyone here have the Treasure Hunter title? No one raised their hands. Franz stepped forward. Ah I dont have the Treasure Hunter title but I know where the Hidden Boss is located. Franz knew where to look thanks to the Special Briefing he attended this morning. Is that so? The man stared at Franz with sharp eyes. He seemed to wonder where Franz might have obtained such information, but he didnt pry further. Only, Then Since I have the Treasure Hunter title, Ill use it to find the hidden piece. Ohh He even had the Treasure Hunter title. The usefulness of the Treasure Hunter passive could not be overstated since it greatly reduced the work necessary to find hidden bosses or pieces. The mans power was starting to make sense. Contribution points were important in the raids, but obtaining items and utilizing the item to their full effect were the most important part. The Chooser Master Hunter Kei wore rings on every finger, and every item he wore looked impressive. Illich spoke to the cube. Operator, use the Treasure Hunter skill. Tell me where the Hidden Piece is located. The Operator gave a hint. [Lone star in the dark night sky] [In the middle of winter] Illich suddenly looked up while listening and said Lets go towards the ceiling. I recall seeing something like a six-pointed star. * Sungjin held up the six-pointed star. Lathion C Star of Winter Legendary Material Lonely Solitary Star But it shines brighter than any other alone. What is this He couldnt understand the purpose of the item from the two lines of description. There was no other explanation attached. Well its listed as a material, so Kargos should know something. Sungjin placed the item into the cube for now. Thanks to the fireball he had cast without much thought, he had obtained the hidden piece easily. Then next on the list is Sungjin took a look round. The Hidden Boss was not all that far away. And thanks to the blizzard clearing up, it was much easier to move about. Sungjin quietly gazed up at the winter night sky and then thought Ah should I try it out here? He reached into the cube to extract Rajentas egg. He threw it in the air Come, Rajenta. Soon a Royal Griffin revealed itself. It must have been the first snow the bird had ever seen. Kyak Kyak Cried Rajenta as he paced around stepping on the snow. Hes much larger but he still has the mind of a child? Sungjin approached Rajenta as he thought so. Rajenta, I know you are enjoying it, but can you let me ride? Kyal Rajenta calmly bent his legs to allow Sungjin to mount him. Sungjin took his place upon Rajentas back. Lets go, the target is Well, lets get in the air first. Rajenta flew high into the sky with Sungjin. Sungjin looked down to survey the area. It wasnt that far Besgoros ghost vision, the fresh snow, and the relatively flat terrain all worked to allow Sungjin to see very far into the distance. He said to Rajenta. Rajenta, can you rotate around once slowly? At his words, Rajenta flapped his wings as he slowly turned around. Although Rajenta only recently became able to fly, he diligently and accurately followed Sungjins requests. Once Rajenta had turned about 120 degrees Stop Sungjin saw a group of people in the distance. They werent moving, only standing. Sungjin whispered to Rajenta. Thats it. Do you see it? Kyak Rajenta let out a strange noise. Did you understand? After asking twice, Rajenta answered by flying at high speeds towards the figures below where Sungjin had pointed to. He must have seen them as well. He has a good eye. Rajenta flew towards the target at great speed. With this much speed, Sungjin no longer needed the flying carpet. I should sell it at the auction house or something. While he was thinking so, Rajenta brought Sungjin straight up to the group of people. They were all frozen solid. About twenty to thirty individuals had been frozen in place and were unable to move. The one in the front was a middle-aged man wearing a red mantle. Hmm I have to defrost him somehow He didnt feel like spending mana just for this. Well, I guess since it IS a hidden boss Sungjin summoned Soldamyr. Have you called for me, Master? Yes, please thaw this man. With magic. Yes, Master. Scorching hands, Burning Touch While Soldamyr defrosted the man, Sungjin put away Artemio and picked up Moon Specter. He now had four swords. Picking the right sword for the right situation was part of Sungjins most basic strategy. Meanwhile Ugh The man grasped his head as he began to moan. My Head my head Sungjin did not know how long he was frozen here, but he could understand that the man might be having a headache. He simply stared at the man. If he were to attack now, he could end it then and there. But doing so would probably prompt the message If you attack a non-hostile life form So Sungjin stayed his hands. Within a five man raid, neither the boss nor the Hidden boss could possibly beat him. Why am I The man turned his gaze around with unfocused eyes, then saw the people behind him. My followers frozen? Im He continued to speak to himself as if deeply confused, then he suddenly said Yes. Witch. We have to kill the witch. He let his mantle flutter once as he said Rise, Knights of the Red Lion. Then the men behind him began to break out of their frozen state and moved. They had just awoken and were not in their normal state yet. Each of them grasped their head and looked around dazed. The leader with the Red Mantle looked upon them and announced Carry out the Kings orders. Our objective Witch He grasped his head again as if he had a severe headache No to kill Witch? Kill? And his eyes turned blue Yes to kill. Kill them. Kill! He shouted suddenly, going berserk. And at his words, each of the men behind him grasped their weapons and shouted We the Knights of the Red Lion, will follow the Kings orders Their eyes were all blue as well. Well I guess its a type of zombie? While Sungjin was thinking that, the commander raised his sword and shouted For the King! For the Golden Cloud! For the King! That was when the Operator finally gave an announcement. [Warning! Hidden Boss] [Commander of the Knights of the Red Lion and his Knights have appeared.] Sungjin said to Soldamyr after seeing them Lets end their misery. Yes, master. But Rajenta also pushed his way towards Sungjin. Kyaar What, Rajenta you want to fight too? Meanwhile, the Knights began to advance towards Sungjin. Before Sungjin even responded Flap Rajenta dashed forward like lightning and bit the knight by the head, then he flew more than ten meters into the sky before dropping him from the air. The poor knight had his back broken and died just ten seconds after being revived. Murderous thunder Soldamyr began to chant a spell. Sungjin readied his sword and charged into the fray. Chapter 125 Chapter 125 C Kariharan Frostplains (4) Chain Lightning Soldamyr fired a lightning bolt, Kyak! Rajenta repeatedly plucked soldiers off the ground to drop them from high above. Sungjin also ceaselessly charged towards the enemies and swung his sword. Three or four soldiers whose eyes had turned blue came simultaneously attacking Sungjin together, but none of them managed to so much as graze Sungjins shirt. The red caped Commander himself looked as if he would show high skill with the sword, but even he couldnt produce more than a yawn from Sungjin. Clang clang cling In just three blows, he dropped his sword Stab! And the next pierced through his heart. Plop Once he fell where he stood, the twenty or so remaining soldiers were cleaned up relatively quickly. Once the short fight was over, Soldamyr came to say How strange. The hidden boss was so weak Sungjin interrupted him. Its not over. What do you mean? Sungjin knocked on his cube. This guys still quiet. Excuse me? As soon as Sungjin was done explaining, the Commander who was pierced through the heart earlier suddenly stood back up, bleeding profusely. Not like this I cant die like this Until I complete the kings order Gather up men, we cannot rest. At his words, one of the dead soldiers behind him came flying and attached itself to his back, as if attracted by some sort of magnet. Soon, one by one, over twenty other members of the Knights order merged into one lump and formed a type of monster. It had dozens of arms and legs. The monster was covered in swords, shields, armors and helms. Its appearance was grotesque without peer. Eh. Soldamyr stared at the monster with his mouth wide open. Sungjin said to Moon Specter Moon Specter. Yes? Lets go. Yes, Master. Sungjin sheathed Moon Specter as he charged towards the monster. Once Sungjin got close enough to the monster made of human corpses, the dozens of arms began swinging their many weapons towards him in a jumbled mess. It was difficult even for Sungjin to dodge them all. He kept a precarious distance from the monster as he pulled out Moon Specter from the sheath and shouted Ghastly Wail KYAAAH! The immense screech reverberated throughout the Frostplains. The combined mass of knights did not respond with fear at the same time, but the ones closer to Sungjin put away their weapons. The unafraid upper portion of the monster attempted to engage Sungjin, but Moon Specter let out another cry. The upgraded Moon Specter continuously reapplied fear and so the upper portion which came under its effects started to reel back. It was during this time This isnt working. Shield wall! The Commanders voice shouted from within the mass, and the monsters many shields, as well as few of its helm, were brought forward to defend. It was pointless to attack while it was in this state. Sungjin gestured to Soldamyr who was standing behind him. Chain Lightning. Enormous bolts of lightning came spewing forth and spread across the surface of the shield. Kaa! The portion hit by lightning screamed in pain and temporarily loosened its defenses. Sungjin attacked the affected area as he said Besgoro, Frenzy. Alright Sungjin shoved past the shields and activated Besgoros Frenzy. He then began to cut away parts of its body. Still, the abomination composed of over twenty Knights put up a fight from time to time or attempted to parry away Sungjins attacks. Clang clang, whoosh Its random attacks nearly hit Sungjin once in awhile, but the result was clear. Sungjin was able to slay his opponents without so much as a scratch. Damn! Show some backbone, Knights of the Red Lion! Uwah! The enemy began to scream in sync. Sungjin felt his vision warp for a second but [Iron Will activated] A title he had forgotten about activated. Sungjin remembered the fight he had in the past. These things obeyed the commanders orders and changed their tactics according to the situation. From defensive to offensive stances. It even shouted together to cast spells with abnormal effects. Like the Harpy Queen from the past. I hate annoying things. Sungjin threw the book from his vest. Gourmets Monocle soon began to read the book out loud. Inform me when the enemy approaches within ten steps. The soldier answered. They are within ten steps, sir. He ordered again. When they reach within five steps, inform me again. The soldiers shouted urgently in fear, the enemy has come. He picked up dozens of Jis* in his hands as he stood up, roaring. [Seance of Dian Wei Elai Activated] [Passive skill C Enhance Attack(IV), Swift(II) applied.] Sungjin thought to himself A warrior There was something I wanted to test if it was a tactician Sungjin borrowed the strength of the Romance of the Three Kingdoms to slay the human abomination. Its no good. Shield Wall! The monster reassumed defensive stance. Sungjin pondered about what to do. How should I approach this? Originally, attacking this monster with physical attacks during defensive stance would provoke a deadly counter attack. So this was the moment when he ought to be using magic. But Sungjin wanted to take it head on. He even had the power of the Warrior buff of the Romance of the Three Kingdoms and had Frenzy active. Head on fight was his choice. So Sungjin approached the mountain of shields before him and used the Blood Vengeance Vvvss To slice apart the shields. Dozens of spears and swords came from between the gaps towards Sungjin. Most warriors would be turned into pincushion from this lightning fast counter-attack, but it was not a strategy that would work on Sungjin in his current state. Yeah, keep acting cute. Sungjin mocked the monster in his mind as he used his two swords to cut down all the weapons flying towards him. It was a clash between metals, but Sungjins sword emerged unscathed whereas all of the monsters weapons were cut apart. Thank you Kargos. Sungjin thought as he dashed head-on into the ambush. Sungjin became like a feral beast, using the power of Dian Wei and Besgoros Frenzy. The Commander became panicked as he shouted Retreat, defend, counter attack But that was all. After the body was dismembered one piece at a time, the Commander was beheaded. Even from his beheaded state C No, the Kings orders C he managed to utter one more line before dying. [Hidden Boss Commander Lahart of the Knights of the Red Lion and his Knights] [Cleared!] Sungjin took a deep sigh. Numerous corpses were strewn about behind him. Died of cold, reawakened, slain by the sword, merged into an abomination, and dismembered again; they all met such horrible fates. Unfortunately for them, Sungjin had no time to mourn their deaths. Sungjin left them behind as he activated a Trollseeker Marble. [Dimensional transfer has been requested.] [Before Dimensional transfer can be completed, Raid Reward Distribution must take place.] [Beginning distribution of rewards.] [Monsters Slain. Yeti: 4. Sabre Tooth Tiger 6. Ice Troll: 20. Total 11000 points.] [Boss Monster Slain: Ice Witch OElliah: 1400 points] The points he earned this round amounted to 12232 points. And the Black Coins earned was 13455. Sungjin calculated for a moment. Last time With the exception of the 10 man raid, Sungjins rewards in 5 man raids were consistently rising from round to round. [And now we will distribute the items.] [Ashetaut C Frost Archers Bow]** [Tonge C Frozen Gauntlet]*** [Stone of Enhancement x2] Two items and two Stones of Enhancement fell before Sungjin. One item was a bow made of ice, and the other was a white glove. Sungjin had yet to check the stats on the glove, but the Bow was a shame. It was not an item he could use. Off to the auction house. [Congratulations. Legendary item Ashetaut C Frost Archers Bow Obtained!] [Congratulations. Legendary item Tonge C Frozen Gauntlet Obtained!] Thankfully they were Legendary class items so they would command a high price. Legendary items almost never show up on the auction house Should I inflate the price? Hmm Now that I think of it Its good to hand it off to Serin too. What bow was she using again? While Sungjin was thinking, the Operators Cube gave him his title for the round. [Last but not the least, you will be awarded titles youve earned on this raid.] [Frozen Heart C See any other Hunters items and stats at will. Available 2 times while equipped. 1 time while unequipped.] He earned a curious title this round. Whats this? It allows a user to check items and status at will? Is it meant to be used against trolls? To check if the opponent can be overcome? It would prove advantageous in fights against other hunters. If one hunter were to be aware of all the active skills and status points, he would be able to very effectively take the initiative in the fight. Of, course it had little meaning for Sungjin. Even if three or four trolls tried to fight him at once, there was no such individual who could seriously threaten him. And if it was more than 3 or 4 people, he couldnt possibly check their items and stats anyway. Well if thats the case Im sure there will be a time when it might prove to be useful. In the next Dimension should I test it on a troll for fun? And then he had a realization. Hmm This would be a really good title for a troll to use ifa troll was to have this active * At the top of the Frozen Palace, above the spiral tip was a shining six-pointed star. The Frozen Heart Illich nimbly climbed on top to cut the star down from the tip. He caught the six-pointed star on the flat side of his axe before climbing back down. Yiup [Congratulations. Hidden Piece Heart of Winter obtained!] But then another star appeared at the top of the spiral tip. Hmm? Several hunters were surprised, but Illich explained to them. You didnt know? Hidden pieces are designed for everyone to take one each. Go ahead, take one. Ooh At his words, each of the hunters quickly took turns climbing the spiral tip to retrieve the star. Franz liked Illich more and more. Leadership, strength, and knowledge. Illich lifted the star above his head and said, Hmm this is material. Ill need to bring it to the smithy. He placed it inside of his cube. Franz followed suit and checked the star before placing it inside his cube. The next on the list was to find the Hidden Boss. Illich asked Franz. Hey, its your turn. Where is the Hidden Boss located? Franz took a look around. The Blizzard had ended, and the land around them was easy to see from the vantage point. With the exception of the darkness of course. Hmm that way behind the palace there should be people frozen in place. Its hard to see because of the dark Ah, dont worry about that. Illich pushed his helm further down and said Clairvoyance. Suddenly a large eye emerged from the helm and it began to look around. What a strange item I guess he found many strange items with his Treasure Hunter passive. There they are. Frozen people. Where? At Franzs question, Illich took off his helmet and pointed in a direction. It couldnt be seen in the darkness, but nobody raised any doubts. The hunters emerged from the Frozen Palace together and headed towards the darkness. Not long after, they were able to come across a group of frozen men. Translators Notes *Ji C Chinese Polearm weapon ** Most likely a reference to Ashe from League of Legends *** Most Likely a reference to Frozen Gauntlet from League of Legends. Interestingly, the Tonge pronunciation is in french. With the G sound. Here it comes. Romance of the Three Kingdom Reference time Dian Wei is a deified figure in China. He is one of the two guardians/gatekeepers drawn on gateways or doors to ward off thieves and bad luck. Just like how Liu Bei, Guan Yu, and Zheng Fei are deified as the representatives of three virtues. There are two principal scenes of him, and the deification came from the second one (of his death). The portion mentioned in the chapter is when he was promoted. During Cao Caos war against Lu Bu at the Battle of Yan Province, Cao Cao had ambushed and made advances against Lu Bus forces. However, unluckily for Cao Cao, Lu Bus reinforcements had arrived, and Cao Cao was forced to fight on three fronts. Cao Cao asked for volunteers to break through the lines and end the encirclement. Dian Wei volunteered and took with him ten heavily armored soldiers. All of them carried Ji (a type of ancient Chinese polearm weapon) and long spears, no shields. He then fought from early in the morning until dusk without end. Then when his unit was encircled, arrows and bolts came raining down upon them to such an extent that Dian Wei could not see through the thick shower of projectiles. This is when he sat down and uttered the famous lines. Inform me when they approach within ten steps. Once the enemy got close enough, he stood up with his dozens of Jis and slew anyone who approached him. He and his ten men forced the enemy to retreat, and they returned to camp when night fell. He was awarded greatly for his outstanding performance. Now you know the context of the quote in the chapter. But wait! This doesnt show why he was deified. Thats right, if I leave it as is, you only know half the story. The deification came much later, during the Battle of Wancheng. The most famous scene of the poor man. In the last moments of Dian Weis life, he was guarding the gateway to the city which was about to be overrun by enemies. He and ten of his men stood in defense of the gateway to buy time for his lord Cao Cao to flee. He was clad in full body armor but again wore no shields. He always carried with him dozens of Jis. As the armies advanced, Dian Wei and his ten men bravely fought against them. About a dozen of them had managed to hold off the entire army. In fact, the army was able to go around and break through a different gateway before the gateway Dian Wei defended had fallen. He fought and killed everyone who tried to get past him. No one could approach the fearsome man and live. Even when all of his Jis broke during combat, he grabbed the men with his bare hands and broke them to pieces. The scene of his fierce fighting, despite all the arrows sticking out of him and without a weapon, had struck such deep fear into the enemy that the entire army preferred to wait until he died of blood loss than fight. Once he finally died of blood loss and fell over, the remaining ten men defended him to the end, but they were eventually overcome. Once the enemy army made sure he had died, they severed his head to make sure he didnt get back up to kill them. Cao Cao cried mightily upon hearing the news of Dian Weis death and had his body snuck out for funeral. Cao Cao bestowed upon Dian Wei great honors posthumously, granting him high government positions, and immortalizing him as a guardian deity; as a fearsome gatekeeper who kept Cao Cao safe despite impossible odds. Chapter 126 Chapter 126 C Kariharan Frostplains (5) Illich, Franz, and the other hunters were examining the frozen group of people. What is this? Is this the hidden boss? One of the hunters swung his sword to strike the figures. Clang But it only left a scratch mark on the surface of the ice; it did not provoke a reaction. Franz who stood at the back recited the information he was told in the morning. A Boss We have to find the boss among these men and unfreeze him. Boss, you say? While the others tilted their head in confusion, Here he is. Illich found a man looking to be the leader of these men. Even with a glance, the red mantle and the elegant armor he wore easily distinguished him from the rest. One by one, the hunters gathered before him. Illich asked them. Ready? Once the hunters glanced at each other, they gave a nod. Then we should begin. Illich reached out with the hand he held the shield and recited an incantation. Flames of Purification, Fire Blast The flames leapt from his hands and began to melt the ice of the commander. Franz glanced at Illich from the corner of his eyes. Illich did not use magic often, but he would use spells at important moments like these. Once the ice had melted away, the previously frozen commander woke up and began to look around. Ha haa. Where is this? The soldiers also began to move about. Illich commanded To positions. Each of the hunters readied their weapons. The Battle began shortly. * Sungjin looked up into the sky. The blizzard was over. It meant that the Ice Witch was already dead. Where could they be Sungjin entered the Palace. On the way to the roof, two hunters were fighting. Now that he saw them, they both were surrounded by a red aura. Whether they committed to trolling at the same time or if they cooperated at first and then fought over the remaining contribution was unclear, but they were fighting. Its good that they are fighting, but Ill cant lose my portion Sungjin hastily ascended the stairs. WWhat the The two of them were surprised to see Sungjin who suddenly appeared. But seeing Sungjin charge at them with his weapon drawn, they instinctively knew It is an enemy The hunters who were fighting each other until this moment were confused as to what to do, especially the troll who was lower on the stairs due to becoming surrounded by enemies both ahead and behind him. After looking back and forth up and down the stairs, Damn it! He swore as he swung his hammer while rotating his entire body. The hammer drew a wide arc threatening to hit both of his targets. But Sungjin easily sidestepped out of the way, and the hunter on top of the stairs dodged it by stepping backwards. In the end, his hammer only collided with the ice bridge. Crack But that was not all. Unable to control his rotation he spun again due to the momentum and slipped on the ice, falling off the stairs from very high up. Boom He fell with an incredibly loud noise. Sungjin peeked down at the man Ahh! My leg my leg! He was holding his legs and crying out in pain. At least he wont be able to run away. Sungjin thought as he turned his attention to the other troll. The hunter held his twin blade as he stared Sungjin down. After half a second of staring, he Uwah! Came charging towards Sungjin brandishing his two swords. Sungjin couldnt help but grin. The hunter was slow. It was an attack the hunter had bet his life on, but it was far too slow. Sungjin used only the Moon Specter Clang clang To break both of the swords at the same time, and used the Blood Vengeance to cut his throat. Uh? The hunter was at first stunned to see both of his swords get cut, and when he saw blood spewing from his throat, he let go of his swords to bring his hands to his neck. What But Sungjin had already turned to run back down the stairs. He watched Sungjin leave then collapsed on the spot. Its much easier if I just run in without them understanding how strong I am. Sungjin thought as he descended the stairs. But the troll was not at the bottom of the stairs. There was an empty bottle of potion left behind. What? Sungjin looked up. The troll who had fallen was already running away far in the distance. He might have seen the other hunter being slain in a single strike. Hey, thats no good. Sungjin quickly chased after him. The troll had abandoned his hammer in the Palace and was running as fast as his feet would carry him. Sungjin carried four swords with him, but he was still much faster than the troll. Although Sungjin was closing the distance between them, something unexpected happened. Krah! A Sabre Tooth Tiger came out of nowhere. The troll was unarmed and was brought down by the Tiger. He was moments away from being impaled by the Tigers maw. Pa! Sungjin fired the Moon Specter towards the Tiger. The Sabre Tooth Tiger nimbly dodged the sword but Haa Sungjin timed the retrieval in such a way that the Moon Spectre hit the backside of the Tiger. Stab Kaagh! While the Sabre Tooth Tiger was screaming out loud in pain, Sungjin quickly ensured that the Tiger would be unable to move away. Binding Frost! Frostbite! He froze the area where it stood and Kerrgh easily beheaded the Sabre Tooth Tiger which growled at him. The Troll who saw this went wide eyed. He already fought a Sabre Tooth Tiger earlier, and seeing the fierce predator be slain so effortlessly made him realize that Sungjins victory over the other troll was no fluke. Mer Merc He was so overcome with terror that he was unable to speak coherently. But Sungjin was not someone who would show mercy just because it was asked of him. Sungjin held Blood Vengeance with both hands and was about to drive it through the mans heart when he had a thought. Frozen Heart He recalled the title he just earned. Sungjin decided to try it out. Operator, how do I activate Frozen Heart skill? [Say Title Stat] Hmm then this guy The title of the man was Juggernaut. Juggernaut stat? Then an unfamiliar status screen popped up for Sungjin. Title: Juggernaut HP: 83700 MP: 80 Strength: 8148 7407(+741) Dexterity: 8302 8302(+0) Endurance: 8370 6700(+670) Magic Power: 9 9(+0) Mind Power: 8 8(+0) Unallocated Points: 0 So thats what it does. Sungjin reviewed the information more carefully than his own stats. The first thing he noticed was the value of Mind and Magic power that remained in single digits. The troll had completely given up on magic; Stat of a Magic Abandoner. The mans stats were reminiscent of how Sungjin had allocated his stats in the past. The next thing that came to view was the +10% bonus attached to his Strength and Endurance. Where is this from? A title? But there was no other explanation apart from the title of the Juggernaut. Sungjin asked the man who still lay on the ground. Hey, answer me. Where did you get these bonus stats from? Is it the power of the Juggernaut title? The man had his mouth open and couldnt respond. Sungjin cut off the mans right hand with his sword. Kaaahhh! The man screamed out loud. Sungjin held his sword against the mans left hand. Answer. Or Ill cut off your other hand. He couldnt bear his pain and answered. Yes! Yes! Hmm Juggernaut. Not a bad title. How did you get it? It was far worse than Master Hunter which granted 30% in every stat, but the 10% increase in Strength and Endurance was still fairly attractive. While Sungjin was thinking so, the man stared at his hands and groaned in pain. UghMy hand My hand Sungjin said to him while looking down at him. You who place such importance on your own life, why do you value the lives of others so lowly as to take them? Cant you think for a moment what if the roles were reversed? That that was because the guy that was there ordered me Sungjin immediately cut off his head at this point. You murdered because someone told you to You think this is a legitimate excuse? Hmm? Sungjin went around picking up items the troll had dropped and placed them into his cube. Now that he thought of it, he didnt have a chance to collect the items the other troll had dropped because he was chasing this one. Sungjin slowly made his way back to the Ice Palace. After he collected the items left on the stairs he thought, Hmm this is a good place to make the jump, right? He sat on the steps of the stairs. The Trollseekers cooldown timer of 10 minutes was not over yet. Hmm I need to finish each one quickly in case a Chosen One might come calling for help. He had instructed Serin, Nada, and Franz to call him if they couldnt find the Hidden Piece close to the time limit, or if they were unable to kill the Hidden Boss. Moving forward, having each of them grow stronger was in his best interest. Of course, it would be ideal if he could finish the five rounds of troll hunting before they start requesting his help. Well it would actually be best if they could do well on their own. Sungjin thought as he rested his chin on his hands and stared in the direction of the Ice Palaces interior. He was too busy fighting earlier (and in fact, he had completely demolished the one in his own realm) that he didnt have a chance to look around in detail, but this palace was very beautiful. Sungjin gazed at the surroundings. Of course, this dimensions OElliah was dead and bleeding on the ground. Although she had psychopathic tendencies she made one hell of a palace. Sungjin was thinking of the other Chosen Ones while waiting for cooldown period to end. Well, all of them are skilled so they should be fine. Serin is an archer though even if she has the power of the Arabian Nights, it would be dangerous for her to be left alone If she has bad luck with teammates Nada will probably do well, but the fact that she doesnt use a mask is a problem. I should tell her when I get back today. Her figure is way too dangerous. And Franz well, Franz shouldnt have any problems. Hes a man and a swordsman. * Meanwhile, Franz was in the middle of a fierce battle. Battling the group of zombies was quite easy. But once the zombies combined to form an abomination, it became extremely difficult. If the Commanding monster shouted- Shield Wall! C Ten shields were raised all around it. And when the Commanding monster shouted C Company Charge! C the Abomination became surrounded by dozens of spears and twice as many feet. Illich and Franz had enough skill to deal with anything the Abomination had to throw at them, but the problem were the three other hunters. They couldnt cope with changes in the Abominations behavior and C Ugh C took damage from time to time. Each time that happened, Illich ordered Pay attention and group up. He would reorganize the team with his commands. And Franz was obediently carrying out his orders. Once the Hunters were in formation, Illich issued a command. Kamel, Mohamed, Prat, charge down the center! And Franz attack from the right flank Franz ran to the right flank at Illichs commands. No one suspected a thing. Chapter 127 Chapter 127 C Kariharan Frostplains (6) The five hunters charged towards the Abomination. Shield Wall! The soldiers of the Abomination raised their shields at the Commanders order. Franz ran around the side and glanced at the formation as he ran by. He knew that attacking the shield during this stance would provoke a counter attack. And from not just one but dozens of merciless swords and spears at the same time. But we shouldnt be attacking right now Franz thought to himself, but he quickly erased the thought. Illichs judgement was excellent. It had only been a short time since theyve met, but Franz was already thinking Illich must have a good reason to give such an order. Ill just do the best I can with what I was told to do. Franz who had run to the far side of the Abomination was fine. There were no shields on this side, and only a few axes, feet and helms faced him. Franz swung his two-handed sword to cut away few of its arms, legs and head. Ack! Meanwhile, he saw the three hunters back off after receiving a counter attack. Franz saw that but continued to attack the flank. First of all, he did feel that it was important to damage the Boss when there was an opportunity, and second, Illich the tank usually stepped in to save the situation. But this time, the Commander ordered Surround them! And the mass of monsters began to spread out in a circle. Two of the hunters quickly escaped the moving mass, but one remained. HHelp! He had sustained an injury on his leg during the fight and was unable to move, so he called for help. Franz had thought Illich might run in to rescue him or order Franz to do so. But Illich did not act to save him, nor had he ordered anyone to do so. What should I do? While Franz was hesitating, the Human Abomination completed the encirclement of the fallen hunter and were poised to absorb him into their body. Countless swords and axes pointed inward as they surrounded the hunter. Staying inside of that encirclement would inevitably lead to death. It might even lead to the hunter being incorporated into the Abomination. Thinking something had happened to Illich, Franz quickly swung his two-handed sword in the air as he shouted Wind Slicer! Blue aura left his weapon and made its way towards the Abomination. But Shields! Following the order of their Commander, many shields were brought to face Franz to block his swords aura attack. Franz tried to use that timing to save the injured hunter. But then many spears were shot out of the body of the Abomination towards Franz. Franz gasped and jumped back. And when he did, the Abomination completely enveloped the hunter. Kiaaaaak! A cry of pain unlike any other rang out from the inside of the Abomination. Franz bit his lower lips. Damn it He had thought he would never have to experience losing a comrade after he had received the Chosen One title, but the feeling of helplessness overcame his being. Meanwhile, Illich returned to the hunters side. Damn it he was done in. We are now only four; we really need to focus now. Franz wanted to ask Why didnt you save him? But he didnt have the will to do so. Because the Abomination which finished absorbing one of the hunters was advancing upon them, with the blades of its weapons letting out a dim red glow. * While Franz was busy fighting the Hidden Boss, Sungjin was in the middle of a troll hunt. Ddamn it, who are you? One troll shouted out in frustration. Sungjin wordlessly pointed up towards the title above his head, where it was written Adjudicator. What a load of bull! He came charging towards Sungjin wielding a sword and an axe. This man was quite fast. He was at least 1.5 times faster than an average troll, making him the strongest troll in recent memory. But it did not mean he could match Sungjin. Sungjin simply watched him approach and swung his sword at an appropriate moment, breaking both of the trolls weapons. The mans eyes grew wide. How could my Legendary Weapons. And then Sungjin beheaded him. He then went to pick up the items the troll had dropped. One of them was the axe the troll wielded. Sungjin picked it up and the Operator followed with an announcement. [Congratulations. Legendary item Tooth of Barbarian obtained.] The troll must have been telling the truth. Yeah yeah you were strong, but you should have known that there might be someone even stronger than you. You really thought you could enjoy all the wealth and prosperity by yourself? Youll get scolded if you do bad things. By me. muttered Sungjin while putting the item away in the cube. This was the third hunt, and it didnt take more than one minute. He did not know what had happened here, but the troll was left all alone and did not venture out of the palace. It must have been intimidating for him to have to face a Sabre Tooth Tiger, Yeti, or Ice Troll all alone. But this was like avoiding a wolf and running into a tiger since he was right next to where Sungjin had teleported in from another dimension. He fiercely fought for his life, but that was all. After all, resistance against Sungjin was futile. * Illich issued a command once again. We do it the same way, but this time the two in the middle only threaten the enemy, dont actually hit it. Franz thought this time the instructions were flawless. The only way to avoid the counterattack from Shield Wall was to do exactly as he had just instructed. Franz once again ran around to the right flank. But then the Commander ordered Shields to the flank! And many shields were put between Franz and the Abomination. Franz was in a dilemma. Should I be attacking this? But no matter how he thought of it, it was a bad idea. Franz did not follow Illichs command and only pretended to attack. Since the middle was wide open, it would be fine if the two hunters in the middle were to attack the body there. Franz glanced at the other two. But the hunters there were really only threatening the enemy, and not actually attacking. They were following Illichs orders to the letter. Franz shouted out in frustration. Attack! The shields are on this side! But at the same time Charge! The Commander of the Abomination shouted. The center of the Abomination suddenly readied its spears and came charging forward. The target was the two hunters in the middle once again. The hunters separated from each other as they tried to move out of the way. The Abomination picked one hunter to chase and continued their charge. Uh Uhh He tried to back off, but the Abomination with dozens of feet was capable of rapid movements. Like a rail locomotive, the Abomination ran down the retreating hunter, and the hunter was flung far into the distance. There were three hunters remaining now. Franz looked towards Illich. Illich quickly shouted We chase after the train. This was when Franz sensed something strange. Until now, Illich had prioritized the survival of the hunters above all else, but this time, his order seemed to prioritize clearing the raid instead. He ran to the front and attacked the back of the Abomination. It was quick and accurate. The remaining hunters also began to attack the Abominations backside as they chased after it. It was strange as Franz couldnt help but obey him. Franz held his two-handed sword and cut off several arms and legs of the Abomination. Behind When the Commander turned the Abomination around, Illich wordlessly backed off. Franz and the other hunter upon witnessing that backed off as well. It was very strange. If it were like before, Illich would have suggested Now, lets back off Or something along those lines. Anyway, the fact was that only three of them remained. Illich issued another command. This time, Franz take the middle, and we go around the sides. Franz was now deeply confused. It didnt end up well until now. Do I still have to listen to him or not? But there was no time to consider his options. The Abomination was fast approaching them. The three of them split up to face the enemy. If there was any consolation, it was that the Abomination was now much smaller than before. This was thanks to Illich and himself working hard to cut away at the Abomination with any chance they got. Now the number of weapons and shields it had was steadily decreasing. The three hunters attacked from each side, and it was no longer able to attack or defend properly against all three. So the Commander shouted, Attack the weak! To the right! Right. That was the spot taken by the other hunter. He must have not realized that he was on the right side. He was attacking normally without much thought when his spear was knocked off by an axe that appeared out of nowhere. Ugh No! Franz shouted but a second axe came. Splat The axe accurately landed on the hunters head. Now it was down to just Franz and Illich. Franz began to consider activating the cheat mode, Master Hunter K. He was instructed not to call for help unless he was in peril because the man had important things to do. But facing the hidden boss with only two hunters remaining, it definitely qualified as a perilous situation. I planned on not relying on him out of pride. When Franz was having such thoughts, Merciless Suddenly Illich had activated an active skill of some sort and began to cut apart the Abomination with several times the normal speed. The Commander of the Abomination continuously cried Shields Shields! And ordered the Abomination to defend against Illich, but it did not matter. Illich cut through the shields and blocked the incoming counterattacks with his own shield. He didnt understand what was going on, but it seemed like a good idea to assist him. Franz skillfully wielded his sword and cut away at any limbs of the Abomination he could reach. Eventually, all the myriad of limbs the Abomination had were cut off, and only the Commander was left. Franz and Illich simultaneously plunged their weapons into the enemy. [Hidden Boss Commander Lahart of the Knights of the Red Lion and his Knights] [Cleared!] Haa. Ha. Franz took a look around while heaving for breath. Scattered around were the corpse of the other three hunters. It was a disheartening sight. Franz closed his eyes and leaned against his sword out of guilt for being unable to protect and save his teammates. But this was when he heard Illich speak. Operator, show me the Chosen Ones stats. Chosen One? Franz was shocked at what he had heard and stared at Illich. Illichs cube was displaying Franzs stat. How did you see my? When Franz asked, Illich replied with another question. What is this How did you get so many bonus points? These points are 40%? 50% more than your own stats? This is beyond too much. While Franz was still unable to process what was going on, Illich narrowed his eyes once more and said Chosen One title You lied to me. Chapter 128 Chapter 128 C Kariharan Frostplains (7) Franz was shocked. He didnt know how the man was able to check his stats, but his stats were peculiar indeed. Master Hunters bonus stats were massive. Illich, while looking at his stats, said to him Chosen One doesnt grant 10% core stats. Strength and Dexterity are up by 3040% wait, those at the end Magic Power and Mind Power are receiving several hundred times their normal value in bonuses. Just how is this kind of Franz just stared at him. The man was showing such a different expression from before that Franz even wondered Is this even the same man? Illich closed the status window and asked Franz This title when did you earn it? Franz was silent for a moment. In the first half of the raid, he had wanted to introduce the man to make him into a Chosen One, but the situation was different, far different from then. Franz replied Why do you want to know? Because I want it, of course. Tell me, just how did you get such an amazing title? Instead of answering, Franz posed the question he had since before. Instead of that Why didnt you help the teammates earlier? Earlier? Earlier, when they were injured by the monster. Why did you abandon them. Illich answered with a toothy grin. Of course because they outlived their usefulness. Franz opened his eyes wide. What? I needed their strength to finish the raid. But theyre better off dead once the time for rewards come around. Franz raised his blade. Troll Bastard! Illich smirked at his accusation. What do you mean? Me, a troll? Do you see any red aura around me? Franz was enraged. He wanted to charge and strike Illich down immediately. Illich said to him What, want to kill me? If you attack me now, youll become the troll, no? He was right. Although Illich had committed to a troll-like behavior, he was not in a troll state. So Franz held his sword up and did not make a move. Kei had once warned him in the past Franz, you are too hot-headed. Tone down your anger. You even attacked me preemptively, remember. What if I intentionally let you hit me and then turned the tables on you. Youll just become tagged as a troll, and I could have collected spoils from you. You know that right? When you are about to attack someone, especially when the other person has not yet entered the troll state, think first. Consider that you might be in the wrong. Seeing that Franz did not make a move, Illich moved his neck to the either side before speaking. I am a shining example of a rule abiding hunter. Their death is not on my hands; they died because they were not good enough. Frans considered his words for a moment before giving a reply. You were the one to order them to attack while the Abomination held the shield wall. Yes, I did. Its great isnt it? As you can see, if you have them die on their own, you are not considered a troll. Franz raised an eyebrow. What are you talking about? Once I understood this hidden bosss pattern, I gave a believable order, and they listened. They were commanded to march into danger and they followed thats proof of their ineptitude. Those who cannot think for themselves deserves to die. They will die anyway. Nothing but parasites to my contribution. Franz made up his mind, here and now, to become a troll and fight this man. This vile man pretended to be the leader and tricked others to their death. But Franz still did not charge in yet. It was because while the man was evil, he was also very strong. This man is dangerous. I will lose if I run in without a plan. Illich had a good idea of how strong Franz was, but Franz had almost no information about him. While Franz was thinking of these things, Illich continued to speak. But you seem to have a brain of your own. I told you to attack the shield, but you disobeyed me well, thats why youre still alive. Shoud I call Kei now? But Kei said not to call unless he was in mortal danger especially when theres still over 20 minutes before the end of the raid. I have things to do. Very important things. If you cant find the Hidden boss or Piece 20 minutes before the raid ends then call me, I should be free by then. Probably. There was still 40 minutes until the raid ends. He didnt feel it was right to call him over while Illich was still not in a troll state and ask him Please kill that man. Even more so if he was in the middle of his very important things. If at all possible, it would be best for Franz to resolve it on his own. If he didnt want to bring shame to his title as the Chosen One, he would need to pull his own weight. Franz quickly took his opponents power into consideration. He had tricked his teammates to die on their own. In other words, he was confident that he could finish the raid even with two or three people missing. But he had left Franz alone. He could have betrayed Franz during the fight against the boss, but he chose not to. This means that he was not confident he could face the boss alone. That means he is almost on the same level as I am But then he said It would have been best if you died along with the Hidden Boss, what a shame. I didnt want to have to kill you myself. Franz glared at him. What? I dont like to get my own hands dirty. Killing someone well it is not all that hard, but losing 10% of the reward just because I have to enter troll state is a waste. He had been looking down on Franz all this time. How can you say that after seeing my stats? Franz asked Illich, and he answered saying Yes, we both saw. Your bonus stats are massive but its still not enough. You cant beat me. Franz readied himself to fight. Ok, we shall see about that. Illich raised his shield. I like these raids. Five to ten hunters are all perfectly isolated. If everyone else dies, there is not a way anyone can find out that I have trolled. You Yes, every single hunter who has ever seen me thus far has died. So there is no possibility of a rumor and I can do this chapter after chapter. As an undiscovered troll. Franz no longer wanted to hear a single more word out of Illichs mouth. He raised his sword high Yaaa! And charged at him. * Sungjin returned to the Ice stairs to gaze down upon the troll he had just killed. Does this mean only the trolls can become the strongest Sungjin had been able to go from dimension to dimension to earn an unparalleled number of black coins, but if he had not been able to take such a route, the only way to make himself noticeably stronger than others was to commit to trolling. Even with the penalty, if one or two people were to die, his portion would increase by several times. When the Raids first began, not many realized this, but as the raids continued, more and more people figured this out. And once they do, trolling becomes incredibly attractive. If the contribution meant for five hunters were to be divided among 3, 2 or monopolized by a single person, then the amount of stats and coins one could earn would increase multiplicatively. As Igor had said in Kutan Desert, the Reward system heavily favored the trolls. Is this why there are endless number of trolls Well, at least I can earn a bit more coins this way Now that I think of it that means its entirely possible that people other than Ed had risen to that spot by trolling. It was true. The final 10 from the previous life had all been people of immense strength and skill. They were originally star athletes, soldiers or somehow gifted with unusual amounts of magic power; people who were especially talented in combat all with equipment and weapons to compliment their fighting style, backed up by enormously high status points. In simpler terms They got more points because they were more skilled Was one possibility, but this was no guarantee. Any one of the final 10 could have regularly trolled to obtain their position. Sungjin rested his chin on his hands as he sank into thought. He was close with four of the hunters. He felt that he understood those four very well. Hildebrandt, the father of three daughters, would have never done it. He was a good man. Sungjin could not bring himself to imagine him choosing to carry out such a deed. Mustafa was a pious Muslim with strong faith in his God. He always offered prayers before battle, and was always the first to run to help anyone hurt to heal them. People of Islamic faith were painted in poor light in Korean Mass Media, but Mustafa was a warm and kind individual. He was also very unlikely to have ever trolled. He had spent a long time with Nada and had plenty of opportunities to observe her, but she was also definitely not a person who would troll. It was the same now as it was then, she was a woman who was more likely to be the target of trolling, rather than the one to initiate it. Edward was already proven guilty. He who was the one responsible for annihilating the previous team had no excuses. He had always sported a friendly smile, but that kind of face might have proven to be an extremely useful tool in trolling. He didnt know until the last moment, but he could have possibly been killing others on his way to the top. Edward, Check Sungjin crossed out Edwards face in his mind. The rest were people he did not know very well. First was the master of Spearmanship, Ryushin. Ryushin was someone who regarded his spearmanship very highly. Our Martial arts clan had defended justice generation after generation Due to his inflated pride, he had often bickered with other hunters, but also because of pride, he was very unlikely to have ever trolled. Next was Araujo. Araujo was a professor slash soldier who loved to lecture others. A witty and fun loving man, he seemed far from someone who would troll. Next was Umhkuba. African aborigine, he had grown up far removed from civilization so if he had ever felt that I need to troll he would have done so without any doubt or hesitation. Umhkuba check. Shunsuke was so quiet he had never conversed with him. Because Sungchul had seen him speak on few occasion with others, he could kind of tell that he was a man of few words who only spoke when it was absolutely necessary so he couldnt make any sort of judgement as to his character. Shunsukedefer judgement. Last was Illich. A cold man. An ex-soldier. He had keen judgement and excellent leadership, but he was unforgiving when the team deviated even slightly from his plans. If it is Illich Sungjin looked up at the ceiling as he imagined for a moment. If he ever concluded that trolling was beneficial, he would likely carry it out. Even if it was morally wrong to do so. The more Sungjin thought of it, the more likely it seemed that he would do it. Sungjin put three stars next to his face in his mind. Illich check check check. Then, [10 minutes have elapsed since arriving in this Dimension.] The Operator let him know. He always set an alarm with the Operator so that he would know as soon as the Trollseeker marble came off cooldown. Hmm Total remaining time? [42 minutes 21 seconds.] Ok. The raid started with very little extra time for Dimension hopping, but he still somehow managed to leave enough time to go on two more troll hunts. Sungjin picked up the Trollseeker Marble. This was going to be his fourth hunt. There were two marbles left in all. Sungjin then said, Pursuit of Justice A pillar of light descended from above once more. While receiving the light with his entire body, Sungjin had a thought. Hmm.. It might even be possible that I run into Illich, Umhkuba or Edward using this. Chapter 129 Chapter 129 C Kariharan Frostplains (8) Clang! The battle began when Franzs two-handed sword was blocked by Illichs shield. Illich brandished his axe the moment he blocked the sword while Franz spun his wrist holding his blade like a windmill to deflect his opponents axe. Claaang! There was a loud sound of collision when the blade and the axe met, but lllichs attacks did not end there. As the axe and the blade collided, he turned his body, trying to hit Franz with the shield. Franz blocked the shield by lowering the positions of his hand on the grip of the blade. Swooom. His body was pushed into the air upon blocking the attack. A distance was created between them and the men temporarily resumed watching each other for the next move. Here Franz thought, He really is amazing. Franz had learned to gauge the relative strength of his opponent by crossing blades at least once. And this man was strong. When he compared the ways the weapon was used, its speed, his enemys movement, to that of the trolls he had fought against and against his battle with Master Hunter Kei, he realized that Illichs might was very evenly matched to his despite the fact that he had the title of the Chosen One which granted him a super buff. If I didnt have this title, I would have been the one at a disadvantage. While Franz was thinking all this, Wooooooh! Illich charged at him with his shield held in front. Franz was about to dodge to the side and strike at Illich, but at that moment, Illich spun around once and without even looking, he swung his axe. It countered the originally sidestepping motion and was not something that could be evaded. Franz swung his blade against it, trying his hardest to stay on target and land a shot. Poof Pzzzzt Illichs axe penetrated Franzs shoulder armor and at the same moment, Franzs blade nicked Illichs thighs. Urgg Ugh Each of the hunters took a step back, away from each other as if they had agreed beforehand. Both Franz and Illichs cubes sounded out with the Operators voice: [You have attacked your fellow Hunter. Entering Troll state.] [Hunters in Troll state receive 10% penalty to Raid Rewards.] [And in the event that the Troll is killed by other hunters,] [It will not inflict the Troll state on the attacker.] Such was the irony for Franz who now became the troll he so despised. But Franz decided to think of it differently because Illich was evil. Whether Franz would become a troll to the system or not, he would still think that removing Illich was a necessary and a just deed. Ooooooh ha! Franz lifted up his blade up and shouted, Electro! Electricity started flowing from his gloves and went into his blade. Pzt! Pzzzzzzt! Illich watched Franz charge up. Franz couldnt give Illich the time to analyse and when he felt his blade was almost fully charged, he dove in towards Illich and swung his blade in a wide arc in the hopes that Illich would block with his shield. But Illich dodged Franzs attack instead of using his shield to block it. He must have instinctively felt that he shouldnt block with his metallic shield. Franz bit his lips. Making calm, detached and detailed decisions were what Illich was best at. Franz tried to catch him, but Illich held out his hand and called out a spell to push him away, Push away my enemies! Gust! Franz moved his center of gravity using his blade and landed while spinning. But the moment he landed, his blades were discharged after having touched the snow on the ground, melting the area around him. The only reasons why he was able to use electricity in his attacks was because of his gloves, Electro, and its inductive properties. Excluding them, none of his other equipment had inductive properties. He could even get electrocuted himself if he wasnt careful. He lifted his blade but noticed that the power contained in his sword had significantly decreased, most likely dissipated into the snow and water. Franz looked at Illich. Did he calculate this as well? At that moment, Illich looked at the blade and said, The power of Lightning, interesting. Then I shall prepare myself too. He held his axe and said, Phantom Edge. His axe glowed with a mysterious and menacing blue aura. Whats that? thought Franz, but Illich ran up to him immediately. Franz took a defensive stance to explore the capabilities of the modified axe. He blocked the flying axe with his blade. Clang! It was a perfect block using the wide side of the blade, but the blue aura of the axe passed through. Franz didnt think much of it because it didnt look like much, but when it reached his fingers, he felt unspeakable pain and cried, Arggg Franz jumped back, barely holding onto his sword. His fingers felt as if they were burning from the phantasmic blue aura. What? Fire? Illich didnt give Franz the time to think and continuously swung his axe, feeling that his attacks were going through. Every time he swung his axe, a similar blue blade aura flew out from it, cutting the air and audibly making it sound dangerous. Fwoom~ Fwoom~ Like Illich had done earlier, Franz concentrated on dodging the blows rather than blocking them with his blades. Thats a dangerous blade aura. Lets dodge them for now until it gets extinguished. Each and every active skill has a time limit; Franz decided to drag the fight out till the end of its active time. They both had similar speeds anyways. Franz didnt think it was difficult whilst retreating backwards. As he saw Illich make a big swing, he dodged by bending down, but when look looked back up, he saw that Illich had used the momentum of the swing to spin around and launch an attack on him using the shield in his left hand. Franz, who had been concentrating on dodging the axe blows, took a proper hit from the shield and fell back. Boom! Ah! Illich spared no time in taking advantage of the situation and jumped at Franz while holding his axe. Franz had no choice but to block the incoming attack. Clang! He could see the blue edge passing through beyond the sound of colliding swords and could finally figure out what it was. He was able to realise it when he took in an immensely cold breath of air whilst fighting Illich. This is Its similar to the attacks which the Ice Witch had used. The pain he felt on his fingers wasnt the pain of burning, but of being frozen. Oh no! Die! Illich pushed down on Franz, by adding on more strength into the axe. The cold blue edge started reaching down on Franzs nose. ** Sungjin looked around him. Hmm.. The fourth dimension was empty, only having the corpse of the Ice Witch. There were no corpses of dead hunters or the sounds of fighting trolls. This meant that the trolls of the current dimension must be outside, somewhere in the frostplains. Sungjins face crunched up. Darn it Ive come to an annoying dimension. There were only 40 minutes till the end of the raid and he had to go hunt trolls from another dimension using his last Trollseeker Marble. Sungjin climbed to the roof and saw that the hidden piece, the Star of Winter, was missing. Ho Well, would you look at this? The Star of Winter didnt really qualify as a Hidden piece since it wasnt exactly hidden and looked like an ordinary ornament of the palace, which Sungjin had luckily found (although he found it by melting the whole palace). But it must have been an incredibly hard to find item. To have found this, there must have been a capable hunter in the team. Then I wonder where this fella might be Sungjin looked beyond the shadows using Besgoros Ghost Vision. He could see the corpses of a Yeti and a Saber-Tooth Tiger behind the Palace. It must be in that direction. He looked further beyond the area and found countless arms and legs which had been cut up along the bloodied frostplains. They killed the Hidden Boss? Sungjin jumped down, sliding down on the sides of the palace, then jumped again when he reached around half way. Although it was a little high, having equipped Diora C Pants of Feather Fall, its passive was able to negate most of the damage from falling from the height. As soon as he landed, he used Swift Paw! and ran explosively along the frostplains. If they could find the Hidden Piece.. and could kill the Hidden Boss as well. Surely this party is strong, Sungjin thought. He heard the sounds of battle around where he found the corpse of the Hidden Boss. Im almost there. Sungjin took out Moon Specter and Artemio out of his four katanas as they were effective against multiple targets. When he moved past the corpse of the Hidden Boss, he was taken by surprise! It was because there was a familiar face in the crowd. Sungjin said his name aloud, Baltren? The man fighting against the troll was Baltren. He was the Black Policeman Sungjin had met in the first Chapter. But he was now bloodied, barely blocking the blows against the troll. Sungjin ran towards him without hesitation. Baltren was being harassed by the troll who was a Spearman, attacking him from a distance. Give it up, mate! You think you can drag this on for another 40 minutes? But it took no longer than 4 seconds to stop his attacks. Clang! Sungjin brushed his spear aside, Swipe Cut off his wrist, Poof And kicked his torso. Kuuk He couldnt even shout properly on having his torso kicked squarely, and became stuck in the snow. Sungjin walked up to him and killed him on the spot. Kuu. Sungjin turned around to look at Baltren despite having two items drop from the troll. Baltren stared and blinked dumbly at the newly developed situation. He only recognised who the Adjudicator was after the person took off his helmet. Youre Master Hunter! Kei! Baltren came up to Sungjin despite losing blood and grasped his hands. Its so good to see you again, Master Hunter Kei! Do you remember what I said when we parted ways last time? That we will meet again. Undoubtedly, seeing someone familiar from previous raids was a welcoming thing. Sungjin also felt happy, smiling he said Its good that youre still alive. Very good. Chapter 130 Chapter 130 C Kariharan Frostplains (9) Its very nice to see you again. Youve survived well. Hearing Sungjin speak, Baltren respectfully replied, That time, the Heroic club youd given me at a very low price allowed me to get through the early Chapters without much trouble. Of course, as the time passed the raids became more difficult but thanks to the club I was able to get much higher contribution points in the starting Chapters, which greatly helped me survive. Its all thanks to you I was able to make it this far. In response to Baltrens thanks, No, you should give thanks to your leadership and decision-making abilities, said Sungjin humbly. But he did feel that Baltren was also somewhat right in saying that. From his experience, in the starting chapters Heroic tier items would drop only if the Hidden Boss was killed and the raid reached 100% completion, and even then it would only drop for the hunters who managed to obtain a minimum of 20~30% in raid contribution. So out of 100 points total, the hunter would have to have 20 to 30 points at the very least; it would be difficult for any brand new hunter, who was busy trying to adjust to his circumstances, to achieve such a result. Even if someone were to monopolize everything (more specifically if everyone else in his team had all died in the raid), the Hunters who didnt yet have a clear understanding of how Rewards were calculated would probably avoid going out of their way to seek out more monsters. So obtaining a Heroic level item from Sungjin at Chapter 1 was a major blessing. Just by having the exceptional weapon, he had started off a few steps ahead of others. Baltren suddenly scratched his head and apologized, Im sorry, but Sungjin looked confused. I sold the club to the weapons shop when I found something better, Baltren said. No, I understand. Were at Chapter 11, and you shouldnt be using Heroic level items. Thank you for understanding. No worries. Its a normal thing to do, anyways. Sungjin snuck a look at the club Baltren held as he spoke. It was a completely black colored glossy blunt weapon, from the handle to the tip. On taking a closer look, Sungchul came to a realization that it closely resembled his sword Ariane. This club was crafted using the Dragons Heart? Baltren was surprised at Sungjins remark. Oh I knew youd recognise it! It would have been hard for you to find the hidden piece there Ah, I have the title, Treasure Hunter. This title allows you to I have it too. Oh of course you do! I guess Im trying to show off in front of the true Treasure Hunter. Its okay. The Treasure Hunters a great title to have, said Sungjin. Yes. Having seen Mr. Kei look for hidden elements I tried looking for them myself, and then was able to earn the title Treasure Hunter. Now that Sungjin looked at him, he realised that the club wasnt the only thing he gave to Baltren. This police officer was quick-witted and must have followed his example in looking for the hidden bosses. After getting access to the active skill of the Treasure Hunter title, Ive searched for as many Hidden pieces as possible. Well, there have been many instances where I would have lost my life to the Hidden bosses as well. Wow, I see. Sungjin came to realise who had found the hidden piece, The Star of Winter, in this group. I guess hes got the skills thought Sungjin, never having expected that the treasure hunter had been Baltren. Sungjin asked, What happened during the raid? Oh We managed to clear the Boss and found the Hidden Piece without losing anyone But It was the Hidden Boss that caused us problems. We werent fully prepared for the changes in its stances and lost a few men. Changes in stances? He momentarily thought back to his past memories before regression and nodded. Oh yeah. There was such a thing. When Sungjin first met the Hidden Boss, his group had no teamwork and thus, were nearly wiped out about half way through. He didnt remember about the changes, since they were just cut down, regardless of whether the Hidden Boss was in an aggressive or defensive stance. Only he and I remained, said Baltren while pointing at the dead troll slain by Sungjin. We originally had two spearmen. After we narrowly defeated the boss, I just barely managed to survive whereas that man came out unscathed. While I was catching my breath, he began to attack me. I suppose he was envious for the other half of the contribution. Baltren grinned as he answered It was probably more than half. With the exception of Chapter 1 where I met you, I have maintained 1st place every round. Oh is that so? Baltren confidently nodded twice. Yes Sungjin examined him from head to toe. Not only did he have a club made out of Dragons Heart, but he had good looking equipment from his helm down to his boots as well. He must have been able to grow stronger thanks to Sungjins item and hints. This man hes become very strong. And I think I can trust him. He was always compliant since Chapter 1. With this much merit, he definitely qualified to be made into a Chosen One. But I should still give my due diligence. Then should I give him a final test? Sungjin intentionally sat down on a log and began to converse with him. So, how did you manage to get this far? Is this the first time you faced a troll? Ah, so what happened is Sungjin was catching up with Baltren after their long separation. His plan was to hold some idle talk for a while and then activate Eye of Jeremiah without him noticing. It wouldnt last very long, but it should allow Sungjin to check his sincerity. For me, the Magicians Tower was particularly difficult. Of course, all raids were hard as well Sungjin waited for the right timing to touch his earring. * While Sungjin was pleasantly exchanging words with Baltren, Franz was busy dodging Illichs Axe. Woosh The Axe reached close to his face. And then the ethereal blue blade cut his lip. Franz who was breathing out from his mouth found his lips were suddenly frozen together. He swung his sword menacingly- Woosh -to push Illich away. And only after 2~3 seconds- Haa! -did his lips unfreeze on their own accord. Incorporeal freezing Blades Franz couldnt really complain since he too used a sword imbued with the power of lightning, but this chapter just happened to be taking place in a Frost Plain. His sword lost its power when it came in contact with water or snow, whereas, Illichs axe seemed to get stronger over time. Damn it Franz swore as he fixed his grip on his two-handed sword. He couldnt feel his left leg any longer. Earlier when he deflected the axe while he was down, the weapon had hit his leg before he knew it. Is it frostbite? Franz thought as Illich began to walk sideways while keeping his narrowed eyes on Franz like some sort of predator. He walked around in clockwise direction with Franz in the middle. Franz was forced to turn to meet him. Why is he doing this? Even when he fought Kei This is his the way he fights Franz was able to somewhat guess what Kei was doing (only that he was physically unable to keep up). But, he could not read into what this cold man was thinking or how he was going to attack next. It was then, Illich suddenly changed directions and began walking the other way. Damn it, what is he up to? Franz thought, but then Illich suddenly charged towards him. Franz quickly swung the sword in his hands. One advantage of his sword over Illichs axe was reach. Being able to hit first was a major advantage. Franz aimed for Illichs body and launched a horizontal swipe. But Illich lowered his body to the point that he dove to the ground. Woo~sh Franzs swing went wide. For a moment, he thought. Oh no But then Illichs Axe also did not connect. Woosh~ Franz who quickly corrected his posture stared at Illich. What happened? He had shown a fatal opening, but Illich did not strike him. Illich would never have permitted such a mistake to happen in ordinary circumstances. But regardless, it was an opportunity for Franz. Franz readied to strike Illich who was still on the ground, but his left feet would not budge. What? Once Franz looked down at his feet, he realized that Illich had not made a mistake. His axe, or more specifically, the ethereal blue blade had not missed but had struck his left thigh a second time. His leg was already numb, so he didnt notice when it paralyzed. When Illich had walked clockwise and then counter clockwise, he must have been checking to see if his leg was fine or not. Franz was unsure as to what to do, so he dragged his unmoving leg as he backed off. Meanwhile, Illich stood up from where he lay. Franz began to fear for his life. Illich was a master of combat and mind games. Franz had certainly felt fear when facing Master Hunter Kei, but that fear was derived from the absolute difference in strength. The fear he felt from Illich was akin to what a viewer of Science Fiction movie might feel on seeing mindless, heartless war machines coming to end humanity. He couldnt help but feel compelled to ask Master Hunter Kei for assistance. Franz was a man with a strong sense of pride, but the current flow of combat had removed his inhibition. He thought to himself as he watched Illich approach him. I will lose at this rate. He will kill me without even batting an eye. * So youve never trolled before? Of course. Baltrens thoughts flowed into Sungjin. What a strange thing to ask I wish for all the hunters to work together and end this raid once and for all. Of course, I understand that there are trolls all over the place I dont know why hes asking me this but Ill give him a proper answer. This man might have the potential to save humanity, so I need to do whatever I can to assist him. Sungjin who heard Baltrens thoughts suddenly said out of the blue Baltren you passed. Eh? Passed? Yes, Passed. What did I pass? Sungjin took the Holy water of Baptism out of his vest and showed it to him. Youll find out shortly. Excuse me? You believe in me, right? Yes of course. Then please allow me. And in a similar fashion as he had done to the other Chosen Ones, he baptised Baltren. After that he gave a brief primer on the functions of the Chosen One title. My goodness, 20% of your stats is granted as bonus stats to me? Yes. And But then the Operator interrupted him with an alarm. [10 minutes have passed since entering this Dimension.] Sungjin stopped himself short there. He still had one more Trollseeker Marble left to use. Sungjin said to Baltren. If you open your status window now, you will understand. The title is already active at half capacity. The rest of the details, I will meet with you at dinner time and tell you then. I have somewhere I need to be. Ah ok. Leaving the confused Baltren behind, Pursuit of Justice Sungjin transferred dimensions once more. Chapter 131 Chapter 131 C Kariharan Frostplains (10) Voom Sungjin arrived at the final, the fifth dimension with a bright light. But as soon as he arrived, he realised he had made a mistake. The place he arrived, as he jumped dimensions, was near where the Hidden Boss resided. And in the current dimension, the Hidden Boss was still alive and well. Then The Ice Witch might still be around somewhere. Sungjin tried to look for the Ice Palace, but the raging blizzard would not let him. Huh? The blizzard was still raging on C it meant that the normal Boss was still alive. Sigh Theres a troll in a team that still hasnt killed the Boss? What a messy team. Operator, how much time is left for the raid? [32 minutes 6 seconds.] Hmmm. There were only about 30 minutes left, and the dimensions party members must be somewhere on the Frostplains. Sungjin looked around him, barely opening his eyes. Its normal for internal conflict to happen. Usually, hunters get emotionally unstable on the way to the Boss, when one or two members are injured or they die. But in an extreme situation like they were in currently, where the troll had killed the rest of his team, or the surviving hunters had killed the troll, it was unlikely for the remaining hunter(s) to be able to kill the Boss. If that were the case, then they would usually die from being bitten to death by monsters, going over time or even suicide. So he had to find the remaining hunters, troll or not, as soon as possible. But the issue was that it was extremely difficult to find anyone in a blizzard like the one he was in. His ghost mount who was especially effective in such circumstances, Shadowrun, was now resting in the stables of Ninety Nine Nights. This is annoying. It was impractical to look for them through Besgoros Ghost Vision, as its range was limited. It was impossible to know where anyone was in the Frostplains. What to do? After brooding over it for a moment, I can only trust Sungjin thought and called out his last familiar, Cain. He threw out his wolven wooden sculpture and Cain was summoned with a poof. Cain stood on top of the plains and groaned, Grr. with his tongue out and blinked. It looked like he was having difficulty adapting to the weather conditions, but he was Sungjins most trusted familiar. Its really cold, isnt it Cain? Sorry. For calling you out here, Sungjin said, clinging onto his neck. Woof. Cain gave a short bark. But he stood still; it must have at least been bearable compared to the time he was summoned in the Kutan Desert. Can you smell any Hunters here? Sungjin asked. Sniffsniff After sniffing around a few times, Cain responded without much confidence, Sungjin felt at a loss for what to do when even his trusty Cain looked stumped. Really? What should we do? While Sungjin was biting his lower lip, Awoo~ Cain let out a howl. And soon, smaller wolves began to appear around Cain. From Dire Wolves which were only slightly smaller than Cain to Gray Wolves which were only half as tall, once twenty wolves had been summoned, Cain let out another cry. Ao~ Ooowo~ It was an entirely different cry from earlier, one which had a variety of tones. The wolves spread out and dispersed into the Frostplains upon hearing the cry. Ooh Sungjin couldnt help but exclaim, and Cain turned to look at his master as if to say praise me. Sungjin patted his head. Good job Cain. Sungjin watched the wolves run off into the distance. They ran fiercely through the wind despite the raging blizzard. Sungjin recalled the wolves of the Ahenna Forest. Well the wolves were better at cooperating than most people. While Sungjin was lost in thought, the Operator gave an announcement. [The Chosen One requested your teleportation. Will you accept the request?] Im not done hunting trolls though Sungjin glanced towards the Cube for now. On the screen appeared an Arab man wearing a turban. An Arab man he was unfamiliar with. Sungjin thought for a moment Who? But then the man spoke. Oppa That was when Sungjin realized who it was. There was only one person who would call him Oppa. She was Serin. But listening to a turban wearing middle-aged Arab man call him Oppa felt very strange. Ah um, what is it Serin? Where is the Hidden Piece in this raid? We cant find it Did you kill the Hidden Boss? Yes, just now. But we cant figure out where the Hidden Piece is located. No one in my party has Treasure Hunter either. Can you come find it for us? I mean go back to the Frozen Palace of the Ice Witch and search on the roof. There is a star shaped thing. Thats the Hidden Piece. Ah really? Yes. Go ahead and collect it. Im busy and cant go there right now. Ok got it. Sorry Oppa, for bothering you. No, its not a problem. Go get the thing now. Okay~ Once he finished his conversation, he told the Cube Reject request. [You have rejected the teleportation.] Sungjin was glad that the issue could be solved with a simple instruction. If she had asked him to help her kill the hidden boss, Sungjin would have had to choose between hunting trolls or going to help her. Im glad it was nothing major. But, then he heard another announcement from the Operator. [The Chosen One requested your teleportation. Will you accept the request?] Sungjin stared at the Cube. This time it was Nada. Hey Kei. Sorry but Were standing before the Hidden Boss. Could you come and help real quick? Speak of the Devil Why? Do you think its going to be hard to beat? No, its there are too many idiots in my team Sungjin scratched his head. He understood Nadas desire to minimize risk in a place she was putting her life at stake, but she should be able to defeat the boss of this difficulty. She was skilled enough to become one of the Final 10 in the past after all. Sungjin told her Even so, you should be more than capable of killing the boss yourself. You even have the bonus I gave you. Hmm Is that so? Yes. In the fight there is a Commander, and he sometimes issues the command Shield Wall. Have the Zombies attack the shields. Then the enemy will counterattack. Use that opening to attack, along with the hunters. Also, it might Charge. Just have everyone spread out if you hear that. You should be fine with this. Nada who was listening to his explanation then looked at him in the eye as she said Hmm So you arent coming? Its good to be on the safe side, no? I have something I have to do over here. Go ahead and attempt the boss first. And if you really feel like you cant manage, then call me. Ill go at that time. Oh really? Ok. Then Ill try to fight it for 10 minutes and call you if I need help. It is possible to reattempt a summon 10 minutes after it is rejected. She must have felt that this fight would be quite a struggle. Ok. Try to do it yourself first. Ok. Reject request. Sungjin rejected two requests for summons in a row. Haa Im busy too He had told them to Call when you need me, but he also did not want for the Chosen Ones to rely on him too much either. He wasnt done Troll Hunting yet. Then suddenly, Cain who was sitting next to him got up and gave a short bark. Woof Sungjin looked at him. Hmm? What is it, Cain? Cains ears were raised. Soon after, Awooo~ Even Sungjins could hear the howling of the wolves from afar. Awo awoo~ Awoo~ The howling continued. Cain looked at Sungjin and gave another short bark. Woof. Ok, lead the way, Cain Sungjin commanded. But Cain walked up to him and sat down before Sungjin. What, you want me to ride you? Woof Sungjin awkwardly did as Cain wanted and sat on his back. He couldnt have imagined that one day he would be sitting on top of Cain who was originally only as tall as his knee, but now that he looked at the wolf, it certainly looked large enough to ride. Once Sungjin got on his back, Cain ran like the wind through the howling blizzard into the Frostplains. Go away! Bastards! Human voices Woof woof! He could hear the wolves as well. Hearing this, Cain ran even faster. In the distance Fire Ring! Someone had cast a spell. Sungjin spotted the person through Ghost Vision. Not because of the spell, but because his entire body was glowing red. Cain, that guy Sungjin took out the Masters Bell and rang it twice. Ring Ring Then Cain, who was already running at breakneck speed, shot forward like a bullet. Sungjin who was holding onto Cains shoulder hopped off at the appropriate timing and landed on the snow after a somersault in the air. But, Ahh! He heard someone cry out in pain. When Sungjin turned to look, Cain and his comrades were ripping the man to pieces. All of them were moving at an accelerated rate. Sungjin stared at his bell. Wait this affects summons of the summon as well The unnamed troll disappeared leaving behind two items. Sungjin had slain the troll without moving a finger. Good job Cain. Woof. Sungjin picked up the Trolls item and took a look around. Are there no more trolls? Or survivors? If there were more trolls, he needed to hunt them. If there were any survivors, he could do as he did at the Dragons lair and offer to kill the boss for them. Although he couldnt flat out request the white coin, he could say I am a Helper and most of the people facing imminent death before the timeout would gladly give him anything he asked for. Cain, is there any other But then, the Cube gave yet another summon request. [The Chosen One requested your teleportation. Will you accept the request?] Sungjin frowned. A rejected summon cannot be reattempted until 10 minutes had passed. In other words, the person requesting the teleportation was none other than Franz. And Franz was the type of person who was stubborn and would not easily ask for help. I thought I could believe in you Sungjin checked the image coming from the Cube. Mr Kei! Here But Franz couldnt continue to speak. Lightning Bolt! The blinding light from the lightning whited out the screen. Sungjin blinked when he saw that. Whats going on? Franz did not show up on the screen anymore. Clang Clang! He could only hear the sounds of blades colliding. Sungjin thought for a moment. There was no boss or hidden boss who used lightning magic in this round. In other words a troll? Sungjin was torn as to what he should do. But I still dont know if anyones left in this realm or not But then he saw the reddened troll run past the screen. He saw a man with an axe and a shield from profile view. Upon seeing the person Sungjin felt a chill shoot down his spine. Illich! But there was no time to be surprised. If he was really Illich, then the Chosen One might die. Sungjin shouted at the Cube Move I mean Summon. I mean Ill go, whatever! Just send me now! Chapter 132 Chapter 132 C Kariharan Frostplains (11) A bright pillar of light came down from above. Sungjin couldnt help but bounce his leg in impatience as he waited. Normally he would be calm as he obediently awaited the teleportation. But seeing a glimpse of Illichs face pass by from the Cube filled him with a sense of urgency. Did I really see Illich? If he truly is the enemy Even Franz who had the buff from Chosen One would have a difficult time. It was because Illich was a man with might of steel and flawless judgement; a near perfect hunter. Sungjin pressured the innocent Cube Hurry hurry, send me! Of course, it made no difference as to the speed of which Sungjin was teleported to the new dimension where Franz awaited. Once he arrived in the Frostplains, Sungjin quickly examined his surroundings. Franz was lying down in the snow, and Illich stood over him as he held an axe over his head. A moment of great peril. Sungjin quickly fired the sword from his right hand. Pa! Illich who was about to bring his axe down sensed the sword flying in his direction and jumped back. Sungjin who had successfully thwarted the attack, Haa retrieved the sword. Illich gazed at the direction the sword had come from, and the two men locked their eyes together. Sungjin bit his lower lip. It really is Illich. The surprising fact was Illichs title. He was using the title Sungjin had just obtained today. Illich asked Sungjin Who are you? The red aura surrounding his body indicated that he was in a troll state. But Franz also had the same aura. It was not likely that Franz who despised trolls would attack Illich to steal his contribution. I dont know whats going on but Sungjin trusted Franz more. Sungjin prepared his weapons and charged towards Illich to save Franz. Franz was the first hunter he had used the Holy Water of Baptism. He did not wish to lose him here like this. Illich did not understand what was going on but took up defensive stance for now. Sungjin recalled the past. Sungjin, you take the rear. You can handle it, right? And once youre freed up, come back to the front and help Nada as well. He was a cold man, but he wasnt someone who caused other people problems. For now, Sungjin only wanted to push Illich away from Franz, so he swung his sword as a threat rather than to kill. Clang Clang He swung twice, and it was enough to fulfill his goal. Once Illich realized Sungjins speed, he had to back off while raising his shield. Meanwhile, Sungjin approached Franz. He was bleeding from the many cuts on him, but it was not life threatening. What happened here? That guy killed the others so I challenged him and Sungjin stared at Franz. If anything was good about him, it was his honesty. An honesty which bordered on naivete. I have no excuses. I thought I could win so I was late in requesting help, Kei. He bit his lips and frowned as if it hurt his pride. Although he had lost, Sungjin liked the man even more. The people he wished to pick werent hunters who were strong like steel, but honest men like him. Sungjin turned to face Illich. No, its fine. That man Meanwhile, Illich was using his Frozen Heart title Operator, show me the stats of that Adjudicator. He was looking at Sungjins stats without permission. Illich was not often surprised, but once he saw the numbers, his eyes grew wide before coming back to normal. Just how Sungjin stood back up and left Franz alone on the ground. Illich was looking back and forth between Sungjin and Franz. He must have been piecing the puzzle together. Sungjin narrowed his eyes and prepared his sword. But then Illich covered himself with his mantle and said Shadow Walk And disappeared from sight. It was an invisibility item. Sungjin tensed up for a moment. A surprise attack could come flying at him at any time. But Besgoro said to him Kei, its a field of snow. Look for footprints. And as he suggested, Sungjin lowered his gaze. Besgoros Ghost Vision