《Desire (Mogma)》 Chapter 1 Editor: Seven Bang! A man walked in as the door shattered down. His hair was red like blood, but his eyes looked even redder with boiling animosity and murderous intent. The man breathed heavily and looked around the room, and every time he did his face brutally distorted. The room was full of corpses. A body with a severed arm, severed leg, severed waist. It was a horrible scene, but it didn¡¯t bother him. Quite simply, the man was furious. ¡°What useless bastards!¡± The man stumped towards the nearest corpse and kicked it. Kwajik! Unluckily, when the skull shattered, the brain splattered too, but it was a corpse, so it didn¡¯t matter. The man wiped the gray brain matter of his cheeks with the back of his hand and spat. ¡°How dare they call themselves guards¡­!¡± He gritted his teeth, displaying his fury but he soon calmed down. This was not the time to be distracted. There was not a damn thing known about the intruder, but whoever it was, he came to the wrong house to rob. Looking at the severed guards, the intruder must have an outstanding skill but that¡¯s only until now. Who was he? He was the Flaming Deadly Ghost Lee Do Chung, the head of this family and a master at his peak, fairly having his name under the top ten Murim masters. ¡°Hyaaa!¡± Lee Do Chung roared, stumping towards the wall and swinging his fists. Kwang! The thick walls shattered down. The guards he had assigned his daughter, Lee Na Hee, were trained directly by him and so he had some attachments to them, but it was incomparable to the attachment he had to his daughter. Rather, he would have killed them if any survived. Breaking down walls that were on the way, Lee Do Chung moved towards Na Hee¡¯s room. The closer he got, the more corpses there were, ranging from guards to maids and servants. Every time he saw the bodies, he felt his blood boil but also, on the contrary, his mind sank coldly. The stench of blood was thick, but the blood pools were still warm. He could tell from his life-long experience that it had not been a long time since their deaths. Then, a door appeared. Lee Do Chung brought up his internal force to prepare for an attack. In front of the door, there was a body severed into two, from the shoulders to the waist. The face was a very familiar one to Lee Do Chung. The Lee family¡¯s great disciple. He was soon going to wed Lee Na Hee and would have become the next successor of the Lee family. He was known for his highly skilled martial arts that no one his age could ever reach, but he died like this? Lee Do Chung gritted his teeth as if trying he was to break them and swung open the door. Then even he was in shock from the scene before him. ¡°Your raging cries were too noisy, I couldn¡¯t even focus.¡± The man perched on the bed smiled shamelessly. He was fixing his rumpled clothes but did not get out of the bed. Lee Do Chung could not say a word, only glaring at him. Then suddenly, he came to his senses and looked at the bed. Lee Do Chung¡¯s precious jewel. One of the three flowers of Murim that Lee Do Chung cherished, Scarlet Snow Flower Lee Na Hee. She was leaning on the wall, her red hair flowing down beautifully. Her naked body bloomed red and her eyes were empty. Her lips were bloated and torn, forming blood and her breasts were covered in violent handprints. ¡°..ah, ahh¡­ argh..¡± Lee Do Chung could not continue his words. He had a temper, but to his daughter, he was an unconditionally kind and forgiving father. He gave whatever his daughter wanted and had even quit drinking when she requested him to. After losing his wife 10 years ago, he poured all his love into his daughter and that daughter, that daughter¡­ ¡°General¡­ Ajin¡­!¡± Violated. By no one else but the Lee family¡¯s General, Ajin. Right, he was the evil poison. Killing the Lee family¡¯s servants, guards, the great disciple that was going to wed Lee Na hee. An evil that took pleasure from Scarlet Snow Flower. Lee Do Chung could not absorb this fact. Ajin was a devoted man who stood by his side ever since Lee Do Chung settled here. Na Hee followed him well, he was basically family. Though not related by blood, Lee Do Chung always considered him as his brother. He was smart and fast in calculating but he was not outstanding in martial arts. Despite that, giving him the position of General was Lee Do Chung¡¯s affection and trust. And Ajin, loyally, never betrayed Lee Do Chung¡¯s trust as a General. But, how could he? ¡°Why.. why in the hell¡­!¡± Evil. He deserves to die in a single strike. No, it wasn¡¯t enough. First, his arms and then his legs, giving him the greatest pain while ending his life as slow as possible was the right way. It was enough to hear excuses then. Such thought came to his mind. His overflowing inner strength could tumble that devil in a single strike. But even so, Lee Do Chung shut his mouth. It was because of the bitter betrayal. To that question, Ajin stared at Lee Do Chung for a while and tilted his head smiling. ¡°I just thought it¡¯s time to start ending it.¡± ¡°End what!?¡± ¡°You wouldn¡¯t understand even if I told you. Ah, by the way.. it was quite fun. Indeed Scarlet Snow Flower, her body is beautiful as well her face. If you came a little slower, I would have taken my time enjoying her.¡± Laughing in a low voice, Ajin stretched his arms and groped Lee Na Hee¡¯s body. Ajin¡¯s hands were on Lee Na Hee¡¯s snowy white thighs, groping them. Every time he did, Lee Na Hee¡¯s lips shivered slightly but she could not speak and her empty eyes could not see. ¡°Well, I have no choice.¡± It was then that Ajin¡¯s hand seemed to move. Paat! His suddenly stretched hands pierced through Lee Na Hee¡¯s chest. Scarlet blood bulged out but Lee Na Hee could not even scream once, only could collapse. Scarlet Snow Flower. At that moment, she fit her martial artist name so well. Her snow-white body was dying, splurging scarlet blood. She was indeed beautiful like a red flower blooming in a snowfield. But Lee Do Chung, as a father, could not feel the beauty and instead suffered as if he were in hell. His daughter was dead. Her innocence violated, betrayed by the one she trusted.. she died that way. She was soon to wed, always smiling at the thought of living with her loving husband. She was his one and only cherished daughter. And she¡­! Lee Do Chung¡¯s head spun. Chapter 2 Editor: krishy ¡°You bitch!¡± Lee Do Chung rushed towards Ajin. The red inner strength burned like a flame on his fists. It was that Deadly Flame Ghost Martial Arts that brought Lee Do Chung to the top ten Murim masters. Ajin stood up as he stared at Lee Do Chung rushed towards him like a bear. Ajin¡¯s eyes narrowed and he moved his arms. His wide sleeves wavered and revealed his thin forearm. Compared to Lee Do Chung¡¯s muscular arms, Ajin¡¯s arms looked as weak as a twig. ¡°Crash!¡± Lee Do Chung¡¯s strike and Ajin¡¯s hand collided. Their Inner Forces crashed, their clash shaked the whole room. It was Lee Do Chung that was pushed back! Appalled, Lee Do Chung looked down at his aching hand. It was a strike that he poured all the Ten Stars Techniques into but, he was pushed back? It was unbelievable. He, one of the top ten masters of Murim. He was the Deadly Flaming Ghost. ¡°..Urgh!¡± But instead of staying shocked, Lee Do Chung started objectively to judge the situation. His daughter¡¯s death, a trusted General¡¯s betrayal. All those things made him lose his mind, but he was a Murim Artist. In a battle, getting agitated was never a benefit. It was in fact more like a poison. If he was that irrational, he would never have acquired the Deadly Flaming Ghost Martial Art name and would not be a part of the top ten Murim masters. ¡°This cold air¡­ it¡¯s the Ice Hands Demonic Martial Arts!¡± The Deadly Flaming Ghost Martial Art was an extremely bright power. It was the Martial Art that burned the opponents¡¯ insides and bodies into ashes in a single strike. However, when hit with it, Ajin¡¯s hands were not hurt at all. Besides, in that short moment of collision, Lee Do Chung felt the coldness on his hands. That snowy white hand¡­ It was certainly the Underworld Ice Demon¡¯s Martial Arts, the Ice Hands Demonic Martial Art. ¡°You.. You continued the Underworld Ice Demon¡¯s Art!¡± ¡°I never even saw them before.¡± Ajin answered plainly and as he did he lowered his body slowly. He then jumped up in the blink of an eye. As soon as he did, Ajin¡¯s body multiplied into illusions and swarmed over Lee Do Chung. ¡°The, The Heavenly Demon Illusion Step!¡± Lee Do Chung yelled, appalled. It was The Heavenly Demon Martial Arts that was only passed on to the sect leader of the Heavenly Demon Sect. In a single step, it could make illusions that each one could move in different directions. How was the Heavenly Demon Sect Leader¡¯s Technique passed on to Ajin? Lee Do Chung froze. Ajin used The Heavenly Demon Martial Arts meant that he was not a matter that could be treated lightly. The Heavenly Demon Sect is the High Division Murim¡¯s arch-rival and anyone who was part of the Sect was to be executed. Perhaps Ajin stood by Lee Do Chung¡¯s side to betray him in the very first place! And He was a part of the Heavenly Demon Sect! ¡°No matter how horrifying the Heavenly Demon Sect¡¯s Martial Arts is, my Flaming Deadly Ghost Martial Arts is not easy to defeat!¡± Lee Do Chung roared. The red Inner Strength of the Flaming Deadly Ghost Martial Arts swirled like a storm and destroyed Ajin¡¯s illusions. Simultaneously, Lee Do Chung swung both of his hands. His hands, embraced in red force, flew gracefully towards Ajin. Ajin scoffed and twisted his back mid-air and flailed his legs. ¡°Bang!¡± With an explosion, Ajin¡¯s body changed its path of falling. ¡°The Flying Dragon¡¯s Eight Movements!¡± Seeing that, Lee Do Chung¡¯s dismay grew even larger. But he could not let that affect him. Lee Do Chung calmed himself and spread his hands, following Ajin¡¯s movements. ¡°Bang! Bang!¡± The red force of The Flaming Deadly Ghost Martial Arts shot off from Lee Do Chung¡¯s hands, chased after Ajin. ¡°The Exploding Flaming Deadly Technique is surely unsurpassable but..¡± Ajin let out a scoff and twisted his body in mid-air. Ajin swung his arms and shattered the force of the Flaming Deadly Ghost Martial Arts. Ajin moved freely using Gonryun¡¯s Techniques, the Flying Dragon¡¯s Eight Movements, and swung his legs. His raised legs dropped towards Lee Do Chung¡¯s head. ¡°No, it¡¯s impossible.¡± Lee Do Chung¡¯s fist pierced through the air in vain. The only thing he destroyed was a blurry illusion, like a petal, Ajin floated in the air! Thump! The petal fluttered along with the wind, creating fierce sounds, and kicked Lee Do Chung¡¯s chest. ¡®The¡­ The Blossom Phantom Technique!¡¯ Lee Do Chung chewed on his lips while swallowing his blood. In faltering steps, he moved back and swung his arms. Boom! His arms came together like a storm and pounced on Ajin as red waves. Calmly, Ajin landed on the ground and spread his hands. By Ajin¡¯s hands, Lee Do Chung¡¯s Storm Cosmos Destroying Technique was blocked. Ajin¡¯s arm then drew a circle. Crash! The red force shattered on the ground and dispersed. ¡°The Infinite Taegeuk! How is he performing the Shaman¡¯s Technique? What The hell!¡± Lee Do Chung roared as he pounced back on Ajin. Ajin dodged his fists with ease using the Heavenly Demon Illusion Step, and instead of backing off, rushed towards Lee Do Chung¡¯s chest. Ajin turned his fist right before he hit and struck, his fist facing up. Bang! Lee Do Chung¡¯s body was thrown over in that single strike. ¡®Bu..Buddha¡¯s Palm..¡¯ Lee Do Chung felt the pure inner strength flowing through his body and belched out blood. The Ice Hands Demonic Techniques of the Underworld Demon Martial Arts. The Heavenly Demon Illusions Step of the Heavenly Demon Sect. ¡°The Flying Dragon¡¯s Eight Movements Technique of Gonryun.. And now the Shaolin¡¯s Buddha¡¯s Palm! All these were Martial Arts that were passed on to disciples as legends. How did Ajin master these? And this power, it was not mastered shallowly.¡± The inner force of Ajin had overpowered Lee Do Chung¡¯s inner force, which he built over his lifetime. ¡°Urgh!¡± Lee Do Chung twisted his body and landed. His knees almost collapsed but Lee Do Chung gritted his teeth and maintained his posture. He breathed heavily as he watched Ajin slowly approach him. All along the time, Lee Do Chung couldn¡¯t detect the inner force and martial arts skills Ajin hid in himself. Ajin¡¯s acting was that perfect. ¡°You..You bastard.. What the hell are you..!¡± ¡°I already told you. You would not understand even if I explained.¡± Ajin smirked and Lee Do Chung controlled his breath while chewed on his lips. He checked that he used all his inner strength and examined his body. He was directly hit by the strike and had a small inner injury but he could still move. Ajin¡¯s Martial Arts skills were strong and all the techniques he used were unsurpassable but.. Lee Do Chung didn¡¯t let his fighting spirit diminish. Even if I die fighting or even if we both die, I must kill Ajin. I will avenge for my dead daughter and servants. Promising that to himself, Lee Do Chung brought up his Birth Power, his very origin of life. -Boom! Lee Do Chung¡¯s body was surrounded in red flames. Ajin stared at the blinding flames and let out a low laugh. ¡°Seems like you are trying to kill us both.. Why must you pursue a painful death. If so, why don¡¯t you just kill yourself?¡± ¡°Shut up, you fucking cunt!¡± Lee Do Chung ran towards Ajin again. It can¡¯t be helped then. Ajin thought to himself as he shook his head and lifted his right arm. ¡°Yes, what should I choose. The Heavenly Demon Martial Arts¡¯ Heavenly Demon Destruction? The Shaolin¡¯s 100 step Annihilation? The Shaman¡¯s Infinite Taeguk Technique?¡± It was really hard to choose one of the techniques that came to his mind. ¡°Ah, I¡¯ll choose this.¡± Ajin mumbled softly and lowered his knees. In the meantime, Lee Do Chung¡¯s fists flew towards Ajin¡¯s head. Ajin smirked and spread his hands towards Lee Do Chung¡¯s fist. The fist that flew over like a meteor met Ajin¡¯s hands. At that moment, Ajin¡¯s hands coiled around Lee Do Chung¡¯s arms like a snake. Crack! Just by lightly tapping the forearm with the edge of Ajin¡¯s hand, Lee Do Chung¡¯s arms broke. ¡°The Soul-Chasing Reaper Strike.¡± Ajin¡¯s soft murmurs reached Lee Do Chung¡¯s ears. The Soul-Chasing Reaper Strike was Gwon Sung¡¯s¡­ That was Lee Do Chung¡¯s last thought. Thump! Ajin¡¯s fists spread out like streaks of lightning and beat Lee Do Chung¡¯s body. Every time the loose fists hit his body, the bent fingers pierced through the skin. Thwack! Whenever the fists moved, a handful of his skin was ripped out and blood belched. The Soul-Chasing Reaper Technique- Yes, that was Gwon Sung¡¯s self-mastered Martial Art, who ruled over Murim with just his fist. It was so strong that it was condemned as the Black Path Murim¡¯s Martial Art but Gwon Sung shut all of them up by exterminating the Black Assassin Sect, one of the strongest sects of the Black Path Murim, alone. How is he performing those Martial Arts.. Lee Do Chung couldn¡¯t understand. No, thinking was impossible for him at that moment. Lee Do Chung¡¯s body faltered and backed away but Ajin didn¡¯t let him go. Every time Lee Do Chug moved back, Ajin slid after him. Ajin¡¯s left arm that broke Lee Do Chung¡¯s arms was still coiled around his arms and was grasping on his shoulder. And Ajin¡¯s right arm continuously beat Lee Do Chung in short, precise punches. Lee Do Chung¡¯s bones shattered and his organs exploded. Lee Do Chung gurgled blood and collapsed. Bang! and the last punch struck Lee Do Chung¡¯s neck. ¡°Honestly speaking, I always wanted to beat you up sir.¡± Ajin shook his hands and dropped Lee Do Chung¡¯s corpse. And suddenly, he started giggling. ¡°Ah right, I don¡¯t even have to show respect now. Good to see you like this, you son of a bitch.¡± All that friendship and trust Lee Do Chung kept up until then was bullshit. All pestering jobs were pushed to Ajin and thanks to that he had to go through so much struggle. But he tolerated it. It was all because of the Scarlet Snow Flower. And after all that cherishing and protection he gave to her, Lee Do Chung was going to wed her to his great disciple? What a cunt. Ajin spat on Lee Do Chung¡¯s corpse. ¡®Anyways it was well-timed. I was thinking of ending it anyway.¡¯ I put much effort in it but whatever. Ajin slowly lifted his hands and tapped the air. Then, a small transparent screen that was only visible to Ajin vanished away. He never thought he would use a cheat key. Especially when it was near the ending. Well that was because he chose the advisor¡¯s path instead of a martial artist¡¯s. It was quite fun but that ended. ¡°Logout.¡± Ajin mumbled. At that moment, he dispersed like a fog. Lee Do Chung could not find out how Ajin hid his martial arts skills all that time and how well-mastered he was in using the legendary techniques even after his death but The answer was simple. This was a game and he was a player. Chapter 3 Editor: Krishy A single-player game, ¡®Breeze of Murim¡¯. A player can choose the role they want as soon as they start. The role ranges from the disciple of the Murim¡¯s factions to the warrior of the Armed Escort Agency, the disciple of the Heavenly Demon Sect, and etc. It was possible to master martial arts and become a leader of a faction or to become a Sect Leader of the Heavenly Demon Sect. Or one could be the owner of the Armed Escort Agency and get active in trading and dominate the Murim market. Ajin played the ¡®Breeze of Murim¡¯ in every role playable. He was a House Leader of all the Murim¡¯s factions before and he also exterminated the Heavenly Demon Sect by domineering the White Path Murim. And ironically, he was also once the Sect Leader of the Heavenly Demon Sect. He also dominated the Murim¡¯s economy and made both the White Path Murim and the Black Path Murim subject to him. He also grew a weak family into a strong one, and was well-known without belonging anywhere. And that time, he tried being a family¡¯s general. He wanted to know how much he could grow a family just by using his brain and managing people. It was entertaining because it was unusual but he felt like he should stop playing the game. Ajin came out of the capsule and reached for water in the fridge. He played the game for a long time so he had some attachments to it but, ¡°I should stop here.¡± Ajin made up his mind. ¡®Breeze of Murim¡¯ was the most famous single-player game ever made and was most praised for its high degree of freedom and details. Even after some time, it would probably remain as a classic masterpiece. But he decided to stop there. He played it for quite some time because of its high degree of freedom but then he thought of switching to a more interesting game. Ajin threw the empty bottle into the trash bin and went to his table. There was a parcel delivered to him that morning on the table. Ajin stared at the parcel and opened it. Frankly speaking, he didn¡¯t think he would win it. It¡¯s been ten years since virtual reality games were introduced in the market but a virtual reality game that was playable online was not yet available. It was because it was extremely difficult to make a world large enough to hold millions of players. Also, a server that could accommodate that many people was not developed. So, a single-player game was the limit of virtual reality games. But only until that point. There was finally an RPG game based on virtual reality that was available on the market. And that was what lay on the table. ¡®FIRST¡¯. The NPCs in single-player games were already close to real humans. But the NPCs in ¡®FIRST¡¯ were incomparable to all the previous AIs of NPCs. The NPCs genuinely thought and acted on their own and the system did not restrict them. And a world as massive and realistic as the real world. Overflowing monsters, and players that started in the same conditions. Well, at least that¡¯s what the ¡®FIRST¡¯ advertisements claimed but he yet has to experience it himself to trust them. It held the title of the first-ever online RPG so they must be quite confident.. But. again, he had to test it himself. ¡°Beta-tester huh, I got lucky.¡± ¡®FIRST¡¯ didn¡¯t start its service officially. But they recruited beta testers over a month ago and How many applied? He didn¡¯t know the exact number but the news said most of the gamers around the world applied. So, there must be a hell lot of applicants. Gang Ajin, 24. He earned his living from making walkthroughs. He played all the single-player games released and made walkthroughs to all the games and sold it to websites for money. He started this job ever since virtual reality games were available on the market so he was an expert in that field. It was also why he applied for it right after he heard about ¡®FIRST¡¯ recruiting beta testers. It would be Red Ocean later but online virtual reality games at the moment were Blue Ocean. The faster he was in it, the more he could earn. But the recruitments were public so there were hell a lot of applicants. So he never thought he would win the opportunity. {*Red Ocean is a term used to refer to a market that is competitive and Blue Ocean is a term used to refer to a market that is non-competitive.} ¡®Beta Open at 7 pm.¡¯ Ajin lifted the small cube inside the parcel. There was a guide to ¡®FIRST¡¯ beside the cube. Ajin checked the time. 5 pm. It was a bit early but time would pass fast if he ate dinner and read the guidelines. Ajin went to his capsule and pulled out the ¡®Breeze of Murim¡¯ cube and placed the ¡®FIRST¡¯ cube in. He came back to the table. There was nothing to watch while he waited. I should just eat instant noodles. Ajin thought to himself and placed the ¡®Breeze of Murim¡¯ cube on the table. He was too lazy to make food and ordering food seemed like an extravagance. So instant noodles it was. The whole world advanced but instant noodles were still cheap. And it didn¡¯t take much time to eat. After he left his empty bowl in the sink, Ajin opened the sealed guideline inside the box. He would eventually learn all those stuff from the tutorial when the game starts but reading the guidelines before playing definitely helped. There was often miscellaneous information in the guidelines that weren¡¯t included in the tutorial. ¡®..Hm?¡¯ But as soon as he opened the guideline, he was puzzled. Normally, the first page of the guideline would have elaborate explanations of the world. But the ¡®FIRST¡¯ ¡®s guidelines had none of that. When a player accesses the game, the player falls into the starting point, after a tutorial. That was it. ¡°What the hell. The guideline was so uninformative. So we have to understand how the world works by experiencing it ourselves?¡± Ajin clicked his tongue and turned to the next page. Well, it was a large-scale RPG game. If they had perfect AIs then there was no need for a fixed plot. It could be a plot in which players could make out themselves. The degree of freedom was already perfected since the virtual reality single-player games. Virtual reality games were completely different from previous computer games. Players did not choose from a set plot and continued the story from it. Players in virtual reality games acted and spoke for themselves. There was no need to had already scripted plot. ¡®¡­No.. Stats?¡¯ But that was not the only thing that surprised him. As he read the guideline, Ajin was shocked again. ¡®FIRST¡¯ had no stats. All the single-player games that had levels, had stat points that were distributed when a player leveled up. But ¡®FIRST¡¯ was different. Stat points existed but players didn¡¯t receive them directly. Instead, stat points increased according to players¡¯ act, and as their levels increased, the stat points were distributed according to the players¡¯ propensity. What does that mean? If stats were distributed by the players¡¯ propensity, the game was no different to the real world. In the real world, if you study, you expand your knowledge. If you work out, you gain muscles. ¡®FIRST¡¯ was like that. Even if the stats were more explosive since it¡¯s a game, to be smarter one had to study, and to be stronger one had to fight. Instead of using a plot story, this was how they planned to control the players¡¯ random rampages? Ajin understood. ¡®The only race players can choose is.. human. Is it because it was a beta test? Well, there could be more races that the players could choose as they level up. Through a tutorial, the player understands more about the game and acquires a specialized skill. The skill would vary depending on the player¡¯s personality and the player would grow with the acquired specialized skill. ¡®The more you invest, the stronger you get huh.¡¯ After fully understanding the guideline, Ajin looked at the time. It was almost 7 pm. Ajin closed the guideline and stood up. For now, Ajin memorized all the given information. There were many ambiguous things about the game but he had to find it out by playing it himself. Ajin reached for a bottle in the fridge and drank it. Then he went to the toilet and then went inside the capsule. [Will you enter the cube?] ¡°Yes.¡± [The inserted cube is.. ¡®FIRST¡¯. Confirm?] ¡°Confirm.¡± Ajin replied to the system and closed his eyes. The sign up was completed from the saved information in the capsule. The light inside the capsule turned off and pitch-black darkness surrounded him. His conscience drifted away. And when the mechanical sounds came close¡­ Chapter 4 Editor: Krishy Ajin opened his eyes. Everything was white. He looked around and was surprised to find a huge mirror in front of him. ¡°Welcome to the world of ¡®FIRST¡¯. ¡± Ajin turned back to the voice. There was a woman with short blonde hair standing. The woman smiled and their eyes met and she bowed. ¡°Nice to meet you. My name is Acacia. I will be helping you with the tutorial.¡± ¡°¡­system operator?¡¯ Ajin asked the woman who just introduced herself as Acacia. Acacia smiled and shook her head. ¡°No. I am simply here to help you with the tutorial. I don¡¯t have the authority of a system operator.¡± So that means she is an NPC*. Ajin nodded. Acacia then asked him, ¡°First of all, there is a process of customizing the avatar you will use in ¡®FIRST¡¯. Would you like to do that?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s fine.¡± Almost all of the virtual reality games enabled players to customize their avatars. Even though it was a single-player game, the fact that one could look like one¡¯s most ideal face and body was very appealing to people. That¡¯s why most of the virtual reality game players customized their avatars, like making them taller, more handsome, and etc. It was all useless. At least that¡¯s what Ajin thought. Even if it was a virtual reality game, the one actually moving was the player. If the avatar was taller than their real body, the sight range changes. If the avatar was bigger than their real body, the player would have problems adapting to the difference in movement. Long story short, making the avatar similar to the player¡¯s real body was the best. Also, on the contrary, if a player gets too used to their avatar, he or she would have problems moving with their real body. It was actually one of the precautions but virtual reality games had the merit of customizing avatars. It was inevitable since many players wanted it. But Ajin did not customize his avatars. The efficiency of his real body and his avatar¡¯s was what was important to him. Then one would think, ¡°isn¡¯t it fine to customize the face then?¡± But Ajin didn¡¯t. Simply because he was satisfied with his face. ¡°Okay. So you are not customizing your avatar, confirm?¡¯ ¡°Confirm.¡± ¡°Then, the next step is to set up a name you would like to use in the game. Do you have a name in mind?¡± ¡°Ajin.¡± He was going to use his real name as well as his real body. Acacia stared for a while and nodded. ¡°Okay, done. Player Ajin. Before proceeding to the tutorial, I will give you the specialized skill you will use in ¡®FIRST¡¯. ¡° Acacia flicked her fingers. Then, the white world reversed and now he was standing in the center of a huge library. It was massive. Ajin thought to himself while he looked around the library. There were three rooms in the library that were closed but he couldn¡¯t think about them. The library was overwhelmingly huge. ¡°You can choose your specialized skill here.¡± Acacia smiled, facing her back to the innumerable tables. She was changed to a black suit from the white dress she was wearing when they first met. She also had black glasses, perhaps to blend in with the mood of the library. Acacia lifted her glasses and smiled. ¡°That¡¯s the book room of Martial Arts.¡± Acacia pointed to a huge stone door. Then she pointed in another direction. ¡°That¡¯s the book room of Magic.¡± It was an old, antique door. Acacia¡¯s hands pointed to another direction. ¡°That¡¯s the book room of Superpowers.¡± There was a shiny mechanical door. Acacia smiled and opened her arms. ¡°In ¡®FIRST¡¯, we provide three types of powers. Martial Arts, Magic, and Superpower. Players can choose two skills. You could choose two skills from Martial Arts, or choose one from Martial Arts and the other from Magic. If there is a book or information you would like to view, you can ask me for it or you can explore the library yourself. Would you like me to continue explaining?¡± He already knew this information from the guideline. But Ajin nodded anyway. There was no certainty that all of the information was in the guideline. If there was an NPC specialized for such information, he thought it would be best to finish listening to the NPC. ¡°Martial Arts uses inner power, Magic uses mana, and Superpower uses mental strength. The types of powers are very different, so if you choose two skills from different types of powers, you should balance the two powers equally to use the skills to their full potential. If I may advise, I recommend choosing the skills from the same power instead of from two different powers if you are a newbie. ¡° Ajin went silent as Acacia added. ¡°If you find it difficult choosing, I can analyze your propensity and find you a skill that matches you. Would you like that?¡± ¡°Nah. I want to look around first, then choose. That¡¯s fine right?¡± ¡°Yes, of course. Ah, and the skill you choose here can¡¯t be changed but you can acquire new ones when you gain a new one while you play. However, if you acquire a Magic power while you already chose Martial Arts and Superpower, acquiring that skill is impossible if the terms of using Magic¡¯s skills are not met. So please keep that in mind.¡± Acacia then swung her hands lightly. Then a soft breeze blew and opened all the closed doors. ¡°There are no time limitations, so take your time.¡± In that case, he had all the time to choose. Anyway, it was not urgent. The beta test would reset after a month so there was no pressure in choosing. But he could not just carelessly choose anything. A month. In that month, he had to collect as much information he could so later at the official opening of the game he could be superior to the other players. It didn¡¯t mean that information was not important just because it¡¯s a game. Same thing applied to making walkthroughs. To make perfect walkthroughs, he needs perfect information. And to obtain that information he needed the power of information. It was only common sense to have the abilities that can beat the boss. Even though there was no pressure, he had no intention to choose them lightly. Since there was no time limit, he would pour in all his energy to skim through everything. ¡®First, to Martial Arts.¡¯ Ajin moved towards the room of Martial Arts. NPC*= Non-player characte Chapter 5 Editor: Krishy Access-5 A scent of old books filled the room. But the level of realisticness was already common in virtual games so Ajin didn¡¯t give it much appreciation and looked around. There were thousands of books on the shelves and he didn¡¯t even know where to start. ¡®Too many.¡¯ That was his honest thought. If it was the real world, going through all those books to find a single book would be suffering. Or one would have to ask the librarian or do a book search. But it was not the real world. It was a game. Ajin didn¡¯t hesitate to tap on the air. He already knew the basic controls and the tutorial processes, from the guideline. By tapping the air multiple times, Ajin brought up the menu and started rearranging the shelves. The martial arts used in FIRST was heavily influenced by the martial arts of ¡®Breeze of Murim¡¯, with some additional skills. That means the form of the martial arts could be different but fundamentally the same. To Ajin, who played ¡®Breeze of Murim¡¯ multiple times in various ways, it was a great advantage. The area rippled, then the arrangement of the shelves totally changed from its initial arrangement. Ajin separated the martial arts from ¡®Breeze of Murim¡¯ and the slightly altered martial arts of FIRST. And from there he categorized them into fist, spear, sword, projection, and etc¡­ After arranging the shelves in that order, Ajin thought to himself. ¡®So what¡¯s most important is inner strength.¡¯ That¡¯s what he acknowledged while playing ¡®Breeze of Murim.¡¯ Whatever technique he chose, the most important part was inner strength. No matter how skilled one was at a certain technique if there was no inner strength, the skills would lack speed and power. ¡®I¡¯ll choose energy preservation.¡¯ Acacia recommended but that information was already in the guideline. They suggested beginners select two skills from the same category instead of different categories, but Ajin wanted to have mixed skills to maintain balance for example, choosing from magic and superpower. If he were to choose energy preservation and sword technique, he could master the skills faster. But if he were to choose martial arts and magic. He could choose energy preservation from martial arts and black magic from magic. He could use energy preservation as a defense and black magic to attack. Or he could choose a sword technique and mix it with magic to be some kind of a battlemage. But that was only recommended to veterans who were used to the game. It meant that it would be difficult for beginners to master at least one of the types. ¡®No, it¡¯s alright.¡¯ Ajin shook his head. It was definitely difficult for beginners, but he wasn¡¯t a beginner. He started playing virtual reality games at 15 and he was 24 now so he spent 9 years in that field. The virtual games were out in the market 10 years ago so he was a veteran and he started making money from making walkthroughs at 15 too so his knowledge and expertise exceeded others. If one chooses the same type of skills to master, then they would definitely master it deeper than those who chose to master two different skills. But it was all about luck. If he or she never masters it then they would be fucked. In FIRST, the player and their selected special skill grew together. It probably meant that the player would get stronger and more skilled as they level up. But having two separate skill cards was better since one can¡¯t win a jackpot with just the same skill cards. He wanted to choose one from martial arts. Then he would choose one from magic or superpowers. The reason he was going to choose one from martial arts was simple. The game he played most recently and was most skilled in was ¡®Breeze of Murim¡¯ so he was used to martial arts. It would also be nice to start on something new but it was best to start with familiar ones. Even if it was a beta test that would reset in a month, he had to make the most out of it being a beta tester. He needed to get to the start line way before the swarming players at the official opening do. ¡°I have no intention to take it lightly.¡± He did not play for entertainment. To Ajin, virtual reality games were his career and his way to earn a living. His income depended on it so he couldn¡¯t take it lightly. Ajin thought to himself as he entered another room. * ¡°Are you done selecting?¡± Acacia asked Ajin, who was walking out from the library of superpowers. She was smiling, but internally Acacia was appalled. 9 hours. That was the time Ajin spent in the library. Other players took an hour at most to choose a specialized skill. They looked around the library out of curiosity but would be intimidated by the massive library so most just chose the skill recommended by the NPC. Some of them took a few hours choosing a specialized skill, but there was no one who took that long. The reason was simple. This was a game. Most of the players wanted to skip the tutorial and play the game. Whatever they chose, the skill would grow with the player. There were minuscule differences but there was no definite difference between the skills. That balance was already established. And when players start with the skills, they can¡¯t cancel it but they could buy or acquire a new one as they play. Of course, there would be risks at the beginning of the game but in that case, one could just delete the character and start new or just get recommendations from the NPC. But Ajin looked around the library for 9 hours. ¡°No, not yet.¡± Ajin answered tiredly. He didn¡¯t even look at Acacia¡¯s reaction and entered the library of martial arts. Acacia was utterly bored with him. ¡®How much longer is he planning to look around?¡¯ ¡°I¡¯m done.¡± When he finally said that, it had been 12 hours in the library. Ajin shook Acacia¡¯s shoulders, who was dozing off in a chair and woke her up. A helper NPC dozing off while waiting? He thought the realisticness of the AI was too much. ¡°Mmm.. Ah, sorry.¡± Acacia wiped her saliva and stood up. And smiled brightly as she asked Ajin. ¡°What skills did you choose?¡± ¡°Energy Drain from superpowers. Blood Explosion Discipline from martial arts. Ajin pulled out a chair as he answered. He couldn¡¯t help to be exhausted from looking around the library for 12 hours. The play time was so long that it could affect his body in the real world but Ajin was already used to that. ¡°Energy Drain from superpowers. Blood Explosion Discipline from martial arts, confirm?¡± ¡°Yea. Confirm.¡± Ajin replied. He chose the combination of superpower and martial arts. Energy drain literally absorbs energy from opponents. By touching the opponent, he could absorb energy and heal himself, or save it in his body. Ajin had a hard time choosing between Energy Drain and Inner Strength Absorption from martial arts. But in the end, he chose Energy Drain. Inner Strength Absorption could absorb huge amounts of energy in one use but it also absorbed evil so if he uses it excessively, he had the risk of being possessed by a devil. The risk of that happening would diminish if he used it carefully but Ajin concluded that Energy Drain would be efficient. Energy Drain was similar to Inner Strength Absorption but a little different. Energy Drain only absorbed energy from others so he didn¡¯t have to worry about the evil and with the stored energy, he could heal. There are drawbacks, Energy Drain can¡¯t absorb as much energy as Inner Strength Absorption but the ability to heal and thus not needing potions as much outweighed it. Actually, he was about to choose from magic because he thought the attacking strength would be lacking. He thought it would also be efficient to choose Energy Drain and magic. But what Ajin finally chose was martial arts, the Blood Explosion Discipline. He was familiar with the Blood Explosion Discipline Technique since it was in ¡®Breeze of Murim¡¯. It was the lowest Discipline technique of the Demonic Sect but by training, it could be developed into the Heavenly Demon¡¯s Discipline Technique. However, it was impossible for Ajin to achieve that within the duration of the beta test. But it was rather simple why he chose the Blood Explosion Discipline Technique. It was because it was explosive. Black Path Murim, and within that the Heavenly Demon sect¡¯s discipline technique was most effective in building up inner strength rapidly and converting it to an attack. It was impossible to do the same with the White Path Murim¡¯s discipline technique. ¡®It would balance out well with Energy Drain.¡¯ He would absorb energy by using Energy Drain and speed up the Blood Explosion Discipline Technique. Of course, in that case, he wouldn¡¯t be able to do much damage like using a sword technique but Energy Drain could be used to tire the opponents and by building up inner strength, the Blood Explosion Technique would be deadly with just a single strike. Also, he could always acquire a Sword Technique if he felt he needed it. ¡°The skills you choose can¡¯t be changed later. Are you sure you want Energy Drain and Blood Explosion Technique?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure.¡± Ajin answered, annoyed, and Acacia smiled. She nodded and lifted her hands. Then a bright light lingered around her hands and an old book made of leather and a bright spark was placed on her hands. ¡°Then I¡¯ll give you your skills right now. You might experience mild dizziness.¡± Pzzt! The book turned into a red spark and rushed into Ajin¡¯s body. The bright spark followed from the other side too. Ajin closed his eyes as he felt the sparks enter. Just as Acacia warned, he felt slightly dizzy, but it wasn¡¯t nothing to be concerned about. [You mastered the Demonic Sect¡¯s, the Blood Blast.] [Your mind expands. You are enlightened with Energy Drain.] Ajin felt the aura of the Blood Explosion Discipline Technique filling his mind and acknowledged the presence of Energy Drain. Ajin stood from the chair in faltering steps. Then collapsed on the ground and crossed his legs and positioned himself in the lotus potion. ¡°Uh¡­ The next tutorial is¡­¡± ¡°There¡¯s no time limit in tutorials. Wait.¡± Ajin said with his eyes closed, and to that Acacia¡¯s cheeks twitched. Hey, I have a life too! Acacia grumpily sat back on the chair. She pouted her lips and stared at Ajin. Ajin slowly concentrated. His focused mind elevates his whole body as he mediates. He felt the blood flowing through his body and focused even more deeply. It has been nearly 10 years since he started playing virtual reality games. He was used to leaving his body in the capsule and playing games with his conscience. A ready-made body, visual world. No matter how real it seemed it was all fake. But his conscience was entirely his, and the avatar¡¯s movements were controlled by his conscience. The point was to acknowledge. Draw an image, and make an action signal. That¡¯s how avatars moved. Ajin felt his body energy once again. More specifically, he felt the strength of the Blood Blast and Energy Drain flowing in his body. His conscience finally reached its destination. He found the small, compressed inner strength Move. He commanded the inner strength. Move, move¡­.He felt and commanded. That was almost like self-hypnosis. Also, it was because of the newly expanded mind he acquired along the Energy Drain. The inner strength finally started moving. It moved slowly like an animal that just woke from hibernation. The inner strength then started to flow along with the energy of Blood Blast. Then it started to flow around his body, following Ajin¡¯s commands. Ajin controlled his breathing and controlled the inner strength in his body. It was painful. It was the first time he moved his inner strength in that world but there were no such things as satisfaction or refreshment. There was only pain that felt like his veins were tearing. The Demonic sect¡¯s discipline technique was a power that went against nature¡¯s principles. It was his first time so the consequences of using such powers were especially painful. Ajin chewed on his lips. [You earned experience points.] [You succeeded in awakening the Blood Explosion Discipline Technique.] When he heard that, his inner strength just finished flowing through every part of his body. Ajin slowly controlled his breath and opened his eyes. His body was soaking in sweat but it didn¡¯t feel so bad. It was because of the alleviation from the exhaustion. But, there was mild pain when he moved. Ajin brought up his status immediately. Nickname: Ajin Title: N/A Strength: 500/500 Demonic Strength: N/A Mental Strength: 500/500 Inner Strength: 500/500 That was it. Other than strength, demonic strength, mental strength, and inner strength, there were no stats. It was because the stats system didn¡¯t exist. Looking at his simple stat window, Ajin brought up the Skills window. Blood Blast: 1st Star (7%) Energy Drain: Lv.1 (0%) With just one awakening, it was 7%. Ajin checked the time. It had already been 2 hours. Playtime, 14 hours. The record he set before was 31 hours or something. He had time to spare. Ajin closed his eyes again. ¡°Hey, are you going to continue?