allowed Sungjin to see the surrounding area and the prints very clearly. What is he trying to do? Sungjin remained on guard for any sneak attacks as he walked towards where Illich had stood earlier. He was here just now He paid attention to the footprints in the snow. The footsteps were all over the place due to the fight earlier, but Sungjin was able to distinguish everyones steps in time. These are mine this is Franz moving backwards and Illichs is He saw that Illichs footsteps changed directions and led away from him. And it continued into the distance. Sungjin soon realized He ran away! Illich was an intelligent man. Once he saw Sungjins stats through the Frozen Heart, he must have determined that he could not win. Sungjin chased after the footsteps. While running, all sorts of thoughts came to his mind. I cant believe Illich was actually a troll. I had believed in him as a trustworthy ally so this is how he became so strong? He had thought of the possibility that Illich might have relied on trolling to get stronger, but seeing the proof disappointed him to no end. Sungjin resolved himself. He was a little hesitant because he was facing his old comrade, but if this method is what Illich had used to get to the final 10, then how much had he sinned until then? In fact, I cannot forgive him. Sungjin gripped his two swords and ran after the footsteps. After a minute, Illichs footsteps suddenly stopped. What is this? Uryah! Illich appeared in midair and came swinging his axe. Sungjin quickly raised his left hand with Artemio to block the strike. Illich who failed his ambush backed off a step. He charged at Sungjin and swung his axe again. The man was fast but straightforward; rather than relying on fancy and complex skills, he strove to find the most effective and efficient ways to defeat his enemy. But that was the worst way to fight Sungjin because it meant he was engaged in a pure contest of stats. Clang! Sungjin used the Blood Vengeance to block the axe and used his strength to push Illich away. Then he used Artemio to attack him. Clang! But still, Illichs attack was worthy of a man who reached the final 10. Unlike the other trolls, he was able to block Sungjins strike at least once. Illich who was unsuccessful with his sneak attack tried to use magic to escape the situation. Push away my enemies! Gust! But such tricks did not work on Sungjin. Absorb Magic Artemio let out purple light as it absorbed the spell. Sungjin charged towards Illich right away. Once Illichs spell was blocked, he raised his shield hastily to defend. Bang! Sungjins sword and his shield clashed, forming sparks. Sungjin gazed at the shield. The shield was decorated with a lion-shaped insignia and looked familiar. This was the shield he was It was the item he had brought to the last raid. It meant it was an unbelievably good item. And seeing that it was fine after taking a direct hit from the Blood Vengeance gave proof of its exceptional quality. It was a Legendary class item at the minimum. It wouldnt have withstood his attack if it was a heroic tier item or below. It would have split in half and fallen apart. An axe was swung as a follow-up strike. But there was something strange about the axe. A blue afterimage escaped the axe and froze Sungjins hand. Sungjin backed off with his hand behind him. So Franz didnt lose to him without reason. I cannot forgive this man. Sungjin raised his sword and muttered Goats fire. Of the four animals depicted in the ring in his hand, Chimerao, the eyes of the goat began to glow. Once he became immune to cold effects, Sungjin swung both Blood Vengeance and Artemio at the same time. He borrowed the power of the Ring of the Siamese Twins to swing both swords freely. But Illich continued to block his unusual attacks. Clang clang bang clack! The fact that he could block Sungjins attacks despite the immense difference in stats meant that he was able to predict Sungjins attacks by watching his motions and both swords at the same time. It was an impressive display of skill. Almost none of the other hunters would be able to pull off a similar feat. But he was only strong when compared to other hunters. Ha! Once Sungjin began to attack in earnest, he became pressured to defend properly. Sometimes he was slightly too slow in reading the direction of the attack and took on a small cut. Sungjin added one more skill into the mix. Frenzy His swords began to move even faster. Illich who was accumulating cuts then had his axe knocked out of his hand. Clang! He tried to jump up and grab the axe, but Sungjin pointed Artemio and said Expel He used the previously absorbed Gust to fling the axe far away. The fight was over, Sungjin thought. So no matter how strong he is, this is his limit. If he had to fight Illich before the regression, he would have had to put his life on the line and use everything he had to survive. But now even if he put aside all of his big guns (Ring of the Great Sage, Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Cain, Soldamyr, etc.) he could still win without much difficulty. Sungjin approached him with his sword drawn. But then the man prostrated and said, Ive lost. He was a man of cold and accurate judgement. He must have known that Sungjin was someone he could not defeat in single combat. So he had run away with an invisibility item and launched a sneak attack from the dark. And once he saw Artemios special effect, he completely gave up trying to fight at all. Sungjin gazed down upon him and said Such a disappointment, Illich. Illich raised his head. My name how Despite looking up at him from a lower position, his eyes were sparkling. His eyes were always good. His eyes saw through everything, allowing him to make sound judgement. But no matter how intelligent he was, it was impossible for him to know that Sungjin had fought alongside him for several chapters before Regressing. Especially since the more intelligent he was, the more he would be unable to predict things far from common sense. During discussion before the beginning of the raids, he was often found saying Thats an exceptional case. First, do as I say. By exceptional, it means the probability of something happening was low, all things considered. Something that would be rare to witness. Illich asked Sungjin from a prone position. You what are you? Sungjin raised his sword and answered I am an exceptional case, Illich. Chapter 133 Chapter 133 C Kariharan Frostplains (12) Sungjin walked up to Illich with his swords at the ready. But then Illich raised his hands and said Hey, listen to me for a moment. Sungjin stayed his hands. The least I can do is listen to his last words. I dont know where you came from or what is it that you dobut why are you trying to kill me? Sungjin gave a short reply. Because you are a troll. Wait, then why do you attack only me and leave the swordsman alone? Sungjin shut his mouth at his question. Chosen One and Chooser. He couldnt reveal everything to him. He did not mean to tell him anything. But then Illich said, Is it because that swordsman is a Chosen One? Then are you the Chooser? The Chosen One bonus stats are exactly 20% of yours. Am I wrong? As intelligent as always. He was able to deduce Sungjins relationship with just the stats. Seeing Sungjin remain quiet, Illich continued to speak. Hey, I think youre misunderstanding something. I was attacking back because that other guy attacked me first. Didnt you see the red aura around that guy? I was just protecting myself. Sungjin couldnt help but grin. He had never seen Illich show such pathetic side before. Not even Illich can do anything in the face of absolute power. That man does not randomly attack others. If he attacked you, you must have done something to provoke him. Illich then strongly asserted himself as he said That swordsman is too emotional. He was overcome with grief when the comrades died, and tried to blame me for their death. Thats when he attacked me. What was I to do? I am participating in the raid and just trying to survive, but he attacked me. It was all self-defense. Really. Sungjin stared at him for a moment. He didnt know exactly what method he had used, but it was very likely that he intentionally provoked Franz to initiate the fight. But That swordsman is too emotional. He was not wrong about this either. Franz had also attacked Sungjin before for going ahead alone. It was good that Franz had a strong sense of righteousness, but he was sometimes too narrow-minded. Hmm, should I at least speak with him before I kill him? Sungjin thought, so he decided to ask If you were so justified, why did you run when you saw me? What else can I do when someone stronger than me comes attacking me? I could only run. Then you ambushed me. You were faster than me. And tracking someone through the snowfield is very easy. So I thought it was the only way I could live. I was putting up one final desperate struggle for survival. And even then, I was planning on only making one or two strikes before running off again. He still speaks very convincingly. He was once an officer in the military. It would be difficult to ascertain the truth from just speaking with him. Sungjin thought to use the Eye of Jeremiah. No matter how much one trains, it would be impossible to circumvent the effects of this item completely. Sungjin touched the item as he asked, So are you saying you have never trolled before? Of course. Ive only done it once or twice. That Swordsman is too strong. I had no choice but to put my life on the line to defeat him. Sungjin waited for his surface thoughts to reach him. But instead of his thoughts, [Eye of Jeremiah. Cooldown 5 minutes and 7 seconds remaining.] The Operator had given him an announcement. Ohright. He had used the Eye already when speaking with Baltren. You passed. He had traveled to another dimension since then, but not even 5 minutes had passed yet. Sungjin stared at Illich from above. Should I give him 5 minutes? But that would take too long. This cunning man may attempt something meanwhile. Sungjin considered his options. What should I do? Off with his head as usual? Or wait and listen to his inner thoughts? Meanwhile, Illich strongly continued to make a case for himself. Go ask that swordsman why he attacked me. Im curious as well. Sungjin glanced towards where Franz lay in the distance. If Sungjin were to bring him into the conversation, the truth could be revealed relatively easily. But perhaps due to injury, Franz had not gotten up from where he fell in the distance. In other words, he might be bluffing knowing that Franz would be unable to make a case for himself. But while Sungjin was thinking things over, he came to a sudden realization. The Chosen One bonus stats are exactly 20% of yours. Thats when he attacked me. What was I to do? Finally, Sungjin looked up at the mans title. Frozen Heart. He had neglected to consider Illichs title because he already knew who Illich was. The fact that Illich decided to equip this title over a combat title was the most definitive proof he needed. Now that I think of it, not only were you able to see my stats, but you knew Franzs stats as well. Ahthat is true. Me aside, how did you know his stats? If he suddenly attacked you, when did you have the time to check his numbers? Ah, thatsa habit of mine. I always check to see the other hunters stats before we start. I need to know the particularities of my allies to come up with a battle plan. This was where Sungjin noticed that something was wrong. But you could just ask them for that. Well its complicated, and I cant ask them for every little thing Sungjin decided to put a question here to bait him. So, how are you able to check other peoples stats? And to this, Illich finally hit rock bottom. My hidden titles active skill. It allows me to check the stat of the hunter I designate. And he was smart enough to lie about which of the titles gave him that power, blaming a hidden title instead. If he had made an excuse about an item that allows him to see others stats, then Sungjin would have been able to ask him to open the status page to see. But unfortunately for him, Sungjin had just obtained a Frozen Heart title in this raid. No matter how smart someone is they can only be as smart as the information they have access to allows them to be. Sungjin brought his sword to Illichs neck. So you checked your targets before committing trolling. Whawhat? I told you it wasnt for the sake of trolling. I was just thinking about the team Sungjin swung his sword without another word. Clang! Illich barely raised his shield in time to block it. But Sungjin moved Artemio almost at the same time and cut off his hand. Ahh! The shield along with his arm fell to the ground. Sungjin addressed the man who was screaming in agony. Sorry, but I hate people who are different from how they are on the inside the most. Once his hand was cut off, he finally became a bit more honest. You I dont know what you are but that guy! Pick me instead of that guy! I am really strong. You saw, right? I beat that guy who had an incredible amount of stat bonus. Just think about it. If you give me that bonus, I can be a huge asset for you. Sungjin bit his lip for a moment. He knew better than anyone just how strong Illich was. That was why it was such a shame. If only he had been a good person, he would have made the most dependable ally. But he was not that kind of man. Sungjin let his gaze drop as he sadly shook his head. Sorrybut no matter how strong you are, I cannot accept anyone who will bring harm to the team. At that moment, Illich jumped up like a spring and came charging towards Sungjin, taking out a dagger he had hidden somewhere. Stab The sound of a blade piercing the flesh reverberated throughout the Frostplains. Sungjin looked down. Before Illichs dagger could pierce his heart, a two-handed sword had flown in from the left and had pierced through Illichs side. The owner of the two-handed sword was none other than Franz. Bzzzzt The electrical current coming out of the blade was burning Illich alive. Sungjin watched for a moment before swinging his Blood Vengeance. Pa He beheaded Illich and then apologized to Franz. Sorry, I know you wanted revenge, but if I kill him, I can get two items. The items emerged from Illichs body and fell to the ground. Franz stepped back and lowered his head. No, I am very grateful to you for even coming to help. Im happy to do so. Sungjin checked the items laying in the snow. It was the shield and mantle he had used. It was likely very valuable if he had decided to use it. Unexpected meeting, unexpected rewards. Sungjin thought as he collected the items and placed them into the cube. Franz came up to him to apologize. I am very sorry. I should have wonI couldnt beat a single troll Sungjin wanted to say to him Its okay. He was no ordinary troll But instead, he just patted him twice on the shoulders. Sungjin noticed that Franzs body was glowing red. He was in a Troll state. Sungjin said to him Hey Franz Yes? You are an important person, you know that dont you? Eh? What do you Franzs face became red as he blushed. Sungjin grinned and continued to say You are the one and only troll I will not kill in all of the raids. Be thankful. Ah yes, thank you Kei. Dont stay here, and go hunt some more before you go back. You have monopoly this round. Get as much as you can get. Understood, Mr Kei. So Sungjin and Franz spent the remaining time roaming the Frostplains to hunt the monsters left. Because Sungjin was unable to receive any contribution from the other dimensions, everything they killed was attributed to Franz only. [Raid 100% Complete] [Congratulations! You have obtained a Legendary item] Franz received massive rewards befitting someone who was the sole recipient of everything there was to obtain in the chapter. [Last but not the least, you will be awarded titles youve earned on this raid.] [Adjudicator C When killing Party members who entered the Troll state, obtain two of their equipped items] Ooh The item he had always wanted, the Adjudicator was finally awarded here. Finally Sungjin said to Franz who was looking very satisfied, Then lets see each other tomorrow morning. Go to bed early, since the number of Chosen One increased by one. You will need to greet him. Ah understood, Kei. The Operator soon gave a countdown [Returning to the Hunters Hall. 10, 9, 8, 71, 0] Franz and Sungjin were teleported simultaneously. To the Hunters Hall. * In a building with infinite columns known as the Hunters Hall, the place that was filled with people as far as the eyes could see was now considerably thinned out. The hunters saw a familiar face of the Operator appear from between the pillars. [Congratulations. The hunters gathered here have successfully cleared Eleven Chapters.] [Of the 7,310,067,613 participants of the Chapter 1 Raid] [The current number of hunters is now 103,655.] [Everyone here is now a part of the top 0.0014th percentile] [And have proven your worth through your strength.] What so few left? I think many people died during the Dragon Raid I think lots of people froze to death this round as well. While watching the others gossip like this, Sungjin thought to himself It wont be long now when this hall is filled with just the final 10 hunters. Chapter 134 Chapter 134 C Black Market Eleventh Shopping Back in the Black Market. Sungjin first removed the thick Snow Suit. The Black Market had a comfortable temperature, ranging from 25 to about 27 degrees Celsius. Keeping the Snow Suit would only lead to sweating profusely. He left the discarded coat where he stood. The Black Market existed to serve a single person at a time. Even if he left articles of clothing like that out in the street, it would reappear hung in the closet. It was really convenient. Sungjin sometimes wished that the Black Market existed in reality as well, since every restaurant, shop owner, waiters and inns existed to serve only me. Hmm Should I try a different place rather than First Drop? Sungjin decided to head to someplace else for today. He wanted to eat a warm soup of some kind. So he walked through the market until he found a noodle shop. I guess Ill have something here before I go. [This place is called Noodle Friends run by Shinu Ban.] [Large variety of noodle dishes are served here.] Quack Quack, welcome Mr Hunter. The shop owner was a Duck Demihuman with a yellow bill. One bowl of Udon, please. Lots of tempura. Ok~ Got it. Quack Quack. After ordering Udon, Sungjin addressed the Cube. Operator, show me what I got last raid. From trolls and from Raid Reward. As soon as he asked, a mountain of items came spilling out of the Cube. Lets see Sungjin picked out only the Raid Reward items and placed them on top of the table. He had received a glove and a bow, both of which were Legendary Class. Sungjin first picked up the bow. The handle of the bow was modified and looked magnificent to behold. The elegant curve of the bow sparkled brilliantly in the light. Ashetaut C Bow of the Frost Archer Legendary Bow Strength SS Dexterity A Passive Skill Frostshot(IV) C Targets hit by arrow receive 4% penalty to movement and attack speed. Maximum 20 stacks. Target recovers speed over time. Active Skill Volley(III) C Two additional arrows fly after the first arrow with the same direction and speed. Applies Frostshot. Bow of the Queen of Yodelprell It is said that the number of arrows she has fired to unify her country surpassed tens of thousands. Hmm To be fair, Sungjin was not good at making a judgement on the quality of a bow. He had never used it. Should I auction it? For how much? Trying to estimate the cost of an unfamiliar item would be less than optimal. But now that he thought of it, if Serin wanted the bow, it would be better to give the bow to her than hand it to a complete stranger through the auction. He didnt know if she obtained one this round, but the items could be combined so it should prove to be useful. If possible, it would be best if the Chosen Ones could help one another. And if there is anything she has that I would like, I could buy it as well. Sungjin checked the next item on the list. The item was a blue gauntlet. It was slightly transparent, like a beached jellyfish. What an interesting design. Tonge C Frozen Gauntlet Legendary Gauntlet Strength SS Dexterity B Passive Skill Icicle Punch(III) C Each punch against a target imbues frost damage for bonus damage. Active Skill Icy Zone(V) C turn a 10 meter radius area into a frozen field. Any enemy caught in the zone would increasingly become slowed until they were frozen solid. Gauntlet of the legendary martial artist Beocuan A man whose past is shrouded in mystery conquered the martial arts world with this Gauntlet. So this is for a martial artist. Another item unsuitable for himself. This item was deceptively a weapon meant for unarmed fighters. He didnt even have anyone around to give it to. Mahadas is he still alive? Sungjin took a moment to reminisce about the ex-pro Tae Kwan Do Monk. I would like for him to have survived He was definitely a great man. He was even more trustworthy and dependable than Franz, Nada, or Serin; an ideal candidate for a teammate. He was good to the point where he would occasionally accept harm onto himself to help others. The fight against Illich reminded him of this fact: the quality of the persons nature was more important than the skill they possessed. No matter how strong they were, a traitor was a danger to the team. Since Illich was so strong, the number of people who were killed amidst his trolling must amount to a significant number. Illich Remembering the man he just beheaded made Sungjin feel a little down. It was then he noticed the Items Illich had dropped upon his death. The Shield and mantle Illich had used. Sungjin picked them up. He didnt know about other times, but these two deserved a closer inspection. Especially the Shield with the Lion Regalia. Judging from the fact that this was the Shield Illich had carried with him to the final Raid gave proof of its worth. It was an Item on par with Sungjins Blood Vengeance. Tetracard C Enraged Lion Unique Legendary Shield Defense 97% Active Skill Merciless (IV) C Increase attack speed by 40%. 5 Second duration. 10 Minute Cooldown. Shield of God (V) C Become immune to all Magic Attacks. 10 Second Duration. Cooldown 1 day. Oh father thy art in heaven, if there is any love in your heart Give me strength, that I may defend the weak. Whoa Unique Legendary? Illich must have put all of the Enhancement Stones he earned until now into the Shield. The effects were undoubtedly good. No, it was immensely good. To start with, 97% defense rating. This means that any attack blocked by the Shield deals 3% of the total damage. Good shields sometimes had rating of 80% or higher, but 97% was unusually high. Followed by the Merciless skill. It was a very good skill. It had lower active duration compared to Zealot or Berzerk mode, but it had no side effects. It was very effective for when the tanks wanted to assist with damage dealing. Finally, the highlight was the Shield of God. 10 second immunity to magic. Sungjin had occasionally seen Illich cast Shield of God But he did not know the extent of its effects. I didnt get to see it this time because I didnt use magicbut it would have sure been surprising to see it used against me. Even spells empowered by the Ring of the Great Sage were just another spell. So even spells empowered by the ring would be nullified by the effect of the Shield; this would undoubtedly cause Sungjin to be greatly shocked. Sungjin held up the Shield for a moment. The area above the Lions eye had a small scratch, making it look even angrier than it was by design. So is this why its called Enraged Lion? But unfortunately, Sungjin was unable to utilize this item. Going from Dual Wield to sword and shield would lower his overall damage output. Although the 10 second immunity was tempting, Sungjin would be unable to use this item. That being said I cant even put this up for Auction To begin with, Unique Legendary items were priceless. Even if a price was tacked on, it would be so expensive that the buyer would have to forgo spending any coins for 2 or more chapters. Meaning, there was no one who could possibly afford it. Its better to hand this off to someone I know at a discount instead Shield user, someone he knows, sell at a discount, these thoughts made Sungjin think of Baltren. Sungjin held onto the shield for a moment longer before returning it to the cube. The last item was the Illichs Mantle. It was a Black Mantle which reminded Sungjin of Darker than Black. Rubin C Membrane of Darkness Heroic Mantle Defense 21% Passive Skill Shadow Ambush(II) C Before the Shadow Walk is over, the next attack deals double damage. Active Skill Shadow Walk (IV) C Hide in shadows. Become invisible to others. 40 second Duration Hmm this might come in handy. Sungjin thought. He had felt the need for invisibility on occasions. And he was forced to ask for Soldamyrs assistance in the past as well. Current one is good but this one might be worth using. Sungjin did not assign a price to this item. He was planning on carrying it around with him and swapping out with Saels Breath as needed. Sungjin also returned the item to the Cube for now. After the four items had been put away, the rest of the mound was items he had obtained from the trolls he had killed; all the items he intended to trade in for coins. Ah if thats the case Before Sungjin had a chance to pick one up, Odon is ready! The Duck Demihuman brought out his menu. Oh well Ill resume after a meal. Sungjin left the items as they were and picked up the bowl. Ahh After drinking the soup directly from the bowl, he picked up his chopsticks. Slurp And began to eat the noodle. He felt the cold of the Kariharan Frostplains melt away. * Ill leave it to you. Yes, Mr. Hunter. Of course. Black Market Auction House. After he had finished his business at the Auction House, Sungjin made his way back to the Ninety Nine Nights as he reflected over todays raid. Many things happened this raid; Fireball empowered by the Ring of the Great Sage, melting the great Frozen Palace, the fight against the Hidden Boss, the Troll hunts, reunion with Baltren, and the most memorable of all, the sight of Illich swinging his axe towards Franz. Franz if I was even a little bit slower, you wouldnt have made it out. I was able to barely protect you this time, but Losing even one Chosen One would be a major blow for Sungjin. Ill have to give them a warning during the meeting tomorrow morning. To call for my help if they think theyll die. And make a list of monsters or individuals to avoid. But while he was thinking of this, the Operator gave him an announcement. [A Chosen One has requested your teleportation.] Hmm? Sungjin stared at it and thought Its probably Baltren. But the person turned out to be Franz. Mr Kei, how are you? I just wanted to say thank you for saving me today. Sungjin tilted his head. Requesting summon should only be possible once a day. He had no idea how Franz could be calling him. Hmm? How did you contact me? Franz answered Ah You didnt know? Chapter 135 Chapter 135 C Black Market Eleventh Shopping (2) It is a request to everybody to please clear your browser cache and access website as we shifted to Litespeed web server and so to make sure that the website works fine for you(i.e seeing the latest post and pages instead of seeing old pages), you have to clear your cache just this once. Thank you Know what? When Sungjin parroted Franz and tilted his head, Franz replied, Well after the Raid, the cooldowns get refreshed, even the ones with 1 day cooldowns. I think that there is a change of date between before and after the Raid. Oh Really? I did have my suspicions too The Duration of the Raid did not match the time difference between when the Hunters were teleported away from the Black Market to when they came back. And whenever he came back, Cain and Rajenta were noticeably larger than before. Sungjin had suspected in the past Did several days no, months pass? He had wondered from time to time, but it appeared to have been true all along. This means that it would be possible to hold a meeting before and after each raid. Hmm Then I should be able to gather everyone up today as well. Yes, I suspect it should be possible. Thats good. I have lots of things to say. Then I guess Ill call everyone before dinner time? We can all eat together around the table. Meeting at the morning was productive, but it would be good if everyone could meet again for dinner. He still had to introduce Baltren to everyone. Franz gave a refreshing reply. That sounds good. Then Ill call you in a bit. Franz bowed deeply. Yes Sir, Mr Kei. Finishing up the conversation, Sungjin headed towards Kargoss Smithy before heading to the Inn. It was because he wanted to inquire about the mysterious Star of Winter. Star of Winter He didnt have a clue as to what the item was for. Sungjin entered the Smithy, holding the star in his hands. Luckily, Kargos recognized it in a single glance. Hmm, this is a Gem A star that shines alone in the night. A gem symbolizing loneliness. Symbolizing loneliness what does that mean? To Sungjins question, Kargos raised two of his gloved fingers and responded. Listen carefully. There are two ways to use this gem. Sungjin nodded. Ok. First is simple. Go to Meridian and sell it. Mmm Then you can receive few thousand coins since its an expensive gem. Few thousand coins for a crafting material was not all that attractive an option for Sunjin. He unhesitatingly asked, And the other method? Craft it into an item. What happens when you craft it? Didnt I tell you, the gem symbolizes loneliness. What does that mean When Sungjin trailed off his sentence, Kargos finally revealed the crucial piece of information. It becomes an item that allows you to enter the Raid alone. Shocked upon hearing the smithys words Sungjin exclaimed out of surprise What?! Kargos raised the Star of Winter and said, If you use this before the Raid starts, you will enter the Raid alone without teammates. Of course, that means you will get 100% of everything you kill, but you need to have the confidence of solo clearing a Raid. He was more than confident in soloing the raids. Sungjin was even prepared to solo clear a 10 man raid. With this Item, he could wipe out the mobs without worrying. Then what will you choose? Will you go to Meridian and Before Kargos can finish, Sungjin already gave his reply. 2nd. Please craft it. Kargos grinned at Sungjin. Ok. I knew you would make that choice. Then go ahead and come by tomorrow morning as always. Crafting fee is a thousand coins. It wasnt even expensive to make either. Understood. See you tomorrow then. Sungjin bowed his head to say goodbye and returned to Ninety Nine Nights. * Once at the table, Sungjin retrieved the Sceptre of the Warlord. He lifted it into the air and declared, Draft The faces of the Chosen Ones began to appear above the Cube. First was Franz. Franz, its time. He must have been waiting for Sungjin. Understood. I was getting ready. Next was Serin. Hey Serin, come over. Lets have dinner together. With everyone? Or alone? Everyone. Ah Ok Oppa. Then Nada. Nada, Im planning on hosting a dinner with everyone here, so come. I want to speak about the Raid as well. Okay The three of them arrived at Sungjins Inn first. Sungjin first addressed Serin. So did you find the Hidden Piece? Yes, Oppa. Once we began to search for it, it was in such an obvious location that it made me speechless. Right? Sungjin decided to speak to Nada as well. You seem fine. I guess it went well with the Hidden Boss? Yeah. I did as you said and it was quite easy. Well, a lot of my zombies were taken down, but well, there were plenty of corpses around. I thought as much. Have more confidence, Nada. Finally, Baltrens face showed up on the Cube. Ah, Master Hunter Kei. Whats going on? I am gathering everyone. Please accept the summon request. Ah, ok. Baltren was the last to cross over to where Sungjin was waiting. It was always difficult for a student who transferred in during the middle of the school year to adjust. The first order of business for Sungjin was to introduce Baltren to everyone. Here is Baltren. An American and a Police Officer. Baltren who was taller than everyone by about a head bowed slightly to introduce himself. Name is Gerald Baltren. Nice to meet you all. Serin, Nada, and Franz welcomed him warmly. Hello. Nice to meet you. Welcome. Sungjin grasped his shoulder and said, We met in Chapter 1 and somehow ran into each other again. Serins eyes grew wide in surprise. Ooh really? Nada nodded in agreement. What an interesting fate. Sungjin clapped once. Then lets be done with this stiff introduction and get down to dinner and sharing stories. Dalupin, order please. Dalupin came forward and bowed. What shall I prepare for you, dear Hunters? Lets not order separately and have a large feast. How about it? Sounds good. Ok What countrys cuisine should we pick? Chinese? Italian? French? Or Korean? * This is Cowtail Boeuf Bourguignon The Chosen Ones partook in French cuisine as they exchanged small talk. I was driving around in my patrol car when I was suddenly summoned. It was really surprising. I was running by the Han river when my vision suddenly turned fuzzy, and I found myself somewhere else. I was taking a class in college, and by the time I blinked, the Professor had changed places with a mannequin and the Operators Cube. They discussed how they first arrived into this place. Ey, but Count Dimitri wasnt all that bad. Wasnt Harpy Queen so much worse? I vote Count Dimitri. Me too They shared their feelings about previous Raids. So Mr Kei appeared just like that, and bam! He threw his sword and the Axe-wielding man Ohh They shared stories about how they were saved by Sungjin. The mood in the group was very pleasant. In the past before the Regression, whether it was due to having met so late in the raids or whether they were under a lot of pressure or fear, the final members only ever discussed about the next Raid. But this group of people quickly got along with each other. Perhaps this was due to their innate personality. They tended to rely on him, but that was a good thing. Being able to converse like this could only improve the sense of camaraderie and encourage cooperation. Sungjin who was also enjoying the conversation and laughing along noticed the setting sun and addressed the group. Ok, then Everyone stopped speaking once Sungjin spoke Lets end it here and, hmm. I have a few official statements to make. What is it? First, if you feel even the slightest bit of danger to your life, ignore everything and call me. Dont feel embarrassed whether it is a troll or a monster, just call me. If the situation seems dire, Ill drop everything and go. You are all important people to me. I cannot let any of you die. Franz lowered his head at Sungjins words while the others nodded. He must be reflecting over his actions today. Second, prepare for Chapter 14. 12, 13 well they are just normal 5 man raids so they should pose no difficulty. But Chapter 14 is different. Its a 10 man raid, and an incredibly powerful boss will appear. It might be difficult for everyone here, despite my bonus stats. Even more so since 10 man raids are largely dependent on the quality of the teammates you end up with. So work hard to get as strong as you can until then. Baltren raised his hands. How did Mr Kei know that the Chapter 14 will be a 10 man raid? Sungjin stared at him for a moment. He was brand new, so he was not aware of the unspoken rule; nobody is allowed to ask how did you know to Master Hunter K. Sungjin cleared his throat and said Thats Baltrens eyes grew larger. Serin also opened her eyes wide in surprise. But A secret. Baltren checked the others. Everyone else avoided his gaze, and Baltren finally understood the situation. Ah ok. Third, trade items amongst each other. Operator. Sungjin called the Cube and took out the items he prepared. He held the Bow and Illichs Shield. These are items I obtained this round Serin, do you want the bow? Serins eyes were already round. I got one this round already and was planning on using it. Then did you know if you take three more identical items to the smithy you can raise its rarity? Of course. I even bought that sword for Oppa in the past, remember? Ah right. Sungjin scratched the back of his neck. Well. Like so, if you get an item you dont need, speak amongst yourselves and try to trade items to help each other out. Especially for Legendary class, try to trade before you sell it off. Ok. This system was actually meant to benefit Sungjin since he was able to obtain over a dozen items per chapter. He would trade these with the Chosen Ones, and they would pay him in coins, and then he would buy and drink elixirs. It was mutually beneficial, and then the Chosen Ones would even get additional bonus stat points as a result of this. Fourth Sungjin paused speaking to gesture Dalupin over. Dalupin handed each of the Hunters a piece of paper. On it was descriptions of several hunters appearances, their preferred weapons, and their suspected titles. Edward Blonde Caucasian White Staff Spell Master Ryu Shin Black haired Brown Skinned Spear God of Spear The list was none other than the descriptions of the previous final 10 members with the exception of Nada, Illich and himself. Sungjin said to the group If you see any of these people, call me immediately without delay. Understood? Chapter 136 Chapter 136 C Black Market Eleventh Shopping (3) Here we have Cherry Clafoutis and Macarons. Desserts were placed on the table by Dalupin once the feast was over. Sungjin enjoyed the sweets with his Chosen Ones. This marked the end of tonights meetings. Lets call it a day here. Go rest up and lets meet tomorrow morning again before the Raid begin. Ok Sure Ah, Serin and Baltren, please remain behind since we still have to trade items. Then Ill be off. See you tomorrow. Franz and Nada returned to their own dimensions first. Sungjin retrieved the Bow made of Ice and Illichs Shield and placed them on the table. Before Sungjin could open his mouth, Serin already pointed at the bow and asked So how much will you charge for it? Hmm Since its legendary, it should be worth roughly ten to fifteen thousand Coins. But with these specs, it should be twelve thousand. Twelve thousand? Yes. is it a bit expensive? Serin moved a bit closer and leaned forward, with upturned eyes she blinked as she asked Cant you give me a discount? Sungjin gazed at her This girl Women were strange creatures. When he first met her, she had a cold and mature image which he was used to seeing through the TV (It just goes to show that TV is a poor indicator of an individuals character), but now that they became friendly, she played up her charm, appealing and acting cute. It was like she was a completely different person. Due to her exceptional appearance, Sungjin couldnt help but be swayed by her. Well I want to sell it to you for cheap as well. Then you should. Why dont you? Sungjin decided to be rational. It would be far more optimal to get as much coin as he could muster and buy Elixirs. And Serin would also benefit greatly from this. But I cant do that. I have places I need to spend the money. I dont want to play salesman with you, but I need to get stronger so that Sungjin was spouting a flood of excuses when Serin stopped him. I got it, Oppa. Actually I was going to pay whatever price you ask for. Sungjin tilted his head. Hmm? I know Oppa is doing this and that for everyone. So, I wanted to pitch in and be helpful. Then why did you ask for a discount? I just wanted to ask. Just to see how youd react. Serin made an indecipherable smile. Thanks to the Hidden Piece I just sold, I do have enough Coins to buy it. Ill buy it now. Sungjin was confused at her behavior, but he still completed the trade with her. Hmmok. Trade Ashetaut Legendary Bow Trade twelve thousand Black Coins. Approve Approve The Ashetaut was now the property of Serin. Even though Sungjin was able to touch the bow, he could no longer use it. And even if Serin left the bow behind in his dimension, the weapon would be available to her at any time via her Cube. Now that thats done, where will you get the other two? The thought only occurred to him after the fact. One I might be able to find on the Auction house. The other, Nada Unni promised to sell me. Nada? Yes. We were speaking earlier, and Nada Unni said she got one this round as well. And since she cant use the bow Oh really? Yes. I dont have enough to buy all three at the same time so Nada Unni decided to give me the bow now and said that I should repay her back slowly as I earn more Coins. The two women must have gotten quite close to each other without Sungjin noticing. And why wonder; in the raids dominated by men, it must have been a big relief to be able to rely on each other. Thats good. Yes, I also promised to sell magic related items to her for cheap. As Oppa said, be mutually beneficial to each other. Ok. Im glad to hear that. Then Ill be on my way. See you tomorrow morning, Oppa. Yeah. Serin retrieved the bow and headed back to her Dimension. The last one remaining was Baltren. On the table was Illichs Shield. Baltren should be able to deduce by now that the shield was meant for him. Sungjin first began to speak without moving the shield from the table. As you might have noticed from the trade just now I have brought out this shield to sell. To you, Mr. Baltren. Baltren gulped audibly. He must have realized that this Shield was not an ordinary item. But I cant sell this shield so easily. Why is that? To his question, Operator Sungjin instructed the Cube to show Baltren the Shields specs. As expected, Baltrens jaws dropped. Sungjin raised two fingers like a V and said to him There are two reasons why I cannot easily sell this item to you. First, it is too expensive. It is difficult to determine a fair price for this item. Judging from the specs alone, it should be worth over fifty thousand coins Sungjin checked his expression. Baltren didnt look so good. And it was to be expected. Even Sungjin only received twelve thousand coins this round. A regular hunter without the ability to hunt trolls for coins would have to save up every scrap of coins he earned for over three chapters and sell almost every item he received in order to scrape together such a large amount. But this is only true in theory. Not spending a single coin and having them accumulate in the Cube would drastically increase the chances of dying. And thats realistically impossible, and since you are now a comrade, Ill just leave it at thirty thousand coins. Baltren puckered his lips and nodded. He must have also thought that such an amount might be realistically attainable. If it is about thirty thousand, I might be able to manage it in one or two raids. Ill buy it then. Sungjin waved his index finger and said Ah, no no. The reason why I cant easily sell this item is really due to the second reason. If we can overcome this issue, I can hand over the item now, and receive payment in installations. Then what is the other reason? As you can see this Shield is a Unique Legendary item. I am not sure if youve seen it before but its on par with the items that I currently use. The only reason why I am offering this for sale is because I do not use a shield. If this was a piece of armor or helm, I would have used this myself. Baltren nodded. If Besgoro heard him, he would have said, What?! And made complaints, but Sungjin already placed him on top of Shadowrun in the stables before the ladies were called over. Sungjin continued to speak. This item is too strong. So in order for me to sell this to you, Baltren I need a higher degree of trust for you. Higher degree? Yes. There is a possibility that you might betray me after taking the item. No way Baltren made a face as if he couldnt even imagine it. But this was not enough. Edward would have made the same face. Baltrenit is true our fates have crossed paths. Butrealistically we did not have much chance to interact with one another. I guess thats true. I know I said you passed last time but do you mind if I ask you few more questions? Yes. Please ask me anything. Sungjin said to him Lets speak about family. Do you have a family? I have a mother and a fiance. What about your father? He left us when I was young. I know his name, but I can barely remember his face. Hmm Sungjin nodded quietly. He himself was an orphan. In comparison, single mother household wasnt all that bad. What was more important was to find out how much he cared about his remaining family. What about your mother and fiance? How do you feel about them? First of all my mother is an amazing woman. She raised me alone and worked as a housemaid all her life. Despite our difficult conditions, she financially supported me until I became a Police Officer. I can fully express my gratitude. And your fiance? My fiance is the most wonderful person. She loved me despite my difficult background. She was pregnant with my child at the time, but I dont know what Sungjin touched the Eye of Jeremiah as he asked So, did you see them both through the Operators broadcast? Yes. But as he replied, his eyes reddened slightly. A strong voice then began to speak. I must save them It appeared as though the stronger the emotion, the louder the voice of the mind was through the Eye of Jeremiah. Sungjin took into consideration what he heard in Baltrens head as he began to direct the conversation. Then you must wish to save them both. Yes. Sungjin was waiting for his thoughts, but then Baltren continued to speak. I saw my mother from the first chapter but I didnt see my fiance until several chapters later, in the hunters hall. That means Baltren could not continue his words. He saw her only after several chapters had progressed. It means she survived the initial chapters and died and ended up in purgatory much later on. I dont know how she managed while carrying a childI wonder if the child is fine Sungjin did not press any further than this. Baltren was already heaving away, crying. I have to do it. I have to finish the raids. If I dont Sungjin heard loud voices again. Here he made up his mind. In the case of his former teammates, the two he could most assuredly depend on were Mustafa and Hildebrandt. And both of them had a strong desire to save and protect their families. Sungjin didnt notice, but Dalupin was by his side, offering him a towel. Baltren accepted the towel and wiped his face. Once his emotions settled back down, Sungjin said to him I am sorry for testing you, Baltren. No no, I understand your reasons, Kei. Sungjin pushed the shield towards Baltren and said Take it. It is yours. Baltren nodded. Of course, it is not free. Ill take ten thousand coins for the next three raids. That should lower your burden considerably, right? Of course. Sungjin and Baltren completed their transactions. It was an extremely profitable trade for Baltren. He was able to obtain a Unique Legendary item at a discount and with zero interest installation of payments. Of course, it was not a bad trade for Sungjin by any means. To begin with, Sungjins goal from the start was to have Strong and reliable 9 comrades. Investing in the combat ability of people he could trust was the right thing to do. Sungjin was strong on his own, but he only had two hands. In order to finish the raids, dependable tanks like Baltren were necessary. Then lets see each other again tomorrow, Baltren. Ok Kei. Good night. Once Baltren was gone, Sungjin briefly walked out of Ninety Nine Nights. Outside, Cain and Rajenta walked up to Sungjin to nudge him. Sungjin looked up into the night sky as he rubbed their fur. The round moon hung in the sky. He made a promise to himself while looking up at the moon. This time I wont fail Not again. Chapter 137 Chapter 137 C Black Market Eleventh Shopping (4) Once all the Chosen Ones returned to their dimensions, Sungjin lay on the bed alone and checked his stats. How does my stats look right now? Title: Master Hunter HP: 199100 MP: 275040 Strength: 28486 21912 (+6574) Dexterity: 29371 22593 (+6778) Endurance: 19910 15315 (+4595) Magic Power: 14455 11119 (+3336) Mind Power: 27504 21157 (+6347) Unallocated Points: 0 The numbers were too large now. Despite being the owner of these stats, Sungjin had to stare at the screen for a long time before he could decipher what was written there. The status Sungjin was focusing on nowadays was Mind Power. He was investing much of his points into Mind Power in order to be able to cast a 9th class spell with the Master Hunter title equipped (without putting any more points into Magic Power). The amount of mana he needed to be able to cast a 9th class spell using the Ring of the Great Sage was 650475. Over six hundred and fifty thousand. Even if Ariane were to provide half the value, he still needed roughly 330,000 mana. Sungjin made quick calculations in his head. That means I still need about 5000 more Mind power. Sungjin checked the number of Black Coins he had. How many coins do I have left? [87670 Coins.] Mmm This was the combined total of the Raid reward, the twelve thousand he got from Serin, and the ten thousand he received from Baltren. I still have to pay five thousand for Trollseeker Marbles, crafting the gem needs another thousand. If I spend eighty-one thousand on elixirs, then I will be able to cast 9th class spell by dawn. Sungjin lay down on the bed after finishing the calculations. When he first went to the Spell Shop and found out about the monetary and mana cost of 9th class spells, he had thought it would take a minimum of ten Chapters before he would be able to use them. But thanks to the Elixirs, Ariane, and Ring of the Great Sage, he was able to cast a 9th class spell much earlier than he had anticipated. If I obtain the power to go back in timeNo one can hope to defeat me. Filled with inflated expectations, Sungjin fell into a deep slumber. * Creak, creak creak Each step he took on the worn out stairs caused the wooden boards to wail. Sungjin followed the stairs into the darkness, step by step. Welcome. The Merchant of Darker than Black greeted him as always, sitting in the dark corner in his usual seat. Sungjin walked up to him and said, Recharge the Trollseeker Marbles and I want Eighty thousand coins worth of Elixirs, enough for sixteen thousand points. Wow, how wealthy you have become. Sungjin didnt react to the Merchants exclamation. Seeing that Sungjin didnt respond, the Merchant also cut the small talk. Reaching into his vest, he pulled out a small bottle. Here, take it. Sungjin was given the small bottle. Although Sungjin had requested five times the amount as last time, it still seemed to contain exactly the same amount of liquid. Sungjin glanced at the Merchant with his eyes full of suspicion. The Merchant took the hint and said to him Ah, the amount isnt that important. How should I explain the physical aspect is there just to give the person the impression of I am currently drinking something, nothing more. Even if you bought a million coins worth of Elixirs, I would have given you the same size of bottle. How arbitrary. Sungjin complained in his mind as he opened the bottle and drank the contents. There was no flavor or scent from the liquid. Sungjin checked his stats right away. Operator, how many unallocated points do I have? [16000 Points.] The Elixir worked as promised. Sungjin left the man behind and turned to leave. Bye then. Going already? The Merchant asked, but Sungjin only glanced back at him, before leaving without another word. He never felt good being around the man. On his way out of Darker than Black, Sungjin allocated his stat points immediately. Operator, add three thousand to Strength Dexterity and Endurance. And for the rest, add seven thousand to Mind Power. [Applied.] How much Mana do I have now? [You have 366040] Finally, he was ready to use the 9th class spell, Time Reversal. Ill test it today. Sungjin thought as he walked away. Before he headed to the inn, he dropped by Kargoss Smithy. Mr. Kargos, do you have the items? They are ready. Sungjin retrieved the items he had left with the Blacksmith. I told you yesterday, but cost of production is one thousand Coins. A thousand Coins had become chump change to Sungjin. Check out. Sungjin received the gem. It had always given off a light, but after being properly cut, it now shone brilliantly. Sungjin held the item up. Lathion C Star of Solitude Legendary Accessory Passive Skill Reward for Training(I) C Receive additional 10% stats upon raid completion. Active Skill Solitary Training (I) C Enter the next Raid Alone. Be like the uncatchable wind, the courageous Lion, the incorruptible Lotus. Go alone like the Rhinos Horn* Mmm? The passive Reward for training caught his eye. Kargos, it had this kind of effects as well? Kargos answered Well I didnt mention it in case it encourages people to act irrationally and try it out recklessly. Ah I see. It was all good. The more stats he earns, the more benefit would be distributed to the Chosen Ones. Kargos continued to say For it to work, you have to use it before you get transferred into the Raids. Okay? I understand. Sungjin nodded and left the Smithy, returning to the Ninety Nine Nights. Once he had returned to the lot where the Inn was, Cain stood up. Ah, no, Cain, go back to sleep. Sungjin had said to him, but then he changed his mind and said, Hey, Cain could you try attacking me? Grr? Cain had always obediently executed Sungjins commands. But this time, Cain couldnt understand him. Sungjin used both hands to gesture Hey, come and attack me seriously. Cain tilted his head one way. Woof Woof Cain barked twice to show his disapproval. Cain was likely too loyal to be able to carry out this kind of order. Sungjin turned to look at Rajenta. Rajenta was sleeping without a care in the world. I cant test it with these guys. Okay, thats fine. Go back to sleep Cain. Sungjin returned to his room on the 2nd floor of Ninety Nine Nights. Then, Operator, wake me up in two hours. [Alarm set] After he had arranged the wake-up time, Sungjin laid down on the bed. He closed his eyes, but he didnt feel all that sleepy. [It is 6 oclock 58 minutes 42 seconds.] Sungjin woke up to the sound of the Operators alarm. While he was under a stream of water in the bath, he addressed the cube again. Operator, get me the Staff of the Warlord. The original time for breakfast meeting was 8, but the reason why he decided to wake up an hour earlier was because there was something else he wanted to do beforehand. Inspection. At his command, [Please select the target of Inspection.] Four images of Chosen Ones appeared above the cube. Pew Serin was practicing her bow against a bale of hay by the stables first thing in the morning. Huu Baltren was drinking coffee as he was focused on reading through the information sheet (since he didnt know that Sungjins briefing rendered such information obsolete). Mmph Nada was stretching in her bedroom. But her clothing was extremely thin, like the training suit worn by athletes. Ooh, nice! Besgoro who had been quiet recently suddenly blurted out in excitement. Dat ass Sungjin ignored him and turned away. Franz was still in bed. Sungjin pointed to that image. Send me there. [Request for Teleportation accepted. 10, 9] Hey, if youre going to use this anyway, lets try a bit earlier. Or slightly later. We might get a glimpse of something nice! Sungjin teleported to Franzs bedroom while listening to Besgoros suggestions. Franz continued to sleep, oblivious to the fact that Sungjin had arrived. Sungjin shook him awake. Hey, Franz. Franz was startled awake. Ahh! What?! His reaction was natural, seeing as Ninety Nine Nights were reserved for a single hunter only; the fact that a hunter would come to wake him up was something he couldnt anticipate. He stopped groping for the sword he kept close and addressed the man who had woken him up. Ah Mr. Kei. He had thought he had accidentally overslept. He glanced around the room. Is it already time for the briefing? Sungjin replied, No, there is still an hour left before the briefing. I just wanted to ask you for a favor, so I came an hour early. A request? Yes. What Sungjin grasped Franzs shoulder and said, Go wash up and meet me in the courtyard. Lets spar. Spar? Franzs eyes widened in surprise. Yes, spar. He soon nodded his head. Ok, I understand. Sungjin left the bedroom and returned to the lobby. There was a Dalupin in this dimension, identical to the one in his own. He approached Sungjin and asked, Mr. Hunter, should I prepare breakfast? No, not yet. I am going to have breakfast later. For now please get me a glass of apple juice. Understood. Right away. Dalupin entered the kitchen. Meanwhile, Sungjin took Soldamyrs lamp off of his belt and rubbed it. The genie soon emerged. Have you called for me, master? It is still early morning. What did you require of me? Mmm I am finally capable of casting 9th level Magic so I wanted to show you. Ohh finally Soldamyr looked happier than Sungjin was at the news. He had spent his whole life researching time reversal magic. Being able to see it first hand must have overjoyed him. The Juice is ready. Dalupin brought a delicate color of apple juice to Sungjin. The drink had minute pulp floating about as if it had been freshly squeezed just now. Sungjin took a sip and waited for Franz to climb down the stairs. Franz who was fully armed for combat came down to the 1st floor lobby. Let us go, Mr. Kei. Sungjin headed into the courtyard with him. Sssling Franz pulled his two-handed sword out of the scabbard. Sungjin checked his own fingers. The Ring of the Great Sage was shining as it always had on his finger. Sungjin pulled out the Magic Sword Ariane. Franz said, full of emotion, A spar with Mr. Kei. I feel even more nervous than when facing a Hidden Boss. Sungjin grinned. This wasnt truly a sparring match, but an experiment. However, Sungjin had no intentions to correct him and wanted to let him believe what he wanted to believe. Sungjin said to him Come at me with everything youve got, Franz. TL Note: There is a phrase in Korea Go alone like a Rhinos horn. This is an interesting choice of words for two reasons. First of all, there is a famous and very successful book that became a movie and plays by that name. It has been sold steadily since 1993, and is known as a best steady seller. Even more interesting is the fact that the phrase was originally found in (and the author has confirmed that the name is based on) the oldest Buddhist scriptures, Nikaya. I have been personally commissioned to translate a portion of Nikaya into English in the past, and have worked with books dealing with the subject. I have a lot of exposure to the contents and ideas of Nikaya and have read through a large portion of the collective work (Nikaya is a collection of many volumes of books), but I wont delve into it here, since the subject matter is highly Religious and therefore not appropriate for a webnovel website. The main idea behind the saying is that avoiding becoming dependent on others is a way to avoid suffering because all forms of dependence on an external source will inevitably lead to times when the object of dependence is not available or in shortage. It isnt preaching avoidance, just preaching against emotional reliance. This phrase adds an element of Zen-like mindfulness to this Stars nature; a serene, meditative, and contemplative image. Announcement: We apologize for our lack of communication. We wrote in main character hides his strength chapter that we would be working on ebook alone for this week and so the chapter releases would be infrequent, but we forgot to mention it in a separate post. The ebook in itself is a monumental task especially since we are a small group and has taken up most of our time this past month. We will try to be better at communicating next time to our fanbase regarding chapter releases. Chapter 138 Chapter 138 C Black Market Eleventh Shopping (5) Franz was full of enthusiasm. While holding his sword in his hands, he slowly inhaled and exhaled. Hooooo It appeared to be his method of preparing himself. Sungjin swung Blood Vengeance and Ariane through the air by rotating his wrists Swoosh~ Swoosh And said, Hey, Franz if we just spar itll be boring, so how about having a small wager? If you can hit me even once with your sword then Ill Yesterday, after buying the elixir he had about a thousand Black Coins left. Give you a thousand Black Coins. And if I cant hit you? Then you have to give me a thousand. Franz pressed his lips into a thin line and spoke. Hrm That seems rather unfavorable Then I wont use any item active skills. Even with that, its a bit Sungjin placed Blood Vengeance back in its scabbard and said, Then how about this? Ill only use one sword. Finally, Franz nodded his head. Ok, thats fine. Alright. Franz raised his sword and said, Then, Im coming. He wore a serious expression. Come whenever, replied Sungjin as he looked at him. He has no chance if I fight seriously But if I do that then I wont be able to take full advantage of Time Reversal Ill use the spell after fighting for a while. While Sungjin was thinking this, Hwaaaap! Franz yelled as he charged towards him. Franz had definitely become much faster than when they had first exchanged blows against each other at the Magicians Ivory Tower. He came with a fast charge that was accurately aimed at Sungjins empty shoulder. Sungjin raised Ariane and blocked his attack. Clang! The weight of the attack during the clashing of their swords was also much heavier than before. Hoh? While Sungjin was surprised, Franz suddenly shouted. Electro. And then, Bzzzzzz!!! Franzs sword gave off an electrical discharge. The electrical current flowed through Ariane and reached Sungjin which led him to forcefully push Franzs sword away. Even though Franz was pushed away, the one to take damage was Sungjin. Kuu A sword that can conduct electricity. So even if I block, Ill take damagehow troublesome. Franz whirled his sword and prepared to attack again. It seemed like he did not want to give Sungjin a chance to think. Uryaaaaaaa! He spun his two-handed sword like a windmill towards Sungjin. Blocking that electrified sword wasnt the answer. Sungjin ducked his head and dodged it. Bzzt Bzzzzt! A threatening sound brushed past the top of his head. Franz, who missed, just continued to turn his body around and once more brandished his sword. This time, at a lower angle. Sungjin dodged this one by jumping high. However, Franzs sword didnt stop as it chased the jumping Sungjin. Franz had attacked predicting that the opponent would jump. It wasnt possible to dodge in mid-air. Sungjin had no choice but to swing Ariane below his feet to block Franzs sword. Clang! When he blocked, Zzap! Electricity came flowing through again. The arm holding Ariane became a bit numb, but Sungjin still kicked Franz while in that state. Haah! An unexpected blow. Thud! Hrk! It seemed that Franz did not expect Sungjin to kick mid-air while blocking his sword. He staggered after taking a kick to the chest. Sungjin did not come away unscathed. He was once again zapped with an electric shock when he was forced to block Franzs Sword. After switching Ariane from his right hand to his left hand, he massaged his right hand once or twice. Geez, taking damage even when I block Its such a great advantage for a swordsman. Sungjin wasnt sure how Franz lost, but it seemed like Franz was not at all weak compared to Illich; if anything, Franz was slightly stronger. Was he affected by Illichs psychological warfare? Then again Illich was the most cunning of the final 10 people. While Sungjin was having such thoughts, Franz suddenly chanted a spell. What is real is fake and what is fake is real! Illusion! Franzs figure split into four parts. Sungjin pursed his lips as he watched this. Oh ho. The four Franzs spoke at the same time. I learned some magic as you suggested. It would have been a waste otherwise to not utilize all that Magic and Mind Power. Really? But there is a difference between knowing how to use magic and properly using it. Shall we see how good you are with it? Yes! Please confirm it for yourself! When he observed the four Franzs that were running towards him, the clones made by Illusion appeared exactly the same. They were impossible to tell apart just by outward appearances. The solutions that came immediately to mind were Cain, bite that one Or Soldamyr, tear them apart Sungjin could have used Summons to filter out the fakes. However to do so would be to break the rules. Furthermore, Incinerate everything in your path! Fireball! Or Binding Frost! Frostbite! He could use Magic to incapacitate Franz, but Sungjin wanted to save his Mana for Time Reversal. Sungjin held his sword as he waited for the approaching four Franzs. Then two of those figures reached him at the same time. Hwah! Hwah! Their shouts were the same as well. This might require some effort, thought Sungjin. As he slowly backed off, he numbered each of Franzs figures. The front left is Number 1, the front right is Number 2, back left is Number 3, and the back right is Number 4. As Number 1 and 2 Franzs simultaneously charged at him, he quickly ran to the left. When both Number 1 and 2 Franzs made a sharp turn, the Number 1 Franz was almost cut in half by the Number 2 Franzs sword. That one is fake. As expected, Franz wasnt used to operating the magic. He did not yet know that collisions between the real and the fake, and between the fake and the fake could cause them to disappear. Now only three were left. Although it was unknown which of the three was real, Franz seemed to have realized his mistake and this time the three figures separated far from each other and attacked. Which one is real If he could use two swords, then he wouldnt be too worried, but since he could only use one his only option was to take a guess. Sungjin ran towards the one who was approaching him from the front. He avoided the swinging sword and cut that ones forearm. As soon as he did so, the illusion vanished. This ones also a bust. The Number 3 and 4 Franzs came running from both the front and the back. The time to respond kept growing shorter, but there was no other choice. Sungjin turned towards Number 3 and stabbed that ones wrist before his sword could touch him. Poof However, that one was also a fake. Sungjin hurriedly turned his neck. And at that moment, Slice The Number 4 Franzs sword grazed past the back of Sungjins hand. Woohoo! Franz stabbed his sword into the ground and shouted loudly. Mister Kei its a thousand! A thousand! Will you keep your promise? After looking at Franz with a slightly dejected expression, Sungjin said. Aah, Ill keep it. That is if you can remember. Huh? Sungjin immediately used his active skills in a flash when Franz tilted his head. Empower Magic The Ring of the Great Sage began to shine brightly. Mana Flow Ariane cried out. Wooooooong All the preparations were done. Sungjin immediately chanted the spell. Decisions that are never wrong, Regrets that never come to pass. Time Reversal. Franz stood by his grounded sword and stared at Sungjin. At the same time, Soldamyr who had been standing slightly apart from the two with his arms crossed made a slightly emotional expression as he gathered his arms together. During that short moment, Sungjin thought, Did this work properly? Then, Franzs lips moved. Very, very slowly. What Magic spell issss thaaaaaaaaa The words he spoke stretched as if they were words from a stretched tape. It felt as if time was flowing slowly, then suddenly time stopped. And, Did it work? When Sungjin thought this again, suddenly time began to flow backwards. Soldamyr, who had been bringing his hands together, spread them and recrossed his arms, and Franz who had stabbed his sword into the ground picked it up again and held it. Sungjin was also caught up in the Time Reversal. In the backwards flow of time, his view and his movements were also reversing. The back of his hand that had been cut by the Number 4 Franz was nicked by the sword again. If there was a difference, then it was that as he was hit by the sword, the wound closed behind it. After Number 4, the Number 3s wrist was stabbed once again. Then with a poof sound, the Number 2 Franz was remade, and he could see Number 1 who was cut by Number 2 Franz also appear again. Until when is it going back? As Sungjin was pondering this, the reversal seemed to slow down. Time stopped once more and then it resumed. Hwah! Hwah! The two Franzs Number 1 and Number 2 charged towards Sungjin. Both were illusions. Regardless of whether they came or not, Sungjin just stood there. Number 1 and 2 swung their swords and attacked Sungjins neck and shoulders, respectively. Poof The moment the swords touched him they disappeared on their own. Afterwards, Uryaah! Uryaah! Number 3 and 4 Franzs jumped and came flying. The answer is Number 4 Sungjin similarly ignored the flying Number 3 and hit Number 4s approaching wrist with the back of Ariane. Thwap! And with that sound, Ugh! Franz, who had lost his balance, fell. He stared at Sungjin as if he had seen a ghost and asked, How How did you know? Sungjin was about to reply when at that time the Operator let out a warning. [Low Mana] The used ManaIt seems that this doesnt come back. Sungjin raised his ring and said, Empower Magic. [On Cooldown] As expected, The Ring of the Great Sage was on cooldown. Hrm Sungjin became lost in his thoughts. If you use the spell, then your Mana and active skills remain used. However, if it wasnt like thatYou could keep using it until you returned to the past As Sungjin was having such thoughts, Soldamyr approached and said, If Masters Mana is low, then Sungjin looked at the genie. Now that he thought about it, Soldamyr had wanted to use Time Reversal all of his life, but if the Magic worked like this, then he would never be able to witness the spell in action. This was because, if Sungjin used this spell then those around him would see him use it and then forget about it the next moment. Even the current Soldamyr was confused about whether Sungjin had used the spell or not. The item was definitely used, but he was standing there as if nothing had happened. Sungjin returned Ariane to its scabbard and said, Lets end todays spar here. Thank you, Franz. Go inside and rest. After a bit, lets eat breakfast together. Ah Ok Kei. After Sunjin nodded his head once, he called Soldamyr over. Soldamyr, come here for a bit. Yes, master. Soldamyr clearly did not see the effects of the magic. After explaining the effects to Soldamyr, Sungjin would have to consult him on how and when to best utilize it. Chapter 139 Chapter 139 C Black Market Eleventh Shopping (6) Sungjin waved his hands about in the air as he tried his best to explain. When I noticed time slowing down for a brief moment, it seemed to come to a stop before it began to flow backwards. It was as if A tape had been played in reverse. Sungjin wanted to say this, but he stopped himself before he could since it was unlikely that Soldamyr knew what a tape was. It was as if a play was being acted out in reverse. Do you understand what Im saying? Yes. And then? Soldamyr urged Sungjin on like a child at the amusement park. The genie had been saying that being able to use the Time Reversal magic was his lifelong aspiration, and it appeared to be true. Destroyed illusions reappeared, and the injury I sustained then vanished. Soldamyr kept on asking various things to satisfy his curiosity. How many seconds did you go back after using the spell? Sungjin racked his memory. Hrm He had used the spell immediately after his hand was cut by the fourth illusion. Before this, he had said to Franz, Aah, Ill keep it. That is if you can remember. And then activated the items. Empower Magic, Mana Flow After which, he used the spell Decisions that are never wrong, Regrets that never come to pass. Time Reversal. The point that he returned to was right after Franz had used the spell Illusion and charged at him as four. Hwah! If he were to roughly estimate the time, Roughly about 10 seconds? About 10 seconds I see. 10 seconds at this amount of Magic Power Soldamyr nodded his head. Sungjin said to Soldamyr, The effect was rather impressive. To reverse 10 seconds. To sum it up, it becomes possible to perfectly control everything that has happened. Did you see when I was able to immediately find the real one among the four illusions? Yes. When I did that, it felt like I had become God. Yes. After using the spell, everyone else except for him was stuck in the past. Sungjin could distinguish between Franzs illusions without having to take a proper look at them. The answer is Number 4 Because he had already lived through the next 10 seconds of the future, he was able to pull off an otherwise impossible feat thanks to his knowledge. If he were to utilize the Time Reversal spell with his swordsmanship, he would be able to give even Ariane a hard time. Sungjin imagined what it would be like to fight Ariane after using Time Reversal. Going back 10 seconds in time after reading her attack pattern. Ah wait, if I act differently Then she would definitely react accordingly as well. Sungjin asked Soldamyr when an idea suddenly came to mind. By the way, theres something I wanted to ask. If I use this spell, then do I have to go back all 10 seconds? If my Magic Power increases, for example, by twice then do I have to go back all 20 seconds? That shouldnt be the case. According to the legends It is said that the Great Sage from the Ring of the Great Sage that you wear, Anatol of the Blue Sky, could control how far back in time he went. Really? Yes. If one reads his biography, such scenes appear several times. Returning to a crucial moment in time and using an appropriate magic. It is said that it was thanks to Time Reversal that high ranking magicians, demons, and dragons did not stand a chance against him. Hoh If you stop the spell while its in operation, then you should be able to make time flow normally again at that moment. When Master was using the spell When the play was going backwards, did you not think of making time flow forwards again? Sungjin thought back on that moment. At that time, the reversing time had been so interesting that the idea of actively doing something never occurred to him. All he did was observe. Yeah. Since it was also my first time using it It is likely that when your Magic Power increases, you can reverse time for even longer periods. It would be a good idea to figure out how to stop the reversal until then. Mm. The cooldown for Amplify Magic refreshes when the raid ends. So I should use it during the raid, after the raid ends, and during the morning of the next day as well. If I practice it every time I get a chance, Ill get more and more used to it. You should be my sparring partner. Today when I activated it while battling Franz I felt a bit sorry since it felt like I was playing around with him. Wouldnt it be helpful to your research if the sparring partner was you instead? It would be an honor, Master. Sungjin looked down towards the Ring of the Great Sage that was on his finger and said, By the way, since the spell was used after multiplying my magic power by five, if I were to activate it without a boost, would it last about 2 seconds? It could also be less than 2 seconds since the efficacy of Magic Power is still a profound mystery. Hrm Since it takes about 1 second just to chant the spell. To use it like that would be just a waste of mana. Most likely. Right now, it seemed like he could only use the spell once a day while relying on the Ring of the Great Sage. Ill have to use it extremely carefully. And if possible Its better to not use it. Even for me, theres always that chance of finding myself in a pinch. Soldamyr grinned as he asked, Given Masters ability, would there actually be such a situation? Well Thats true but Sungjin recalled the past. Something that I regret Now that he thought about it, there was one thing he did regret greatly. I am boobs. Sungjin grasped his forehead with his hand. If he had access to Time Reversal back then, he would have used it immediately without hesitation. Time Reversal would also be helpful in situations other than combat. When hunting trolls, or when helping other hunters, and so on. For now I wont use Time Reversal and leave it as a last resort. Since there could be many situations to use it other than in combat. As Master wishes. While Sungjin and Soldamyr were discussing Time Reversal, the Operators alarm rang. [It is 8:59] It was time for the morning briefing. Ah Operator, Staff of the Warlord. Sungjin removed the Staff of the Warlord from the cube. He drew a circle in the air with it and said, Draft. Soon, the faces of four peoples appeared. The chosen hunters. Please come. Lets eat breakfast, have a briefing, and then begin the raid. Having gotten used to the draft, the figures of the hunters soon appeared. Did you sleep well yesterday, Oppa? asked Serin who appeared first. Sungjin nodded his head as he replied, Yeah. You? I also slept well. Nada appeared next. Good morning, everyone. Sungjin raised his hand and returned her greeting. Good morning. Franz appeared third and greeted the two beautiful ladies. Good morning. Lets do well today as well, everyone! Baltren was the last to appear. A pleasure. To have the time to be able to discuss together like this before the raid is quite nice. Please order first. They each ordered a simple breakfast. After finishing the meal, they began the briefing while having desserts and beverages like coffee and ice cream. Sungjin held up his Information Sheet. At the top of the Information Sheet was written Information concerning Greenskin Fortress. Sungjin said to the hunters, This raid takes place in Green Skin Fortress. Some of you might have probably guessed from the name, but Do you remember Chapter 1? The Greenskin Wildlands that had goblins, orcs, and trolls. Yes. This is the upgraded version of that. The boss is the King of Orcs, Grankel. And the hidden boss Sungjin told them all the information that he knew. Points to be careful about in the raid, strategies for dealing with the boss, the location of the hidden boss, and so on. I dont know where the hidden piece is yet, but I should be able to find it in about 20 to 30 minutes after the raid begins. If you have difficulty finding it, call and ask me, since I can tell you about it even if I dont transfer over. The hunters replied together as if they were elementary school students. Yes~ Well, this raid shouldnt be that difficult since youre all skilled. Like I said before, there shouldnt be anything particularly difficult in Chapter 12 and 13. Its the 10 man raid, Chapter 14, thats dangerous. Until then, think of these two chapters as stepping stones for development and focus on your growth. Understood. Then that will be all for todays briefing. After the briefing was over, the hunters returned one by one to their dimension. Stay safe everyone. I hope everyones luck with their teams is good. Lets meet again at dinner. But Franz stayed behind. Uh Mister Kei. Sungjin raised an eyebrow as he asked, Hrm? Is there something you want to say? Today Ive thought about it carefully after our spar, but I still cant figure it out. What? How you were able to distinguish the real one? Ah Hes talking about that. Sungjin made a half-hearted excuse. Ah That I guessed. Normally people who use Illusion for the first time tend to hide the real card at the very end. Ah I see Still, that was incredibly bold. Whatever the reason, but to be able to attack the real me so calmly Youve never actually used the spell in a real fight, right? Yes, not yet. Since all I did was buy some spells last night and memorize them. Yeah. Well Its because you were purely a swordsman. As you keep using spells, youll become more proficient at utilizing them. Youll become a more versatile swordsman. Yes, I understand. Sungjin thought of the past suddenly as he conversed with Franz. He had also once heard something similar. Before his regression. Then Ill take my leave. After Franz left, Sungjin resumed reliving his memory. Sungjin youre a great swordsman, but if you can use magic, then youll become even stronger. Now that he thought about it, the one who had said that was Spell Master Edward. Spells? When am I supposed to learn those? I dont have enough as it is for Strength, Dexterity and Endurance. How will I get points to spend in Magic Power or Mind Power? Isnt it fine with just you using magic? But if you at least learn them now, then It will help in coping with unexpected situations. Mm I suppose thats true. Right? Sungjin creased his forehead. Recalling Edwards friendly demeanor only dampened his mood even further. In front of everyone he was like that, but behind he did such things That guy Really. At that time, the Operator notified him of the remaining time. [30 minutes until the Raid begins.] Sungjin quickly glanced at it. Ah Then I should use this. He removed Lathion C Star of Solitude from the cube and said, Solitary Training Like a bulb being switched on, the white star gave off a faint glow. Soon the Operators voice could be heard. [You will proceed alone for the next raid. Difficulty will not be adjusted.] Even if he had to proceed alone, a 5 man raid could no longer give him any sense of anxiety. Especially after he had overcome the hidden boss Ariane from the 10 man raid (though he didnt win). Now he even gained the chance to use Time Reversal and fix mistakes. For various reasons, he felt as if he had become nearly invincible. Until Chapter 14 Well There shouldnt be any problems. Sungjin drank the iced americano he had ordered earlier and leisurely sat back in his chair. Chapter 140 Chapter 140 C Greenskin Fortress Kachui! Medaruk! Basiru! Damim! The Greenskin Fortress was in a state of emergency. This was because a single human that had appeared out of nowhere was annihilating all of the forts soldiers. This human was none other than Sungjin. Each time Sungjins sword danced, countless goblins, orcs, and trolls were sliced apart without distinction. The war between a fortress and a man raged on. But amidst all this, Hm~ Hmhmm~ Amazingly, Sungjin was humming as he was massacring them. He was amazed at how drastically things had changed when he recalled how, in the past, he had slowly and carefully proceeded as a group of 5 to prevent dangerous situations from arising. Sungjin climbed the stairs as he left behind a mountain of corpses. It did not take long to reach the floor where the King of Orcs, Grankel, resided. Because he had absentmindedly progressed without thinning their numbers, an enormous mob of Orcs now filled the large hall. However, this was actually more desirable. Since now he didnt have to put in as much effort in trying to find the monsters. Kwaah! A group of elite Orc soldiers charged at Sungjin. They were fearsome warriors whose rough muscles looked as if they would spring from the armor. Even so, theyre just muscular pigs. They rushed at Sungjin, each holding an axe, a hammer, or a sword respectively. Sungjin blocked their weapons and cut their armor and flesh as if he were dancing. Kuu! After slaughtering them for a while, Master, theres a spell. Moon Specter warned him. Now that he looked, there was a high-level Orc Acolyte in the distance who was preparing to throw a fireball. It looked like the acolyte was ready to burn him, despite the presence of the Orc warriors that were grouped together with him. Did they sell off their loyalty or something? However, the Orc Acolyte fired the spell without being concerned about such things. Externally, as he wore rags, he looked rather shabby, however, befitting the current chapter, the fireball that he threw was incredibly large. Kwaaaaaaan! Sungjin pulled out Artemio and absorbed the spell. Absorb Magic. Seeing the giant fireball suddenly disappear, the Orc acolyte and even the Orc warriors who were about to be sacrificed, opened their eyes wide in shock. Arent you going to thank me? I saved you. Sungjin swung the brightly shining Artemio and Moon Specter and cut the Orc warriors Kwauu When he had cut down almost all of the orc warriors, Master, theres another spell. Moon Specter gave a warning. I know. He swung Artemio to return the fireball he had previously stored to the Orc Acolyte. Kwaa The Orc Acolyte that had been chanting a spell was unable to finish his incantation and Boom! Was hit by the magic as it blew up. Thus the final floor was all cleaned up. In front of Sungjin was a huge iron door. The room of the normal boss. Sungjin pushed the doors and went in. * A single Orc was inclining on the throne when Baltren pushed the iron doors open and entered. The Orc looked quite serious, befitting a king. Furthermore, he knew how to speak the language of humans. Such arrogance! You dare challenge my throne? However, Baltren examined the nearby columns instead of listening to his words. According to Master Hunter Keis words, there was an ambush lying in wait. Baltren said to the hunters behind him, Were first going to clear out the hidden archers first. The hunters nodded their heads. Then, lets go. [Warning!] [The King of Orcs Grankel has appeared!] Baltren charged at the King of Orcs alone as he heard the Operators warning. The archers that had been hiding behind the columns quickly appeared and shot their arrows at Baltren simultaneously. Ping! Ping! Ping! Baltren held up his mace and said, Magnetic Barrier A circular barrier appeared around Baltren. The flying arrows hit the barrier and fell to the ground. As this happened, Chain Lightning Rapid Shot The hunters behind him killed the orc archers. When the ambush failed, Grankel rose from his throne and grabbed his two axes. Observe the power of this king! He charged at the hunters with his two axes in hand. Come! Baltren held up his shield and crashed violently into Grankel. The King of Orcs retaliated by swinging his two axes confidently. Baltren blocked Grankels attacks with his shield and would occasionally hit back with his club. As they were exchanging blows, the other hunters cleared out the rest of the orcs. However, Grankel would occasionally scream loudly, Come and protect your King! Causing a bunch of Orcs to appear and attack the hunters. They have been fighting like this for a while. Grankel, who had been fiercely swinging his axes, suddenly ran backwards and hid behind his throne. Baltren noticed that on the otherside of the throne was an Orc acolyte who was about to cast a spell. Beltran ran forwards and cried out, Shield of God! * Hwaaah! Franz stabbed his sword into Grankels side. Kwaaah! Grankel shrieked and swung his axe, but it seemed that Franz had predicted this as he used his active skill Electro and blocked the axe. Electricity flowed from Franzs sword to Grankels Axe, and to Grankel himself. Kwaaaaaah! The Orc King had been paralyzed by the electricity and temporarily could not move. At this moment, the hunters attacked. Franz also held his sword and charged at Grankel. Taking the combined attacks of the hunters, Kweeeeeeeeeh~ Grankel let out a shameful shriek that was no different from the other Orcs as he fell. Franz returned his sword to its sheath and said, He was called the king, but in his death, he was no different from others. Meanwhile, the hunters gathered around him and spoke to him. Wow Youre so amazing, Mister Franz. Youre so incredible. How did you get so strong? Franz smiled bashfully upon being suddenly praised. No, Im not that great. One of them said, I think that Mister Franz must be the strongest of the remaining hunters. Franz chuckled when he heard that. More so since he had felt the enormous gap in strength just this morning. Eh Im not such an incredible person. Theres someone twice as strong as me No, even stronger than that. At those words, the other hunters were all surprised. Really? A few of them had doubtful expressions. Eh, no way Its the truth Franz considered telling them but refrained. Because that person wasnt someone who could be described in words. Anyways. Lets go try and find the hidden piece. Is there anyone here who has the Treasure Hunter title? Me. Someone raised his hand. Franz spoke to him, Then ask where we can find the hidden piece since I know where the hidden boss is. Ah Yes. Operator, Ill use the Treasure Hunter Active. Tell me where the Hidden Piece is located. The verse that was the hint spilled from the cube. [Wandering merchant from far away land] [crossed the border with goods tightly wrapped.] [He was captured, then, by orcish hands] [One hope he had;] [loose bricks of the underground cell] [and the long teeth he had] One of the hunters who heard the verse muttered, An underground prison Was there something like that? * Nada spun her dagger as she said, There was. A road on the 1st floor that went to the basement. Is that so? Thats fortunate. Since the hidden boss is said to be in the basement as well. Lets go. At her words, one by one the hunters wordlessly walked towards the basement. Kwaaah! A few Orc warriors charged at the hunters, but they were not a threat. They lost their lives to Nadas black magic, Powers of Corruption, unleash the blight upon the living. Decay of Death! Subservient zombies, Domingo, bite