¡± Acacia asked, but Ajin ignored her. He was planning to level up the Blood Blast to at least the 5th star. He was going to continue the tutorial after. If he leveled up now, he would easily hunt when the real game starts. He could earn points to level up techniques like a Sword technique, but he can¡¯t level up just from hunting. His mastery would increase if he used his inner strength but the fastest way to increase the star of a technique was to meditate and let the energy flow inside. Chapter 6 Editor: Krishy Access-6 [You¡¯ve earned EXP points.] [You leveled up.] [You succeeded in the Advancement of the Blood Blast.] [Your Blood Blast attack is now Star 5.] He got bored of hearing those repeatedly. Ajin finally opened his eyes and brought up the status window. Nickname: Ajin Title: N/A Level: 3 Strength: 800/800 Demonic Power: N/A Mental Strength: 500/500 Inner Strength: 1900/1900 Blood Blast: Star 5 (0%) Energy Drain: Lv.1 (0%) It has been 16 hours since the first Advancement. Between that, he disconnected from the game and slept for about 4 hours, ate, and showered. Ajin then accessed the game again and continued to increase the Star level of Blood Blast. ¡®It increased by about 4 times.¡¯ His initial Inner Strength was 500 and now it was 1900. It was the value acquired from his increased Blood Blast level along with his character level. When his level increased, the whole parameter would have increased too but his mental strength didn¡¯t increase. That was because he didn¡¯t use a superpower yet. Ajin roughly understood the FIRST¡¯s system. The skill that isn¡¯t used doesn¡¯t level up. It was like a muscle that loosens up from lack of use. ¡°You are finally in Star 5.¡± Acacia spoke, leaning on her chair with a cup of tea. Acacia was honestly very bored of Ajin. He took 12 hours choosing a specialized skill and spent 11 hours meditating to level up his Blood Blast. Meditating was indeed the fastest way to level up the Blood Blast but who the hell would just sit still for 11 hours before even playing the game? ¡®Great concentration¡­. or, was it determination?¡¯ She was tired of him but also amazed. Certainly, not anyone could do something like that. There were 1500 beta players playing FIRST at the moment. Among them, Ajin was the only one who didn¡¯t finish the tutorial. At the same time, he was the only one to reach Star 5 of a Technique. Though the EXP points he got from meditation was so little that his level was still one of the lowest. ¡®It¡¯s not the level that is important.¡¯ Acacia narrowed her eyes. ¡®The level was not the most important thing in FIRST. The level is simply the character¡¯s value. What¡¯s important is the mastery and power of the skills the players used.¡¯ Ajin explained ¡®Such an interesting person.¡¯ Acacia propped her chin on her hands and scoffed. Then, Ajin stood up. He briefly controlled his breathing and turned to Acacia. ¡®Next.¡¯ It was one word but Acacia understood what he wanted. Acacia smiled and stood up. Initially, she changed to a black suit to fit the vibe of the library but now she was wearing the white dress she was wearing when they first met. ¡°I¡¯ll tell you honestly. Among the 1500 beta testers online right now, there was not one player like you.¡± There was nothing to not be honest. There was no time limit anyway. Acacia was a helper NPC in the FIRST¡¯s system but what she was speaking of was not about the limits of the system. She could say it if she wanted. It was her choice to speak, the perfect AI¡¯s willpower. ¡°It has been two days since the beta service was made available. However, you didn¡¯t even start the basic tutorial yet. You also have the lowest level among all the other beta players. But your specialized skill, especially your Technique¡¯s level is the highest among players. The level of the Technique. Acacia emphasized that. That was because the fastest way to increase the level of attack skills was to actually attack monsters. ¡°You are quite an interesting person Ajin. At least very different from the other players who are here to enjoy the game¡­ I¡¯m happy to be your tutorial guide.¡± Acacia giggled as she lifted her arm. Then, the library dissolved away and they were in the middle of a forest. ¡°Then we will proceed with the actual tutorial. Normally, I would explain the basic controls but it seems like you have full knowledge of that. So, I will skip the useless explanation. Is that fine?¡± ¡°That¡¯s fine.¡± Ajin answered briefly. His level was the lowest among the 1500 players. Ajin didn¡¯t forget that. It was inevitable though since he didn¡¯t even finish the tutorial and nor did he even start the game. Higher levels, faster start. Ajin was behind. But it didn¡¯t matter. The two days he invested in was not pointless. He could still catch up. ¡°Okay. Then I will proceed with the tutorial on battles. Do you have experience in other virtual reality games other than FIRST?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Then, I won¡¯t have to explain with words.¡± Acacia smiled broadly. Battles in virtual reality games were fought by players moving their avatars directly. So players who never played virtual reality games often panicked. Fighting huge monsters and horrid creatures was something a person would not be familiar with in the real world. So many players froze and died. But that was irrelevant to Ajin. He was so used to fighting in virtual reality games. ¡°Normally I would bring up cute slimes but it would be fun for you if it weren¡¯t right?¡± Acacia smiled and then whistled. The initially soft sound gradually got sharper and reverberated through the woods. Ajin scowled at that sharp sound and moved back. ¡®Grrrr¡­¡¯ That sound shook the bushes. Acacia smiled looking at Ajin¡¯s nervous face and continued speaking. ¡°The Blood Wolves. Monster level 5. It¡¯s a common monster here in the ¡®Raging Forest¡¯.¡± ¡®Thump!¡¯ A red wolf stomped out of the bushes. It was called a wolf but its size resembled that of a bull. Ajin repeatedly opened and closed his hands as he watched the ferocious wolf. ¡°Don¡¯t worry so much. Since I¡¯m here you won¡¯t die. I did increase the monster level but this is still a tutorial. If you are in a dangerous state I will interfere.¡± Acacia said that but looking at Ajin¡¯s face, she knew there won¡¯t be a situation where she needed to interfere. That man was not nervous at all. Was he not afraid of that huge wolf? Acacia felt a chilling excitement and stepped back. ¡®Grr!¡¯ It was when Acacia stepped back. The Blood Wolf dashed towards Ajin. Ajin brought up the Blood Blast¡¯s inner strength as the wolf spread open its jaw. The inner strength circulated through the whole body and swirled Bang! It made an explosive force. The wolf was thrown to the air by the punch. The wolf whimpered as it crashed to the ground. Ajin didn¡¯t stop. He pounced on the wolf and kicked it. Fump! The wolf was on the ground in pain. Ajin then grabbed the wolf¡¯s head. Energy Drain. Invisible energy flowed from the wolf to Ajin¡¯s hands. The wolf wailed as it tried to attack Ajin again but Ajin pushed down on it even harder so it couldn¡¯t move. As he used Energy Drain, the inner strength that was decreasing from 1900 started to decrease at a slower rate. If he continued to punch, he could kill it faster but he didn¡¯t. He only absorbed the energy from the wolf. An animal without demonic powers, inner strength, and mental strength. An animal that only knows how to tear and bite opponents with its huge body, sharp fangs, and claws. So the only thing absorbable was its vitality. But the vitality filled in the gaps of the used inner strength and mental strength. Not long, the huge wolf shrunk to its bones and its fur lost its shine. The ferociousness in its eyes blurred out and its body drooped. [You earned EXP points.] [You succeeded in Energy Drain.] Ajin stood up when he heard that. He coldly looked down at his palms. He shook off the fur on his hands and looked at the status window. Energy Drain, Lv. 1 (37%). It increased quite a lot. Was it because he absorbed all of its vitality? ¡°Looks like the tutorial is pointless.¡± Acacia spoke. She watched the whole thing with much amusement. Ajin glanced at her, and Acacia felt her body warm up from his eyes. ¡®The only reason he did the tutorial¡­.was to get used to his new skills.¡¯ Acacia realized that. That man was very familiar with virtual reality games. He knew this was a virtual world and was aware that the monsters were nothing but a lump of polygon. So he was not afraid. He didn¡¯t need to familiarize himself with battle. Therefore, this tutorial was pointless to that man. The moment he acquired the specialized skills, the whole point of the tutorial vanished. Even so, he proceeded with the tutorial. The reason was probably simple. There were no penalties in tutorials. Even if he died, there was no penalty. They didn¡¯t make it possible for players to die in the first place anyway. That was the perfect safety zone for him to test his skills without limits. ¡°Again.¡± She knew he would say that. Acacia bursted into laughter. Then Acacia whistled again and called for the Blood Wolf. How long was he going to repeat this? Was he planning to increase the level of his Energy Drain to be equal to his Blood Blast? When the wolf appeared, Acacia moved back. That man was going to be a monster. Acacia felt that in her bones. Acacia chewed on her lips as she watched Ajin push down the wolf to the ground and absorbed its energy. There was no hesitation in his attacks and they were precise. Virtual reality games required many things since players had to move their avatars physically. And the most important among that was battle sense. Things like strength could be easily gained by leveling up. But battle sense was different. How to dodge and how to attack. Where to attack. Where to move. All these were influenced by the player¡¯s battle sense and if used well, it could overturn the results. The man Acacia was watching had the best battle senses. He had no fear or mercy. His cold eyes didn¡¯t contain any empathy as they looked down on the dying animal. Acacia felt her body warming up and her throbbing lower part. She sighed. ¡®I have the best card.¡¯ Lucky. Acacia giggled. ¡°Again.¡± Ajin spoke. Acacia smiled and called for another wolf. Initially, she thought it was boring but now she thought otherwise. Acacia now knew Ajin¡¯s potential and worth. That changed everything. If he had that much worth, she was willing to hang around with him. ¡®I will repeat this tutorial, this battle training, as much as you want. If that¡¯s how I can make you a monster. Also, for your victory.¡¯ Chapter 7 Edited by: krish Kkwang! Screams and alerts were heard countless times. Ajin took his hand off the wolf¡¯s head while breathing heavily. As the level of energy drain rose to 6, the time it took to drain a wolf¡¯s strength had phenomenally reduced. One level at a time, yes. Unlike the mental strength, the upgrade rate of energy drain was very fast as he fought. His power was also incredible. Unfortunately, the mentality needed to use superpowers was not supplemented by energy drains. ¡°How can I fill my mental strength?¡± Ajin asked Acacia, who stood against a tree and looked at him. Acacia with a strange smile, answered Ajin¡¯s question. ¡°The consumed mental strength can be replenished by resting. Simply put, you have to relax your mind.¡± ¡°That way won¡¯t work for me.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll have to use the potion. Sadly, we can¡¯t provide you with any of that.¡± As expected. Ajin nodded his head without hesitation. He already surpassed the goal he was supposed to reach anyway. The original purpose was to raise the level as much as possible by checking the abilities there, where the death-proof tutorial and risk-free are included. Without having to compete and explore the hunting ground, tutorials would give as much hunting experience as they want, as long as they ask from an NPC. But that¡¯s it, he can do as much hunting he wants, but no more red wolves can give him the growth he wanted. Now Ajin¡¯s level is 5. Energy Drain¡¯s level is 6. Red wolf¡¯s monster level is 5. The level of the first hunt for the red wolf was 3, so it could be said that it grew quite quickly. It is the same law for all games that one can gain more experience when hunting monsters higher than their own level. ¡°Then, let¡¯s stop here.¡± The further tutorial process was meaningless. His mastery of combat was already furnished, and the inspection of his abilities and the growth at that level has also maxed out. It¡¯s been two days since the beta service opened, and his current level is 5. It¡¯s definitely the lowest level compared to a player who started hunting, but his skills are well-developed and well-understood. ¡°Business requires capital and the knowledge of the infrastructure. There¡¯s no heading to the battle ground without enough knowledge, and if I have made the wrong investment, I¡¯ll get it back.¡± Ajin said to himself ¡°Do you want to end the Battle Tutorial?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± As Ajin answered, he glanced at Acacia leaning on the tree. When Ajin¡¯s eyes met, Acacia grinned and licked her lips with her tongue. Ajin stared at Acacia without a word, and so did Acacia. ¡°The purpose of helper NPC is to help beginners play games smoothly, right?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Ajin asked, and Acacia replied. Ajin approached Acacia with a giggle. Acacia laughed as she lifted the tip of her chin, leaning back a little more. Little by little, mental strength was being restored. ¡°There¡¯s something I¡¯d like to test out about your skills.¡± ¡°How do you do that?¡± Looking at Ajin, who stopped in front of her, Acacia giggled. At the answer, Ajin reached out without hesitation and grabbed Acacia¡¯s chest. Her white dress crumpled, and her voluminous chest was groped, and filled his hands entirely. Acacia breathed a sweet sigh as she breathed in. Ajin raised his chin and tilted his head toward Acacia, looking up at the sky. ¡°I¡¯m not going to die.¡± ¡°But I wish you¡¯d kill me¡­¡± Acacia replied with a giggle. Ajin¡¯s lips twitched at those words, making him laugh. Acacia looked at him in his eyes. He was not unconscious. ¡°I don¡¯t know exactly why, but this NPC, no. This woman is in rut. Then I don¡¯t have to refuse. NPC is not an outdated idea anyway.¡± Women of this degree are extinctive in reality. Ajin slowly kneaded the chest of Acacia, who was caught with his left hand. Acacia¡¯s heart was broken as Ajin moved his hand, and the unfolded energy drain slowly sucked energy from Acacia. Acacia leaned back with a short exclamation. The stretched hands of Acacia hugged Ajin¡¯s waist. ¡°It doesn¡¯t kill me at all.¡± Although the level of Ajin¡¯s energy drain was five, Acacia was different from that of the red wolf. She puts her mind to it and goes into combat with him, he would die. Even the howling beast that rules the raging forest would dare not raise it¡¯s head against her. ¡°Like a level 5 energy drain can do anything to me. I don¡¯t feel any danger even if I go through it for days.¡± ¡°So there is no reason to resist.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t even want to resist.¡± Acacia giggled and pulled Ajin¡¯s waist towards her. ¡°¡­what are you curious about? Do you want to feel how real First¡¯s sensory sensors are? Or¡­ the total amount of energy that can be sucked from NPC?¡± ¡°Well, if you insist on making me choose, then I chose both.¡± Ajin whispered with a giggle, and Acacia came close to his face. There was no reason to refuse it for Ajin as he was actively approached from the other side too. ¡°Actually, since I first saw Acacia, I wanted to try it.¡± There was a lot of going on. As Ajin pressed Acacia¡¯s lips, he entangled the approaching Acacia¡¯s tongue unto him. The sweet breath of Acacia came, as the hot, damp tongue tangled with his. Sex has always been the focus of many people since the beginning of the introduction of virtual reality games, and it has developed over time and is now at the point where there was no difference from reality. Avatar perfectly sympathized with the soul of the player, matching the synchronization of the senses, and implementing it for excitement, pleasure and everything else. Of course it was sex against NPC in a game, but the pleasure a player feels was guaranteed. Does NPC also feel pleasant? He doesn¡¯t know about it. But, the excitement of Acacia clinging to Ajin was realistic. Her dripping groans, heavy breathing, the touch of the hand which held her breast and the hard erection of her nipples. Ajin peeled her lips. The elongated saliva was then cut off, and Ajin tilted his head a little more, biting Acacia¡¯s earlobe. ¡°H-heuk.¡± Acacia groaned. She reached out and hugged Ajin. Ajin¡¯s hand, which was touching Acacia¡¯s chest, moved, and groped her waist. Both hands, which continued to go down, grabbed Acacia¡¯s butt and massaged them. The energy drain was still going on. Since there was no history of use in real game, the energy of Acacia, which was absorbed by the energy drain, got deposited in the dungeon of Ajin. ¡°¡­Faster¡­¡± He chewed her earlobe and licked it. She burrows her head in bright blond hair, neatly cut over her shoulders, licking her cheek, chin and neck to come down to her collarbone. Acacia fretted and begged. Her hand, groping around Ajin¡¯s waist, quickly caught Ajin¡¯s crotch. Acacia rolled up the dress herself with her own hands, exclaiming a little at the heaviness of her hands. ¡°¡­didn¡¯t you ever customize your avatar at all? This certainly doesn¡¯t require customization.¡± Acacia giggled and squeezed Ajin¡¯s crouch. As Ajin drew a small breath, Acacia raised her skirt on her own and looked at Ajin, who was rubbing her body. ¡°When I first saw her, she looked quite innocent, but she turned out to be a bad girl.¡± Acacia showed Ajin her clingy finger and put it in her lips and sucked it. ¡°I¡¯ll give you one tip for the purpose of being a helper NPC. The amount of energy drain is absorbed differently depending on how it comes into contact with the opponent.¡± As he said so, Acacia lowered Ajin¡¯s pants by hand. ¡°You know what I mean? Come on, come here. Kill me.¡± Acacia turned around and touched the tree by hand. A tree swaying in the night breeze, and the occasional cry of a small bug. While listening to it, Ajin looked at Acacia, who held the tree with one hand and held her own hips with the other. Acacia, who turned her head and was looking at Ajin, hastened with a smile, tainted with lust. ¡°Come on, come on. Before I dry up¡­¡± Ajin didn¡¯t hesitate to do it. It¡¯s a tip from the NPC, a kind helper, and him pushing himself to try it out. He thought Jeon-hee was a little lacking, but this side is also the limit. Ajin poked it in without hesitation. It was tight, and loosened gently, and so pushed it to the end at a single stroke. Acacia screamed, shivering at her waist. She groaned as she grabbed the tree with both hands. ¡°More, faster¡­¡± Acacia screamed. Ajin moved his back as she said, and leaned over and grabbed Acacia¡¯s chest. Ajin¡¯s eyes sank coldly as he watched her fluttering blonde hair in front of his eyes. In the woods, this was no difference from a beast. But it doesn¡¯t matter. She wants it, and he wanted it too. Acacia¡¯s body was wet and slippery, and hot. Her exquisite skin was considered the best among the female NPCs that he had ever experienced while playing virtual reality games. Unlike humans, no. More than human. And the skill, the energy drain, as Acacia said, the amount of energy being sucked was greater than when he simply grabbed the wolf¡¯s head and absorbed the energy. His mental strength also slowly declined. Is it a matter of consuming? Well, he didn¡¯t have to worry about it right now. They can just relax and search. The tutorial was not over yet, and the textbook was right in front of him. The rustling of the textbook sound was greater than the cries of insects, and greater than the cries of trees swaying in the wind. The groans of Acacia were greater than that. Acacia urged him frantically but Ajin didn¡¯t fully answer her call. It was for him to set the pace, and it was also for him to maintain it. ¡°You can¡¯t enjoy it enough if you just listen to the other side. No, it¡¯s not all about having fun. It is also for the learning of skills and the growth of energy drain.¡± The boiling liquid was squeaking. Ajin grasped her fair butt exposed by hand as her dress was completely overturned. Hugging the tree and screaming, Acacia turned her head and looked at Ajin. The eyes of Acacia were visible enough under the hair stuck due to her dripping sweat. His eyes, which used to be bright gold, were now so agitated with murky color. Acacia implored, opening her wet lips. ¡°Don¡¯t stop, more, more¡­¡± The sense of conquest when he heard such an appeal was pleasant. Ajin grinned and grabbed Acacia¡¯s butt and stabbed her strongly. The thud seemed to ring within Acacia¡¯s little body. It reached the end of the line many times. Like he would break her if he could. Acacia leaned back as she breathed in. While touching her chest like crazy and her hand holding the tree, he tears the dress with his own hands to make sure that it¡¯s not disturbing with their copulation. Then he groped with his hand the fair body which was revealed under the moonlight, and raised his chest up and bit it with his lips. ¡°Ughhhhh¡± She was like a wild animal. Ajin decided to speed up a little as he felt the last ecstasy. He didn¡¯t intend to be satisfied once. As Ajin guessed it with pleasure, he bowed his head and bit Acacia¡¯s ear well. ¡°You don¡¯t mind inside, do you?¡± Acacia shook her shoulders at the question. Then she nodded frantically. The answer to the question was a loud groan. That was enough. Ajin continued to insert back and forth, while carrying Acacia¡¯s waist. ¡°Come!¡± Then, Acacia felt the heat filling her body. It was the first life she was given and given this body, and at the same time the climax she felt here. Acacia drooped, her lips quivering. The semen dripped off from the plunged thing on her. Ajin laid on the ground, supporting the exhausted Acacia. ¡°I told you to kill me¡­ kill me.¡± Without hiding her panting breath, Acacia said, and laughed. Ajin laughed at it, but the character he used his energy drain still remained. Chapter 8 ============================Author¡¯sNote================================== I¡¯ll try to be true to my desires. 