them. Whir And her elegant dagger. She did not sweat at all despite killing for so long. She said to the hunters, Lets continue. Theres no time. The hunters could do nothing but silently obey her due to her image. An incredible appearance and a nice body. There were hunters that had to swallow their saliva when looking at her figure, but even so, it was difficult to think of doing something to her. Her charisma was that overflowing. As said in the verse, there was a large prison in front of them when they arrived at the basement. Kweeh After killing the prison wardens, the hunters went in and opened up the jail cells. Inside the prison, there were prisoners of a variety of different species. When the prisoners ran away saying, Thank you. The Orcs chased after them with bare hands. The hunters searched each prison cell one by one. But the hidden piece could not be found. Hrm This is strange This should be the only place that would have an underground prison During all of this, Nada had been closely looking at a jail cell. Come here and look. That cell had been an empty room without a prisoner inside it. It seemed that she had discovered something there. She pointed at one of the walls with her dagger when the hunters gathered and said, Remember? It said that his only hope was a loose brick. There indeed was a rather fragile looking segment in the wall of the cell. When a hunter holding a bat struck that spot Rumble The bricks collapsed. Inside, there was a long passageway. * Inside that passageway was the Merchant Rat that Serin Han had met a long time ago. Judging from his brown teeth, it seemed that he had been digging a tunnel using them. When the Merchant saw the hunters, he was at first surprised. Who are you guys? Humans? How did you come here? When he realized who it was that had found him, he changed his attitude. Aah. Of course, Hunters. Hey, let me go. If you do, Ill give you this. He took out a rock that had been hanging from his chest. It was an Enhancement Stone. The Hunters let him loose, and each took an Enhancement Stone. Having collected the hidden piece, they turned their view towards Serin, no, towards Mustafa. You said that you know where the Hidden boss is, right? Serin replied in a deep voice. Yes, follow me. She led the hunters to the chief wardens room. Inside the chief wardens room there was a square carpet on the floor. If I move this He said that there would be something below it She moved the carpet as Sungin had instructed. Below it, was a wooden door. The hunters opened the door to find another passageway that led downwards. A basement below the basement It feels a bit eerie. So, do we run away now? Thats not it. One of the hunters said, Its rare when all five survive to the end, so we should take this opportunity to hunt the hidden boss, dont you think? The hunters nodded their heads one by one. This was because they had someone they believed in. Which was the Chosen One Serin Han, who had changed to Mustafa. The hunters who saw her skill which caused holes to appear in the heads of far-away Orcs without having to lay a hand on them, believed that this raid was a golden opportunity for them to earn points. They headed underground without any unnecessary remarks. There was a long corridor that stretched for a while inside. As they continued to proceed inside, the corridor became wider and wider. Huh There was a place like this? But as they continued, something that sounded like a bizarre chant could be heard from the inside. Ohm. Meni. Xion. Ra. Catah. Mion. The hunters went inside and looked. Inside, there was some kind of shrine. There was an altar overflowing with blood, on which there were pieces of flesh and a sharp glaive. A Celebrant chanted in the front. Laru. Hen. Catah. Bel. Mio. And behind him were about a dozen Orcs sitting with their heads bowed down. One of the hunters said, What is this At that moment, the chanting stopped. The orcs simultaneously turned to look at the hunters. However, something was wrong. Different from the other Orcs, the eyes of these Orcs shone with an obvious red light. [Warning. Hidden Boss] [The Acolyte of Yanhurat, Varmil, and his cultists have appeared] The hunters positioned themselves into a formation they had previously discussed to face the hidden boss. The formation they had chosen, was none other than a formation that protected Serin. Behind the cover of the other hunters, Serin Han pulled out the book, Arabian Nights, from her bosom and opened it. Kwaaaaaaaaaauuruuu!! The Orcs, who had gone berserk, charged at the hunters. Serin Han began to urgently read the contents of the book. Ali Baba stood in front of the stone door and said, Open Sesame! Chapter 141 Chapter 141 C Greenskin Fortress (2) [The Acolyte of Yanhurat, Varmil, and his cultists have appeared] Sungjin listened to the Operators warning and thought, Yanhurats cultists? Yanhurat was none other than the guy who whispered, Kill! Kill! Into his ear. Kwaaaaah! Several red eyed Orcs charged at Sungjin. Judging by the redness of their eyes, the Orcs were far gone. Now that I think about it The hidden boss in Chapter 1 looked similar as well Every single one of the charging Orcs was faster than King Grankel. Sungjin fought with them as he ran backwards. Because there were so many of them, if he got surrounded, it would not be easy even for him to deal with them. Sungjin sheathed Moon Specter, and then shouted as he pulled it out, Deathly Wail Kyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!! The spirit of Moon Specter shrieked as she circled the sword, causing even the Orcs who had lost their sanity to be scared out of their wits and flee. During this time, Sungjin pulled out the figurine of Cain and threw it into the air. Soon Cain appeared in mid air. Grrrrr! Sungjin then rang Manyata C Masters Bell. Cain, who was now invincible, began to rip apart the Orcs with an incredibly fast speed. Sungjin swung his swords in tandem with him. The crazed Orcs gave no heed to being cut and kept rushing in. If theyre like this then Theyre not really suitable to test against. Even though he wanted to practice Time Reversal, they werent quite suitable for it. Itll be better to use it against the trolls. Sungjin dropped his thoughts and focused on cutting down the Orcs instead. Within a minute, [Hidden Boss, The Priest of Yanhurat, Varmil, and his Cultists Cleared.] Sungjin pulled out his sword that had been stabbed into the last Orcs heart. Whew He lightly caught his breath. Although this Hidden boss was one of the strongest enemies he had faced thus far, Sungjin had grown to a point that with the exception of having summoned Cain, he cleared the raid without using any of his items active skills. Hmm, if its this much Sungjin recalled his distant memories. Im about three no four times stronger than I was in the past. However, he couldnt be satisfied with this. Since the Demon Kings Castle raid in which he died wasnt that far off. Until then, he had to become even stronger. Sungjin prepared to transfer dimensions. However, now that he thought about it, he didnt hear the sound, Raid 100% complete. I found the hidden piece and even killed the hidden boss This could only mean that there were still Orcs that were alive. Sungjin called out to Cain. Cain Arf Do you think there are any Orcs remaining here? Cain raised his nose, Sniff sniff And after smelling the air, he raised his snout and cried out. Woof Woof Sungjin was now able to somewhat understand what Can was saying. Raising his snout was a sign of affirmation. Lead the way. Since I have to kill them quickly and go troll hunting. Woof At Sungjins words, Cain dashed out like a bullet. He unexpectedly headed up the stairs. It seems that he had missed some Orcs when he was heading down after clearing the regular boss. Since it was a solo raid, he had no need of worrying about others. I wont leave a single one alive. thought Sungjin as he followed Cain. He was slowly becoming a perfectionist. Sungjin followed Cains guidance to the 2nd floor of the fortress and killed a team of Orcs. [Raid 100% complete.] He finally heard that phrase. [Beginning reward distribution.] [Monsters slain. Goblin: 100, Steel Troll: 20, Orc Warrior] Sungjin received all 15000 stat points and 15000 Black Coins by himself. It was natural as he had started the raid alone and killed all the enemies by himself. Since the stat bonus from Lathion C Star of Solitude and the coin bonus from Heart of Gold were both 10%, he received the same amount of stat points and Black Coins. [And now we will distribute the items.] [Corsian C The Kings Axe] [Bueltarah C The Pursuers Boots] [Enhancement Stone] This time the items he received were an axe, and a pair of boots. [Last but not the least, you will be awarded titles youve earned on this raid.] The title Sungjin received this time was Highlander. Havent I seen this somewhere before? When he thought about it, it had been the title that Franz had used before he became a Chosen One. The contents of the title were [When receiving a fatal blow, revive with 100% of your maximum health. When the title is not worn, instead of half, revive with 10% of your maximum health. After reviving, this title will disappear.] It was a good title. It was a bit defensive, but in this raid where you did not know when you might die, the title was had its practical use. There probably wont be a time where Ill have it equipped But its worth having. It was the same as having received an extra life. Sungjin had a satisfied smile on his face when [Returning to the Black Market in 10 minutes.] The Operator let out an alarm. Sungjin said to her, Ah, Im not returning. Thats ok right? [Early return canceled. Returning to the Hunters Hall as scheduled in 1 hour and 42 minutes] Sungjin returned to the top floor where the King of Orcs had resided. Rename. To Adjudicator. He used the Star of the Nameless to change his title and then used the Trollseeker Marble. Pursuit of Justice However, an unexpected answer was heard. [No applicable dimension available]. Hrm? Sungjin looked back and forth between the Trollseeker Marble and the Operator Cube. Did I clear too early? But he had been chasing full completion, so he was not particularly fast in completing this chapter. Compared to the time when he had only killed the boss and the hidden boss in Dark Elven City, or the first time he was able to nonchalantly beat a 5 man raid back in Kariharan Frostplains, he was slower on this raid. Then just what is the problem? Sungjin crossed his arms and thought for a moment when Besgoro interjected, Isnt it possible that all of the potential trolls have been weeded out? Just what are you saying Sungjin wanted to reflexively disregard that statement, but then on another thought it seemed possible. After the last raid, there were about 100,000 hunters left. If you divide it into 5 man parties, then there were about 20,000 groups currently. Therefore, the likelihood of a troll appearing had significantly decreased. Sungjin said to Besgoro, Thats a possibility. Right? Since Besgoro had always lost all self-control when it came to women and their body, Sungjin had come to disregard his ability recently. Sungjin propped his chin on his hand and thought, Now the number of hunters is quite low And the number of trolls Ive caught until now should be quite large Furthermore, as they proceeded into the latter half of the raid people became more doubtful, so it wasnt as easy to troll. But still, if there are 100,000 people then it should still work Sungjin decided to kill some time. First, Operator, allocate 4000 to Strength, 4000 to Dexterity, 3000 to Endurance, 4000 to Mind Power. He allocated the stat points that he earned. The Chosen Ones were likely still in the middle of their raids. By allocating his stats first, it would make their raid progression easier. Afterwards, of the items that Sungjin received this time, he put aside the axe that he would never have a reason to use, and examined the boots. Bueltarah C The Pursuers Boots Legendary Shoes C Defense 30% Passive Skill Stride of Salvation (I) C When running towards an ally with less than 30% health, move 200% faster. Steps of Punishment (I) C When running towards an enemy with less than 30% health, move 200% faster. Heroes are bound to rise in turbulent times. Sungjin looked at those boots. Hooh They were good. It also might have been used by one of the final 10 people before. Was it Araujo? Or was it Umkhuba? Either way, it would be good whether it was used for punishment or salvation. Sungjin looked down at the shoes he was wearing now. The Swift Paw that he had obtained all the way back in Chapter 2. Heroic boots. No matter how you looked at it, the boots that he just received were much better. Recently Sungjin had often been riding either Shadowrun, Cain, or Rajenta, so there were not many opportunities for him to use the active skill either. There wasnt any reason to deliberate on this. Sungjin held up those boots and said, Equip. The Swift Paw that he had been wearing was taken off, and the new shoes were worn. Sungjin picked up Swift Paw and placed it inside the cube. And as if those shoes were a person, he said, Youve worked hard until now. Having changed his shoes, Sungjin walked in place a few times. The equipped shoes changed to match his shoe size. It sure fits well. He had allocated his stat points. He had exchanged his equipped item. Now some time had passed. Wearing his new shoes, Sungjin raised the marble again. Pursuit of Justice Then [Request for Dimensional transfer has been granted.] This time the dimensional transfer had succeeded. His earlier attempt might have failed due to the combination of having been initiated too early with there being a smaller pool of people. [You will be teleported in 10 seconds. 10, 9] Sungjin waited the 10 seconds while standing. As he stood, he thought, 10 man raid Chapter 14 And once chapter 17 is over then troll hunting should become almost impossible. It seemed that his troll hunting, which had continued for a few chapters, was slowly coming to an end. Although Sungjin felt slight frustration, he thought to himself Until then, Ill have to earn a lot. And he was teleported to another dimension. * Wooosh Luckily, there was a troll standing next to Sungjin who had appeared with the light. Hi It seemed that the guy had barely successfully trolled. He was covered in blood and drinking a potion. What the hell are you? He was already no longer apprehensive about facing trolls, but seeing one drinking a bottle of potion deflated what little tension he had left. Sungjin activated the Basilisks Eye that he was wearing, Stay still. Snake Eye And petrified him since it would be annoying if he runs away. However, the troll used the Iron Will title to relieve the petrification. It seemed that the Raids had now reached a point where everyone had some ability to break free of this level of paralysis. How annoying. Sungjin was preparing himself to chase after the troll, but the troll did not choose to flee. Instead, I dont know what you are, but come at me, you bastard. The troll held up his sword and shield in preparation to fight and faced Sungjin. Thank you. After Sungjin sincerely expressed his thanks to him, he charged at the troll. The hunter on seeing Sungjin approach, raised his shield and prepared to receive him. Sungjin grinned and Swish Swish In a second he sent the trolls shield and sword flying away. Wh What?! The trolls eyes opened wide as if some sort of sorcery had happened. Like I said, Im thankful. That you didnt run away. In the next second, Sungjin Stab Stabbed his sword into the troll between his armor. Uu Uwaaaah! Having just realized the difference in ability, the troll finally began to run away. Sungjin let go and counted to three before he began to chase him. And thanks to his new shoes, Whoa His pace had definitely become faster. Sungjin caught the runaway again after a few seconds. Sorry, the reason why I didnt kill you before I wanted to try out my newly acquired item. The trolls eye grew wide in fear. It looked like he was about to start begging for his life. But before he could, Sungjin quickly cut the trolls throat. Thud He didnt want to feel any unnecessary feelings of guilt from the trolls as well. After picking up the items, Sungjin headed to the King of Orcs throne and threw himself on the chair. Since he hunted the trolls right after he transferred dimensions, there was still some time left. He had already allocated his stat points. He had already exchanged his equipped item. There was nothing to do. What to do now? Thinking this made Sungjin think, I should check on the others to see how they are doing. Operator Sungjin called the Operator and took out the Staff of the Warlord. He then drew a circle with it and said, Inspection. Chapter 142 Chapter 142 C Greenskin Fortress (3) Sungjin examined how the other Chosen Ones were progressing. Baltrens and Franzs progress was a bit slow. Whether or not they had obtained the clue about the hidden piece, those two were still looking around the prison, unable to find the wandering merchant ratman. Well Theyll probably find it soon. If they cant find it, then he can go and help them. The one who had progressed the fastest was Serin Han. She was fighting against the hidden boss in the basement. One peculiarity was that there were bulky men wearing turbans having a bloody fight against the crimson orcs. Furthermore, it wasnt just one or two, but dozens of men to the point that they seemed to be countless. They each used their scimitars to fight with the orcs, and when their necks were broken or their hearts stabbed through, they would disappear from that spot while creating poof sound. What is that Did Serin summon them? Is it Arabian Nights? Ali Baba and the 40 thieves? Regardless of how it had happened, she was ceaselessly shooting arrows while receiving their protection. Ping~ Ping! Ping~! Every time she shot an arrow, Thud! Thud! Thud!! The arrows would be embedded in the orcs heads. Only a few Orcs remained alive, and this raid looked to be over soon. Shes doing well. Lastly, Nada was just about to begin the fight against the hidden boss. This should be worth watching. Sungjin propped his chin on his hand and watched. * The way down to the hidden boss. Nada, who was standing in front of the entrance said, Before we go down, everyone please gather. At those words, the hunters gathered themselves into a line. Somewhere along the raid, they began to follow her words like the zombie Domingo that she kept with her. Nada chanted a spell upon them. Protection of Darkness, return everything to null, Dark Shield! Soon a black colored shield covered the hunters and Domingo. Nada then said, Be careful when we go down, were going to see many crazed orcs and the Hidden bosses attacks will be so fast that it will be difficult to deal with. So prepare yourselves. Everyone nodded their heads to Nadas words. Having confirmed that they were all ready, she commanded, Then lets go. And headed towards the basement first. A bizarre chant flowed out from inside. Before much time had elapsed, they were soon facing the Priest of Yanhurat and the crazy orcs. [Warning!] At the same time as the Operators warning, Kwaauuurrrr!! The crimson eyed orcs began to swarm the hunters. When we go down, were going to see many crazed orcs. Though the hunters had received Nadas warning, they couldnt properly react to the orcs speed and fervor. Nada, who had warned them, was also the same. Though she had heard the story from Kei this morning, they were faster and crazier than expected when she finally ran into them. The hunters had to deal with 2-3 orcs each as they charged at them. As such, an orc managed to close in on Nada who was in the rear. Awowooo! The orc randomly swung his hammer horizontally and diagonally while charging at Nada. It was an irregular movement, but Nada calmly blocked the orcs blunt weapon with the staff in her left hand and then swung her dagger to cut off the orcs hand. Thud thud Several fingers that had been holding the blunt weapon were cut off and fell to the ground. Seeing this, Nada was about to catch her breath; however, the orc showed no signs of pain. Rather, upon seeing blood, Kwaaaaaau! Charged at Nada as if it was more crazed than before. It was unarmed now, but if she were caught by those hands then it would become quite messy. Shit! Nada barely blocked the orcs hand with her staff, and then once again used her knife to stab into the orcs chin. The dagger that penetrated the orcs chin even cut through his lip, but it seemed the crazed orc did not feel either fear or pain. Despite one hand becoming stump and being skewered by the dagger, he still swung his arms. He was now more grotesque than a zombie. This wasnt the only problem. From the back, two more orcs came charging towards her. If it was one orc, then maybe, but three was just impossible. Nada urgently called her zombie, Domingo! However, Domingo was being torn apart by two other orcs. There was no one that could help her. Nada kicked the orc in the stomach as she pulled out the dagger that had pierced him. Kweeh! The orc stumbled backward. As this happened two orcs rushed towards her. One orc held an axe, and the other held a long sword. Nada barely blocked the axe with her staff and the long sword with her dagger. However, what would happen next was the problem. The orc whose chin had been smashed rushed at Nada again. There was no manner in which she could deal with his two hands. However, at that moment, Ah-ta! A hunter appeared from somewhere and kicked that orc in the side. It was the Elite Pugilist. It was the most trustworthy ally she had met in this raid. Following this, he lowered his stance before swinging his long legs like a windmill. It was an attack aimed at the two orcs that were in a contest of strength with Nada. Thud! Thud! The orcs who were kicked in the shin had their legs broken like a twig sideways and fell over. Having received some breathing room, Nada immediately chanted a spell before the orcs could stand up. Come, vengeful spirits! Graves Call! Soon, pale hands shot out from the ground near Nada and grasped the limbs of the fallen crazed orcs. The orcs moved and struggled with all their might, but the hands of the dead did not let them go. At that moment, Nada took her dagger and stabbed at their hearts. Stab stab The orcs whose hearts were stabbed still struggled crazily, but they went limp after spewing a fountain of blood. Nada tried to express her thanks to the Elite Pugilist who saved her. However, Ahtaho! He was no longer there as he had already gone to save the other hunters. The Elite Pugilist was tall and wore a martial arts uniform, and despite being white, he oddly practiced Eastern martial arts. Regardless, Nada, having just caught her breath, began to help the other hunters by using her signature spell. Tense muscles, brittle bones, Weakness! After cursing the entire group of orcs, Unholy power, strip the skin and expose the bones! Frenzy! She used the spell on the zombie Domingo in order to allow it to put up a real fight against the orcs. In the start of the battle, they had been pushed back, but now it was beginning to turn in their favor. Good. Having thought this, Nada held her dagger and was prepared to leap into battle. However at that time, Shoooom~ Suddenly a long beam of light came from the sky, and a single man appeared. This was none other than Kei. What? While Nada was surprised, that person started to cut up the orcs like a hurricane. Geez, get lost! He cut about halfway through the neck of an orc that was wrestling with a hunter, with their foreheads touching each other, Clang! Clang! Bang! Stabbed through the heart of an orc that had been banging on a shield with its club in a crazed manner. Kyaaaaaaaaah! And cut the wrists of the orc that was in a contest of strength with the Elite Pugilist. Now free to act, the Elite Pugilist hit the orcs head with a satisfying roundhouse kick. Ahta! The orcs head turned halfway around, and it didnt move again. After Kei had joined in, the difficulty of the raid had significantly fallen. This was because that person went around the place like lightning while killing orcs, or turning them into cripples, allowing the other hunters to finish off the leftovers. Before long, [Hidden Boss Clear!] The Operator let out a message. Excluding Nada, the other hunters looked at Kei with incredulity. Nada approached him and said, Whats this, when I ask you to help you didnt come Why did you arrive this time? We couldve killed it ourselves. To her words, Kei shook his swords from left to right, and said, Aaah, theres another reason why I came here. Huh? As Nada tilted her head, Sungjin removed the helmet he was wearing and said, Theres a person here I want to take. Then, a voice could be heard from behind her. You are It was the voice of the Elite Pugilist. While Nada was confused, Kei approached him and asked, Do you remember me? Mahadas. Of course. Mister Kei Since they knew each others names, it seemed that they had already met each other somewhere before. Nada leaned to a side and stared at them. So you dont come when I ask for help But you come to recruit that person, is that right. Regardless of whether she stared or not, Kei shook hands with the Elite Pugilist Mahadas, and then suddenly whispered. She couldnt hear, but she had a rough idea of what it was about. Become our ally. Sure enough, as expected Mahadas looked back and forth between Kei and her. This meant that he was listening to the explanation about the Chosen Ones. Nada didnt say anything. They had only fought once, but the Elite Pugilist had good skill and was a selfless person. After exchanging a hushed conversation with him, Kei said, Nada, and the other hunters, please stay here for a bit. And the two left the basement first. Nada crossed her arms and stared at the two as she thought, It looks like there will be six of us for dinner tonight. * Baptize Sungjin poured the Holy Water of Baptism on Mahadas head. Once it was over, Sungjin grasped his shoulder and said, Then, lets meet again at dinner. Excuse me? Mahadas frowned slightly at Sungjins baffling suggestion, but there was no time to give a detailed explanation now. Youll know soon. For now, dont eat dinner today and wait. I understand. After Sungjin left him, he used the Trollseeker Marble to transfer to a different dimension. Pursuit of Justice Thankfully, there still were some trolls that were active. Sungjin caught them and cut them up while picking up two items from each troll. It was a bit regretful that he couldnt meet Edward who was definitely active somewhere. If hes alive then hes definitely going to be doing some troll like actions As Sungjin thought this, he used the three, four, and then finally all five of the Trollseeker Marbles. The troll that he met in the last dimension was a thin sleazy looking Eastern person. This one is not it as well Though Sungjin was slightly disappointed, he still pulled out his sword and held it. It was work nonetheless. Who are you? Having seen Sungjin, the troll threateningly held up his blood covered sword and asked. Looking down, the corpses of the hunters were below him. Regretful While he was doing this, the troll suddenly used an active skill and disappeared. Shadow Walk. Sungjin creased his forehead. This was because it would be troublesome if the troll ran away like the last time when Illich became invisible. Haa Annoying Sungjin walked towards where the troll had disappeared. Since this wasnt the frostplains, hence nothing could be seen. What should I do? I cant use Cain to smell Should I just destroy everything around here with magic? While Sungjin was thinking, kata-kata Footsteps could be heard from behind him. Sungjin turned to his back while swinging Moon Specter. The troll that had been trying to assassinate him twisted his body backwards and barely avoided it. Hooh Your ears are quite good. He said in admiration. Oh well. I guess Ill just have to kill you face to face. Sungjin chuckled when he heard this. What Youre already dead, bastard. What? While facing the troll, Sungjin Amplify Magic. Mana Flow. used both active skills, Time Reversal And reversed time. Time started to go backwards. Sungjin turned around and brought back Moon Specter at the same moment as the man disappeared into invisibility. Time had gone back by about 10 seconds. The troll, same as before, threateningly held up his sword and asked, Who are you? Sungjin acted the same as he did previously and looked towards the pitiful hunters at the trolls feet. Then the troll, Shadow Walk Similarly hid in stealth again. Sungjin also purposefully walked towards where the troll had been. And after pulling out Moon Specter and holding it backwards, he threw it behind his back. Pa! The flying Moon Specter kata-kata! Stab Was embedded into the leg of the approaching troll. Kwaaaaaak! The troll shrieked and collapsed in place. When Sungjin approached him, he asked, How How did you To his words, Sungjin grinned and said, My ears are quite sensitive. Chapter 143 Chapter 143 C Black Market Twelfth Shopping Black Market Twelfth Shopping [Low Mana] The Operator let out a warning as Sungjin looked down at his hand. Hrm He adapted to it faster than he had thought he would, perhaps because the events had occurred exactly at the same time. After I use it one or two more times I should be able to utilize it perfectly. Sungjin looked at the fallen troll as he thought. Two items were laid out in front of the troll. He gathered up both of them and placed them inside the cube. Operator, how long until Im summoned back to the Black Market? [14 minutes and 8 seconds.] There was still some time remaining even after he completed everything that he could be doing. Sungjin once again held the Sceptre of the Warlord and looked at the other hunters. Inspection The first to kill the hidden boss, Serin Han, was already inside a shop in the Black Market eating a slice of cheesecake. In other words, she had achieved 100% Raid Progression after killing all of the remnant soldiers that were still alive. As expected Is this the power of Arabian Nights? Mahadas and Nadas party that he had intervened were [Your contribution is] receiving their rewards. It seemed that this side had also achieved 100% completion. The interesting part was that from Nadas cube, the figure of Mahadas could be seen, and from Mahadas cube, the figure of Nada could be seen. Now that I think about it Its the first time Im seeing more than one Chosen One in the same party. Even though its because I just went and baptized one of them. Baltren and Franz, who had been progressing a bit slowly, had killed the hidden boss and were searching for the leftover mobs. Seeing as all five members were alive in both parties, they would easily be able to achieve 100% completion in the remaining time. If things are like this They shouldnt need any help. Having confirmed this, Sungjin called out to the Operator and said, Operator, send me to the Black Market now. The Operator immediately accepted his request. [Teleporting to the Black Market in 10 seconds.] The Operator seemed to be reasonably flexible as long as the main objective of the raid was completed. * Clack The ice cubes in the coffee melted and made some noise. Sungjin, as always, sat in the cafe First Drop and organized the items. 6000 to 7000 for this Among those items was the Swift Paw that he had been using. Sungjin held up those wolfs paws and wondered, Would anyone buy this In reality, as it was a Heroic rank item, it would not sell well. This was because most of the hunters that had survived until now would have Heroic or Legendary tier items for almost all parts. For now, I should try putting it up for 2000 to 3000, and if someone buys it, then good. Otherwise, I can just sell it at the store. Thought Sungjin, as he placed the item in the cube. Having finished his calculations, Sungjin exited the cafe and walked towards the Auction House. Welcome, Dear Hunter. As always, the Auction House was presided over by the three pig siblings. After Sungjin placed the items up for sale, he asked them, How is it? The number of items in the Auction House has fallen down recently, right? Unfortunately, yes it has. Since the total number of hunters has decreased. Upon hearing this, Sungjin thought, As expected There isnt much time left for this, either. The number of hunters decreases as the chapters continued to pass. At the end of Chapter 11, there were about 100,000 hunters. After the end of the incredibly difficult Chapter 14, that number would decrease to less than half. Furthermore, by the end of the next 10 man raid in Chapter 17, the hunters would be running into people they had already met before. Due to his prior experience, Sungjin knew about this well. Until then I have to earn as much as I can Though strictly speaking, I dont really have anything to use it on. Still, Sungjin asked the pig siblings just to make sure. By chance, are there any legendary items up for sale? Ah, yes, there are. Would you like to see the list? Yes. Many types of items appeared in front of Sungjins eyes. However, most of the items that appeared were weapons. This was because everyone would wear armor, and sell the weapons that they didnt use. I guess there isnt any point in looking. There was no point since Sungjin already had 3 Unique Legendary weapons. Though it would be a different case if there were 3 Arianes on sale. However, since it was a weapon that he had made, from the beginning, there wouldnt be more than 1 in existence. Sungjin shook his hand and said, Theres nothing to buy As always, send me the receipts of items that sell. Yes, Dear Hunter Afterwards, Sungjin visited Kargoss smithy. He had obtained two enhancement stones from the last raid, and another two from this raid. Sungjin first handed Ariane to him and said, Please upgrade this to Unique Legendary. Thats possible right? Hrm, yes. Itll take more effort, but Well, I get it. And Sungjin took off the earring that he had worn on his ear and showed it to Kargos. Is it also possible for this to have its tier upgraded? Its a heroic earring That was none other than Trite C Eye of Jeremiah. The item that can read ones surface level thoughts. Because the duration was only 10 seconds, it would be good if the tier could be increased. Kargos received the two items and said, Theres no reason I cant. How much for the two? Itll be 13,000. Ill pay now. Sungjin used the Black Coins that he received from this raids distribution to pay off the expenses of the two upgrades. Then, as always, Ill come in the morning. Sure. Sungjin left Kargoss smithy and looked up at the sky. The sky in the Black Market was always clear and blue. Now there wasnt much time left until the Demon Kings Castle Raid where the hunters had first failed. Also, the Merchant of Darker than Black had said the final chapter wasnt far off from the Demon Kings Castle Raid. Then That means that the final raid itself isnt that far off Until then, he wanted to prepare the strongest party and remove all uncertainties. From that perspective, this raid was truly successful. He had achieved 100% raid progression alone, successfully hunted trolls, properly used Time Reversal in an actual fight, and more; however, the most important thing he had done probably was recruiting Mahadas. Sungjin had wondered what he should do if he couldnt meet Mahadas again. Thankfully Mahadas was still alive and, of all things, it was possible for them to meet through Inspection since he was in the same party as Nada. Judging an individuals characters is incredibly difficult. It was fortunate that he had been able to recruit someone as qualified as Mahadas. It really did go well. After returning to Ninety Nine Nights, Sungjin used Sceptre of the Warlord and called together the Chosen Ones. Of course, the new recruit was included amongst them. Please take care of me. Upon seeing the calm, blue-eyed man clasping his hands together, the original members were a bit awkward at first, but they soon became aware his good-naturedness and began to get along well. With this, there was a total of 5 Chosen Ones. The party now became a group of six, with four positions remaining. The remaining positions were both a source of anticipation and anxiety. I have to fill up the positions with decent people in the remaining time That wouldnt be easy. This was because it wouldnt be easy to find skilled and, more importantly, trustworthy hunters. That was why he had entrusted Eye of Jeremiah to Kargos. However, regardless of whether it was 10 seconds or 10 minutes, it was an absolutely insufficient amount of time to be able to come to an understanding about an unfamiliar persons character. No matter whether youre able to read that persons surface level thoughts or not. It would really be great if I could meet someone I knew. What immediately came to mind were the trustworthy people from the previous final 10; Hildebrandt and Mustafa. He would readily give them two positions. Since a tank position and a magician position still needed to be filled, it would be just perfect if those two came. Sungjin had Nada, Mahadas, and Baltren, who had not contributed white coins yet, kiss the ring once dinner was over. Since he had used two Holy Waters after earning three previously from the Red Dragons Lair, he now only had one remaining. If he used the White Coins he received from them to buy a Holy Water, then he would have exactly four. Four Holy Waters to prepare the new final 10 people. The three hunters were surprised by the 10% penalty to future raid rewards but did not particularly refuse. Ill do it. Since the others did it, I cant be the only one who didnt. Well If its for the team, then Ill gladly do what I have to do. Amitabha. As they were all Chosen Ones, like Franz, they thought of it as something like a tax to gain the increased stats. After dinner was over, the hunters dispersed and returned to their own dimension. Now by himself, Sungjin returned to the bedroom after collecting the sales receipt from the mail man. The amount he had received from the sales was roughly 70,000 Black Coins. Though the selling price of each item had increased, there were a lot of items that failed to sell. Especially the heroic tier items, Swift Paw included, did not sell well. As I thought. However, it wasnt a particularly large blow, since most of the Black Coins that he earned were used to purchase Elixirs. Even if it turned out that he earned fewer Black Coins, if you considered the stat bonus from Lathion C Star of Solitude then it would be as if there was no effect from earning fewer Black Coins. Well, getting upgrades from Kargos should pretty much be covered from the raid reward distribution If theres still a place thats worth using Black Coins on It would be for learning Class 9 Spells, other than the Blue Magic Time Reversal. However, the prices of Class 9 Spells were too high that Sungjin would have to save for about two chapters if he wanted to buy them. Compared to spending over 100,000 Black Coins in order to learn them, its better to just buy Elixirs and drink it. That way, it can also be of help to the other hunters. This was how Sungjin felt. From the beginning, he could not use class 9 spells without activating Ring of the Great Sage anyway. It was a better use of his resources to stick with and get more proficient at using Time Reversal. * Again, it was four thirty at dawn. Sungjin placed three White Coins on the table and said curtly, Three Holy Waters. The Merchant of Darker than Black placed them into his vest and in turn took out three vials of Holy Waters. Sungjin wordlessly placed them into his Cube. At that time, the Merchant said, For some reason, it feels like youve gotten less wordy. Sungjin replied coolly, No news is good news. Recharge the Trollseeker Marbles and Ill exchange the remainder of my coins for Elixirs. The Merchant recharged the Trollseeker Marbles and accordingly took out an appropriate amount of Elixirs for the coins Sungjin had left and placed it in front of Sungjin. Sungjin gathered the marbles and downed the Elixir in one go. Meanwhile, the merchant asked, How are you these days? If youre that strong, then raids should be easy now, right? Well Yeah. Kuku, I see. Sungjin was about to get up from his seat having finished all of his business. However, all of a sudden, a question came to mind. By the way, is there anyone that comes to this place besides me? Someone that comes to this place? Yeah. Another hunter. For example As Sungjins words trailed off, the Merchants figure changed. Blonde hair and blue eyes. The figure of the beautiful youth, Edward. Are you talking about this person? Sungjin creased his forehead and said, Yeah. That person. Chapter 144 Chapter 144 C Black Market Twelfth Shopping (2) The Merchant whose figure had changed into Edward looked up at Sungjin and grinned before saying, That Ill tell you if you give me 10,000 Black Coins. Sungjin glared at him. He had just used all of his Black Coins to buy Elixirs. The Merchant deliberately said it in that manner while knowing this. What a git. Sungjin left him alone and got up from his seat. The Merchant returned to his normal figure and said to Sungjin, If you gather ten thousand next time However, Sungjin didnt finish hearing what he had to say and left the place. Creak. Creak. Creaak After passing through the worn down stairs and returning to the Black Market, Sungjin began to walk towards Kargoss smithy. He pulled his clothes closer to shield himself from the cold night air and looked back towards the shop. As always, Darker than Black was covered in complete darkness. Sungjin briefly glanced at it. The stores in the Black Market begin to close roughly around nine at night, and by midnight none of them remained open. Unless you were a truly strange person, there wouldnt be anyone who would come to the Black Market at four thirty in the morning, when everything was closed, and think of heading into that murky place. Thats almost No, its completely impossible. Four thirty in the morning. Not only is it a late time, but its also a time where there are only four and a half hours left until the start of the raid. There wouldnt be anyone who would wander around this place with the life threatening raid in front of them. Even if you just couldnt fall asleep, it would be irrational to come to this isolated place and think of going into that shabby store. In fact It should only be possible if you receive that message from Ariane The one who had let him know of the stores location was none other than Edward, who had told them while they were resting during the raid before their last. He had said, It was there. It even sold items that lets you cross into other dimensions. If Edward knew about the stores location, it meant that he had passed Arianes test. Even I had barely passed However, Edward was an incredibly strong person. When Sungjin thought about it, Romance of the Three Kingdoms had originally been Edwards, and if Edward had challenged Ariane while putting his life on the line, then it might have been possible. Then this time Could he have He wasnt certain. In any case, Sungjin couldnt be sure of how far Edward had grown because raids were something that was based on your luck with allies. No, its also possible that he had died a while ago in some chapter. Luck was like that. A bad result could occur no matter how hard you try, or it could be just the opposite, where a good result could occur no matter how badly you performed. Judging by that guys skill its likely that hes still alive Sungjin thought as he continued to walk. Without realizing it, he had already arrived at Kargoss smithy. Clang. Clang. Clang. Sungjin wordlessly watched Kargos who was smelting the sword. He didnt feel the time pass by as he watched the sparks fly from Kargoss hammer. Sungjin was mesmerized, it was as if he was watching a work of art. Some time later, Kargos wiped away his sweat and said, Its finished. The luster of the upgraded Ariane was clearer, and the edge was sharper. Kargos handed it to Sungjin who examined it upon receiving the item. Ariane C Dragon Lady Unique Legendary Katana C Strength SS Dexterity S Magic Power B Active Skill Mana Flow (III) C Provides half of the mana used for the next 30 seconds. Depending on the size of the Dragons Heart, there is a limit to mana provided. Passive Skill Mana Respiration (III) C The Dragons Heart and the user restores 3% mana per minute. Sungjin quickly confirmed the changes. Strength and Dexterity rose by one rank Magic Power is the same The Active and Passive Skills both rose in rank The duration of Mana Flow grew longer, and the recovery of Respiration has increased. First, the stats had increased by a lot. They were now high enough that Ariane could now be used by him normally as a sword. The increase in the duration of the skill Mana Flow was also a nice welcome. Now, since the duration of the skill was the same as the Ring of the Great Sage, he could continuously use enhanced magic during that time. Unfortunately, the amount of mana provided did not increase so he would need more mana to sustain spells for its full duration. As ever, mana is the problem. While Sungjin was thinking such, Here, take this Kargos called Sungjin. When Sungjin turned to look, he saw his earring on top of Kargoss hand. Ah Right. Trite. The earring that listened to the surface level thoughts of others. Sungjin received the item and looked at it. Trite C Eye of Jeremiah Legendary Earring Active Skill Legilimency(III) C Read the surface level thoughts of the person you are conversing with. Activated by touching the earring. 30 seconds duration once the conversation begins. Cooldown 10 minutes. True Vision(III) C See invisible enemies. Duration 1 minute. Cooldown 10 minutes. Truth can only shine when lies are stripped away. A true wizard must be able to wait for the right era. Oh It had gained an Active Skill. It was good because he had run across two opponents in the last two raids who had the ability to go invisible. The somewhat short duration of Legilimency had also increased so that now he could read the surface thoughts of others for 30 seconds. It turned out great. Sungjin put on the earring again and expressed his thanks to Kargos. Thank you, Kargos. Kargos placidly nodded his head. Now all of your swords became Unique Legendary. Yes, well So they did. If by chance you gather 9 more Enhancement Stones, Ill demonstrate my ability once more. Though, I dont know if thats possible. Upon hearing this, Sungjin tilted his head and said, That Are you saying that its possible to go even higher from Unique Legendary? Thats right. Theres a tier above that. Mythological tier items. Well, even with the swords you have now can be considered on the level of national treasures. But just in case, if you need it, I can do it. Though it wont be easy gathering the Enhancement Stones. Sungjin heard those words and briefly thought about it, Mythological items He bid farewell to Kargos. I understand. Then, until next time. Farewell. On the way back to Ninety Nine Nights, Kargoss words were stuck in Sungjins mind. I was planning to upgrade an accessory or armor if I got an Enhancement Stone, but now Mythological tier. Of the items he had seen until now, only one had been a Mythological tier item. The Holy Water of Baptism. However that wasnt an equipment, but a consumable item. He had never heard of nor seen a Mythological tier equipment. Sungjin looked down at his swords. Moon Specter, Blood Vengeance, Artemio, and Ariane. When he had upgraded to Unique Legendary, he had thought this much is enough. Now that it was said that theres something above that, he kind of wanted to have it. But gathering 9 Enhancement Stones Is that possible? You would get 1 Enhancement Stone, maybe 2 if you were lucky, per raid. To actually gather 9 Enhancement Stones would be difficult. For now, I should just keep in mind that such a thing exists. Sungjin thought as he returned to Ninety Nine Nights. Having returned to the bedroom, Sungjin picked up the Information Sheet sitting on the table and a pen as he laid down on the bed. This was in order to do well in todays morning briefing. He was trying to remember as much as possible. Back then What was it like A raid that he had already experienced once. He was the only person who could share his experience. Sungjin wrote various things on the information sheet. Things to watch out for Strategies for the boss How to find the hidden boss In this manner, he finished turning the information sheet into a strategic guide in time for breakfast. He then took the information sheet and went down to the 1st floor. When it was time to start, he took out the Sceptre of the Warlord, Draft and called all of the Chosen Ones. Hello. Good morning. Now there were 5 Chosen Ones. With Sungjin included, it was now a group of 6. They each gave their orders for breakfast to Dalupin. Croissant and some butter please. Kimchi fried rice for me. Chocolate muffin and coffee. Hmm, Im fine with cereal and milk. The table at Ninety Nine Nights where Sungjin had always quietly and solitarily eaten at became quite boisterous. Unni, have you tried on the mask? Ah, yeah I tried that, but I couldnt use it because seeing my changed appearance was too awkward. So I just go around with my face. Eh? Then wouldnt some bad guys try to attack you? Have you not gone through such an experience, Unni? Hrm I havent seen anyone like that. Really? Theres no way they would just leave a nice body like yours alone Who knows. Maybe its because I pull a few corpses around with me. It seemed that Serin and Nada became quite friendly with each other. They also did frequently talk with each other while leaving the men alone. You said that youre from Canada? Where did you live? In Ontario. Ah, I see. I lived in New York state. If its New York, then I went there frequently. Ah, did you? Baltren and Mahadas were both from North America so they exchanged words about their hometown. Mister Kei, from where have you learned your sword techniques? Ah Well, long ago when I was young. I did some kendo. By chance. By chance? Yeah. I had a part time job near a kendo school, and somehow I had a fight with someone who attended the kendo school. Why so? Well, it wasnt really anything. In a cramped space I accidentally bumped into him, but he started acting all cocky and wanted to pick a fight with me, asking me if I was blind and if I couldnt see that he had a wooden sword. And then? I was just going to overlook it, but since I ignored him, he actually started charging at me with the wooden sword. So I snatched his sword and hit him on the head with it, but the instructor saw that. And then he told me that I seemed to have a talent for sword techniques. And then, well I began to study there. Oh, I see. Because both Sungjin and Franz were swordsmen, the two had something to talk about. After they chattered and finished breakfast, the time for Sungjins important briefing came. Eh, then Ill start todays briefing. The hunters who were chatting away quieted down when Sungjin began to speak. Sungjin held up the Information Sheet and said, Todays raid is The Swamp of Khrot. Here, Khrot is the name of the Lizardman King, who is the boss monster. Its the same as Ahenna who had previously appeared in Ahennas Forest. Most of the monsters are lizardmen, but these guys have far better teamwork than the orcs, and theyre very agile. They also move quickly in the swamp. Thats why you have to attempt to fight on dry land whenever possible. It felt kind of awkward to receive the focus of the others like this as Sungjin had experienced only difficulties due to being born into poverty. As he felt the attention that was focused on him, he thought, Its as if I have become an instructor. Chapter 145 Chapter 145 C The Swamp of Khrot Tat-tat-tat Sungjin traversed through the water so fast that he appeared to be running upon it. Intruder! Its a warm-blooded creature! Dozens of lizardmen chased after Sungjin. Muddy water splashed onto his body. Amidst all this, the operators voice could be heard. [Warning! Boss monster] [King of Lizardmen Khrot has appeared!] As he heard that, Sungjin thought, Theyve taken the bait. Sungjin took a look behind him; there were dozens, no, hundreds of lizardmen. Their numbers did not fall short to that of a battalion. After he checked their numbers out, Sungjin took out the egg of Rajenta from his pocket and threw it high into the air. Kya~n! Rajenta took to the air upon being summoned. Sungjin shouted at him, Pick me up Rajenta. Rajenta quickly glanced down and then lifted Sungjin up into the sky by his shoulders. Sungjin spoke to him while ascending, Higher. Fly higher. Kyan~ Rajenta flew up higher into the sky while tightly holding onto Sungjin. Each of the lizardmen that had been chasing Sungjin dropped their shields and nocked arrows onto their bows. But before they could fire at him, Sungjin, who was in the sky, chanted a spell together with Besgoro. All-freezing winds! Razor sharp ice! All-freezing winds! Razor sharp ice! Blizzard Storm! Blizzard Storm! The lizardmen launched their arrows at him, Ping! Ping! Ping! But before they could reach Sungjin, an enormous blizzard storm appeared in the sky. Even without using the Ring of the Great Sage, Sungjins spells were now quite strong. Thanks to that, the arrows aimed at Sungjin were blown away by the storm and did not reach him. The lizardmen brought their arrows towards their bowstrings once more, but their bodies were already slowly becoming sluggish. This was because their bodies had become wet while chasing Sungjin across the swamp. By the time the ice hurricane had disappeared, they were already frozen to the point of immobility. Upon seeing this Sungjin said while looking up, Rajenta, let me down. Rajenta descended and let Sungjin down, and then shook his body once. He must have felt the cold as well. Haha. Sorry, sorry. In front of Sungjin, there were dozens of lizardmen. More accurately, lizardmen who couldnt move because they were frozen. I just wanted to deal with all of you at the same time. You come out too, Cain. Sungjin took out Cains wooden statue and threw it into the air. Soon the gigantic wolf popped out. Cain, bring out your comrades and rip their throats out. They probably wont be able to move properly because theyre frozen. Woof woof Cain answered in the affirmative by barking twice. And then, Awhooooo~ Called out his comrades. Sungjin hunted the frozen lizardmen together with Cain and his pack. Although they saw Sungjins blade and Cains fangs cutting their bodies, they could only move their eyes as they were unable to react. There were ones that slowly raised their shields, but at that level it was impossible to react to the speed of Sungjin and the wolf packs. He continued to slash their necks without mercy and thought, It was true The one that had taught him this strategy was one of his old comrades, Araujo. A Brazilian professor. Upon hearing someone saying that this chapter was difficult, he explained. Ah, that chapter? The lizardmens swamp. That one is easy if you use ice magic. Those guys are unable to warm themselves when their body temperature drops, so if you use freezing magic, it takes a long time for them to be able to move again. Despite their humanoid shape, their body is largely reptilian in nature. And as he had said, these lizardmen couldnt move properly when their body temperature decreased. Additionally, these lizardmen had a very strong sense of camaraderie. If one were to be killed, ten would come, and if ten were to be killed, a hundred would come chasing. Sungjin took into account the physical and mental traits of theirs, and as soon as the raid started, he beheaded a lizardman and charged into the enemy territory while holding the head until he arrived at the center of the hamlet where the boss monster Khrot resided. As he had predicted, over a hundred lizardmen began to follow Sungjin, until even the boss monster Khrot started to chase him. After he had checked that, Sungjin gathered them in one place and used freeze magic to freeze them all at once. Normally, they had swift movements, tough skin, powerful tails and the ability to work together. If you fought against them fairly, the lizardmen were difficult to deal with, but after you froze them once, they couldnt even raise their shields properly. The frozen lizardmen, Rawr! Were helpless against Cain and his packs attack. They were slashed and ripped apart by claws and fangs. The Lizardmen collapsed where they stood, bleeding profusely. However, amongst that, Kii! The screams of one or two wolves could be heard. Sungjin turned his head towards that direction. In that spot stood the lizardmen king Khrot, who was one and half times larger than an ordinary lizardman. Despite being slowed down a great deal, he was repelling the approaching wolves with his scimitar and his golden shield. Youre saying a boss wont go down that easily, eh? Sungjin ran towards him. Khrot who saw a hunter appear among the wolves shouted in rage, Its you! The one who made this mess! Although he shouted, but that was all he could do. He was someone that could barely land a hit on Sungjin even at full strength. With a slowed body that was frozen, he was no match for the hunter. The arm holding the scimitar went flying, the gleaming golden shield was cracked in half, and the tail that swung in a last-ditch effort was cut off. Sorry. I dont have much time. Sungjin threw a half-hearted apology at him, and cut his throat. [Boss monster Khrot Cleared] The lizardmen upon losing their king also lost their will to fight and turned to flee. However, the swamp which was their homeland was already frozen solid. Sungjin and the wolves dealt with the lizardmen while sliding on the ice. After he had disposed of all the lizardmen and the master of the swamp, Rajenta. Sungjin once again called Rajenta and mounted him. From high up in the sky, the swamp of Khrot was fully visible. Looking down upon the ground from the air, Sungjin thought, Hmm. The ones that are left are But suddenly, Kragh kragh From far away, winged beasts that made noises as if spitting phlegm appeared. They looked like small dragons, but they were wyrms, which had longer necks and slimmer tails. Wyverns. Sungjin remembered having a hard time with these before as he had no way to fly. There was a total of five wyverns. When they got close, Sungjin patted the back of Rajentas neck and said, Rajenta, when they get close, can you fly just a little higher than those guys? Kyan~ Rajenta replied with something that could not be distinguished from an affirmation or a refusal. Sungjin balanced himself and stood up on top of Rajenta. And then Operator, get me the carpet. He pulled out the flying carpet and laid it in midair. The carpet flew behind Sungjin and Rajenta. Sungjin quickly glanced at it and took out his Moon Specter and Blood Vengeance. Right before Rajenta was about to clash with a wyvern, he jumped up high and got onto the back of another wyvern. The wyvern seemed to be taken aback when its enemy got on his back. Sungjin did not miss that chance and stabbed Moon Specter into its back. Twitch The wyvern convulsed violently and tried to skewer Sungjin with its tail. It was a tail that had lethal poison in it. But Sungjin was not someone who would let it hit him. He swung his sword to cut off the tail. Kwaaaa! The wyvern that had its tail cut desperately shook its body once more. Sungjin twisted the Moon Specter that he had thrust into its body and stirred the inside. The wyvern once again struggled due to the intense pain, then started to fall slowly. Its over. Sungjin jumped into the air after pulling out his sword. The magic carpet then quickly flew over to carry Sungjin. Up in the sky, Rajenta was fighting with the wyverns. Slashing with his talons and pecking with his beak. From on top of the magic carpet Sungjin, Pa Shot out Moon Specter. Stab The wyvern that was penetrated by Moon Specter lost strength in its wings and dropped to the ground. Haa Sungjin, who retrieved his sword, held it in his hand and hunted the other wyverns. He cut off the tails swung at him and fed the head that came to bite with a blade instead of his flesh. After a minute, the battle ended with Rajenta biting the neck of the last wyvern at the same time as Sungjin stabbing it in the back. In its last moments, the wyvern spun around to try to shake off Sungjin who was on its back, but Sungjin again jumped up into the air. The magic carpet that had been hovering above him and Rajenta who was flying below it, both flew over quickly to support him. Because of this, it looked as if Sungjin was riding on top of Rajenta while covered by the magic carpet. Sungjin hugged both Rajenta and the magic carpet and said, As expected, you guys are better than hunters. The magic carpet was silent, but Rajenta, Kya~ Chirped. As Sungjin was flying like that, [Please return to the hunting grounds.] [This area is off limits to hunters.] The Operators warning reverberated. [If you remain in the restricted area after 10 seconds,] [You will die. 10, 9,..] Sungjin hurriedly patted the back of the birds neck. Whoa, whoa, lets head back Rajenta. As if he also had felt an ominous premonition, Rajenta was already heading back even before Sungjin had spoken. Sungjin, who had now returned to the safe zone, observed the swamp area as he flew. So this is the boundary. Then the hidden boss A swamp bigger than the rest entered his sight. Sungjin spoke into Rajentas ear Rajenta over there. The bird soon carried Sungjin to the edge of that swamp. Good work. Sungjin caressed Rajentas head once and asked the Operator. Operator. How much time has passed until now? [7 minutes and 22 seconds.] Besgoro spoke up. It really didnt take long. Yeah, but I was thinking of finishing it quickly and then visiting the other hunters. The Chosen Ones? Wouldnt they be doing fine now? Well, more than that, I wanted to look for more people to choose. After I finish early, I was going to visit the other chosen ones party and interview the ones that seem okay. Well, though its a forced interview. Ah. So thats why. Although entering the raid alone was great and he didnt have to worry about anyone, the opportunity to observe other hunters disappeared. At this point in time where the number of hunters was slowly decreasing, there were still four empty spots left. After a few chapters, he might really have to pick the Chosen Ones from limited numbers. Furthermore, as the number of choices decreased, the risks of choosing the wrong person also increased. Sungjin wanted to meet as many people as possible in order to avoid that. Frostbite. Sungjin shot out a freezing air from his outstretched hand. Soon, the swamp his hand pointed at became frozen and turned into a path of ice. Sungjin headed towards the center of the swamp on the trail he had made. Chapter 146 Chapter 146 C The Swamp of Khrot (2) Having arrived at the center of the swamp, Sungjin examined his surroundings while standing on top of the ice. Inside the murky water of the swamp, there was something shining with a green light. There it is. Having confirmed this, Sungjin Hoooo~ Took a deep breath and dived into the swamp. Splash The swamp was just wide, and not very deep. Despite the depth being at a level where your feet would barely touch the ground even if you couldnt swim very well, Sungjin had made a pathway into the center area of the swamp, simply because he didnt enjoy the feeling of swimming in it. The inside of the swamp was filled with unidentifiable fauna and flora. Sungjin wasnt particularly fastidious, but even so, he didnt feel particularly comfortable swimming in this swamp. It feels like Im going to catch some disease. Thought Sungjin, as he dove towards the bottom. He opened his eyes briefly and saw an object shining brightly with a green light in the middle of the swamp. After Sungjin picked it up, he quickly climbed to the surface of the water. The Operators voice could be heard saying, [Congratulations! You have obtained the Hidden Piece] [Shanok C Emerald Snake] Once he heard this, Sungjin shouted, Rajenta! Could you please pull me out? Upon hearing his masters words, Rajenta swallowed down the water snake that he had been holding in his beak, which he had hunted near the swamp while waiting, and flapped his wings. He flew to Sungjin and pulled him out of the swamp by carrying him into the air by the shoulder. Put me down somewhere close to there. Somewhere near it. Rajenta faithfully obeyed Sungjins command. Having returned to the shore, Sungjin shook his body much like a dog would shake its body when wet. Kuuh The smell. However, the peculiar smell did not dissipate easily. Nothing I can do about it. Sungjin was more concerned about the item he had brought over than the smell emanating from his body. A snake completely made of emerald. From it, some kind of magical light spilled forth. Sungjin examined the item. Shanok C Emerald Snake Rare Gem A gem hidden in the center of a swamp The key to calling out an ancient existence. After checking the item, Sungjin placed it in the cube and mounted Rajenta once more. Lets go, back into the sky. Rajenta flapped his wings and carried Sungjin up into the air again. Eh Then the next place is Sungjin looked for the place he had to go next from above. He spotted something white between the mostly green and brown colors of this place. A building covered with moss not far from the giant swamp. That place was where the Hidden Boss was located. Rajenta flew like an arrow while he carried Sungjin to that place. After getting down, Sungjin gave one last order to the Summon. Rajenta, if you go to the place where the lizardmen were killed, Cains pack will be there. Go and search the swamp together for enemies that may have survived and kill them by yourselves. Understood? Kyan It went back after giving a short reply. If its Rajenta and Cain, the two should be able to clear up any remaining lizardmen or wyvern survivors. Then should I head towards the Hidden Boss? Sungjin went inside the building. Unlike the other structures of the swamp, such as the lizardmens homes made of woven reed or the wyverns nests made of rotting logs, this building was made of white marble. Even though it was mostly covered with green moss, it still gave off the feeling that in the past, it had been made with great care. Is it some kind of temple Though its his second time coming here, he couldnt tell the purpose of this temple since there was no one and nothing inside. There was only a gigantic circular hole inside. A hole like the one in which the Persian ambassador had fallen into, in the movie 300. However, the diameter of this hole was far wider. Sungjin took a peek inside. Only deep darkness could be seen within. It still looks creepy. Sungjin examined the area with that in mind. There was a small altar near the hole. There was a stone statue of only the body and tail of a snake at the center of the altar. Operator Sungjin took out the emerald snake statue that he had previously obtained and placed it on top of the stone statue. The snakes head and body fit perfectly. The moment the head and the body met, Ping The statue suddenly shone and then changed into a living snake. Sungjin looked at the snake with narrowed eyes. This was his second time seeing this, but it was still interesting. The snake flicked its tongue several times, Swish Swish Then turned its head and entered the gigantic hole. It was now time to face the boss. Sungjin spoke to Besgoro as he took out Romance of the Three Kingdoms from his vest. Mister Besgoro. Did you know that if you cut this guy once, another appears? Hrm? What does? At that time, a snake of enormous size came out from inside the hole. An enormous snake that was similar in size to a dragons head. However, that wasnt all. Another snake, and another snake, and another snake, and another snake appeared. A total of five. Though there are many monsters in the raids, there isnt another one that looked this unpleasant. The Operators voice rang out. [Warning!] [The Hidden Boss Ancient Hydra has appeared.] Hrk. Even the veteran Besgoro who had experienced countless battles on land and sea let out a small groan. Upon hearing his voice, Sungjin instead asked Moon Specter. Start repeatedly counting to 10 after I cut the first one, okay? Yes. Moon Specter listened to Sungjins words even without any particular explanation. Sungjin followed this by throwing both the Gourmets Monocle and the Romance of the Three Kingdoms. Substitute Reading. The Gourmets Monocle began to read the book. [When he tried to cross the river, an officer of Cao Caos army in charge of protecting the river, Qin Qi, stopped them. What is your name? Guan Yu] If its Guan Yu, then itll be a warrior type The closest snake struck at Sungjin as he thought this. Woosh Sungjin avoided this by rolling backwards, and said to Besgoro, Mister Besgoro, lets finish this quickly. Frenzy Soon, Sungjins vision became slightly red. The Gourmets Monocle finished reading the book at the same time. [When he asked, Do you have a travel permit?, Guan Yu said, I do not have such a thing.] [Seance of Guan Yu activated!] [Passive Skill C Enhance Attack(III), Swift(III) applied.] [Active Skill Strike of the Blue Dragon is available for use.] Sungjins became much faster having received the power of the general. This time, two snakes simultaneously attacked Sungjin, but they only became offerings for Frenzy instead. Sungjin jumped high and avoided the charge of the snake that had attacked first. The second snake attacked right afterwards, but Sungjin stepped off the first head and once more jumped up. He then turned once in the air and cut downwards with Moon Specter. The body of the second snake that charged at Sungjin was killed by its own momentum as it ran into Moon Specter. Kyaaaah! The snake twisted its body and tried to return to the hole while Sungjin was still on top of it. As if Id let you! Sungjin lashed out Moon Specter by swinging it in half a circle and swinging Blood Vengeance at the same time as well. He drew a perfect circle, with Moon Specter and Blood Vengeance each cutting half of the head, slicing it off entirely. Moon Specter began to count 10 seconds. 10, 9 Sungjin moved without taking a moments respite as he listened to her voice. He didnt know how many snakes were inside that black hole, but if a snake died, then another snake would come out after about 10 seconds. To kill the boss, all five snakes had to be killed at the same time. However, that is possible only when there are five hunters. For Sungjin who was running the raid alone, he had to kill at least two or three snakes within those 10 seconds in order to finish off this hydra. 8, 7 Sungjin jumped onto the head of the snake that he had first avoided. He stabbed at the snakes eyes with his two swords using the increased speed from frenzy and then tore up its head. Then, as a matter of course, it collapsed. 6, 5 Good! Lets tear all of these monsters to shreds! Sungjin charged at another snake while listening to Besgoros voice. However, a different snake spat poison at him from its mouth. Just like a dragons breath, a greenish liquid came pouring out. Solidify Sungjin activated Saels mantle in emergency to avoid the poison. Tszzzzzzzzzz He was safe due to the frozen mantle, but the moss that covered the ground near Sungjin turned black and died in an instant. 4, 3 However, he couldnt waste time because of this. Sungjin charged towards another snakes head. It opened its gigantic mouth in an attempt to swallow him whole. He commanded Besgoro, Fireball And at the same time as a giant mass of flame was forced into the snakes mouth, Sungjin swung Blood Vengeance and made the creature close its mouth through force. Booom! A huge explosion occurred from within the snake. Kieeeeeeee! Now there were only two left. However, as this happened, another snake appeared from the black hole. Moon Specter began to count again. 10 Sungjin ran towards the remaining snakes. The durations of Romance of the Three Kingdoms and Frenzy were not that long. He had to bring things to an end within these 10 seconds. Sungjin charged towards a snakes head. He stabbed Blood Vengeance into the tip of the snakes nose, then stood on its handle and cut up the snakes head with Moon Specter. Kraak! During this, a different snake once more attempted to spit out poison, but Sungjin was prepared for it. He quickly shouted, Snakes Serum Then continued to swing his sword. Meanwhile, the snakes head portion of the ring Chimerao that was on Sungjins finger began to emit a green light. The poison that was flying towards him almost reached the area where he was standing. A few drops of poison did splatter on to Sungjin, but it was as if he was hit by a light rain and there was no effect. Sungjin jumped high and then cut the snakes head that spat the poison in half. Kyaaaa Since its neck was naturally very thick, his slash went through about only halfway before stopping. 6, 5 Moon Specter was counting when Besgoro spoke up. Theres one and a half snakes left. Pa! Sungjin shot Blood Vengeance towards the dangling half of the snakes head. He didnt look, but the flying Blood Vengeance completely cut through the remainder of the head. Sungjin held up Moon Specter and ran towards the last snake alive. 4, 3 There were 3 seconds left, but this was enough. It was called Strike of the Blue Dragon, right? Should I try it out? Sungjin recalled the name of the Active Skill that he had heard previously, and shouted it while aiming at the snake. Strike of the Blue Dragon! After he shouted, the general that had been behind Sungjin quickly swung a gigantic scimitar and shot out a slightly bluish energy towards the snake. That energy easily cut through the head of the last remaining snake. Splat! Upon seeing this, Sungjin thought, Its quite strong If I knew it was like this, I would have used it earlier. Moon Specter was faithfully counting down even though the last snake was dead. 2, 1 Soon, the Operator could be heard. [Congratulations!] [Hidden Boss Ancient Hydra cleared.] Note on Romance of the Three Kingdoms: Guan Yu was the most appropriate person in the Romance of the three kingdoms to call a Heroic warrior ?? ?? (Yuusha Goketsu in Japanese). He was a complete man, With the strength of ten men (His weapon was extraordinarily heavy), a thorough understanding of strategy, godlike patience and tolerance (remember the story with the doctor operating on his arm?), unmatched ethics and morals, and unwavering loyalty. He was such a man of inspiration that Cao Cao, a man who was obsessed with becoming the hero who will save all of China (Sort of a god complex) saw Guan Yu as his equal as a hero and respected him reverently. Cao Cao is famous for his great treatment of talented individuals, and none is more famous than Cao Caos respect for Guan Yu. Some people, including myself, believe that Cao Cao respected Guan Yu more than even Guan Yus sworn brother Liu Bei. When Guan Yu was killed, Cao Cao had the person who brought Guan Yus head killed and wore white funeral garb for months in mourning. He lamented Guan Yus death for the rest of his life and declared Liu Beis negligence has gotten the hero of the century killed. Cao Cao was also the person who officially deified Guan Yu. The quotation in the chapter is one such account of their interaction. Liu Bei has betrayed Cao Cao and has escaped to form his own country. But during the great exodus, his slow moving horde of peasants was caught by Cao Caos forces. During the Chaos, Guan Yu stayed behind to protect Liu Beis many wives and family. Cao Cao accepted Guan Yus surrender in return for the safety of Liu Beis familys protection. Guan Yu, during the time when he had no news of his brother, worked for Cao Cao. Even killing a former ally of Liu Bei to show his loyalty to Cao Cao. Cao Cao showered Guan Yu with gifts and titles, all of which Guan Yu refused except a legendary horse. So once Guan Yu heard of his brothers whereabouts, he immediately left. Cao Cao correctly assumed that Guan Yu would not want to leave without farewell so he refused to be visited so Guan Yu waited, but after days, he finally wrote a letter and departed. Cao Cao was devastated but sent a messenger ahead to allow Guan Yu and all of Liu Beis family safe passage. The quote in MHK is at one of these gates where an officer tries to ask Guan Yu to stay. Chapter 147 Chapter 147 C The Swamp of Khrot (3) Sungjin left behind the dead hydra and walked out of the temple since he didnt want to be in the same space as that kind of monster even if it was dead. When he arrived outside, the Operator could be heard saying, [Raid 100% complete.] It seemed that Cain and Rajenta had finished killing all of the monsters outside. Sungjin whistled as he thought, When I return to Ninety Nine Nights, I should ask Dalupin to give those two a special reward. Meanwhile, the Operator continued, [Beginning reward distribution.] [Monsters slain. Lizardmen Light Infantry: 30, Lizardmen Infantry: 20, Wyvern] Sungjin earned 17,000 each in stat points and Black Coins. They each increased by 2000 compared to last time. [And now we will distribute the items.] The items that Sungjin earned were: [Salleh C Ceremonial Spear] [Marbaht C Armor of Nobility] A spear and a leather armor. Sungjin let out a slight sigh when he saw the items. There was no one who used the spear. The armor looked like it was made from the leather of the lizardmen, but currently, he was using armor made from the scales of a dragon. [Congratulations! Legendary Item Salleh obtained.] [Congratulations! Legendary Item Marbaht obtained.] But a Legendary item was still a Legendary item. He should be able to obtain a good price for them from the auction house. Also, there might be someone on the team that might want the armor. Sungjin gathered them and placed them inside his cube. [Last but not the least, you will be awarded titles youve earned on this raid.] [Ancient Hunter C Deal 40% extra damage to enemies with Ancient in their names.] When Sungjin saw the title, he wondered, Ancient? Did something like that appear? After some thought, he recalled that there was a boss with Ancient in its name in a later chapter. Ah Thats right Furthermore There could be more later on as well Well, theres nothing bad with having it. After the raid distribution was finished, the Operator said [Returning to the Black Market in 5 minutes] Sungjin interrupted the Operator as he said, Ah Operator. Send me back at the normal time. The Operator changed her words once she heard Sungjin. [Early return canceled.] [Returning to the Hunters Hall as scheduled in 2 hours and 23 minutes.] 2 hours and 23 minutes If it was that much, then it was plenty of time to hunt trolls and search for other hunters. For now, Sungjin took out the Trollseeker Marble and tried using it. Pursuit of Justice. It was a bit early, but even then, there could be trolls this early. But, as expected, [No applicable dimension available]. There wasnt a dimension with a troll yet. This was because Sungjin had finished the raid far too quickly. However, luckily Sungjin had something else he could do. Then should I try inspecting everyone? Sungjin took out the Staff of the Warlord from the Cube and said, Inspection Five screens appeared. Sungjin looked through them all at once. It seemed that they were all doing well since all five hunters were alive in each of their parties. The parties that were progressing a bit faster had already killed the boss and were searching for the hidden boss. Right now, Sungjin was interested in the hunters other than the Chosen Ones. Right now there were four empty positions. He wanted to fill all four positions before the third 10 man raid, Chapter 17, arrived. After that, since there wouldnt be many people still alive, it would be difficult to choose someone that he liked. Sungjin sat and watched them as if he was watching several television screens at the same time. There might be someone outstanding, someone worth recruiting. Perhaps, there might be one of his old teammates. There was one person who stood out. The man that used spells in Baltrens party. He was an Easterner that shot out rather large fireballs from his hands. Hoh If its that much Looking at that, it meant that he had some skill. Seeing is believing. Sungjin prepared to go to that dimension. However, suddenly, a thought came to mind. Hrm, but Wouldnt they act differently? That seemed rather likely. If he appeared in person, then the Chosen One would be relaxed, while the other hunters would be confused. If he didnt want to be a variable and observe them properly, then he would have to hide himself. Sungjin chanted a spell. Freedom from all prying eyes, Invisibility. Sungjins body soon became invisible. Sungjin transferred to Baltrens dimension through Inspection, and just as he arrived, [Warning!] The Boss Monster Khrot and his followers appeared. Sungjin rubbed his hands together as he began to watch them. This should be interesting. Wearing a golden helmet, Khrot said in a dignified voice, Warriors! Show those warm-bloods the superiority of the lizardmen! His figure was completely different from just a while back when he had died insipidly after becoming a frozen lizard. Finally, the fight started. Sungjin stood away from the battle and did not intervene in any way. Of course, it wasnt like he would steal away contribution if he began wielding his sword. Instead, it was because he wanted to observe how the hunters would react. Uwooooh! Baltren wielded his shield and weapon as he fought at the vanguard. Because he was both recklessly and devotedly engaging in combat in the front, the other hunters could concentrate on attacking. Sungjin examined the other hunters one by one. There was a black man wielding a spear who attacked with an energetic and impressive stab. There was also a white man holding a sword with fast and flexible movement. There was an Eastern man using a bow who was hitting a rather high number of headshots, though not as much as Serin. However, of course, the person who stood out the most was the magician in the rear. He cast a spell on Baltren who was in the front, Fire Shield And created a wall of fire in front of the lizardmen that were holding bows to make it harder for them to aim. Fire Wall And held a flame in his hand as he went about burning the lizardmen. Fire Blast! Not only was the strength of his spells strong, but his utilization was also both proficient and meticulous. Hes pretty smart. Since he used fire spells while using the Pyromancer title, it seemed that the title was specialized for using fire spells in some way. Although the core of the team was the Chosen One, Baltren, the magicians powerful firepower was the teams main offensive asset. Hes really good Yeah. Sungjin sat on a hollow log in a nearby dry area with his chin in hand as he watched the magician. However, while he was sitting, Kyaa? A single lizardman accidentally bumped into the invisible Sungjin. At that moment, Sungjins invisibility came undone. Shit. Sungjin quickly swung Moon Specter and cut out that lizardmans throat, and then looked at the other hunters. It was a relief. The hunters were so focused on their own fight that they didnt see Sungjin at all. He quickly used, Invisibility And returned to being invisible. Whew Sungjin let out a sigh of relief as he began to secretly observe them again. The fight went smoothly. Thanks to Baltren who saved the hunters each time they had fallen into danger with impressive reaction speed, and the efficiency of the Pyromancer who grilled the lizardmen with incredible fire power, the hunters could sever the neck of the King of Lizardmen, Khrot, without much trouble. [Congratulations.] The hunters cheered as they heard the Operators congratulations. Yeaah! We did it! The Pyromancer was happy as he put out the fire he held in his hand. As Sungjin looked at that figure, he thought, I think he has enough skill? His participation didnt fall behind even when compared to Baltren. He would be able to use even more impressive magic if he received 20% of Sungjins stats. Now he had to check his personality. Lets first rest here before we continue. As the hunters each found their own place to take a rest at Baltrens words, Sungjin walked towards them. Invisibility He chanted the spell again, and soon his figure was exposed. The hunters who had been catching their breath after killing the boss were surprised by Sungjins sudden appearance. What the? Huh? The archer actually pulled out an arrow and pulled back his bow string. Although Sungjin could understand the reason, it still did not feel pleasant to have an arrow pointed at him. He slightly looked at the archer as he said, If you let that go, youll die. Even after Sungjin spoke, the archer kept the bow aimed at Sungjin. Meanwhile, having seen Sungjin, Baltren flusteredly spoke up. Ah Put down the arrow; hes not an enemy. At that, the archer finally took the arrow off the bowstring. Baltren continued and asked, Master Hunter, why did you Sungjin clapped his hands as he said, Ah, its nothing special. I just came to hold an interview. An interview? Yes, an interview. An interview to look for potential Chosen Ones. Ahhh I see. Baltren finally understood the situation and nodded his head. Aside from Baltren, the other hunters were still dumbfounded. Sungjin abruptly approached the Pyromancer and thrust his hand out at him as he spoke, Hello there? The Pyromancer looked up at Sungjin as he bewilderedly shook hands. Ah Hello. It might be confusing But Ill now conduct a test of sorts. What do you A test? Hrm Should we say its a kind of test where it would be really good for you if you can pass? Isnt that so, Baltren? When Sungjin looked at Baltren who was standing next to him, Baltren silently nodded his head twice. Sungjin continued, From now on, Im going to ask you a few things. Will you answer them honestly and truthfully? The guy looked him and Baltren before saying, Yes Sungjin stealthily touched his newly upgraded Legendary earring, Trite, as he asked, Whats your age, name, and country of birth? 23. TaeSeuk Cha. Im Korean. Aaah, I see. Besides Serin Han, it had been a while since he had seen another Korean person. Soon, his inner thoughts could be heard. But why is he asking something like this? And whats so good about it? Sungin threw a few more of the questions that he had thought up at night. Have you ever become a troll in the past? No. Of course not. What are you going to do if you do something like that and then receive a counter attack from the other hunters? His response was unclear. Instead of being You shouldnt troll in principle, he was of the position Its dangerous so I wont do it. Sungjin slightly changed his question. Hrm, then During a raid Has there ever been a time, where youve purposefully driven another hunter towards death in order to increase your own rewards during reward distribution? He listened to Sungjins question, then said, There wasnt? His way of speaking wasnt all that polite, and his thoughts werent any better. Huh Was there something like that? The answer was ambiguous again. There were people who convinced themselves of their own lies when they felt guilty after doing a bad deed. In some cases, they might be more dangerous than an evil person. I dont think this guy will work out. Sungjin licked his lips once, then tried to think of another question. We forgot to put the Romance of the Three Kingdoms reference note in yesterdays chapter. Here it is- Guan Yu was the most appropriate person in the Romance of the three kingdoms to call a Heroic warrior ?? ??. He was a complete man, With the strength of ten men (His weapon was extraordinarily heavy), a thorough understanding of strategy, godlike patience and tolerance (remember the story with the doctor operating on his arm?), unmatched ethics and morals, and unwavering loyalty. He was such a figure of inspiration that Cao Cao, a man obsessed with becoming the hero who will save all of China (Sort of a god complex) saw Guan Yu as his equal as a hero and respected him reverently. Cao Cao is famous for his great treatment of talented individuals, and none is more famous than Cao Caos respect for Guan Yu. Some people, including myself, believe that Cao Cao respected Guan Yu more than even Guan Yus sworn brother Liu Bei. When Guan Yu was killed, Cao Cao had the person who brought Guan Yus head killed and wore white funeral garb for months in mourning. He lamented Guan Yus death for the rest of his life and declared Liu Beis negligence has gotten the hero of the century killed. Cao Cao was also the person who officially deified Guan Yu. The quotation in the chapter is one such account of their interaction. Liu Bei has betrayed Cao Cao and has escaped to form his own country. But during the great exodus, his slow moving horde of peasants was caught by Cao Caos forces. During the Chaos, Guan Yu stayed behind to protect Liu Beis many wives and family. Cao Cao accepted Guan Yus surrender in return for the safety of Liu Beis familys protection. Guan Yu, during the time when he had no news of his brother, worked for Cao Cao. Even killing a former ally of Liu Bei to show his loyalty to Cao Cao. Cao Cao showered Guan Yu with gifts and titles, all of which Guan Yu refused except a legendary horse. So once Guan Yu heard of his brothers whereabouts, he immediately left. Cao Cao correctly assumed that Guan Yu would not want to leave without farewell so he refused to be visited so Guan Yu waited, but after days, he finally wrote a letter and departed. Cao Cao was devastated but sent a messenger ahead to allow Guan Yu and all of Liu Beis family safe passage. The quote in MHK is at one of these gates where an officer tries to ask Guan Yu to stay. Chapter 148 Chapter 148 C The Swamp of Khrot (4) Sungjin was about to ask the Pyromancer some more questions, but then the Pyromancers voice could be heard saying, Just who is this guy? Why is he asking these kinds of questions after appearing out of nowhere? Sungjin purposefully stopped the questions and gave the Pyromancer the time to think to himself. The Pyromancer looked between Sungjin and Baltren. Chosen One I heard them say something about interviews That Chosen Ones stats are definitely incredible. It might be a really good buff Is this person the one who chooses? Then I should try to look good. Having listened up to there, Sungjin asked him, Amongst what has occurred in the raids so far, what do you regret the most? In response to Sungjins question, the Pyromancers real answer could be heard first. Accidentally wasting 2000 Black Coins in the Auction House. However, his eyes darted before he answered, Ah Well Previously, I couldnt protect my teammates. He could suddenly hear the man quickly think. I should try to impress him. Though I dont know what being Chosen really means, it seems like a good thing. Sungjin grinned as he asked, You couldnt protect them? How? Ah In the past In that Ice Witchs Frozen Palace, my teammates were being frozen by the witchs attacks Sungjin was listening to his story without saying a word. If I exaggerate a bit here His surface thoughts could be heard first. Since I didnt use my spells properly They froze to death. I didnt do it purposefully, but it was because of me that my teammates died Of the things that happened in the raids, thats what I regret most. Ah Is that so. I understand Sungjin turned back from there. Starting from the Pyromancer, the other hunters eyes began to focus on Sungjin. Baltren approached Sungjin and whispered in a small voice. What do you think of him? Sungjin had already made a decision in his mind, but nonetheless, he asked Baltren for his opinion. Baltren, in your mind, what do you think of him? I think his abilities are decent, but Back then, when he was replying, it felt like he was lying about something. His attitude also changed a bit from what it was at first Perhaps it was because Baltren had originally been a police officer, but as expected it seemed that his senses were not bad. Sungjin didnt talk about Trite, but instead said, I thought something similar. Then Sungjin conclusively said, Hes rejected. That guy. It didnt seem like the Pyromancer was someone who was that bad or on the level of someone who would troll, but Sungjin could not bring in someone who lied for his own profit. I see. Sungjin patted Baltrens shoulder as he said, Good luck for the rest of the raid. If something happens, call me. Yes, I understand. Sungjin took a glimpse backwards. The Pyromancer was observing him from the corner of his eyes. Sungjin said to Baltren, Well, actually dont tell him that he failed. Since that might make him nurture a grudge. Of course. Then what would be good to say? Just tell him that if he passes, Ill come find him after the raid is done. Also, please keep silent on the information regarding the Chosen Ones. Understood. Baltren returned to his original position after listening to Sungjins words. As Sungjin watched the back of Baltrens figure, he once more hid the traces of himself. Invisibility. Baltren returned to the hunters and said, Well, since it seems like youve rested enough, lets go find the hidden piece. When Baltren returned, some of the hunters approached him. Likely, they were asking, Who is that person? Questions about Sungjins identity. As Sungjin watched them, he thought, Well Baltren will know what to say. He moved towards the edge of the swamp, where it was unlikely for the hunters to come. As expected Its hard, trying to find someone good with an upstanding character among perfect strangers Sungjin briefly considered, Instead of skill Should I just look at their character? However, that could also lead to some problems. The hunters that he had Chosen, Serin Han, Nada, Franz, Mahadas, and Baltren, were all people who had incredible skill even without the Chosen One title. Considering that the raids were something that 5 or 10 hunters cooperated together in, if one persons ability fell behind considerably, then he would stand out considerably. It could create a sense of inferiority for that hunter and could become a burden for the other hunters. Sungjin shook his head a couple of times. There are still a lot of chances. Since there are still several ten thousand hunters remaining. Sungjin held the Trollseeker Marble, when all of a sudden, a thought came to mind. Now that I think of it The cooldown for the Trollseeker Marble was 10 minutes. Also, the cooldown for Trite, the mind-reading earring, was also 10 minutes. If I find and kill the troll within 10 minutes, and search for people using inspection within 10 minutes He should have just about enough time. In any case, there were about 2 hours left. Sungjin used the Trollseeker Marble. Pursuit of Justice. This time, a troll was found. [Request for Dimensional transfer has been granted.] Sungjin left to go hunting trolls. * Shit! Why?! Just why are you doing this?! The troll spat out curses towards Sungjin as he ran as if his feet were on fire. However, a phantom horse suddenly appeared out of nowhere in front of him and blocked his path. Heeheeheeeheeeeeng! What Whats this?! The troll was surprised by the figure of the half-transparent phantom horse, and unbeknownst to himself, his tirelessly running feet stopped. At that moment, Shlick Two swords pierced through his heart. Sungjin pulled out his swords from the troll. He placed the items that had fallen nearby into his cube and asked the Operator for the time. Operator, how long did I spend in this dimension? [9 minutes and 21 seconds.] Besgoro spoke up. This took way too long. Theres nothing we can do about it. The boss in this map doesnt have a designated location and can appear anywhere his subordinates are killed Furthermore, who knew that the troll would be hiding in the wyverns nest. Hrmph. If I was in my prime, I could have found him in 5 minutes with Shadowrun. At Besgoros words, Heeheeheeheeng~ The phantom horse, Shadowrun, who was standing next to Sungjin gave out a short cry as if he had understood them. Sungjin simply dismissed his claim. Yeah~ Yeah~ He had to wait 10 minutes to use Inspection anyways. Inspection Sungjin once more peeked at the figures of the hunters in action. Lets see Who seems ok This time, the crossbowman in Franzs party seemed decent. While Franzs party was fighting the wyverns, he was turning the wyverns necks and heads into a mass of bolts from the rear. Though he hadnt particularly stood out when they were previously fighting the lizardmen, it seemed that his skill began to show when they met flying enemies. Sungjin went over to that dimension. There he again used, Invisibility And watched over them from a place where he couldnt be seen. Of course, the ace was Franz, who was wielding his two-handed sword without rest and cutting through the necks and tails of the wyverns, but the contribution of the man, Slayer, was not inferior at all in comparison. While he was expertly shooting his crossbow, he even cast spells. Force of nature! Restrain the enemy! Entangling Roots! Soon, roots welled out of the ground and tied up a wyvern that had briefly descended. The wyvern flapped its wings in surprise, but the tough roots grabbed tightly onto its ankles. At that moment, Franz ran in like lightning and cut out the wyverns throat. His teamwork is good. Sungjin watched them from close by until they had killed all of the wyverns. After the fighting was over, he showed himself. Huh? Who? Of course, everyone except for Franz was surprised to see Sungjin this time as well. Sungjin approached the Slayer and held out his hand. Hello. Nice to meet you. * Sungjin found a dry area nearby and sat down heavily. Far away, Franz and his party were walking in the direction of the temple where the Hydra was located. As he watched them, Haah Tch He smacked his lips once. The Slayer that Sungjin had interviewed was located at the rear of the party. Why are you disappointed? Sungjin shook his head at Besgoros words. No, its just When Sungjin spoke up, Besgoro strongly interjected. Theres no reason to be dissatisfied. In fact, this is for the better. Its better to filter out people like that from the beginning. Sticking around those people is just asking for trouble later. I guess youre right. Of course. Trust me. Im someone who lived on the battlefield for dozens of years. Though most of the throats that I cut were those of my opponents, quite a few of them were the throats of my allies. Really? Of course. You can find all sorts of people in a war. People who steal rations, people who pillage without approval, and even people who flee right before a fight saying they want to live. That kind of person Is the third case. Someone who considers only his own life when it becomes even remotely dangerous. Sungjin nodded his head as he listened to those words. Youre probably right. The interview with the Slayer hadnt taken particularly long. Sungjins questions and the Slayers surface thoughts were as follows. Have you trolled before? I have not. I dont feel like accepting the penalty to try it. Having been slightly off from the first question, he completely failed during the second question. Have you ever purposefully driven another hunter towards its death? When I ran away from the Hidden Boss in the Dark Elven City? The Hidden Boss of the Dark Elven City. That was none other than the original owner of Artemio, Swordmaster Calian. The Dark Elven Swordsman who even Sungjin had barely won against after fighting with his all. Since our tank was pushed back too much after fighting for just 1 second I fled first. But none of my teammates were following behind me. I regretted it. Sungjin was able to properly confirm his personality thanks to the Slayer making excuses for himself in his mind. Besgoro added, Who doesnt hold their own lives as important? However, once you start fighting, you should live together or die together with your allies. What should your allies do if you run away by yourself at the crucial moment? Theres no retreat on the battlefield, Im telling you. He was right. In any case, when they reached the latter half, there was no place to run to even if you did run away. If you were to fight, you could only fight together and win, or fight together and die. Sungjin said to Besgoro, I think what youre saying is right, Mister Besgoro. No matter how good their skill is, if theyre like that then they cant become our allies. At being complimented after such a long time, Besgoro said in a barely audible voice, Im telling you its Sir. After that, Sungjin spent the rest of the time alternating between hunting trolls and inspecting items. While obtaining items by hunting trolls was easy, obtaining allies was quite the opposite. In the end, Sungjin had to finish the raid after being unable to recruit any allies in this chapter. [Teleporting to the Black Market in 10 seconds.] [10, 9] Sungjin crossed his arms as he listened to the Operators countdown. He had walked around busily as he teleported to ten different dimensions, but there were no hunters that caught his eye after his difficult inspection. Well There should be someone in the next raid. The next raid was a 10 man raid. This meant that the sample size was twice as large. It was possible that he might meet someone with outstanding talent and a good personality, or an old teammate whom he already knew well. But that place truly was hell While Sungjin briefly thought about the past, he was teleported to the Black Market. Chapter 149 Chapter 149 C Black Market Thirteenth Shopping Biiing Sungjin appeared in the Black Market with the sound. As always, he sat in the cafe drinking coffee as he calculated the prices of the items. However, while he was doing this, [The Chosen One requested your teleportation.] [Will you accept the request?] Nada appeared above Sungjins cube. For her to be calling now after the raid was over, it meant that she had something she wanted to ask for herself. Nada? Do you need something? She went straight to her point. By chance, did you get an armor from this raid? A Legendary tier leather armor. Ah I did. Sungjin found Marbaht C Armor of Nobility from amidst the pile of items in front of him. Youre talking about this, right? Yeah, that. I want that to upgrade it. Dont put it up on the Auction House and sell it to me. Ahhh, okay. Nada brought her hand to her lips and let out a chu sound, after which she sent it to Sungjin. Thanks. Then, see you at dinner. Having suddenly received a kiss, Sungjin raised both his eyebrows. Afterwards, he examined his notes. Leather armor C Starting bid 8,000 Black Coins, Buyout price 10,000 Black Coins was written. Sungjin drew a line through it as he said to himself, Since I even received a kiss, I should sell it a bit cheaply. About six to seven thousand After a while, [The Chosen One requested your teleportation.] [Will you accept the request?] Someone else also contacted him. This time, it was Franz. Yeah? Ah, Mister Kei. Theres this helmet I received during this raid. I was wondering if you needed it. Really? Which one? Franz took out a golden helmet from his cube. It was the golden helmet that the boss of the previous chapter, Khrot, had been wearing. This is the Legendary tier helmet that I received this time. Take a look. Franz had the Operator show Sungjin the helmets specs. Arakadon C Khrots Helm Legendary Helmet C Defense 44% Passive Skill Magic Defense(III) C Receive 30% reduced damage from all magic spells. Active Skill Kings Campaign (V) C Summon 10 heavily armed lizardmen. They will protect their master until death. Hide your fangs and tail below the water. C King Khrot C It had good specs, as befitting a Legendary tier helmet. Ohh Its not bad? As soon as those words were said, Besgoro instantly replied, saying, Not bad? Whats even good about it? Kei, are you? Franz, unable to hear those words, continued to speak. The helmet youre wearing right now The appearance is also a bit So dont you think this would be better? That bastard!! Besgoro shouted furiously, but of course, it couldnt be heard by Franz. Sungjin barely held in his laughter as he said, Ah Thats true, but Ive gotten used to wearing this helmet. Just use it yourself Or sell it to someone else. Ah, I see. Then, see you soon. After Franz disappeared, Sungjin let out the laughter that he had been holding back. Puahahaha Perhaps Besgoro was angry, but he did not say anything. Sungjin consoled him, Dont get too angry, Besgoro. Maybe wearing around a skull didnt look too good or something. Besgoro let out a short snort. Hrmph. Sungjin rose up from his seat when he finished going through the items. However, this time, Serin Hans face showed up above the cube. Hey, Oppa. * Jararan~ Janjan jarararan~ Elegant classical music could be heard inside the building. This was the high-class restaurant Braziers Flame located at the center of the Black Market. There was a circular table and six chairs at the center of the completely empty restaurant. Soon, one, two Chosen Ones appeared next to Sungjin with a burst of sound. Piyun~ Piyun~ The first to appear was Franz. He looked around at the surroundings once. Woah Was there a place like this? He only knew that he was still in the Black Market when he looked out the window. Ah, here. I only looked at this place from afar, but I had no idea that it was like this from the inside. Nada was the next to appear. It seemed that she had visited this place before. Oh, you chose here? You have good taste, Kei. Afterwards, Mahadas and Baltren, the two men in their 30s, arrived. It seemed that they did not particularly care about the eating place. Baltren sat in his seat after he glanced at the showy decorations once, while Mahadas didnt even do that and simply sat in his seat while keeping his hands clasped in a prayer. The last to appear was Serin Han. She looked at her surroundings and beamed. Itd be great if we had dinner there tonight. It had been her suggestion for them to gather here today. She smiled as Sungjin had listened to her request. Once all of the Chosen Ones were gathered, Sungjin placed both of his elbows on the table and asked them, Everyone, how was the raid? It was hard, but we finished it properly. So did I. Me too. Sungjin raised his hand and then asked, Is there anyone who didnt achieve 100% completion? No one at the table raised their hand in response. In other words, everyone had successfully fought against the hidden boss and achieved 100% completion. The Chosen Ones had now reached the level where they could take the other hunters and carry them, just as Sungjin had done himself previously throughout Chapter 1~10. He then clapped his hands as he said, Good. Then lets order and eat together. The Hunters each held up the menus that were in front of them and ordered. Ill have the Beef Tenderloin, rare. Ros Pasta with Crab Meat. Fire-grilled Steak Quesadilla. The lion-man that had been waiting a step behind them politely wrote down their orders and went into the kitchen. All of the items that had been ordered could also be made by Dalupin, but the ingredients and cooking methods used in each restaurant were slightly different, so it was possible to enjoy different tastes. This was the reason why Serin Han had requested that they meet here. Soon, the lion-man brought out their dishes all at once and placed it in front of them. Please enjoy your meal. Each person held up a knife and fork, or spoon and chopsticks. After they had eaten for a while, Nada spoke up. By the way, there wasnt a new person today? Franz also spoke up. Indeed. Of the people you interviewed, were there any that you liked? Sungjin crossed his arms and said, There werent any. Unfortunately. At Sungjins words, Serin Han interjected, There will be more chances. Also, since the next raid is a 10 man raid, shouldnt there be more opportunities to observe even more hunters? Sungjin brought his hands together and responded by saying, Thats correct, but In truth, this upcoming 10 man raid is a difficult place, where even I cant guarantee clearing with 100% completion. Im not sure if there will be time to spare. Everyone was slightly surprised by Sungjins words. This was because it was the first time that Sungjin had spoken of a raid like that. You should receive the information sheet soon, but The next raid Is at the Great Plains of Barrastan. Whats special about this place is that It takes place on a battlefield. Battlefield? Sungjin touched his forehead as he said, Yeah. A battlefield where the human and demon armies are engaged in combat. The hunters join the human side, and the objective is to defeat the enemy commander. But this isnt that easy. Not only there are a lot of enemies, but the commander is also surrounded by his subordinate officers These guys are all difficult to deal with. Ehhh Hrm Sungjin turned towards the hunters and said, Ill help as much as I can, but I dont know if that will be possible every time. As such, you should mentally prepare yourselves tonight. Ill try to give you a more detailed briefing tomorrow morning. The somewhat nervous hunters nodded their heads to Sungjins words. * Four thirty in the morning. Like always, Sungjin went to Darker than Black. Welcome, Master Hunter Kei. You look healthy. In response to the Merchants greeting, Sungjin merely placed the used Trollseeker Marbles on the table and said in a dry voice, Charge the marbles. Operator, pay him. It seemed that the Merchant was a bit offended by Sungjins attitude. What. If youre going to be like this, then I wont sell, either. Sungjin stared at him briefly. Soon, the Merchant grinned and said, Ahh. Its a joke. The Merchant held the marbles and then placed them back on the table. When he did so, the marbles had regained their color. Here, take them. Sungjin took the marbles, and then said to the Merchant, Also, about what I asked you last time. That thing. Ah, this? The Merchant briefly changed into Edwards appearance. Sungjin disliked it but purposefully did not reveal it since it was likely that the Merchant would enjoy it even more if he did. Yes. That person. Did he come here? At Sungjins words, the Merchant nodded his head once and said, That will be ten thousand Black Coins. Sungjin said without hesitation, Pay. This time around, Sungjin had earned the most profit that was possible from the auctions through the Auction House. He could use ten thousand Black Coins in order to be able to know about that person. After his cube touched the Merchants cube, the Merchant said, He came. When? If you want to know that, then an extra fee Sungjin wrinkled his brow. Then, the Merchant continued, Is normally required But since youre a frequent customer here, Ill give you a special service. The first time he came here Was after the end of Chapter 10, and the most recent time he came was today at dawn. Today at dawn? The Merchant replied, Yes. Right now, hes still with me. Sitting in the exact chair that youre sitting on right now. Sungjin got up from where he was sitting and looked at the chair that he had been sitting on. To think that Edward was also sitting in this place. What does he buy? The Merchant closed his mouth at Sungjins question. That will always be a secret. Even if you gave me a million Black Coins, I wouldnt tell you. Sungjin didnt ask anything else. This was enough for him to deduce some facts. First, if came here after the end of Chapter 10, then it meant that he passed Arianes test. And then, if hes here now, then it meant that he was still alive. Then, soon Sungjin briefly stood up and thought about Edward. When he saw the Merchant grinning as he looked at him, he said to the Merchant, Just give me some elixirs. For the rest of my coins. * The hunters that were gathered in Sungjins dimension at breakfast time had somewhat grim expressions. Even the food they ordered, toast and cereal, was a bit modest. It seemed that this was because Sungjin had said, You should mentally prepare yourselves. With a grim expression last night. Sungjin thought, Did I speak too harshly last night? But decided to keep this atmosphere. The two who hadnt been in the party of Chosen Ones for too long, Mahadas and Baltren, seemed to feel somewhat less apprehensive, while Serin Han, Franz, and Nada, who had received the buff 5 to 6 chapters ago, seemed to have become somewhat nervous. Sungjin decided to help them as much as he could until the last moment and stimulated them a bit. I said it yesterday, but this chapter is very difficult. Theres no information on the location of the Hidden Piece or the Hidden Boss. So do your best everyone. Understood. Sungjin told them every piece of information that he knew. After they had left, he, of course, began to prepare himself mentally. This was because he was proceeding in this 10 man raid by himself. If he worked with other hunters, then the difficulty would decrease, and there would likely be more chances to search for allies, but problems could arise when distributing the rewards. He did not want to unwittingly commit troll-like actions. Sungjin held up Lathion C Star of Solitude and said, Solitary Training [You will proceed alone for the next raid. Difficulty will not be adjusted.] Shortly after, Sungjin was summoned alone to the Great Plains of Barrastan. Chapter 150 Chapter 150 C Great Plains of Barrastan Far away, past the horizon, the sun was setting. The plains were dyed red by the light from the sunset. However, there was oily black smoke rising here and there. At the same time, from somewhere a steady drum beat could be heard reverberating. Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Sungjin had been teleported to a battlefield where smoke could be seen rising in every direction. The Operators explanation could be heard. [Welcome to the Great Plains of Barrastan] [Once a peaceful, fertile region] [This place became a battlefield because of the invasion of the demon race.] [Warning. Having won the battle, the soldiers of the demon race] [Are looking around for the remnants of the human soldiers.] Sungjin turned to look at the vast Barrastan Plains. The corpses of humans and demons were scattered throughout the plains near him. There was a demon encampment just ahead. In truth, this chapter was a bit absurd in that you had to fight against an entire army with just ten people. However, Sungjin was just one tenth of that and had to fight against an army by himself. Sungjin did indeed have the stats and items that he had gathered until now, but it still wasnt an easy fight to win. The wind blew softly, bringing a familiar smell that invaded his nose. The smell of burning grain and flesh. Sungjin wrinkled his brow. On the other hand, Besgoro exclaimed excitedly, Mmm~ This is the smell of battlefields. Sungjin said to him, Mister Besgoro, be more serious. This chapter wont be easy even for me. It wont be easy? Then why did you come by yourself, instead of coming with other hunters? If I did that, then there would be more things to worry about. I wanted to settle things alone. Didnt you do it like that because it was possible to do so? Its possible, but Its really not easy to do so. Ahhh, I get it. Just trust me. Im someone who forwent marrying and lived in these kinds of battlefields for 40 years. Instead of not marrying, you couldnt marry While Sungjin thought this to himself, Moon Specters faint voice could be heard. Dont worry too much, Master. Ill also help as much as I can. Sungjin petted Moon Specter as he said, Aaah, yeah. Ill be relying on you. Besgoro interjected, Yeah, yeah. The phantom miss sure is kind hearted. At his words, Moon Specter was slightly embarrassed as she replied, No What are you saying Sungjin pushed out his lower lip as he listened to the conversation of the two. Though he didnt see the figures of the two phantoms every time, but Besgoro was a grandpa in his late 50s while Moon Specter was a young lady in her early 20s. If it was just that, then it was possible to call it a warm conversation between a grandpa and a young lady, but if you considered Besgoros past history, where he had liked Count Dimitris daughter, it didnt paint such a pretty picture. Sungjin ended the conversation between the two, and said, The fight is about to begin. Please stop chattering, you two. While Moon Specter replied straightforwardly, Yes, Master. Besgoro continued quietly, Eh, why, the lady is cute so I was Sungjin briefly recalled the offer Franz had made yesterday. Should I have just accepted that While Sungjin was thinking that, a hologram appeared from the Operators cube. Great Plains of Barrastan Raid Objective C Kill Commander Zeratar. Time limit: 3 hours 30 minutes. Sungjin glanced at and confirmed the time limit. Three and a half hours. You could say that it was a long time, but in reality, it wasnt actually that long since the map was large and there were many enemies. In any case, it was not long until the beginning of the raid. Sungjin prepared himself mentally. Until now, he had faced various bizarre creatures and had unusual experiences throughout the numerous chapters, but it was here, in the Great Plains of Barrastan, where Sungjins most painful memory was born. Sungjin, save me! Ahhhhhrg!!! It was truly a miracle that he had cleared this last time. The other nine hunters had died, and the chapter had ended when he had killed the boss monster while bleeding. It really was A hellish experience However, the result was that he had monopolized the reward for the 10 man raid by himself. It goes without saying that if you monopolize the reward, then there was an unbelievable number of items, Black Coins, and Stat Points. He hadnt desired it, but it did seem that being able to monopolize the reward in this chapter was likely one of the main reasons why he was one of the last 10 people remaining. Hrm Is that why everyone Now that he thought about it, there had been a person who thought, If I receive all of the 10 man raids reward, how much would that be? And had wanted to troll in the 10 man raid, Red Dragons Lair. I should finish quickly, and go troll hunting. I should be able to catch some big shots in this raid. And If possible, help some other hunters as well. Sungjin had this in mind as he swung his swords through the air a few times. In truth, although he had complained, but clearing this chapter shouldnt be that hard. It was just that the Hidden Boss would be a problem, as it might be on the same level as Ariane. If this was the case and the hidden boss was an existence whose strength was in a different dimension, then he might have to ponder on whether to attempt it. Lets find it first, and think about it then. Sungjin kept this in mind as he prepared his swords. After a short time, the countdown began. [The raid is starting in 10 seconds.] [10, 9, 8 3, 2, 1, 0.] [The raid has begun.] The formless barrier that had been draped over the plains disappeared in tandem with the Operators voice. Sungjin began to walk through the plains while holding his two swords. Besgoro said, Arent you going to catch them in a group like last time? Like that time when you froze the lizardmen all at once. Sungjin said in a quiet voice, That was possible since it was a 5 man raid. This is a 10 man raid. Even if its just regular monsters, I cant just fight them like that. Is that so? Then I guess you can only fight a guerrilla war. Thats right. A lone guerrilla. But Do you still call a person that exterminates the entire enemy army, a guerrilla? Good question. I dont know. However, at that moment, Moon Specter interrupted, Master, its the enemy. As soon as Moon Specter finished speaking, a team of demons arrived at the wheat field that Sungjin was in. Sungjin stealthily looked at the demons through the crops. In general, the demons had a large physique. About 2 meters in height, with bulky bodies, crimson skin, and yellow eyes. In addition, each of them had one, two, or even three white horns on their heads. It was similar to the normal image of a demon that most humans had. If there was something strange, it was that Sungjin could somehow understand what these guys were saying. Sniff, sniff. Hrm? Hey, cant you smell the scent of humans coming from over here? Yeah, its definitely the smell of humans. There was five in total. Sungjin held his two swords as he waited for the demons to come closer. Hey, isnt this the smell of a live one? Is it possible Right when they had come very close to him, he ran at the closest demon and swung Moon Specter. Thunk The demon could not even scream and immediately died on the spot. Human! The second demon saw Sungjin and shouted, but by then Sungjins other blade, Blood Vengeance, was already flying towards him. The demon urgently brought up his weapon and tried to block Sungjins sword, but Sungjins Blood Vengeance, as befitting of a Unique Legendary, cut through both the demons sword and his throat. However, since the demon was able to delay the attack with his sword, he was able to let out his death throes. Kuh kuh kuhk! Of the five, two had died in an instant. It goes without saying that the remaining three charged Sungjin as well. Three sharp edges flew in from the left side, the right side, and in front. Sungjin blocked the axe and spear that came in from the sides with his two swords, while he avoided the remaining blade by bending his body backwards. Afterwards, he tumbled backwards with ease and broke their encirclement. Perhaps because they were ambushed, the demons could not remain calm and recklessly attacked Sungjin. They lined up to attack him as they followed after him. This was no different from suicide. Surrounding didnt work, but you still come in a line? Besgoros comment was on the mark. As Sungjin cut the neck and weapon of the first demon approaching him, he rolled slightly and cut the ankle of the second demon. The third demon swung his axe at Sungjin, but he avoided even that by twisting his body. Thud The demons axe only cut a wide swath of land. Sungjin cut the now stuck demons throat as if he were beheading him. The three demons became powerless in an instant. Kuaaaaak! The second demon whose ankle was cut, was in pain since he was still alive, but it wouldnt stay like that for long. Sungjin pierced the demons heart with Blood Vengeance. Hooo After he finished the first battle, Sungjin breathed in deeply and then let it out. While doing so, he looked at the corpses of the demons lying on the ground. Originally these demons were hard to fight against even if 10 hunters ran at them. They were that powerful. They were strong opponents that could cause annihilation if you underestimated them because they were regular monsters. However, now Sungjin was at the level where he could win against them without receiving damage once. Moon Specter, who was usually silent, quietly opened her mouth and said, Master. It feels like your skill has grown compared to before. Really? Sungjin looked down at his hands, which were holding his swords. It seemed that not only did his stats grow and his equipment improve, but after experiencing life and death situations several times, his sword techniques had become even stronger. Yeah, even I can tell. Youre doing quite well, boy. Having listened to the two phantoms, Sungjin regained his confidence. It seemed that he had been daunted by the memory of his team being annihilated the previous time he had been here. He felt that besides the Boss Monster who was the leader of the army and the Hidden Boss whose existence he had no idea of, the normal monsters would not be able to threaten him very much. Good. Then lets quickly win, and assist the other hunters. And also go hunting trolls. Sungjin walked with light footsteps towards the origin of the rising smoke, the demons encampment. * Ten minutes before Sungjin started a one-man guerilla war. Serin Han, who had transformed into Mustafa, wearing a turban on her head and a shaggy beard, bowed her head as she spoke. Nice to meet you. Im Mustafa. I mainly use the bow. I also know how to use a little magic. While Serin Han was introducing herself, the attention of the nine hunters focused on her. As she felt their attention, she touched her earring. Soon, their surface thoughts came flooding towards her. Hrm Though you cant trust those guys from the Middle East. A Chosen One? What a strange title. Bow? It seems alright. He shouldnt be a troll, right? Now it was Chapter 14. Having become veterans who had experienced all kinds of battles over mountains and seas, whenever one of the other hunters introduced themselves, each hunter would look and try to figure out if he would be a help to him or the party, or if he was someone who would stab them in the back. Of course, Serin Han was no different. Im Xiao Hai. Nice to meet you. Im Westwood Wolsy. However, amongst them, there was one man that stood out. A pleasure. Im Edward. A tidy blond hair with white skin, a sharp nose, and blue eyes. A beautiful youth who wouldnt look amiss on a poster. Although Serin wasnt the type to fixate on the appearance of men, his good looks drew her attention. Serin who was staring at his pretty face then raised her gaze to read the title hovering above him. His title was Spellmaster. Huh? And at that moment, it finally dawned on her. This man Wasnt he on Sungjin Oppas list? Chapter 151 Chapter 151 C Great Plains of Barrastan (2) Serin Han looked through her memories for those regarding him. A blonde man, good-looking, Edward, Spellmaster. It was exactly the man that was on Sungjins list. Unlike the other people on the list, he was someone who was important enough to get a star written next to his name. Sungjin had even made sure to say, You must call me if you meet Spellmaster Edward. Serin Han stole glimpses at him. He was good-looking and smiled winningly; from his outward appearance, he looked normal. Is that man truly dangerous? He did not look dangerous at all from just his physical appearance. Serin decided to call Sungjin after clearing the Boss with Edward first. Sungjin did say, Call me after about 1/5 of the raid time has passed. Since I have to clear my raid as well. She kept an eye on him as she held her bow. I should first observe him until its time. Soon the raid began. Everyone. We should slowly go towards where the enemy camp is. They began moving while following some hunters lead. As the bow wielding Serin and magician Edward were dispatched to the rear, they werent particularly far apart from each other. Serin diagonally moved backwards and stole a peek at him. His flashy items and his good looks were both eye catching. He had the pointy hat most magicians used, a crimson robe that seemed to have some kind of magical glow, and a staff with three bluish crystal spheres embedded in it. It seemed that he was using pretty good items. While Serin was examining him, shouts were heard suddenly. Its the enemy! Its the humans! Serin looked towards the source of the voices. Five demons were looking at the hunters while yelling. Even though it was obvious that the hunters had twice their numbers, the demons didnt seem to be discouraged by it at all. Instead, they confidentially came charging at the hunters. Serin held up her bow. It was the crystal bow she had earned from Ice Palace in Chapter 11. She had gathered three and turned it into a Unique Legendary C one from Sungjin, one from Nada, and the last from the Auction House. She nocked an arrow on her bowstring and pulled. She aimed at the head of the demon who was in the very front and then let loose. Pew~ The arrow flew accurately towards the head of the demon. Serin was certain that she would hit the exact center. Her arrow would definitely pierce through the enemys brains. However, the moment the arrow that had been flying on target was about to touch the demons head, it bounced off. Tik! What? When the arrow was about to hit, the demon had turned and struck it with the horn growing from his head. Serin was a bit taken aback. She had seen Boss Monsters or stronger beings knock aside her arrows before, but it was the first time where regular monsters on the field were able to deflect them. In any case, the battle began while Serin was flustered. It was a battle to the death between the hunters and demons. But unexpectedly, it seemed that it was the hunters that were being pushed back. Each of the demons was holding a single weapon C a sword, an axe, a spear, a mace C and while they were each fighting two or more hunters, they were not being pushed back at all. If it was a 10 vs. 10 instead of 10 vs. 5, then the hunters would have been the ones who were losing their ground. Only 3 seconds after fighting, Serin, as well as the other hunters, realized, Arent these guys incredibly strong? Even if this was the case, the hunters could not exactly begin running away from the first battle. The hunters began fighting against the demons that were several times stronger than them. Serin, of course, pulled back her bowstring once more. Since the head would be moving ceaselessly in close combat, she instead aimed at the torso instead. Piin! Piin! Piin! This time all three had met their mark. The movement of the demons that were hit by Serins crystal arrows began to slow. Thanks to this, it was easier for the other hunters to fight the demons. As this happened, This annoying pest! a demon jumped high into the air and flew straight towards Serin. Serin leaped into the air and chanted, Sylphid. Soon, her shoes began to shine with a green light and moved her slightly away from the enemy. Serin continued to shoot arrows while she was floating in the air and flying backwards. One arrow. Piin! A second arrow. Piin! A third arrow. Piin! The demon was significantly slowed after being hit by all three arrows; enough that she could shoot more arrows at him while avoiding the horn on his head. Serin nocked an arrow that would be the final strike and pulled the bowstring. However, at this moment a hunter came flying towards Serin. This was because a demon had grabbed him and threw him at the floating Serin. Slyp She tried to use her active skill once more, but it was too late. She collided with the incoming hunter and fell over on the spot. Kuu The demon that had been slowed did not miss this opportunity and charged at the two people. Serin tried to get up quickly, but the demon was faster than she thought. When she thought, What do I do? The sound of someone chanting a spell could be heard. Flames of Purification! The moment the demon swung his axe at Serin, Fire Blast! It became very bright. When Serin came back to her senses and looked, Edwards blazing staff had pierced the demons heart. What was unique was that the flames on the staff had different colors from that of a normal flame and gave off a silver-white light. Serin now had a reasonable estimate of the opponents toughness thanks to her arrows. However, even though the demons physique was incredibly tough, that light would disintegrate the flesh where it touched instead of simply burning it. Having a hole pierced through the area of its heart, the demon fell noisily to the ground. Thud Edward held his staff in one hand as he extended the other to Serin. Are you okay? He pulled Serin up onto her feet when she grabbed his hand. Afterwards, they left towards where the demons were. Serin briefly looked at his back, before coming back to attention and shooting arrows once more. The hunters that had been on the defensive quickly returned to offensive. While the hunters kept the demons busy, Edwards spells and Serins arrows inflicted critical blows, and soon the demons died as they bled to their deaths. After the first battle was over, all the hunters took a breather. Whew As expected, a 10 man raid isnt that easy. Indeed. They seemed like a scouting party For them to be so strong At this moment, Serin stole a glimpse at her savior, Edward. It could have become a dangerous situation, but she had been able to escape the crisis thanks to him. He seems to be a kind person Is this person really dangerous? However, while she was stealing glimpses at him, her eyes met Edwards briefly. Serin awkwardly tried to look elsewhere, but at that moment, Edward said, For a man, your hands are pretty small. Serin slightly fumbled through her words as she said, Ah Yes, theyre a bit small. The mask from the Raccoon Merchant changed your outward appearance, but it did not change your body type as it was related to combat. Although the hand looked bigger than it was, if you actually grabbed it then it would be a bit small. Serin thought to herself, No way Did he find out? While Serin was worrying, one of the hunters said, Then, lets continue. All of the hunters headed towards the battlefield again. The second enemy group that they met had two more than the previous team, totaling to seven demons. The hunters were incredibly nervous. It wasnt easy fighting five of them, and now there were seven. Furthermore, there was a demon among the enemies that was using magic. Eternal Flames of Hell! Inferno! While someone was surprised and said, A normal monster is using magic? Edward used a spell to block the enemys magic. Anti-Magic Shield Having seen this, Serin took out an egg from her jacket and threw it into the air. Come out, Rin A single crimson falcon soon appeared from the egg. The name of the falcon that had just appeared was Rineshkha. The falcon that Serin called Rin for short was an immense in size whose wingspan measured 3 meters from left to right. Normally, she took it out for Boss fights and used Arabian Nights for Hidden Bosses, but she decided to use it here because Sungjin had said in the morning, In this raid, try to avoid the Hidden Boss if you can. Since the Hidden Boss in the 10 man raid Might be an existence whose strength is just incomparable. Even I dont know if Ill try it Im not sure. So, just think that theres no Hidden Boss in this raid. Okay? If theyre not going to fight the Hidden Boss, then she could take out and use Arabian Nights for the regular Boss. She stroked the falcons beak and said, While Im shooting the arrows, keep off anyone who tries to approach me. Ok? Kyaaak Having called Rin to be her guard, Serin began to shoot arrows without worry. The second fight was easier than expected. Part of this was because several of the Hunters had begun to use their Active Skills after feeling a sense of crisis from the first battle. High Tower! Exploding fist Heartless Strike The other part was because Edward began to throw powerful spells at just the right time. Ice Lance! Fire Ring! After shooting arrows for a while, Serin began to have a strange feeling. Even before she had become a Chosen One, excluding when she had first met Sungjin, she had always been the ace of the team. During the raid distribution, she had never missed being first in contribution. As they had proceeded into the latter half, the difference in contribution did begin to decrease again, but after she had become a Chosen One, her contribution levels had exploded once more. However, she now thought, This time, it wont be easy. Edwards spells were simply that strong. Regardless of this, she still did not like losing first place. Serin began to focus more while shooting her arrows. On occasion, the demons would team up to try and attack her. Kill that Archer bastard first! However, Rin would show up each time, clawing their faces and pecking their necks. Serin would use this opportunity to use Sylphid She kept shooting arrows as she retreated backwards. In this way, even if the demons did manage to come close to Serin, they would die after turning into pincushions. Just when the fight was about to finish, with their victory nearly assured, Serin put away her arrows and observed Edward. Lightning Bolt! It seemed that he also had a lot of mana. He wasnt exhausted even though he kept using magic. This person is really strong. Serin thought as she pursed her lips. Not only is he strong But looking from the outside, he looks like a good person. If this hunter wasnt one of Sungjins important people, then it was likely that she would recommend him to be their ally. Though, given Sungjins attitude when talking about him, it looked like there was no possibility of this happening. I cant forgive that guy. Regardless, Serin proceeded together with Edward to kill the enemies. Sungjin regarded him as the worst, but Edward seemed to harmonize well with his teammates, Ill cast a spell on you, so please charge forwards. And he would be the first to help others. Anti-Magic Shield. Because of this, Serin felt a bit confused. From her point of view, not only did Sungjin have a lot of experience, but he was also an incredibly cautious person. The judgments that he made during the raids were generally correct. However, she thought that at least his judgment of Edward was somewhat incorrectly made. I dont know what happened back then, but Serin thought of her earring. The cooldown for the Eye of Jeremiah was 10 minutes. She thought that she should investigate as much as she could as the raid progressed. Chapter 152 Chapter 152 C Great Plains of Barrastan (3) Sungjin pulled his two swords out of the demons heart. Kweeh The demon coughed up black blood along with a short shriek. This was the third scouting party that he had encountered. Sungjin looked around. The enemys encampment was right in front of his nose. Besgoro muttered, Now it really begins! As Besgoro had said, this was where it really began. Sungjin took out Lvain C Mantle of Darkness from the Cube. This was the mantle that Illich had used while running away from Sungjin. The outside was honestly as black as the darkness of Darker Than Black. Sungjin held the item and said, Equip The black mantle was equipped on his back, and Saels Breath C Mantle of Freezing, which had been there earlier, was folded neatly and placed in his hand. Sungjin threw it into the cube and said, Then, lets begin. After he switched mantles, Sungjin hid his presence and began to walk closer to the demons encampment. Even though it was in the middle of the day, it was quiet inside the camp. This was because the demon race were nocturnal by nature, and so their sleep pattern was opposite to that of humans. This had even been noted on the Information Sheet. Because of this, it was considered to be deep in the night for them at the moment, even though the sun was at its zenith. In the demons encampment, they were separated into squads. Although the exact reason for this was unclear, it seemed like this positioning was in response to the human forces siege weapons and magic of mass destruction. Their opposite sleep pattern, and the slightly separated squad barracks. These two elements were the primary reasons the absolutely outnumbered hunters could clear this chapter. Sungjin looked inside the encampment. Two guards were defending the barracks. They were yawning continuously as they stood near the camp entrance. Perhaps it was because they had recently won the battle against the human forces that they were not particularly vigilant. Afterwards, Sungjin checked the other places. In-between each barracks were round drums displaying some kind of writing written in blood. There it is. It was a drum that was used to quickly send out an alert in case of an ambush. If that was rung, then the sound of the drum would spread throughout the camp and the entire enemy army would be alerted, and fighting them would become far more complicated. Sungjin kept those two guards and the drum in mind as he went inside the encampment. However, the sounds of conversation could be heard from somewhere. Haha, this is pretty tasty. Right? I told you so. Its a delicacy. When he turned to look, Sungjin saw two demons having a meal near a fire they had set up at the outskirts of the barracks. They were eating some kind of meat as they talked about their victory in the recent engagement although it was unclear whether it was a horses meat or humans. But you know, those human bastards were weaker than I thought. Yeah. Everyone said that the human race was unparalleled in their cunningness. I dont know about their cunningness, but they were all cowards. If you killed one, then three of them would run away, so my spear probably stabbed more backs and asses than it did stomachs and chests. I know! Kuha. However, that demons laugh did not continue for very long. Woosh~ Hahahak? This was because Sungjins sword came flying out of nowhere and cut out his throat. The other demon that had been eating with him looked up at Sungjin in surprise, but that was the last face he was about to ever see. Pishik! His head was cut into two pieces from top to bottom. Two demons were killed soundlessly, and none of their kin had witnessed it since they were on the outskirts. Sungjin covered himself with the mantle and said, Shadow Walk. His figure soon disappeared. This item was better than the Invisibility spell because one- the cooldown was short, two- there was no mana consumption, and three- it could be invoked quickly. Sungjin headed inside the barracks after he had turned invisible. Inside, none of the demons were awake; they were all snoring loudly in their sleep. Sungjin walked close to them and slit their throats. As they were sleeping, they could not let out screams before they crossed the river Styx. After finishing the slaughter, Sungjin was about to walk out, when just then, a single demon approached the barracks. Sungjin sheathed his sword and waited right next to the entrance of the barracks. Hey, look here, its time to rotate shif After entering, the demon saw the corpses of his fellow kin and was about to shout in surprise. E It was likely that the demon had been about to say Enemy!, or Everyones dead?, or Everythings went to shit!. However, Sungjin had forcefully closed its mouth before it could shout and stabbed his sword in the demons heart. Guuu The demon tried to shout and scream but did not live long due to the a hole in its chest. Sungjin calmly moved the demons corpse inside the barracks. Shadow Walk He once more wrapped his figure with the mantle and walked out. There were three barracks in a camp. Sungjin headed towards the next barracks. As expected, everyone in the second barracks was also fast asleep. There was a single exception. It was a demon who was stroking his long toenail with his dagger. It might have been considered unsightly for a human being, but there was meaning for demons to do so. A demons nails were as hard as iron, so if they were ever without a weapon, those long, sharp nails could be used as a substitute. If one were to exaggerate a bit about a demons nail care, then it could be said to be similar to Kargos tempering the weapons. Of course, it was pitiful that those nails would never see any use. Slice The body of the demon who was taking care of its nails collapsed like a rag doll. Afterwards, Sungjin killed the rest of the demons while waiting for the skills cooldown to end. Shadow Walk He used the skill and walked to the last of the three barracks. Of course, everyone here was also in deep sleep. Sungjin began to end their lives one by one without much thought. However, while he was doing so, Hrm? Huuh? A demon with sensitive hearing rose from his bedding, and after seeing the throats of his allies being cut out, he shouted, EEnemy! Sungjin urgently cut out his throat, but he could hear noises coming from outside the barracks. What was that? Sungjin quickly exited the barracks. Outside, a single demon was standing there blankly. This was one of the remaining guards, as the other of the two guards had died earlier while trying to rotate shifts. He looked at Sungjin and then began running towards the drum. Pa! Sungjin shot out his sword Blood Vengeance once he saw this. Whoosh~ Upon hearing something coming flying towards him, the demon ducked his head by instinct and avoided it. However, the drum that was used to notify everyone of an enemy intrusion was right in its path. Blood Vengeance noisily pierced the drum. Buuk When he saw this, Sungjin slightly raised his hand and recalled his sword. Haa! Since his hand was in a different position, the angle of the sword also slightly changed as it returned. On its way back to Sungjins hand, Blood Vengeance completely ripped apart the drum. Having lost the tool to raise the alarm, the sole remaining demon shouted, Ambush! Its an ambush Of course, there was no reason for Sungjin to just let this be. He first used Moon Specter to stab the demons throat and shut his mouth and then used Blood Vengeance to cut the demon in half. Afterwards, Sungjin took a glimpse of his surroundings. There were no signs of life inside the base, and only the sounds of the wind that crisscrossed the plains could be heard. Whiiiiiiing It had been a successful ambush. Sungjin left to go find the next base. However, it seemed that Besgoro did not quite like this method. Hrm You said that it would be a war between one man and an army Even if its me, to fight directly against an entire army is too risky. After reducing the number of soldiers by going around the outskirts like this, Ill fight them head on for the final battle. Sure, you can do it like that, but will you be able to finish quickly like this? Sungjin replied with a confident attitude to Besgoros words. Of course, since time is relative. If its hard for me, then its even harder for the other hunters. * Serin pulled her bowstring more carefully than she had ever before. Next to her, Edward was chanting a spell. An unseen blade, Dark Edge. Soon, a large black needle-like substance appeared in his hand. Serin looked at Edwards eyes. Edward looked back and then nodded his head. This meant that he was ready. Serin counted, One, two, three. On three, the arrow on Serins bow flew out simultaneously with the black substance in Edwards hand. Pew Biiing~ They flew into the demons encampment and went through the demon heads. Pishut Pijook The demons that had been eating meat while chattering until just a moment ago collapsed on the spot while still holding the meat. After confirming the kills, Serin looked back and nodded her head. The other eight hunters prepared to move inside slowly once they saw Serins nod. The hunter that they had selected to be the party leader moved in front of them and said, From here on, we have to be careful. Dont make a sound, and in one stroke, He made a pantomime of cutting his throat with his hand. Wipe them out. Understood? Everyone nodded their heads to his words. The remaining hunters, as befitting of people who had survived until now, were experienced. They might not have known as much as what was said in Sungjins briefing, but they had a basic sense of how to go through this chapter thanks to the information on the Information Sheet. Furthermore, after fighting, not their main forces, but their scouting parties, they had all come to realize one thing. Its impossible to win in a direct confrontation. If infiltration and assassination were not possible, then the Power Balance in this mission would have clearly been to their disadvantage. Serin and the other hunters proceeded into the base one by one. There were two demons standing guard as they yawned. The hunter in charge held up two fingers and then swung the arm downward towards the two guards. Soon, four hunters armed with swords, daggers, and an axe approached the demons. Ku Kuh The demons let out short groans, but thankfully it seemed that no one had heard it. The hunters then began their attack on the barracks. Everyone in the first barracks they entered was asleep. Each of the hunters approached the demons as the leading hunter held up three fingers. Three, two, one. When all three were folded, they simultaneously shoved their blades into the demons necks, hearts, and heads. The first barracks was perfectly cleared. They left the corpses behind as they exited the barracks and headed towards the second one. Serin, who had been behind the hunters, did not follow the other hunters and stayed outside the barracks. In any case, the weapons of the other hunters were more suited to finishing the enemies inside the barracks than her arrows were. However, a drum came into her view. Theres a drum in each camp. You should either rip that first or annihilate the enemy all at once. Serin followed Sungjins words and took out an arrow. With the arrow point, she ripped the drum in an X shape. Riip. Riip. But at that moment, a shout could be heard from the second barracks that the hunters had entered. Its the enemyyyyyyy! It seemed that some kind of problem had occurred inside. Serin looked towards the third barracks in surprise. A squad of demons came rushing out from the barrack. They saw Serin, who had ripped the drum, and the hunters coming out of the second barrack. Serin jumped up in surprise. Even if they had ripped the drum, if even one of those demons escaped to the other camps, then the entire enemy army would charge towards them. The other hunters had the exact same thought as well. Without any need for discussion, they charged at the demons from the last barracks. Chapter 153 Chapter 153 C Great Plains of Barrastan (4) Having figured out the situation, Serin quickly pulled her bowstring. The moment one of the demons made it to a different camp, they would immediately have to fight the entire demon army head on. If that happened, then no matter how much confidence she had in herself, the party would be annihilated. She intended to pierce through the head of any demon that looked to be about to escape the camp. However, the demons prepared to fight instead of run. Everyone take up your weapons! It was a relief that they didnt scatter and flee, but the problem was the noise created by the clashing of weapons. Clang! Also, it was likely that soon the sound of someone screaming would spread. Kwaaaak! Kweeeh! Serin pulled back her bowstring while aiming at the demons forehead, but she couldnt let go because of her worry. What if it makes too much noise? However, at that moment, the sound of Edward chanting a spell could be heard. A Region devoid of waves, Silent Zone. After a moment, a wave of magic shining with purplish light appeared and spread from Edwards staff. At that instant, Serin could feel something peculiar. The feeling one received when entering a tunnel while driving a car, where your hearing seemed to become fuzzy. At the same time, click clang The sound of clashing swords could no longer be heard. It seemed that some kind of magical power was blocking the sounds. Serin let go of the pulled bowstring. When the arrow flew, the sound, pew, could not be heard. Also, the sound of the arrow stabbing itself into the demons neck could also not be heard. Regardless of how it was happening, there was no sound that escaped outside. Serin nocked a second arrow on her bowstring without a moments rest. A very intense, but quiet fight erupted. The demons fiercely resisted the hunters despite having just woken up. However, Serins arrows and Edwards spells slowly wore away the demons strength, and they started to be eliminated one by one. It seemed that even though there was no sound, he could still use magic. As the hunters victory was approaching, a demon that lost the will to fight turned his back and began to run away at a fast clip in the direction of a different encampment. Without any need for discussion, Edward chanted a spell and Serin drew back her bowstring. Quickly, tree branches grew out of the ground. The moment they grabbed the demons feet, Serins arrow pierced through its head. The demon failed to reach the outside of the encampment and collapsed on the spot. Their attack on the first encampment ended in a success as the hunters finished taking care of the remaining demons. After the fight was over, the hunters looked at Edward and soundlessly opened and closed their mouths. Ah, right. Edward must have said. Afterwards, he ended the spell and sound soon returned for the hunters. That was great, Edward! It was a good choice of a spell. Thanks to you we managed to finish it without any problems, Edward. The hunters gathered around him and heaped their praises on him. Edward modestly lowered his head. Serin looked at Edward with curiosity in her eyes. No matter how she looked at him, he did not look like a dangerous person. How strange. Then, lets proceed to the next encampment. At the leaders words, the hunters moved towards the boundaries of the encampment one by one. As they proceeded, Edward held up his hand to Serin and said, Before, your timing with the arrow was great. It was likely that he was asking for a high-five. Serin hesitated for a bit before she hit his hand with a slight sound. Although he had said that her hands were small for a man, his hands were also rather small. The hunters had found the location of another encampment and were walking towards it. Serin decided that it was a good time to find out the truth about him. She slightly touched her earring as she asked him, Mr. Edward, youre rather strong. How did you get so powerful? Hrm, who knows Probably Because my beginning stats were good? I think? Serin waited to hear his surface thoughts. However, she did not hear them despite waiting. This could only mean that what he thought and what he said were the same. Serin looked at him, and then added a rude joke in order to interrogate him. You didnt Do something like trolling, did you? He replied simply to her question. No way. His surface thoughts could not be heard this time as well. Serin was a bit flustered. Of course, I know that there are hunters who have become strong by trolling. However, I dont want to get strong by doing something like that. Isnt finishing these raids our objective? Even if you become powerful by trampling on others, it doesnt help you in getting closer to completing that objective. Serin looked at him blankly. His surface thoughts could not be heard at all because 10 seconds had already, but for some reason it felt like he was saying the truth. Serin made up a half-hearted excuse to him. Ah Yeah, I feel the same. That was a joke. Since youre just too strong, Mr. Edward. While Serin was speaking, the leader at the front of the party closed his lips and placed a finger in front of them. Shhh Now that she looked in front, the next encampments barracks were lined up in front of them. The hunters walked carefully towards the barracks. Serin looked at Edward, who had gone ahead, and thought, No matter how I look at it He doesnt seem like hell troll She would still call Sungjin later, but she felt that the three of them would have to have a conversation. Though it did seem like Sungjin would attack the moment he saw Edward. If I block him He should listen to me. Serin continued to think as she walked towards the second enemy encampment. * Sungjin looked around the bloody barracks. There were no living demons remaining. This was the fourth encampment. Sungjin had massacred all of the demons without letting a sound escape. Besgoro commented, That was cleanly done. Sungjin nodded his head as he said, As I continued, I got more and more used to doing it. Though at first Besgoro had looked at it negatively. However, his feelings toward it had slightly changed as they continued. If things go well, then it should be possible for you to annihilate an entire army through only assassination. Thats not possible. Do you see that rather showy, large tent over there? Sungjin held up Blood Vengeance and pointed it towards a barracks in the more inner region of the area. There, was a flashy tent embellished in red and purple. Yeah. Is that the enemy commanders residence? Yes. Sungjin answered him as he looked down. It felt like the area of his left abdomen, right below his solar plexus still hurt. This was where he had been stabbed by the commanders horn before regression. Sungjin ground his teeth as he thought, Im going to turn him into mincemeat. The security at that place is incredibly strict, to the point that no matter what spell or trick you use, assassination is impossible. In the end, you can only fight him head-on. I see. Well, in the end, what solves everything is fighting head-on. After we remove a few more squads, well begin the fight. Great. As Sungjin walked towards the next encampment, he began making a rough outline of his plan. I dont know who will be the Hidden Boss, but considering Arianes test from last time Itll undoubtedly be an incredibly strong opponent. I should save all of my abilities that I can use only once a day in order to deal with him. Sungjin checked over his options. The options that he had that could only be used once a day were Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Summons such as Cain and Soldamyr, and the Ring of the Great Sage. I should save all of these and then go for the hidden boss. Sungjin decided to avoid using them if possible. Although he could know only after he met the boss, it was possible that it was an enemy that he could not beat even if he used all of those at the same time. If there was a problem, it was that the raids boss, Commander Zeratar, was also incredibly strong. It was entirely possible that Sungjin might lose if he were to act carelessly. Last time when he had fought with nine allies, he had lost all nine of them. If things did not turn out as planned, it was possible that he might have to use one or two of his abilities. Of course, it was best if he could save as many as he could. Sungjin continued to massacre everyone while relying on stealth as he went through the next barracks. The time it took to wipe out the enemy was several times shorter than it had been before regression. This was because first, Sungjin had become used to doing this after repeating it several times, and second, as the total number of enemies had now decreased by a considerable amount, Sungjin was performing a bit carelessly and being cursory in finishing things up. Sungjin entered the barracks where the demons were sleeping and swung his two swords as if he were a windmill and cut out the demons throats. However, while he was doing this, he did not see the figure of a guard who had entered the tent in order to change shifts. The demon guard saw Sungjins incredible sword technique, which was rather impressive in that he was able to slice the demons heads that had tough skin, muscles, and bones. He quietly returned to the camps center and began to hit the drum to give the alert that there was an intruder. Boom~! Boom~! Boom~! As Sungjin walked out of the barracks, the sound of the drums could be heard. Ahh He realized his mistake. Whats happening, were we found out? asked Besgoro. Yes. I had wanted to fight after taking care of at least one more But it turned out like this. Boom~! Boom~! Boom~! Once the drum was heard, similar drum sounds resounded from somewhere else. Boom~! Boom~! Boom~! And from another place. Boom~! Boom~! Boom~! Soon, the sounds of all the soldiers rallying together could be heard. Its the enemy! Its a human! Arm yourselves! Sungjin placed Blood Vengeance in its sheath and took out Artemio as he said, Now, the only option is to wage war on them It wasnt long before a troop of heavily armed demons began to head towards Sungjin. There seemed to be around a hundred demons. There were not many hunter parties that could survive after fighting head-on against those demons. That was why the survival rate for this chapter was so terrible. A few hunters had even lost their wills to fight simply by seeing the sight of the demons. However, Sungjin calmly struck the first blow. Murderous thunder, Jump from foe to foe! Chain lightning! Murderous thunder, Jump from foe to foe! Chain lightning! Sungjin cast a spell with Besgoro and shot it towards the demons. The vanguards who charged courageously were hit head on by the attack twice and turned into ash. Of course, the enemies did not just stand there after being hit by magic. The demons were a race born with magic power. One of them that looked like a magician shot a spell towards Sungjin. Dark Spear! Soon, a spell shaped like a long spear came flying at Sungjin. Absorb Magic Sungjin absorbed it with Artemio, and then immediately returned it towards the demons. Expel Magic The magic spear that Sungjin shot out pierced through two demons as if it were a skewer. Sungjin continued on and chanted another spell to create illusions. What is real is fake and what is fake is real! Illusion! What used to originally create three or four illusions now generated eight phantoms. If he used the Ring of the Great Sage to pump up his magic power and then cast the Illusion spell, then perhaps he could create close to an army of several dozen illusions. However, that magic power would be more effective if used on another spell. Regardless, Sungjin charged toward the enemy lines together with the illusions that he had created. Thanks to the magic, instead of 1 versus 100, it now looked to be a 9 versus 100 fight. The nine Sungjins and the one hundred demons quickly collided. Chapter 154 Chapter 154 C Great Plains of Barrastan (5) Besgoro, Frenzy Soon, Besgoros eyes on Sungjins helmet shone with a crimson light and Sungjin began to slice through the enemies rapidly. Sungjin was naturally fast, but his arms became even faster. Moon Specter and Artemio ceaselessly sliced through the approaching enemies. At first, the demons pompously charged at Sungjin, but as the cutting rate of Sungjins swords began to increase, the demons started to shout in fear. Ahhh Ahhhhhhhh? In the end, the demons at the front closest to Sungjin began to show their backs and flee. Sa Save me! However, when they ran away, a sharp voice could be heard from behind them. Kill them! This command was not directed at Sungjin, but instead at the demons that fled from him. The demons who were waiting in the back mercilessly stabbed the demons who fled from the front to death. This was what Besgoro had spoken of in the past. I didnt kill only my enemies, but my allies as well I killed many of those who deserted the army, or fled. This was exactly what had happened. The demons who fled could only helplessly bite the bullet and charge at Sungjin. However, this did not mean that Sungjins accelerated sword swings would show mercy to them. Sungjin sliced the approaching demons again and again. While he was cutting the demons expertly, Besgoro spoke up and told Sungjin that the duration of the skill had nearly ended. 5 seconds remaining, Kei. Even as Sungjin swung his swords, he said, Moon Specter, prepare yourself. Yes, Master. When Besgoros Frenzy was over, Sungjin was surrounded by corpses of the demons. Sungjin placed Moon Specter in her sheath. Surprisingly, he was out of breath. Haah, haah Whether it was Besgoros Frenzy or Yanhurats Zealot, they both shared the same side-effect; Exhaustion. Sungjin already possessed an inhuman endurance and stamina, but even he could not help but become fatigued after swinging his swords so quickly. Haah, haah Sungjins shoulders rose and fell to the rhythm of his breathing as he caught his breath. The surviving demons from the front line looked at each other. Attack? Or no? At that moment, the sharp voice from before could be heard. The enemy is tired! Attack now! The demons charged again at Sungjin once they heard those words. Haah, haah Even as Sungjin gasped for air, when those demons were right in front of him, he took out Moon Specter and said, Deathly Wail. Kyaaaaaaaaaaaak! The form of Moon Specter appeared and shrieked. The demons were gripped by an irrepressible terror and fled backwards en masse. Kill them! Then, as expected, they were pierced by the blades of their fellow demons and died. If there was something different from the previous time, it was that they fled from Moon Specters shriek even though they knew that they would die doing so. Having become a Unique Legendary, there was something about the sound of Moon Specters shriek that created some kind of primitive terror. Sungjin and Besgoro were a little scared themselves as they watched Moon Specter trailing behind the demons as she shrieked. That lady Shes kind of scary when shes like that Regardless, thanks to her actions, Sungjin had been able to recover his depleted stamina and was now able to take care of the remaining enemies by himself. Once the vanguard had all died, the main force arrived. At the same time, the Operators voice could be heard. [Warning!] [Boss monster Zeratar has appeared!] Sungjin looked at the main encampment. In the distance, a demon whose height reached 2.5 meters (8 feet 2 inches) stood out. This was the very demon that had pierced him with his horn. Sungjin clenched his teeth and prepared to fight against him. Rather impressive for a human. Sungjin wordlessly glared at the demon. But, still powerless before my power, and my army. Powerless, my ass In truth, if he desired, he could choose one or two from Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Yanhurat, or the Ring of the Great Sage and quickly cut out the bastards throat. However, if he used those now, then it would be more difficult to fight the hidden boss who came after this guy. Zeratar said vigorously, Go forth! I will give a special promotion to the one who brings back his head! Soon, the heavily armed demons began to run at Sungjin. Sungjin ordered Besgoro to use Blizzard. All-freezing winds! Razor sharp ice! Blizzard Storm! The bodies of the approaching demons briefly paused in the gust of ice, and in that moment, Sungjin clenched his teeth as he forced his way between them. A bloody massacre began once more. What was different was that the speed with which he cut his enemies had decreased considerably from before. Not only was Sungjins stamina depleted, but the demons that he was fighting now were stronger than those from the vanguard. There was no doubt that the demons that were near Zeratar were elites stronger than the others. Not only did Sungjin have to focus on attack, but he also had to dedicate his attention to defense. If he did not, then it was obvious that he would be hurt. These bastards However, it was at that moment that a sharp purplish spear came flying towards Sungjin. Whiiz! It was flying at an incredibly fast speed. Sungjin had been countering almost all attacks, but he could not perfectly avoid something like this. The tip of the sharp spear grazed the nape of Sungjins neck. Sungjin saw his own blood for the first time in a long while; so long that he did not remember when the last time was. Kuu! Hey Kei Master, are you okay? The two phantoms worried over Sungjin. However, he did not have the time to reply. Once more, that spear came flying towards him. Sungjin blocked the attack by crossing his two swords into an x-shape. In an instant, a numb feeling crept over his hands. At that moment, Moon Specter shouted urgently, Behind you! Sungjin ducked without even looking backwards. Riiiiiip The sound of something cutting his mantle could be heard. Sungjin thought, This is dangerous. I have to escape from their encirclement. Sungjin urgently threw the Mapae located on his belt into the air. Hihihihiin~! The phantom horse, Shadowrun, appeared and gave a long neigh. All the demons were slightly surprised by the sudden appearance of Shadowrun, except for one. Stab! Commander Zeratars spear pierced through Shadowruns neck, and Shadowrun turned into ashes that drifted away. Sungjin apologized immediately Im sorry, Shadowrun. Even though he had probably returned to the stables at Ninety Nine Nights. Anyhow, thanks to Shadowrun, Sungjin had been able to catch his breath. And again, for the first time in a very long time, he turned his back to the enemy and ran. Zeratars voice could be heard saying, Catch him! As Sungjin ran, he asked Moon Specter, Moon Specter, let me know when the enemy commander reaches the very front. Yes, Master. Sungjin continued to run. Zeratar became overconfident once he saw Sungjin run after being wounded by his spear. This was exactly what Sungjin had hoped for. The demons chased after Sungjin without any need for orders, but Zeratar was the fastest of them all. He was originally stuck between his subordinates, but then he began to chase after Sungjin faster than them. Master, the enemy commander is at the very front. The phantom Moon Specter explained the situation to Sungjin, who was running while only looking in front of him. At that moment, Sungjin turned behind and swung Artemio twice. Expel Magic! Expel Magic! The two dark spears that he had absorbed in the fight before went flying towards Zeratar. Zeratar avoided the spears, as expected of the commander, but the two demons behind him could not. Kwaak! Kwaaahk! From the beginning, this was what Sungjin was aiming for: to get rid of two demons in the group that was following the enemy commander. On using both magic expels, Sungjin threw Artemio as if he were throwing an empty can after he finished drinking it. Pa! Zeratar brought up his spear and hit Artemio away. Clang! Artemio went spinning into the sky after being hit by Zeratars spear. Piiiiiing As Zeratar saw this, he muttered, Resorting to dirty tricks He prepared to keep chasing after Sungjin, but for some reason instead, Sungjin came running towards him. The two soon collided. Sungjin swung down with Moon Specter in one hand while Zeratar simultaneously stabbed at Sungjin with his purplish spear. Stab There were two blades that had flown through the air, but only one made a sound of impact. Kuhuhuhu. Zeratar laughed in satisfaction. This was because the moment Sungjins Moon Specter swung past Zeratar, Zeratars spear had stabbed Sungjin in the side. However, at that moment, a second sword appeared in Sungjins empty hand, a crimson sword that was dyed in blood. Zeratar urgently tried to pull his spear out from Sungjin. Snake Eye But in that very instant, the eye on the pendant that Sungjin was wearing opened and froze Zeratar; Zeratar became immobilized while he was trying to pull out his spear. At this instant, Sungjin used Blood Vengeance, which had stored enough of his blood, to slit Zeratars throat. Everything was decided in one strike. [Congratulations.] [Boss monster Zeratar Cleared] As Sungjin heard the congratulations of the Operator, he knocked away the headless body of Zeratar and pulled out the spear. At the same time, Sungjin let out a groan. Kuuh! Are you okay? Moon Specter asked Sungjin. Sungjin nodded his head as he urgently canceled Blood Vengeances Active Skill. Baptism of Blood [HP is below half.] The Operators alarm rang out the moment he said those words. In truth, Sungjin had screamed, not because of Zeratars spear, but because of Blood Vengeances Baptism of Blood. Sungjin had immediately grasped Blood Vengeances handle after he threw Artemio at Zeratar, and had quietly said, Baptism of Blood. back then He had used this trick in order to finish it off at once before the other demons could surround him. Afterwards, he had purposefully missed with Moon Specter and been hit by the spear. Zeratars spear itself was okay. This was because, truthfully, Sungjins health points were higher than most tanks, and he was wearing the armor made from dragon scales. The bigger problem was Blood Vengeance, which was now a Unique Legendary. The performance of this monster that now stole several times more of Sungjins blood every second was incredible, but it simply stole Sungjins blood just as quickly. Though, it was thanks to this that he was able to kill the boss of the 10 man raid in one hit. Sungjin looked at the enemies while bleeding, the demons that had been scared of Sungjin from the beginning. Once their commander died, the demons began to hesitate unconsciously. They soon began to rout as there was no one left to lead them. Kill them. said Besgoro. Sungjin watched their figures and then sat down without chasing them. What, arent you going to go after them? Sungjin answered Besgoros question. Those guys, well Its just a little bit of contribution First, I want to see the face of the Hidden Boss. Im also a bit worried about the other Chosen Ones. Hrm As he watched the fleeing soldiers, Sungjin briefly thought about the Chosen Ones. This raid definitely had some difficulty to it. It occurred to him that it could be dangerous if you had bad luck and a bad party, regardless of if there were 10 people. Sungjin called out the cube and took out the Star of the Nameless. Rename to Treasure Hunter It had been a long time since he had changed titles to Treasure Hunter. This was because he did not know the location of the raids Hidden Piece or the Hidden Boss. [You have been renamed.] Sungjin immediately asked the Operator, Operator, tell me the location of the Hidden Piece. Chapter 155 Chapter 155 C Great Plains of Barrastan (6) The Operator gave a verse in response to Sungjins prompt. [The last resort remaining to mankind] [was not able to shine thanks to] [the leaderships greed for recognition.] [During the demons surprise attack,] [Into the chest of a virtuous man, the holy object went] Hrm There was a weapon, but it wasnt properly utilized and is left in a righteous humans chest. It was a verse that was both easy and difficult. Sungjin turned and looked around. There were only demons in the Great Plains of Barrastan, and no humans. That is, living humans. Instead, human corpses were piled in unbelievable amounts. Besgoro muttered, Is it in one of the many corpses weve seen until now? Sungjin pursed his lips as he said, Thats probably the case. It seemed that to find the hidden piece all you had to do was search the corpses. Sungjin asked for the hint about the Hidden Boss. Whats the hint for the Hidden Boss? [A reclusive researcher of magic] [Seeking a way to replenish mana for research] [Flew to watch the war unfold] [Sleepily, he observes from the sky] [For Blue light to shine among the tiny lifeforms fighting below] Hr.m Besgoro simply said, I dont get this at all. Sungjin felt the same. This time he looked up at the sky. In the vast skies above the plains that stretched all the way to the horizon, bald eagles that followed the scent of corpses could be seen occasionally flying around. Theres probably no way that a bald eagle is the boss. Since its a reclusive researcher of magic, shouldnt it be a person? A magician that uses magic to fly around? There was no time to dither about. Sungjin briefly thought about the two verses, then quickly made a decision. Then, for now, Ill look through the corpses. While Im doing this, you two phantoms should keep a lookout from the sky. There might be something else flying around other than the eagle. Ok. Understood, Master Sungjin looked down at his waist, and then soon came to a realization. Ah Now that he thought about it, he had already used Shadowrun in order to escape earlier. Though hes the best in the plains Sungjin instead removed the magic carpet from the cube. He could also call out Rajenta, but did not since he could be used in combat. He felt that it would be good to call him out together with both Cain and Soldamyr for the Hidden Boss. Sungjin climbed on top of the magic carpet and then began to circle around the Barrastan Plains while flying low in the air. While flying around, he saw a place where human corpses were gathered; the demons had carelessly piled the corpses into a mountain. Sungjin stopped there and got off from the carpet. The bald eagles were still hovering about near the corpses. The eagles paused from voraciously devouring the corpses and turned their heads to look at Sungjin when he approached. Their eyes seemed to be asking, What do you want? However, Sungjin suddenly glared at them. Flap flap The eagles got scared out of its wits and they flew away once they felt Sungjins killing intent. Sungjin then approached the heap of corpses. Though you could get used to any odour, it was difficult to really get used to the smell of rotting corpses. Sungjin wrinkled his nose as he searched through the heap one by one. However, there was something strange about the bodies. Whether it was their pockets or their vests, any place where you could hide something had all been searched through. He did not know if the demons also liked gold or not, but in any case, it did not seem like he would find any kind of holy object from these corpses. Sungjin once again climbed on the carpet and circled the surroundings. There was another similar heap of corpses located not far away. It was about 1.5 meters tall. It seemed that the demons liked to make the piles in a manner that was comfortable to their own height. Sungjin went closer and once more searched through the pile of corpses. It seemed that the demons had gone through the heap here as well. There was nothing like a holy object. Besgoro muttered, If its like this When will we find it? Sungjin was also thinking the exact same thing. He then requested the cube to repeat the verse once more. Operator, tell me the hint for the Hidden Piece again. Soon, the verse could be heard from the cube. [The holy item is in a righteous humans chest] A righteous humans chest Sungjin climbed on the magic carpet and flew just a bit higher into the sky. There were countless piles of corpses like the ones he had seen till now throughout the Barrastan Plains. A righteous human He did not know what that meant, but it should refer to a human who was special in some way. It did not seem like the Hidden Piece would be in one of those piles. Sungjin decided to look around some more instead of thoughtlessly looking through the countless corpses. While going around looking for the righteous human, he also ran into a few teams of demons. They were the survivors who had scattered in all directions after Commander Zeratar died. In other words, they were deserters. Sungjin climbed down from the carpet and cut their necks each time he saw them. Not only did it increase his contribution, but it also filled up the health points he had lost while fighting Zeratar. Another reason was that he was also about to face the Hidden Boss soon. Every time Sungjin drew the demons blood, the life stealing ring on his finger would let out an eerie crimson light. It was not a scene you could see often. This was because, from the beginning, there were not many cases where Sungjin would take damage. Either way, Sungjin went around killing demon stragglers he occasionally found while also making sure to look out for special corpses from time to time. But nothing of the sort could be seen. Besgoro, Moon Specter. Do you see anything strange? Theres nothing other than eagles. No, I also havent seen anything other than eagles as well. Hrm Sungjin frowned. However, there was no particular method that could be used to search