00008 Access ======================================================================== Acacia changed her attitude in a second. She became a lewd prostitute, sat on the base of Ajin and fluttered her waist. Her groan is already full of cum. Then he rubbed her bottom with his hands and held it out, sucked her chest and chewed it. As Acacia, who was out of breath, was moving back and forth, Ajin couldn¡¯t hold out for long. Perhaps, it was the fastest he ever had. After that, Acacia became a rather modest lady. She groaned from time to time, and looked up to him with wet eyes. His hand was hugging her waist and her chest was being touched. Acacia held Ajin¡¯s back and gave him a low moan in his ear. Ajin seemed to know a little bit about what was going to come forth. The original idea of checking the energy drain and testing the senses had already disappeared. He devoured the body of Acacia frantically, and Acacia lived up to it and embraced Ajin. She cradled her legs, and put her arms around his shoulders to hug his body like a sloth. She let out a sweet breath, had drenched skin and subtle fragrance on her. ¡®What a hell of a woman.¡¯ Ajin thought. Though his mental strength was already exhausted, he kept copulating with Acacia. He also forgot how many times he had intercourse with her. He also forgot that he had to play the game. Acacia was a terrific woman and an addictive drug. She knew too well how to drive a man crazy. Acacia, had an uncommon physique and different attitudes every time she repeated her actions, was a born helper and a whore. But at the same time, she was also a genius in acting. ¡°More, more, more¡­ Let me, let me die!¡± Acacia exhaled in a hoarse voice and Ajin bit her breast with his lips. Acacia screamed as she tilted her head. The screams of Acacia, who got bit like a candy, was not in pain, but joy. Her tight skin rippled, squeezed, and was at the end. Acacia¡¯s body looked like a swamp. She was sinking in Ajin¡¯s man-swamp. Ajin had never experienced such an NPC woman with an incredible body. Is it possible because it¡¯s a virtually built body? Even in Murim¡¯s Wind, which was said to be the most popular single player game, he copulated with all kinds of NPCs, but there was no woman like Acacia. She was the best woman Ajin had ever had. It was when Acacia stopped urging him to finish. She let out a limp and gasped breath, and Ajin pulled out what she had just squeezed and sank into the position. ¡°My back is shaking. How long has it been since you¡¯ve been so eager?¡± Ajin looked at the lying acacia with her legs apart, shaking her dizzy head. A waterfall was pouring down between the open bridges. The red-hot skin was bursting with swell. As soon as he saw it, Ajin once again felt a desire, but he suppressed it. ¡°¡­best.¡± As he lowered his hand to plug the hole, and pushed in the running water with his fingers, Acacia giggled. It was the highest tribute to the man who had finished his act. Ajin sighed, as she swept up her wet hair with sweat. She was the woman who gave him that level of pleasure. Ajin felt a sense of consideration to bring her a glass of water for the last time, but unfortunately, there was no place around to get some water to drink. ¡°I was satisfied, but¡­ Are you satisfied? Did you get what you wanted from me, a helper NPC?¡± Acacia staggered up asked as he was stroking her clear chest with the use of his lips and teeth. She flipped her eyes and groaned like crazy, but her current expression was as neat as it was when he first saw her. Ajin glanced at his stator window first before answering the question. LV: 9 Physical strength: 2000 Mental strength: 3200 Endurance: 4100 Energy Drain LV.8 (24%) His Physical strength, mental strength, and internal strength greatly increased. It seems to be due to the fact that they have been doing energy drain many times. ¡°Come to think of it, I couldn¡¯t confirm it because I was concentrating on you, but I heard an annoying alarm repeatedly. Surely this way is more efficient than simply knocking down a wolf and grabbing its head to use energy drain.¡± ¡°¡­Satisfactory.¡± At Ajin¡¯s reply, Acacia stood up, tottering with a smile. She went through the mess they had, and then grabbed a pure white dress, which was no different from the first one, wounded around Acacia¡¯s body. ¡°I¡¯m glad to hear that. That¡¯s the end of the tutorial.¡± Acacia declared with a broad smile. At the end of the word, the wild scenerio of the forest was distorted, and it turned into a pure white space where Acacia and Ajin first encountered each other. ¡°I gave you everything and told you what I am supposed to. Ajin, were you satisfied with the tutorial?¡± ¡°It was the best tutorial I¡¯ve ever had. The NPCs that I¡¯ve met so far haven¡¯t taken care of me.¡± At Ajin¡¯s reply, Acacia smiled brightly and raised her hand. ¡°I¡¯m glad to hear that. From now on, you will experience the world of First in earnest. It is a world of infinite freedom without any restrictions. I hope your freedom there will be full of joy.¡± Argh. Acacia bumped her fists and made a sound, and at that moment Ajin¡¯s body floated up. And Ajin¡¯s body disappeared with a bright glow. ¡°I hope to see you again.¡± The tall, smiling acacia¡¯s voice wouldn¡¯t have reached Ajin. Acacia gave a giggle in the white space where she was alone. Thud, she put her hand on the bottom of her head and put in the dripping semen. Then she turned his head round and stared at the blank white space. ¡°I didn¡¯t know you had a hobby.¡± Crack! There was a slight shatter from the space and it made a hole. There was a hole through a white space, where there was an ink like darkness. The small light steps gradually widened the crack, and light illuminated like many rays reflected on it. Acacia kept smiling as she looked at the various people looking at her but they had hostile eyes toward her. ¡°You dirty, filthy bitch¡­¡± Taak! A little girl in a red frill dress walked out of the dark. She saw Acacia, with her blood-red eyes filled with scorn, escorted from behind by flashing eyes. Acacia giggled at the girl. ¡°Who are you calling dirty and nasty?¡± ¡°You broke the rules!¡± The girl frowned and spat out. The intense hostility that the girl showed was flushed with redness. Acacia sat in the air, calmly passing the hostility that seemed to be fired at her. She sat on the sofa that appeared and was occupied by Acacia¡¯s body. Acacia curled her slender legs, and put her hand unto her jaw. ¡°I don¡¯t know what rules I broke. There was no rule not to touch a man you like, was there?¡± ¡°You¡¯ve done too much good for that little thing!¡± ¡°My job is a helper NPC, which is the same as you.¡± Acacia¡¯s eyes thinned. A thin smile appeared on her face and revealed a white tooth. ¡°The player assigned to me wanted to repeat the tutorial process, and I just listened to it. If you want to blame me, don¡¯t even try it ,but blame the player¡¯s stupidity that was assigned to you.¡± ¡°You shouldn¡¯t be saying that to me. You¡¯re¡­ You¡­ You dirty whore. Do you think I don¡¯t know you¡¯ve delivered your strength, mixing yourself with that trifle?¡± ¡°You¡¯re telling a funny story, Primrose.¡± Acacia strode and giggled at the approaching Primrose. ¡°I didn¡¯t recommend skills to my player. It was the player himself who chose the energy drain. What kind of injustice was there?¡± ¡°With combining bodies¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s the player himself who wanted to have sex and used the energy drain. And it was the player who said he would test his skill. So don¡¯t talk in such a way, Primrose. I think you¡¯re a little bit upset.¡± Acacia¡¯s smile was distorted. Glow! The space shook as a blue current flowed through the space centered on her. ¡°Are you even capable of being pissed off right now? That would be great I guess, would you like to try it too? I think it¡¯s not a bad idea to completely destroy a neutral ground we¡¯ve put our heads together.¡± As Acacia laughed and whispered, Primrose shook her fist and stopped walking as she approached. As she breathed in, she stared at Acacia and turned around a few times. ¡°¡­dirty. You lewd bitch¡­!¡± Leaving the words behind, Primrose went back into the space where she walked in from. The black darkness swallowed Primrose, and the pupil stared at Acacia. Then the darkness disappeared. Acacia covered her lips with her fingers and laughed, suppressing the force she had opened. ¡°And you are so foolish.¡± Besides, she¡¯s uselessly honest. Acacia laughed and buried herself on the sofa. She didn¡¯t use her strength properly, but her heart was pounding a little because it¡¯s been a long time. But she still had to endure it. Acacia closed her eyes. If she runs wild just because her blood is boiling a little, she will be in trouble in many ways. If she tries to execute others, no matter how powerful Acacia is, she will still be defeated. No matter how big of a hand she has, she can¡¯t handle all of the enemies that come from many places. ¡®I¡¯ve come to expect quite a lot from you.¡¯ Acacia thought of Ajin. Of the 300 players, the most impressive one was Ajin. Her memories of the 300 people she led, were stored in her mind, even if she wasn¡¯t in charge of it. There were some things that were quite unusual, but Ajin was the only one who excelled. Acacia smiled thinly. ¡°Good luck, Ajin.¡± Thud. While she was still pressing her overflowing hole with her hand, Acacia giggled in silence. * What Ajin was looking forward to was a huge city, or a small town, if not. The player conducts a quest there or meets another NPC, and the player has to go out to the hunting ground, hunts monsters, makes money, comes back to town, stops by the store, buys equipment, supplies¡­ RPG games usually have such a beginning. ¡°¡­what is this?¡± However, the scenery seen by Ajin was completely different. He was in the middle of a dark forest. Maybe there was an error in transmission? Maybe that¡¯s what it was. But Ajin rejected the idea of it. Come to think of it, there is no reason to start in a town or city. Perhaps falling into such a deserted forest itself is the beginning of the game. ¡®Wait a second¡­¡¯ Should he wait like this without moving? Or perhaps the NPC would appear just like the script, leading Ajin to the village. But what if it doesn¡¯t? In the end, he didn¡¯t know. Ajin moved his steps without hesitation. The tutorial is over, and the game has already begun. It¡¯s a waste of time to wait doing nothing at a time while being behind other players. So he moves on. The forest was the place he saw when he got out of the tutorial. So where is this place? This game doesn¡¯t even have mini-maps. Therefore, there was no way for Ajin to know where that place he was at. ¡°Flying forest¡­ Is it?¡¯ Maybe that¡¯s the case. But there was no guarantee that there would be only one wild forest in the world. After all, all he can do for himself is guess about all sorts of things, and he can¡¯t get a definite answer. Then, can¡¯t he just ask someone? Creak! There was a sudden sound that came from the bushes. Chapter 9 Editor: killme (Krish) Translator: Skye Is it a monster, or a player or NPC instead? The moment he heard the rustle, Ajin¡¯s head spun fast. Either way, it didn¡¯t matter, he just wished that it wasn¡¯t a monster. As he won¡¯t be able to ask the monster. ¡°Carls?¡± Fortunately, it wasn¡¯t a monster. So is it an NPC or a player instead? Ajin thought, as he watched the girl carefully coming out of the bushes. It wasn¡¯t until the day before Ajin realized that in this fucking game, there¡¯s no way to tell NPC from players with the naked eye. It is useless to distinguish between NPC and players in online games for single player games, but it was difficult in many ways to distinguish both of them in an online game like this. ¡°¡­who are you?¡± The girl asked with a nervous face, looking at Ajin who was standing absentmindedly. She asked quite calmly, but the backstabbing feet and the startled face seemed a little scared. Ajin did try for a moment to consider how it was necessary to act. Is she an original character? No. He didn¡¯t know who that girl was. Then what the hell is she? ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sorry to surprise you.¡± She raised her lips and smiled, he relaxed his eyes and raised his chin. Her voice was somnolent and the coldness in her voice was not visible and she acted familiar with Ajin. If it was a classic game that had a low level AI and a fixed story and conversation, all of the Single player games nowadays are fully free-form AI and NPC is being implemented. Of course, single games have set goals and endings, so even if they are freestyle AI, they can develop the conversation and story they want through keywords. Like for example, The weather is nice today. Yes, I¡¯m telling you. While this conversation was going on between the player and the NPC, ¡®The sun is so hot that I¡¯m going to get ripen.¡¯ When he spit out that sentence, which was designated as a keyword, the story unfolds in the way that NPC recites certain major lines. But Ajin was never content to reach that target with only those keywords. According to a reporter on virtual reality games, Ajin is famous for his hardcore style. The story, which was aimed only at keywords, lacks the quality of fun. He wanted a perfect AI that was no different from a human being, so he thought, why insist on a simple keyword-based conversation over such an attractive play? So Ajin played and attacked games in all sorts of ways. Since the keyword was for the sake of play, it was possible to attack without having to insist on the keyword. So Ajin tried all sorts of things by digging a game, an NPC, and a situation. For him, acting was quite simple. He wants perfect AI that can be just like humans. He thought that favorability comes after the first impression, and then it is the face, expression, voice, height, speech that makes it perfect. To have a face that is likable to someone you¡¯ve never seen before It was easy for Ajin. ¡°Oh, no. I¡¯m just a little surprised. I never imagined I¡¯d run into anyone else in a place like this.¡± The girl shook her hand in amazement at Ajin¡¯s apology and said what he intended to say, seemed to have worked, so Ajin decided to continue the acting he chose just now. ¡°Who are you looking for?¡± ¡®Carls.¡¯ Ajin asked, recalling the name the girl called as she came out of the bushes, and the girl nodded her head. She gazed at Ajin with careful eyes as she caught hold of the robe she was wearing. ¡°Yes, he¡¯s my colleague. I don¡¯t see where he went.¡± Ajin took a closer look at the girl. Brown hair tied back, white face with some freckles. The overall assessment was that she has a pretty cute face, but what he wanted to see now was not a face. Ajin looked at the long wooden stick hanging behind the girl¡¯s back. Is that a spear or a stick? No. That¡¯s a staff. ¡®A wizard?¡¯ After a brief look at the girl, Ajin couldn¡¯t tell if she was an NPC or a player yet. If she had a colleague, then is she a player? Is she hunting with a party? ¡°¡­Oh, I¡¯m late to introduce myself. My name is Ajin.¡± ¡°My name is Lucelle.¡± Lucelle smiled awkwardly. Ajin slightly clasped his hand and asked again, blooming. ¡°¡­Are you a player?¡± ¡°What? What do you mean?¡± Lucelle asked back, tilting her head, and Ajin was silent for a moment. Doesn¡¯t she know? Is she an NPC, then? There was no reason for a player to hide. He didn¡¯t know if she had a plan in her mind, but Ajin put off his speculation about it for now. Let¡¯s just say she is an NPC. An NPC in this world who seemed to not know a player¡¯s existence. ¡°Oh, no. May I help you find your colleague, if you don¡¯t mind?¡± Frankly, hee wanted to ask first where he was, but if that happens, the NPC, which doesn¡¯t know about the player¡¯s existence, would find it strange. He didn¡¯t want to be treated like that, so Ajin decided to talk to Lucelle to some extent. ¡°Yes, thank you. May I ask you a favor?¡± Smiling and speaking softly over and over again seemed to be quite effective. Lucelle¡¯s smiling face seemed a little tense, but it was much better than it was at first. ¡± Could you explain what¡¯s going on about your colleague?¡± ¡°Yes, Carl¡¯s a prosecutor and is my age. He¡¯s got a long-sourced waistband. He has a short haircut. He¡¯s not that big. He¡¯s¡­¡± ¡°Okay. Shall we look for him together or separately?¡± ¡°Oh, yeah. Let¡¯s do it together. If we do it separately, it¡¯ll be hard for us.¡± Lucelle spoke hesitatingly, and Ajin nodded at the remark. Lucelle thought for a moment to look at Ajin, then turned around and went back into the bushes that she had come out. He said, ¡°Together,¡± so he just followed. Ajin slightly clenched his fist, then bloomed and followed Lucelle. ¡°It¡¯s quite late, why are you in this forest?¡± ¡°It¡¯s full moon today, so I¡¯m here to hunt for the full moon in this forest.¡± Ajin¡¯s eyes narrowed at her reply. ¡°Full moon? What is it?¡± It wouldn¡¯t be so strange to ask about that. Indeed, Lucelle explained without much doubt. ¡°Full moon herb is an herb that blooms only in the Forest of Silence which we are situated now. It only blooms on full moon nights, and when the sun rises, it sets. It¡¯s not very rare, but we have a lot of use for it, so I and Carl usually come to pick it up regularly.¡± There was something Ajin was curious about in the words that Lucelle explained. It seemed that the name of this forest was. the Forest of Silence. ¡°Are you living nearby?¡± ¡°Yes. I live in a city outside this forest.¡± Ajin nodded as she memorized Lucelle¡¯s explanation. So, this forest is the Forest of Silence and there is a city near it. ¡°Looking at the staff in the back, you must be a magician. Which school do you belong to?¡± ¡°Ahh. I¡¯m working in Callias.¡± As if pleased to say she is a magician, Lucelle blushed and laughed. The Callias School. When he searched through the magic library, he had certainly seen it. It¡¯s blurry, but¡­ he was sure that the Callias she just mentioned specializes in flame magic and elemental magic. Being a student is not yet a member of the Callias school, and if so, it means that your skills will not be much. ¡°How did you get separated from your colleague?¡± ¡°Carls said it¡¯s faster to find them separately, so we tried it¡­ He¡¯s such an idiot. If anything happens to him¡­¡± While saying so, Lucelle smiled cheerfully. ¡°Well, there¡¯s nothing bad that is going to happen. Because there are no monsters living in this quiet forest. By the way, what have you been doing here?¡± It would be convenient if she answered only the questions she was vaguely asked, but she¡¯s asking for nothing. Ajin thought inwardly but didn¡¯t reveal it with expression. He smiled, reciting the answer he had thought of beforehand. ¡°I¡¯m a traveler. I accidentally came into this forest and got lost.¡± ¡°Wow, a traveler? Are you a mercenary or something?¡± ¡°Not a mercenary, but¡­ I¡¯m just wandering around here and there.¡± At Ajin¡¯s words, Lucelle glistened her eyes and looked at Ajin¡¯s face. ¡°That¡¯s cool. Carl and I want to go on a trip together someday. Uh-huh, I¡¯m still hesitant because I¡¯m not good enough.¡± ¡°Haha, I¡¯m not that good at traveling.¡± Before finishing his words, Ajin shut up. He checked the boy walking far away, looking around, and opened his mouth. ¡°I¡¯m afraid that¡¯s Carls.¡± Although it was called a full moon day, the moonlight was not very bright because the trees were high and thick. It was dark, neither Luchel saw Carl nor any full moon herb. But Ajin could see Carl. It was the power of pyrolysis and intubation. The darkness was dimly visible at night and was far away. Improving one¡¯s physical ability is one of the benefits of mastering military prowess. ¡°Carls!¡± As she stared into the darkness far away with Ajin¡¯s murmur, Lucelle called him loudly to see if she had really found Carls. Ajin¡¯s eyes saw Carl turn his head, and run towards Lucelle. Carls is a boy with a short body, just as Lucelle had said, and with his usual frame. Seeing him panting and running, the little boy seemed to be in poor shape. ¡°Lucel! Where have you been¡­¡± Carls, who was about to shout, stopped in amazement at the sight of Ajin standing behind Lucelle¡¯s back. Carls asked, hurriedly lifting the sword. ¡°Who¡­ who are you?!¡± ¡°Hey! What are you doing to the man who helped me find you? This is Ajin. He said he was a traveler.¡± Lucelle swelled her cheek, approached him and patted Carls on the shoulder. Carls was wearing an old ladder armor. Carls groaned a short groan as the hand of Lucelle fell on him, who had not put much strength. ¡°A¡­ Traveler?¡± ¡°Yes. He got lost in the Silent Forest, right, Ajin?¡± Lucelle asked with a smile, and Ajin nodded, smiling face to face. As Lucelle said, Carls gradually relaxed his guard and lowered the sword he had drawn. ¡°I¡¯m¡­ sorry. I was so surprised that I didn¡¯t know¡­¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s all right. I heard you were going to search for Full moon herb, did you get as much as you wanted?¡± When Ajin asked with a faint smile, Carl hesitated and nodded his head. He handed over the small bundle he was holding to Lucelle, who exclaimed, as she opened it. ¡°Wow! You¡¯ve brought a lot! We can go home now!¡± With a big smile, Lucelle, who embraced the bundle, turned her head and looked at Ajin. She asked him with her crescent smile. ¡°Ajin, come with us. We¡¯ll take you to the city.¡± ¡°Thank you for that. Then I won¡¯t decline.¡± Ajin nodded his head. A forest where monsters don¡¯t come out. Then I don¡¯t have to stay here. It wouldn¡¯t be a bad idea to explore, but it would be better to go to the city first. Maybe there¡¯s a player like Ajin in the city, or maybe even a quest. The quest for the Silent Forest, once he has a grasp of the city, it won¡¯t be late. Ajin clasped his hands and unfolded them as he followed Carls and Lucelle, who were chatting. ¡°Well, what shall I do with those two?¡± As soon as they leave the forest, they become useless to Ajin. If he reaches the city, he¡¯ll have plenty of people to tell him what he needs. Then¡­ just kill them ? Ajin thought of his energy drain. Thanks to sucking in quite a lot of energy from Acacia, the level of skill, strength, and inner workings rose considerably. So it wouldn¡¯t be a bad idea to use those two as a sacrifice to build skill levels. ¡®Monster or NPC.¡¯ Ajin clenched his hands with determination. ¡®If killing helps, then there¡¯s nothing he can¡¯t kill.¡¯ Chapter 10 =========================Author¡¯s Note========================== The main character is bad. ============================================================ ¡°Grab!¡± There was a sudden push of hands that shrieked Lucelle. He extended his hands and cut off Lucelle¡¯s staff, and stuck out his feet and in between Lucelle¡¯s legs. As he choked the cane onto Lucelle¡¯s neck, which made Lucelle stumble a few times. Ajin blocked her mouth with his right hand. ¡°Lucelle!¡± The screams that came from behind was caused by Carls, who was looking back and forth. Ajin squeezed Lucelle¡¯s neck with her staff, pressing his hand tightly against her mouth. Lucelle struggled, but he pressed hard on the cane that was on her forearms, the pressure on her neck strengthened, made her face white as sheet of paper. ¡°Shh!¡± Ajin whispered as she watched Carls shout. It was a bleak voice, but Carls wasn¡¯t stupid enough not to know what was happening. Carls then looked for Ajin, who was recognized by Lucelle, hesitating with a look of astonishment. ¡°A-Ajin¡­¡± Ajin, who had just had a friendly smile, had no longer ghad that smile . His loose eyes tightened, and the drooping eyebrows rose and his aura completely changed. Ajin twisted his lips, smiled and took a step back. ¡°Come on!¡± As he stepped back, her throat was severely chocked and Lucelle made a stifling sound. Ajin was displeased with Lucelle¡¯s saliva touching his palm, but that didn¡¯t loosen his strength. He put more force on Lucelle¡¯s mouth and closed it with his hand. ¡°You look surprised. Don¡¯t make such a face. I feel like I¡¯m going to be weak.¡± Ajin kicked the shivering Lucelle with his knee. The screams that Lucelle screamed were blocked by Ajin¡¯s hand, but her limp body that tried to get up instead staggered and fell. Ajin didn¡¯t try to help Lucelle, so Lucelle¡¯s gesture to fall only brought her into further strangle on her. ¡°Lucelle!¡± ¡°Be quiet.¡± Carls screamed, and Ajin warned in a quiet voice. He kicked Lucelle that once again, looking at her red-hot ears. A liquid touched the back of his hand. Sweat, no it was tears. He couldn¡¯t see Lucelle¡¯s face when he was holding her back. Carl saw them and drew his sword. ¡°Think rationally, Carls. Why did I bother to catch hostages without killing them immediately?¡± Ajin raised his lips and laughed. At the question, Carl hesitated and lowered his sword. The hostage was taken because there was something he wanted. Without such a thing, he wouldn¡¯t have done such a nuisance and would have killed her at once. ¡°What the hell is wrong with you?¡± Carl stammered as he looked at Ajin, who completely changed. Ajin, just a while ago, had thin smile, used honorific language. But not now, he was smiling, but the smile Ajin made was so different from what he had seen the very first time. ¡°What do you mean? I thought there was no reason to act like this.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not¡­¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think I have to make you understand. Put your sword down.¡± Whispering, Ajin tightened his hands unto Lucelle¡¯s throat more strongly. Lucelle struggled even more, but there was no way to boost her internal strength either. She was not a wizard, but a girl who has indefinite position as an apprentice. To implement magic in the first, you need the arrangement and casting of mana, and a medium of collecting mana. The staff, her medium, was taken away, and her mouth was shut in order to reciting castings. Instead, it was squeezed in her neck to disperse the concentration to arrange the mana. If that happens, the girl in front of you is nothing more than an ordinary girl, not a wizard. It is easy for an adult man to overpower a girl, even if there is no body that has become stronger due to a thrombosis. ¡°On the ground.¡± Ajin whispered as he watched the sword-edge drop down to the ground. With those words, Carls shook his shoulders, and put his sword on the ground. As he stood up with empty hands, Carls shooked his head desperately. He didn¡¯t know what that bastard wants, but as he¡¯s taken hostage, he might be thinking about what to do right now. So once he does what he was told to do, he could take the opportunity to rescue Lucelle¡­ Carl¡¯s face was distorted. ¡°I¡¯ll kill you. I will kill you for sure.¡± ¡°You¡¯re a good listener.¡± Looking at Carl¡¯s standing face with his sword down, Ajin laughed while he revealed his teeth. ¡°Disarmed, but that¡¯s not enough.¡± Ajin continued to order. ¡°Kneel down on that spot. And come here. Ten steps will do.¡± The order forced Carls to oblige. He clenched his teeth, touching the ground and kneeled. He moved towards Ajin, he crawled on the ground with his knees. It was embarrassing. It was humiliating. While he crawled, Carls¡¯ head was filled with those kinds of thoughts. He is a son of a knight. His honorable father had self-educated knights that were under him. He hasn¡¯t brought any good news to him, but he never thought he¡¯d be humiliated and would be made to crawl on his knees. ¡®I can¡¯t help it!¡¯ ¡°It is¡­ it is my childhood friend, Lucelle, is being held hostage.¡± My father told me that knights should protect and prioritize Ladies. Lucelle is the woman Carl had held in his heart since childhood. She wasn¡¯t a eulogy of a noblewoman, but Carls liked Lucelle, who played with him since childhood. He can bear the humiliation of the moment if it is to save Lucelle. ¡°Okay. Stop there.¡± He was held back at a knee-length approach, Ajin looked up. The sword that Carls dropped was quite far from him. It was a relief. ¡°So what should I do next?¡± Lucelle¡¯s footstep had calmed, but the tears she shed soaked her sleeves. Should I kill him? That¡¯s obvious. The question was how he kills one of them. Does he simply kill him or do something more¡­ Ajin¡¯s eyes became thinner than before. Now that it had come to this, it is natural to kill. But he didn¡¯t want to go through any trouble when he reach the city. ¡®I need directions for now.¡¯ He hasn¡¯t got out of the forest yet. Even if he kills both of them and walks around the forest, he would end up getting out of it, but it was a waste of time. Did he made his move too early? No, he had no regrets about it. Getting closer to the city, may lead to unwanted witnesses. He was still deep in the forest, and he looked around and found no one else. This was the right place to do things. ¡®All I need is one.¡¯ Ajin hardened his mind. One of the two he had to kill there. And take one as a guide. ¡°Who should I kill? ¡° There was nothing to ask. Ajin¡¯s smile turned cold. Smash! Ajin raised his foot and kicked Lucelle. As soon as she was kicked, he took away her cane that was used on her for strangling, and Lucelle screamed and just lay on the ground. Carls, who kneeled, shouted something. Ajin jumped at Carls at once, putting much power in it. Carls, who was kneeling, lost his posture. Ajin was fast to rush in to the surprised Carls who was trying to stand up and defend. His fist, which he wielded as he ran, contained more power than before. Smash! A loud sound shook the forest of silence, and the head of Carls went round. ¡°Carls!¡± Lucelle, who fell on the ground, shrieked. Carls rolled on the ground, spitting blood from his mouth. Was it a little too much to kill him at one blow? Thinking so, Ajin went at it again. Carls eyes shot wide open, his blood-stained lips could barely scream, turned in black and was feeling pain and fear at the same time. He clenched his hand hurriedly as he watched Ajin rushing in. There was no sword¨C no sword. ¡°W-wait, wait, wait, wait, wait.¡± Smash! That¡¯s what he said, but Ajin¡¯s fist fell unto him, and his left shoulder was severely smashed due to it. With his burst lips open, Carls tried to scream, but even before he could do that, Ajin¡¯s fist stuck Carls¡¯ mouth. The fist broke all his teeth at once. The fist that filled Carls¡¯ mouth could only make him bawl and scream to his heart¡¯s content. ¡°Don¡¯t think too badly.¡± Ajin pulled his hand out of his mouth and pressed the struggling left arm with his other hand. While looking down at Carls¡¯ young face stained with tears and blood, Ajin¡¯s face remained calm. Ajin raised himself by grasping Carls¡¯ face with his hand. Thump¡­ his muscle bursted out, raising Carls¡¯ body. He came up to Lucelle, who sat down, while dragging Carls by his feet. She trembled like a four-leaf tree as she watched Ajin approach her with a face covered with terror. ¡°Don¡¯t yell.¡± Ajin said in a quiet voice as he looked at Lucelle¡¯s mouth, which was about to scream. The remark startled Lucelle while raising her hand and used it to cover her mouth. He was scary. He was very scary. As soon as she felt it, Lucelle¡¯s body was drained of strength and her skirt was drenched. She peed in it. ¡°If you don¡¯t follow orders, you¡¯ll both die. You don¡¯t want to die, do you? Ajin stared at Lucelle and asked, and Lucelle nodded as she trembled. Ajin laughed at her and threw Carls body on the ground. Carls couldn¡¯t scream. He was like a doll whose limbs were broken; Ajin threw him and he just rolled on the ground. Ajin approached Lucelle, while shaking his bloodstained hands, and crouched in front of her, who had collapsed. ¡°Turn your back, close your eyes, and close your ears.¡± Raising the tip of Lucelle¡¯s chin, unwilling to see him, Ajin said. At the words, Lucelle shook and nodded frantically. ¡°And¡­ count one to one hundred. So I can assure that you are still alive, okay? You can¡¯t scream. Don¡¯t make any sound other than counting. Okay?¡± As he spoke, Ajin laughed. The laughter was the same as what he had when Lucelle first met Ajin. Lucelle shrugged her shoulders, raised her hands close to her ears. Then she turned and closed her eyes tightly. ¡°O-one¡­¡± Then she began to count. Ajin was proud of Lucelle, who followed her instructions well, and gave her a pat on the head. Then he turned and approached Carls, who had some breath left, while lying face down on the ground. ¡°Five¡­ six¡­¡± Lucelle continued to count. As he glanced at Lucelle¡¯s shoulder with her back turned, Ajin crouched in front of Carls. His right shoulder was smashed, and his face was really a mess. Even if he lives like this, he would never be able to hold his sword with his right hand again. If the healing magic of the game would be great enough, then that can keep his broken right arm intact, he might be able to grab his sword again. ¡®The dead can¡¯t be saved.¡¯ Ajin put his hand on the back of Carls head. He then slowly extended his hands and began to use energy drain. Carls¡¯ body trembled, and the energy he had, was sucked into Ajin. He was less than a feeble than what was sucked from Acacia. ¡°I hope it¡¯s better than the wolf.¡± Can you hear me? Ajin giggled as he tightened his grip on Carls¡¯ head. Once the inner power used was filled up, his remaining energy flowed as excess power. Looking at his rising stamina and the total amount of his inner workings, Ajin smiled faintly. I¡¯m glad I picked the energy drain. Looking at Carls¡¯ hair, which had lost color and was flabby, Ajin truly thought so. Chapter 11 ¡°Ninety-five¡­ 96¡­¡± She shut her ears and closed her eyes. She turned her back and curled her head. She wanted to open her eyes, but Lucelle didn¡¯t. The sight of Ajin whispering towards her was so frightening that she couldn¡¯t open her eyes. He said he would kill her if she opened her eyes. With that honest and simple threat, all a little girl could feel and do was fear and obey. ¡°Ninety-seven¡­ 98¡­¡± ¡°What would have happened to Carl?¡± Lucelle recalled carls, who was beaten by the fist wielded by Ajin and vomited blood. Carls and Lucell were childhood friends. Carls¡¯ father was a knight called Lord Rutrio. Although he retired because his right leg was broken, many junior knights used to visit him because he was very talented in the past. That¡¯s why Carls and Lucelle became close. Because his father, Rutrio, broke his leg and retired. Lord Rutrio was a former knight, but he wasn¡¯t such a man, so prim and proud. Although he was a noble man, he neither distinguished the common people from the nobility nor enjoyed luxury. ¡°Ninety nine¡­ One hundred¡­¡± Lucelle was a commoner. Her parents were also commoners. Her parents had a small bakery, and Lucelle grew up mediocre, and became a disciple of a wizard that was from the Callias school who happened to drop by their shop once. ¡°I¡¯m¡­ I¡¯m done counting.¡± All kinds of thoughts occurred to her at that moment. What would have happened to Carl, as well as her. Would anything change if Sir Rutrio, Carls¡¯ father, or Gesed, Lucelle¡¯s mentor, if they had been there? Lucelle thought of Sir Rutrio, a good natured man. A former knight with a benevolent smile. At the same time, she recalled her teacher, Gesed. A wizard with white beard and wearing a red robe. But what came to mind after that was Ajin¡¯s face smiling at her. It was meaningless. There was neither Sir Rutrio nor Gesed here. ¡°Good job.¡± Before she knew it, Ajin, who approached her, removed Lucelle¡¯s hand from her ears. Lucelle was startled by his whispers. Her wet legs trembled. She wanted to look back but she couldn¡¯t. With Ajin¡¯s hand on her face, there was a strong smell of blood in his body. ¡°Don¡¯t you wonder what happened to your friend?¡± ¡°This man is a devil.¡± Hearing a whisper in her ears, Lucelle trembled. She was worried, with what he did. But she didn¡¯t want to see it. She didn¡¯t want to see¡­ But Ajin was tempting her to see. He himself turned Lucelle¡¯s head and let her look behind her. Lucelle¡¯s mouth opened and was about to burst a scream, but Ajin blocked her mouth with his hands. The way he looks, Is he¡­ Should she call that Carls? Lucelle shook and denied the idea. The Carls she knew wasn¡¯t as deflated as that. Carls¡¯ eyes were lifeless, his skin was so minimal and it only clinged to the bone, revealing the skeleton structure. Lucelle felt like she was going crazy and peed again. ¡°You¡¯ve listened, so I won¡¯t kill you for now. It¡¯s not a great idea, but I¡¯d like to ask you a few questions.¡± Ajin said, crouching in front of the quivering Lucelle. Lucelle thought over and over again, looking at Ajin¡¯s eyes, which subsided peacefully. ¡°This guy¡¯s crazy. How can you kill a man and not show any remorse after doing that?¡± ¡°If you heard me, answer me.¡± ¡°Yes, sir!¡± Lucelle shouted, nodding her head like a madman. At the horse, Ajin twisted her thin lips and smiled. He reached out and stroked Lucelle¡¯s head, asking in a friendly voice. ¡°You¡¯re a good listener. Very good. Well, let¡¯s start with the question. You said this is a forest of silence, right? How far are you from the wild forest?¡± To Ajin¡¯s question, Lucelle gulped and explained. There are what they call the Wild Forest, the Forest of Silence, the Forest of Pain, and Forest of Oblivion. All those four forests together were called the ¡®Forest of Despair¡¯, and after passing through the Forest of Silence, one reaches the Wild Forest. After that, Ajin continued to ask questions. The city after the forest is the only port city on the island, and recently they haven¡¯t sent ships to the continent due to the turbulent sea. As he listened to the story, Ajin vaguely understood that world. It was a beta tester, and so he can¡¯t get out of the island during beta testing. Well, if there are only 1,000 players on a large continent, they won¡¯t be able to bump into each other. Of course, in that case, it is possible to monopolize the hunting ground and is also easy to level up, but it was no different from one on one games. ¡®The basic hunting ground is the Forest of Despair. Other than that¡­¡¯ A blue volcano, a cliff in the furnace, a singing sea. Ajin nodded as he examined the place, where Lucelle told him one story after another story. That¡¯s where monsters often appear. ¡°You¡¯re a good kid.¡± Ajin smiled faintly as she looked at Lucelle. Lucelle answered all Ajin¡¯s questions. However, the most important place still remains. ¡°What do I have to do to get out of this forest?¡± ¡°Um, you can get out of here if you follow this road.¡± Lucelle spoke with a shiver. That¡¯s it. No more, he had no reason to hold onto that NPC. Ajin smiled and put his hand on Lucelle¡¯s head. He was not trying to pet her again. Ajin activated his energy drain, while holding Lucelle¡¯s head strongly. ¡°He-euk!¡± Lucelle¡¯s face turned white. She trembled as her energy got pulled from the top of her head, the sense of helplessness overcame her. Ajin reached out and blocked Lucelle¡¯s mouth. She was a wizard, as she said. Even though she was only an apprentice, she must have some kind of mana. So he thought that there might be a lot more energy he could suck from Lucelle. Ajin dimly guessed it would be the case. The amount of energy sucked from Carls was insignificant and that was the only way to make up to it. ¡®First of all, after killing that bitch, I¡¯m going to the city¡¯s harbor. There¡¯s a¡­¡¯ His thoughts stopped. Swish! An arrow shot through Ajin¡¯s shoulder. Ajin stopped his energy drain due to the throbbing pain and just jumped. Attack! Ajin¡¯s expression hardened and looked around. Throw! Such an eye could see an arrow coming through the air. Ajin fled in a hurry. Stick! The arrow that was fired just hit the ground where Ajin was. Lucelle screamed. It¡¯s on the tree! Ajin hurriedly lifted his head up. At that moment, his eyes met with a woman falling from a tree. The woman had eyes full of contempt, landed on the ground, and had fluttering blue hair. ¡°Player?¡± When she asked, Ajin didn¡¯t answer. She was a player! Ajin had a distorted expression and broke the arrow that was on his shoulder. If he pulled it out, he would only bleed more. Ajin quickly turned his inner ear and pulled up his blood throbbing. The woman, who accepted Ajin¡¯s silence as affirmation, pointed her crossbow at Ajin and spat out an arrow. ¡°You beast-like son of a bitch! You did this against children who are not fully grown¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s not even a rape. What do you mean?¡± At the woman¡¯s contempt, Ajin replied with a smile. The question made the woman¡¯s face angry. In the gap Ajin dashed the ground against the woman. She was the first player he met since he started that game. It wouldn¡¯t be bad to talk about this and that, and bloom the social flower, but he can¡¯t help it because she attacked and failed to give a good first impression. ¡®My level is 9. I have level 5 power and Level 9 energy drain.¡¯ The energy drain, which used to be LV 8, moved up a notch by turning the carls into a dead body. He was confident that his skill level was quite high, but what about the other player level? Acacia said to Ajin that his level was the lowest among 1,000 beta players. Then probably, that woman would be at a higher level than Ajin. Ajin thought it was a good idea. While watching Ajin rushing in, the woman twisted her lips instead of pointing with the crossbow. ¡°Dirty bastard, you¡¯re kicking!¡± The woman quickly draped the crossbow behind her back and pulled the sword from her side. Is it a combination of archery and swordsmanship, what is it? He was not fully aware of that. He couldn¡¯t figure out how to do that. Furthermore, even though he had looked through all the weapons in the library, he didn¡¯t remember them all. ¡®I don¡¯t think he chose the trial. Then the total amount of internal energy may not be that different.¡¯ The sword method was more diverse and powerful, but the specs that can only be built with the sword method were less than that of crossbow. Ajin¡¯s pyrolysis method was perfect, and the internal mana built through the energy drain was also quite high. ¡®Let¡¯s try this first!¡¯ Thud! The woman chewed her lips again and stretched out the sword she was holding. Her sword shot like a flash and flew towards Ajin. The woman added up to the length of the sword. In the end, it was Ajin who might lose because of the difference in terms of level and skill. Of course it¡¯s a possibility. As soon as the woman¡¯s sword was fired, Ajin twisted his waist and pulled himself. Smash! The sword that the woman stretched brushed Ajin¡¯s cheek. Ajin stretched his feet wide, feeling the pain in his cheek. Clash! Ajin¡¯s fist was directed to the woman. She leaned back harshly, and made a stiff expression. Ajin¡¯s fists, which contained chi, flew fast towards the woman, but her movements were faster than his. She quickly widened their distance, she retrieved the stretched sword and tried to stab him. Swish! Ajin saw the sword shot at him in an instant as he splintered, and vaguely realized what that sword was. ¡®Hitachi¡¯s Sword Art¡¯ It was a secret swordsmanship of fortune tellers. That sword boasts strength and speed. As the woman carried out the technique in perfection, Ajin was unable to keep up with the speed. Ajin moved hurriedly, furrowing his eyebrows. Squish! He felt pain on his side that grazed the blade. But he wasn¡¯t immobile. ¡®If he drove her into close combat¡­!¡¯ As Ajin turned his body to the side and bended, he avoided the sword flying towards his chest. Then he clung to the woman. Her weapon was a crossbow and sword. The odds were on her side if he approached her without giving her a distance to wield the sword. ¡®My body is so weak. This is the only way to avoid being hit!¡¯ The problem was the body. His physical strength was declining rapidly due to the wounds he had, and the sword never dulled. But he can¡¯t help it. He has to kill her to avoid the risk of bearing more damage. He had an injury. He can recover if he uses the energy drain. Ajin prepared for the explosion by raising it to the extreme. ¡°Don¡¯t attack and kneel down, you motherfucker!¡± The woman continued to stretch her sword as she shouted. The sparkle of light struck Ajin again. But Ajin didn¡¯t stop. He was rather persistent as he pushed his left shoulder in. Blow! The sword pierced Ajin¡¯s shoulder. Swish! But Ajin ran without stopping. The penetrating sword was grinding down to his bone, but Ajin moved his arm. That body was just an avatar anyway. ¡°As long as I don¡¯t have zero stamina, I won¡¯t die.¡± Ajin stretched out his left arm and grabbed the woman by the wrist. ¡°Wha-¡­? ¡° Lion Likeness Origin! Ajin opened his eyes wide and clenched her right fist loosely. The skill he used in the Breeze of Murim was vaguely remembered in Ajin¡¯s head. Although he hadn¡¯t mastered the corresponding procedure and can¡¯t move his inner energy, he remembered the movements roughly. Ajin whipped his loosely clenched fist like a whip as he pulled the woman¡¯s wrist. ¡°Ke-eup!