beyond this one. He once again circled the Great Plains of Barrastan while on the magic carpet. There was a stream that cut through the center of the plains. Sungjin searched the area around the stream since the area looked somewhat more special than the other places. He kept flying while following the stream. While searching near the stream, something peculiar caught his eye. There were bloodstains that were steadily headed towards the stream. Sungjin quickly landed near that area. Now that he looked, there was also the corpse of a horse nearby. Strange. Sungjin followed the bloodstains and walked next to the stream. When he did so, he quickly discovered a corpse that had died with his upper torso stuck in the stream. He did not know if it was righteous, but in any case, it was obviously a special corpse. Sungjin approached the corpse. Besgoro said, This friend here hurt his ankle after he fell off the horse. The fatal wound was Likely the arrow thats stuck in his back. Sungjin looked down. As Besgoro had said, the corpses ankle was twisted. It looks like he had crawled here after he was mortally wounded But its unlikely that its because he wanted a drink. Sungjin held the corpse and pulled it out of the water. Kuuh The smell of regular corpses was repulsive, but it was even worse in this case as the corpse had been in the water. Sungjin looked through his vest. The man, who was wearing a plate armor, looked like he had held a rather high position. Even if hes not the commander, he looks like the sub-commander? Sungjin cut off the plate armor with his sword. Inside, he was wearing clothes made of leather. Sungjin searched through it, but there was nothing to be found. Shit He had done this much, but for it to be in vain. Master. However, Moon Specter suddenly spoke up, There, inside his chest. Hm? At Moon Specters words, Sungjin examined the chest of the corpse. Inside the waterlogged chest, there was something giving off a blue light. Im sorry. Sungjin gave a short apology, and then cut open the corpses chest with Blood Vengeance. He then extended his hand and grabbed the round object that gave off a blue light. It was hard. Sungjin thought, Whats this? At that moment, the Operator made an announcement. [Congratulations! You have obtained the Hidden Piece] [Elendils Final Preparation] Good. It seemed that this man had purposefully swallowed this and drowned himself in the river in order to hide it. Sungjin did not know what this was, but in any case, since it was called the last resort, it was undeniably something important. And since the man had even attempted to protect this while he was dying, he was definitely righteous. Sungjin took it out and washed off the blood in the flowing water by the streamside. It was a gem. A strange, blue gemstone in which there seemed to be some kind of cloud floating about. A thought came to his mind as he looked at it, This is some kind of final bastion? But I feel like Ive seen this somewhere Sungjin, as he had always done, was about to hold it above his head. However, at that moment, the sound of something flying through the sky could be heard. Whiiiiiiiiz! Sungjin urgently placed the gem in his pocket and took out his sword. At that instant, a man appeared right in front of him. Thud! A beautiful man, approximately 180cm in height, with a long nose, blue eyes, and blonde hair. Sungjin looked at him. Whos this? Then, the man said, Hand that gem to me, human. For a human, to refer to another human as human. This could only mean that the man was something that had taken the shape of a human. Sungjin asked him, And if I refuse? The man simply replied, Then you will die. There was absolute confidence in his voice. Sungjin clenched his jaws. This man who had suddenly appeared from the skies was the hidden boss. And if it was as Sungjin had predicted, You Are you a Dragon as well? The man nodded in response to Sungjins question. Thats right. Im a Dragon. Between you and me, theres a gap in strength as large as the gap between the earth and the skies. I saw you killing those demons before. Youre obviously a strong human. However, even so, resisting against me is pointless. You understand what Im saying, right? Sungjin quickly began to think. So the Hidden Piece and the Hidden Boss were linked together. If I dont hand it over, Ill die Sungjin prepared himself mentally in order to fight the man. However, if he truly was a Dragon, then it was obvious that he would be on the same level as Ariane, if not stronger. A head-on fight is impossible. Then While Sungjin was thinking, the man asked, You Human, that blue ring. Just where did you get that ring? Amongst the many rings that Sungjin was wearing, the one the man was pointing to was none other than the Ring of the Great Sage. The Ring of the Great Sage that Ariane had gifted to him. However, now that he looked at it, it had the same gemstone as the circular gem that he held in his hand. A blue shape with clouds flowing inside of it. It seemed that the Dragon was looking for this gem. While Sungjin was thinking this the dragon again said,, Answer me. Just where did you find that ring? But, those words struck something inside of Sungjin. Although his mouth had been closed, Sungjin unconsciously opened it and said, I received it. From another Dragon. A Dragon? Yes. Hrm From whom? Sungjin kept his mouth shut this time as well. However, the man again repeated himself with a bit of strength, Answer me. From whom did you receive the ring? Sungjin attempted to keep his mouth closed, but it opened and answered the question. Ariane. Important please read- No1Oppa here. Im sure readers realize that the release rate has been slow since July end near for mhk and mchhs. I wanted to address the issue since many readers have been asking about the reason and I think it is your right to know. Back in July we did more work than we have in any month (I did more all-nighters than I have ever had on any work/project in my 21 years of existence) but it was on the ebook of mchhs. Summer isnt kind especially with the kind of heat we face due to all the climate problems, especially for a person suffering from Eczema. Gamjalvl1, who used to translate Master Hunter K before shifting over to Chemistry mid-August and giving it to Rin to complete, has been suffering from this skin condition since he was 3 months old. Its a disease that causes skin inflammation and his is at a very bad stage where it bleeds from all over his body. Its a disease which makes living itself painful. Summer came and Gamjas health dropped as his skin started coming off from everywhere due to the heat. He lost energy easily, fainted, dehydrated fast. Every summer is a struggle for him to go through not that the other seasons are kind to him, just that summer is even harsher. He couldnt work and chapters started getting delayed. Rin took over in August but since being new he isnt fast and so is unable to keep up with schedule+left over releases. Heres a Pic he sent me just now on discord of his hand right now at the present. (Dont worry we wont show summer bloody photos) The three translators in our team Gamja(chemistry), NaturalRice(Mchhs) and Rin(Mhk) are all aged 26+. They arent college kids with tons of time but individuals with jobs to sustain their livelihood and families to take care of. Gamja is married so apart from working 40h weekly job, taking care of himself, time with wife, he translates and edits with whatever time he has left. He also gets tired, he is human after all. Some people say we are lazy, we dont want to work on chapters. All I can say is for ANY content creator in any field, his audience is what that determines his worth. Without you readers, our translations would be meaningless. Releasing at a low release rate only harms us. We gain nothing. In fact, readers drop novels with low release rate. Releasing slow is the last thing we want to do. We want to release more chapters, attract a larger audience not the other way around. But life doesnt really work out as planned, right? I never wanted to talk about Gamjas illness in our 11 months of translating but when I read comments saying lazy I honestly get mad. I get angry. And the worst mistake I ever did was not sharing much about ourselves to you readers which made some of you think like this. If we had then it wouldnt have been so. So I blame myself. I should have been more communicative with you guys and thats what I will try do from now. Thank you. Peace. I didnt want to address this in end chapter note but many have told me that they dont really read chapter announcement post so I posted it here. Chapter 156 Chapter 156 C Great Plains of Barrastan (7) The Dragon had a suspicious expression in response to Sungjins answer. Ariane? Ariane gave you that ring? Sungjin had by now given up on refusing to answer his questions since Dragons had the ability to force people to talk simply by speaking. Thats right. She gave it to me. Really? Her? Unbelievable But Its even more unbelievable for you to have taken that after killing her Did you Have some kind of trade with her? While the Dragon was talking, Sungjin attempted to look for potential opportunities. What and how can I deal damage on him While he was pondering this, the Dragon once again spoke forcefully. Speak. What deal did you make with her? Sungjin unconsciously began to talk about what had happened with her in length. Ariane said that she would give me a gift if I managed to hit her once while fighting her with my all. And then she gave me this ring as the gift. The Dragon looked at Sungjin with narrowed eyes. His eyes glinted briefly. Oh ho Really? Then that means you succeeded in attacking her once, right? On that Ariane? Sungjin did not know if all Dragons were like this, but this one definitely seemed to be interested in the Ariane-style test. Sungjin said to him, Thats right. I inflicted damage on her. Thats why she gave me this ring. Sungjin decided to try and steer the conversation into conducting another Ariane-style test. Since the dragon referred to Ariane by her name, he was most likely similar in age to her, or perhaps even older. If that was the case, then he had no chance of winning since in general Dragons were creatures whose strength was decided by their age. However, if he spoke the right words and was able to bring about a single victorious moment like he did with Ariane, then it was not entirely impossible. He had already done it once. However, the dragon simply nodded its head. Hrm Really Thats how it was He did not mention anything about a test. I see. I understand now. Well, hand over that gem and that ring. I require those minerals after all. Sungjins jaw dropped wide. Besgoro added, What? Just what are we supposed to do now? The Dragon took a step towards Sungjin. Sungjin put the gem inside his vest and took out his sword. After having taken two steps, the dragon stopped in place and asked, Do you know what value those gems have? Sungjin briefly glanced down then looked back up and glared at the dragon as he said, I know. Really? The Dragon looked at Sungjin with surprise. Sungjin said to the Dragon the very words that Ariane had told him when she had given the ring. This ring Its an item that will help me overcome my tragic fate. Mmm? The Dragon made a strange expression once it heard Sungjins words. A face that seemed to say, What kind of bullshit is that? While Sungjin wordlessly looked at him, the dragon suddenly opened his hand towards Sungjin. Sungjin was incredibly nervous that some kind of spell would appear from it. However, the Dragon then said, Then should I read it? What? The moment Sungjin tilted his head, he was suddenly overcome with the feeling that he was being pulled towards the dragons hands. Sungjin tried to jump backwards in order to prevent being pulled towards the dragon, but at that moment, the feeling disappeared. When he looked downwards, he was at the same place. What was that? Dizziness? As he did this, the Dragon lowered his hand and then suddenly grinned. You arent someone from this dimension? You died and then repeated the same thing It seemed that in that short moment, the Dragon had looked over Sungjins past. Sungjin wordlessly looked at the Dragon. It truly is a tragic fate Is that why Ariane helped? The Dragon muttered to himself. Sungjin saw a little bit of hope from that. Regardless of how the talks went, it was fine as long as it was not a direct confrontation. However, Your situation is pitiful, but I still have to receive the gem and the ring. Those items are absolutely necessary for my magic research. It seemed that this Dragons personality was quite different from that of Arianes. Its rather regrettable. You struggled diligently, only to reach this conclusion. If you hand over the ring, you lose the chance to overcome your fate. If you dont hand over the ring, you lose your life. There are only sad endings remaining for you. Still, Ill give you the freedom to at least choose the ending. Thats why, tell me. Will you hand over the ring and survive? Or will you not hand over the ring and die? Sungjin briefly considered the Dragons words. Was it possible to win if he fought against it with all of his strength? It was likely that he did not have a chance. If that was the case and he handed over the ring here and survived, how many Chapters more could he clear? After all, Sungjin had become the last one alive even without the ring. It was possible that he could somehow clear the final chapter even without the ring and become the savior of humanity. Sungjin grasped the Ring of the Great Sage in his hand. However, he felt that he would regret things if he handed this over now. Until this point, he had never once run away from a fight against a boss monster. He did not want to do so, no matter how strong the opponent was. Not to mention, he couldnt help but dwell on Arianes words. She had obviously said that this ring was a ring that would let him overcome his fate. Sungjin wordlessly stood there for a moment, then shook his head as he said, There isnt a choice among the ones youve given that I want to choose. I wont give you the ring, and Ill survive this place. Those wordsDo you mean that youll resist me? Sungjin did not reply and took out his swords. Seeing that figure, the Dragon smirked as he said, Thats fine. Then Ill end your tragic fate here. After he spoke, the Dragon took a step towards Sungjin. Soon, the Operators voice could be heard. [Warning! Hidden Boss] [Magic Researcher Archaeard has appeared!] It was the Operators warning that he had heard countless times until now, but Sungjin was startled. Aahh, wait a moment! At Sungjins cry, the Dragon stopped walking. Whats this? Werent you energetically coming at me just a moment ago? Did you change your mind now? Sungjin asked him, Youre Going to fight as you are? In human form? Thats correct. I lived for a long time in the human world. Thats probably why A humans body has become more comfortable. This form seems to be a bit more admirable aesthetically as well. It might be a bit strange to say this But I dislike returning to my original form. It seemed that he was a bit of a strange one. Okay. Regardless, give me a moment to prepare myself for the fight. About a minute. You can give a human who is about to fight against a Dragon that much time, right? Ok, sure. A minute. Ill prepare a bit myself as well. He pointed to an empty space as he said, Summon Soon, a staff was summoned. The staff had a body made of gold and a bluish sphere embedded in it. When he closely examined it, the bluish sphere seemed to be of the same material as the Hidden Piece that Sungjin had acquired. Is it that he already has some, but requires more? While Sungjin considered this, he quickly took out the items that he could take out. He first threw Cains wooden figurine and Rajentas egg into the sky and rubbed Soldamyrs lamp. The summons looked at the Dragon that stood right in front of Sungjin. Cain and Rajenta did not know how to speak, but it seemed that they could instinctively feel that this was an incredibly strong opponent. They both cried out threateningly. Woof Woof! Kyaaaaak! The Dragon looked at them without much thought, but the moment Soldamyr, the only one of the summons who could speak, saw the Dragon, he flusteredly spoke to Sungjin. Good God Master, this time Is it a Blue Dragon? Sungjin glanced between Soldamyr and the Dragon. Things like scales could not be seen. The one thing that he could find out was that the Dragons eyes were blue. Ah, that guys a Blue Dragon? Yes. You can tell by looking at the color of their eyes Originally, theres an unspoken rule that Dragons change the color of their eyes to match the color of their scales when they polymorph so that they can recognize each other. I see A Blue Dragon. Then he should be proficient in Blue Magic? Of course. Sungjin briefly examined the Dragon. He was holding a staff, and the Operator had even described him as a Magic Researcher. Sungjin wordlessly placed Blood Vengeance in its sheath and took out Artemio. Soldamyr added, Be careful. Its not obvious because hes naturally strong, but that dragon I think his Magic Power is stronger than the Red Dragon you met last time Sungjins nervousness returned in full at those words. Stronger than Ariane. Doubts about whether he had a chance to win began to rise. However, there was nothing to be done. He had already decided to put his life on the line and fight. Sungjin said to his summons, Cain, Rajenta, Soldamyr. This might be my last fight. Please do your best. They each replied to Sungjins request. Woof Kyaang Understood. Though my ability is poor, Ill do my best to protect Master. Sungjin continued and spoke to the two ghosts. Besgoro, Moon Specter. Please do your best until the end. What are you saying? Your last will? Are you planning to die here? Dont say such things. Master, Ill help you to the best of my ability. No, I dont mean that, but it is possible that this might be our last fight. Dont worry; youre stronger than that big lizard. Of course, Master. Sungjin grinned as he heard the two ghosts encouragement. He then prepared the last item. Operator, will you take out Yanhurat? Sungjin took off the necklace he was wearing and wore Yanhurat on his neck. It had been a while since he had last worn it. Yanhurat began to rapidly whisper to Sungjin as if it had been holding back until now. Kill! Kill! Kill! Kill! Sungjin did not ignore the voice this time. If there was a single chance, then he would not ignore the voice. Sungjin then took out the Star of the Nameless. This took some consideration. Should he boost his stats with Master Hunter or increase his damage with Dragon Slayer. In truth, he could not estimate which was better. However, the length of time he had asked from the Dragon was just one minute. Sungjin did not ponder for long. Rename to Master Hunter. It was possible that Dragon Slayer was better, but he had fought until now with the optimized stats from Master Hunter. Whether it was swords or spells. In any case, it was probably better that he fought with the setting that he was most used to. Also, he did not know why, but he thought that it would be better to die with the title Master Hunter equipped if this truly was his last fight. After having changed even his title, Sungjin finally took out and held Romance of the Three Kingdoms. He then said to the Dragon, Im ready. Really? Then lets begin. Then, the moment the Dragon finished speaking, he suddenly added another sentence. Pierce them to death, Ice Spear. Soon, an incredibly immense icicle flew towards Sungjin. Sungjins eyes opened wide as he raised Artemio high. However, before the icicle had reached Sungjin, the dragon added another sentence. Freeze to death, Blizzard Storm. Chapter 157 Chapter 157 C Great Plains of Barrastan (8) An enormous gale raged once the Dragon finished speaking. A gust where it would be difficult for a normal person to remain standing. Cain, Rajenta, and even Soldamyr could not move properly in that gale. However, Sungjin regained his footing and was able to precisely hit away the ice spears that came flying towards him. Absorb Magic Soon, an incoming ice spear was absorbed by Sungjins Artemio. Artemio briefly shivered on its own before giving off a violet light more fiercely than it had ever before. It was as if the spell it had absorbed was too much for it to handle. The power of the spells that the Dragon had shot out was simply that much stronger. The problem was that these abnormally strong spells were sent flying one after the other. Even the chants that he used to cast were completely different as well. Be cut to death, Wind Cutter. Even though the Dragon was speaking nonchalantly, the many emerald colored blades flying towards Sungjin were enormous. Sungjin ducked his head, jumped, and bent his waist as he avoided them acrobatically. However, his shin was lightly cut by the last blade. Kuuk! He thought that he had avoided it but hadnt been able to because his body had become slightly stiff from the violently raging blizzard. Sungjin slightly bent his knee. He couldnt afford to be attacked one-sidedly any longer. Substitute Reading For now, he activated Romance of the Three Kingdoms as he simultaneously rang Manyata C Masters Bell. Ring Ring Once it rang, Cain and Rajenta who were cowering before, now began to move quickly. At the same time, Gourmets Monocle started reading the book. At that time, when Sima Yi reached Xicheng like a storm on his horse, Zhuge Liang was sitting on top of the gates by himself as he played the zither. Woof Woof! Kyaaar! The Dragons gaze turned to the two beasts briefly. The Dragon held out his hand and drew a small circle in the air as he said, Freeze, Frozen. Cain and Rajenta froze in place when the Dragon finished. Sungjin was taken aback, but even still, he did not miss the slight gap that was created by their sacrifice. Expel Magic Sungjin swung Artemio. Soon, the ice spear that he had absorbed previously shot out. The Dragon seemed to be slightly surprised when the spell that he had cast before began to return towards him. Hoh However, the ice spear that Sungjin shot out was sucked into the Dragons hand with a single word. Return. It was just like Artemios Absorb Magic. While Sungjin was surprised, Soldamyr spoke up from behind him. Master, Blue Magic does not work on that Blue Dragon. Tch Sungjin bit his lower lip. His own specialty was naturally Blue Magic spells, but since he could not use Blue Magic, Sungjin decided to run towards the Dragon with his two swords in place of magic. However, at that moment, Rajenta, who had been frozen next to the Dragon, broke free of the ice and charged at it as well. Kyang! Seeing that Cain was still frozen, it was likely that Rajenta was able to regain mobility because of the Royal Griffins inherent magic resistance. Under the influence of the Masters Bell, Rajenta charged at the Dragon with incredible speed. However, in that instant, the Dragon disappeared from that spot. While Rajenta was puzzled, the Dragon appeared above Rajentas back. Rajenta was unable to see, but Sungjin was able to barely perceive the Dragons movement. The moment Rajenta was about to swoop down on the Dragon, the Dragon had quickly jumped and landed on Rajentas back. Royal Griffin Is it the bloodline of the Imperial Family At that time, the crimson energy that surrounded Rajenta dissipated. The period of invincibility from Manyata had come to an end. Sungjin urgently ran towards the Dragon, but by that time the Dragon had already used his staff to strongly strike downwards at Rajentas head. Rajenta collapsed on the spot with his wings and legs spread apart. Grind Sungjin ground his molars as he ran at the Dragon. In rush current. Soldamyr held lightning in his hands as he ran towards the Dragon together with Sungjin performing a simultaneous attack from both sides. The Dragon stabbed his long staff towards Sungjin as he held out a hand to Soldamyr and said, Begone, Spirit. Sungjin barely avoided the staff that abruptly came flying towards him by ducking his head. At the same time, Soldamyr suddenly became transparent and passed through the Dragon. The lightning that Soldamyr held still continued to crackle, but it looked as if it was no longer a part of this world. Only Sungjin was left. He could not let the sacrifices of his allies be in vain. Sungjin elaborately swung his two swords at the Dragon. Even this dragon, who had blindly shot out spells with short chants could not use magic once Sungjins swords were flying at him. He could only swing his staff to defend himself. Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang! Sungjin swung his swords more intensely than he had ever before. However, just like with Ariane, the Dragon blocked his every strike. Sungjin waited for the substitute reading of Romance of the Three Kingdoms to finish. If he received the buff from that, then the battle would turn in his favor. Soon, the sound of completion of the substitute reading could be heard. Whereupon, fearing Zhuge Liangs schemes, Sima Yi retreated. [Seance of Zhuge Liang activated!] If its Zhuge Liang, then itll be a civil servant. However, civil servant typically increased stats related to magic. [Passive Skill C Rapid Cast (III), Increased Mana (III) applied.] [Active Skill C Desperate Maneuver(I) available for use] As expected, skills related to magic were applied to Sungjin. Why couldnt it give me Zhang Fei Like it did against Ariane. When Sungjin briefly complained in his mind, the Dragon, who had been only defending, attacked Sungjin with the end of the staff. Sungjin avoided it and launched an attack at the same time. He attacked simultaneously with both Moon Specter and Artemio, but the Dragon avoided the trajectories of the two swords with a strange movement. Sungjin chased after the Dragon. However, the Dragon then grinned. Sungjin continued to swing his swords as he thought, Whats with this guy? He continued to swing his swords even as he wondered. However, the Dragon, which had originally been using both hands to hold the staff to block Sungjins attacks, now held it with just one hand and blocked all of Sungjins attacks. While Sungjin was surprised, the Dragon said, Your sword skills are rather impressive. Sungjin was angered when the Dragon appraised him. However, no matter how he attempted to create a gap, the Dragon did not allow a single attack to land on itself. Cla~clang! Clang! Clang! The Dragon continued to speak even as the staff and swords clashed countless times. But, I have already fought against many swordsmen that had reached the pinnacle. Incredibly incensed, Sungjin thought, Lets see if you can block this. He swung Moon Specter from top to bottom and Artemio from left to right simultaneously. An attack that was difficult to perform without the ring of the Siamese twins. However, the Dragon inserted his staff directly into the intersection point of the cross slash. Claang! Sungjins two swords and the Dragons staff interlocked in one spot. The Dragon grinned as it said, Youre just one of many. Guguguuk When Sungjin attempted to pull free by force, the Dragon pointed his empty left hand at Sungjin. Master, danger! The moment Moon Specter gave a warning, a wave of incredible strength could be felt from the Dragons hand. Explode. Energy Bolt Booom! With a thundering noise, Sungjin was sent flying far away once he took a direct hit from the spell at close range. He was dazed by the incredible impact, but he was able to recover mid-air and land on his feet. Kuu His abdomen agonized him as if it had been pierced. He looked down and saw that the armor made from Dragons scales had been ripped apart. If he did not have that, then it was possible that he might have simply died on the spot. However, he did not have the time to think about that because the Dragon was now slowly walking towards him. Sungjin quickly considered his options. Should I use Yanhurat now? However, if he used that, then rational thinking became impossible. If it did not work, then he would die immediately. He would have to consider it after first using the Ring of the Great Sage. Sungjin decided to find a way out using magic instead of physical force especially since the man most famous for his intellect in the Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Zhuge Liang, had been chosen. The passive skills were Rapid Cast and Increased Mana And the active skill was Desperate Maneuver. For now, Sungjin shot out a spell towards the approaching Dragon. Fire Ball! And quickly followed it up with a second shot. Fire Ball! Two spheres of fire were shot out one after another. The Dragon that had been walking towards Sungjin briefly stopped and created a wall of ice. Arise, Ice Wall The first flame that Sungjin had shot out popped once it hit the wall. Booom! It stopped after melting a circular shape in the center of the ice wall. Booom! The flame that came afterward did break the ice wall, but it did not hurt the Dragon at all. It was possible that the Dragon had used his spell to match the size of the approaching fire balls. Shit While Sungjin clenched his jaw, the Dragon asked, Hrm? A human with rapid cast. Werent you a Swordsman? This time, Sungjin shot out a stronger spell together with Besgoro. Inferno. Inferno. He cast two more spells right behind the first spell. Inferno! Inferno! Four gigantic flames over 5 meters tall burned the land as they flew towards the Dragon. This time, the Dragon just pointed below his feet and said again, Arise, Ice Wall! A wall of ice nearly as big as a building was created below his feet. The Dragon watched the approaching fire balls from on top of the wall. The four flames that Sungjin fired hit the ice wall one by one. The ice wall melted quickly once hit by the fire, but the Dragon that was on top of it smoothly rode down the melting ice with frustrating casualness. As expected With magic its He could not inflict damage on the Dragon even after borrowing the strength of Romance of the Three Kingdoms. Actually, it might have been his hubris to have attacked the Dragon with magic in the first place. Once he reached the ground, the Dragon tilted his head. How are you able to use magic like that? As the Dragon asked, he saw Romance of the Three Kingdoms floating next to Sungjin, and turned towards it. Hoh, this is The power of a legendary omnibus, interesting. For the Dragon to look somewhere else even though Sungjin was standing right in front of him, was a spectacle that was an immense blow to Sungjins pride. However, Sungjin had to take advantage of even opportunities like this. After killing you, I will take this as well, human. I will have to use it as a research material. I came searching because I heard that there was a Sky Gem in the human army, but There is more loot here than I expected. During this time, Sungjin began to think quickly. In accordance with the situation, Romance of the Three Kingdoms recommends the most appropriate hero Even if the passive skill doesnt do much The active skill should do something. After using it, I should use all of my means right afterwards. Thats the best I can do. After organizing his thoughts, Sungjin put Artemio away and took out Ariane. Then, he used the Active Skill that he had received from Romance of the Three Kingdoms. Desperate Maneuver. Chapter 158 Chapter 158 C Great Plains of Barrastan (9) [Active skill Desperate Maneuver applied.] Sungjin kept his gaze fixed on the Dragon as he kept an ear open for the Operators voice. He would decide his strategy based on what the Active Skill was. [Desperate Maneuver: When MP is completely exhausted, consume HP instead of MP.] What? Sungjin was surprised but did not let it show. Consume HP instead of MP? Then when I use magic All sorts of plans appeared in Sungjins mind. However, he did not have the time to review them one by one. Instead, Sungjin made a simple decision. In any case, I can only win by using magic. For the moment, Sungjin threw out both of the spells stored in Artemio. Expel Magic! Expel Magic! Giant ice spears flew out from Artemio. The Dragon held out his hand and absorbed them just as he had done before. However, that did not matter since, from the beginning, Sungjin was only aiming to buy time. Pa! After expelling the spells, Sungjin shot Artemio at the Dragon like he did earlier at Commander Zeratar. The Dragon struck the approaching Artemio with the end of the staff and deflected it high into the sky. Clang! Afterwards, he grasped Artemio, which was spinning in the sky, by its handle. This was impossible unless you could read its trajectory and velocity, and precisely read the amount of strength required when parrying it. The Dragon glanced at Artemio and examined it closely. As befitting his nickname Magic Researcher, he seemed to have a lot of interest in magic related items. Hoh, this Is this a sword that can absorb the power of magic and then expel it? This too Ill have to take it with me and study it. Saying that hell take someone elses sword and what not, the Dragon was maintaining quite an arrogant attitude. Arrogant bastard. Lets see you stay cocky after this. cursed Sungjin as he took out and held Ariane with his empty hand. Though the Dragon did not know, taking out Ariane was no different from indicating that Sungjin would use the Ring of the Great Sage. Sungjin first ordered Ariane to handle half of the mana cost. Mana Flow Ariane, the sword made from a Dragons heart, began to quietly cry out. Oooom Sungjin continued and initiated the Active Skill of the Ring of the Great Sage. Amplify Magic Soon, the Ring of the Great Sage gave off a bright light. The Dragon saw Sungjin doing this, yet still looked at him with eyes filled with curiosity and not fear. Hoh So, you know how to use that? Sungjin immediately launched a spell at him. Fireball! It was not just a fireball. It was a fireball after Sungjins Magic Power had been amplified by five times. This incredibly huge fireball had completely destroyed the Ice Palace of the Ice Witch. The Dragon Archaeard, who had been relaxed until just a moment ago, showed a flustered expression for the first time after seeing the fireball. What? Arise! Ice Wall! Arise! Ice Wall! It seemed that the Dragon was not satisfied even after creating two layers of ice walls as he cast a defense spell on himself. Protect me! Anti Magic Shell! The Dragons calculations were right for the most part once again. The flame that Sungjin shot broke through the Dragons ice walls one by one and then crashed against his Anti Magic Shell. Booooooom! The Dragon Archaeard was astonished. Even though he had been able to roughly guess the power of the fireball after seeing its size, it had been several hundred years since his magic defense had been damaged. No way Had there been a time when a humans spells have been this strong? While the Dragon was surprised, Sungjin charged at it with an unbelievable speed. Flustered, Archaeard urgently held up his staff and began to block Sungjins attacks. Clang Clang Clang! Having perfect proficiency with both hands thanks to an item allowed Sungjin to make unpredictable and flashy dual-sword style attacks. If it had been an inexperienced Dragon, then he would have already turned into minced meat. However, Archaeard was different. He had already regained his composure before even a few seconds had passed. Clang Clang Claaang! This was because he had already received Sungjins attacks dozens of times. The Dragon Archaeard was a scholar. Having read thousands of books on magic and combat and having fought tens of thousands of times, he was akin to a living avatar of war. The level of Sungjins attacks was something that he could perfectly defend against with his experience. However, he had a small lingering doubt. Why did he stop using attacking with magic and return to hand-to-hand combat? It was obvious that the spells cast using the Sky Gem were threatening even to him. But the human came charging back with the same swordsmanship which had previously failed to work against him. Now that he thought about it, he really began to wonder. However, shortly after, Archaeard was able to come up with a reason. This guy. He doesnt have enough mana. The fireball that he had just shot out was a spell that was obviously beyond the what a human was capable of. Even if he used the ring embedded with the Sky Gem to drag out his Magic Power, he was incapable of doing anything about his mana. Since he cant use it many times, it seems that he wanted to create a diversion to end it with his sword. With this in mind, Archaeard began to look for a chance to counter attack as he used his staff to block Sungjins swords. His sword technique was impressive, but there were still portions that were somewhat predictable. At the perfect moment, he would stop the humans attack with his staff and counter with magic. This was the Dragon had planned. Meanwhile, Sungjin was doing his best to try and memorize every swing of their weapons as they continued to duel. He never counted on defeating a dragon with a mere fireball. It was used to draw its attention away. The real fight begins after the time reversal. That was Sungjins true aim. Because the opponent was a blue dragon, he was worried that the dragon might notice his time reversal magic. He had only one chance. Even with Zhuge Liangs Increased Mana and Desperate Maneuver, it probably would not be possible to use a class 10 spell twice. So once the close quarter combat progressed to a certain extent, Sungjin resolved himself and intentionally pushed himself away from the fight. Illusion He used magic to create clones. With five times the Magic Power, the total number of illusions reached twenty which left the dragon Archaeard in shock. For one thing, He still had more mana? the fact that he still had mana at his disposal was surprising. The other was the effectiveness of the spell. No matter how familiar he could get with the opponents sword style, that only applied in a one on one situation. If twenty of them were to attack at once, he could face serious danger. The dragon hastily chanted a spell. Go away, Gust Wind! Five of the clones were blown away. They rose high into the air and disappeared with a poof upon landing. But there were still fifteen Sungjins remaining. Archaeard chanted another spell. Fry! Chain Lightning! Of the fifteen, seven disappeared with a poof. Unfortunately, the original was not among them. The Dragon frowned and cast the final spell. Return! Dispel Magic Now only four out of the eight remained. But that was it; even with shortened incantation, there was no more time remaining to cast more spells. The remaining four Sungjins charged at the Dragon and surrounded him. And together as one, they attacked. The Dragon prepared to face the clones. Even Archaeard himself was forced to guess which one was real. He swung his staff and knocked away the Sungjin on the right as he dodged the sword from the front. He was forced to take the attack of the Sungjin to the left and the one in the back. The swords found their mark, but no sounds were made. Only Piff the sound of a sword hitting the ground could be heard. The real one was directly in front of him. Archaeard quickly used his staff to knock the sword away and grabbed Sungjins now empty hand. He then confirmed by touch that this one was real. Ha ha ha A reverse psychology. I had guessed that you would choose to come from the front or the right where my staff is. Sungjin looked into his eyes and said, How smart of you. But the moment you made that guess you already lost. Dragon grinned at his words. What is this? Bluffing when youre caught by me? The moment the dragon spoke, Sungjin recited a spell greatly condensed by the power of the Romance of the Three Kingdoms. Time reversal. Sungjin began to travel back in time. The Dragon let go of his hand then Sungjin began to be hit by magic that the Dragon had cast in reverse order. Dispel Magic Chain Lightning Gust Wind Each time he was hit, his clones increased. This was the side effect of playing the video backwards. And around the time Sungjin cast the illusion spell, he stopped the time reversal. Stopping at his convenience rather than be taken to the limits of his mana, he was able to learn that he could control when to stop going back in time with the help of Soldamyrs experiments. If he wants the time to resume moving forward during time reversal, the spell ends there. Once arriving at the frame of time of his choosing, Sungjin recited the spell again. Illusion But unlike last time, he felt his body strangely ache. The Operator said, [Mana at 0%] [Desperate Maneuver] [Health will be consumed instead of Mana] It seemed that he had used all of his mana with Fireball, Illusion, and Time Reversal. Regardless, Sungjin attempted to recreate the exact same situation as the past. Twenty copies of Sungjin. The real one stood at the very back to prevent himself from being hit by magic. Go away! Gust Wind! Fry! Chain Lightning! Return! Dispel Magic! After three spells had passed, Sungjin sent the three fakes towards the right, front, and left of the Dragon, while he himself went to the back. Then, they attacked the Dragon as one. The Dragon, the same as before, avoided the swords of the copies that approached him from the right and in front. The original Sungjin which had circled behind the Dragon struck out heavily with Ariane towards the Dragons right hand which held the staff. Snick! The Dragons hand was cut away, and the staff that the hand had been holding fell to the ground with a thud. The Dragon looked behind him with wide eyes. His eyes seemed to scream, Not the front, but at the back?! Sungjin continued and swung Moon Specter. However, the Dragon held the other hand towards the Moon Specter even as it approached and shouted, Let go! Sungjin unconsciously dropped Moon Specter that he had been holding. However, he could not let go of this opportunity. Time flowed as if it was in slow motion. At the same time that he dropped Moon Specter to the ground, Sungjin grasped the sheathed Blood Vengeance and once again raised Ariane towards the sky. The Dragon was about to shout something, but Sungjins Ariane was faster. The black sword, whose damage had been upgraded by several times with the activation of the Ring of the Great Sage, swung down on the Dragons shoulder without mercy. The Dragons mouth, which was about to chant a spell, let out a shriek instead. Kwaaahk! At that instant, Sungjin was certain that he had grabbed ahold of a chance for victory. He took out Blood Vengeance from its sheath as he shouted, Besgoro! Frenzy! Yanhurat! Lets kill him! TL NOTE: Just an interesting side note. When the Dragon catches Sungjin, he says this: Hu hu hu ????(̓̓) it was. With korean phonetics hu hu hu hu hu shil shil iguna Huhushilshil is a tactic/strategy used to disguise the valuables by making it appear as though it is devoid of content (Empty fort strategy used by Zhuge Liang is actually a subset of huhushilshil) Chapter 159 Chapter 159 C Great Plains of Barrastan (10) Once Sungjin shouted, Besgoro immediately activated Frenzy. At the same time, Yanhurats voice began to urge Sungjin. Kill! Kill! Kill! Kill! Sungjins blood boiled uncontrollably as he swung his sword at the dragon at the speed of light. But still, the Dragon was able to display his fearsome dodging abilities that came about from his experience and instincts. However, even that was not enough. Kill! Kill! Kill! Killllll! Sungjin, who grew more and more crazed by Yanhurats shouts, wielded his swords even faster and struck the Dragons arms and legs. As he did so, he used the synergy of Besgoros Frenzy to make his swords move even more rapidly. It was the combination he had used to lay many foes to rest beginning with the genius swordsman Calian. Amidst this, the Dragon attempted to withstand the pain and chant a spell, but Sungjins furious blades did not allow him. * When Sungjin regained consciousness, a warning came out from the Cube. [Danger. HP below 10%.] Sungjin caught his breath as he took off Yanhurat that he had worn around his neck. Huk huk When he turned around, there was an unidentifiable corpse. Incredible! Kei! Besgoros congratulations were followed by Moon Specters compliments. Good work, Master. However, even then, Sungjin could not put his mind to rest. Huk huk As Sungjin caught his breath, he looked at the slab of meat for a few seconds, then finally relaxed. Huk Kuuh Hem. He had used all of his active skills, and his HP, MP, and stamina were all exhausted. He had truly used everything. If the Dragon got up again now, then Sungjin would not be able to deal with it. Whew Sungjin let out a sigh as he collapsed on the spot. He couldnt help but grin. He tried his best to hide it from the ghost to keep up their morale, but earlier when they were exchanging spells and blows, he kept thinking to himself that it was impossible and it could not be done. But in the end, he had done it. I did it. Sungjin clasped his hands together and shook them once. However, it was at that moment that a bright light suddenly appeared in front of his eyes. A dark blue, almost navy, light. Chiiiiiiiing~ Sungjin was startled as he looked at that light. When he looked closely, he found that the light appeared from the corpse that he had previously cut up. The light became brighter and brighter, and then seemed to become a sphere. Sungjin turned his head and gazed at the Operators Cube. The Cube which had previously warned him of his low health was silent. It did not announce the customary Hidden Boss Clear! No way As Sungjin trailed off, the sphere finally began to steadily grow bigger. The sphere slowly changed into a spherical figure. A gigantic lizard with wings. That is to say, the figure of a dragon. Even Besgoro, who was always in high spirits was at a loss for words. By God Moon Specter, who always had positive things to say, could not hide her thoughts. How in the world Of course, the most surprised was Sungjin. He had poured out everything and won C no, he had thought that he had won, but everything was for naught. Sungjin wanted to deny what was happening. However, a dragon of incredible size, one with blue scales, soon appeared in front of Sungjin. Even by roughly estimating the size, he was at least twice as big as Khal Gal. Sungjin looked up at the Dragon. Then, he used Moon Specter to help himself up and said, Thank you, Besgoro and Moon specter. The two had nothing to say in reply to Sungjins words. It seemed that even those two had realized that now there was no chance for victory. The Dragons immense eyes flickered downwards and gazed at Sungjin. Sungjin muttered to himself, Then, the last fight. He said this to the two phantoms as well as to himself. Sungjin held up his two swords. Even if he was to die, he would put up a final resistance. However, at that moment the Dragon said, Polymorph, Self. Soon, that gigantic body began to coalesce into a single light. Sungjin glared at that light as he continued to hold onto his swords. It was during this that the Operators voice suddenly rang out. [Congratulations! Hidden Boss] [Magic Researcher Archaeard cleared!] Sungjin blankly looked at the cube. Then he looked back towards that light. The coalescing light had returned into the form of a human; to the form right before they had started their duel. He picked up his staff that had fallen to the ground, and said, Return. The staff soon disappeared. Then, the Dragon made its way towards Sungjin. Although he had heard the clear notification, Sungjin was still nervous as he watched the Dragon. The figure approached close, then suddenly began to applaud. Clap clap clap The sound of his applause spread throughout the vast plains. Sungjin looked at the Dragon up and down. Besgoro muttered, Is he no longer going to attack? At that time, the Dragon spoke, Amazing. Very Impressive. Youre the first human to forcefully undo my Polymorph. What is your name? The Dragon raised his hand and held it out towards Sungjin. Instantly, Sungjin lurched, as if he was about to cut that hand. The Dragon then said, Ahh The fight is over. Human, I no longer have any intention of fighting. However, Sungjin did not let down his guard. The Dragon looked at his own hand, then took it back as he said, But It seems you also have no intention to shake hands with me. Sungjin did not say anything. The sound of clearing did come out from the Cube, but he could not move rashly in front of the opponent that he had attempted to kill until just a moment ago. They did not make a promise from the very beginning like he had done with Ariane. The Dragon continued to babble on in front of Sungjin. Incredible. Exceptional sword technique and borrowing the power of a legendary omnibus, well Those were indeed impressive, but More than anything Your tenacity was amazing. That glint in your eyes that you shot at me, who had returned to my original form. If it was a normal human, then he would have fallen into despair To think that you thought of fighting me even then. I had been curious why Ariane had given you something like that But it seemed like that there was reason to do so. Sungjin did not feel particularly happy despite receiving this Dragons praise. While Sungjin kept glaring at him, the Dragon suddenly asked. By the way How did you use Time Reversal? Sungjin was startled by the Dragons question. In Time Reversal, the time flowed backwards only from the users perspective. Because of this, others would not be able to remember anything. However, the Dragon knew that Sungjin had used Time Reversal. At this time, the Dragon spoke up, as if he had read Sungjins mind. You do not have to be so surprised since I am someone born with the blue scales. Furthermore, for the past thousand years, studying magic has been my main diversion. The Dragon did not explain in detail, but it was enough to understand a little. According to Soldamyr, originally magic had belonged to Dragons. Blue, Red, Green, White, Black. He had said that the five colors of magic had originated from the color of the scales of Dragons. As such, if it was this Dragon, who was a Blue Dragon, then it was natural that he would know some parts of the greatest Blue Magic, Time Reversal. Furthermore, the Operator had said that the Dragon was a Magic Researcher. As expected, was it because of that ring? The ring that Ariane gave you? Sungjin did not say anything, but the Dragon was able to ask and answer his own questions rather easily. As expected. That ring was not a ring that simply increased your Magic Power. What effects does it have? Sungjin simply blinked as he stood there, this time as well. The Dragon did not ask again. He simply held his hand out towards Sungjin and muttered something. Once more, Sungjin staggered. No, he did not stagger, but it felt as if he had staggered. Oh, oh. Thats how it is. Sungjin had felt this before as well. Though he did not know how, it seemed that the Dragon was able to use the palm of his hand to read Sungjins memories. I see. Incredible. To be the item of the Great Sage, Anatol It truly is An envious item The Dragons eyes shone as he looked at the Ring of the Great Sage that Sungjin wore. Despite his handsome appearance, at this moment his expression transformed into an epitome of greed and avarice. Upon seeing this face, Sungjin, who had just let go of his anxiety, became incredibly tense once more. Though in truth he did not have any chance of winning if they fought for real, but he couldnt just hand it over without trying. However, the Dragon soon gave up on the ring. However, as promised before. I will leave that to continue shining on your finger. As Ariane had said, that is an item that is directly connected to your fate. In truth, to me, it is simply an antique and does not have much use. The Dragon who was enthusiastically carrying on the conversation alone in front of Sungjin suddenly decided to leave. Then, farewell. Undergoing Time Reversal, was a rather refreshing experience for me. Though I did not particularly desire for it, but thanks to you, I was able to study something good. Snap The Dragon snapped his thumb and middle finger. Then suddenly, a long elliptical portal appeared. A portal that looked as if someone had attached a zipper to the air and then opened it. The Dragon extended a leg into the portal. Sungjin kept looking until the end to see if he would leave or not. However, Besgoro then spoke up. What, is this guy leaving without giving anything? Now that he had thought about it, this Dragon had not given anything like Ariane had. However, even so, grabbing the Dragon, who was entering the portal, was a laughable thought. Sungjin stood there, torn in hesitation, when the Dragon suddenly said, Ah, right. Before when I read your memories, there was something that I was also curious about. The figure stood there with one foot in the portal. Sungjin tilted his head as the Dragon continued, Why did Edward, at that time, shoot spells at his allies? Sungjin unknowingly opened his mouth. Did this Dragon truly look at his entire life in that instant? The Dragon brought back the foot that had crossed into the portal, and once again rambled on. There is a topic that I was thinking about recently If you can know the past in its entirety, then could you not also predict the future in its entirety? Something like that. With that in mind Ill give you this. He held his hand in the air, and said, Come. Soon, above the Dragons hand, a pair of sunglasses that seemed to have slightly thick lenses appeared. The Dragon tossed it towards Sungjin. With both of his hands still holding his swords, Sungjin unexpectedly had to hug it. And Perhaps You will also need this. Come. This time, the staff that the Dragon had used earlier appeared. He tossed that to Sungjin as well. Sungjin briefly put down Blood Vengeance as he received the staff in his hand. Having given Sungjin two presents, the Dragon vaguely said, If its these two, then it should be enough for you to overcome your fate. That is, according to that past of yours that I read. Sungjin lowered his vigilance towards the Dragon after having received two presents. He looked at the staff that the Dragon had tossed, more specifically the blue gem embedded in the staff, as he asked, You Didnt you need this gem? Ahh I do indeed need it. But I dont particularly need to obtain it here and now. Those Ill need them about three hundred years later. And there will always be wars. Those gems will go around and around and then return to me. Even if you put that in the Cube and take it to Ninety Nine Nights. It seemed that the Dragon even knew about his circumstances in other dimensions. It briefly looked at the Cube. That, truly is a foul thing, isnt it? Sungjin, of course, looked at the Cube as well. It was possible that this Cube and the Operator that could be heard from inside it was his tragic fate. However, that definitely A type of Then The Dragon muttered to himself as he stood there, and then said, Come. As expected, something appeared in the air. And, after seeing it, Sungjin was incredibly surprised. Chapter 160 Chapter 160 C Great Plains of Barrastan (11) The third item that the Dragon Archaeard took out was a cube. What was particularly surprising was that the cube looked exactly the same as the Operator Cube, except for its size, which was just big enough to fit comfortably in one hand. This, Ive made something like this as well. But with the materials being what they are I could not make one as big as the one youre carrying around. Sungjins mouth opened slightly in shock. You can Make cubes? The Dragon tossed the cube into the air as if it were a ball and then caught it. He continued to toss it into the air as he spoke. The first two items that I gave you before If its those Theyll be of help in helping you overcome your tragic fate. The Dragon said the exact same thing that Ariane had said back then. However, Sungjin did not know if the Dragon had repeated the words that he had said previously, or if the Dragon used the same words that he had received by reading his memory. And this. The Dragon tossed the cube to Sungjin who clumsily received it as he was caught unaware. Is keeping tradition. Tradition? When Sungjin tilted his head, the Dragon replied, Thats right. Tradition. The Dragon continued to say incomprehensible words. Sungjin asked, What do you mean by that? The Dragon answered, You know as well. Humans who defeat avaricious dragons They rescue the kidnapped princess or Take the treasures in the Dragons Lair Stories like that. Sungjin pushed out his lower lip a little. For a main character in the stories to speak of himself in the third person was quite strange. Human. Since I lost, Im giving you a reward. Sungjin looked down at the cube. A cube, roughly 5 centimeters in length. If there was something different about it, it was that there was a drawing of a blue dragon letting out a breath on the top face of the cube. Sungjin said to the Dragon, I have a bigger cube. Just where am I supposed to use this one? The Dragons eyes shone once he heard Sungjins question. He gestured to the Operators Cube as he said, That Cube is something youre using, but its not yours. Right? Sungjin looked slightly behind him and gazed at the Operators Cube. If he thought about it, the Dragons words were right. He was using that Cube, but it did not belong to him. Sungjin turned back and was about to nod his head. However, before Sungjin could nod his head, the Dragon continued to speak. However, that cube that youre holding, that one is yours. Do you understand what Im saying? What? Well, just know that this is the case. Anyways, when the time comes, youll understand. According to my calculations that is. And My calculations arent often wrong. Im a true genius after all. What? Sungjin once more said What?, but the Dragon did not give the answer that he desired. Instead, the Dragon asked for his name. Ah right. Now that I think about it. You. Whats your name? The Dragon was incredibly self-centered. Angered, Sungjin once more attempted to keep his mouth shut. However, at that moment, the Dragon asked once more. This time, with force. What. Is. Your. Name. Sungjin attempted to keep his mouth shut, but abnormally, it opened, his tongue moved, and his vocal cords reverberated. Sungjin The Dragon nodded his head as he smiled in satisfaction. Ah, I see. Human Sungjin. I dont know if you heard previously, but my name is Archaeard. Today was an interesting day. Farewell. I do not know if we will meet again C no, its likely we will never meet again. But, Ill probably recall this meeting once more before I die. The Dragon continued to talk by himself like this as he disappeared into the portal that he had opened. At the same time, Besgoro muttered, Kei, so your name is Sungjin? Sungjin simply stood there, since Besgoro was someone who could not speak to others. It did not matter if Besgoro knew his name, and furthermore, Besgoro seemed more pleased with Sungjins alias than he was with Sungjins real name. Sung Jin But its easier to pronounce Kei. Ill continue to call you Kei in the future. Sure, go ahead. At this moment, having been released from the spell, Cain and Soldamyr urgently ran towards Sungjin. Woof Woof! Master! Cain, who had been frozen, looked around the area with a slightly nervous look, while Soldamyr examined Sungjin up and down as he asked, Were you hurt anywhere? Sungjin reassured the two summons. Ahh, well Im fine. Cain, Im fine. That Dragon from before left. Cain seemed dejected about the fact that he had been frozen the whole time. Kuun Woof. Soldamyr spoke as if Sungjin being unhurt was enough, I see, what a relief. To fight a Dragon When I saw him back then, he was incredibly large Sungjin asked about their conditions in turn. What about you two? Are you okay? Cain vigorously cried out twice, Woof Woof! Soldamyr said, Yes, as I was only briefly ejected into the spirit world I could not exist in the real world temporarily. Im fine now. Sungjin looked over them. Back then, Rajenta had been dismissed immediately in one blow. However, it was obvious that when he would return to Ninety Nine Nights, Rajenta would act cutely with his large body while crying, Kyang Sungjin now began to examine the items that the Dragon had given him. A pair of bizarre sunglasses, the staff that the Dragon had used, and an incredibly small cube. If it were any other time, then he would first put them away and then go through their abilities in detail when he had the time, but right now he was too curious to wait. Sungjin first held up bizarre pair of sunglasses above his head and looked at them. These sunglasses had odd parts attached to its body, like those VR devices that were trending recently. No, now that he looked at them, it felt like that they were closer to VR devices than sunglasses. What was as strange apart from its appearance, was its weight. It appeared that the outside and inside of the sunglasses consisted of some kind of metallic substance, but it was light enough that its weight could barely be felt. Soon, the Operators item description appeared. Ever Dream C View of Fantasy Legendary Accessory Passive Skill View of Fantasy (I) C Shows what you want to see from inside the gaps between time that has flown past. Only activates when sleeping for longer than 7 hours. If reality is a dream, and dreams are reality, Then stories are the only thing remaining to humanity. Some rather peculiar conditions were attached to it. It can only be activated when sleeping for longer than 7 hours? What a stupid condition. It looks like it only activates when youre sleeping? In response to Besgoros words, Sungjin replied, Indeed. Im going to take you off for a bit, Besgoro. Sungjin held his hand to his head and said, Remove. Soon, Besgoros skull, which had been covering half of Sungjins face, appeared above his hand. Sungjin now held those sunglasses as he said, Equip. Suddenly, it became dark. Nothing could be seen. Whats this Sungjin raised his hand and took off the sunglasses. The wide Barrastan Plains came into view once more. He then put the sunglasses on again. It became dark. The sunglasses had a permeability of nearly 0%. Sungjin soon realized, This Rather than sunglasses Or a VR device Isnt it just an eye mask for sleeping? In any case, he was unable to use it now. Sungjin placed the eye mask inside the cube. What he picked up next was the long staff C the staff that the Dragon had used. The blue gems that were called sky-whatever were attached on one end. Sungjin held it up and looked at it. Sereberf C Andals staff Legendary Staff Passive Skill Reverse Mana Flow (II) C 10 seconds after using a spell, receive 30% of the mana consumed. Active Skill Empower Magic (III) C Temporarily increase Magic Power by 3 times. Feelings of inferiority and superiority arise from comparison. Do not think highly of someone who acts conceited after obtaining something, For that person is someone who has already felt inferiority. Sungjin looked over the staff. The staff had the same Empower Magic that the Ring of the Great Sage had. But, instead of rank 5, it was rank 3 and only increased magic power by 3 times. This If it was upgraded to Unique Legendary It should be similar to the Ring of the Great Sage? The passive skill of the staff seemed to be better than that of the Ring of the Great Sage. For me to use it is a bit But if I give it to another Chosen One When Sungjin thought this, he recalled the Chosen Ones that he had forgotten about for a while. Ah right Are they doing well? This raid was not easy. If they did not perform the infiltration mission properly in the beginning, then they could fall into danger. There had not been a request for summon yet, but he should still go and help them as fast as possible. Sungjin put the staff into the cube as well. I should quickly eliminate the surviving soldiers and then go through the other dimensions But still, he felt that he should check the last remaining mini cube. Of the three items that the Dragon Archaeard had gifted him in the beginning, the cube was what he was most curious about. Sungjin quickly held the cube up. Plasmic Cube Normal Accessory Passive Skill Possession (I) C Keep the item that is inside the cube. I, Archaeard, was born a genius and was able to understand the logic of the world when I was 100 years old, And when I was 1000 years old there was already nothing that I did not know. At this time, I just had a single dream What is this Sungjin looked at the cube with incredibly disappointed eyes. A normal accessory. There was nothing in particular to explain. He already knew about the passive skill. Furthermore, the Dragon bragged about himself in the item description at the bottom. Before, when he took this out and said it was tradition or what not He made quite a big deal about it But with this, how is it any different from my cube? Sungjin thought as such, but he did not have a lot of time to ponder on the issue. He had been delayed far too long by the Dragons rambling and by checking the items that he had received from it. Sungjin placed the mini cube into the Operator Cube and then re-equipped Besgoro. Afterwards, he went over to Cain and said, Cain, its time for you to take an active part. Call your subordinates and find the remaining enemies. The moment he finished speaking, Cain let out a long howl. Awoooooooooo~~~ Soon, the figures of his subordinates appeared in Barrastan Plains. Woof! Woof! At Cains command, they spread throughout the area. After watching them, Sungjin said to Soldamyr, Soldamyr, take me up. I used all of my mana in the previous fight. Soldamyr lifted Sungjin into the air without delay. Defy Gravity! Flight! Sungjins body soon rose into the sky. He then watched Cain and his comrades running through the plains from above. There would be enemies in the direction that they headed. As he followed behind the wolves while flying slowly in the sky, Sungjin thought, Ill finish this quickly, then go help my allies. Chapter 161 Chapter 161 C Great Plains of Barrastan (12) Whew Serin breathed in deeply, then pulled back the bowstring. The target was a large demon in the middle of a team of demons. It appeared to be the leader. Though he seemed to be two heads taller than the other demons, it would not be easy to hit him because the distance between them was too far. By her estimation, they were about 200 meters apart. It was a distance that was three times that of the farthest distance used in womens archery, which was 70 meters. Even if it was her, she did not know if she could hit the target with one shot. Serin briefly looked around. Nine hunters and their eighteen eyes were all fixed upon her. She had completed numerous raids until now, but intense moments like these were rather rare. They had successfully completed the guerilla warfare, and it was now time for the fight against the main encampment. However, the size of the main encampment was larger than they had imagined. They had racked their brains for a way to start the fight, before all agreeing to have the incredibly skilled archer Hassan, who Serin had transformed into, start things off by wounding the enemy commander. That is why things had turned out this way. Serin aimed towards the enemy commander and pulled her bowstring taut. The arrow quivered as if it were going to be fired immediately. However, after a brief moment, Serin lowered her bow and shook her head. She did not have any confidence. Haah She unconsciously let out a sigh. At that moment, Edward, who was standing next to her, patted her shoulder as he said, Dont be so nervous. Youll be fine with your level of skill. Serin stared at him. Edward often spoke encouraging words to others. He sure seems like a rather decent person However, Sungjin-oppa would not say something like that without reason By the time they kill the regular boss and try to find the Hidden Piece, Sungjin would have finished the entire raid and would definitely be looking to see if the other hunters were doing well. Also, he would certainly be able to recognize Edward who was standing next to her. Regardless of whether Serin called him or not, the chance of Sungjin coming here was high. Well It should be fine if I find out the details when they meet. Serin kept this in mind as she once more pulled back on her bowstring. The target was definitely far away even when she looked at it again. However, she had to erase all thoughts of it being far away in order to land a shot on it. After a few seconds of concentrating without any distracting thoughts, Serin let go of the bowstring. Pew~ The arrow that flew from her bow drew out a long curve. Her arrow was rather fast, but because of the distance, it still flew for a relatively long time for about 2~3 seconds. Gulp The sound of someone swallowing their spit could be heard. After a brief moment, Thud With a sound, one of the demons head was knocked backwards. It was a head shot. Soon, a voice rang out simultaneously from the hunters cubes. [Warning!] [Boss monster Zeratar has appeared!] Now it was a head-on fight. The hunters fell into their formation. Amongst the hunters, Serin was still the busiest. Over there! She shot an arrow into the mouth of a demon who was pointing at them and shouting. Pew~~ Thud The other long-range attacker, Edward, began to chant a spell. I beckon thee god of destruction from far reaches of space. Come! Meteor Strike! When he finished the spell, another sun appeared in the vast skies. It steadily came closer, until it finally revealed itself to be a meteorite flying at incredible speeds. Spell! Its a Spell! Soon, a few Anti-Magic Shells were cast above the enemy position. The gigantic meteorite fell on top of them. Booooooooooom!!!!! An massive amount of dust flew into the air along with the enormous explosion. Cough, cough Each of the hunters in the front held out their hands in order to block the dust. Serin also briefly let go of her bow string and lowered the goggles that were located on the top of her head. The name of the goggles was Rakrua. It was an item that had a passive skill that allowed one to identify the movement of living beings through their body heat. Countless crimsons figures could be seen scrambling about inside the chaos. They had to reduce the numbers of the enemy as much as they could before they clashed head-on. Serin aimed at them as she continuously released arrows. Pew! Pew! Pew! However, the enemies steadily came closer to the hunters. Serin took off her goggles after firing arrows for a while. The dust that covered the plains began to clear out, and the approaching demon army could be clearly seen. There were hundreds of soldiers. Even after being hit by the meteorite that Edward summoned, there was an incredible number of demons remaining. Serin wondered, Can we win? It had been a while since she had thought like this C the last time was way back when she had met the Hidden Boss of the Dragons Lair, a scary lady with crimson eyes. Unconsciously, Serin found herself looking at the other skilled person, Edward. After casting Meteor Strike, Edward had sat cross-legged and closed his eyes. Meditation. Serin turned her gaze back towards the enemies. When she was about to draw back her bowstring, she recalled Sungjins words. Dont aim for the Hidden Boss. Thats too dangerous. You should utilize everything you have in the Boss fight. She took out One Thousand and One Nights from under her clothes. When she opened the book, a new passage was written. Serin began to read it aloud without hesitation. The Roc was a bird large enough to be able to cast a shadow on an entire valley. It fed mainly on elephants At that time, the sound of someone reading next to her could be heard. Thor, the God of Thunder, was a peerless warrior. He wielded Mjolnir, the Hammer of Thunder, and Megingjord, the Belt of Strength Two members owned legendary omnibuses in a single party. As Serin read the final sentence, she felt a little relieved. * Woof! Woof Woof! As he flew while following Cains voice, Sungjin was able to see a team of demons that were gathered together. They were already fighting with Cains wolves who had run in front. Woof! Woof! Whats with these damned mutts! Where did they come from? Upon seeing this, Sungjin simply said, Soldamyr. Soldamyr snapped his fingers, and Sungjin, who had been flying at low-altitude, began to free-fall. He landed on the ground and rolled once. What Whats that? Its that guy from before! Upon seeing Sungjin, the demons were split between those who stood their ground Revenge for the Commander! And those who wanted to flee. Ru Run away! There was already a rule that had been set for this. Sungjin fought the demons that wanted to fight him, while Cain and Soldamyr fought against the demons that wanted to flee. Woof Woof! Hand of Dead. There was a total of four demons that charged toward Sungjin. However, Sungjin had already fought against an enemy force of over a hundred demons, as well as an old Dragon just a short time ago. To him, these four demons were like eating a cake after having eaten the main dish. Sungjin easily dominated the demons and moved forwards. He sliced the throats of the first two demons that approached with one strike. The third demon that came just had a single chance to attack, but Sungjin leaned backwards and used Moon Specter to block it. Clang Afterwards, he fluidly turned once and used Blood Vengeance with his right hand to pierce through the demons heart. Kuh The fourth demon, who saw all of this, lost his will to fight. Though he was one of the four demons that had enthusiastically charged, he revealed his back and began to flee. However, Cain appeared out of nowhere and swooped down on the demon. Woof! Aaaahh! Cain pinned down the demons arms with his front paws, before gruesomely tearing out the demons throat with his teeth. With that, the nearby demons were annihilated. In order to maintain the current speed, Sungjin immediately said to Soldamyr, Soldamyr, lets go. However, Cain called out to Sungjin. Woof Woof. Hrm? When Sungjin tilted his head, an alarm rang out from the Operators Cube. [Congratulations. Raid 100% complete] [Beginning reward distribution.] [Monsters slain. Demon] Aah, were finished. Cain, Soldamyr. Great job. At Sungjins words, Cain approached Sungjin and rubbed its head against him, while Soldamyr bowed his head. Its my pleasure. [Ahtrin C The Princes Flag] [Luyo C The Blind Mans Lost Shoe] Sungjin took a brief glimpse at the items that appeared before placing them inside the Cube. [Congratulations! Legendary Item] Each of the items that he received was of the Legendary-tier, but Sungjin did not find anything that seemed to be worth using. Rather using them himself, he thought about his allies as he picked them up. This Mahadas should be able to put it to good use. [Last but not the least, you will be awarded titles youve earned on this raid.] [Executioner C Deal 3x damage to enemies that have less than 10% HP remaining.] It was not likely that decent titles would appear now. It might be because even though he had a similar level of performance, he had already received all the better titles. After having finished distribution, the Operators voice could be heard. [Returning to the Hunters Hall in 1 mi] Sungjin spoke up before it finished speaking. Ahh, Operator. Ill return at the original time. The Operator then changed the time. [Returning to the Hunters Hall in 1 hour and 52 minutes.] If it was 1 hour and 52 minutes, then he should be able to help the other hunters safely finish their raids. And if he had some time left after that, then he could also go troll hunting. Having finished everything in his own dimension, Sungjin took out the Sceptre of the Warlord from the Cube. He was curious about how his allies were doing. Inspection Soon, the figures of five hunters began to appear in front of Sungjins eyes. The hunters were still engaged in guerilla warfare. They were doing well. The guerilla warfare, in the beginning, could decide victory or defeat in the boss fight. He had also told them, Proceed as carefully as you can. However, when he looked closely, one party, Serins, seemed a bit strange. Instead of being on the lookout for demons, they were searching along the riverside where he had previously met the Dragon. This appearance suggested that they were searching for the Hidden Piece after killing the normal Boss. No way? Did they already kill the boss? Serins party was usually the fastest to clear the raids. Not only was she incredibly skilled, but she also held one of the three Unique Legendary books, Arabian Nights. If you included a good party, it was not an impossible thing. I guess Things turned out well. It seemed that he did not have to worry about Serin from here on. Though she still had the Hidden Boss remaining, with his current condition he was unable to help her. Also, it was likely that nothing would happen since he had told them, If you meet the Hidden Boss, dont challenge him and just run. Since one member had safely finished the raid, he could concentrate on the other four members. Sungjin was about to leave her alone and turn his attention to the other hunters, when at that moment, he sensed that something was out of place. What was that? He looked once more at Serins monitor. And at that time, he finally discovered it. The person standing next to Serin, Edward. Chapter 162 Chapter 162 C Great Plains of Barrastan (13) Caaw! Caaw! Above the battlefield, a single immense bird was flying around. It was a Roc that had been summoned by Serin through Arabian Nights. The books description of the Roc being able to grasp an elephant with one claw was brought directly to life as it flew around the skies. The birds beak pecked at the demons, and its claws grasped a handful of them and dropped them after flying about. Aaaaaaaaaaaaaah! The demons that fell from the skies died after breaking their hips and twisting their necks. In the middle of the battlefield, the figure of a man could be seen shouting. Uowoaaaaaaaaaaah! The name of the man was Thor, the god Edward summoned by using Myths of Northern Europe. He wielded a lightning-clad hammer and was sweeping away the enemies. On occasion, one or two demons would stab the man with a spear or slice him with a sword, but he would continue to slaughter the demons without a single wound. Thanks to the two summons the enemy army could not maintain their formation. During this time, the hunters charged at the enemy commander Zeratar. They believed that if they could kill the enemy commander, the remaining enemies would lose their will to fight. Serin was the only one to stay behind as she continued to shoot arrows. Pew! Pew! Peeww! Serin was unable to rest even a second between each arrow since the fight had begun. She had shot tens of thousands of arrows since she started archery from a young age. However, this was the first time she had shot so many arrows in one sitting. Her breath became ragged, her shoulder began to ache and her arms burned. However, she could not rest. At the front, the hunters had begun to fight with the Boss monster. Her job was to prevent the other monsters from approaching. If her arrows stopped, then the hunters would be surrounded. With this in mind, she shot arrows while falling into a near trance-like state. Finally, a long-awaited sound could be heard. [Boss monster Commander Zeratar Cleared] The moment the enemy commander died, the demons were all busy fleeing away. Nevertheless, Serin continued to shoot arrows without taking a break. Pew! Every time an arrow flew through the air, another demon would collapse on the spot. It was only after that the demons had nearly disappeared from view that her arm stopped drawing back the bowstring like a machine. Just when the fight was finished, and she could finally let go of the tense anxiety, an urgent voice could be heard from amidst the hunters. Hey, over here! She turned her head and saw the hunters gathered at one spot. Serin shouldered her bow and ran towards them. There, the hunter Juggernaut lay collapsed. Though there were no wounds to be seen, he was unconscious. Is he dead? The moment Serin thought this, the mans Cube said, [Warning. Low HP. HP below 20%] He was not dead yet. When she looked closely, there was a small dagger that was stabbed into his side. Back then, the Boss stabbed him before he died. Now that she looked at it, the wound was tinged with a strange purplish color. Someone said, The dagger is poisoned. We have to remove it. A hunter grasped the dagger, then pulled it out. Soon, blood began to gush out from the wound. As this was happening, one of the hunters took out a potion and held it to the Juggernauts lips. A special grade HP recovery potion. It was an expensive potion that cost 1000 Black Coins. However, despite this, the Cubes voice could be heard once again. [Warning. Incredibly low HP. HP below 10%] Someone added from behind, Its an extremely deadly poison, just using potions wont work. Does no one have an antidote? Serin took out an antidote from her belt. This was, of course, a special grade antidote. It was an expensive antidote that could neutralize nearly every kind of poison. The hunter who received it threw it into the mouth of the Juggernaut. However, at that moment, he began to cough up blood. Cough! Hes bleeding too much. Hell die at this rate. While the hunters were unable to do anything, Serin unconsciously looked for Edward. If it was him, then there might be something that he could do. When Serin turned her head, she found him slightly apart from the hunters, meditating with his eyes closed. Serin wanted to shake him awake and say, This isnt the time for this! However, when she approached him, he opened his eyes. When Serin hesitated slightly, he rose up from his spot, moved past her and said to the hunters, Please move aside. When Edward appeared, the hunters wordlessly move aside for him. Edward looked at the wound, then touched his ring once as he said, Specialize: White. Soon, the color of the ring that he was wearing became white. He placed his hand on the Juggernauts wound and chanted a spell. By the Power of God, Save this one. Gods Hand. Soon, a brilliant light began to shine from his hand. * Its all thanks to you, Mr. Edward. Truly, thank you. It was nothing. Dont worry. While they were searching for the Hidden Piece, the revived Juggernaut kept expressing his thanks to Edward. He had been unable to move because the poison was a type of paralysis poison, but he was able to see what everyone was doing. He kept bowing his head as he said, When we receive the raid distribution this time, Ill reimburse you no matter what. You dont need to do something like that Nonsense. You saved me even though your raid rewards would be reduced. There was a reason why the Juggernaut was so truly thankful to Edward. In this raid, until they killed the Boss, they were allies who had bled together. However, after killing the boss, they were people who split the raid reward. In truth, there were a few who were going to leave him alone when they saw him dying. But in spite of this, Edward had sacrificed this chance to save him. The Juggernaut also approached Serin and expressed his thanks. Mister Hassan as well, I saw you give me an antidote. Thank you. Ah No problem. Serin just nodded her head a few times. In truth, she was focused on something else. Should I be calling Sungjin oppa now? Serin called out to the Operator and checked the remaining time. Operator, the remaining time? [Returning to the Hunters Hall in 2 hours and 20 minutes.] There was a total of 3 hours and 30 minutes for the raid, so the amount of time that had elapsed was 1 hour and 10 minutes. Exactly 1/3 of the time had passed. This was way past 1/5 of the total raid time, which was when Sungjin had said that they could call him. In fact, it was strange that Sungjin hasnt already come by this point. Serin thought about it in detail. If its by this time, then even before I call him He should have already arrived Did he not finish the raid yet? When she thought about, this seemed to be the case. Not only was there the difficulty of the current raid, but the Great Plains were incredibly vast. Because of this, no matter how Sungjin tried, it would take time for him to obtain 100% completion. Serin finally came to a decision. If oppa had finished the raid Then He would have come here before I could even call him. Because of this, she decided to wait for Sungjin to come instead of calling him. If he finished his raid, then he would immediately use Inspection, and then quickly appear here. Now, she had to consider what to do when Sungjin arrived. Mr. Edward seems like a rather good person Why would Sungjin-oppa hate someone like Edward so much? While Serin was pondering the issue, one of the hunters in the front shouted, Hey! Look here! Serin lifted her head and looked in front. Two of the hunters were dragging out a corpse from the edge of the stream. Isnt there something strange about this corpse? Indeed. There was a total of four with the title Treasure Hunter among the ten hunters. After the raid was over, they naturally searched for the Hidden Piece. Their efforts finally bore fruit. Hey, inside his chest. You can see a blue light. Lets cut open his stomach. Serin stood slightly apart from them as she watched the scene. Soon, a voice could be heard from the Operators Cube. [Congratulations! You have obtained the Hidden Piece] [Elendils Final Preparation] Oh oh! Its a gem! We actually found it! However, while the hunters were excitedly celebrating after finding the Hidden Piece, a person suddenly appeared from the sky. Thud! Serin briefly looked at him. Is it Sungjin oppa? However, the man that appeared was about a head taller than Sungjin. An unknown handsome man. The hunters gazes were drawn to the man. At that moment, the man spoke, Look here humans. Hand that over. The hunters were briefly bewildered but soon prepared to fight. Even Serin took out her bow. However, the man then added, Are you wanting to fight me? Youll die. Well die? With just one sentence, Serin could feel that her body had suddenly begun stiffening. However, despite this, she took out an arrow and nocked it on her bowstring. Afterwards, she glanced at the other hunters from the corner of her eye. The hunters were simply unable to move. Of them, only Edward was moving slightly backwards. If it was like this, then they wouldnt be able to fight. At this moment, the man looked towards Serin, then said, Put down that arrow, pretty one. If you dont want to be hurt, that is. Serin was surprised. It was as if the man could see past the mask and see her true self. When she unconsciously lowered her bow, the man continued on saying, Humans. Ill say it only once so listen well. If you hand over the gem, Ill let you live. If you dont hand it over, youll die. Which do you choose? It was then that the other hunters realized that he was not a normal man. Seeing that he called them humans, it could be that he might be the Hidden Boss that was talked about in the opening verse. The hunters turned their heads and looked at Serin and Edward since these two were the strongest. It seemed like they were asking the two to make the decision. Serin recalled what Sungjin had said during every breakfast. Dont fight against the Hidden Bosses of 10 man raids. She said to the hunters, We Well hand it over. Edward also nodded his head wordlessly. The hunters handed the gem over to the man. Hrm. Hrm. Good. What smart humans. After approaching the hunters and snatching the gem away from them, he bid them farewell. You did a good job finding it for me. Then, Im off. The man opened a blue portal in the air, Open. And then disappeared inside of it. Whew The moment the man disappeared, all of the hunters let out a long breath. Although it was for just a short moment, it had been difficult to breathe even though they were just facing him. One of the hunters said, That guy Was the Hidden Boss, right? He should be. That oppressive feeling I dont think hes human? But, that guy took the Hidden Piece! I know, right? What a despicable person. While the hunters were conversing, suddenly a column of light appeared from the sky. The hunters who were startled by the Hidden Boss just a moment ago were alarmed once again. Wha Whats that? Except for Serin. This was because she had already seen this several times. Soon, Sungjins figure appeared in the column of light. However, his two swords were already unsheathed, as if he were about to swing them right now. Serin saw this and thought, What do I do? Chapter 163 Chapter 163 C Great Plains of Barrastan (14) Sungjin was teleported to a new dimension along with a bright light. Far away, he could see Edward and Serin among the hunters. Sungjin rotated his wrists while holding two of his swords. Moon Specter and Blood Vengeance cut through the air. Sungjin waited for the lights to disappear, like a sprinter at the start line waiting for the gun signal to begin. And as soon as it disappeared, he ran towards Edward. When the hunters saw Sungjin charge towards them at high speeds, they were greatly shocked. Wwhat? While the hunters were still stunned and unable to react, Sungjin immediately targeted Edward. But, the only person who knew what was going on, Serin, tried to