¡± The woman staggered as she spat out a stifling sound in the attack directed at her adam¡¯s apple. But it didn¡¯t stop there. Ajin pushed air power into his fist and threw her down quickly. Puke! Stretching fists, fingernails exposed while clasping loosely the woman¡¯s shoulders and tore them off. And then he continued to clench his fists. A fast-expanding and folding fist ripped the woman¡¯s flesh out. ¡°This is so.¡± I got the chance to win. He thought so, but another voice came. There was a voice he heard from afar. The moment he felt it, Ajin collided into something. Clash! Ajin¡¯s body rose into the air as the cannon exploded. Ajin couldn¡¯t even scream at the sense of his body getting crushed to the bones. ¡°What the fuck?!¡± ¡°I was wondering what you were doing, and you¡¯re here getting a terrible beating. Are you all right?¡± ¡°Luke!¡± The woman shouted the man¡¯s name as she hid the blood flowing from the place where Ajin had attacked. Clash! Ajin, who floated into the air and fell, looked at the back of the big man with a blurred vision. ¡°Are you all right, Asella?¡± And saw a little woman running out of the bushes. It was a wizard with a big hat and a cane. She used healing magic on Asella¡¯s wounds. ¡°I¡¯ll kill you.. you bastard!¡± Asella rushed in, pushing Luke to calm down. Asella punched Ajin in the face as she tried to stand up staggeringly. Ajin threw up blood and rolled back to the ground. ¡°Is he a player?¡± Step and step! Luke asked as he approached Asella, who weighed on Ajin and wielded her fists. Asella, who kept putting her fist on Ajin¡¯s face, exhaled a breath. ¡°Yes. This bastard, he was trying to kill an NPC. And then he came to me!¡± ¡°This is amazing. Were there any other users in the beta that went all the way to the Forest of Silence besides us?¡± ¡°No, wait a minute. Luke, he¡¯s¡­ wearing a beginner¡¯s outfit.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Luke looked surprised at the woman¡¯s murmur. Asella¡¯s fists also stopped. Asella murmured as she lowered Ajin¡¯s bloody clothes. ¡°¡­that¡¯s true. This bastard¡­ is a beginner?¡± ¡°Hey, that¡¯s ridiculous. How can a beginner be in the Forest of Silence? You have to go through a Raging Forest first to get here.¡± Luke shook his head. Asella, who was looking down at Ajin with her eyes wide open, took out an arrow and pointed it at Ajin. ¡°¡­Does it really matter? Maybe there was a bug. I can just kill him. What¨C!¡± Asella, saying so, struck the arrow on Ajin¡¯s head. Watching the arrow approaching his face, Ajin thought. Luke, Asella¡­ The two names he heard right now, he surely remembered them both. He remembered that incident he had two years ago. They were the ones who gave him the first death in another game. ¡°¡­See you later.¡± Just before being hit by an arrow, Ajin bit his lip and spat out some blood. Asella¡¯s eyes grew at a moment¡¯s notice, but she didn¡¯t stop and put the arrow into Ajin¡¯s face. Squash! Asella murmured as she thrusted the arrow into his brain through the forehead at once. ¡°¡­what did you just say?¡± [This player is dead.] [Death penalty limits access for 4 hours.] Chapter 12 Access is restricted for 4 hours. That was the last thing Ajin heard. Coming out of the capsule, Ajin moved his tired feet and went to the refrigerator to drink water. Then he took off his clothes and went into the bathroom. Turning on the hot water, he saw his reflection in the mirror. ¡®How many hours have I been doing this?¡¯ He came out a few times in the middle, took a break, and slept for a while, but he only played the games for more than 30 minutes this time. Ajin saw himself in the mirror and there he saw his thin figure. He wanted to laugh, but he couldn¡¯t. He placed his head into the pouring hot water. The hot water soaked the hair and warmed him up. But, his body was already boiling. ¡°Fuckers¡­¡± He said with a low voice. Ajin changed the temperature of the water. The hot water quickly turned into cold water. As he kept his head down, Ajin clenched his fist. I could have won. He was certain. He could have killed her. ¡°Did she just say Luke?¡± If he hadn¡¯t tried to interrupt, Ajin would have killed the woman on the spot and Lucelle too. He could have benefited enough from extracting energy from the two. But he failed. Because of Luke¡¯s appearance, Ajin wore a damage suit until his death, and after that he was crushed under the woman¡¯s buttocks and beaten to a mess. It was a humiliation. So far, Ajin has never felt the level of helplessness and humiliation while playing any game. Of course, he bowed his head to an NPC while playing a single player game. But he had to kneel down, begged for forgiveness or begged to be a disciple. He once put his forehead on the ground to save his life. But he never felt humiliated from it. Ajin did that to achieve what he really wanted, and finally got it. But this time it was different. He didn¡¯t get what he wanted. It drove Ajin crazy. As he was hit by cold water, Ajin gritted his teeth. Aside from being beaten and killed, honestly speaking, the four hours of restricted access was so irritating that it hurt him to the core. He lost four hours, and in that time, other players would grow further. Ajin fell behind that much. ¡°¡­ bitch.¡± Again Ajin spat out a curse. He recalled Asella¡¯s face, who was punching in his face. Blue bobbed hair, dilated eyes¡­ A distorted look was on his face as she punched him. The corners of his mouth rose as he recalled the woman shooting him down with an arrow. As soon as he thought of it, Ajin¡¯s stuff stood up firmly. Ajin grabbed it by grinding his teeth. ¡®Bitch, bitch, bitch.¡¯ Recalling her face over and over again, Ajin masturbated. He was also reminded of the face of Lucella that turned into Acacia. The game has produced sexual desire several times, but the body inside the capsule remains the same. Though he was mentally satisfied, his body was still craving. Ajin continued to masturbate by touching the wall with his hands. He recalled Acacia, who was panting under him, and her groans and her legs, which were intertwined with his waist, as she was shouting for death. As he looked down at himself, he reminded himself of Lucella¡¯s face, which he put his fists on. ¡°I¡¯ll see you later.¡± As he washed away the sticky, slippery unpleasant liquid with water, Ajin exhaled. Just before he died, he said so to Asella. It was also a word for Luke. ¡°I¡¯ll kill that fucking bastard one day. Of course, I don¡¯t intend to kill them both comfortably. Luke, the fucker that sprayed ash on me.¡± Asella humiliated Ajin, giving him the first death in this game. There was no need to give such monumental chicks the mercy of a gentle and comfortable death. If he logs in again, he would sit there for hours and days and wait for her to show up. Ajin squeezed the shampoo and washed his hair. He also washed his body with lots of body wash. Then he turned off the shower, and came out of the bathroom, wiping himself roughly with a towel. He lost four hours, but he can¡¯t be offended by it forever. If he hasn¡¯t been able to play games for four hours, he should spend as much time as he could for himself. Ajin immediately boiled the ramen. Then, he turned on his cell phone and went into First¡¯s homepage. ¡®There were more users out there who went all the way to the forest of silence besides us?¡¯ He didn¡¯t forget Luke¡¯s murmur. The website, which was released only to beta players, was open to users after the certification. Ajin first went into the bulletin board. ¡®¡­The village of beginning.¡¯ It¡¯s a mistake. Ajin admitted it calmly. The manual didn¡¯t contain a worldview. It was foolish of him to forget to check the website after knowing it. Ajin scrolled down the screen with his fingers as he clicked his tongue. After completing the tutorial, the user would fall to the village of the beginning and grow up with a quest from NPCs there. He didn¡¯t know that it was the village at the beginning. Ajin gnawed at the thought of unfriendly instructions. ¡®No, it¡¯s okay.¡¯ Ajin thought, soothing his boiling anger. Beginners whose levels were below 10 would go back to the village if they die. Ajin¡¯s level was 9. The place where he was supposed to start was the village. But why did he start in the forest, and not in the village of beginning? He was in the Forest of Silence. Ajin checked the user ranking. The names he was looking for were Asella and Luke. It wasn¡¯t hard to find them as he thought. Their level was at the top of the ranking page. Asella¡¯s level was 19. Luke¡¯s level was 20. Beta version was only limited to 50. When he thought about it, he only thought of Luke, who shot to a level of 20 over a two-day period, or Asella, a level 19 woman that was close to him, and was already game-wrecking. The top three levels were not open yet, but considering Luke is fourth in the rankings, there won¡¯t be much difference. ¡®There was a ten-point difference in level.¡¯ While eating the hot ramen, Ajin thought. He was almost on par with level 19 Asella at level 9, and could have won. The skill level? That might be it, but the reason why he was close to victory was Ajin¡¯s sense of battle. The sense of battle, which has been created by penetrating numerous games beyond the limits, works well in the first. ¡®I could use some of the Lion¡¯s Mane Origin.¡¯ Of course, he differs greatly in power compared to the Lion¡¯s Mane Origin! He used the powers of the Breeze of Murim, he did learn Lion¡¯s Mane Origin there to some extent, however, the form can be followed and is quite powerful if the internal cavity of the pyroclastic is used. For now he has not yet mastered that skill, so he thought it would be better to apply the skills he had to master the Breeze of Murim in that way. ¡°¡­why did I start in the woods?¡± As he dipped the pot in the water, Ajin murmured. ¡°Is it a simple bug, as Asella said?¡± He didn¡¯t know that either. He thought about arguing with the management, but refused. The level of penalty made him concentrate more. Ajin set the alarm and went straight to bed and lay down. Three more hours before the death penalty ends. Until then he decided to sleep. Ajin closed his eyes, and fell asleep immediately. ¡°Primrose must have done something useless.¡± A man wearing a high-pointed hat broke into the space of Acacia, and was clinging unto his cane. Acacia eyed the uninvited guest, but did not rise up from the sofa where she sat. She opened her mouth looking at the man with thin glasses. ¡°Get lost, Chrysanthemum.¡± ¡°Oh, my. You must be very angry.¡± Chrysanthemum smiled faintly as he lifted his gray hair. And then he moved his head to the side, and he cracked it! The fired current was brushed past his hair. ¡°I¡¯m not very upset.¡± Acacia crossed her legs and lowered her pointing finger. She rubbed her fingertips and buried herself deeper on the sofa. ¡°Well, it was just a surprise that I didn¡¯t think that the useless honest bitch would do this trick.¡± ¡°Surely that isn¡¯t Primrose-like behavior. It¡¯s not just you, it¡­suits more to Carleya.¡± ¡°Ah, yes. There was that, Carleya¡­ maybe. Primrose and Carleya were in collusion.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll save my breath on that.¡± Chrysanthemum came up to Acacia, waving his cane, with a thin smile. Acacia, dressed in a black hat and a black cape, gazed with a wary look at the approaching man in a far-off, with exaggerated moves that seemed comical. ¡°Do you want me to get teased?¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m just curious why are you keeping yourself silent? Primrose broke the rules. But why are you staying still?¡± At the question of Chrysanthemum, Acacia stared at him in silence and smiled. The smile of her lips distorted the mood of Acacia. ¡°I see why you¡¯re here. Why are you staying still? Why? Do you want me to go into Primrose¡¯s territory right now and attack her? Do you want me to execute her by tearing her to death, and punish her for her sins?¡± ¡°The fewer competitors, the better.¡± Chrysanthemum didn¡¯t deny Acacia¡¯s question. As he raised his glasses, he opened his thin lips and smiled. The corners of the mouth that go up to the ears, the teeth that she had seen between the open lips, are as sharp as carnivores. ¡°Then it can¡¯t be any more. I won¡¯t do anything. I¡¯m not going to punish Primrose for touching my toys, and I¡¯m not going to move as you wanted.¡± ¡°That¡¯s too bad. I thought it was a good chance to get rid of two annoying competitors.¡± ¡°But only this time¡­¡± Acacia certainly drew a line. She opened her eyes thinly and glared at Chrysanthemum. ¡°This time, I¡¯ll stay still, too. I¡¯m a little bit freaked out that Primrose broke the rules. I¡¯m going to stay still.¡± ¡°But, if she ever touches my toy again¡­¡± ¡°If she touches it?¡± Chrysanthemum asked, with glimmer in his eyes. The eyes beyond the black glasses, silently glanced on the white thing flowing in between her legs. Noticing it, Acacia took a breath. ¡°I¡¯ve violated the rules, so I have no choice but to formally propose the execution. Gladiolus will love it.¡± At the remark, Chrysanthemum burst out laughing. He twirled his cane and nodded his head as he put it on his shoulder. ¡°You refer to the great man. But, uh¡­ I don¡¯t want to provoke him. I¡¯m not very interested in your toys.¡± Chrysanthemum then turned around. He didn¡¯t seem to want to continue the conversation any more. Acacia asked Chrysanthemum, who was moving away, darting her shoes. ¡°How¡¯s Hyacinth doing?¡± ¡°She¡¯s not very keen on this game. She¡¯s just staying silent. You, her, me¡­ are not like Primrose or Carleya.¡± As expected. Acacia nodded her head as she recalled the face of Hyacinth. Hyacinth didn¡¯t even approve of this game from the start. Gladiolus would just follow the orders. I don¡¯t know, but the other three, including Acacia, would have been somewhat involved in the 300 toys given to them. Acacia gave her body, because Ajin chose energy drain as his professional skill. He would have chosen a fairly likely toy from 300 people to intervene in the right amount. But Hyacinth wouldn¡¯t have done that. She would simply be silent, faithful to her player as an NPC, doing a simple tutorial. ¡®You can ignore 300 people assigned to Hyacinths.¡¯ As she glared at the vanishing Chrysanthemum¡¯s back, Acacia smiled thinly. Then she turned her head aside. ¡°¡­but not the other 1200.¡± In the distorted space, Ajin was seen sleeping in bed. Chapter 13 Translator: Skye Editor: killme (Krish) ============================================================ I¡¯m thinking of going to Game Fantasy in the beginning and Fusion in the end. When it comes to revenge¡­ Please wait a little longer. Haha; =========================================================== At the moment of access, the first thing he saw was a large square. Clear water was spilling from the fountain in the center, and a few people gathered nearby to talk about this and that, though he couldn¡¯t distinguish if it was a player or NPC, and were talking about things. Some were dressed in stylish armor, others in thin skirts that seemed useless as a defense tool. Standing still, Ajin looked around. There were lot of shops lying around the square. Some ran fast, and some flew in the air. That one is a player, Ajin thought, when he saw a character. After waking up from the alarm, he immediately logged onto beta tester as soon as the four-hour death penalty was over. He was a little worried that he might fall into the forest again, but the bug seems to have ended with the first one. The village of the beginning. There was no explanation for the geographical names, but Ajin thought that really was the place. Ajin moved right away. He thought about what to do before he started. On the website, a friendly and stupid player had launched an attack that could be made in the village of the beginning. For once Ajin was going to follow it. He thought it was better to use the information because he was in the place to use it. Ajin laughed inwardly at the player who gave that information. What¡¯s the reward for doing such kindness? What¡¯s the benefit of the unpaid information? Fame? Popularity? That¡¯s of no use. First, he bought a map at a nearby grocery store. A map of the wild forest, including the village of the beginning. As he bought it, the first 100 gold he had flew away in an instant. But it wasn¡¯t a waste. He doesn¡¯t have to buy equipment because he didn¡¯t use weapons anyway, and he can replace the potion with energy drain. Better buy a map and light the way than buy something useless. When he bought the map, Ajin opened the inventory window. In the inventory window were 10 rye breads, three stamina potions, three reflux and three psychotropic potion to restore the inner strength. That was the end of the items that are paid to beginners. ¡°Don¡¯t you need black wolf teeth?¡± Ajin, who arrived at a nearby armory dealer, asked the bearded man who appeared to be a master. Black Wolf Hunting. When he would get back with the collected teeths, he¡¯ll get a reward and EXP value for it. The monster level of the black wolf was 8. Ajin¡¯s level was 9, so there won¡¯t be much trouble carrying out the quest. Moreover, it was a repeatable quest and could be combined with hunting, making it the most efficient for Ajin right now. ¡°Oh, I¡¯ve never seen you before. How did you know I needed black wolf teeth?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve heard the rumor.¡± When he was asked by the man, Ajin replied, putting up a humane smile. It was important to increase the level of favorability with NPC. NPC¡¯s AI was no different from humans, and a person puts as much rice cake if he gets close to him. With Ajin¡¯s laugh, the man smiled face to face and nodded his head. ¡°Hmm, is that so? I did need the teeth of the black wolf, as you said. If you collect them and bring them with you, my child, you will receive a good reward.¡± ¡°Okay, sir.¡± Ajin grinned with his head down, and turned around. And he immediately followed the map along the road. He had learned all the quests he need to receive rewards, and memorized the location of the NPC. Ajin got three quests. Black wolf teeth in the forest that was ran by the blacksmith¡¯s barn. Blue wolf, received from the vigilante of the village. Hanemos, ordered by the sorcerer, sake. The wolf teeth was the most efficient quest that could be carried out at the immediate level. Upon receiving the quest, Ajin left the village. No other quests were needed to be carried out at the immediate line. ¡®For now I should raise the level.¡¯ He had made some plans. Now, he had to focus on levelling up. Absorb the energy of monsters with energy drain, and carry out explosive attack method in combats. For now, the target level was 15. After that, it raises the attack to level 10. If it became level 10, the heart attack would change to explosive heart law method. Then he can move and attack fast, turn and grow to level 19. ¡®The more items I have, the faster I finish the quest.¡¯ It¡¯s just like rolling a snowball. It¡¯s slow to grow when you roll the first small snowball. But from the start, when you roll the snow balls together, the balls stick more and grow faster. What¡¯s needed for immediate explosive growth was the amount of skill and the energy drain. After he left the village, Ajin headed straight to the forest. There was something like a rabbit or a fox running around in the open grassland, but none of the players cared about it except Ajin. The level to catch such a thing was low. Ajin bit his lips as he looked at the players who could be seen from time to time. ¡®They¡¯re all competitors.¡¯ And all of them will be at a higher level than Ajin. Ajin¡¯s pace grew faster and faster. The Raging Forest As soon as he entered the forest, Ajin was attacked by a wolf. A red wolf that was hiding in the bushes hit Ajin. Ajin was neither hesitant nor surprised. He immediately readied his fist, and the fist with a MP, instantly crushed the wolf¡¯s head. At the same time the energy drain quickly sucked up the wolf¡¯s energy. With the first blow, a little energy was quickly sucked into Ajin. As he kicked the wolf, which was only skinned, Ajin continued to go inside the forest. He had no lingering affection for the red wolf. That was a sickening kill in the tutorial. Ajin felt thirsty. In there, in that forest¡­he had sexual intercourse with Acacia. He tasted a swampy woman who dries and kills men. His whole body felt like his blood was boiling, but Ajin cooled down his senses. Killing wolves several times, using the energy drain¡­ The deeper he went, the thicker the forest became and the higher the trees rose. ¡°Here it is.¡± Ajin crossed X on the map and looked at the a tree. The milestones in the map were everywhere because it was such a large forest. Beyond that was the black wolf¡¯s territory. And beyond that there would be a blue wolf. The quest from the wizard say, is to collect Hanemos. Hanemos, a flower that blooms under trees in the beyond area and is used as a magic material. It¡¯s not a hunting quest, but the wild forest monsters were all ahead, so it was better to go hunting to carry out the quest efficiently. Ajin didn¡¯t hesitate to walk past the milestone tree. It was evident that the atmosphere had changed. Not long after walking, the forest became darker, and the sound of insects was barely audible. A cold, heavy silence only presses down on the forest. Ajin expanded his senses by keeping a wary eye on the surroundings. The black wolf level was level 10. The red wolf was level 5, so there was a double difficulty. It¡¯s a level that simply appears to be numerical, but as he thought about it carefully, the black wolf was twice as strong as the red wolf. Whoo! And it is said that black wolves climb trees and jump off branches. Recalling the attack that the player who had launched the attack, Ajin stepped back from the ground. Quack! The ground puffed out big on the wolf¡¯s wielding front paws, raising dust. The black wolf was not much different in size from the red wolf. It had dark black fur that seemed indistinguishable in the dark, and had bloodshot eyes, looked ferocious. But Ajin laughed, let alone got scared. ¡°Pretty little bitch.