stop him. Please wait! She shouted. Sungjin ignored her and charged against Edward. Whoa The other hunters didnt know what was going on, but they moved out of the way first. Edward himself was also unaware that he had become a target. He backstepped because Sungjin was running aggressively in his direction. Sungjin used Besgoro to recite an incantation. Frost Bite! Edwards feet became rooted. Sungjin planned on splitting him in half then and there. Edward must be eliminated, even if that means he must become a troll. But moments before Sungjins sword was about to reach his forehead. Bolt Charge! Someone had jumped in to knock Sungjin away. Sungjin had been too focused on Edward that he was caught off guard, but spinning mid-air, he landed on his feet and saw that the Juggernaut was standing next to Edward with his shield like a personal guard. Its already after distribution. What a strong sense of camaraderie, Sungjin had thought. Edward aimed a spell towards him. Glacial wall encase the enemy! Ice Cage Soon a tall wall of ice surrounds Sungjin. Back to formation! Thanks to the moments respite, the hunters reorganized themselves and decided to worry about the reasons later. It was an instinctual reaction to being attacked suddenly without knowing what Sungjin was doing. The barrier around Sungjin did not last long. Pow! Two swords came through the wall of ice at the same time. Creeeak~ Then with an ominous noise, it cut a circular hole through the ice. Boom The circular portion fell forward and landed on the ground. Sungjin himself walked out of the circular exit he had created. Before him was a line of hunters in battle formation. Tanks in the front, Damage Dealers in the second row, Magician Edward was naturally in the back; a textbook formation. Only Serin who knew Sungjin was hesitating standing off to the side. Sungjin addressed them. My target is the Magician in the back. If you do not stop me, I will not attack you. But if you get in my way, be prepared to die. Choose. The hunters turned to look at Edward. Edward looked just as confused as the rest of them. The hunters then briefly exchanged glances and turned back towards Sungjin. It seemed right to protect their comrade, but they didnt understand why this was happening. It was then, What are you? Are you a troll? The Juggernaut who had saved Edward earlier walked forward and demanded. Why have you tried to attack us? Sungjin replied, I will repeat myself. My target is the Magician in the back. I dont care about the rest of you. Who cares about what you think. We are a team. If you wish to attack Mister Edward, you will have to face us all. Sungjin glared at him. And lifting up both his swords, he stated, Do whatever you want everyone who stops me will die. The Juggernaut scoffed. He turned his head to look at his team as he said, Everyone? Were ten people. The Juggernaut had spoken with confidence. They were a successful party that completed a 10 man raid perfectly. The opponent was only a single hunter. He was no boss nor hidden boss; simply another hunter. He was certain that if they were to work together and fight, then they could definitely win. Especially because their team had the unbelievable Magician Edward and expert sniper Hassan. But then he noticed that Hassan was not in formation. It was as if Hassan didnt think that this fight involved him. The Juggernaut did think something was strange, but he nevertheless returned his gaze and said, Do you really think you can face all ten of us? Sungjin crossed his blades as he said, Why dont you try. The battle was imminent. Oppa! Please dont do this! It was none other than Serins voice. All the hunters turn to look at Serin who was in the appearance of Hassan. The voice was that of a man, but the speech pattern was that of a woman. Noticing strange gazes upon her, she pulled the beard down as she said, Unequip. The skin on her face peeled off and Serin returned to her original appearance. All the hunters were shocked. Firstly, because a person they had believed to be a man all this time (even though the silhouette of the body had been quite feminine) turned out to be a woman. Secondly, because the woman was unbelievably beautiful. Serin put away the Hassan mask she had purchased from the Raccoon Merchant and said, Oppa, please wait. But Sungjin was in no mood to listen. Stay aside. Its dangerous. Ive had a chance to speak with him, and hes a very reasonable person. If you just speak with him Serin tried to calm the situation down, but Sungjin didnt even want to listen. I know. He cut her off mid-sentence. I know that if you speak with him, he will seem alright. But there is something you do not know. Obey me and stay out of it. No wait, Oppa. It was at this moment when Serin had Sungjins attention, Yaa! One of the hunters, Master Chef appeared in the air behind Sungjin. He had a dagger in both hands. His assassination skill was so great that in the first guerrilla phase of this round, his contribution was on par with Serin and Edward. When Serin saw him appear, she shouted, No! But it was too late. He aimed for Sungjins neck and swung his daggers. Stab His daggers ended up stabbing Sungjin. But even the Master Chef who had launched the attack was shocked. The Master Hunter had been facing away from him until a moment ago. But what he hit wasnt his neck but his forearm. He couldnt believe his eyes. To him, it had appeared as if an arm grew where the neck had been a moment ago. Wha While he was still reeling in surprise, Serin said to the Master Chef, Run Curtis! Hes not someone But it was too late. Red aura enveloped his body. Sungjin did not hesitate in swinging his sword. Spapat Along with the sound, Ack! A cross-shaped wound appeared on his body, spewing a stream of blood. Serin shouted at Sungjin once more. Oppa! For the first time, Sungjin spoke to her with anger. You Do you intend to join the side of my enemy because youve been in a party with him just once? Serin wasnt able to respond. It was then the Juggernaut readied his shield and mace. Uryah! He shouted and charged towards Sungjin. The other hunters hesitated for a moment more, but they followed Juggernauts lead to attack Sungjin. Most of them were probably thinking. Its 8 versus 1, how can we possibly lose? But their thoughts were ruthlessly shattered in just a few seconds. The Juggernaut at the front who had charged at Sungjin suddenly lost sight of him. Where? And the moment he was thinking so, he saw the sky spinning. Sungjin had kicked his legs out from under him. Bam He fell with a sound. He tried to get up quickly when Clang! there was a loud sound. When he looked up, his Mace was broken. The Master Hunter had tripped him and broken his mace with the sword at the same time. He stared at the Mace that was reduced to just the handle in disbelief. No way, my Legendary mace? But seeing the next few moments of the fight, this was nothing to be surprised about. The Mountain who freely used a giant two-handed sword swung his weapon down towards the Master Hunter. The Master Hunter didnt even try to dodge it and blocked with his thin weapon instead. The Mountains two-handed sword was more aptly described as a lump of steel than a sword; it was a gigantic and fearsome looking weapon. The Juggernaut expected the Master Hunter to become flattened by the weapon just like that. Claaang! But, after a loud collision, the only thing that remained was the Master Hunters thin and red blade. The Mountain was so shocked that he couldnt move. The Master hunter used that timing to kick the Mountains groin. Splat Along with a strange sound, the Mountain fell while holding his crotch. The Serial Killer and Elite Samurai charged against him as well. They were the fastest members of the team who wielded a sword and an axe. The two of them attacked the Master Hunter faster than the other members could see with their eyes, but Clang! Clang! Clang! Shing! After just a few hits, both of them dropped their precious weapons and moaned in pain. Ugh! Ooh They stepped back, holding the arms which held the weapons earlier. Blood dripped from each of their wrists. Now the only ones defending Edward was Hawkeye with a crossbow and Royal Guard with a spear. Things were getting dangerous. Juggernaut abandoned his stump of a mace and picked up his shield to join the others when a powerful gust of wind materialized below the Master Hunters feet. Edward must have begun an incantation while the others were fighting. Cyclone! Master Hunter lost his balance due to the sudden wind. The cyclone grew in size until it flung him somewhere far away. Edward quickly said, Please gather here! The others were already used to following his commands. Edward quickly addressed the hunters who assembled next to him. What Ive used just now is simply a control magic to throw him away. He will return for sure. The moment he finished, he followed up with a spell. Sprouting Lifeforce, to me. Rejuvenation With Edward at the epicenter, a bright green light radiated outward. The wounds they sustained from the Master Hunter were healed in moments. The now healed hunters all~ Operator, potions! Operator, what weapons do I have? ~Called upon the Operator to rearm themselves and prepare. But then Edward shouted, Here he comes, hes coming faster than expected. And just as he said, the Master Hunter who had been flung away by wind returned without a scratch and walked up to the Hunters. The Hunters reassumed their formation. Master Hunter Sungjin frowned as he addressed them. Theres eight of you. Even I cannot win without accidentally killing you. I will say this one last time. Everyone with the exception of Spell Master, get lost. Or you will die. Chapter 164 Chapter 164 C Great Plains of Barrastan (15) At Sungjins sharp words, the Hunters took a moment to give each other glances. It was for just a few seconds, but they could already know instinctively. This man could kill all of us if he wanted. The reason why he hasnt already is because of his own reasons. And because of it, they felt less and less inclined to protect Edward. Reading the Hunters body language, Sungjin repeated himself assertively. One more time, I have no interest in anyone other than that Magician. I dont wish to create collateral damage. Get out of my way, and nothing will happen to the rest of you. Now Sungjins words caused a divide among the Hunters. The will to fight plummeted and the hands that held the weapons were loosened. Sungjin smiled inwardly. But then he heard Eds voice from the back. Who are you? Why are you attacking me? Sungjin didnt give much of an answer. Sins of your previous life. It wasnt like he could give that reasoning. Please lets talk it out. I dont want to cause trouble to other hunters. Please put down your weapon. Sungjin found himself relaxing hearing those words. Edward wouldnt have remembered what he had done in the last life, but there was a thing or two he had wanted to hear before killing him. Rawr! There was a sudden roaring of a beast. Sensing something was going on, Sungjin quickly made his way towards the hunters. Seeing Sungjin suddenly dash forward, the hunters couldnt react and just stood in place. Sungjin gritted his teeth. So annoying. He put away the Moon Specter and pulled it back out as he said, Ghastly Wail Kyaaa! Moon Specter began to screech once freed from the scabbard. Like Moses splitting the Red Sea, Moon Specter scattered the hunters and revealed Edward in the back. He was mounted on top of a great Siberian Tiger. His request for talking it out must have not been out of his desire for peaceful resolution, but to buy time to summon the tiger. Sungjin quickly ran towards him. But just one hunter, Juggernaut, stood in his way. He stood stoically in spite of the screeching Moon Specter. He must have some sort of defense against fear as a tank. He completely gave up on attack and had only the shield in his hands as he stood in Sungjins way. Sungjin was going to ignore him and go around, but then the Juggernaut took out a strange stone statue. It was a strange helix shaped twist coming out of a flat plate-like surface. And on it was a smear of blood. Sungjin had thought the statue had a curious appearance, but he had no time to be wasting on it at the moment. Damn it, move! But then the Juggernaught used the timing when Sungjin moved past him to say, Guidance of the Old Gods The active skill was activated, and then the stone statue began to sprout octopus-like tentacles which came flying towards Sungjin. Sungjin cut the tentacles apart with a single strike, but he accidentally let one pass his guard, and it wrapped around his heels. Sungjin shouted, What is this? He cut the tentacle in irritation, but the severed tentacle continued to hang on as if it was still alive. Sungjin was filled with wrath, and he completely cut it down to pieces. But the stone statue continued to spill forth more tentacles. Enraged, Sungjin cut away all the tentacles trying to grab at him and effortlessly broke the statue. Kheehe The statue gave off a strange cry. Once the statue was broken, the Tentacles holding onto Sungjin lost their vitality and withered on the spot. Sungjin glared at the Juggernaut as if he were going to kill him. Juggernaut who even withstood the shrieking of Moon Specter found himself instinctively backtracking when he saw Sungjins expression. Sungjin turned to look at Edward. While Juggernaut was buying time, Edward had managed to put a large distance between them with the help of the tiger. Sungjin paused to look down at his belt, but there were no more items available for himself to use. He had already consumed them all during the fight with Dragon Arcaiard. Sungjin began to run towards Edward on his feet as he called Serin. Serin He only said her name, but Serin knew why Sungjin was calling her. He had wanted her to shoot down the Tiger Ed was riding. But Serin did not raise her bow. She just pretended to play dumb. Wwhat is it oppa? She asked. Sungjin looked at her and said, Shoot that But when he saw the conflict on her face, Fine. He stopped. Sungjin turned and watched Ed run away on the Tiger, dazed. The Tiger was very fast. It wasnt possible to catch up to the tiger without Cain Rajenta or Shadowrun available. And this Barrastan Plain was a very large area. Even with the map limitation, it was likely that he would not be able to locate Ed before the time got over. Damn it! Sungjin kicked the ground in anger. The Hunters began to edge away from Sungjin when they saw this. Even Juggernaut who had put up resistance until the end slowly moved away in fear of being attacked in retaliation. Only Serin remained behind and walked up to him. Oppa, maybe there was some sort of misunderstanding Sungjin cut her off. The one misunderstanding is you. That guy, hes the one responsible for completely screwing up the previous raid. But there could have been No matter his reasons, Its safer to cut the problem at the roots before, is it not? But But what? What are you going to do if he fires a spell at you from the back during the middle of the fight? Serin couldnt say anything more to Sungjins words. Sungjin was about to say more to Serin when the Operator spoke from the Cube. [The Chosen One Requested your teleportation.] And soon, Baltrens image appeared from the cube. He urgently called out. Kei, please come and help. Right now But he couldnt continue to speak because he was too busy blocking someones spear. Sungjin saw Serin who was silently looking down at the ground and said, Lets have a conversation when we get back to Ninety Nine Nights. And then he said, Accept. Sungjin moved to the other dimension. Baltrens Dimension was in a mess. It appeared as though someone must have screwed up the initial Guerrilla warfare phase because the main Demon Army was present at the scout camps. The Hunters were putting up resistance with Baltren as the anchor, but the odds were overwhelming to begin with. Few hunters were already lost, laying on the ground. Quickly grasping the situation, Sungjin hastily ran in to help the others. Uaahp! He cut down all the Demons that approached him. Kaa! Even as he watched the Demon cry out in pain, Sungjin was recalling Edwards face from earlier. It wassuch a good opportunity And each time he had that thought, anger would fill his mind. One by one, the Hunters who were surrounded by the enemies were saved by Sungjins efforts, and the tables were turned. But in the middle of it all, [The Chosen One Requested your teleportation.] Nada had called him this time. Hey Sungjin, we are planning on fighting the main force soon we lost a hunter during the Guerrilla phase. Would you please come and help us out? The situation on that side was much better. Sungjin said to her, Here, let me finish with the boss on this side first. Wait for me. Alright okay. Sungjin moved dimensions where Nada was waiting after he had finished helping Baltren defeat the leader Zeratar. When Nada saw Sungjin who was bathed in blood, she asked, Will you be okay, Kei? She knew it was likely that none of that blood was his, but she thought that perhaps he might be physically exhausted. But Sungjin nodded and said, I am okay. Im okay so, lets get going. Nada thought that he was acting slightly strange, but she still turned to the other hunters to tell them, Then let us begin. One of the Hunter faced the main army and chanted, Fireball! And let loose a spell. Boom! Flames erupted with a loud bang. The enemies came charging in; it was a staggering number of foes. The other hunters had looked upon the army with fear, but Sungjin actually welcomed their sight. Ever since he lost track of Edward, he felt like if he didnt swing his sword, he would become angry. So once Sungjin ended his third raid, he spent the remaining time to search for trolls. The raid this time did not yield all that much. He had spent a long time assisting the Chosen Ones and searching for trolls in other dimensions proved to be difficult (for the same reason as Edward). Either way, Sungjin used up all his time, and he was summoned by the Operator to the Hunters Hall. * Woong Sungjin arrived at the room with endless rows of columns along with the sound. The Hunters Hall which had been filled as far as the eye could see was now looking empty with only a few hunters standing interspersed. Sungjin turned his head to look around, hoping to get a glimpse of Edward. Of course, it wasnt like harming someone else was possible in this room. There was no way the Operator would allow that. [Congratulations. The Hunters in this room have successfully cleared fourteen chapters.] [Of the 7,310,067,613 Hunters who had participated in the first Raid] [There are currently 6710 Hunters still remaining.] Sungjin thought about it carefully. 6710? There were more left alive than he had thought. How many was it last time? I think there was a lot less alive by this point. He was right. From this point onwards, he began to run into Hunters he met before more and more often due to the decreasing number of Hunters still alive. But 6710 was far more than last time. He didnt remember the exact figure, but it didnt seem likely that Sungjin would run into his old teammates anytime soon with such a large crowd of people. [Everyone is among the top 10,000 people] [And have proven your own strengths.] [Please survive until the end and prove the strength of Humanity.] [And become the savior of the specie.] After the Operators words, Sungjin was teleported back to the Black Market. Sungjin sat down at the teashop as if collapsing onto it. What should I get for you, Sir Hunter? Sungjin replied to the owner, Anything cold. Understood. Sungjin mulled over the events of the raid. Lots of things had happened, but Edward was the first thing on his mind. Sungjin gripped his fist and slammed on the innocent table. He had hunted the Hidden boss solo and earned many items. The Raid itself was a success, but not being able to kill Edward was most disappointing. I have brought your order. She soon brought a cup of Iced Tea half filled with Ice. Sungjin didnt worry about the Cold and drank it all in one go. Chapter 165 Chapter 165 C Black Market Fourteenth Shopping Sungjin checked the loot he obtained from the raid at the First Drop as he always did. The items he decided to keep were four in total. The Blue gem obtained as the Hidden Piece, the blindfold given to him by Archaeard, the staff, and the Cube. Sungjin was filled with expectation when the Blue Gem was identified as a crafting material. He was planning on bringing it to Kargos. If the blacksmith was able to make an item of the same class as Ring of the Great Sage then it would dramatically increase his own power. Sungjin then picked up the blindfold that he had mistaken first as a Sunglass and second as a VR Headset. It had a very peculiar appearance. Illtest this out tonight. He put the blindfold in the Cube after making a decision. The next was the Staff. In truth, there was no use for the staff. Even though he had a large repertoire of spells, it couldnt be compared to his four swords, Moon Specter, Blood Vengeance, Artemio, and Ariane. But even so, Sungjin decided to hold onto the staff without sending it off to the Auction house as even the Dragon Archaeard had most definitely said, And Perhaps You will also need this. The last item was a cube that looked just like the Operators Cube. It was much smaller in size and looked like it wouldnt fit very many items. But the dragon had said many strange things- Is keeping tradition. Human. Since I lost, Im giving you a reward. That Cube is something youre using, but its not yours. Right? However, that cube that youre holding, that one is yours. C while handing it over. Sungjin took a small sip of the Iced tea as he inspected the cube. The cup was mostly melted ice water because he had drained much of it earlier, but Sungjin gave it no mind. He was too busy observing the Cube. It looked like putting sword or shield into it would be impossible based on the size. It would hold a necklace or ring at most. Sungjin was holding it when he absentmindedly said, Hey Operator The Operators Cube approached Sungjin when addressed. Ohright. Now that he thought of it, the cube was not under the control of the Operator. The Operator then asked Sungjin, unsure of what to do. [Please name the desired service.] Noits nothing. The Operators Cube returned to its original position with Sungjins words. Sungjin looked back to the small Cube I cant help but think this thing needs to be operated manually It was an equilateral cuboid. Thinking that the only side decorated with a blue drawing of a dragon was suspicious, Sungjin took a closer look when he accidentally pressed the side and then Click With a sound, the side of the Cube lifted up and opened. Sungjin was startled for a moment, but he calmly inspected the interior. The inside of the Cube was very dark, like the Operators Cube. Ooh so the inside is limitless too, right? Sungjin took a look at his hands. Many of his fingers were decorated with rings. And among them, he selected the oldest ring of them all, the Lichs Finger. Unequip Soon the ring wrapped around his finger unraveled and crawled away like a caterpillar and reassumed a ring shape upon the table. Sungjin picked up the ring and dropped it inside. Clatter But he heard the ring hit the bottom. What? Sungjin checked the inside. The Lichs Finger was laying just inside. wait Sungjin carefully put his finger into the box. He first extracted the Lichs Finger again and placed it on top of the table and then tried to touch the walls of the Cube with his hand. As expected, his finger reached the bottom of the Cube; the inside of the seemingly bottomless Cube was simply painted black. What is this? Its not unlimited! Although Sungjin had thought it was like the Operators Cube, it was actually not all that similar. As it was right now, it was no better than a small locker. Sungjin cursed the dragon in his mind. Wowhe spent all that time trying to act like he did something amazingand this is what he gives as a reward? Sungjin stared at the little cube for a bit more before he threw it into the Operators Cube. He was telling himself there will be a time where it will be useful, but he couldnt quite figure out what it was used for just yet. Well, at least it doesnt hurt for me to hold onto it. Sungjin concluded his thoughts on the matter and began to inspect the rest of the items. The ones remaining were items he had obtained from troll hunting. All of it was slated to be auctioned off. Sungjin took a napkin and pen and began to jot down their prices. Appraisal of the items was finished much earlier than usual. There was only one round of troll hunt this time around, so he ended up getting fewer items than last time. And truth be told, the trolls were probably going to continue to diminish in number as the raids progressed from this point forward. According to the Operator, the number of Hunters remaining were 6710. If its divided into teams of fives, then it meant there were now 1342 parties remaining. Now there werent many trolls or opportunity to troll left. Sungjin took out the Troll Seeker Marbles he had which still had charges remaining on them. I guessthis part is starting to come to an end. Soon he wouldnt need to go charge five marbles at a time at Darker Than Black. Sungjin twirled the pen in the air as he recounted the total again. 6710 hunters1342 parties In truth, this raid at the Great Plains of Barrastan was actually a high difficulty raid where even the slightest mistake could quickly lead to a wipeout. Especially considering the fact that the final battle against the main army was essentially a small scale war, it was very difficult for any party to come out intact. Before regression, he had just barely survived after he sacrificed a few of his teammates, and even most of the Chosen Ones lost a few comrades during the raid despite the 20 percent bonus from Sungjins stats. But considering the difficulty, the number of people that survived this raid was actually fairly high. I am sure now the number of surviving hunters is higher than beforewhy is that so? Sungjin thought of it carefully. He couldnt really think of anything that stood out to be different from before, so why was the result so different? If anything can be said to have changed, it would be that this is my second time around Now that he thought of it, Sungjin felt he had contributed to the change. First, he directly saved many hunters. Serin was a prime example. If it werent for him, she would have died at the Canyon. Not only her, but Sungjin also tried to keep everyone he met alive as much as possible. He did cause trouble in the beginning by taking a large percentage of contribution points, but he did restrain more and more as the raids progressed. So there would have been a great number of people that didnt die thanks to him. Second, he actively killed a large number of trolls. Trolls may power up themselves but inevitably lead to an overall decrease in the number of people. But because he had hunted so many of them, the would-be-victims were indirectly saved by his actions. And finally, he himself hand-picked Chosen Ones and created a format where they safeguard the hunters and carry them to the end of the raid. A fair number of people had been saved by their efforts. Butit cant be all that many. Sungjin couldnt really figure out the cause, but he didnt dwell long on it. It wasnt like he could recall an exact number from the last time so it would be difficult to make a comparison with any certainty. Sungjin stood up and headed towards the Pig Brothers Auction house. Welcome, Mr. Hunter. Sungjin placed the items he received this round into the auction and then asked about the items still not sold from the previous days. So any items with bids? None, Mr. Hunter. Not one? There is not one, sir. The number of items that wont be bought or bought at their minimum listed price was increasing. This is also due to the decrease in total population. There were now very few buyers remaining. Then please take this, this, and this off of the auction. I will send it directly to your Cube. Sungjin recollected the items that remained unsold for few rounds and placed them into his cube. Next, he visited the pawn shop. Welcome, Mr. Hunter. Sungjin sold the non-auctionable items for few coins. It was a far lower price than he could have potentially demanded from an auction, but it was better to have something rather than continue to hold the item in a deserted Auction house. Sungjin headed to Kargoss smithy once he was done with his business. Kargos was sitting on top of the anvil smoking a cigarette when he noticed Sungjin approaching and waved his hands. Yo~ owner of four swords, how are things? Sungjin nodded in response. Kargos held the cigarette between his teeth as he rubbed his hands and asked, So, what do you have for me this time? Sungjin took out the Hidden Piece of this round, the blue Gem that wouldnt look amiss floating amongst the clouds. Do you recognize this? But Kargoss jaws dropped, and the cigarette fell to the ground. He stared at the gem agape. Justwhere did you find it? Sungjin thought about it for a moment. He had seen a similar reaction to when he produced the Dragons heart. But like always Sungjins answer was the same. Of course the raid. Kargos accepted the gem with trembling hands. Sungjin said to him, I think the name of this gem waswhat was it, Elendils Final Preparations? It has many names. Blue Sky, Final Preparations, Worth of Universe, Beginning of the End said Kargos who for the first time was acting like he was holding a truly precious gem in his hands. Sungjin then replied, Anywayare you able to make this into something? Something that I can use. Sungjin was expecting the usual of course as a reply because Kargos had been able to complete every request successfully. But Kargos gave an unexpected response instead, Maybe And he had such a small unconfident voice as he said it. Sungjin then said with a disappointed voice. Maybeee? Kargos replied as if he was making an excuse. Its because of the nature of this thing. Whether you burn or freeze it, you cant predict how it will turn out. Sungjin was now sure that Kargos had never touched this item before. So he asked, Sodoes that mean you cant use it? Kargos looked away from the gem for the first time and turned towards Sungjin. No, I meanI do want to give it a go at least His gaze seemed to indicate I may fail, but please give me a go at this. Sungjin gazed at him with his arms crossed for a moment. Truth be told, the answer was predetermined from the start. There was no one else at the Black Market he could ask for help with. If he were to go to Meridians store he could sell it, but it couldnt possibly be as worthwhile as crafting it into an item to take with him. ThenGood luck. At his words, Kargos looked astonished. Really? Yes. Youve always done well until now. Ill just have to trust your skill. Ok then, I will put my heart and soul into thisI will give it my best. In return, I wont charge you anything for it. Okwell, its not like money is an issue Kargos muttered to himself while holding the gem as if he couldnt hear Sungjin anymore. I will have to call my cousins. Cousins? Yes, my cousins. Theyre all blacksmiths like me. I feel thatI will need their help to make an attempt. so how long do you think it will take? Probably three days. Three days?! Thats the minimum. Three days. He had said it would take one day to make something out of Dragons heart, but this would take much longer. Since this is a 10 man raidone day is for restingI will probably be able to see the result after the end of the next raid. One way or another, he had no other choice. Then Ill leave it to you. Got it. Sungjin bid his farewell and left the smithy. On the way back, he turned to see, and Kargos was still staring at the Gem while holding it as if it was a divine artifact. WellHes a craftsman through and through so he will do the best that he can. Sungjin returned to bed at Ninety Nine Nights and collapsed onto the bed. It was a long raid, and he felt exhausted. Sungjin wanted to take a nap until dinner time. But once he closed his eyes, he recalled the face of Edward he had failed to kill earlier today. Even his voice from the distant past. Sungjin. He couldnt fall asleep now that he remembered. So Sungjin lay there on the bed until Dinner time. Without falling asleep. Chapter 166 Chapter 166 C Black Market Fourteenth Shopping (2) Here is the Chicago pizza that you ordered. Where shall I place it? Baltren raised his hand in response to Dalupins query. Here. A whole Chicago style pizza covered deep with yellow cheese and pepperoni slices was placed before Baltren. Upon seeing this, Franz swallowed his saliva as he said, Ooh, that looks delicious. Baltren, can I have a slice as well? Of course. Here. Baltren picked up a slice of pizza. The cheese on the pizza stretched an incredible amount. Franz deliberately spoke in a loud voice as he saw this, Uwah. That looks great! As he did so, he took a quick glance around. Ninety Nine Nights. It was the dinner time for Master Hunter Kei and Keis Chosen Ones. As always, a sumptuous feast was laid out on top of the table, but the atmosphere was different from usual. The mood seemed to be more solemn than before. Even as they ate, the others did not say much. The only one who was excitedly talking was Franz. The reason for this atmosphere was because of Serin and Kei. It seemed that something had happened during the raid as the two people did not say a single word. Furthermore, even if Franz did not know what happened, there was a chilly atmosphere that surrounded the two. Franz was the only person speaking at the table; Baltren and Nada did not speak up as they were mindful of Serin and Kei, and Mahadas was reserved from the beginning. Did something happen? Franz stole glances at the two, but he was unable to obtain a single clue about what happened between them. Nevertheless, he tried to bring up feel-good topics to liven the atmosphere. Though this raid was incredibly difficult, its a relief that everyone finished safely. Since it seems that theres not much left until the end, hang in there everyone. When the raids are over, well be the worlds heroes after all. Baltren reacted to his words. Hero? Of course. The Operator said it when the raid was over that there are six thousand people remaining? That means that, excluding these six thousand, everyone else is trapped inside the purgatory. If some people are able to free them, then wouldnt they definitely be treated as heroes? Hrm Baltren nodded his head as he chewed his pizza. Not just any heroes, either. Well definitely become heroes on a global scale. Global popularity is natural and well probably earn an incredible amount of money? Money? This time, Nada showed some interest. Of course. Companies all over the world will be anxious for us to be in their commercials. Dont you think so? For example, sports companies like Dike or Idaas No, well become VVVIP commercial models for all businesses. Nada placed her elbow on the table and supported her jaw with her hand as she said, Hrm That sounds likely? When the raids are finished, everyone will probably become incredibly busy since youll likely be invited to places all over the world. And you might also have to prepare an autobiography of your experiences since theyll probably sell like hotcakes. Even Mahadas, who had silently listened up until then, said something. If its writing a book, then Im a bit interested. Since in Buddhism, it is said that spreading Buddhist doctrines is one of the methods that accumulate the most virtue. I believe that a fairly decent book could be written if I combine the experiences Ive obtained here with the teachings of Buddhism. As the conversation continued, the stiff atmosphere became slightly relaxed. Wealth and fame. These two topics are topics that everyone enjoys. If this happens, what do you guys want to do? I want to travel around the world. I want to see all of the attractions while eating great food, seeing great places and staying at great locations. Since well be welcomed wherever we go Well probably be received very warmly. Whether its hotels or restaurants They might even want us to come. Baltren had more humble dreams in comparison. Travel? I dont enjoy going to places. If I become that rich I want to buy a building in Manhattan. A place where I can clearly see Central Park. There, Ill drink some whiskey as I look down from the top floor. Though in the past I could only look from over the police car Baltren grinned as if he was happy simply imagining it. Nada, as expected, seemed to have interest in real estate. I want to buy an old castle in France. After buying one, I could be like a queen every vacation No, if it turns out like that then there wouldnt be any need to work, right? Ah, right. When I quit, I want to slap my superior on my way out. And then chuck my exit compensation envelope in his face. I always wanted to do it. She slapped the air twice with empty as she spoke. Mahadas did not have any desire for physical possessions, but there was something he did want to do. There were plans for some fellow Buddhists in Canada to build a temple in Toronto, but it was delayed for a few years due to the lack of funds. If I were to obtain money, I would like to donate to the cause. The country will probably do it for you even if you dont give them money. That is, if Rev. Mahadas wanted it. Would they? Of course. Youre a hero that saved the Earth. Do you think they wouldnt do at least that much? Hrm As they continued to converse, the atmosphere at the table began to grow lighter. However, despite this Serin and Kei remained silent. Even after the meal was finished and it was time for dessert, they still continued to hold their silence. It was obvious that something had happened to the two, or perhaps between the two. Then Ill take your orders for dessert. When Dalupin brought a pen and paper, Serin rose up from her spot. Im sorry but The briefing will be tomorrow, right? Ill get up first. Since today was too tiring Now that they looked, she had only eaten half of the gooksoo* that she had ordered for dinner. The hunters were slightly taken aback, but no one stopped Serin who left saying that she was tired. As she had said, the raid was two days later, and today was a free day. Then, farewell. Have a good night. After bidding farewell, Serin turned her head to the Operator Cube and said, Operator, send me back to my dimension. With those words, she disappeared from the table at Ninety Nine Nights. At the same time, Franz glanced at Kei who was wordlessly staring at the table that she had disappeared from. Franz thought, Something definitely happened between the two. * Everyone, you did well. Since the resting period is until tomorrow, get a good rest today. Sungjin said as he rose from his seat. The hunters returned to their respective dimensions one by one. Left alone, Sungjin returned to his room and opened the door. The figure of Serin who did not say anything throughout dinner was stuck in his mind. Can you stay for a bit? He wanted to keep her here and talk to her, but she claimed she was tired and left. Sungjins feelings were complicated. Of course, it was not as if he did not understand her feelings. This was because Edward was someone who truly seemed to be a good person. However, instead, he was more dangerous because of this reason. Last time, the final ten were people who did not mesh well together, but everyone like and trusted Edward. However, at the final moment, he stabbed them in the back. His betrayal was so much more effective because of it. Do I have to explain what had happened back then Although it wasnt something he wished to recall, he had no choice. This was the only method that he could use to persuade her. However, for some reason he felt sad. Even if she did not understand immediately, he had hoped that she would help him. Sungjin sat on top of his bed inside his room. After having eaten dinner, there wasnt anything to do in particular. He was not going to go shopping in the Black Market, nor was there a raid tomorrow. However, suddenly, Sungjin thought of what the Dragon Archaeards had said. Ah, right. Before when I read your memories, there was something that I was also curious about. Having thought about that time, Sungjin called out the Operator. Operator. [Please speak.] That Eye mask that I obtained this raid. Was it Ever Dream? Take it out for me. At Sungjins request, the eye mask appeared from the cube. Sungjin held it up and examined it. The Dragon that had taken a peek at his past had said something strange as he handed the eye mask to Sungjin. Why did Edward, at that time, shoot spells at his allies? The Dragon had also said, There is a topic that I was thinking about recently If you can know the past in its entirety, then could you not also predict the future in its entirety? Something like that. With that in mind Ill give you this. Sungjin held the item above his head as he once again pulled up the Operators explanation window. He then read the ability of the Active Skill View of Fantasy again. Shows what you want to see from inside the gaps between time that has flown past. Only activates when sleeping for longer than 7 hours. Sungjin asked the Operator, Operator, what time is it? [The time is 07:45:33 PM.] Regardless of things, he had to go to Darker than Black at four thirty in the morning. Since I have to get up at 4 AM in that case In order to sleep for longer than 7 hours, he had to fall asleep by 9 PM at the latest. Since he could not fall asleep the moment he laid down, he had to attempt to fall asleep by 8:30. Sungjin said to the Operator, Operator. Set an alarm for 8 8:20. [Understood.] * [Its 8:20, Mister Hunter] Sungjin glanced at the Operator Cube. He had a set an alarm in case he forgot, but instead he constantly thought about it and had become filled with tension. Sungjin held up the eye mask and laid down on the bed. Afterwards, he turned off the lamp next to the headboard. The rooms of the inn Ninety Nine Nights were optimal for sleep, even for people who were sensitive to light. After turning off the last lamp, only an inky darkness was left, though it did not compare to the darkness of Darker than Black. Sungjin put the eye mask on his face as he thought, Even though its this dark, to wear an eye mask Afterwards, he laid down on the bed. Though it appeared to be rather large, it weighed almost nothing.There was no sense of discomfort when lying down while wearing it like this. Hrm If I fall asleep like this Is that it? He could not get a feel for how he was supposed to activate it. However, it was definitely identified as a Passive Skill, so there was likely nothing that he had to deliberately do. Still, since it said that it would Show what you want to see from inside the gaps between time that has flown past, he should at least think about what he wanted to see. Without much further thought, Sungjin thought about that incident. That time, when Edward had shot magic at his teammates. However, even if its like this The reason why he shot magic at us Isnt that impossible to find out? Sungjin had his doubts, but still decided to listen to the Dragons words. He attempted to fall asleep while thinking about that time. However, since he was forcefully attempting to fall asleep, sleep did not come easily. A person ate and slept based on the cycle of his body. Regardless of what he desired, for several weeks, Sungjin had been living a life where he went to sleep at about 10 and woke up at 4. All of a sudden, he began to worry. This What do I do if I cant fall asleep? Failing here would waste the whole day. Since he couldnt just take a nap for seven hours. Sungjin asked the Operator while lying down with his eyes closed. Operator, what time is it? [The time is 8:31:21] There was still a lot of time remaining. Sungjin attempted to fall asleep a bit more. However, sleep did not come. Operator, what time is it? [The time is 8:45:02] There were 15 minutes left. If its like this Still, it was an item that he had obtained after going through many difficulties for it, so it was not as if he could simply not try it out. Sungjin decided to turn off the 4 am alarm so he could try sleeping for 5 more minutes. He attempted to go to sleep one more time while thinking of that incident. However, for some reason sleep again did not come easily. Feeling helpless, Sungjin was about to get up and call the Operator, when at that moment, he could suddenly hear someone elses voice. Hey Sungjin, come here for a bit. When Sungjin lifted his head and looked, Illich was gesturing towards him. The Illich that he had personally killed not long ago. Whats happening? Even though Sungjin was thinking so, his body began to walk towards Illich. He soon realized that he had arrived inside a dream. Chapter 167 Chapter 167 C Sungjins Dream Sungjin took out Blood Vengeance and held it aloft. Shruum As always, Blood Vengeance let out a sharp sound as it came out of its sheath. Sungjin anxiously moved his feet. However, at that moment an unidentifiable sound could be heard coming from the dark. Kieeeeeeeh! Someone shouted from behind, Incoming! Soon, unrecognizable outlandish creatures appeared from the doors; Black bodies with many appendages, like an octopus that had covered themselves in ink. However, there were saw-like teeth attached to every appendage. Furthermore, these octopi swung their legs as if they were crazed. Sungjin moved around busily in order to avoid them. He leapt backwards, rolled sideways, and jumped into the air. However, he could not evade everything because his attention was focused on dodging the appendage that came flying at him from the front, but he was unable to see the leg that was approaching him from behind. Shlick Sungjin desperately swung Blood Vengeance when he felt a strange feeling curling around his leg. Though he did manage to succeed in cutting off the octopus tentacle that was crawling up his leg, he was unable to block the tentacle that was swung in front of him because of this. Thud! An enormous tentacle struck Sungjin in the abdomen. Kuuuk! Sungjin let out a shout as he rolled backwards. There was a zigzagging wound on his abdomen which was caused when the teeth on the tentacle tore his flesh. Blood came oozing out of the wound. Meanwhile, as the dreaming Sungjin saw the past him, he thought, How unsightly. Though there were several identical tentacles that were flying towards the collapsed, bleeding past-him, the dreaming Sungjin watched without any particular worry. This was because he knew that he would not die here. He will perish during the battle against the Demon King. Regardless of whatever attacks he received from this monster, he would not die here. I think someone helped out here Sungjin turned his head. Ryushin appeared and wielded his spear like lightning to protect him when the past-him collapsed. Haaap! Meanwhile, Mustafa appeared and began to use healing magic on his past self. Close the wounds and erase the pain, Heal! The dreaming Sungjin nodded his head when he saw this. Ahh Thats right; this was how it went The Sungjin who was stuck inside the dream was able to watch over his past self from the third person perspective as if he had become a ghost. His past self quickly rose up and charged back into the fight upon receiving Mustafas healing magic. The figure of himself wielding a sword with one hand was incredibly strange. Back then I had only used one sword Sungjun turned his vision from the hunters that were waging war and examined the surroundings. Inside the Demon Kings castle, there were grotesque stone statues, columns wrapped with bizarre vines, and stained glass showing gruesome visions such as torture or execution. Was it like this? Previously, he was too focused on the raid that he did not pay attention to anything else. Since he was caught in between matters of life and death, hadnt looked around at his surroundings. Sungjin ignored the events of the past he already knew about and instead spent his time looking around at these details. As he did so, the hunters were beginning to win. It was only the natural progression of events; even if the people who were involved did not realize it at the time. Sungjin returned to the place where his past self was. His past self was dodging the octopus monsters appendages when he gave a slightly embarrassing shout and cut off a tentacle. Huyap! Sungjin felt a bit ashamed. What Am I still like that? Regardless, the past self that was significantly slower than the current him joined forces with his allies and was barely able to stab his sword into the monsters main body. Once the main body died, the limbs that were squirming until now began to shrink like dry ice on top of a grill and disappeared into the air. Once the fight was over, Illich looked around the area and said, Now the remaining time is If we can move, we should leave as quickly as possible. Upon hearing those words, Hildebrandt turned his head and asked, Hey, is anyone hurt? Raise your hands. Nope. No. However, at that time, Wait. Mustafa, who was at the very back, raised his hand. What, Mustafa were you wounded somewhere? Im not wounded. But I used all of my mana so give me some time to recover it. I need time to meditate. At that time, Edward also cautiously raised his hand. I would also like it if there was a bit of time. Illich glanced at Hildebrandt. Hildebrandt looked back at Illich, and the two nodded their heads. Illich pressed them as he said, Then quickly go meditate We wasted too much time treating wounds in the previous resting period. If it continues like this, it looks like well die to the Operator rather than to the Demon King. The dreaming Sungjin looked at the preaching figure of Illich. Leaving Hildebrandt aside Its a bit funny that I used to follow Illichs commands. Well, though he did not really make any miscalculations Sungjin felt a bit of a chill when he thought that one of the biggest trolls had led the final party. Mustafa wordlessly dropped himself to the ground and began to use some active skill without further ado. Meditation. After Mustafa began, Edward, Nada, Hildebrandt, Shunsuke, and Araujo, every hunter who used even a little bit of magic began to recover their mana. Sungjin examined what his past self was doing. Since Sungjin was the only one who could not use magic at all amongst the ten hunters, he had nothing to do while they were recovering their mana. Now that he looked, he was talking idly with Umkhuba. You flew pretty far back then. Are you okay, Sungjin? It hurt a bit, but since Mister Mustafa used magic on me What about you Umkhuba. Did you not get hit at all? In spite of all of those legs? Well, I dodged everything just by moving this way and that according to my instinct pwahaha! It was not a particularly informative conversation. Sungjin looked away from his past self. In truth, right now, observing Edward was more important than watching himself. He had to see just what it was that Edward did, and when he began his preparations to troll. Sungjin focused his attention on Edward as he flew over (although it technically isnt flying) and approached him. Edward was recovering mana with his eyes closed in a spot slightly apart from the other hunters. Sungjin watched him meditating. Edward looked so innocent with his eyes closed, that it made you wonder if there was any other person looking as pure as him. But in truth thats not the case Ah, right I have to see if he has that. Sungjin turned his head and looked at Edwards fingers. There were rings on all ten of his fingers, but of those, it was the Ring of the Great Sage with its blue glow that stuck out the most in Sungjins eyes. This was because it was also on his currently sleeping body. As expected This guy also met Ariane and passed her test. In truth, Sungjin could not remember if Edward ever used the Ring of the Great Sage. This was because, at the time, he was completely ignorant when it came to magic so he simply thought, they mustve had an incredible Active Skill, whenever Edward or Mustafa used an impressive spell. While Sungjin was examining Edwards finger, a voice suddenly arose from Edwards Operator Cube. [Mana fully recovered to 100%.] Afterwards, Edward opened his eyes. However, he then suddenly looked towards the dreaming Sungjin. Sungjin was incredibly alarmed. Wh What? Can he see me? While Sungjin was still surprised, Edwards eyes turned back to their original position. Sungjin looked behind himself. At that moment, Mustafa was recovering mana while sitting cross-legged right behind him. It seemed that Edward was looking at Mustafa, and not Sungjin, after having completely recovered his mana. Right, he cant see me This body didnt exist back then While Sungjin was reassuring himself, Edward suddenly called out to his cube. Operator, can you take out Eltarim? At Edwards words, a star-shaped item that gave off a blue light came out of the cube. Sungjin was incredibly surprised when he saw this. This was because there seemed to be the image of clouds floating around inside the bluish star. This item was made from none other than the gem that made up the Ring of the Great Sage, the gem that the Dragon Archaeard was searching for. Since it was an item made from a rare gem that even Kargos barely had the chance to touch, it was not a normal item. It was an item that even he, who had perfectly cleared the raids from the beginning until now, had never seen before. This Just what Sungjin took a closer look at the blue gem that had been cut into the shape of a star. However, at that time, Edward muttered as he held the star, Starlight. After which the star very briefly glowed before the light disappeared. Sungjin blinked his eyes as he examined Edward and his surroundings. What was that? Just what happened? However, there was nothing that had changed. This included the other hunters and, of course, Edward. The other hunters did not know at all that there had been a light that shone in this corner. Of course, this included the past Sungjin who was chatting with Umkhuba. Sungjin turned his head and looked again at Edward. He noticed that there was one thing that had changed from before. And this was none other than Edwards expression. Edward, who had been gathering mana with a serene expression until just a moment ago, now had a subtly twisted expression with a slightly ill-feeling look in his eyes. He threw the star inside the cube as if he were throwing away a toilet paper into a garbage can. Sungjin tilted his head. What After he used the Active Skill He got irritated? However, all of a sudden, Sungjin remembered seeing that same expression on Edward. After intensely thinking about it, at the end, this expression was similar to the one that Edward wore right before the fight with the Demon King. Yeah Thats right Then Sungjin turned his head. Mustafa finished his meditation and stood up. Illich gestured with his hand when he saw this and said, Hey, if youre ready, then lets hurry up and go. The hunters got up from their places one by one. Including the past-him who had been chatting with Umkhuba. However, then Illich and Hildebrandt called the other hunters. Hey, Nada, Ryushin, and Sungjin. Come here. The past Sungjin approached Illich and Hildebrandt. The two began to explain the strategy to them. Since enemies will be approaching from all directions from here on Ryushin, you go with Mustafa and protect him. Nada, youre with Shunsuke. The people who were remaining was Sungjin and Edward. Sungjin, youre with Edward. The dreaming Sungjin remembered everything after this. Its definitely after he said this The Demon King shouldnt be too far off from here? Having received his orders, his past self approached Edward. Hey Ed, they made me your guard. Edward replied with a slightly subdued voice, Really? I dont need something like a guard, though. As if dont be brash. At that time, his past self and Edward were rather friendly. The past Sungjin grinned and hit Edward on the shoulder. However, this time Edward held up his staff without saying much. If it was according to his normal cheerful personality, then Edward would have said something in return. Having felt something was strange, his past self asked Edward, Whats wrong Edward, are you nervous? No Its Just that now everything is almost over. In response, his past self grinned. Not knowing that he was going to die soon, the past Sungjin said, Thats right. Itd be great if these tedious raids were done with already. At that, Edward replied tersely, Yeah. Creaaaaak At the very front, Hildebrant and Illich had gone forwards after opening the stone door. The Demon King was waiting just a short distance past this point. The dreaming Sungjin had been watching Edwards every movement until then. From the moment that Edward had seen that blue light, his expression had become strange and would not change back. Chapter 168 Chapter 168 C Black Market Fourteenth Shopping (3) Uwhaaap! Blood Vengeance danced flashily every time Sungjins arm and wrist moved. Kweeeh! The enemies that Blood Vengeance cut turned into pieces while shrieking. The dreaming Sungjin crossed his arms over his chest as he watched, though in reality since he was insubstantial he only felt like crossing his arms. However, the fight did not continue on for long. The Sungjin who was swinging his sword was probably aware of it, but the Sungjin who was watching it could feel it even more clearly. This was due to the fact that the speed of the Blood Vengeance that was cutting through the enemies, and the movement of Sungjin who was dodging the enemies attacks was gradually getting slower. Hes exhausted Goodness On the other hand, there were countless monsters flowing out of the portal created by the Demon King. Sungjin looked towards the main force that was fighting against the Demon King. According to Illich, in order to stop the portal, it was necessary to wound the kings body. However, the main force fighting against the Demon King was unable to attack due to desperately guarding against the Demon Kings attacks. So this is why we couldnt end it The enemies continued to spill forth from the portal. Unable to hold on, the past-Sungjin looked backwards as he shouted, Edward! Support fire here! When he heard his own voice, Sungjin thought, Now its time for the climax. Sungjin looked at Edward. However, Edwards body did not face the portal but was turned in the complete opposite direction, towards where the tankers were fighting against the Demon King. This bastard Soon, Edward breathed in deeply as he began to chant a spell. The Divine Spear The past Sungjin, even then, thought that Edward was using the spell in order to help him. However, at this time, Edward had already made up his mind to troll. Of destruction, Spear of God! An incredibly dense spear of energy appeared in Edwards hand as the spell finished. When Sungjin saw this, he thought, When I think about it after having reached this point, this is where it started to get weird. The spell itself is called the Spear of God The Spear of God was the highest class attack magic of the White Magic category. It was not something prepared for the subordinates bothering Sungjin, but a spell that was prepared for the Demon King. To use this on those subordinates was no different from using a cow-butchering knife to kill chickens. Of course, not that he used it like that. Edward did not look towards where Sungjin was and threw the energy spear towards the very front where Demon King was fighting against Illich. Illich, having received a sneak attack from his back let out a cry of agony as he fell forward. Agh! The Demon King who had been trading blows with him did not miss the opportunity and instantly severed Illichs neck. Hildebrandt, who had been receiving the Demon Kings attacks along with Illich, stared at Illichs headless body with an alarmed expression. From the beginning, it had been difficult to defend with the two of them working together. Now that Illich died, it was natural for all of the pressure to be focused onto him. Hildebrandt urgently activated his Active Skill, Four Castle Walls! However, during this moment, another of Edwards spells came flying in and stabbed him. Firefly A willowisp like blue fire came flying and burned Hildebrandts back. Ugh! Hildebrandt relaxed his defensive stance a tiny bit under the intense pain. Again, the Demon King did not miss the presented opportunity. He used the black substance that covered his body as a sharp sword and stabbed it into Hildebrandts body. Afterwards, the black substance soon turned into several blades and puffed out of Hildebrandts body like an explosion. Because of this, Hildebrandt turned into a human-shaped sea urchin and collapsed on the spot. Erase the Mustafa, who was standing behind Hildebrandt, had been about to chant a healing spell but instead closed his mouth. This was because he quickly realized that Hildebrandt had died immediately. He immediately attempted to chant a different spell, but the Demon King was already upon him. Now that it was a situation where there was not a single tank left to protect him, it was natural that Mustafas body was sliced almost instantaneously. During all of this, Shunsuke drew back his bow unshaken as he said, Three Dragons Arrow Soon, three dragons appeared from his bow and went flying towards the Demon King. However, the Demon King moved his black substance and reflected back the first, the second, and the third dragon. The three arrows that Shunsuke fired went back and pierced Shunsukes left shoulder, his right thigh, and his heart. Shunsuke collapsed while vomiting blood. It was now that the attackers who had been blocking the portals finally looked back. Nada and Araujo, Umkhuba and Ryushin, and Sungjin. The hunters who had been blocking the portal in three different sections, all of the attackers aside from Edward, were alarmed when they saw what happened. But it was too late. The hunters that were closest to the pincer attack between the Demon Kings forces and Edward were the first to die. The Sungjin inside the dream had a stupefied expression as he watched Edward. At the same time, the dreaming Sungjin quietly muttered, Just why? Soon, his past self also asked Edward, Just why? However, Edward did not say anything. The dreaming Sungjin ignored his past self and concentrated on Edwards expression. The corners of his mouth had definitely been slightly raised. Soon, the black substance of the Demon King covered Edward and instantaneously turned him into powder. The enemies that came out from the portal violently stabbed at Sungjin who was the only one left. Puk! It was unclear if he did or did not feel the pain, but he simply stayed standing there. Having felt the critical situation of its owner, Blood Vengeance began to cry alone. Kyeeeeeen * Ahhh! Sungjin rose from his bed with a shout. Despite having experienced it and dreamed about it already, Sungjin could not help but shout at the scene of his own death. Haa Haa After regaining his breath, Sungjin took off the eye-mask that he was wearing and put it down next to his pillow. Soon, cool sweat rolled down from his forehead. Sungjin wiped it off with his hand, then turned on the lamp next to the headboard. flick The room was brightened together with the sound of the lamp switch. He then looked out the window. It was still dark outside. Sungjin was about to ask the Operator Cube for the time, but the Operator began to speak first instead. [Ringringringring. It is now 4 AM. Ringringringring] It was the alarm to wake up to go to Darker than Black. Sungjin blankly stared at the cube for a moment. Now that I think about it It said that I had to sleep for 7 hours For me to have had that dream It should mean that the amount of time was just right. Operator, thats enough. Im awake. Turning off the alarm, Sungjin got up from the bed. After taking a simple shower, Sungjin left Ninety Nine Nights and, as always, breathed in the morning air as he walked towards Darker than Black. While walking, however, he felt that walking was a bit strange. This probably was because until just a short while ago he had moved around by floating in the air. It was incredibly vivid Rather than calling it a dream It was more like a type of Revisitation to the past Though he had already experienced it all before, he had felt as if he was seeing everything for another time. This was especially so because he was able to freely go see the things that he had not been able to see back then. There were three things that he had seen inside the dream that had left a strong impression on him. First, was the fact that Edward had possessed the Ring of the Great Sage. Second, was that Edward had a star-shaped accessory made from the rare gem which even a Dragon desired. Third, was that he truly had deliberately trolled on purpose. However, with just that, it was a bit insufficient to answer Sungjins question C why did Edward troll? I cant figure it out just with seeing it for one day The circumstance surrounding it is unknown as well Do I have to sleep another night Sungjin found himself already standing before Darker than Black while he had been thinking about various things. Sungjin thought, Well Since theres still tomorrow Lets try it out tomorrow as well. He was just about to enter Darker than Black when Besgoro suddenly said, Hrm? Sungjin briefly stopped and asked, What? Besgoro. Strange. What was strange was that Besgoro had spoken up at all. This was because Besgoro normally was fearful of Darker than Black and its mysterious shop owner. This was why Besgoro never spoke up when they were near Darker than Black in spite of his chatty personality. However, this time, for the first time, he had opened his mouth. Whats strange? Besgoro answered, The darkness is shallow. What is? Darker than Black? Thats right. Normally, Darker than Black was dark to the point that you could not see past your nose. The reason that Sungjin wore Besgoro, who hated coming here, was to use the helmets Ghost Vision. Sungjin took off Besgoro and looked at Darker than Black with his own eyes. What Besgoro said was true. The entrance was still dark, but it was not the blackness of the past that lacked even a single mote of light. Instead, it was just a darkness that was similar to the darkness that covered the other shops. Sungjin muttered as he went inside Darker than Black. Whats this Creeeeak As always, the old wooden stairs were noisy. Finally, having entered the shop, Sungjin found one more thing that had changed; the shop owner was now standing next to the chair. In truth, if this were a normal shop then this would not have been a noticeable detail. But this shop owner had always sat in his chair with his hands gathered while waiting for him. Seeing the shop owner standing, Sungjin felt strange. When he looked closely, it was even stranger. The shop owner was standing while looking at an empty space. Feeling slightly terrified, Sungjin said, What Why are you The shop owner finally turned his head at Sungjins words and said, Ahhh So, you came. It was as if he had been thinking about something else. The shop owner then gestured to the chair as he said, Please sit. Its time for business, right? Business. When Sungjin sat down in the chair, the shop owner seated himself in the opposite chair. Sungjin held out just one marble towards the shop owner and said, Recharge. The shop owner wordlessly charged the marble and then returned it to Sungjin. Thats right. You met another Dragon. There was another person who read his memories here. Sungjin wordlessly handed over his cube as he said, Give me elixirs. I need them. Hrm Indeed. The shop owner took out elixirs from his vest and handed them to Sungjin which he began to drink right away. However, at that moment the shop owner spoke up. Youve worked hard until now. My business ends here. Mmph! Sungjin, who had been in the process of swallowing the elixirs, coughed in surprise. Wh What? Im a being that exists to convey will. Ive accomplished my duty as of today, so I can no longer exist here. When Sungjin tilted his head, the shop owner continued, The elixir that you just drank, thats the last of it. With that, you now have everything you need. You already had the determination, and now you obtained the power. Its time for the story to end. What do you mean While Sungjin kept staring at the shop owner, the shop owner continued, Im just saying that all requirements have been met. Requirements? While Sungjin held up an eyebrow, the shop owner quickly spoke, Theres many things to say, but I cant say everything. Even though I look like this, Im still a busy person. This job How should I put it Is simply like a part-time job. It seemed that the shop owner did not have the intention of giving Sungjin an answer. Now its time for farewell. It was fun to know you for the short time we had, Sungjin. At the end of those words, the shop owners body suddenly began to be covered by something dark. Sungjin stared at the shop owner in surprise, but at that time, the shop owner spoke up once more. Now that I think about it There was something that I had received without payment. I must give something in exchange if I receive something The shop owner suddenly extended his hand and pointed at the earring that Sungjin was wearing as he continued, When you have to choose one thing, choose that. The truth is always precious. With those final words, the shop owner was assimilated into the darkness and disappeared from that spot as if he had dissipated into the surrounding darkness. Chapter 169 Chapter 169 C Black Market Fourteenth Shopping (4) Sungjin looked around the area where the shop owner disappeared. What What happened? Besgoro muttered, He vanished? Sungjin actually got up and began to examine the area where the shop owner had been sitting. There was no sign of his presence at all; the shop owner had disappeared without a trace. Sungjin crossed his arms as he stared at the empty spot where the shop owner had been. Just However, as he was crossing his arms, something touched his elbow. It was the empty bottle of elixir from which he had just drunk. Sungjin picked up and inspected the empty bottle. The shop owner had bidden farewell as if it were permanent instead of a temporary separation. Considering his characteristics of not telling everything, but being true with what he does say, the man was most definitely gone forever. As if blaming the already disappeared shop owner, Sungjin said, But then where am I supposed to use my Black Coins now For the past few chapters, he had used all of his Black Coins in purchasing elixirs, but now that the shop owner was gone he could no longer buy more elixirs. He now had nowhere else to spend his Black Coins. Shit He does whatever he wants until the end. Sungjin kicked the chair that the shop owner had sat in. Besgoro whispered in his ear afterwards. Well, theres that at least. What is? That you changed all of your white coins into Holy Water of Baptism. Hrm If you didnt do that much, then you wouldnt have been able to increase your number of allies. Sungjin briefly looked at the empty chair before he said, Thats true. Afterwards, he left the place. On the way back to Ninety Nine Nights, Sungjin reflected on the words that the shop owner had said. Im a being that exists to convey will. Ive accomplished my duty as of today, so I can no longer exist here. You already had the determination, and now you obtained the power. Its time for the story to end. Im just saying that all requirements have been met. Most of what the shop owner had said had been difficult to understand. But of the things he had said, Sungjin did understand one thing; this was what the shop owner had said while pointing to Sungjins earring. When you have to choose one thing, choose that. The truth is always precious. Sungjin held his hand to his ear. But why this? He touched the earring and said, Unequip Soon the purple light of the gem embedded in the earring caught his gaze. The sleepy looking half closed eyes inside of the gem was looking back at him. In some angles, it looked like it was somewhat drowsy, and in others, it looked like it was glaring sharply at him. This what was its name? Sungjin held the earring above his head. Soon, the Operators information window popped up and he read the name of the earring again. Trite Eye of Jeremiah Leaving that aside, Sungjin was incredibly curious about what the shop owner had meant by, when you have to choose one thing. When will it be the time for that? Hes not someone who would say things lightly For now, Sungjin re-equipped the earring by saying, Equip. Afterwards, he walked on the road to Ninety Nine Nights. But along the way, Sungjin suddenly had an idea and he turned and headed towards Kargoss Smithy; he was curious about how the work from yesterday was progressing. Kargoss smithy was as bright as the middle of the day despite being so early in the morning. The glow of hot molten steel shone from the furnace, and there were fireworks ceaselessly rising from the anvil and hammer. What was unique was that there were several dwarves similar to Kargos that were gathered at the smithy. Aahh, he did say he was going to call his relatives, didnt he? One, two, three, four Sungjin gave up counting them when the number exceeded seven. This was because their appearance was so similar to the point that it was like attempting to solve a puzzle. They were still concentrating on their work even when Sungjin came close by. It was as if Sungjin had become an invisible ghost. Sungjin watched them work with his arms crossed. After a while, Kargos saw Sungjin and raised his hand, Hullo, there! Commissioner. Sungjin almost didnt recognize him. This was because Kargoss face had been turned completely black and there were several places on his beard that had been burned away. Also, since he had been mixed amongst his relatives that looked like him, Sungjin had mistaken him for someone else. Ah Hello, Kargos. Sungjin approached him and asked, How is it? Is it going well? The smiths eyes glowed like a drunk man, Everything is going well since my cousins and I are putting our soul into crafting it. Now, take a look. He gestured Sungjin to look inside of the furnace. Sungjin tried to look as directed, but just the act of trying to take a peek inside caused Sungjins face to be blasted with immense scorching heat. But he forced himself to look inside anyway in spite of the heat. There was something resembling a mesh filter placed below it, but something placed on top of it was giving off a radiant blue glow. Sungjin stared at it attentively for about three seconds when, Hrm? he came to realize that the shining light was just like the form of a shining star. He endured the scorching flames threatening to melt his face and asked Kargos, Kargos, that gem. Hrm? Are you crafting it into the shape of a star? No, no. That gem I cant explain it, but I cant change its shape however I want. Then? It chooses its shape by itself. Sungjin asked in surprise, What? I also couldnt believe it the first time I read the ancient notes left behind by blacksmiths of old. However, now that I see, the legends were true. That gem, its as if it originally was in that shape. It seemed that the gem was made of some sort of shape memory alloy, though it was likely that Kargos did not know what it was. Is that so? Sungjin replied frivolously before saying, Then, Ill leave it in your hands. Ok. Just have faith in me. Sungjin bid farewell to Kargos then turned his feet around. On his way to Ninety Nine Nights, Besgoro said, What a fascinating object, a gem that returns to a star shape all on its own. All my years on the battlefield, fighting and triumphing against countless barbarians chieftains of the north, heathen cult leaders of the south, and the witches of the west, I have taken a great number of treasures as my trophy but I have never heard nor seen anything like that. At Besgoros words, Sungjin let out a short snort. Hm His attention had returned to the dream he had just had. The star-shaped item that Edward had used Then, that That gem was the Hidden Piece from the previous chapter, which Arachaeard was searching for. The moment you obtained it from the corpse, Archaeard would appear from the sky and demand it. If you declined, you would fight. That means It meant that Edward had also passed Archaeards test and entrusted it to Kargos after earning the gem. Just what did Edward go around doing That gem Then The doubts gave birth to new doubts. But the gem would not be complete for another day. Sungjin briefly stopped and looked back towards Kargoss smithy. The light of the fire from the smithy could be easily seen from afar. He intensely gazed at that light for a few seconds, then returned to Ninety Nine Nights. * Grrrrrr The sound of his stomach rumbling could be plainly heard. Sungjin finally opened his mouth. Operator, the time? [The time is 1:07 PM.] Is it already this late? After he had returned from his trip to Darker than Black and Kargoss smithy, Sungjin had laid in bed. He did not eat breakfast, nor did he sleep. Instead, he thought about what the two Dragons, Ariane and Archaeard, had said, about what the shop owner of Darker than Black had said, and about Edwards past and his secrets. All the pieces seem to be there but didnt seem to fit somehow. This was undoubtedly because there was still a piece of the puzzle that was missing. For now After the next raid is over I should know more after the gem is completed. While Sungjin was still thinking about things, his stomach once again growled. Grrrrrrrrr Sungjin got up from his bed like a spring. It was a necessity that hunters eat properly. He heard the Operators voice when he opened the doors and began to climb down. [The Chosen One has requested your teleportation.] Now? When Sungjin turned his head to look, Serins appearance was shown above the cube. Ah, right Theres Serins matter, too. Sungjin said to the cube, Aah Ill go. Teleport me. Sungjin was teleported to a restaurant on the outskirts of the Black Market. The eco-friendly landscape was well designed with all sorts of flowers and trees. It was the first time that Sungjin had seen such a place, even though he was the person who had spent the most amount of time in the Black Market. Sungjin was thinking wow there was a place like this. It was a wonder that she found such a place. Serin was sitting at the best table in the center (as there were no other guests, reservations were not necessary). Sungjin sat down in front of her. The problem was that, unlike the bright and beautiful environment, the mood was rather heavy. Even though they didnt have a fight, or rather even though they didnt even have a close enough relationship to be having a fight, the mood was rather awkward. After a moment, a deer demihuman with immense horns approached as he said, Welcome, to Five Emotions. Are you ready to order? Serin raised her hand towards him. Well order after a bit. I understand. Then, please call me whenever you are ready. The deer demihuman courteously bid farewell then disappeared into the back. Awkwardness resumed. The two hesitated for a moment. I thought about yesterday, but I thought about yesterday, b The two spoke up simultaneously but then stopped and stared at each other. Sungjin used that timing to speak first, apologizing. Yesterday, I think I was a bit hasty When you first meet Edward How should I put it, he really does seem like a nice guy after all. Serin also replied, while including an apology. No, its okay, Oppa. Since Oppa had returned in time once, there should have been something you saw before I think I wasnt able to understand that. If Oppa wanted to do something like that There must have been a reason for it. The awkward mood quickly dissipated once the conversation began like that. Furthermore, at that time Sungjins stomach once again let out a sound. Grrrrrrrrr The atmosphere was suddenly less serious. Sungjin patted his stomach as he said, Lets first order our meals and then continue with our talk. I skipped breakfast so Im really hungry. Ah, of course. Were ready to order. The deer demihuman with large horns approached and took their order. Once that was done, Sungjin stated the core of the matter. Well What I see is different from what you see, but Its enough if we trust each other and act even if there are things we know and dont know between us. Its the same for me, and its the same for you. It was what he had thought of yesterday. Serin nodded her head as she said, Yes, Oppa. Afterwards, Sungjin briefly thought about Edward once more. That guy, who was always personable. It was not unreasonable for Serin to have misunderstood, either. At that time, Serin said, Oppa. But what youre saying is Her hesitation meant that there was something else she had wanted to say. Hrm, what? No Its nothing. Unlike her normal actions, she shook her head meekly. During this time, the deer demihuman began to serve the food. Here is the salad with oysters and fresh dressing. Chapter 170 Chapter 170 C Sungjins Dream (2) Thats why it wont be particularly difficult so long as youre wary of sneak attacks by the pterodactyls from the air. Everyone began to write something down on a note paper once Sungjin finished speaking. The name of the Boss is a bit unique, but in any case, it was some kind of Tyrannosaurus. This guy has raptors You know, right? What raptors are? Theyre small and fast Baltren spoke up. I know, they appeared in movies as well. Franz also raised his hand. Yes, I also know. It seemed that everyone had some idea of what raptors were. Okay, in any case, the boss has raptors following him around, but these raptors are rather fast. Sungjin then glanced at Serin for a moment before he continued saying, Because of this, the attackers in the backline have to be careful, since they can turn around in the blink of an eye and charge towards you with incredible speed. Okay. Baltren also drew a circle on his note paper as he said, Okay, then I have to be careful as well, and pay attention to the attackers in the rear. If you pay attention to that, then it shouldnt be that difficult. Nada asked, And the Hidden Boss? Ah. The Hidden Boss If you look at the map, therell be a volcano-like place. If you walk on the road leading upwards, therell be a big egg. An egg? Yeah. Its an egg, but hrm Its height is about five meters? It shouldnt be particularly hard to find it. Okaay. When you find it, you just have to simply hit it a few times as if you were knocking on a door. If you do that, then the mother will appear from far away. The mother? Yeah. Its a pterodactyl, but its almost larger than a dragon Ah, right, you know the crimson dragon you saw in Chapter 10? Yes. It should be a little bigger than that. Probably. Huh If its that big, then it should be rather difficult. Yeah. Furthermore, it shoots immense sound waves from its mouth So itll be a bit hectic. Everyone made notes as Sungjin spoke. Hrm Be careful of sound attacks Sungjin looked at the hunters as he continued. Still, overall, it should be considerably easier when compared to the last chapter. This applies to the normal monsters as well as the boss monster. If you run into problems, call me. Yes. Okay. I said it before, but In this chapter, lets concentrate on gathering teammates. Everyone was too busy last chapter since the difficulty was rather high, but there should be some leeway in this chapter. Please report to me if you find someone who can become our teammate. Okay, understood. Then, our briefing will end here. Ill see you all tomorrow at breakfast. With that, the Chosen Ones got up from their spots and left one by one. Sungjin immediately went up towards his bedroom after they had left. If there was something that he had to do by tomorrow, it was immediately going to sleep. Furthermore, there was no need to get up late at night anymore since the shop owner of Darker than Black had left. Sungjin grabbed the eye mask that was placed next to his head and then sat down on his bed. This Does it show me more if I sleep longer? He did not know if this was the case, but he did not think that it would show him less because he slept for a longer period of time. Sungjin put his eye mask on right away and laid down on the bed. According to the Operators explanation, the eye mask showed you what you wanted to see. Sungjin closed his eyes and thought, What I want to see. However, what I saw that time It didnt really tell me anything. Then Just what should I say I want to see Sungjin made up his mind to watch what had happened before that incident; That is, to see the events of the past before Edward had betrayed them. Yeah If its that then there might be some more clues Sungin tapped the eye mask he was wearing a few times as he said, Hey, show me the past of the old Edward. From before that time when he betrayed us No From when Edward began the raids until the end. Pick only the important parts, okay? Of course, the eye mask did not say anything. Even so, Sungjin felt that if he did this much, then the eye mask would show him what he had asked. And just like that, Sungjin went to sleep. * [A hunt will soon begin. Prepare for combat.] Sungjins body shivered when he heard that voice. It was the Operators voice that notified them of the beginning of the raid. He had only heard it twice, but he believed that he would not be able to forget it. Edward looked around the area in a daze. What? Where is this? Sungjin crossed his arms as he watched Edward. So the start is similar. Chapter 0 C Living Mannequin Time Limit: 30 Seconds A large hologram appeared as the raid began. [For the first Chapter, just this once, you will be provided with a weapon. Select your weapon.] Edward pondered for a moment, before choosing the club. Club Give me the club. In a certain way, it was an unremarkable choice. After all, who has actually used a sword or a spear in the 21st century? After lifting the club, Edward dithered for a while before hitting the mannequin on the head thereby killing it. It was the start of the raids. On seeing this, Sungjin became slightly nervous. This Is it going to show me everything from the beginning However, thankfully it immediately skipped to the next cutscene showing the corpse of the troll that was still burning and Edward who held his club while gasping for breath. It seemed that the eye mask that the Dragon gave him picked out only the important parts to show him, as he had requested. What a relief. While Sungjin was having this thought, Edward said, Operator, my stats? Can you show them to me? HP: 90 MP: 370 Strength: 10 Dexterity: 12 Endurance: 9 Magic Power: 33 Mind Power: 37 Unallocated Stat points: 10 This was Edwards basic stats. While his endurance was average, his stats related to magic were abnormally high. Edward himself did not know the reason for it. Magic Just what is Mind Power and why is it so high? The Operator gave an answer to Edwards muttering. [These stats are important when using magic. Magic Power affects the strength of spells, while Mind Power affects your total amount of mana.] Really? Then Does that mean I have the talent for magic? The Operator did not respond. Instead, it was Sungjin who was watching the dream that responded. Thats right And a lot at that. Of course, Edward could not hear him. Edward asked the Operator, Then, where can I learn spells? [This will be explained after you have been teleported to the Black Market.] Black Market? The scene changed immediately after Edward finished asking the question. You dare to challenge us brothers?! Fight! Human! Ill kill you, human! Familiar voices could be heard. Soon, the figure of an ogre with two heads on one body, Pach and ChoRoch could be seen. Is this chapter 4 Giants Canyon? Sungjin looked towards the hunters. However, there were only two of them present. There was Edward, who was dodging Pachs club and a spearman who was stabbing his spear in-between ChoRochs staff. Groooooooar Pach swung his club. Edward barely avoided it as he chanted a spell. Flash! Edwards hand shone brightly for an instant. Aargh! Pach let out a scream as he walked backwards. On the other side, ChoRoch who had been fighting the spearman tried to take a look backwards. What? Whats wrong? However, in that moment, a spear came flying in and stabbed him in the neck. Hrk! While the two had become powerless, Edward once more chanted a spell. Fire that burns blood! Ignite! Soon, a fire ignited on his hand. Edward agilely ran forward and crammed the flame into ChoRochs wound. Gaaaaaaaah! Graaaaaaah! Pach and ChoRoch cried out in pain like a stereo speaker before falling over. The unknown spearmen and Edward delivered the final blow. [Boss Monster Pach and ChoRoch defeated!] Edward let out a heavy sigh after the Operators announcement. Whew We finally killed him. Since there was only two of us remaining, I thought it would be more difficult However, at that moment, Swish! The spearman swung his spear while aiming at Edwards throat. Edwards eyes opened wide as he desperately twisted his neck. Snick A wound appeared around Edwards neck along with a sound. Why? Edwards question was filled with his doubts, but the spearman did not respond, and only continued to wield his spear. Soon, his body began to glow crimson. As Sungjin saw this, he thought, Since theres only two remaining It seems that he wants to monopolize all the contribution However, the spearman had chosen the wrong opponent. This was because Edward was one of the strongest, even amongst the ten final people. Edward dodged the spearmans attacks for a few seconds, but during this time he had already prepared himself for battle. Project Image. Edwards body divided into several clones. The spearman swung his spear quickly, but he only managed to hit afterimages. Edward used the gap when the spearman missed and struck the spearmans leg with his staff. Hrk! The spearman let out a grunt as he fell over. Edward used his staff to hit the hand of the spearman that was holding the spear. Ah! The hunter let go of his spear which was equivalent to his life and Edward kicked the spear far away. Afterwards, he placed his staff on the spearmans neck and asked, Why did you do that? As Sungjin saw this, he thought, So there was a time when he was innocent, too However, in that moment, the spearman took out the dagger he had hidden behind his back and sliced towards Edwards ankle. Ah! Having received an unexpected sneak attack, Edward fell backwards. The spearman held his dagger as he attempted to swoop down on his opponent. Blink. However, Edwards body glowed, and then appeared behind the spearman. The spearman held his dagger as he looked around, but from this point, the fight was already over. Edward chanted a spell in a slightly saddened voice. Inner Burn. A fire erupted from the spearmans entire body. Graaaaaaaaaaaah! The sound of the spearmans cries spread throughout the Giants Canyon. Edward stared at the burning spearman who was turning into cinders. His expression was strange that seemed to be both angry and sad. As Sungjin watched Edward, he thought to himself, Well I dont really need to see something like this Cant we skip a bit further? Like to when we first met At that moment, the scene changed. Edward was standing in a frost plain. It was the Frostplains in Chapter 11, where the witch lived. Pew Soon, the figures of the other hunters appeared one by one near Edward. One of them was Sungjin. A Sungjin who was using the title Elite Samurai instead of Master Hunter. Sungjin stared at his past self, however, something was strange. There was a strong feeling of disconnect. Sungjin soon realized the reason. It wasnt here? The very first time that Sungjin had met Edward was much later, in Chapter 16. He had never met Edward in Chapter 11. Surprised, Sungjin went closer to himself. His past self was shaking hands with Edward. Im Edward. Nice to meet you. Im Sungjin. Lets do our best. When Sungjin saw this, he wondered, Did I meet him then and then forget? The dreaming Sungjin considered it carefully. However, it was then that a detail caught his eye. And that detail was the sword that his past self was wearing. What was on his belt was not the crimson sheath of Blood Vengeance, but a sheath that had a white tiger carved on it. The dreaming Sungjins eyes opened wide as he stared at the sheath. What? It was here that Sungjin knew for certain that something was wrong. He had never used a sword like that. Not once. Chapter 171 Chapter 171 C Sungjins Dream (3) Roaar~ An immense hairy yeti charged at the past Sungjin who swung his sword in retaliation. Sungjin watched over his new past self with his arms crossed. The way this Sungjin wielded his blade or reacted to enemy attacks was not particularly different from his past self or the current him. However, the weapon was different. He was wielding a sword that gave off a silver aura instead of the scarlet Blood Vengeance, or the blue-tinged glow of Moon Specter. Is it made of silver? Seeing that a few swings of the sword had effortlessly cut the yetis arm into slices, which were as thick as logs, it was easy to guess that the sword was at minimum a legendary tier weapon. In the midst of battle, one of the team members shouted, Shit! Theres Ice Trolls behind us. Just as his past self turned around, a pack of trolls holding massive clubs appeared. Theres too many The hunters were surrounded by the trolls. Sungjins past self looked around the area, then held up his sheath as he shouted, Divine Protection of the Tiger Chieftain. The pair of tigers engraved on the sheath came out as spirits and paced around Sungjin. Finally, the fight began. The past Sungjin was the focus of the troll packs attacks, but each time, the tiger spirits would swing their paws and protect him. Roar! The dreaming Sungjin thought, That skill Ive never even seen anyone else use that before Though it seemed as if Sungjins party had fallen into a critical situation, the fight was easier than expected. Ring of Fire This discrepancy between the expected outcome and reality was due to the efficiency of his past self and Edwards magic. After the fight was over, his past self swung his sword downwards through the air to remove the blood before sheathing it, like he had always done. When the dreaming Sungjin saw this, he thought, Even the habits are the same Its definitely me, but Just how did this happen? Sungjin thought to himself that he wanted to see his second meeting with Edward. The moment he finished the thought, the scene changed. Ohh, Sungjin, youre still alive. Edward, you too Its nice to see you again. The dreaming Sungjin looked around the area. The area seemed to be the Great Plains of Barrastan. Again Its different. According to his memories, the place that he had met Edward was not here, but at a later chapter. Edward asked his past self, So, how have you been? From when we met until now? Well The monsters were more or less do-able But I nearly died the last chapter to a troll. Ahh Trolls His past self shook his head as he said, Just whats up with these retarded rules? To make us have to divide contribution amongst the comrades that we had fought together with. Its not just a few hunters that are dying because of these trolls. Indeed But we cant do anything about it. Since its like this, we can only do our best. The past Sungjin was still wearing the sword engraved with tigers. It was here that Sungjin came to a conclusion. This Its definitely a past that I dont remember Then this means Sungjin then thought to himself that he wanted to see Edwards death. Soon, the scene changed. Edward was standing in a dark and gloomy prison. The moment Sungjin saw this, he thought, This is Chapter 18 Sercorist Prison According to what Sungjin remembered, Edward did not die here. He then looked around the area. There were five people, but one of them had a bluish body. When Sungjin saw this, he muttered, Ghost. A ghost was a type of substitute that appeared when there was an empty spot when dividing the hunters into teams of five. For example, if there were 24 hunters remaining, four of the parties would be fine, but there would be one party that had only four people. It was then that a ghost with a human appearance would appear and fill up that empty spot. Sungjin did not know if it was because his own luck was good, but he had never been in a party with one. However, according to others who had partied with a ghost, it was impossible to communicate with one and its abilities were slightly below that of the hunters. According to their words, the ghost was a hunter from the past that the Operator had summoned, but even they did not know exactly what that meant. In any case, for there to be a ghost in this party meant that Edwards death was completely different from the death that Sungjin remembered. The man at the very front turned his head as he said, Is everyone mentally prepared? However, he was someone familiar. The man was Illich from the final ten hunters. Illich In response to his words, a black man holding a spear hesitated before saying, Hey, do we really have to do this? Were the final four people. If we fail, then all of humanity will suffer. Lets leave alone the Hidden Boss and finish the raid. It was the first time that Sungjin had ever seen this mans face yet it was he who had identified himself as one of the final 4. Sungjin thought, Then that means As I thought This raid Is an event that occurred after my death. Edward said in response, Actually, thats the reason why we have to kill the Hidden Boss. The reason that we could only make it this far is because we werent strong enough. Illich also spoke up. Yeah. What he said is right. In any case, if we cant even clear this, then we cant clear the next chapter. Lets give it a try. The last remaining individual was an Asian man who was dual wielding two swords like himself. However, the man was bald and instead had a beard. This was also someone that Sungjin saw for the first time. The man stroked his beard as he said, Yeah, whether we die this way or the other Lets at least give it a try. The man holding the spear was still afraid, but the other three had made up their minds to give it a try. The ghost had no say in this matter. Finally, Illich pulled down the lever. ChiChiChiChiChiChiChi Soon, along with the clatter of chains, the iron door in front of them began to open. ChiChing! After a while, the sound of the chains stopped, and a groan filled with both fury and agony could be heard from the inside. Grooooooooar The four hunters nervously searched their surroundings as they entered the prison. The moment they entered, the door shut noisily. Clang! And simultaneously the Operators voice could be heard. [Warning! Hidden Boss] [100 man murderer Aizen has appeared!] There was an immense giant inside the prison. Sungjin shivered as he looked at the Hidden Boss. Aizen It was incredibly tough for me as well. I dont know about now, though Aizen was a giant prisoner whose height reached 2.5 meters. Both of his hands were tied to a bastard sword that was as tall as he was by an iron chain. It made you wonder how he could possibly eat. Illich held up his shield and went to the front as he said, Lets first get a feel for However, even before he finished speaking, the prisoner yelled loudly and swung his sword. Grooooooooooooooooarrrrr!!!! Illich blocked the oncoming bastard sword with his shield, but his shield was crumpled and Illich was flung far away by that one strike. Thats not something you can block. You have to avoid it Sungjin noisily gave advice, but then he stopped. What he had requested was the scene of Edwards death. The dream would show it to him. Sure enough, the four hunters could only last a few seconds against the 100-man murderer Aizen and ultimately faced annihilation. Aizen attacked the hunters by spinning around like a windmill as he held his bastard sword. Sometimes swinging high, sometimes swinging low. Inside the narrow prison, that flying bastard sword became terror itself. The swordsman and the spearman, as well as Illich, the tanker himself, could not deal with the bastard sword and could only retreat backwards. Edward, who was far away from it all, could chant short spells, but he could not use his specialty attack spells because he was too busy saving the retreating hunters. Heal! Heal! Heeal! In the end, the party could not do much and the hunters began to be picked off one by one. Starting with the archer ghost that disappeared after being hit by the sword, the spearman and the swordsman soon followed as they were both sent flying at the same time by the bastard sword. While Edward was debating on who to save, Illich charged towards Aizen in despair. Aahhhhhh! Unfortunately, Illich was turned into a pile of flesh by the chains that held up the bastard sword. Now, the only one remaining was just Edward. Aizen swung his bastard sword towards Edward, who shone for a moment. Blink He was able to escape from that position, but his luck wasnt so good; the location where he appeared just happened to be where Aizens bastard sword was finishing its swing. Without any further ado, Edward was split in half. Gah Edward could not even let out a cry of pain. He swung his arm a few times towards the ceiling and then died just like that. Soon, he could hear the Operators voice. [You have died.] [You were humanitys very last remaining Player.] [Benefit awarded to the last player to die is Restart] At the same time, a single line of text appeared before his eyes. Restart C Redo the hunt from the very beginning, but with current memory. Edward then looked around his surroundings with wide eyes. A white square room. It was a familiar place for him. He screamed, What?! However, without even the time for him to say more, the Operator said, [A hunt will soon begin. Prepare for combat.] As he saw this, the dreaming Sungjin thought, As expected Edward really did regress once. At that moment, the Operators voice could suddenly be heard, [The Chosen One has requested your teleportation.] Sungjin woke up to the jarring voice of the Operator. [Will you accept the request for teleportation?] Together with the Operators question, came Serins voice, Oppa, what about todays breakfast? Are we not eating together? Sungjin turned his head. Serins face could be seen above the Cube. Ah Yeah Wait, Oppa, did you sleep in? Yeah What time is it right now? What do you mean what time. Its time for the morning briefing. Ahh I see. Just wait a moment. Ill summon everyone soon. Okay. Sungjin got up from his bed and hurriedly washed his face and changed his clothes, before walking down to the first floor of Ninety Nine Nights. He then took out the Sceptre of the Warlord and summoned the other hunters. Good morning. Good morning. The hunters greeted each other. Franz said with an energetic voice, What should I eat today Does anyone have a recommendation? Something that Dalupin is good at making. To which Baltren responded, Have you tried his cereal? This guys cereal is strangely delicious. Ahh, then should I try that? Nada also joined the discussion. Should I try it as well? As the rowdy conversation went back and forth, Sungjin thought about the dream that he had been dreaming until just a moment ago. Edward was someone who had restarted even before I did. Then I Why did he Chapter 172 Chapter 172 C Bakash Island (1) After finishing breakfast, the hunters bid each other farewell and departed. See you at dinner time, everyone. Yeah, do your best, everyone. You too! Though the others were animatedly exchanging farewells, Sungjin merely held up his hand and waved to them. This was because Sungjin had been thinking about Edward since even before the hunters gathered together. Edward restarted once Then that guy did he do all of that knowing that I would go back in time? But even if thats the case Was there a reason for him to troll? However, at that moment, Oppa. Upon hearing someone calling to him, Sungjin raised his head. There was only one person that called him Oppa. Sungjin looked at Serin with eyes wide open in surprise as he asked, Hrm? You havent left yet? Yes. Since today, you didnt say much again I was worried that you were still angry at me. Sungjin waved his hand as he said, Ahh No. Its just I was thinking about something else. Is that so? What a relief. Hehe. Serin smiled cutely. Seeing her smile, Sungjin also grinned as he said, Go on. Its time for me to prepare myself as well. Ok. Then See you later, Oppa. Serin waved her hand as she disappeared. Now alone, Sungjin patted the seat as he stood up. There were too many questionable points in the information that he had, but there was nothing he could do about it for the moment. Lets look at it once more tonight. I should be able to learn more about it as I sleep. The next raid was Bakash Island, the primordial island where dinosaurs roamed. It was a place that was swarming with enemies whose sizes defied common sense. However, it was not a difficult raid so long as you were careful of their sizes. As the raid was approaching, Sungjin took out Lathion C Star of Solitude and was about to use its Active Skill, Solitary Training. Solitary But when he thought about it, it occurred to him that it might be better not to use it anymore. Few stats or coins were no longer what Sungjin needed; what he really needed were allies who could go to the end with him. Instead of earning stats by myself It would be better to finish the raids with other hunters and choose one or two more members. Having made up his mind, Sungjin placed the star back inside the cube. [The raid is beginning in 10 seconds. 10, 9, 8] Pew Sungjin was teleported to Bakash Island. Dinosaurs could be seen wandering about in the distance making this place looked as if the set from the movie Jura**** Pa** had been moved here as is. Pew When one of the hunters that had been summoned to Bakash Island saw his surroundings, his jaw dropped. Woah Sungjin glanced at him. The first time he saw this, he had also displayed a similar reaction. However, this was already his second time experiencing this. Rather than watching the dinosaurs, Sungjin slowly examined the other hunters who were staring at them. Now, everyone had fancy equipment, befitting of veterans who had experienced dozens of life-and-death crises. Of course, Sungjin was the only one who had equipped four swords. That friend over there has a Legendary armor. Was it Sargons Armor Hrm But his weapon I think I saw it hanging in some shop Did he buy it with Black Coins Hes wielding a magic staff engraved with runes and a shield Is he some kind of combat mage? Sungjin looked at them as if he were shopping in a mall. However, as he was watching them, a Caucasian spearman wielding a long spear locked gazes with Sungjin, then let out a cry. Oh! He pointed at Sungjin with his finger and asked, Master Hunter Master Hunter Kei? Sungjin stared at the spearman as he searched his memories. Where did I meet him? However, he could not recall when they had met. No matter how he thought about it, it was definitely the first time that they had seen each other. He had difficulty telling apart people of different races that he had come across during the raids C in truth, Whites, Blacks, Arabs, Hispanics, etc, all looked the same to him. While Sungjin had a pinched expression, the hunter approached and asked, Right? Master Hunter. Master Hunter Kei. Ah, yes Thats me, but Sungjins words trailed off, but the hunter suddenly came closer and held out his hand as he said, Ohh, I heard a lot about you, Master Hunter Kei. Sungjin absentmindedly shook the hunters hand. The latter continued, Its an honor to meet you. Just what makes it an honor While Sungjin was bewildered, another hunter who was behind him came up to him. Master Hunter Kei? Youre that Legend? He did not know why, but it seemed that he had become quite famous. Sungjin asked the hunters, Do you know me? The spearman that had extended his hand earlier spoke up, I heard about you from the other hunters. That theres a person who jumps across dimensions to hunt trolls. The hunter next to Sungjin also added, Ive also heard of that. That you even fought two or three trolls alone. It seemed that the other two hunters were intrigued by seeing the three of them gathered together like that. What? Master Hunter? Is he someone famous? Hrm I think Ive heard about him, too It seemed that Sungjin had become well-known to the other hunters since he had killed dozens of trolls as well as saved many more lives when he jumped from one dimension to another. Now that he thought about it, he did recall hearing something like that from one of the Chosen Ones while eating. Now that I think about it, there were people talking about Mister Kei during a raid. Yeah, I heard about that too. That theres an incredibly strong hunter jumping across dimensions to hunt trolls Kei should be the only one that fits that description, right? Back then, he had simply thought, Is that so? and threw it to the back of his mind, but now it seemed that he had truly become rather famous. [The raid will begin in 1 minute.] Upon hearing the Operator, the two hunters nodded their heads as they spoke up. Its an honor to be in the same party as you. I guess well get to see Mister Keis skills. I leave myself in your hands. For now, Sungjin simply nodded as he wondered if there was anyone among these hunters who was decently skilled, and if it would be alright to accept him as a teammate. * Kyeee! A lengthy cry reverberated throughout the jungle. The gladiator standing at the front raised his shield as he said, Incoming. The hunters beside him each took ahold of their weapons upon hearing his words. Kei, of course, held up Blood Vengeance and Moon Specter as he prepared to fight against the enemy. Eventually, raptors with long necks revealed their figures one by one from inside the jungle. Kyeeeee! The hunters arms tensed as they held onto their weapons. If he wanted to, Sungjin could cut down the raptors in an instant, but he merely gripped Moon Specter and Blood Vengeance instead of intervening because he wanted to see how the hunters fought. Come Forth! The Circle of Justice! When the shield-bearing man finished shouting, the gazes of the raptors snapped towards him. Hrm Is that a skill that attracts aggro However, the gladiator had used it far too early. His skill had affected only the first few raptors leaving the others that appeared afterwards to their own devices. Kyaaaa! Because of this, the raptors charged towards the spearman, the magician, the archer, and of course, Sungjin, who were standing behind the gladiator. The tank became flustered when he saw the raptors circle past him, and looked back at them even as he was facing off against some raptors that were attacking him. Uhhhhhh Sungjin hit away a few of the raptors that charged at him as he thought, That guys equipment is decent, but his talent in tanking is just so-so. Sungjin observed the other hunters during the chaos that occurred. The magician cast, Illusion and created a few illusions as he retreated backwards. He then used his magic staff to crush the raptors skulls while the raptors were busy chasing around the duplicates. Sungjin watched all of this from the corner of his eyes. In addition to his skills in magic His physical abilities are decent as well. When Sungjin wasnt looking, the archer had put away his bow and taken out two daggers. He held a dagger in each hand as he spun around like a windmill and ripped through the raptors hides. The raptors that had been charging like wild dogs could no longer approach the archer because of that tornado-like storm of knives. Sungjin thought, This guy is also decent. He isnt limited to just arrows and hes great in adapting to the situation. The problem was the spearman. Because the spearman was wielding a spear that was as tall as him, he was constantly besieged by the raptors slashes from inside that range. Go Go away! These bastards When the spearman came under attack, Sungjin glanced towards the tanker. The tank who was supposed to be protecting the spearman. Unfortunately, the tanker was too busy blocking the attacks of the raptors that he had provoked. Upon seeing this, Sungjin thought, The tanker lacks the ability, and the spearman cant adapt to the situation. For them to become Chosen Ones, these two are However, at that moment Moon Specter shouted at him. Master! Sungjin abruptly came to attention and found that there were a huge set of teeth right in front of his nose. Shit! Sungjin urgently threw back his head. Soon, the raptors teeth snapped shut where his head used to be. Snap! It was a spectacle that wouldve chilled a normal person. However, having overcome dozens of life-and-death situations and even having actually died once, this was merely an opportunity to Sungjin. He slightly twisted the hand that was holding Blood Vengeance, and the head of the raptor that had just attempted to tear off Sungjins head soon began to spurt blood as it fell to the ground. But, this was not the end. Kyaaaaaaaaaaah! Upon seeing the blood of their fellow raptor, two more charged towards Sungjin. Annoying Sungjin appropriately limited his strength as he fought against the raptors. This was because if he were to fight with everything he had, then it was entirely possible that the other hunters would not have a chance to fight. Sungjin lacklusterly swung his sword around to block the raptors attacks while simultaneously watching how the other hunters reacted. After a few dozen seconds of chaos had passed, the situation was nearly settled. The hunter who had been given the role of tanking let out a sigh as he asked, Whew Is everyone okay? At this, the spearman stooped over and leaned on his spear as he said, Me Wait a bit. Now that they looked, there was a long wound on the spearmans waist. It seemed that he had been injured by a raptors claws. The spearman removed a potion from his belt and said, Can we proceed after resting here for However, it was at that moment that the sound of an immense footstep could be heard from the depths of the forest as the ground began to shake. Boom! Chapter 173 Chapter 173 C Bakash Island (2) Boom!! The hunters simultaneously turned to look towards the jungle. Boom!!! The sound was steadily getting louder. Someone whispered, Is that He did not finish speaking, but everyone could roughly guess what he wanted to say. The spearman quickly began to gulp down the potion that he was holding. Boom!!!! [Warning!] [The Devourer Kiazen has appeared.] Soon, the figure of an enormous Tyrannosaurus could be seen towering above the canopy. Someone quietly muttered, Damn Everyone was extremely tense except for Sungjin. Soon the enormous Tyrannosaurus, Kiazen the Devourer, came out of the jungle. Brilliant Protection! An intense light came surging out of the tankers shield. Grr~ The Tyrannosaurus averted its eyes due to the intense brightness. Is he blinding it with the light That guy really does have good items Attacks from long-ranged damage dealers soon followed. First, the archer released an arrow. Exploding Arrow. The arrow that he fired landed directly on the Devourer Kiazens right eye and exploded. Booom! As the name suggested, it created an immense explosion. All of the hunters watched the blast closely. Did it work? However, after a brief moment, Kiazen glared at the hunters with a terrifying eye that had transformed to that of a pandas. It was a good idea to aim for the eye, but the timing wasnt good. If the tanker made the boss close its eyes, then it wouldve been great if he had delayed his attack by just a little Or he could have aimed for the neck which was narrower in comparison to that head The archer was also a bit lacking, unfortunately, in combat instincts. Next, the magician began to chant a spell. The Source of Strength, Destroy my Enemies! Light of Ashurian! A light violently blazed up in the magicians hand before scattering in various directions. Boom! Boom! Boboom! The rays of light would explode each time they came into contact with Kiazens body, shaking him from side to side. The hunters shifted their gaze towards the boss in unison. Did it work? But after a short while, Kiazen bellowed even more furiously towards the hunters. When Sungjin saw this, he thought, Before, he was great in adapting to the situation But it seems that his Magic Power isnt up to par since he invested Stat Points towards his physical abilities. If the teams primary magician was bought enough time to finish a chant, then he must have the ability to deal a critical blow to the enemy. When compared to Mustafa or Edward He is nowhere near as good The two that he had some hopes for ended up disappointing him. Just in case, Sungjin asked Besgoro for his opinion, Mr. Besgoro, what do you think about them? Hrm? Who? The skills of these people. No matter how you look at it, they seem to be worse than your teammates, whether its that bow-using miss or that miss with the big boobs or that guy wielding the greatsword. As expected, thats the case. It looked like there was no one in this party that was worthy of being taken all the way to the end as an ally. Even if you took into consideration the bonuses that the current Chosen Ones received from the title, these people were nowhere close to the level of ability of the Chosen Ones. While Sungjin was appraising them, Gaaaah Kaghk! The spearman was sent flying into the sky by Kiazens foot, and the archer was slammed onto the ground. The rather exasperated tanker shouted towards Sungjin. Hey! Master Hunter! Just what are you doing? It was then when Sungjin realized that he was standing idly by and conversing with Besgoro while his teammates were dying. Aahh Sorry. The tanker shouted angrily, Is being sorry enough? Were all about to die! Sungjin took out Rajentas egg from his vest and threw it into the air as he said, Dont worry. Theres no need for me to observe you anymore. Rajenta broke out of the egg and shouted loudly as he circled widely around Kiazen. Kyaaaang! Kiazen was wary of Rajenta and attempted to bite him, but couldnt keep up as Rajenta was too quick. Sungjin shouted at Rajenta, Over here! Rajenta, theres no time to play around. At Sungjins words, Rajenta obediently flew over to Sungjins side. Sungjin jumped up slightly and climbed onto Rajentas back. Rajenta, were aiming for that guys head. Besgoro, match our timing and activate Frenzy. Okay Sungjin, who had only been holding onto his swords loosely, now tightly grasped his Blood Vengeance and Moon Specter. Rajenta followed his masters orders and ascended into the air above Kiazens head with Sungjin on his back. 3, 2 1 Sungjin looked for the right timing before he jumped down from Rajentas back directly onto Kiazens head. At the same time, Besgoros helmet turned crimson. Within mere seconds after he had descended, Sungjin had torn apart the Tyrannosauruss head with Moon Specter and Blood Vengeance. Kiazen, whose head had suffered from several dozen wounds in an instant, let out a pitiful cry that did not match its gargantuan size as it collapsed. Kyaaaaaaaaann!! Right before Sungjin hit the ground, Rajenta caught his master on his back and leisurely flew up towards the sky. While Sungjin took in the wind from atop Rajentas back, the Operators voice rang out. [Boss monster Kiazen Cleared] Sungjin told Rajenta who was carrying him, Good job Rajenta. Kyang Rajenta cried out happily before he dropped Sungjin off near where the other hunters were gathered. They were all gaping blankly at Sungjin. It was to be expected since Sungjin had massacred the boss all by himself in a few seconds while the four could not do much despite working together. A Amazing, Master Hunter Kei. I thought the rumors were exaggerated but Youre actually even stronger instead Sungjin, embarrassed by their compliments, waved his hand as he said, Erm well, thats enough of that. The hunters ran towards Sungjin and began to bombard him with various questions. How did you become so strong? What are those swords? Are they both Legendary items? That helmet doesnt look ordinary either Wait, first, arent your stats incredibly high? Did you really earn them honestly? Sungjin broke out into a cold sweat as he attempted to calm the hunters down. No I Sungjin looked behind him and made a gesture to Rajenta. Lets go. Rajenta caught on. Kyaaang! Rajenta spread his wings and strolled to Sungjins side. When the enormous griffon walked towards them with his wings opened wide, the hunters felt a sense of oppression and stumbled backwards. In any case Since the boss is dead Ill be taking my leave now. Going? Where? As always, he couldnt explain everything about his circumstances. Sungjin mounted Rajenta, then said, Im going to go kill the Hidden Boss by myself. You guys should kill the other monsters before you leave. Then, farewell. The hunters extended their hands towards Sungjin as if they were fans meeting a celebrity. Master Hunter Kei! Mister Kei! Having left those words, Sungjin rode Rajenta up into the sky. The hunters stranded on the ground did not chase after Sungjin all the way up here. Sungjin then let out a sigh. Whew They were really clingy Besgoro suddenly interjected, Why didnt you give them some tips on getting stronger? Especially that spearman. He seemed to be of a decent sort. Sungjin thought about the conversation that had just occurred. That helmet doesnt look ordinary either Of course, the one who said this was someone holding a spear in his hand C the spearman. Its fine Mister. Now lets see The Hidden Bosss egg is At that moment, Rajenta began to turn towards the side. What Why Rajenta! Sungjin was flustered at first, but once he saw the immense nest in front of him, he realized that Rajenta had found the target first. Great job, Rajenta. Lets go. * Boom~ The corpse of the gigantic pterodactyl fell into the jungle with a loud noise. The Operators voice could be heard, [Hidden Boss, Tyrant of the Skies, Karezaard Cleared.] Sungjin praised his Summon, who was holding onto him, Great job, Rajenta. Kyang Now that he had killed the Hidden Boss, there was nothing in particular left for him to do in this raid. What is really important is gathering allies, but its already too late for that Should I go hunting for trolls Just as he was thinking about it, he heard the sound of someone calling for him. [The Chosen One has requested your teleportation.] What happened? Sungjin immediately looked towards his Operator Cube. Nadas figure appeared above it. Hey there, Kei. I think that man you called Mustafa is in my party? Sungjin asked her, Mustafa? Is he a Mustafa thats really skinny, has a long mustache and uses magic? The name Mustafa is pretty common in the Middle East after all. Yeah, hes super skinny, has a long mustache and is good at using magic. Come and see for yourself. Sungjin nodded his head. Understood. Ill be right there. Sungjin immediately left the dimension and teleported into Nadas world after receiving his title and rewards. She was waiting for him with her usual leather armor removed and sporting just a tank top instead. Nada fanned her curvaceous body as she complained, Ugh Its too hot and humid here. How can I wear armor when Im this sweaty. Sungjin looked elsewhere as he was afraid that he would make a mistake once again. So, Mustafa? Over there, resting in the jungle. Right now its break time. Sungjin looked in the direction that she pointed towards. A group of hunters sat in a circle under the shade of a tree as they rested. Sungjin discovered Mustafa sitting amongst them wearing a white robe and holding a staff, the head of which was shaped like a snakes. The color of his robe and the form of his staff were quite different from before, but that thin physique and long mustache had undeniably confirmed his identity. Sungjin could not help but exclaim in surprise as he walked towards Mustafa. Woah! The hunters were startled when they saw Sungjin and picked up their weapons. It was a rather natural response. Normally, all life forms in this dimension were enemies except for the five that had gathered at the start. But not one of them attacked the human with the title Master Hunter over his head who was making his way towards them. Furthermore, Sungjin had kept his weapons sheathed as he walked towards the hunters unarmed. While they were dumbfounded by this, Sungjin quickly approached Mustafa and shook his hand. Its great to meet you at last, Mr. Mustafa. Chapter 174 Chapter 174 C Black Market Fifteenth Shopping (1) As Sungjin shook his hand, Mustafa stood there blankly for a moment, before shaking him off and asking, Who are you, do you know me? Sungjin was flustered but quickly regained his calm. Mustafas response was to be expected. A raid was a battle where one placed his life on the line. Hunters were always tense because of the enemies, as well as their allies who might turn out to be trolls. With this in mind, it was natural to reject a hunter who approached you and abruptly started shaking your hand even though it was the first time youve met him. Sungjin began to introduce himself, Ahh, my apologies Mustafa. I am At that time, one of Mustafas teammates who had been resting in the back suddenly jumped up and pointed at Sungjin as he spoke. Hrm? Master Hunter? Master Hunter Kei? Sungjin stared at him. For some reason, he looked familiar. Do you remember me? We met inside the Dragons Lair. It was the Barbarian that had been one of the two people to tank Khal Gal. His outfit and his weapon had changed, but Sungjin still remembered him. Ahh, I do remember you. So youve made it this far safely. Yes, my luck was good. After we separated then, I wanted to meet you at least one more time and weve come to meet like this. Ive heard stories about Master Hunter Kei from the other hunters. As he had expected, it seemed that there were stories about him circulating amongst the hunters. The Barbarian reassured Mustafa. Ahh, Mustafa theres no need to be on guard. This person is Master Hunter Kei. Hes not a troll. On the contrary, hes a famous troll hunter. The suspicion in Mustafas eyes diminished when he heard the words of the Barbarian. He glanced at the four swords that Sungjin had equipped before saying, Hrm I think Ive heard about him as well. A swordsman wielding four swords that goes teleporting through the dimensions in order to hunt trolls. Sungjin beamed. It would be easier to talk if things were like this. However, what is your purpose in coming here? Is there a troll in our party? Mustafa inconspicuously looked at the three people that he was sitting with. The other three hunters flinched, before they each spoke up. Not me, Mustafa. Me neither. We worked together before, didnt we, Mustafa. As expected His skill from before is still there. Just by seeing this, Sungjin knew that Mustafa had an incredible influence over the party. For someone to have great influence over a group of people who had just met, it could only mean that he was powerful. Sungjin asked Mustafa and his teammates, Do you mind if Mustafa and I talk by ourselves for a moment? Mustafas teammates all nodded their heads, while Mustafa was the only one who had a troubled expression. We had planned to rest for only 5 minutes before continuing on with the raid Theres also a lady whos off resting by herself At that, Nada came out of nowhere and spoke up, Im okay with that as well. She was wearing her leather armor once again. Please go speak with him and then come back. Having received the agreement of the other hunters, Sungjin and Mustafa separated from them before the two began to converse. Though this party would not actually be short on time with both Nada and Mustafa in it, but since the group had said that they were in a rush, Sungjin, taking it in consideration, got straight to the point. Im gathering teammates. Strong teammates that can make it to the final raid. Ten people, including me. Mustafa quickly understood what Sungjin was saying. So, what youre saying is that youre picking out ten elite members to enter the final raid with? Sungjin nodded his head. Then, to make his proposal more appealing, he added, Thats right. If you accept my Choosing, then you will receive the Chosen One title which will give you an incredible bonus to your Stat Points. What do you think? However, Mustafa was interested in something other than the bonus stats that Sungjin could offer. From your point of view You mean to say that only ten people will remain alive out of all of these hunters? Sungjin did not deny it. Thats right. Its a realistic assessment. Hrm Mustafa fiddled with his mustache and did not speak up for a long time. He seemed to be lost in thought. He briefly muttered to himself. Elite Elite Gods will Is he talking about that? Sungjin was incredibly nervous as he was afraid that Mustafa would reject his offer. If he rejects it Before Sungjin could finish his thought, Mustafa nodded his head. Good. What do I have to do to become your teammate? * After finishing the raid and returning to the Black Market, Sungjin immediately headed towards the cafe. He was extremely thirsty after roaming through the jungle for several hours. Iced Americano. Cold. This time, after ordering, Sungjin added, Ah, right. Ill have it as a takeaway today. Understood, Mister Hunter. Sungjin did this because now there was no point in him visiting the Auction House anymore. The merchant of Darker than Black had disappeared off somewhere. Now that he had no place to use Black Coins, he no longer had any reason to earn them either. As for the remaining Black Coins, I should give them to the other hunters if they need any Furthermore, this time he had only managed to hunt a single troll before the Raid got over. Rather than lacking the time to hunt for them, it was because the Trollseeker Marble could not find any trolls and kept reporting, [No applicable dimension available]. In truth, he had expected this a long time ago. Though the marble could originally find trolls immediately upon use, now the time it took to find them grew longer and longer until finally it did not activate even when the Raid was ending. This meant that now, there were not many trolls remaining amongst the hunters, and even if there were, the trolls did not commit the act. Well Its about time for the spring to dry up. It was not something particularly inconvenient. This was because Sungjins main goal was to gather allies. This time he had managed to recruit the highly qualified Mustafa, so one could describe this raid as very successful. Good. Sungjin drank his coffee from a lightweight plastic cup as he headed towards Kargoss smithy. If things turned out as promised, then the crafting of the gem should be finished by now. However, Sungjin was surprised when he finally arrived at the smithy. Even just yesterday, the place had been as busy as it could possibly be, but now no one could be seen inside it. Besgoro asked, Whats this? Where did they all go? Sungjin found himself walking faster towards the smithy. However, when he came near the place, he began to hear an incredibly loud snoring noise. Snnrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrk The sound came from behind the anvil. When he approached it, Sungjin found Kargos snoring in his sleep. Snnrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrk Kargos was snoring so loudly that Sungjin felt bad about the thought of waking him up. Instead, Sungjin looked around the smithy. A small iron box could be seen near him. He did not wake Kargos up and walked towards the box instead. There was an indentation in the shape of a hand on the box, as if someone had pressed his hand into clay. Sungjin peered at the indentation closely. Whats this? He quickly came to the realization that the shape and size of the indentation were exactly the same as that of his own hand. Did they make it As a copy of my hand? Sungjin briefly considered whether it was possible. If it was Kargos, then he believed that it was completely plausible given his skill. After all, since the beginning, the swords that he used had all passed through Kargoss hands at least once. Sungjin carelessly placed his right hand on the indentation. As expected, his hand fit perfectly. Then, the box opened with a burst of air. Pssh~ A brilliant blue light began to shine from inside the box. Sungjin opened up the entire lid. Inside there was a blue gem in the form of a star. It was a gem that had the exact same shape as the one Edward had held. Sungjin carefully brought it up and examined it. As opposed to its size, it was rather light. Sungjin held it above his head, and soon an explanation window for the item appeared. Ios C The Revelation of the Stars Mythological Accessory Active Skill Starlight (I) C You can see what will occur 24 hours in the future from now. If the user exerts his will, then it is possible to change the future. Can be used once a day. I hold within me the Vision of the Gods On this day, a new pair of eyes opened from within me. What? The explanation was not particularly long, but Sungjin stared at it for a while. This was because the description of the Active Skill was rather shocking. You can see what will occur 24 hours in the future from now? Sungjins mind became chaotic. He had been taken aback by the Dragons eye mask which let him look into the past, but this item was even more surprising than that. Just what is He turned his head and briefly looked at the sleeping form of Kargos. Snrrrrrrrrrk Sungjin wondered if Kargos collapsed in exhaustion after he finished crafting the star-shaped accessory, as he was sleeping incredibly soundly. Sungjin looked between the star and Kargos a few times, before he felt apologetic and decided not to wake Kargos up. Hes probably like this because of working on this Sungjin placed the star inside his vest before turning around. After having done so, he worried about simply leaving the box there, but then had a thought, Well I should be the only one who can unlock the locking device Hell probably think that I took it. Kargos was someone who had confidence in his work. He would know that only Sungjin could open the locking device and take away the gem. In the first place, Sungjin was the only person in this dimension anyways. Sungjin left Kargos alone and returned to Ninety Nine Nights. Good job today as well, Mister Hunter. Dalupin greeted him, but Sungjin halfheartedly returned the greeting before heading towards his room like the wind. He sat down on a chair next to the window before taking out the accessory again. The star-shaped gem was shining brilliantly with a blue light. This is Truly beautiful. Sungjin briefly lost himself in the captivating blue radiance. It was just like that time in the last raid when Edward took out the star for a moment. A thought suddenly came to Sungjin as he was stroking the star. Wait so then During the last raid That guy saw into the future with this? 24 hours into the future? It was right before the battle with the Demon King. At that time, Edwards expression had changed after looking at this. Afterwards, he trolled as he began to kill everyone in the party. It was not clear yet whether Edward had done so on purpose, but with his own death, he had Sungjin go through regression. 24 hours after that point in time Just what was going to happen in the future Just what did Edward see Sungjin did not know what Edward saw, but it was obvious that what he had witnessed had an enormous impact on him. Since the Demon Kings Castle is Chapter 20 That means that something had happened in Chapter 21 However, he was unable to figure it out right now. He could not discover what Edward had seen since the eye mask that the Dragon had given him would only show him what had occurred in the past. In any case, it seems that I can only wait for more time to pass Sungjin examined the shining star from various angles, before he wondered to himself, But when will I be able to use this? Chapter 175 Chapter 175 C Black Market Fifteenth Shopping (2) At dinner time, Mustafa was welcomed to the team under Franzs lead. Now then, lets all give the newly invited Mustafa a welcoming applause. Mustafa held a glass filled with apple juice at the crowded table. He looked at Sungjin and the other Chosen Ones as he said, For hunters to be able to gather like this and have dinner together What a remarkable sight Its been a while since you were last able to talk to others like this, right? Youll get used to it soon. Indeed. It was a good decision to come to this gathering between the One who Chooses and the Chosen Ones. Mustafa briefly looked around before he added, I have a large family. At home, we would always sit together at a huge table like this as we shared our meals, so I was not used to dining alone. However, after coming here I had to eat by myself for a while Because of this, every time during dinner I could not help but think of my family. The mood became a touch gloomier once the topic of his family was brought up. Perhaps he realized this, as Mustafa immediately changed the subject. However, it is great to be able to eat a meal with others like this again. Let us gather our strengths and finish these accursed raids so that we may save those we love. Indeed. Yeah! At first, Mustafa was a bit solemn as he kept his guard up, but soon he relaxed and began to get along with the other hunters. He had acted the same with the previous final ten people as well. It was something that made Sungjin a little relieved. Throughout the meal, there was a buzz of excitement in the air from gaining a new comrade. After some time had passed, Sungjin surreptitiously got up from his seat. When he did so, Serin and a few other hunters looked at Sungjin with a questioning gaze. Sungjin waved his hand as he said, Ah. Restroom. Be right back. Soon, the hunters turned their attention back towards their various eating utensils. Sungjin moved towards the back and entered the restroom. He locked the door, just in case another person wanted to come in, before taking out the star-shaped accessory that he had picked up today from his vest. The reason that Sungjin chose to use an item that let him see the future at this time when everyone was having dinner was simple: if he was having the meal with the same members during tomorrows dinner, then it meant that tomorrows raid would have been safely completed as well. Starlight. The shining star-shaped accessory gave off an even brighter light for an instant; it was a brilliant radiance that was almost blinding. When the light filled up the restroom in which Sungjin stood, the future began to unfold before him. Franz shouted as he held up a glass filled with orange juice, In this moment, a new ally has joined us. Lets give him our blessings. Congratulations! Sungjin tilted his head in confusion, What? This Isnt this what happened just a moment ago? However, the person being welcomed was a different person. Thank you for the warm reception. It was a young man with a katana equipped on both sides of his waist. I am truly moved to be reunited with my master, as well as find teammates on top of that. A familiar face. It was the young man he had met at Greysoul Cemetery, the swordsman Hiroaki. Sungjin felt joyous, but decided to figure out the situation first. This is Something that is happening tomorrow? He could see Mustafa clapping his hands on the side. Therefore, what he was seeing now was not what had happened today. Sungjin glanced at the other hunters. Serin, Nada, Franz, Mahadas, and Baltren were all energetically smiling as they applauded. Good. If its like this, then Nothing should have happened. Afterwards, dinner proceeded with a slightly spirited atmosphere, similar to todays dinner. Sungjin observed the proceedings in a relaxed mood. After a while, the surroundings suddenly began to grow darker, before turning pitch black like at Darker than Black. Alarmed, Sungjin wondered to himself, Whats happening? Sungjin was back inside the restroom the next moment. He then gazed at the star-shaped accessory in his hands. So it shows you about 3 minutes of the future This number was not exact, but a rough estimate. Sungjin placed the star inside his vest and unlocked the door to the restroom before stepping out. However, Baltren was standing in front of the door with a strange look. He slightly opened his mouth before staring at Sungjin as if there was something out of the norm. Uh Was his act of looking into the future discovered? Sungjin asked him, Wh What, Baltren? Baltren replied, No, its just When you said that you were going to the restroom For some reason, I also felt the need to use it, so I was going to wait for you to come out But you unlocked the door and came out right after locking it I just thought it was strange. Sungjin tilted his head. I did? Yes. Youre saying that, just now, I locked the door and then immediately opened it and came out. Baltren nodded his head again. I seeee. Though Sungjin had seen about three minutes of the future, to others, it was strange that he came out right after he had entered the restroom. Sungjin and Baltren stood there facing each other for a moment, when Sungjin came to realize that he was blocking the entrance to the restroom. Ah, right. Please go ahead. He got out of the way. Baltren looked at Sungjin with an inquiring gaze, but soon entered the restroom. It seemed that he really needed to use it. Sungjin returned to the dinner table and picked up some buckwheat noodles with his chopsticks as he thought about the last dream he had. Now that I think about it I only saw Edward glowing for a moment Then Does time not flow when youre looking at the future? In the first place, seeing the future was something that defied imagination, so it was reasonable for time to stop when he was looking into the future. In any case If it turns out like what the star had showed me Then nothing in particular should occur tomorrow as well. That is, if I dont do anything strange. Just as he had observed in Edwards case, it was possible to change the future that you had seen. For example, tomorrow he could teleport to the other hunters dimensions and troll, but then he would be eating dinner by himself. Sungjin slurped up the buckwheat noodles as he made a promise to himself. Im going to go through tomorrow as ordinarily as I can. Ordinarily. Like Ive always done. After dinner was over, Sungjin saw the other hunters off and then went to bed early. In the past, he had slept early in order to visit Darker than Black. Now, he did so in order to peek into Edwards past. I was able to see the future, but That doesnt mean I shouldnt see the past. Sungjin put on the eye mask and fell asleep. Soon, Edwards past began to unfold before his eyes. * The bones were glued together in the air. The lower jaw moved on its own as it incanted a spell. All-freezing winds! Razor-sharp ice! Blizzard Storm! As the Lichs spell activated, Edward chanted a spell of his own. Spell-devouring magic field, Anti Magic Shield! It was as if he had already been prepared. Covered by a magic nullifying barrier, Edward ran towards the Lich. Upon seeing Edward charging at him, the Lich attempted to chant another spell, but Edward struck the first blow. Be quiet! Silence! The Lichs lower jaw clacked noisily several times against the upper jaw but it was unable to chant a spell. Edward did not let this opportunity go and incanted a spell directly into the Lichs face. The sacred flames descend! Holy Fire! Soon, a pure white flame erupted on the Lichs body. The Lich screamed in surprise. No! This spell? Just what are youuuuuuuuu The flames spread to all of the bones that made up the Lichs body in an instant. The other hunters could be seen standing behind Edward. A Amazing, Edward. How Such spells? Edward received the same reactions that Sungjin had before. Then, they again spoke up. It was incredible. It was as if you knew which spells the Lich was about to use. Sungjin looked at that unknown hunter and thought, Thats right. Hes fighting while knowing everything there is to know. Edward was using the foundation knowledge created by the lessons learnt from his previous attempt to incredible effects, similar to what Sungjin had done when he went back in time. Edward was able to obtain an incredibly high contribution in Count Dimitris Castle Ruins, Tahrakhan Plateau, and Dark Elven City and improve just like Sungjin. However, there was something that Edward was lacking in. Sungjin saw Edward giving up on fighting some of the strong Hidden Bosses when he failed to reach an agreement with the other hunters. This was the limit of someone who mainly used magic, like Edward. To begin with, a mage could only shine when he or she was able to act freely in the rear during the fight. It seemed like it was not possible for one to go around ripping bosses apart solo like Sungjin had done. Edward was born with an incredible talent for magic, but was hopeless when it came to using weapons. There were several occasions when he attempted to use weapons, and Sungjin even saw him investing points into dexterity. But that was it. No matter how high his stats were, Edward would always fall behind in skill when compared to people like himself or Ryushin who had already trained for nearly their entire life before. Especially since there was no one teaching such techniques in the Raid. In the end, unlike Sungjin, Edward chose to go all out with magic. From the beginning to the end, he threw everything into magic. Because of this, Edward couldnt help but skip over hidden bosses with incredible physical prowess such as the Dark Elven Swordsman Calian when he didnt have the support of his teammates. Because he had to skip a few Hidden Bosses, it was inevitable that he would receive lesser rewards than Sungjin. When Sungjin saw all of this, he muttered, Hrmph. Im better than you, Edward. However, he suddenly felt his hair stand on end after he said that. Im better than you. This might just be the reason why Edward had sent him back in time. Chapter 176 Chapter 176 C The Chosen Ones (1) Sungjin clutched his forehead as he watched Edward. Edward was making his way through the raids by cooperating with the other hunters, as he had always done. There was never a time when he had acted as a troll, though there were cases in which he had consequently killed hunters who had attempted to troll. While watching Edward, Sungjin was almost certain. This guy Theres no mistaking it Back then, he used that spell to send me back in time As Sungjin considered this, he continued to observe Edward as he slept. After a while, he once again discovered something that shocked him. Huh? This is Edward was currently at Chapter 16, Kordaum Bay, which was where he had first met Edward. But Sungjin was not there. Instead, Edward was hunting with four hunters that Sungjin had never seen before. What? I definitely met Edward here? It couldnt be? Sungjin quickly thought, Show me the scene of Edwards death. The view changed to a bizarre location where crystals could be seen floating above circular trays. The instant Sungjin saw this, he realized, This is Chapter 19 Khadhi Azel Magic University. If Edward died here, then it meant that what he had predicted was correct. He had not been here with Edward. The first time he died was in Chapter 18 So he was able to go further by one chapter. Sungjin continued to observe the raid of the final eight hunters. Chapter 19, Khadhi Azel Magic University. Though it was called a University, it was not a place that resembled a university campus. It was where absent-minded specters, who might have originally been students or professors, wandered about throughout the magically destroyed ruins. Right, this is another of those places Where you cant predict what is going to happen. Sungjin watched Edward and the other hunters. What stood out immediately was the number of hunters. There were only eight of them, even though it was a ten-man raid. It seems that they have struggled incredibly hard to make it this far. The hunters who were barely able to defeat the monsters capable of using magic headed into a pure-white marble building at the center of the campus grounds. As Sungjin saw this, he thought back on his own blurry past. Hrm Here All of a sudden, a deafening voice could be heard. HOW DARE YOU DISRUPT THE STUDIES OF THE STUDENTS! YOU PIECE OF GARBAGE! Once he heard that voice, he remembered everything. Soon, the Operators voice could be heard saying, [Warning!] [The Dean Serdio has appeared.] Quickly afterwards, a giant holding an immense staff appeared from inside the building. An interesting feature was that the giant was wearing a pair of spectacles. Sungjin clicked his tongue as he continued to observe. With just eight You cant win against that guy. Normally, that is. Sure enough, the hunters began to fall one by one to the Deans spells. As a regressor, Edward was able to last until the very end and put up a struggle. But eventually, he died while letting out a valiant cry. Graaaaah!!! He perished as the last human. Then once again, a voice could be heard. [You have died.] [You were humanitys very last remaining Player.] [Benefit awarded to the last player to die is Restart] At the same time, a single line of text appeared before his eyes. Restart C Redo the hunt from the very beginning, but with current memory. Edward once again opened his eyes from within the white square room. After he looked at his surroundings, he screamed even more loudly than he had during his death just a moment ago. Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!! * Sungjin opened his eyes after that shout. As soon as he got up, he took off the eye mask and swallowed once. He had vaguely expected it but actually seeing it had been more impactful. As I thought Edward didnt regress only once. Sungjin looked out the window. The skies had already changed to a soft navy color. Is it almost dawn? Sungjin roughly washed his face before heading down to the first floor earlier than usual. As always, Dalupin was presiding over the first floor. Sungjin said to him, Dalupin, please give me a slightly less sweet cafe mocha. Dalupin soon handed over a hot, steaming cup of coffee. Here you go, Mister Hunter. Sungjin accepted the cup and then cooled it down by blowing air onto it a few times. Puff puff He exited Ninety Nine Nights and walked outside. Next to the door, there was a small rocking chair. Sungjin was lost in thought as he sat down on it and watched the sunrise in the distance. He had finally figured out most of the puzzle. Edward had gone back in time more than once and during all this, he had met Sungjin more than twice. And on their final meeting, after revealing a few secrets to Sungjin, instead of going back in time himself, he had sent Sungjin back in time by forcefully making him the last person alive. Sungjin knew that if Edward had wanted to be the last person alive, he could have easily done so. It really does seem like he didnt have malicious intent behind his trolling Sungjin felt like all the pieces were falling into place one by one. The only thing that he was not able to find out yet was what Edward had seen in Chapter 21 during Chapter 20. Just why did that guy Choose me of all people? Although Sungjin did not know what it was, there might have been something that Edward could not do anything about in Chapter 21. Or It might have been that he was too tired of going back in time again and again This was also a possibility since even Sungjin himself had also felt disgusted by the thought of having to go through this game of carnage twice. When he was viewing Edwards past, it was obvious that Edward had restarted at least twice. Sungjin sipped away at his coffee as he contemplated on the matter. He came to a conclusion. Its not clear exactly what Edward saw that caused him to troll, but I have to do what I have to do. That is, to complete the raids which is what I had originally planned to do And Its probably also the reason why Edward had sent me back in time. Sungjin held the empty coffee cup as he went back inside Ninety Nine Nights. According to the scene of the future that he had seen, Sungjin would come to meet Hiroaki the middle schooler swordsman in this raid, and he would join them as an ally. Not only was his skill decent, but he also had no reason to betray them, as he treated Sungjin like a teacher. It was natural that Hiroaki would join them as a teammate. * Sungjin narrowed his eyes as he swung his sword. The Nagas were cut down in droves as Sungjin continued his sword dance. The other four hunters followed behind Sungjin, but they did not have anything to do in particular. Because the strength behind Sungjins attacks was significantly superior, the other hunters only assisted by taking care of the occasional scared and fleet-footed Nagas that tried to flee. The green blood of the Nagas was scattered all over Sungjins body. He looked around his surroundings as he thought, Lets see It was definitely near this beach Then, one of the other hunters pointed towards a cliff near the shoreline as he asked, Hey, over there. Isnt that a cave? Sungjin clapped his hands as he said, Ah, thats right. That cave was where the Hidden Boss of Kordaum Bay resided. As Sungjin plodded towards the cave, one of the hunters followed him. It was an incredibly tall man with the title Terminator who wielded a halberd that matched him well. The Terminator approached Sungjin and spoke up. Master Hunter Kei. Sungjin looked up at him as he asked, Hrm? What is it? I Heard that you had Chosen Ones Is that true? Sungjin neither denied nor acknowledged it. This was because he felt that it would be troublesome if he said that he did, but it was difficult to lie about it since the number of hunters using the Chosen One title was quite high. Instead of answering the question, Sungjin countered, Why do you want to know that? No, its just I wanted to know if it was possible for you to choose me. Sungjin scratched his head. In the future that Sungjin had seen yesterday, this person had not been one of his allies. Furthermore, there were other reasons for this. The hunter was superb with the halberd, but he was somewhat excessively aggressive so he did not harmonize well with his teammates. Sungjin told him, I apologize, but I Am no longer choosing people. Excuse me? The Terminators disappointed expression was obvious. Is that so? Not particularly proficient in lying, Sungjin simply nodded silently. He had a total of three vials of Holy Water of Baptism left. He felt sorry, but he could not accept everyone just like that. Sungjin left the hunters and the Terminator behind and stood in front of the cave. Then, he looked at the hunters as he said, Ill solve it myself, so please do not enter. Sungjin then walked into the dark and clammy cave. Inside were strange creatures with the head of an octopus and the body of a human. When Sungjin entered, they held up eerily glowing staves as they started to stand up one by one. The Operators warning could be heard. [Warning! Hidden Boss] [The Mindplayer Sharox and his progeny have appeared!] Sungjin took out his sword. Lets quickly cut him to pieces Then wait for the summon of the Chosen Ones. However, at that moment, the Terminator held his halberd as he entered the cave without consulting Sungjin. Master Hunter Kei! I came to help. Killing the Hidden Boss by yourself is ridic No, I told you not to come in However, it was already too late. The staff of Sharox the Mindplayer began to shine. The hunters eyes turned yellow, then he started shouting a bizarre scream. Uwaaaaaaaaaaaaa~~~ Sungjin kneaded his forehead. Even though I said not to come in Sharox the Mindplayer would control a hunters mind and cause him to attack his allies. Sungjin bit down on his lower lip. He could kill the boss by himself, but it would be far more difficult to kill the enemies without hurting the Terminator. Feeling regretful, Sungjin thought to himself, I should have told them to not come in more clearly. But now that he thought about it, he had a spell that could turn back time. Uwaaaaaa! The yellow-eyed Terminator began charging towards Sungjin, but in that moment, Sungjin activated the Ring of the Great Sage and reversed time. Time Reversal! Everything began to go backwards, until Sungjin returned to the moment before he went into the cave. Sungjin stopped himself from entering the cave, and looked at the Terminator standing next to him and said, Ill say it one more time, dont come in. Especially Mister Terminator. At Sungjins words, the Terminator started. Ive clearly seen your abilities already Entering the cave wont let you become a Chosen One. Do you understand? The Terminator had no choice but to nod his head. Sungjin once again went into the cave by himself. [Warning! Hidden Boss] [The Mindplayer Sharox and his progeny have appeared!] He held up his sword and charged towards the enemies by himself. Thankfully, there was no one interrupting this time. * Sungjin stabbed Moon Specter and Blood Vengeance into the sand on the beach and laid down. Crash sshaaa The sound of the waves crashing rang in his ears. After clearing the hidden boss, Sungjin attempted to find trolls only to repeatedly hear the Operator notify him, [No applicable dimension available]. Because of this, he just simply laid down on the sunny beach. Are there really none left Ack, whatever. According to the future that he had seen through his Ios, he would reunite with Hiroaki today. That was, so long as he did not do anything incredibly strange. Due to this, he did not go anywhere and did nothing but simply lie down like this. If this item that shows you the future is real Then the future that I saw will happen soon. Sungjin did not have to wait long. Roughly ten minutes had passed since he had started sunbathing after killing the hidden boss, and suddenly the Operators voice rang out. [The Chosen One has requested your teleportation. Will you accept?] Its here. Sungjin stood up on the sandy beach, then he said to the Operator, Ill go. Teleport me. Soon, Franzs figure could be seen above the cube. Kei. Theres a person in my party who said that he had a teacher named Kei? As Sungjin listened to Franzs report, he thought, Its just as I saw. Sungjin teleported to Franzs dimension. There, Hiroaki smiled brightly as he waved to Sungjin. Sensei! Chapter 177 Chapter 177 C The Chosen Ones (2) Sungjin grinned widely as he greeted, Yo! Hiroaki. Sensei! Hiroaki ran towards Sungjin. Have you been doing well? I occasionally heard stories about you! The strongest troll-killing hunter, Master Hunter K! It seemed that Hiroaki was as lively as he was in the past. Ah Is that so? Sungjin gave Hiroaki a once-over and noted that he was covered from head to toe in ornate gear. As expected He was able to adapt well since hes rather talented. Hiroaki examined Sungjins equipment as well. Ah! I see that youre still using that sword! Hiroaki exclaimed as he noticed Sungjins Moon Specter; he had been in Sungjins team back when Sungjin had obtained it in Greysoul Cemetery. This is how the rumors went: An incredibly powerful swordsman that wielded a ghosts sword. Whenever I heard that, I would say, That person is Master Hunter Kei! Hes a hundred times stronger than the other hunters! And Im that mans apprentice! So This guy was the one behind the rumors It seemed that Hiroaki had a part in helping the rumors spread. At that moment, Franz came to them and spoke up, Kei. Are the two of you actually in a master-apprentice relationship? Really? No. Sungjin denied it in his mind but did not actually say so because Hiroaki had exclaimed loudly, Of course! Not that A Korean and a Japanese? Did you know each other back in reality? Arent you from different countries? Isnt it fundamentally impossible? Hiroaki faltered slightly. Thats not the case We became master and apprentice when we participated in the raid together. Franz wrinkled his forehead as he said, Ehh Then that means you only met once. To call someone youve only seen for a day master before going separate ways If its like that, then Im more of an apprentice than you. I was in a raid with him Fought together with him And even sparred with Kei in the morning. Spar? Ah Hes talking about that time when I used Time Reversal In truth, it was closer to an experiment than an actual spar, but Sungjin once again kept his mouth closed. Hiroaki spoke up in surprise, A spar? Really? Sungjin looked at Franz and nodded slightly. Im saying thats how it was. I probably learned more than you did. How can this be! Sensei! Me too! Please spar with me! Ive become stronger after going through raids these past few days! Hiroaki unsheathed his sword as if asking Sungjin to spar with him on the spot. Hes still as energetic as ever Sungjin glanced at the three hunters in the rear. They were staring blankly at the scene of Hiroaki and Franz crowding around Sungjin. Wait, before we think about sparring or whatever Did you guys finish the raid? Ah, we just killed the normal boss and were deciding whether we wanted to look for the hidden boss or not. Really? Then Well, lets do the Baptism first. Baptism? Yeah. I cant spar with you right now But if you accept the baptism youll be able to meet me later. If theres time, then we can spar. Really? Then, of course! Since Hiroaki admired Sungjin and obeyed him, Sungjin was able to recruit Hiroaki easily. He took out a Holy Water of Baptism from his vest and poured it on Hiroaki. Baptism. Hiroakis cube made an announcement. [You were Chosen by someone. Title granted.] Sungjin smiled when he heard that noise. With this, the future that he had seen yesterday had become reality. * All together! One, two! Mahadas and Franz helped lift the table together at Baltrens signal. Heave ho! The three men lifted it up and connected it to another table. Whew. This should be enough, right? Yeah. Having moved the two tables next to each other, the hunters each brought up a chair and seated themselves around it. Sungjin sat at the head of the table as he looked about. Now, there were a total of eight Chosen Ones. Their number had grown to the point that they had to bring together two tables at Ninety Nine Nights in order to be able to sit together. Clap Sungjin clapped his hands together once, and the hunters all focused their attention on him. He said to them, Youve all worked hard today as well. Before we begin todays dinner Sungjin tapered off. The hunters focus naturally gravitated towards their newly-arrived member. Indeed. All of you have probably noticed, but today we have a new member. Everyone, give him a round of applause. Sounds of applause filled Ninety Nine Nights once Sungjin had finished speaking. When the clapping began to die down, Hiroaki stood up and said, Thank you for the warm reception. Sungjin felt a strong sense of deja vu. It was exactly the same as what he had seen when he used the blue gem Ios last night in the bathroom. With two swords equipped to the waist, Hiroaki politely bowed from his waist as he said, I am truly moved to be reunited with my master, as well as find teammates on top of that. Hiroakis greeting was exactly the same as he had seen before. Clap Clap Clap~ The hunters applause began anew. Sungjin clapped along with them as he thought to himself, This part hasnt changed either. Sungjin moved towards the back and entered the bathroom once again. He took out the star-shaped accessory from his vest and rubbed it a little. Its correct to the point of eeriness. This is really a tool that shows you the future Sungjin held up the accessory as he used its Active Skill once again. Starlight. The star shone brightly and led Sungjin to the future once more. Sungjin first began to count the number of Chosen Ones. One, two, three Seven, and including me, eight. The total was still eight. This meant that tomorrows raid would proceed safely as well. Tomorrows dinnertime was as harmonious as it could be. Everyone had cheerful expressions as they enjoyed the meal. Looks like theres nothing to worry about. Though it seems like theres no new recruit. Sungjin continued to watch the future for a while before returning to the bathroom of the present time. He briefly gazed at the blue gem. This item is literally out of this world It was not a Mythological tier item just for show. The countless Legendary and Unique Legendary items he had equipped on him were all those that were rather valuable, but this item was something that surpassed their level altogether. With this, wouldnt you be able to tell if something would succeed or fail in reality and then change things as necessary? He felt that he would be able to proceed with the raids with ease of mind knowing that the next twenty four hours would play out safely. It should be enough if I come at this time every day and look at the future. At least, until the raids end. Sungjin put away the gem after concluding his thoughts. Afterwards, he turned on the faucet and washed his hands. Though he did not actually do anything while in the bathroom, he did it to pass the time since time did not flow when he gazed into the future. As he washed his hands, Sungjin thought, If things go on like this Itll be smooth sailing. These raids will end However, he suddenly recalled what the Darker than Black shop owner had told him. You now have everything you need. You already had the determination, and now you have obtained the power. Its time for the story to end. Did he know that I would end up like this It was unclear if he meant the end of the raids when he referred to the ending of the story, but as things were, it seemed that Sungjin would be able to clear the raids easily. He was strong to the point that he could not grow stronger, and he had seven similarly strong allies. By filling in the remaining two vacancies, he would be able to complete the scene that he desired: him and the strongest allies, ending the raids. However, despite that, there was something that nagged at his mind. It was the future that Edward had seen in Chapter 20. Sungjin took out Ios C The Revelation of the Stars once again and looked at it. Back then Edwards expression instantly changed after seeing this Just what was it that he saw In Chapter 21 He did not know what had happened in the future that Edward had seen, but it was obvious that it was not something good. If this was not the case, then there was no way Edward would change his mind so suddenly. Did he do that because he saw the party being wiped out And after seeing that, he decided to wipe out the party himself In order to send me, who is stronger than him, into the past In any case, he could not relax his vigilance yet since, in the end, Sungjin had not been able to go to Chapter 21 either. Sungjin looked at the mirror that hung on the bathroom wall and slapped himself once. Lets do it well, until the very end. At that moment, as he was looking at the reflection of his face, the earring that was hanging from his ear came into sight. The Eye of Jeremiah was an item that could read the inner thoughts of a person. When he looked at it, he was suddenly reminded of something else that the Darker than Black shop owner had told him. There was something that I had received without payment. I must give something in exchange if I receive something When you have to choose one thing, choose that. The truth is always precious. Unequip Sungjin briefly rubbed the earring between his fingers. When I have to choose one thing Choose this Sungjin could not understand just what those words were supposed to mean. However, according to Sungjins experiences with the man, the shop owner was not someone to carelessly say something without reason. In other dimensions, they call me a dealer of information. I will answer the questions that you ask, but I will receive an appropriate amount in return. Im not a dealer of information for no reason. If you pay the price for the questions asked, Ill give you the correct answers. His main occupation was an information merchant, and since he had given Sungjin this information in exchange for a price, the information should have equivalent worth. Equip. Sungjin equipped the earring as he thought, I dont know when it will be, but when I need to choose one thing, Ill choose this. Just before Sungjin finally exited the door, he thought about the shop owner, In any case Just what is he? However, the person that could answer the question was already gone. Furthermore, it was obvious that even if asked, he would answer something along the lines of, Ill tell you if you give me a hundred million Black Coins. Is he a god? Or is he a devil? However, no matter how he thought about it, Sungjin did not think that he would be able to figure out the answer. He exited the bathroom. Outside, the hunters were boisterously enjoying the meal. Sungjin interjected as he asked, Just what were you guys talking about so excitedly? Chapter 178 Chapter 178 C The Chosen Ones (3) Sungjin paused from eating the strawberry yogurt that had come out as a dessert and looked at the notes that Dalupin had handed him last night. Information pertaining to the City of Crimson Moon. Hrm This was a really strange place This chapter was a particularly bizarre place, even among the twenty or so chapters he had seen. The monsters that would appear in the other chapters were creatures that one could have read about in fairy tales or novels, but this place contained monsters that were completely otherworldly; they would appear and disappear like ghosts from nightmares. They were typically aberrant creatures with incomplete forms. Back then I recall that we barely cleared it Sungjin had narrowly had cleared the chapter after losing several of his allies the last time. The boss is called Tezer What was it again Sungjin looked at the information sheet. The name of the boss was Tezerburundabas. Tezerburundabas How should I put this It has a freely changing form made of floating faces of angry spirits that are bunched up like slimes. Hiroaki asked, Its made of floating vengeful spirits that are bunched up like slimes? Yeah. That Thats the only way I can describe it Its made of all kinds of vengeful spirits: laughing ones, crying ones, angry ones Sungjin wanted to describe the boss, but it was not easy to find the proper words. He gave up and listed points that they should pay attention to. Youll understand when you see it. Whats special about this guy is that when a part of its body falls off, it will move independently. However, it cant be damaged. Only the biggest piece can be wounded, so aim for that. The Chosen Ones wrote down simple notes or silently nodded their heads as Sungjin spoke. Baltren raised his hand and asked, Master Hunter. What about the Hidden Boss? Sungjin did not have anything to say about that, since he himself had never encountered the Hidden Boss of this chapter. Sungjin replied truthfully, I dont know either. Since the Hidden Boss is unknown Be careful. Dont force yourself to kill it, and if it seems difficult, call me immediately. Understood? From Sungjins perspective, it would be great if the Chosen Ones could kill the boss and grow in strength by themselves, but it would be a huge loss if someone died while doing so. He had only gathered seven Chosen Ones so far, but the Darker than Blacks shop owner was gone, and Sungjin only had two Holy Water of Baptisms left. Because of this, not one of them could be allowed to die if he wanted to create the party of final ten hunters. Then, I hope to see everyone at dinner time in good health. Indeed. See you tonight. The hunters separated and returned to their respective dimensions. Sungjin sat alone at the joined tables in Ninety Nine Nights, which Dalupin now left connected together, and gazed over the empty spots. Well When I saw the future yesterday, no one had died so There shouldnt be anything in particular, but In any case, it was likely that no one would die. That is, so long as Sungjin did not do anything strange that was capable of changing the future similar to when Edward had cast spells at his allies backs. But more importantly Sungjin took out a Holy Water of Baptism from his vest. There were two remaining. It was now Chapter 17. Until Chapter 21, which Sungjin did not know anything about, only Chapter 18, Sercorist Prison, Chapter 19, Khadhi Azel Magic University, and Chapter 20, Demon Kings Castle, remained. From these four chapters, he had to select two additional Chosen Ones. But there were only eight people at todays dinner It meant that the possibility of making a new connection did not exist. Then, for now, Ill not worry about it and just focus on clearing the raid. Sungjin believed that this would not be too difficult to do and finished the remaining yogurt. * Late at night, in a medieval city where the streets were lit up by shabby torches, the sound of a metallic object scraping against something could be heard. Creak Creak It was unknown if it was a human or an animal, but the moans of some creature could be heard. Guuuoouuuu Above the clock tower that was located at the center of the city, a crimson, full moon could be seen rising. It was an exotic sight. This place which emanated a terrifying atmosphere was Chapter 17, City of Crimson Moon. Last chapter was great since it was on a warm beach Here, the atmosphere is too Sungjin waited for the other hunters to appear as he complained to himself. Pew~ The other hunters appeared one by one, and surprisingly, a familiar person came into view. It was the tall, blue-eyed monk, Mahadas. Oh! Mr. Kei. By coincidence, it seems that we will be able to carry out this raid together. Indeed, that seems to be the case. As I thought Is this because there are not many people left in the raids anymore? Thats a possibility. Previously, when they had finished Chapter 14, there were about 6700 hunters remaining. Though it was impossible to know the exact number of people remaining, it was likely that there were approximately about 2-3000 hunters alive. As it was a five man raid, there would be about 400 to 600 parties and because of this, it would not be particularly difficult to meet with an acquaintance. This is the second time that weve been partied together since that time at the Castle. Its a pleasure, K. Before his regression, Sungjin had been partied with Mahadas twice as well. Strangely enough, it seemed that he and Mahadas had deep ties to each other. Indeed so. Sungjin looked at the other three hunters, wondering if there was someone from the previous final ten people or a familiar face. There was a black person, a white person, and an Asian person, but they were all people that he had never seen before. But on the contrary, there was someone that recognized him. Huh, are you? The Master Hunter? Kei? Thats you, right? Master Hunter. The famous troll hunter! A short, but sturdy Asian man with a sharp face approached Sungjin and held out his hand. From what I hear, youre Korean? Now that he looked at him, Sungjin could tell that his speech matched the movements of his lips. Seeing that he did not require the automatic translation of the Operator, this person must also be a Korean. Sungjin grasped his hand as he replied, Yeah Its a pleasure to meet another Korean. In truth, he was not particularly glad. This was because Koreans would act rudely to Sungjin since he would tend to be younger than them, even though they were in a raid. However, the man replied, Ah, Im not Korean. Eh? Sungjin tilted his head. Huh? Is he Chinese? Does he just know how to speak Korean? However, unexpectedly, the man said, Im from the North. He was a North Korean. Ah A North Korean. It was his first time seeing one in both this current raid and the previous one. Still, its nice to meet someone of the same ethnicity. Why did all of this madness began When he considered it, he felt that it would not be difficult for North Koreans to adapt to the raid. Because North Korean males were people who had to serve for nearly ten years in the army, they would find it easier to adapt into circumstances as difficult as these. Though Im worried about cultural differencesbut if he is good then maybe he can join However, in the preview that he had of tonights dinner, the man was not there. Sungjin wondered why this was the case, but the answer was soon made clear. Youre a North Korean? The white person who was behind him interjected. Im supposed to depend and fight alongside a terrorist this is a problem. At that, one of the North Korean mans eyebrows shot up high. Terrorist? What are you implying? As the voices of the two people got louder, the black person alarmingly said, Woah, woah. Hey there, lets not fight. Did both of you forget that we have to fight for our lives soon? Despite the black mans attempts, the two bared their teeth at each other as if they were about to duke it out. Sungjin glanced at the Caucasian. Does he think that all North Koreans are terrorists No, even if he thought such things, he should not have said it out loud. Having started a fight with another person even before the raid had started, this person was automatically disqualified. Its amazing that he was able to make it this far The fight between the two was stopped when the monk Mahadas stepped in between them. The two of you, please calm your minds and temporarily put away your anger. A blue-eyed monk. Whether it was because of his unique appearance or his calm voice, the two strangely settled down when they heard Mahadas words. No, I wasnt Trying to A monk, here The North Korean scratched his head and turned around. Then, he matched gazes with Sungjin before saying, Haa, this is why I normally dont say where Im from I made a mistake since I met someone of the same ethnicity. On another thought, the man was a bit pitiable. Being considered a terrorist just because he had said his country of origin. It was also possible that something like this had happened more than once before as well since North Korea was seen poorly by the rest of the world. Sungjin looked at him as he thought, Hrm.. Even if his skill is good, it might be difficult to take him with us Sungjin also had to consider the relationships between his allies. When he now considered the previous final ten, the Muslim-hating Illich was always in a conflict with Mustafa, and Ryushin, who looked down on Japanese people, had problems with Shunsuke. Though it doesnt really matter to me if hes from North Korea Although Sungjin himself, as a South Korean, did not have any particular feelings about it, he did not know whether the American Baltren, or the European Nada and Franz would be averse to the guy. If they thought like that, then there was nothing he could do about it. Is that why theres only eight people at tonights dinner Whew, whatever. Lets just finish the raid quickly. [The raid will begin 10 seconds. 