¡± It¡¯s a food to watch and hunt until it gets tired. It¡¯s going to suck up energy over and over again, and it¡¯s going to strengthen itself. For Ajin, Nogada was not a bore. There was a certain reward for hard work. Ajin liked the reward of Nogada, especially useful him. Moreover, there was certainly a purpose to be strong. At first, when he started this first, he thought he was going to go further than others and rule the ocean of the online virtual reality games. Now. He was far behind. He was there because he faithfully followed the tips posted by a user on the bulletin board. That place was already under development. It was meaningless for Ajin to try to attack. Of course, if he dug into the details, there would be plenty of room for attack. But he didn¡¯t. What he wanted was a blue wolf, and again a unique one. He needed that kind of item that only he can do and that only he can sell. He had to go farther so that not anyone would be able to get it. To go that far, he has to be strong. So right now, he is patiently trying to level-up and get strong. That¡¯s how far he wanted to go. Further than the wild forest, even more further than the forest of silence. And¡­ ¡®Asella, Luke.¡¯ ¡°I must kill those bastards. I¡¯ve already thought about what kind of punishments to give them. Asella will be raped. I will spit on her face and crush her with my feet, and tear her clothes to pieces. What about Luke? Let¡¯s nail him down and let him watch while I rape her.¡± Ajin clenched his fist. The black wolf ran at Ajin, hitting the ground with its feet. The speed was incomparably faster than that of a red wolf. Ajin spread his mana throughout his whole body as he pulled up his explosion attack. Towards the wolf, who opened its mouth wide and was about to bite him, Ajin faced him and kicked the ground. The wolf opened its mouth, and its sharp teeth bite Ajin. Ajin, watched with his eyes dilated ¨C the wolf¡¯s jaw moved, and the moment its neck bent, its upper body bounced sideways. Squash! The wolf¡¯s teeth clenched in the air, and Ajin¡¯s fist downed hit the wolf¡¯s belly. Smash! The wolf shrieked. A heavy sensation and the wolf¡¯s body flew into the air. But it wasn¡¯t enough. That wolf¡¯s fur was black, not red. The wolf, which was soaring the air, turned around and landed on the ground. Then he revealed his teeth and made a screeching sound. Ajin lifted his fists, spread his legs over his shoulders, and then he turned his body to the side. No attack skills. No weapons. Only hands and feet can be used. But he had his memory and knowledge. Squish! As he rushed toward the wolf, Ajin shook his fist. At the moment when the wolf, who was hit on the head, staggered over his waist, Ajin stamped his left heel on the wolf¡¯s cheek one after another. He turned his body like a top, and used his legs like an axis. He then put his right arm back up and attacked the wolf¡¯s temple. There was a total of three times but he didn¡¯t stop. Against the wolf that was repeatedly beaten and reeled by Ajin who put his hands together against the wolf in that dungeon. He draw a triangle in his palms, putting it to the face of a wolf. The seal! It¡¯s the Shaolin art. Of course its power was nothing compared to the Breeze of Murim. It¡¯s just a form of it. But it was enough to catch a beast. Ajin stretched out his hand, smashing the wolf that rolled with a thin sound. He held its head and used the energy drain as he put it in the ground. How long would it take this wolf to die? How much reward can he gain? How much XP does he have? There¡¯s no time for thinking of that now, Ajin thought. Textbooks are overflowing. Chapter 14 It¡¯s boring repetitive work. He sees a wolf, approaches it then stabs it but he doesn¡¯t kill it. Just drains its energy and pulls out the teeth. Ajin repeated it over and over again. Since it is a monster with a higher level than him, the black wolf gave a considerable amount of experience. But that wasn¡¯t enough as Ajin¡¯s level reached 12 when he gathered about 170 teeth, he thought there was no reason to be here anymore. Just in time, the inventory was full, so he decided to go back to town without hesitation. The level of energy drain is 14, mental strength is at level 6, MP is 3,500 and stamina is at 5300. The beginner level potions were already finished. The growth of magic attacks was slow without the major stream, but the number of experience points was enormous thanks to the continuous use of the energy drain. Ajin came out of the forest, smacking his lips. It had already been four hours since he entered the wild forest. While hunting in earnest, he came to realize many things. First, this game¡¯s monster hunt was quite different from the ones he last played. Previous games used to drop items with a certain probability when catching a monster. Weapons, money, whatever. But the beta is different. The only thing he can get from the monster of the beta is the body parts. If he catches a black wolf, all he can get are its teeth, leather, and its bones. Also, it¡¯s not like items get into his inventory he has to manually skin and pull the teeth out. ¡®It¡¯s just like reality.¡¯ The way to catch black wolves over and over again, and pulling out its teeth, Ajin thought. It is no different from reality. This is just a plain¡°RAW¡± experience. At least in this game, he thought it wasn¡¯t only that the avatar is so real but also the inventory, skills, stats, login, and logout. Except for Avatar, which includes all that, this virtual world is too faithfully reflecting reality. ¡®Usually, with this many items, I¡¯d make a lot of money from it.¡¯ But no, Ajin had already killed countless wolves in the last four hours but he still didn¡¯t make a penny out of it. As for the items, he couldn¡¯t even get a miscellaneous item. He doesn¡¯t know why they gave this realism; they don¡¯t have the simple drop system, but Ajin thought it was not a bad system. This is the first game that has such great realism. ¡®If I had enough time, I could have skinned bones, and meat.¡¯ Ajin clicked his tongue. The problem was time. He had taken way too much time. He didn¡¯t regret it, but in order to benefit the most during the month-long beta testing, he has to fill that wasted time quickly. So Ajin boldly gave up the items. He just pulled out the teeth to proceed with the quest. ¡®Next is the blue wolf. And the collection of Hanemos.¡¯ Originally, he had to hunt black wolves and collect Hanemos at the same time. But the amount of Hanemos that could be collected from the black wolf¡¯s region was too small. And as he thought he would get a lot more if he went deeper into the forest, and so Ajin had put the collection of Hanemos on hold. As soon as he came back to the village, Ajin immediately visited the blacksmith¡¯s shop. The owner was smoking and looked at Ajin approaching him. ¡°Oh, have you collected the teeth of the black wolf I asked for?¡± ¡°Yes, I got 170 of them.¡± As Ajin said so, he took all the wolf teeth out of his inventory and put them on the table. The owner said in a glad voice, looking at the figure. ¡°Hey, you got a lot on your hands. A few days ago, there were many people to whom I requested to collect the wolf¡¯s teeth, but today, I¡¯m afraid to say but I wouldn¡¯t have to anymore, thanks to you.¡± Ajin smiled at the remark but frowned within his heart. If that¡¯s true, Ajin is the only player here who is absorbed in the quest to collect wolf teeth. The rest have already leveled up. ¡°Well, it¡¯s a lot, so I¡¯m going to give you a tip. What would you like? I can give you some money or the equipment of your choice.¡± At this point, Ajin glanced over the weapons on display in the store. Sword, spear, axe¡­ From dagger to bow to crossbow, there were a variety of weapons with different levels. Armor is about plate armor, chain armor, and Red armor. Ajin, who was looking through it, shook his head. ¡°No, I don¡¯t need equipment.¡± There is no reason to use the equipment. In battle, his own body is enough to use without the use of weapons. But getting armor isn¡¯t very satisfying either. If he wore one, he¡¯d get that much defense, but it doesn¡¯t fit Ajin¡¯s style of fighting. ¡°Is that so? Then what about money?¡± Money, Ajin was silent. There is no harm in having money. I¡¯m sure it will. However, there is no place for Ajin to spend money now. You can buy such a thing as a potion, but now that his mental strength has increased considerably, potions aren¡¯t required. If you are mentally challenged, it would be a good idea to stop hunting, breathe fresh air, and conduct blood poisoning. ¡°Is there anything else other than money and equipment?¡± Ajin asked, still smiling at the NPC. Although it is called ana NPC, the AI is no different from humans. In other words, they don¡¯t just provide a set amount of compensation as is set in the box. ¡°Alternative¡­¡± The owner tilted his head, scratching his beard. Looking at Ajin for a moment, he asked, who was not wearing any basic clothes and equipment. ¡°Are you a Martial Artist?¡± ¡°For now, yes.¡± His current job is a fighter. He didn¡¯t even learn taekwondo or karate. But that doesn¡¯t mean he uses weapons, he simply amplifies his strength through blood & heart technique. The blacksmith thought for a moment about Ajin¡¯s reply, then nodded his head. ¡°Well, then I¡¯ll write you a letter of recommendation to Raconda. What do you say?¡± ¡°Ms. Raconda¡­who is that?¡± Ajin whispered, and the blacksmith answered the question as if it was alright to ask. ¡°Raconda is one of the town¡¯s officials. She used to be quite famous as a martial artist, but this village is so rural and has little interaction with other places, I don¡¯t know much about that, but she¡¯s good at it. Look, all of the instructors who teach as a vigilante in this village: they all have been educated by Raconda.¡± With that information, Ajin thought for a moment. Money or letter of recommendation. What is more profitable? There was nothing to think about. To be honest, it¡¯s nothing but a gamble, so Ajin nodded. ¡°Yes, I¡¯d appreciate it if you could write me a letter of recommendation.¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s good. I like it because this option saves me money.¡± The owner grinned and brought a pen and wrote him a letter of recommendation on the spot. He then sealed it in an envelope. ¡°Raconda is probably at home. Ask around and see if there is anyone in this town that can take you to her place.¡± Ajin bowed his head when he received the letter. There¡¯s nothing wrong with being polite. Although he is an NPC whom he will never encounter in the future, it is a matter of choice. At Ajin¡¯s greeting, the blacksmith nodded his head with a pleased face. Ajin, who turned around, asked the NPC for directions and went towards Raconda¡¯s house. Her house was located in a remote part of the village, she was a so-called village official, and here she lived shabbily?!. He was looking at the house, thinking that it might collapse anytime, questioning whether he had been fooled or not. Of course, if he were, for sure he would kill the smithy¡¯s owner. ¡°Is there anyone here?¡± But that¡¯s something he hadn¡¯t confirmed yet. Standing in front of the door across the fence, Ajin knocked. After a while, the door opened. ¡°Who is it?¡± Raconda. She was a woman who was reminiscent of a well-kept blade. The dark gray hair tied up tightly, a diagonal scar on the cheek and; the eyes. The moment Ajin saw the look in her eyes, he unwittingly stepped back. She had an eye patch around her left eye, but her only eye looked so deep that the end was unknown. And there was a blue blade inside it, which seemed to aim at Ajin. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen you before. Are you a player?¡± Raconda asked, glaring at Ajin. The question made Ajin feel as if he had been hit with a hammer on the head. Player? Lucelle didn¡¯t understand what the word ¡°player¡± meant neither the owner of the blacksmith nor the vigilante or the wizard whom Ajin met. They didn¡¯t use the word player, but only called Ajin as ¡°mister.¡± NPC in this world doesn¡¯t know what players are. They don¡¯t even know that their world is a virtual reality game called ¡°Beta,¡± and they don¡¯t know that their thoughts are generated by a well-made AI. But the woman in front of her. Raconda brought up the exact word ¡°player¡± to Ajin. ¡°¡­yeah.¡± Ajin answered in a stuttering voice. His mind has become complicated. What the hell is this woman? NPC? Or a player? Maybe it¡¯s NPC like Acacia. NPC that knows about a player¡¯s existence and that they are just NPCs. ¡°Oh, no way I¡¯ve got a player coming to me. That¡¯s a good sign. Who are you, Caroline? Primrose? Chrysanthemum?¡± Unable to understand the question, Ajin was silent. He looked confusingly at Raconda¡¯s expression. She frowned and spat out as if Ajin¡¯s silence was annoying. ¡°I¡¯m asking who your helper was. Did you even forget the name of your helper NPC?¡± ¡°¡­it¡¯s Acacia.¡± Ajin replied, stuttering, his thoughts were messed up right now. I can¡¯t believe that I¡¯m talking to an NPC. Is this woman really an NPC of the same type as acacia? No, maybe it¡¯s an operator. ¡°Ah, yes, there was Acacia. Acacia must have picked a pretty good card. Well, that doesn¡¯t matter. So what¡¯s the matter? If you¡¯ve reached this village while exploring then there is nothing to do, go back.¡± ¡°¡­The blacksmith master wrote me a letter of recommendation.¡± ¡°A recommendation letter?¡± Raconda frowned and asked back. Looking at her expression, Ajin took out the letter he had put in his arms and handed it to Raconda. Upon receiving it, Raconda opened the envelope on the spot, took out the letter inside, and read it. ¡°Hmmm. I was wondering why you put me here, did you mean to do this? Fucking bastards¡­¡± Raconda muttered an unknown word, then turned around and went back into the house. She turned her head and shouted at Ajin, who was standing there in a daze, not knowing what to do. ¡°Follow me!¡± Though he had a polite manner on his face, Ajin closed the door without showing any sign of unusual expression. There were still many questions about Raconda, but for now, the letter seems to have worked to some extent. If it helped him any further, Ajin would be grateful for it. The inside of the house was as dirty just like the exterior. There was little furniture, and it was too old to use. Raconda seemed to live alone, however, even though it was definitely a house where someone lived, her house was completely messed up. The walls were dirty and the floors were rolling with trash, and dust was piled up on the furniture. ¡°Give me your hand.¡± Raconda, who sat roughly with her back pulled out, reached out her hand towards Ajin. At that time, he reached out his hand without a word and gave it to her, she grabbed it by the wrist, closed her eyes quietly. At that moment, Ajin¡¯s body flinched. Something flowed through his wrist and roughly explored Ajin¡¯s body, and the end flowed into his body. A sharp piece of glass in the blood vessel seemed to rip off. Ajin chewed his lips with a cold sweat, but Raconda smiled. ¡°Okay. You have quite a lot of work to do. Besides, it¡¯s¡­ It¡¯s a strengthening technique, isn¡¯t it?¡± Raconda asked as she let go of Ajin¡¯s hand, and as the power of searching within his body was lifted, he took a deep breath and nodded his head. ¡°Your growth is overwhelmingly fast to build for a beginner. But even if you take that into consideration, your inner body skill is way too much. Is this absorbent skill? No, no. I don¡¯t feel impure for a collection of energy absorbent. Did Acacia give you any special skill?¡± ¡°¡­no. Energy Drain¡­¡± ¡°Pwahaha! Energy Drain? Don¡¯t be ridiculous. No matter how much energy drain you did, your inner workings are abnormally high. What¡¯s your level?¡± ¡°¡­12. ¡°That¡¯s more abnormal. But I think I know a little bit. At your level, no matter how many monsters you drain, it would be hard to collect this much energy. Unless Acacia helped.¡± At Raconda¡¯s words, Ajin thought deeply. When Ajin had sex with Acacia, he was able to develop his body built and mental strength explosively. Raconda smiled strangely at Ajin¡¯s subtly changed face. ¡°Huh, I see. Acacia, she¡¯s pretty smart. It¡¯s a strange coincidence, though.¡± Raconda, who was giggling, picked up a pipe off the table and bit it in her mouth. Lightly taped it with the tip of her finger, and smoke started to rise. A heavy exhale from her red lips; smoke started to clear up, and Raconda opened her eyes slightly. ¡°You, get down.¡± ¡°¡­what?¡± ¡°Get down!¡± Raconda shouted loudly as if she would not accept Ajin¡¯s question. Clang! Ajin knelt because of that. The pressure on the shoulders was enormous and heavy! Raconda crossed her legs and looked down at Ajin, who knelt down. ¡°If you¡¯ve seen the earth, it¡¯s polite to kneel down. Even if you don¡¯t know what the magic is, if you¡¯ve learned how to do it, show it to the world.¡± ¡°¡­what¡­!¡± It was fast! His bones were pressed. Pressed is not the appropriate word, but he is rather crushed. Ajin couldn¡¯t lift his head. With his lips barely open, he shouted in a suppressed voice. Raconda laughed loudly with his uproar. ¡°My name is Heuk Seol Hyang.¡± Raconda then pulled her chair back and raised herself. She approached with light steps towards Ajin, who was kneeling. She then reached out and put her hand on Ajin¡¯s head. ¡°I am Heuk Seol Hyang, the 43rd leader of the White Heavenly Magistrate. Of course, you don¡¯t know this name.¡± Raconda, no. Heuk Seol Hyang giggled and slapped Ajin¡¯s hand on the head. Then the pressure on his body disappeared as if it was washed away. Ajin raised his head and looked up at Heuk Seol Hyang that was looking down at him. ¡°If you don¡¯t know who I was, then now you know who I am.¡± As he smirked with his lips, Heuk Seol Hyang laughed. Chapter 15 Editor: anuvrat All kinds of thoughts passed through my head. The 43rd principal of the Magistrate¨Cthe serpentine witch¡¯s Heuk Seolhyang. Raconda introduced herself like that, but Ajin¡¯s couldn¡¯t take it as a fact. Is there a Magistrate leader in the First World? He didn¡¯t know anything about that. There was no explanation for the world view on First World¡¯s homepage or within the manual. Perhaps, somewhere in the vast world of First, magic exists. There may be a Murim, in a midfield. Wizards and knights¡­ his train of thought continued and fictional characters came to his mind, coming to the world of the First. It doesn¡¯t fit. Just looking around at NPCs in this town, all of them are Westerners. The same as Lucelle and Carls whom he met in the forest. Carls is a knight and Lucelle a wizard. Yes, the existence of knights and wizards can be confirmed, but not the Murimians. Then what is the identity of the woman in front of him? Raconda¡­ No, Heuk Seolhyang. She said she was the 43rd leader of the Magician Sector, what the hell is she? Is she a NPC? Or an operator? ¡°Ricks asked me to teach you.¡± The Heuk Seolhyang flopped back into the chair. Crossing her legs, she looked at Ajin, still on her knees. Only his right pupil narrowed as he looked at Ajin. Ricks? When Ajin looked at her with curiosity, Heuk Seolhyang frowned her thin eyebrows. ¡°The village blacksmith¡¯s name is Ricks. You didn¡¯t know that either.¡± ¡°¡­Ah, is that so?¡± That fucking bastard. Ajin swallowed the swear words hard. He didn¡¯t know the name of the blacksmith. The wriggling heart immediately impelled him to slap her in the face and spit out curses, but Ajin suppressed it firmly. Rather, this is an opportunity. Whatever her identity, she is called the leader of the Magic Sect, and it is not ordinary to see her knees being squeezed by just shouting. Even now¡­ Ajin was feeling the pressure on her skin. Such a huge presence has rarely been felt in Breeze of Murim. There were many contenders that Ajin had met in Breeze of Murim, also he became such a person himself. But none of those people Ajin met had a presence like Heuk Seolhyang. Ajin, who has grown rapidly due to his character, has never been as good as her. The sword zone , the power zone , and Heavenly Demons. He thought of many absolute masters that come to mind right now, and he also thought of the days when he became the leader of the Heavenly Magistrates and the leader of the Murim. Then, he tried to substitute it with Heuk Seolhyang. There¡¯s nothing to see. It¡¯s a must-win. He won¡¯t win if he doesn¡¯t use cheats. ¡°I tried to give you a proper lesson, but I can¡¯t give you a rough sketch from history. I can¡¯t believe it¡¯s an explosive blood method. You, who have entered here with that kind of skill, are you part of the higher authority, and why are you giving me a little lesson?¡± The Heuk Seolhyang smiled, raising the corners of her mouth. Yeah. That¡¯s why he called it an opportunity. What Ajin has mastered is the explosive blood method. The explosive blood method changes to the blood flow method when it reaches 10 stars. Every time he gets through 10 levels, the test changes to something else. It varies from explosive blood method, Vina method, intoxication method, Thema method, and Heavenly Demon method. In the end, it all ends up in Heavenly Demon level as it is the highest level of all. If she really is the head of the Heavenly Magic Sect, she is no different from Ajin. He thought that it¡¯s a chance that he can¡¯t let pass on just like that. He has to make the most of it. ¡°¡­and I will also serve you.¡± Ajin hit his head on the ground. He didn¡¯t feel humiliated. If he wants to get what he needs, he can bow his head many times, and if he wants to die, he can just cut his own head instead. This is a game. Either he lives long or dies and comes back to life. It is an opportunity that will never come again. He wouldn¡¯t just think about it rather do it rigorously . ¡°Hoho. Are you going to submit? It¡¯s good not to be bothered by anyone.¡± Looking at Ajin whose head was down kissing the floor, she started giggling. She relaxingly crossed her legs and spit smoke, from a pipe that is in her hand. The hazy mist blurred her face. ¡°Who am I?¡± ¡°My master, 43rd Lord of Heavenly Demon Sect, Heuk Seolhyang.¡± ¡°Who are you?¡± ¡°I am Ajin, your humble servant.¡± At the answer, Heuk Seolhyang grumbled and laughed. At the moment, the house seemed to be quivering from a loud burst of laughter. After a long laugh, Heuk Seolhyang tilted her chair back. ¡°Good. That¡¯s for the best. It¡¯s been a long time since I¡¯ve been called that, to be exact 20 years since I have fallen here¡­ It was just too long. It was such a disgraceful day that I hid myself, abandoned my name and left everything behind. I thought I¡¯d never hear that name again, so I gave up my doubts. What a great feeling this is.¡± The chair creaking came to Ajin¡¯s ear with his head down. 20 years¡­ 20 years is before virtual reality games are commercialized. But he could comprehend or just can¡¯t believe it as it is. If she¡¯s NPC, then that¡¯s kind of a setup included in the world view. ¡°Lift your head.