10, 9, 8] Sungjin took out his sword as he contemplated about the matter. Since Mahadas was here as well, this raid was bound to be especially easy. Chapter 179 Chapter 179 C The Chosen Ones (4) Franz puckered his lips and frowned. It was because he was before a semi transparent octopus-like monster that could rotate its head 360 degrees that was undulating as it was crawling about. Actually the description crawling about was still a bit lacking. It would be more accurate to describe its motion as dividing its body in half and transfer its body mass from the bigger chunk to the smaller chunk. Seeing such a bizarre creature evaporated Franzs desire to fight. Ugh just what is that? But then the person standing by his side stepped forward and replied. Does it matter whatever that is? We just need to kill it. Franz glanced at the speaker. The one standing in this dim lighted place with shining long straight hair was none other than Serin. Perhaps due to the low number of surviving hunters, Franz and Serin ended up in the same party. While Franz was unable to put much strength into his sword, Serin had already nocked an arrow into her bow. Franz saw her and thought, Wow this ladyshes harder than she looks. He had only met her during dinner they shared together, so until now he always had an image of her being an introvert. But now that they stood upon the battlefield, she had a completely different atmosphere about her. Let us begin. She had spoken with the sharpest of tones. The other Hunters began the preparations to fight at her words. Whew Franz took a deep breath and lifted up his greatsword. And at that moment, Serins arrow sailed through the air and Pewsht! Creeeeeiauehhee! The monster who was pierced by the arrow let out eerie rusty-machine-like sounds as it made its way toward the hunters. How grotesque Franz thought to himself as he picked up his greatsword and ran toward the monster. * Nada who had been walking along with the other hunters in the narrow alleyway stopped when she saw something resembling a white pillar at the other end. What is that Upon closer inspection it was a very tall person. No, it had the outer appearance of a human being. It had a long body and extended face, it had no eyes or nose, and only its mouth was opening and closing. Finally, a hair as long as the creature lay around its feet. Nada who noticed this bizarre abberation couldnt help but freeze in place. Whoa what is that? Nada had fought against countless monsters until now, but it was the first time she had come across such a disgusting lifeform. And, the boy who was standing next to her, Hiroaki, stepped forward and said, That thing it looks like one of the yokai from ancient Japanese legends. Nada stared at him. Luckily, she had been paired up with another Chosen One. Nada frowned as she replied. Japanese Yokai? Hiroaki grinned and drew his Katana confidentally. Why? Are you scared Onee san? Then please wait there. I will go and take care of that alone. Nada, honestly, wanted to just stay where she was. But it irritated her ego to hear such words from a boy younger than herself. What? Did anyone say theyre scared? She drew her two daggers. But her feet wouldnt move as resolutely as normal. Nadas brows were furrowed as she thought to herself. Damn it, I want this chapter to be over already. * While the other hunters were in progress through this frightening chapter, Sungjin was able to move forward quickly and was already facing off against the Boss Monster. Because Sungjin had been here before he was able to make good time clearing through the raid, but this party was not without its share of problems. Hey, Terrorist! Go block that thing flying from its right hand! Who are you calling a Terrorist?! You Big Nose Yankee!* It was because of two people who were busy arguing over their places of birth. Boss Monster Tezerburundabas was capable of freely changing its form and move so the argument was proving to be bit of a critical flaw. Ack! A fist made of a bundle of spirits landed a hit on the Big Nose Yankee flinging him away and Ahh! the Terrorist was bitten by the teeth that appeared in the abdomen of the monster. Sungjin frowned at the sight and lifted up his swords. These people are no good as I thought. Lets finish it. Moon Specter, Besgoro. Yes Master. Lets do it. Just like he had done in the previous chapter, he watched the other hunters fight for a moment before beginning to fight for real. And ten seconds later, Tezerburundabas who was sliced apart all over, Criiieeee~ let out hair raising death throes before it collapsed to a single point and then vanished like smoke. [Boss Monster Tezerburundabas Cleared!] Sungjin put away his two swords as he listened to the voice of the Operator. With the exception of Mahadas, the other hunters were standing with their mouths open. Since this was not the first time, Sungjin was able to reply cooly. I will be doing all of the hunting from this point forward. The rest of you, please keep yourselves safe. Understood? Although the hunters here had relatively rough personalities, they were all like obedient sheep at the face of Sungjins overwhelming performance and simply nodded. Sungjin began to think hard about what to do next as he looked at them. There were no comrades to be found this chapter. In that case, it was better to kill the hidden boss quickly and get the hunters a Legendary Item or even a bit more Black Coins. Hmm Franz said he needs a mantle and Serin was hoping to be able to change out her boots If I get a good Legendary Item I should get it to them. And if theres nothing good today then I could always buy from the Black Market Sungjins equipments were mostly gathered already and he had nowhere to spend his Black Coins once the Elixirs were no longer available. It was better for him to yield his things for the other hunters. Although the number of items available and their prices had shrunk due to the decrease in the number of Hunters, it was still possible to purchase Legendary Class Items for coins. Problem here is that I dont know where the Hidden Boss is located at. Sungjin glanced at Mahadas. Well, Venerable Monk Mahadas is here as well there shouldnt be anything happening. Sungjin concluded his thoughts and immediately said to the Operator. Operator, Ill use the Treasure Hunter Skill. * Uryah! Franz swung his greatsword splitting Tezerburundabas body which was followed by a quick successive volley of arrows that flew and pierced the open body. Pew pew pew! Before Franz could swing his sword once more, its body shrunk and disappeared. [Boss monster Tezerburundabas Cleared!] Whew~ Franz looked back at the source of the arrows. Serin had already stowed her bow away on her back. Man, unlike what her looks would suggest, shes really feisty Everyone, you did great. Good job. As the hunters were congratulating each other, Franz brought up the Hidden Boss. How about it? We seem to work pretty well together, do you guys want to go kill the Hidden Boss? The hunters hesitated. Well As you said, its true that we work well together, but Do we really have to do it? Hes right The last time I tried to kill the Hidden Boss, I lost three of my allies. After that, Im Hrm The rewards are good though Their reactions were not particularly strange. This was because Hidden Bosses were only good if you could kill them. If you could not, then it would become your guide to river Styx. However, Franz wanted to kill the Hidden Boss in spite of this. Im saying thats how it was. I probably learned more than you did. How can this be! Sensei! Me too! Please spar with me! Ive become stronger after going through raids these past few days! Since having met the Japanese swordsman Hiroaki, his desire to grow stronger had somehow increased. Hrm. But still, the one who Master Hunter had recognized for skill is me. Franz looked toward Serin as he asked, What do you think, Miss Serin? Lets go kill it. We ought to get stronger so we can be of help to Kei, right? However, even Serin was not particularly in favor of it. However Oppa No, Kei, had said that we shouldnt recklessly put ourselves at risk. All five members are still alive And theres even two Chosen Ones here, Miss Serin and I. Why are you so worried? Serin stared at him for a moment, then nodded her head. Indeed. If its the two of us It shouldnt be too dangerous. Great. Since Miss Serin agreed Franz turned his head to the other three and asked, How about it? Going to kill the Hidden Boss. The beautiful archer lady and I the two of us well pull our weight, so how about going? The other three hunters hesitated like before, but ended up accepting since they had witnessed Serin and Franzs abilities. Ok. Lets do it. Then, is there someone with the Treasure Hunter title here? There was always at least one among the hunters whove survived until now. As expected, one of the hunters raised his hand. I have it. Then, shall we listen to the hint? He nodded his head and spoke to his cube. Operator, Ill use the ability of the Treasure Hunter. Give me the hint related to the Hidden Boss. Soon, the Operator told them the information regarding the Hidden Boss. [In the unfathomably long eons ticking by] [There be a devil slumbering through the ages] [It be having nightmares again and again] [If she be found and the master of the dreams is awoken] [then light will come] [and all the nightmares will be extinguished] [But beware] [Nightmare or sweet dreams] [Danger lurks nonetheless] Hrm? As expected, he couldnt completely grasp it by listening to it only once. The five hunters again clustered around the Operators Cube. Can you say it one more time? Chapter 180 Chapter 180 C The Chosen Ones (5) During dinner time at Ninety Nine Nights, all of the Chosen Ones gathered around and brought their glasses of champagne together in a toast. A toast! To our victory! Cheers! The Chosen Ones raised their glasses and emptied them to the last drop. Then suddenly, Serin approached Sungjin and whispered into his ear. Oppa there is something I want to discuss with you alone could you please come to the second floor with me? Having finished speaking, Serin went up to the room on the second floor first. Sungjin watched her leave with a blank stare, then headed after her towards the second floor without letting the other hunters know. However, as he was walking up the stairs, he heard an echo, as if someone was whispering into his ear. up. Sungjin looked behind him. The hunters were boisterously dining as usual. Was it just my imagination? Sungjin looked at them and tilted his head for a moment, before once more climbing up to the second floor. Though Ninety Nine Nights had several rooms on each floor, Sungjin was quickly able to find out which room Serin was waiting in, as only one of the rooms had its door slightly ajar. Sungjin opened the door and went inside. What was it that you wanted to say? Serin was standing at the opened window, gazing at the moonlight. However, she was not wearing her usual outfit. She had forgone the leather vest that she typically wore for a blouse so thin that it was slightly see through. You Whats this? While Sungjin was flustered, Serin took off her blouse. All that she was left wearing were a pair of elaborately patterned black brassiere and underwear. In contrast to her dark underwear, the white tone of her skin shone alluringly in the moonlight. The fit physique of an athlete was completely exposed. While Sungjin was frozen and unable to move, Serin approached him and whispered into his ear. Oppa Her hot breath stimulated Sungjins ear. Sungjin laid her down on the bed. Serin rolled across the bed once like a feline and her firm breasts trembled atop her long black hair, tempting Sungjin. Sungjin stepped forward and grabbed her breasts. Ahh Serin let out a groan. It was unclear if it was in pain or in pleasure. And then, Sungjin took out Moon Specter and stabbed it into her stomach in the blink of an eye. Urk! Serin spat out blood from her mouth as her eyes opened wide. Sungjin then took out Blood Vengeance and beheaded her. Splurt~ Blood sprayed all over the bedroom. Sungjin stared at the decapitated head. Even after it had been completely separated from her body and rolled around on the floor several times, it stared back at Sungjin and asked, How did you know? Sungjin flung the blood off of his sword as he normally did, then said, Mahadas is an incredibly dedicated monk. In the dozen or so times Ive dined with him, he has never touched meat or alcohol. But to suddenly drink champagne? You shouldnt have included him when we were doing the toast. Serin, no, the face of whatever that took form of Serin warped in anger. Kuh At the same time, the view of Ninety Nine nights disappeared from his sight like a mirage and Moon Specters voice could be heard. Master! Please wake up! It was then that Sungjin realized that the echo-like voice he had heard back while he was climbing the stairs belonged to Moon Specter. Sungjin said briefly, Im awake. gather! Protection of Light! Mahadas, who had been casting Light Magic on Sungjin, looked up at him and said, Ah, youre awake Mister Kei. Sungjin quickly recalled what had happened until just now. * They followed up on the hint given by the line, In the unfathomably long eons ticking by. In their search, they came across a bed inside the clock tower. The bed inside the room looked out of place. Whats This? When Sungjin approached the bed with the other hunters, the Operator cried out, [Warning! Hidden Boss] [Master of the Dreams Beatrice has appeared!] Sungjin took out and held up his two swords. However, at that moment, he suddenly thought, And promptly lost all recollection of what was happening. The next scene that he saw, was everyone holding a glass of champagne in their hands as they shouted, Cheers~ * Sungjin asked Mahadas, Mahadas, how long have I been unconscious? About five seconds. What a relief. It seems that time inside the dream had flown more quickly. Sungjin quickly looked towards the other hunters. The other three hunters were engaged in combat with a Succubus that had horns growing from its head. Thankfully, that illusion had only affected one person and the other hunters had yet to fall to it. At worst I could have ended up killing a teammate. Sungjin had been too relaxed to a fault as of late due to the fact that the raids were much easier than his skill level. Woosh Sungjin pulled out his two swords as he ran towards the succubus that had bewitched him. In any case, this place feels really disgusting * [Hidden Boss, Master of the Dreams, Beatrice Cleared.] [Raid 100% complete.] [Beginning reward distribution.] Sungjin received the rewards in silence. What came out were a few Legendary items and Black Coins. Hrm This I should give this to Mustafa This seems like Nadas style I should show it to her and ask if she needs it. For now, Sungjin put away the items that he had received from the reward distribution. Since the raid was 100% complete, there were no more monsters. He left the hunters and went to a corner to attempt to use the Trollseeker Marbles. When he glanced back, the man from North Korea was shaking hands with the Caucasian. Good job out there. Thanks. Sorry about all that at the start. Sungjin felt that any two men, regardless of the circumstances, would end up reconciling like them if they had fought through life-threatening situations together. He entered the corner and used a Trollseeker Marble. However, the Operator would only repeat the same message. [No applicable dimension available] Well, the number of hunters had decreased to the point where you could actually count them by hand. Many trolls had died because of Sungjin, and those people who had trolled secretly could no longer do so as the hunters began to grow acquainted with one another. Then what should I do during the remaining time Are the other hunters doing well? As Sungjin thought of the other hunters, he suddenly recalled the temptation that he had just experienced. I did say that they shouldnt attempt the Hidden Boss forcefully, but Things could be A bit dangerous? Those whom he did not have to worry about were Mahadas the monk, and Mustafa, who was self-disciplined. As for the rest C Franz, Hiroaki, or Baltren C it was possible for them to fall into a dangerous situation. If someone calls I might have to leave immediately Having come to this conclusion, Sungjin waited for a bit. And just as he had thought, a few minutes after he had killed the Hidden Boss, the Operator called out. [The Chosen One Requested your teleportation.] Show me. Soon, a Chosen Ones face appeared above the Cube. It was the face of Serin, who had seduced him just a moment ago. Cough, cough Sungjin let out a few dry coughs. Serin shouted urgently, Oppa, come quickly! Right now, Franz is! Okay, Im on my way. Sungjin immediately switched dimensions and entered the dimension that Serin was in. Gwaaaaaaaaaaa! The hand of one of the hunters was rotting away due to the Succubuss black magic. Hiyah! Serin desperately shot out a few arrows, but the Succubus turned into a bat before splitting into several pieces as she dodged the arrow. Ohohohoho! Sungjin took out his two swords. Because he had just killed her, Sungjin knew in detail what he needed to do. He looked around. Nearby, Franzs figure could be seen lying on top of the bed, displaying an unsightly appearance as he stretched out both hands into the air with his tongue sticking out. Heh, heh. Nada Miss Nada Sungjin rolled his eyes, then ran towards where the bats were gathering. * Pig. Serin looked at Franz with contempt. No, wait, thats not Franz attempted to somehow justify himself, but Serin simply turned her head away and distanced herself from Franz. Franz hung his head with his greatsword in his grasp as if he were in despair. Sungjin watched Franz with a pitying expression. As someone who had also experienced that very illusion, he understood. Still, he couldnt openly defend Franz in front of Serin. However, at that moment, Serin called out to Sungjin. Oppa, please come here. Hrm? Oh Why? Sungjin slightly stammered as he replied to her, the memory of the excessive illusion was still fresh in his mind. Serin gestured to him as she said, Theres something I want to say, so come here. For some reason, her lines were similar to what he had heard in the illusion. Sungjin wrinkled his forehead slightly as he approached her. Once he came closer, she suddenly leaned in and whispered into his ear, Oppa, do you It was far too similar to what had happened in the illusion. Mmm However, the ending part of her question was different. Back then, Mister Franz called out a lot for Miss Nada while he was lost in the illusion Do you think That Mister Franz likes Miss Nada? Sungjin took a step away from her as he nodded his head. Ah, well Thats Thats probably the case However, at that moment, a thought came to Serin and she asked, Oppa. Did you, as well, get caught? In that? While Sungjin was having difficulty deciding how to reply, a message from the Operator rang out once more. [The Chosen One Requested your teleportation.] Sungjin turned his head towards the Operator. Nadas figure appeared and said to Sungjin, Hey Sungjin, come here quickly. Our teenaged swordsman has completely lost it and is looking for some teacher named Meguri or something. It was just in time. Sungjin left a quick sentence to Serin and headed towards Nadas dimension. Ill check it out. Chapter 181 Chapter 181 C The Chosen Ones (6) Looks like everyone was safe this time as well. During dinner time at Ninety Nine Nights, all of the Chosen Ones gathered around and brought their glasses of champagne together in a toast. Up to this point, everything was almost exactly the same as the dream that the succubus had shown him. Sungjin glanced at Mahadas as he held onto his own glass. Mahadas was, as usual, holding onto a teacup instead of a wine glass. As he saw this, he thought to himself, It looks like I unwittingly became careless because the raids had become easier as of late. If I was late in realizing that it was an illusion, it could have been dangerous to the other teammates. However, as he was musing to himself, Sungjin met Serins gaze and unconsciously averted his eyes. For some reason, he felt guilty. It is said that dreams are reflections of the unconscious mind after all. Regardless of the fact that it was a dream created by the succubus, the succubus definitely had customized the dream from his own unconscious mind. Just like how Franz had dreamt of Nada, and Hiroaki had searched for his Meguri-sensei. That said, are the guys who were embarrassed today, okay? Sungjin looked at Franz and Hiroaki. The two were eating silently, while keeping their heads bowed as if they had committed a sin. It was probably because they had behaved in an unsightly manner in front of their female teammates. Sungjin thought to himself, I was lucky that my partner was Mahadas. Baltren, who did not know the reasons behind this, looked around the somewhat quiet table and asked, Oy, look here. Why is everyones mood so down? We all came back alive. Youre acting as if someone died! He was right. Normally, at the table it was these two, Franz and Hiroaki, who were boisterous, but now they were sitting down far more quietly while saying very little. Serin and Nada were also normally on the talkative side, but today they did not talk as much, perhaps because they had seen the lowest point of their allies today. As for Mahadas and Mustafa, they originally did not speak much. Unable to stand it any more, Sungjin stood up and began to talk. Todays raid was not easy, and the Hidden Boss was especially unique. There were a few people whom I had saved from danger, but you must be more careful next time, as the Hidden Bosses do use these kinds of strange gimmicks. Succubi, for example, arent particularly the best of opponents for men. Baltrens eyes opened wide as he asked, Succubus? That was the Hidden Boss this time? Those things that make you have erotic dreams? Those sexy demons? It seemed that Baltren was unable to find the succubus. Sungjin nodded his head as he replied, Yes. Baltren grinned widely as he said, Then I should have pushed myself harder to try to find it. Right. How was it for those of you who met her? Baltren was unable to read the mood as he kept asking his teammates. Because of this, Franz and Hiroaki bowed their heads even more. Sungjin butted in and steered the conversation into another direction. Dont be so greedy to fight the Hidden Bosses. While its good to be able to improve by receiving good scores, the most important thing is to reach the last raid together. Understood? Yeah. Yup. Franz and Hiroaki nodded their heads. Sungjin continued, Then Ill distribute the items today. Operator. Sungjin searched inside his Operator Cube. Sungjin took out the items that he had received from todays rewards and shared them with his allies. This is a Legendary Ring Looks like itll be suitable for Miss Nada. Sungjin handed over a ring inset with a black pearl to Nada. The items information appeared between the two. Thanatos Call of the Dark Legendary Ring Passive Skill Necromancy(IV) C Increase the stats of summons summoned through Black Magic by 40%. Active Skill Craving of Death (III) C Reduce the health of your summons summoned by Black Magic to 0 over 10 seconds. During this time, your summons gain 3 times their normal stats. When the last light of hope has been snuffed out The humans will open their eyes to a new desire. Nadas eyes opened wide as she read the description. Wow the abilities are great. I knew that it would be a great fit for Miss Nada the moment I saw it. Sungjin handed over the ring to Nada without much thought. He didnt notice that Serin, who was watching, turned her head away unhappily. Thanks, Kei. Ill put it to good use. Nada held up the ring as she said, Equip. Soon the ring that had been laying on her palm wrapped around her ring finger perfectly. Sungjin then proceeded to pull out a pair of boots from his cube. Eh, this is a pair of boots with magic resistance The quiet Franz raised his hand. Oh! If thats the case then I think Ill need them. Is that so Take a look. Sungjin held up the boots. Another information window appeared. Nihilan The Unbelievers Boots Legendary Boots Armor 44% Passive Skill Faithless(IV) C Increase the magic resistance of the user by 40%. Decrease all magic effects of the user by 40%. Active Skill Certainty(IV) C Removes all debuffs. Removes all buffs. Those who believe will begin to doubt, and those who doubt will begin to believe. But theres a penalty for when youre using magic. Having read the abilities to the end, Franz sat down in his seat again. Oh Is that so. Ive been using magic more nowadays Instead, Hiroaki now raised his hand. Then Ill use them, master. Since I only use sword techniques. Ahh, great. Its good that someone could use it. Sungjin handed the boots over to Hiroaki. Hiroaki held the boots as he bowed respectfully to Sungjin. Thank you, master. The item distribution was over. Sungjin then continued, Also The number of Black Coins earned today is As Sungjin spoke, a number appeared above Sungjins cube. Serin, Nada, Franz and Baltren, who had participated in several raids with him until now, looked at the number without much ado. However, Hiroaki and Mustafa, who had just joined recently, looked incredibly surprised. Sungjin looked at them as he said, Its this much. Since I dont really need them, Ill give it to whoever needs them. Mustafa cautiously raised his hand. Theres Theres an item that I want thats on the auction house. Would it be possible for me to have some coins? Mustafa looked incredibly awkward at the thought of receiving Black Coins from Sungjin. He had found it hard to believe when he had first heard about it in the past. Youll give them away? Black Coins? Yes. For free? Its not entirely free. The people who received my coins are expected to grow that much stronger and help me later in the raids. Sungjin nodded his head, conveying that Mustafa should not worry. He added, Yes. Take as many as you need, Mustafa. Mustafa looked faintly apologetic as he received some coins. After these raids are over, Ill repay you. Even if its just by cash. Sungjin smiled and nodded. Having finished distributing the coins, Sungjin looked at his allies. Though there was a small hiccup, everyone was safe. Sungjin said to them, In any case, its great that everyone was able to finish the raid safely. It would be great if all eight of us were able to stay until the end of the raids. Everyone nodded in response to Sungjins words. Sungjin continued, Also, as always, were still continuing to look for allies. Those people that I mentioned before. Sungjin was referring to the members of the previous Final 10, which included Edward. If you meet them or anyone else that is particularly strong, dont hesitate to call me. Everyone nodded their heads in response to Sungjins words. And just in time, Dalupin came bearing a pizza baked with a golden crust, and a aromatic spaghetti. It was time to begin their meal in earnest. Wow, it looks delicious! Dalupin, great work today as well. Thank you for the meal, Dalupin. While everyone picked up their spoons, chopsticks, forks and knives, Sungjin quietly left them and made his way to the bathroom. He took out the star shaped accessory from his vest and said, Starlight. He stole a glance at the future 24 hours from now. Just the same as today, tomorrow, the Chosen Ones were enjoying dinner at Ninety Nine Nights in Sungjins dimension. Sungjin quickly counted them. Seven, Eight. The number eight had two meanings, First, it meant that all of the Chosen Ones were safe. Second, it meant that they did not gain any new allies. While its a relief that everyone is safe Its a bit disappointing that we didnt gain any new allies. As Sungjin mused to himself, he left the future and returned to the present. * The next morning, Sungjin sat the Chosen Ones down in front of him and briefed them as usual. Todays raid is SerCorist Prison, but its only a prison in name. Its a place more like a mental asylum thats filled with monsters. Generally, youll face humans, elves and humanoid monsters like orcs. However, because theyre all a bit crazed, they will come at you with attacks that are difficult to predict. Theyll be doing things that are a bit difficult to imagine, such as ripping their arm off to use as a weapon, or stabbing through their stomach to attack you when youre behind them. Please be careful of this point. Yes. The Chosen Ones all replied to Sungjins words as one. A few of the hunters showed slightly nervous expressions, but Sungjin did not attempt to allay their worries and let them be. This was because their nervousness could potentially help them in coming back alive. So long as Sungjin did not do anything particularly strange, everyone would be safe tonight. Despite knowing this, Sungjin said to the Chosen Ones, Then everyone do your best and stay alive. If theres something dangerous, then call me without fail. Yes. The team replied back again. Soon afterwards, Sungjin and the Chosen Ones were teleported to the eighteenth battlefield, SerCorist Prison. Chapter 182 Chapter 182 C The Chosen Ones (7) [Welcome to Sercorist Prison] [This is where those with the heaviest sentences in S city have been imprisoned.] [Massive secret experiments were conducted here in the past, and abandoned afterwards.] [Be careful. Although most of those who were experimented on died during the experiments] [There were some who survived.] Sungjin looked around Sercorist prison with his arms crossed. In some ways it looked like a prison, and in others it looked like a hospital. Among the various chapters so far, this location was one of the most horrifying of places there were. Soon afterwards, four more hunters were summoned. Sungjin observed them inconspicuously. If he were to be frank, he did not expect much from them, as he had already had a glimpse of the future. There wasnt anyone among these hunters that would become his ally. Though, they are impressive in their own right. Of course, since they had managed to arrive at the eighteenth chapter, they were incredibly talented people. It just so happened that they were not up to par in Sungjins eyes. One of them spoke up, Hey, hey, nice to meet you. Having broken the ice, others joined in. A pleasure. Lets do our best. How do you do. Lets all introduce ourselves. Like, what is your favored weapon type, or the color of your magic. Now the mood had begun to become harmonious. This was because after experiencing countless trials they had learned the method to survive was to help each other. However, suddenly, someone pointed at Sungjin. Huh? Master Hunter? Master Hunter Kei? Following his pointing, the other hunters all turned towards Sungjin. Youre the one from the rumors, right? That person? Sungjin had come to accept that he was a celebrity among the hunters. Now that there were not many left alive in the raids, it was something that could not be helped. Sungjin let out a breath and stood in front of them and said, Nice to meet you all. Lets do our best to make this raid a success as well. I will also do my best to kill the enemies and keep everyone safe. That is, so long as none of you commit a troll-like action. Upon hearing Sungjin, the four hunters turned to look at each other, then looked back towards Sungjin and nodded. Of course, Master Hunter. * Sungjin and the hunters that he was matched with set off to clear Sercorist Prison. Inside were countless grotesque creatures waiting, but they were swept away by Sungjins Moon Specter and Blood Vengeance like leaves in a storm. Thanks to Sungjin, they were able to easily clear the Boss. [Boss, The Last Experiment, Omega, Cleared.] And soon they were able to easily win against the Hidden Boss as well. [Hidden Boss, The First Experiment, Alpha, Cleared.] Youre really amazing, Master Hunter. The hunters praised him, but Sungjin did not find any particular pleasure from hearing their compliments. Instead, he kept thinking, Itd be great if I could find two more allies as soon as possible This thought continuously lingered in his mind. In the remaining time, Sungjin helped the Chosen ones before the 18th raid came to a finish. Kei, can you come here? Master Hunter, theres an experimental subject here thats talking normally. Hes the Hidden Boss right? Could you please come here. Afterwards, the hunters were summoned to the Hunters Hall, where white columns stretched upwards without end. Now the remaining people could be all seen with a single look. The Operator informed them of the exact number of the remaining people. Congratulations. You hunters were able to perfectly clear eighteen chapters. Among the 7,310,067,613 people who participated in the first raid The number of hunters that are now remaining is 366. Upon hearing this, the hunters began to make a commotion. Just 366? Youre telling me that theres only that many remaining? Hrm. Then just what is the percentage of the remaining people? No way. If this continues then well all be wiped out. Everyone was surprised by the fact that there were so few people remaining. It was only Sungjin that thought, Theres really a lot of people that survived. 366. It was many times larger than the number of people that survived when compared to the previous time. This is likely Because of me. If one were to analyze the reasons for this, there would be three main causes. First, was because there were a large number of people who Sungjin had saved. Sungjin had perfectly cleared the raids up until now. Even though he had not particularly striven to do so, if it were not for him, it was likely that many people would have died instead. Second, was because Sungjins Chosen Ones had done the same. Especially because Franz, Nada, and Han Serin, who became Chosen Ones early on, were able to use the addition of Sungjins stats to successfully complete the raids. Though he did not meet them in person, it was likely that there were many hunters who survived because of him. Lastly, the most important reason, was likely because he went around hunting Trolls. Having started to hunt trolls since the earlier chapters and having continued to do so during the later chapters, Sungjin was able to stamp out the problem of Trolls faster. In his previous life, one of the final ten, Illich, was a perfect example. If he was still alive, then it was likely that the number of hunters would have decreased by more than dozens. As he was teleported to the Black Market, Sungjin thought, Though I wasnt particularly aiming for it, it turned out for the better. The probability of finding a strong person was higher the more people there were. Even until now, Sungjin had been unable to imagine just how much of an impact his actions would have had. That night, as usual, Sungjin peeked into the future during dinner time. Ahh During the the next days dinner, Sungjin discovered the figure of Hildebrandt, a gargantuan man that took up the equivalent of two peoples spaces, sitting amongst the current Chosen Ones. Even amongst the previous final ten members, Hildebrandt had been someone who was dependable and trustworthy. Though Sungjin did not know exactly what had happened, it was obvious that he had been able to come into contact with Hildebrandt and bring him into the midst of Chosen Ones by baptizing him. Returning to the present, Sungjin clenched his fist tightly. Good. With this, the ninth member has been found. * With you, we now have our ninth member. Sungjin said as he shook hands with Hildebrandt, the one who was over two meters tall; the same man Sungjin had forseen sitting at the table last night. He was sitting at the table laughing heartily. I didnt even dream that I would be able to have a meal with someone else like this. Wahahahaha! Now that he joined them, it felt as if the dinner table at Ninety Nine Nights was completely occupied. Sungjin watched them for a moment, then walked outside. Far, far away in the sky above him, the moon sat there. He had already been gazing at this moon for two months now (of course, it was likely that there were many more such days that he could not remember). During this time, he had become rather used to Ninety Nine Nights, but this was not where he belonged. He wanted to return. To Earth. To Korea. To Seoul. Together with the others that were stuck here. The shop owner of Darker than Black had definitely said that the final raid was not far after the 20th chapter. If they completed Chapter 20 safely and continued in this manner then he was certain that they would soon see the end. Almost there now Sungjin took out the star shaped accessory shortly after moon gazing so that he could peek into the future. But tomorrows scene that the star shaped accessory showed was the most shocking yet. Sungjin tilted his head quizzically once he returned from the future. Wait.. but why? There were two unbelievably strange parts about tomorrows future. First was that there was a tenth member. And the second was the anxious and worried looks of the Chosen Ones. Just what the heck is going on tomorrow? Sungjin stood there, pondering. But no answer came to him. Tenth member I did? And why were everyone Serins voice interrupted his thoughts. Oppa, are you okay? You havent eaten yet. Sungjin turned around to face her and said, Ahh, yeah. I just had something to think about. Ill be in shortly. Serin gave him a puzzled look before answering Ok. Please come join us before the food gets cold. She returned back indoors. Sungjin who was now left alone again tried to recollect what he had seen about tomorrows future. First of all, all the Chosen Ones are still alive. So the situation probably isnt that dire. But thenwhy? As of now, nothing came to mind. Since he couldnt figure out the exact cause of what went wrong, he felt reluctant to try and change the future. I guess Ill just have to see. Sungjin thought as he returned back into the Ninety Nine Nights. He had dinner like he normally would before giving a short briefing on tomorrows Raid. Then tomorrow is the 20th chapter Raid on the Demon Kings Castle. Sungjin glanced at the hunters while looking at the information sheet. Everyone looked brimming with confidence. They had overcome several raids without major losses. And ever since they became one of the Chosen Ones, Sungjins strength also enhanced their own. Each of them had now the power necessary to solo carrying their own parties. Sungjin faced them and politely said to them It IS a 10 man raid and the boss in this stage is a bit unusual so please be careful. Ok understood. Yes, Master Hunter K. Sungjin just nodded for now. They will all survive the raid tomorrow; it wasnt exactly clear why everyone would be so nervous, but at least they were still alive. The Star shaped accessory had never been wrong so far. Once everyone returned to their places, Sungjin returned to his bedroom. He didnt know what was going to happen but something was going to happen tomorrow. And now that he thought of it, it reminded him of Edward during the previous lifes raid. At that time just what did he see? Sungjin rubbed the star shaped accessory. He had checked on the future during dinner each time, but there was something fundamentally different about tomorrows. He will check on the future before the start of the raid, just as Edward did. He couldnt predict what he might see, but he got the feeling that it was something important to check. What if I end up killing my own teammates? It was something he couldnt imagine himself doing, but it was also difficult to imagine that Edward had done so because he was a troll. What is it? What is going to happen tomorrow, and what kind of future will I see? Sungjin fell asleep while still wrapping his head around the idea. Chapter 183 Chapter 183 C The Chosen Ones (8) The enemies in the Demon Kings Castle were cut down quickly by Sungjins sword play. Sungjin thought to himself while swinging his sword, Back then it was so difficult These enemies were incredibly challenging with all ten of the final members of the previous round of raids, but he had now reached a point where he can face all of them on his own. Sungjin was surprised by his own growth. And of course, Ooh, wow Amamazing. The looks on the Hunters faces showed they were even more surprised than he was. Thats Master Hunter for you. Kei All the surviving hunters knew about Sungjin by now. The hunters who were witnessing Sungjins abilities for the first time were easily captivated. These hunters C Ill take care of the front, please take care of enemies on the sides. Understood. Yes, Master Hunter. -obeyed him as if they were his minions. Sungjin was able to reach an area close to where the Demon King was. It was then that he asked the operator Operator, how long has it been since the Raids have begun? [It has been 1 hour 20 minutes.] Hour and twenty ok good, I should check on tomorrow from here. Sungjin waved his hands to the other hunters and said to them Let us take a break here before resuming. He wasnt tired at all, but Sungjin intentionally picked his words so he could have a chance to peek at the future. The others seemed to see Sungjin as their general and obeyed without a fuss. Sungjin pulled away from the wordless group of hunters and picked a quiet spot. Once he checked to make sure he was alone, he took out his star-shaped accessory. Finally, it was time to sate his curiosity. Sungjin didnt hesitate. Starlight. The starlight brightened up, then swallowed him up into the darkness. Soon, the events which unfold in 24 hours were shown to him. And although Sungjin couldnt speak in the middle of the vision, inside he was yelling What..? Few minutes since he had his mouth wide open, Sungjin who had been peeking at the future returned to the present and ended up yelling Ah! Whats that?! The hunters who had been resting a bit away came springing at him. Sungjin quickly put the starshaped accessory under his shirt and quickly caught his breath. The hunters who swarmed towards him all had their weapons out and surveying the area. Did something happen, Master Hunter? Was there an enemy? Sungjin waved his hands as he said Nno, it was nothing. Please go and get some rest. Let us get going in 3 minutes. The hunters stared at Sungjin with a quizzical look but soon obeyed him. Sungjin held his forehead after being left alone. So that was it? Edward Now that all the puzzle pieces were found, Sungjin quickly thought to himself. So what do I do now? What is there for me to do? But he had less than a day now. There was almost nothing that he could accomplish until then. Then, Sungjin remembered about the last remaining Holy Water of Baptism. I guess this is about it Sungjin stood up. It was time to go defeat the Demon King. Although the real danger wasnt the Demon King, but the enemies of tomorrow. * I cantbelieve [Chapter 20 boss Demon King Kharnejad Cleared!] Sungjin pulled out his blades from the body of the Demon King to the sound of the Operators voice. Behind him, he could hear the voices of the other hunters reverberating. Yeah! We got him! Despite the shouts of others, Sungjin didnt feel much elation. It was because defeating the Demon King was well predictable. But tomorrows more important As Sungjin was thinking so, the Operators voice continued as it said, [Raid 100% cleared] [And now we will distribute the items] Hmm? According to the Operator the raid reached 100% completion despite the fact that Hidden boss fight did not yet occur. This round does it lack a hidden boss and such? Now that he thought of it, it would be strange to find a creature more powerful than the Demon King in his own castle. Sungjin crossed his arms and received the distributed rewards along with the others. A point of interest was the magnitude of the rewards. [Congratulations! You have received the Legendary item] [Congratulations! You have received the Legendary item] [Congratulations! You have received the Legendary item] The Operators congratulations came from all over the place. Wow, why are we getting so many of them? Youre right my contribution was only 5%, why am I getting these many Legendary items? The hunters were overjoyed. Except for just one person. Sungjin watched them and thought to himself I guess theyre getting so many since this is the last Distribution. If things were as he foresaw, then this would be the last. [You will be teleported in 10 seconds.] [10] Sungjin said to the Operator. Ah, I want to stay here a bit longer. [Cancelling auto teleportation.] Hunters countdown with the exception of Sungjins continued. [9, 8, 7] Someone asked Sungjin. Master Hunter, will you not return? [6, 5, 4] Ah yes. I still have something I have to do. Hunters tilted their heads and gave puzzled looks, but they were eventually summoned back to the Hunters Hall. Now only Sungjin remained in the Demon Kings Castle. The reason why he stuck around was because he might be called upon by the Chosen Ones. Sungjin looked around at the surroundings. At the far back was the Demon Kings empty throne. Sungjin sat there and leaned on his hand. Hey Kei, Could you come real quick to help out? One of our member perished. called out Hildebrandt. Master Hunter, were right before the Demon King but not sure we can win on our own. Could you please come and help us out? asked Mustafa. Sungjin accepted their call for help and send them along to the Hunters Hall. Then finally, he too, was summoned to the Hunters Hall. * In the brilliantly white Hunters Hall, the Operators voice rang out. [Congratulations. All the hunters here have successfully cleared 20 chapters.] [Of the 7,310,067,613 participating hunters] [the number of the surviving hunters is currently 256] Sungjin quickly looked around as the Operator continued to speak Ah, Sensei Hiroaki was waving his hands upon seeing him. Yo, Master Hunter. Beltran was there too. But Sungjin ignored them and continued to search among the crowd. Where is he? Sungjin was searching for Edward. Specifically, the Edward who had died once and lost his memories. This hall at first was filled as far as the eyes could see, but now it was possible to go between the pillars and search for someone. But no matter how much he walked between the hunters and the columns, he couldnt find Edward. No way did he die? While Sungjin was thinking that, the Operator resumed to speak. [The 256 hunters here are Humanitys last.] [Power and courage, knowledge and wisdom, everyone here have pushed them to the limit] [You are free to be proud.] Most hunters were listening with dull look in their eyes. Being congratulated after everything that had occured didnt feel all that great. For the most part, they looked as if they were thinking: Im tired so let me go back to the Black Market. But when Operator said, [The next chapter, Chapter 21 is the final raid.] What?! Really?! Their eyes flew open. Suddenly the Hunters Hall is filled with chaos. Only Sungjin who had seen the future was calmly searching for Edward. [The chapter 21 is unique, as final chapters ought to be.] The hunters were all now listening to each and every word from the Operator. Even Sungjin stopped his search to listen and looked up at the column of the Operator. Operators voice soon rang out. [The Final Raid is a 300 man raid.] What?! What did you say? The Operator paused from speaking as a consideration for the hunters. The hunters continued to panic. 300?! But theres only 256 of us So it was true. Sungjin grit his teeth and resumed his search for Edward. But meanwhile, Oppa Serin appeared and grasped his shoulder. Did you know of this? That the last raid will be a 300 man raid? Sungjin couldnt nod or shake his head. He only found out just now. Instead of answering, he asked her Hey, by the way, Edward. Did you happen to see Edward? Serin pointed at the column behind them and said, Ahh, earlier I thought he was standing next to that pillar. Really? Ok. Sungjin left Serin behind and headed towards the pillar she had pointed out. The Operators voice reverberated in the hall. [The last raid, as its name implies, is the final raid where 300 hunters work together.] [Just as it was with 5 man raid and 10 man raid, the difficulty of the final raid is scaled up to match the 300 participants] My god Oh my The exclamation of the hunters were so high that the Operators voice could barely be heard. Meanwhile. Sungjin finally found Edward close to the pillar Serin had pointed out. Sungjin called out his name. Edward. Edward jerked alert to the voice of Sungjin calling out his name. His reaction was only natural since Sungjin had tried to kill him the moment they met. But this time he did not run away. Use of force was forbidden in the Hunters Hall. He only stepped back and faltered. Wwhat do you want. Sungjin took out the final vial of Holy water of Baptism from his vest. Theres not much time left to speak. The strongest among the remaining people is you. Probably. Edward tilted his head. What? He was about to say, when Sungjin poured the content of the vial over Edward. At the same time, Sungjin said, Baptise And as if on cue the Operator said [Please shop for the last time and prepare yourself for whats to come.] [You will be summoned back to the Hunters Hall in 10 seconds.] Edward yelled at Sungjin after suddenly being soaked by water What is wrong with you? Are you crazy? [10, 9, 8, 7] While the Operators countdown was going on, Sungjin said to Edward respectfully This. This is what you wanted. What? Edward was at loss for words but [6, 5, 4] Sungjin knew that this was what Edward had wanted all along. Then see you again shortly. [3, 2, 1] As the final countdown was going on, Edward muttered to himself while looking at Sungjin. reallyyouve lost your mind. Sungjin was teleported after hearing those words. To the Black Market. * Once Sungjin returned to the Black Market, he immediately summoned all the Chosen Ones before dinner time. Draft. One by one, the Chosen ones were called to the First Drop where Sungjin was sitting. They, too, seemed to be shocked at the Operators announcement. My god, a 300 man raid Is this even reasonable? Were short 50 people is it still possible? Sungjin heard them speak and thought to himself We could have done it with just the 10 of us Sungjin checked the hunters meanwhile. He didnt see Edward among the Chosen Ones. He should be here maybe if he is not coming because of being attacked back then As Sungjin was dwelling on it, the final Chosen One Edward appeared from thin air. What is this? Sungjin clapped once after seeing him. So you came. The Chosen Ones werent all that surprised to see him. Getting a new comrade was a rather common occurrence. Except for Serin. Serin looked extremely surprised and was staring at Sungjin. Sungjin walked up to Edward. Edward looked up and down at Sungjin and said, What is this? All of you? Sungjin didnt know what to say and scratched his forehead for a moment before pointing at the seat at the back of First Drop and said, Sit for now. Theres a lot we have to talk about. Edward replied with suspicion in his eyes. You attacked me out of nowherewhat are you trying to pull now? Sungjin stared at him for a moment. What can I say to undo this misunderstanding? But the whole story, including previous life, he wasnt ready to reveal them now. Haa When Sungjin internally sighed, he happened to see the staff Edward had been holding onto. The Staff was the same staff that the dragon Archaeard had given him. Eh? Now that he thought about it, he had the same thing. The dragon Archaeard had said as he handed him the stuff Youll need this. Sungjin pulled Sereberf Andals staff from the Operators Cube. Edwards eyes grew wide when he saw it. Wait, that Sungjin thought to himself This is it. Three of the same Item could be combined to raise its rarity. Edward must have been thinking the same. Sungjin handed over the staff and said, Here. This is a token of my reconciliation. Chapter 184 Chapter 184 C The Chosen Ones (9) Sungjin watched the others as he sat with his fingers forming a cage. Unlike their usual selves, they were very nervous. The first ever 300 man raid. This was something not even they would have been able to predict. Hildebrandt put his hands up and into his hair and said, 300 is this reasonable? Beltran nodded in agreement and said, Youre right. Just what kind of monster are they planning on releasing upon us now? Nada lifted up the information sheet and answered. It says there will be mix of random monsters from previous chapters. The information sheet she was holding had just two lines written on it. 300 man raid. Location: Hunters Hall Random spawn of enemies from the previous 20 chapters. Even though it says random theyre probably powered up a lot. Since they said its adjusted for 300 participants. While the hunters were discussing among themselves, Sungjin glanced at Edward from time to time. Edward sat at a table far off to the side with his fingers interlocking. Edward looked like he hasnt gotten used to this kind of atmosphere and was looking around with just his eyes, even though this in fact was what he wanted. The reason why Edward had Sungjin go through regression was probably that he fell into despair upon seeing the future at the Demon Kings Castle, finding out about the 300-man final raid. No matter how strong the final 10 hunters were gathered, no matter how much the 10 member team try, they would not be able to complete a 300 man raid. He himself picked Sungjin to replace him. Sungjin apologized to Edward internally even though he would have no idea. Sorry but I failed at gathering 300 members, Edward. Ninety Nine Nights was brimming with the hunters sigh. Haa Such a curve ball at the end Damn that Operator, keeping this a secret all this time. But this was always the Operators style. Weve just been forgetting about it as of late. But now will it be okay? Sungjin clapped twice to focus their attention on him. Please focus, everyone. Nine pair of eyes land on Sungjin. Sungjin said to them Everyone I understand that it is a rather distressing development. But because of that we must be level headed and gather our strength. Sungjins words seemed to calm them down. Sungjin continued. I didnt expect things to happen this way but everyone here were all selected by me. Surviving Hunters now number at 256. We are short 44 people for a 300 man raid, but let us try to bridge that gap by ourselves. Mahadas spoke up after Sungjin. You are right, Master Hunter. For the last raid, itll work out if we do our best. Franz threw in his opinin as well. Thats right. We even have bonus stats as Chosen Ones. We need to pick up the slack. Mustafa stroked his mustache and added, 44 short. If Master Hunter can do the work of 10 hunters and the rest of us do the work of about 3~4 hunters then things are just about even. Hiroaki from the side piped in. I dont worry at all. If it is sensei, he can do as much as 10. No, as many as 20 other hunters work. Sungjin realized that Edward was staring at him with indiscernible look amidst the now-optimistic atmosphere. That was to be expected. Sungjin probably looked like a troll or a psychopath back when Edward was attacked for no reason. But here, Sungjin had absolute trust of others. Aware of Edwards gaze, Sungjin once again said, Then lets all mentally prepare ourselves as much as possible and Ill see you all in the morning. The Chosen Ones together answered. Got it * Soldamyr approached Sungjin once everyone had left. It is finally the last night, Master. Youre right. Thanks for everything until now, Soldamyr. Thank you. Well, for me serving you as my master and having witnessed a variety of magic is more than enough. Im grateful if you think that. Sungjin got a thought as he was speaking. But now that I think of it what happens to you once the raids are over? That the Operator will probably decide. Whether I return to Kutan Desert, or become space dust. Sungjin asked the Operator. Operator. When the raids are over what happens to Soldamyr? Sungjin said without much confidence. He wasnt sure if the Operator would answer or not. But [Beings created during the Raid will return to their original dimensions] Thankfully the Operator answered. Soldamyr was pleasantly surprised and said Ooh Thats very fortunate. If I apply my experiences to my magic research But Besgoros voice interrupted him. Thats a relief! I too had more I wished to accomplish! Sungjin put his hand over his forehead and said, Mr Besgoro. Soldamyr chose to become a familiar and all. But for you isnt it more natural that you be turned into space dust? What are you talking about. My life is just starting. Sungjin had more to say when Besgoro spoke the next words. Right, Moon Specter? Sungjin opened his mouth What? And then he heard the very shy voice of Moon Specter. Yes, Besgoro ssi.(1) Have you heard of Ghost marriage? We have agreed to become a married couple. (2) Excuse me? Sungjin yelled out of surprise. To his knowledge, Besgoro was an old man in his 50s and Moon Specter was a lady under the age of 20. But then a marriage Sungjin said to Moon Specter Hey Moon Specter, this 50 year old man covets young girls I mean You know because you heard everything, right? Moon Specter had been with him the whole time since chapter 3. She was present when Sungjin met Besgoro and had heard everything from the start. Thats okay. Maybe because hes older hes understanding he was kind to me. For me this is the first time so I was very touched. Sungjin scratched his head. Now that he thought of it, Moon Specter was a virgin ghost (3) who had died without ever having experienced dating. But I said small talk was prohibited when I was not present Besgoro pretended to be sageous and said, Love is like water, trickling down from above. It is not something you can prevent like that, young one. Sungjin grit his teeth. He didnt like Besgoros idiocy, but it seemed only right to congratulate them since it was too late to change anything. Ok ok. The two of you I pray for your happiness. Thank you, master. Hmph hmph, I see I see. You should go meet some ladies when you return to your world. Just like I have. From my perspective, you arent that bad looking. So if you were to loosen your expression Sungjin couldnt handle it anymore so he took off Besgoro and placed him on the desk and stood up to leave. He was intending to leave right then, but then he thought for a moment before leaving Moon Specter on the table as well. He exited Ninety Nine Nights and walked out the doors. Cain who now stood at 2 meters tall approached Sungjin and walked in circles around him. Sungjin pet him as he said Cain, tomorrow is the last. Woof woof. Sungjin said to him I dont know what will happen tomorrow but thanks for everything Cain. Cain responded with a slightly long howl. Awoo~ Cain seemed to know that no matter what happens tomorrow, they will be separated. Kyan Griffin Rajenta also walked up to Sungjin and rubbed its beak on him. Rajenta, you too thanks for everything. Ill rely on you until tomorrow. Kyaan Sungjin left the two of them where they were and returned to Ninety Nine Nights. Dalupin, as always, was watching Sungjin with his two large eyes. Sungjin said to him, See you tomorrow Dalupin. Yes, Master hunter. Sungjin was about to go up the stairs when he suddenly had a thought. Dalupin what happens to you once the Raids end? Dalupin closed his beak for a moment as if to buy time before he answered. I will receive other customers. Other customers? Yes. I thought all of humanity returns to earth after the raids. And here Dalupin said something that seemed completely tangential. If reality is a dream, and dreams are reality, then stories are the only thing remaining to humanity. But these words seemed familiar. I will keep my post here forever until the story ends. It was a bit cryptic but that was fine. Sungjin bid his goodbye. I see. Either way, Ill trouble you until tomorrow morning, Dalupin. Dalupin bowed at Sungjins words and replied. Of course, Mr Hunter. Once he was back, Sungjin laid down in his bed and stretched out his legs. The last night hed spend in Ninety Nine Nights. A lot of things had happened. Now once the raids are done, he along with all of mankind would return to earth safely. Sungjin gripped his fist and thought Now if things go well this time day after tomorrow Id be lying down like this in my one room apartment, right? But then Sungjin suddenly had a thought. That star! Upon reflection, he was capable of seeing tomorrow and the next. Thats right! Sungjin took out Ios The Revelation of the Stars from the cube. Even though he used this every day until the 21st chapter, he had forgotten that he could check on tomorrow with it. With this if I take a look at tomorrow night or early morning I could see the result of tomorows raid It was making his heart race. Sungjin held the star and laid back down on the bed. If if I use it immediately when the cooldown is over then I can see. If the raid is completed successfully then I could see myself returned back on Earth and if not Ill probably see nothing. Or alternatively, he could see himself back to chapter 1 of the raids. It was possible that he would end up being the final survivor again. That I dont want. Sungjin spoke out those words while laying down on the bed. In spite of everything, he did not want to experience the Raids again. Sungjin bit his lower lip. Operator, what time is it? [It is 38 minutes past 8] Ios cooldown reset once a day. There was still over three hours remaining until it was a new day. What should I do? I should probably sleep and check tomorrow morning, right? If he were to think calmly, that would be for the best. Having a good rest now would be ideal to produce good results tomorrow. Yeah, thatll be for the best. Sungjin thought to himself and put down the star next to him and closed his eyes. But the worries about the future chased his sleepiness away. Ugh Im too curious. It would be so much better if I waited until after midnight and see views of Seoul His thoughts led to more thoughts in a vicious cycle. And in the end Sungjin did not manage to sleep before it hit midnight and became a new day. Sungjin took out the Star-shaped accessory and decided to take a peek on tomorrow after the raid. Starlight. Sungjins surroundings grew dark and began to show him something. Sungjin focused more than ever before at what he was about to see. Will it be Death, or Life. (1) Ssi C polite way to address adults. Can be used between family to show respect (2) and (3) Pretty sure this is a mix of reference of Corpse Bride and korean legend of unmarried women coming back as a vicious ghost Chapter 185 Chapter 185 C The Chosen Ones (10) Du du dudu, du du dudu He could hear the sound of subway in the distance. Soon he was able to see a 17 m^2 apartment with worn out wallpaper pasted over moldy walls. Anyone who saw such a place would not have a positive reaction, but for Sungjin who was looking into the future shouted internally Yes! Im alive! This was a rooftop apartment in the middle of Seoul Jung-ju district (1). It was the place Sungjin had lived before being dragged off to the raids. Him being here means that the final 256 hunters had successfully completed the last Raid. So its finally over! Sungjin cheered internally. Finally, the death game of carnage and mayhem was finally over. But where is me? Sungjin searched for his future self. The room was too dark and the lights were off. Am I sleeping already? But then, Zzzzt A cell phone ringing could be heard. Above the worn out bed, which took up a third of the room, a cell phone lit up. His self was lying in bed looking at the cell phone. Sungjin wanted to shout at himself Great work Sungjin. You have become the savior of mankind. But it was then Ha His future self let out a long sigh. Sungjin was surprised Hmm? He came back from a successful raid, so why was he sighing? Something wasnt right. Sungjin peeked a look at the old cellphone his future self was holding. There was a text message open. Hey, rooftop young man. Im sorry to say that if you dont pay your rent by this month then it really cant be helped. Ill wait just one more week. I hope that youll be able to pay during that time. Either that or move out. The future Sungjin read that and let out another long sigh. Haa He threw his phone on the pillow. And then he stood up with great difficulty to grab his crutches. It was then that the Sungjin from the past saw the cast around his right leg. Oh right. It was like that Back in reality, Sungjin was barely meeting rent from month to month with a part time job. But not too long ago when he was running a delivery on his motorcycle, he hurt his leg in a hit-and-run accident. And for that reason, he was unable to do his part time job and had been laying in bed ever since. His entire savings went into paying for his medical fees and he was terminated from his part time job. Thats how rent begun to stack up. His legs were healed at the time he was summoned so he had forgotten about it. if I go back I will come back to this kind of environment Sungjin thought to himself while staring at tomorrows Sungjin. But did people all lose memory of the raids? It was a topic of interest for previous lifes final 10 members, or with the Chosen Ones. Well become heroes of humanity once the raids are over. It wouldnt be strange if we become superstars with companies begging us to appear in their commercials. Once the raids are over, we will become rich. Unimaginably so. It might be to a point where we no longer need money in our lives. It was a beautiful dream. The Hunters shared stories like these to help cope with the terror of the raids. Sungjin was always off to the side during one of these discussions, but that didnt mean he had no expectations. He had grown up in such a deprived environment that, more than becoming a hero or super rich, his simply thought that his living circumstance will improve. But from what he saw, he comes back to life being worried about paying rent. It was very different from what he had imagined. So Im going backto exactly where I started It made sense. Becoming Savior of mankind as the Hunters imagined was only going to come true if The whole of mankind returned to Earth with their memories intact. If the Operator erased everyones memories before returning them to Earth, there was no savior, nor hero or whatever. Haa. Seeing himself in 24 hours later made Sungjin sigh, much like his future self had done. The future self waddled over with the crutch and opened the door of the fridge as tall as himself. The only edible thing in there was Banana Milk (3). He took it out of the fridge, opened the lid, and drank it all. Sungjin who was drinking the milk looked filled with worry. And Sungjin who was watching wasnt exactly all that happy. Its not that I wanted acknowledgement or something but The thought of going back now and having to immediately worry about rent was horrifying. Hell after hell He then remembered Igors words. This place is similar to reality Thinking of such thoughts was making him depressed. Sungjin, as of now, carried four different swords and clad his entire body with legendary gear, but back in reality, he was wearing an old white shirt and sweatpants. Master Hunter Kei Kei nim Kei sensei He was treated like a hero here, but if he were to go back then he returns to life of being unemployed and in poverty. Sungjin thought to himself while looking at his future self. Wait a moment what about me do I go back without my memory as well? There were many terrible memories within the raid, but there were lots of good memories as well. He just didnt want to go through it all again, but there were experiences from going through the Raid that he didnt want to lose. But if thats what the Operator does then I guess thats that When Sungjin was thinking of that, the future self hobbled over towards the desk and opened a drawer. There, Sungjins eyes grew wide. Between books, scissors, batteries and other miscellaneous items was a small cube given by a Dragon. That? The future Sungjin had no items from the raid with the exception of the cube. The future Sungjin picked it up and rubbed it as he said, Archaeard That was the name of the dragon that had given him the cube. He had memory of the raids; he did not lose his memory of the past. The future Sungjin opened the lid to the cube. But there was nothing in there. The future Sungjin on seeing it sighed deeper than before. Haaa Is Keeping tradition. Tradition? Yes. Tradition. What do you mean by that? You know as well. Humans who defeat avaricious dragons They rescue the kidnapped princess or Take the treasures in the Dragons Lair Stories like that. Human. Since I lost, Im giving you a reward. I have a bigger cube. Just where am I supposed to use this one? The Dragons eyes shone once he heard Sungjins question. He gestured to the Operators Cube as he said, That Cube is something youre using, but its not yours. Right? However, this cube that youre holding, this one is yours. Do you understand what Im saying? What? Well, just know that this is the case. Anyways, when the time comes, youll understand. Sungjin stared at the cube as he thought. Wait Meanwhile, the future Sungjin threw the cube into the drawer and returned to bed. And when he did, the background suddenly turned dark and the vision of the future disappeared. * Hah! Along with a shout, Sungjin stood up from the bed of Ninety Nine Nights. All sorts of thoughts came and went. Whats left is just one cube Operator. [Yes?] That give me that small cube. Soon the small cube the dragon had given him popped out of the Operators cube. The small cube with the engraving of a blue dragon. Sungjin opened it. There was nothing in there. Just like he had seen from the future. While he was holding it, he suddenly got a thought and so he raised the star shaped accessory over his head again. Ios C The Revelation of the Stars Mythological Accessory Active Skill Starlight (I) C You can see what will occur 24 hours in the future from now. If the user exerts his will, then it is possible to change the future. Can be used once a day. I hold within me the Vision of the Gods On this day, a new pair of eyes opened from within me. Sungjin read the message there again. If the user exerts his will, then it is possible to change the future Possible to change the future Sungjin stared at the cube while mumbling to himself. The cube was small enough to hold in one hand comfortably. Large enough to hold a single item. waitno way If he were to do as he thought, he might be able to change his own future. Its just, the cubes size being what it was, only small items could fit in there. Sungjin checked his fingers. On the fingers were the best quality rings he had been collecting. But of all the rings he had, the one he had the most interest in was the Ring of the Great Sage. It was a ring that allowed him to use magic freely. What if I could use magic when I go back to the present? Sungjins heart began to beat faster. He placed his hands on the ring and, Unequip Was what he was about to say when Oh right. He remembered that he needed to use this Ring tomorrow. He could only reverse time if he had this ring. If the user exerts his will, then it is possible to change the future. This meant that the future could change for the worse. If he failed the raid because he unequipped this ring then he wont be able to return to the rooftop room. Thats no good Sungjin took his hands off of the ring. Then he checked around at the other rings. But now that he took a look at them, all of them were combat focused. It was possible that removing them and putting it in the cube would result in him losing during combat. These I cant take them off yetthen what else is there Sungjin then recalled the conversation he had with the Black Market merchant as he left. When you have to choose one thing, choose that. The truth is always precious. Sungjin brought his hands over his ear. Eye of Jeremiah allowed him to see the thoughts in others. If its this This would not have utility for combat tomorrow. Its the last raid so there was no need to peek into the thoughts of others. Unequip Sungjin took off the earring and placed it into the cube. The earring went right into the cube. With this I wont have to worry about being scammedwell not that I have money to be scammed out of Sungjin thought as he was about the close the cube. But then, he saw the star shaped accessory he was still holding with his other hand. Eh? Sungjin put the star shaped accessory next to the cube to check their size. It looked like it might just fit. But then the earring in the cube would get in the way. Sungjin first took out the earring and tried to place the star inside. It didnt fit right away, but after several tries, he found a configuration that let the accessory fit the walls exactly and the accessory fell right in. It worked! Sungjin yelled in happiness. Sungjin then tried to put the earring back into the cube, between the arms of the five pointed star. Luckily, the earring fit right in. Sungjin yelled again This is it! Jung gu is the least populated, smallest, and perhaps the poorest part of Seoul. In korea, especially on poorer districts with smaller buildings, there is a practice making a tiny apartment on top of existing structures to rent out. Google rooftop living in korea. It is where the poorest residents lives. Banana Milk is famous in Korea. Google Banana Milk advertisements. Chapter 186 (END) - The Chosen Ones (11) & Epilogue Chapter 186 C The Chosen Ones (11) & Epilogue The last raid was violent. The 300 man raid. An uncountable number of enemies poured out to in conjunction to the number of participants. The last raid took place in the Hunters Hall. The Hunters Hall was essentially infinite in size, filled with innumerable white pillars, but there wasnt a spot that was free from bloodshed. The corpses of monsters formed a mountain, but the hunters too suffered losses in the process. But in spite of this, the surviving hunters did not lose hope. It was because Master Hunter K Sungjin and Sungjins nine person Chosen Ones worked together perfectly to massacre the monsters. Im going. Edward, Serin, attack both sides of the pillar. Edwards magic and Serins arrows were fired towards the pillar at his command. The Dark elf Swordsman Calian rapidly hid behind the structure, but Sungjin already had jumped on the pillar and his sword scored a hit on Calians head. Agh Calian collapsed where he was without even being able to let out a sound. But then Kraaagh! A large red dragon breathed fire towards Sungjin. There was no time to dodge it. Sungjin was about to use Fire resistance on his Ring of Chimera when Glacier of the Arctic! Hildebrandt appeared suddenly and stood before Sungjin. An intense wave of heat hit them, but it did not last long. Haiya! Franz and Hiroaki sliced apart the Dragons neck. But there was no time to take a breather. Ssssss Beyond the pillar appeared a dozen heads of the Hydra. Damn it, theres no end to them Beltran complained even as he stood before the Hydra. Look here you dumb heads! Beltran taunted the Hydra to capture its attention which allowed Mahadas to close the distance and destroy a head. It was then Hahahaha! Burn! The voice of a crazed Magician was heard from somewhere. Sungjin forgot his name but he remembered the magician from the Magicians Ivory Tower. Sungjin was about to take out Artemio. Incinerate everything in yourughKek Nada cut the magicians throat before he could even finish the incantation. Sungjin wanted to tell her Nice but Bash you all! Burn you all! In the pillar behind, the two headed Ogre Pach and Choroch appeared so he had no time. Sungjin moved towards them when he heard someone chanting a spell. Tense muscles, brittle bones, weakness It was in a middle of an all out battle so hearing a spell ought to be met with caution. But that voice was a familiar one. It was the deep and heavy voice of Mustafa. Pach and Choroch who were slowed was no match for Sungjin. They were cut down the middle with a single strike of his. Haa Sungjin was trying to get a breather but he couldnt do that. Monsters endlessly poured out between the pillars. Damn it! Is the future I saw yesterday even real? Sungjin continued to swing his swords even as he thought about it. It was because this was the best thing he could be doing right now. And after the chaos of battle continued for a while, the hunters heard the Operators voice from the cube. [Chapter 21 Cleared!] With the voice, the corpses of monsters and dead hunters which filled the Hunters Hall all disappeared. The remaining hunters shouted in joy. Its done! We won! Its over! The hunters shouted in happiness. Sungjin also gripped his fist. But at that moment, all the armor on the body, weapons in hand, and rings worn all vanished. Ah Sungjin had no time to react. And the hunters were surprised for a moment. [Congratulations.] [Humanity has overcome 21 Ordeals and have proven their worth.] [With this Humanity will again be exempt from Gods judgement for another ten thousand years.] No one paid any attention to the Operator by this point. It was because the raids were over. They were too busy with cheering. Yeah! We did it!!! They were too busy with celebrating. Meanwhile, Sungjin carefully checked his vest. The Small Cube given by the dragon was still there. so this is what its for A grin slowly formed on Sungjins face. The Operator continued to speak. [Those who did not make an attempt and those slain during the raids] [Will have their memories erased and be sent off to Humanitys home planet, the Earth.] [But the hunters who are listening right now] [the Hunters who successfully completed the raid can choose to keep or erase their memories.] The hunters who were cheering fell quiet after the announcement. [Please decide within 1 minute if the memories are to be erased or kept.] [In the case no decision was made, it will default to erasing the memory before being sent back.] The hunters looked among themselves. They were suddenly told to make a choice and they were having difficulty with deciding which fork in the road they would like to take. The hunters around Sungjin, especially the nine Chosen Ones stared at each other. Hildebrandt was the first to speak For me I think erasing would be for the best. If I return with these memories my wife and daughter will surely notice a change in me. Beltran also chose to erase his memory. I would like to erase my memories as well. I thought I saw it all as a Policeman. But the things here are all beyond my imagination. I dont want to continue having nightmares after going back. On the other hand, the monk Mahadas decided to take his memories along with him. These experiences were a great lesson for me. I have become stronger because of them. It would be unwise to lose them. Hiroaki was the same Me too! My swordsmanship improved a great deal because of the raids. I will return with them. Edward crossed his arms and gave a simple reply. Ill take mine. It had been strange, yet quite an experience. Sungjins answer was predetermined. I will keep my memories. And almost right after Serin answered Me too Ill keep my memories. Rather than making a choice, Franz looked a bit disappointed. But if they all lose their memories Heroic saviors of the world Nada also seemed disappointed by it, she bit her lower lip for a moment. Haa me too I was looking forward to quitting my job Mustafa remained quiet and was looking around at the other hunters. Between them Franz finally made a fist and made a decision. Oh well why does it matter if people forget I was one of the Heroes who saved our species. I dont want to lose the satisfaction of seeing it through to the end. Ill keep my memories. Nada also made a decision. Hmmfor me I have to return to working in an office These memories I probably wont need them. No thanks for me. Just when it looked like everything was decided, Mustafa answered Ill keep mine. Once the hunters were about done, the Operator announced [Then once everyone is returned back to the Earth, memories of each of the hunters will be set according to their choices.] [Returning to Earth in 5 minutes.] The hunters and Sungjin all began their last goodbyes. Stay well. It was nice working with you all. Everyone here is a hero. For real. Each of them approached Sungjin and gave their farewells. Beltran went first. You were truly a hero. I will lose my memories but losing memory of you is most regrettable. Beltran ssi is also a hero. I hope that you can stay a hero and protect others. Good working with you. Mahadas came with his his palms pressed over his chest. It was a great meeting between us, Kei. I do not know if the threads of fate will continue after this but if we cross the paths once more, it will be a very welcoming meeting. Me too, sir. Nada wordlessly approached Sungjin and without a word she gave him a deep kiss. We dont have much time left so this is all I can do. If we had more time I could have given you something better. Sungjins face grew bright red. For a moment Sungjin felt someone stare at him. It was Serin who was standing a bit away. Uh Sungjin was stuck in surprise when Hiroaki butted in and said, Sensei, Ill come and visit you someday. Where do you live in Korea? Ah Seoul. It was then that Franz butted in as well. Where in Seoul? If I run a part time job to buy an airplane ticket But instead of finishing what he was saying he remembered something greatly important. Wait.. hold on now that I think of it, none of us knows Kei nims real name. Master Hunter K. What is your name? Are you going to keep it a secret until the end? Ah Sungjin opened and closed his mouth a few times. Thinking back, the second the Raids started, he had been hiding his name because he didnt want to grow close to people who might die. But now that the raids were over, he had no reason to continue hiding it. Mustafa also asked the same. Thats right Master Hunter K. We still do not know your name. Would you not please tell us your name since this is the last? Sungjin felt a bit strange. Mustafa had always been quiet. Previous final 10 or now, he had never asked information about anyone else. Sungjin hesitated for a moment before he finally decided to open his mouth. My name is Sungjin. Sungjin Kang. If we ever meet in the real world, please search for me with this name. The hunters who heard his name repeated it among themselves to help remember. Then, the Operator began a countdown. [You will return to Earth in 1 minute. 60, 59, 58] Sungjin looked around with only a minute left. It was because there was one more person with whom he had not exchanged a farewell. Sungjin walked up to Edward who was standing with his arms crossed a bit away. Sungjin offered his hand to Edward first. Edward wordlessly stared at Sungjins empty hand and finally grasped it for a shake. It was all thanks to you, said Sungjin. Edward stared at him with a strange look, but Sungjin just grinned. He finished shaking his hand and turned away when he felt someones stare. Serin was looking at him with her eyes narrowed. Sungjin was about to say to her when she spoke up first. Ill be waiting at 28 Sapience in Cheongdam Dong(1) until you come. Sungjin didnt add any more words and just gave a short answer. Ok. With only 10 seconds remaining, the hunters hugged and shook each others hands and bid farewell. And then finally, finally, they were teleported. To Earth. To home. * Seoul. Gangnam Station. Middle of rainy season in June. The sound of rain blanketed the land. Countless pedestrians walked on the sidewalk with umbrellas on hand as a radio played in the background. There was a shocking announcement from the British National Academy of Sciences. On May 12th, that is to say about a month ago, they made an announcement that the International Atomic clock has sped up by roughly 3 seconds. This event is being treated as a great mystery by the Academy. So, in order to understand this announcement, we have invited an expert on the topic; Professor Soongwan Hong. Welcome to the show Professor Hong. Thanks for having me. In my perspective, its not out of the ordinary for a clock to be off by 3 seconds. So what is the significance of the International Atomic Clock having sped up by 3 seconds? Could you please explain to us? The International Atomic Clock uses Cesium Atomic clocks. The seconds are determined by measuring vibrations of Cesium. It is a ultra high precision clock that takes roughly 3 thousand years to speed up by 1 second. But last month, this Cesium clocks were observed to suddenly and uniformly be off by 3 seconds. This phenomena is unexplainable by current science As the radio continued,the pedestrians were walking and chatting with their lovers, friends, or family as they passed by. It didnt look like anyone was listening to the radio, but the radio continued regardless. Next, the world news. Abu Ali Mustafa who is famous for being an owner of a Football team (2) in Englands premier league has arrived in Korea last night at around 9 pm. Mustafa ssi is famous for being an Heir to a Royal family with a personal wealth of more than 300 Trillion won (250 billion dollars) and overseas purchase of not just a football club but Electronics Company etc and has recently caught the Korean Medias attention. Ever since he came to visit Korea, his background has become a hot topic. There were many theories on why he might have come to Korea. Shopping around for electronics companies or buyout of an industrial site were some of the theories out there, but the suddenness in his visitation has sparked a theory that hes here for his personal hobby. Personal hobby? Yes, since a month ago, Mustafa had started going around the world and donating extremely high value presents to people hes never met. By high value Along with real estate and car, it would amount to 100 billion Won (84 million dollars). A hundred billion?! Yes. Wait, hes gifting people hes never met something thats worth hundreds of billions of won? Yes. and because of it it has become world news as Billionaires Dont Ask Lottery. Until now, the lucky winners are Barcelonas Nada ssi, Hamburgs Hildebrandt ssi, New Yorks Beltran ssi. Each time he had visited Spain, Germany and America for seemingly no reason. So the theory is that he had come to visit Korea to do something similar, that a lucky person has been chosen from Korea. Listeners to the show may think this is a little immature of me but I hope thats me. Me too. Hahaha! A refreshing laughter was played through the radio, but the sound of it was buried by the many cars that filled up Gangnam Avenue. And even now there were no one listening to the radio. Finally we have Entertainment News. Archery Gold Medalist CF Queen, Voted number 1 Korean sports star Serin Han is currently head over heels in love. According to the celebrity insider report from Dispatch (4), she is in love with an ordinary man who is currently unidentified. Since 5 years ago when she won the gold medal and until now, there were no news of her being in a relationship, so many men had romantic But then for the first time, someone walking on the sidewalk on Gangnam Avenue heard the radio and commented. Uh wait. Hey will you be okay? Its okay, Oppa. Why, is being in a relationship against the law? Hmm They were having a conversation like the many couples walking along the Avenue. Oh by the way, lets go to the Zoo tomorrow. The Zoo? The lady replied in a shocked voice. Because the umbrella they were sharing were still dropping thick droplets of rain water. But the man did not seem to care. Yes, the Zoo. I feels like itd be great to go there when the rain stops tomorrow. But I checked the weather forecast just now and it said that it will be rainy all week Weather Forecast? But theyre often wrong. Aay, still. How will you know they wont be wrong, Oppa? She looked up at the sky. The sky was full of dark rain clouds. She reached out past the shadow of the umbrella to feel the rain. Look, Oppa. When its like this do you really think tomorrows weather will be clear? The mans gaze followed the hand of his girlfriend toward the sky. But he grinned and replied confidently. It will be clear tomorrow. For sure. Master Hunter K -End- (1) Dong is the Korea equivalent to Neighborhood. Cheongdam Dong is the wealthiest neighborhood in Korea. (2) Soccer is the true football (3) remember, ssi is kr equivalent to jp san. (4) for those of you checking my translation to raw, the original name used by the author is an intentional misspelling of a real thing in Korea, to avoid copyright issues. A note by us, the translation team. Thank you all for reading our work. Thank you for the support, for your kind words, and for your patience. We would also like to thank the author From Hell for agreeing to rewrite the ending and seeing it to the end and the numerous people who have worked with us on this novel. This was our first novel from where we started and seeing it to the end today brings back memories and gives us a sense of relief. The entire journey has been a learning experience. We will now be focusing on our other works on the site:) Hope to see you there.