¡± At that remark, Ajin immediately lifted his head. There¡¯s nothing good about being hesitant. If he chooses to benefit from bowing his head, he can throw away his pride. Throwing away his pride more clearly and perfectly then he can get a big price from it. ¡°Okay master.¡± Don¡¯t humiliate yourself. Show natural obedience and let them know. Don¡¯t hesitate. Rather than playing dumb, play the faithful and outstanding servant instead. ¡°Good. You¡¯ll have to call me that each time in the future. I won¡¯t allow you to call me names other than master.¡± ¡°Yes, master.¡± At Ajin¡¯s answer, Heuk Seolhyang smiled contentedly. She lifted herself up, leaning back against the chair. There was rattling on the chair. Her bosom was exposed in that tight black suit. The Heuk Seolhyang asked, turning back her black hair that had stretched all the way to his shoulders. ¡°Think of this as a great opportunity. Me, who is the 43rd lord of the Heavenly Magic Sect is going to teach you directly. So be glad that because the thought I had right now would never happen again, too. I¡¯ll teach you, and think of you as my disciple.¡± ¡°Thank you, master.¡± Ajin bowed his head deeply as if he was moved. Ajin¡¯s lips smiled with his head down. ¡°Did you say that you learned about explosive blood attack and energy drain? What else is there?¡± ¡°None so far.¡± ¡°Do you know how to handle weapons?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to be like that.¡± Ajin answered honestly. The use of weapons will increase attack power, but it is bothersome for match equipment. Then he thought he¡¯d better master his fist. ¡°Good. I don¡¯t mean to degrade weapons such as swords or bows or spears, but in the end, the weapons most used by people are their own hands and feet. If he has deep strength and familiarity, this body that is made up of blood, can be sharper than a sword, faster than a spear, and heavier than anything else.¡± It was called dissuasion. ¡°Your skill is aiming at the heavenly demon art. Heavenly Demon method is a martial art based on the Heavenly demon¡¯s Ki method. Do you know anything about it?¡± ¡°¡­I know some.¡± ¡°The real name for that is Heavenly Demon. It is a method of heavenly demons that can only be learned from the Magic Sect. The lords are called Heavenly Demon God. This includes Heavenly Demons White Young Lord swordsmanship, Heavenly Demon Bloody method, and Heavenly Demon¡¯s thousand palms method. Ajin once learned it when he became a master of a demon. So he knew how scheming and powerful the martial arts were. ¡°I intend to teach you, among the Heavenly Demon gods, the Bodhisattva, Yu Long, the Mighty and the Strong one. Of course you can¡¯t have your own method because you haven¡¯t mastered the Heavenly Demon method properly, but that¡¯ll be enough.¡± -That¡¯s awesome. Ajin hid her laughter as he felt his head was flinching. He can move faster and more efficiently if he learns how to do it. If he properly learn how to play the game and the laws of it, his attack becomes more powerful. But the biggest of them would be Water Ki method. It is a method of using water. If the level of judgment is high and the Ki is profound, not just energy is naturally expressed, but also makes the path to forcibly lift a strong energy even if they are not the same level, and makes it more powerful and efficient to use it. ¡°It may not be easy to teach this in the First method, but¡­ You¡¯re different as a player.¡± Heuk Seolhyang strode and approached Ajin. Her stretched hand came to Ajin¡¯s head. Ajin did not avoid it, but opened his eyes quietly and watched her scented hand rose him. ¡°I¡¯m still not used to this kind of method.¡± Ajin closed his eyes as he listened to the grumbling voice of Seol Hyang. He felt something going through the center of his body from the top of his head. At the same time, Ajin¡¯s head heard a system alarm. [Lord of the Magic Sect, Heuk Seolhyang passes on a skill. Will you accept it?] ¡°Yes.¡± He let out a small whisper of an answer. I felt like there was an explosion inside him. Ajin¡¯s shoulders shivered, and the system¡¯s alarm went on and on into a momentary dazed mind. [You have learned theThousand Miles Footwork Technique.] [You have acquired the Heavenly Demon Heaven and Earth Splitting. [You have acquired the right to attack heavenly demons.] [You have acquired the Heavenly Demon Thousand Star Bombardment Technique.] [You are connected to a Magician] [The Heavenly Demon Art is adapted to the lowest level.] [Your power as a Heavenly Demon is reduced to 20% because the player¡¯s level has not yet reached Heavenly Demon level.] Ajin couldn¡¯t hide his bliss. As the tail of his mouth went up, twisting, Ajin immediately put his head on the ground. Smash! His forehead is throbbing at the loud noise, but he could bear it as much as he could. Right now, the Heavenly Demon can only produce 20 percent of its original power. But that¡¯s enough. Ajin had a huge confidence, and it could grow as much as it could if he used energy drains. Furthermore, if the test evolves by growing to explosive blood attack, Heavenly Demon God¡¯s power will become stronger. ¡°Thank you, master!¡± Ajin shouted loudly. For now it seemed as though he could crawl on feet between the legs of Heuk Seolhyang, and lick her whole body with the tip of his tongue. ¡°You may go back now for today, but come see me once a day.¡± Looking at Ajin¡¯s head-stabbing Ajin, the Heuk Seolhyang said, and puffed smoke again, biting the pipe in her mouth. ¡°I will see your level for myself and help you. If you stayed at a very low level after learning the Heavenly Demon Art, it would be a disgrace to my face.¡± Raconda sat at the table with a long puff of smoke. She gazed at Ajin, who still had his head in the ground. ¡°If I don¡¯t show the growth I want, I¡¯ll kill you and destroy you. I will take away all your Ki and get back the skills I have given you. No matter how much you play, you can¡¯t avoid it.¡± ¡°Yes, master.¡± It was a gruesome warning, but Ajin answered with certainty. He did not have any intention to stay at this level or to remain insignificant. He will be stronger than anyone and go farther than anyone. Ajin recalled the faces of Asella and Luke. He hasn¡¯t won yet on that bitch for the humiliation she gave him. Chapter 16 Editor: Anuvrat Didn¡¯t she just say that the village blacksmith¡¯s name was Ricks? He left Raconda¡¯s house and returned to the square, he thought about visiting Ricks and contemplated whether to kiss his furry face or not. But of course, he stopped with agony. Ajin quickly passed Ricks Shop, and immediately left the village. His heart was pounding mixed with excitement and expectation rising his body temperature. He wanted an opponent, he wanted to test the heavenly demon¡¯s power that he just learned from Heuk Seol Hyang. Ajin had been a little impatient so he wanted to use it on whatever is in front of him even if it was a rabbit or fox. But he didn¡¯t do it. Rabbits or foxes are far too low. It would be difficult if a monster dies just like that when he is trying to verify his true power. Coming into the raging forest, Ajin immediately stepped into the territory of the black wolf. There were several attacks from red wolves along the way, but Ajin knocked the wolves down by swinging his fists recklessly. He used so little energy that he felt like he was still filled up to the brim. The forest was still bleak and dark. There were rustling sounds of the wolves, and insects chirping. He took a deep breath inside the familiar forest and then got back on move. He tested his new power on a black wolf. He chose it as a red wolf¡¯s level is high, and he hasn¡¯t encountered a blue wolf yet. On the other hand, he was used to hunting it until he wore out, and its physical strength was quite high, so it was perfect for the test. As he searched for the wolf, Ajin checked the floating skill window. Heavenly Demon Art: Thousand Miles Footwork Technique: Level 1 (0%) Heavenly Demon Art: Heaven and Earth Splitting: Level 1 (0%) Heavenly Demon Art: Thousand Star Explosion: Level 1 (0%) Heavenly Demon Art: Blood Corruption: Level 1 (0%) He just learned it and never used it, so it was natural. Ajin recalled the Heavenly Horse used in the Breeze of Murim. Heavenly Demon Thousand Miles Footwork Technique, when it reaches the peak, it produces dozens of visions by moving the feet once, and each moves differently and dazzles the eyes. However, as his level is too low so the power has been reduced due to the lack of knowledge of the heavenly horse mind method, which is quite welcoming. Heavenly Demon Heaven and Earth Splitting, it¡¯s a passive skill that doesn¡¯t match the name. Unlike ordinary martial arts, the martial arts of the Heavenly Demon are not divided into separate techniques. It was the same with the Force. No matter what technique he uses, the power comes from the Ki manipulation. It was the same with the Heavenly Demon Thousand Star Explosion. Since the Heavenly Demon¡¯s foundation itself is based on the Ki manipulation built on the basis of the Heavenly Demon Method, so there is no need to make preparations and setting limits. It is an art or technique that cannot be found in other martial arts, but the Heavenly Demon is strong enough to take the power for granted. ¡®Heavenly Demon Art Blood Corruption would be hard to use right now.¡¯ Power breathing exercise is a powerful technique. However, it consumes a lot of internal strength. The internal strength of Ajin now may be important at this level, but no matter how much he does, he can¡¯t use Power Breathing Exercise on his own will. In the meantime, it may be better to give up raising the skill level of the Heavenly Demon Blood Technique. ¡®It¡¯s better to leave it in the bloodstream.¡¯ The Kumdo* is strong. And it is strong enough to destroy anything in this world. It would be a great help if he hid it well and used it as a technique. Clash! At that moment, the wolf fell down, with a whimper. Ajin immediately used the Heavenly Demon Arts Thousand Miles Footwork Technique . His feet slid back on the grass. A dimmed vision, torn by the wolf¡¯s claws. ¡®Is there only one thing I can do?¡¯ It doesn¡¯t move as I thought it would. It¡¯s probably due to his low level and reduced power. However, the use of speed technique alone has made it possible to move more efficiently and faster than when the land was dumped in the past. Ajin did the Heavenly Demon Art Heaven and Earth Splitting and rushed towards the wolf that was standing on the ground. As the internal force escapes, the extended palm stretches out. -Kwang! A loud sound came, like a bomb going off and the wolf¡¯s body flew up into the air. ¡®Strong Sun!¡¯ Ajin was surprised to see the wolf lying around. The output was much more than expected. Of course, the amount of energy that is lost is large as well. This is only 20% power of one star right? But it¡¯s not hard to understand; Heavenly Demon Arts is a technique used by the masters of dark entities and is one of the most distinguished of many martial arts. But it didn¡¯t seem to be powerful enough to kill it in one go. Ajin checked the remnants of the missing wolf while staggering. If he uses it too often, he will soon run out of energy. However, the temptation to use it is too great because it is so powerful. How can he replenish the energy as fast as possible? ..Energy drain¡­? Ajin felt as if he had been hit on the head. He¡¯s been using energy drain, overpowering monsters, and holding them by hand. But it is not necessary to use energy drains each time. The energy drain can be used if it comes into contact with the other person¡¯s body. Can¡¯t he apply this skill to monsters too? He thought it was worth trying it out. Ajin clenched his fist as he rushed towards the wolf. The Heavenly Demon Thousand Star Explosion, is controlling the use of ki and suppressing the power. Nevertheless, he extended his hands to increase his strength and speed. Squish! The head of the beaten wolf became limp. At the right moment, he used energy drain. Ajin trembled after being surprised by the energy flowing into his hand. He became joyful. ¡®In the end, it was the right choice to try it out.¡¯ Ajin came to a late realization. Energy Drain and Martial Arts, It¡¯s a simple skill handed down, but now it¡¯s his main ability now. And his prowess can vary as much as he wants, depending on how he uses the skill. It¡¯s the same thing as making a sentence by combining tirelessly memorized English words. ¡®Reduce consumption by distributing internal strength. And if I use energy drain with each blow¡­¡¯ Maybe it can result in longer-term battles but if he reduces the power consumed compared to the amount absorbed by energy drain. He will be able to build up the energy consumed in the dungeon by filling up with each of his attacks¡­.. But this result is better. Rather than finish hunting quickly by consuming an abnormal amount of energy, it is better to take advantage of what can be gained even if it takes a little more time and effort. The improvement in the stats due to level-up is attractive, but the high level is not necessarily that important. As evident, Ajin almost killed Asella, who was twice his level. Even if there is a difference in level, and the stats are generally above him, the win or loss can be reversed depending on how he uses his techniques and skills. If he added the energy drain, the martial arts power, and the size of the internal strength¡­ ¡®Hmm, I need to get used to it first.¡¯ Ajin decided to set it aside first. To be honest, it was still difficult to use energy drain with each strike and to distribute his strength. That¡¯s not the only problem. If he is mentally exhausted, he cannot use this skill. ¡®I¡¯m going to carry a psychological strength potion from now on.¡¯ Since he is not spending on his equipment, he can afford the price of a single potion. Ajin moved as he solidified his thoughts. He had to go beyond the black wolf¡¯s territory, to go into the blue wolf¡¯s one. He had never dealt with blue wolves before, but since he had mastered the Heavenly Demon Technique, it was unlikely that he would face a catastrophe in this difficult battle. ¡®I¡¯d rather not disclose this information.¡¯ He can be caught by Raconda through the wolf tooth quests that were given by Ricks. Ajin decided not to disclose this information. If he sells it, he¡¯ll make a lot of money, but if he does, the benefits for him will disappear. Among the 1,500 beta players and countless users that came in when the server is officially public later on, Ajin may be the only one to have this kind of technique. If that happens, Raconda may pass on the Heavenly Demon Technique to them, while wondering what his relationship with the Leader of Magic Sect is like. If the information that the highest level of martial arts can be obtained is released, everyone will learn how to study the heavenly demon technique and get to visit Raconda. That makes the Heavenly Demon technique taken by Ajin will be too common. Ajin didn¡¯t want that. ¡®Most far, most high. They can only see and hear it from far away.¡¯ The higher he stands, the more popular he becomes. The scenery is different from the one below, so he can¡¯t help it. Ajin laughed, with twitching lips. ¡®It takes a lot of time and effort to grow into an ability that is chosen from a tutorial. He¡¯d be better off not disclosing the information about how to skip it at all once. He should be the only one to keep it.¡¯ He may rest assured right now. Raconda said Ajin was the first beta player to visit her. But later when the servers are public if another player learns from her¡­ That¡¯s inevitable. He can¡¯t stop the information from being released so it¡¯s natural. ¡®But for now, it should only be kept for me.¡¯ He is already deep inside the forest. The trees became so tall that now he can¡¯t see the sky well, therefore the surroundings became dark. Ajin crossed the black wolves¡¯ territory and had come to the blue wolves territory. Before a full-fledged hunt, he decided to look for Hanemos in the meanwhile. Hanemos could easily be found. Is it because he is in the deep forest? He saw some blue flowers at the bottom of the tree. Ajin carefully picked Hanemos. ¡®Magic Material.¡¯ He dug-out Hanemos by hand, Ajin thought he didn¡¯t know what the use of these flowers was, but Hanemos is a flower that bloomed with mana. After hearing the explanation from Sake about Hanemos, Ajin felt that it was worth testing. And the idea was right. As soon as the energy drain was activated, Hanemos lost its vitality and started to fade, the mana that had been in the flower a while ago flowed into Ajin. He twisted his lips as his pupils filled up with power. This is great. Ajin thought so and abandoned the skinny Hanemos. Then he picked more, which was blooming closer to him, and put them in a bag for collection given by Sake. Using this is a little bit better. As he gathered it, Ajin explored the territory of the blue wolvesf. The monster level is 15. Unlike the black wolf that fell from the tree, blue wolves roam in the forest. They are similar to the red wolves in skills but much stronger. But Ajin thought it didn¡¯t matter. The blue wolves are easy to find. Beyond this area, the strongest silver wolf in the wild forest is said to travel in groups. But up to the blue wolf region, they hunt for food by themselves without forming a herd. So it won¡¯t be difficult to deal with. Ajin narrowed the distance little by little, watching the cautious blue wolf with his eyes open. The direction of the wind is blowing their way. The strength of his will not be passed on. He was walking, and there was a murderous sound¡­ And then he took off. When he was sure he could approach with one leap, he took off. As Ajin jumps up and falls on the blue wolf, sensing the sound blue wolf turns its head. The moment the wolf¡¯s golden eyes saw him, Ajin fell from the air and extended his wide open hand forward. Boom! The force decreased because of the strength limitation, but the sound was still loud. But he didn¡¯t lie around. The frightened, retreating blue wolf revealed its teeth and attacked him. One attack has been made, but the distribution of energy drain and internal strength has not yet been good. He had no choice but to continue. It takes effort to get used to it. Footnote: *Kumdo- a modern Korean martial art derived from Japanese Kendo. Chapter 17 Editor: anuvrat ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sorry to keep you waiting.¡± The middle-aged man in a navy robe smiled and received a bundle from Ajin. Sake, the wizard who asked him to collect Hanemos flower. He said he was collecting it because of new magic he recently studied, as a member of the Rock School, which specializes in earth magic. ¡°No, it was a favor, so I will have to complete it till the end¡± Ajin bowed his head with a human smile. Except logging out and sleeping for about three hours, he was investing all his time in First. For the last two days he pulled an all-nighter, he went to Sake several times and handed over the collected Hanemos flowers. ¡°I¡¯ve been having a hard time lately as no one is bringing me Hanemos. I owe you a lot. Thank you very much.¡± He continued to visit Sake, always bowing his head to show his respect. Thanks to that, Sake had become quite close to Ajin. Ajin cautiously opened his mouth as he watched Sake while holding his hands together. Ajin cautiously asked, ¡°By the way, if you don¡¯t mind, may I ask you a question?¡± Sake put on a puzzled look and smiled after a short while. ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re trying to ask, but don¡¯t feel pressured. You¡¯ve helped me a lot, so it doesn¡¯t hurt if you ask me one question, right?¡± That¡¯s what Sake said, but Ajin hesitated. Looking at sulking Ajin, Sake tilted his head. He let go of Ajin¡¯s hand and patted her shoulder. ¡°Okay young man, you¡¯re timider of a man. Sounds like a pretty long story, would you like to go in and have a cup of tea?¡± ¡°Oh, yes, yes. Thank you.¡± Ajin blurted those words while he cleared his voice. In response, Sake took Ajin to his home, tapping his shoulder a few times. Unlike Raconda¡¯s house, which was likely to collapse immediately, Sake¡¯s house was a neat two-story building. ¡°Are you living alone?¡± ¡°No, I have a daughter.¡± Answering Ajin¡¯s question, Sake opened the door and went in. The house was filled with the smell of medicine that he couldn¡¯t distinguish. When Ajin coughed for a moment, Sake glanced back at Ajin, scratching his cheek. ¡°Well, I¡¯m doing research here. The air is very different from the outside, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s all right. You don¡¯t neglect to study magic after all.¡± While holding the tip of his nose, Ajin uttered Sake smiled gleefully; No one hates praises. ¡°Huh, thanks for saying that. My daughter never wants to come out of her room because she doesn¡¯t like this scent. She¡¯s a heartless fellow who doesn¡¯t appreciate his father¡¯s heart.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure your daughter secretly respects you in her heart.¡± Sake brought up the gossip about his daughter, but he doesn¡¯t feel sympathetic about it for a bit. Rather, it is his desire to let his companion save face by letting it slip away words like that. Sake¡¯s smile deepened at Ajin¡¯s words. ¡°You¡¯ve been like that since the first time I saw you, but the more you know something, the better you seem like it.¡± Sake said so, guiding Ajin to the kitchen. He took out the prepared teacup and asked as he put it on the table. ¡°Do you prefer black tea?¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t really matter.¡± At Ajin¡¯s reply, Sake took off his robe, nodded his head, and put it on the vacant chair, and prepared for black tea. Ajin sat in his assigned seat, squinting his eyes and looking at his back. ¡°So, what kind of story are you going to talk about?¡± Sake asked as he poured the prepared black tea into the glass. And with that question, Ajin shut up for a moment and organized his thoughts. While waiting in silence, Sake took a sip of tea. ¡°¡­in fact, I¡¯m sorry to say this, but¡­¡± Ajin hesitated and opened her mouth. In the beginning, Sake put down his teacup and looked at Ajin with a soft look. As Sake stroked his short beard with his hand, Ajin continued. ¡°¡­I want to know more about magic.¡± ¡°Huh, magic?¡± When asked by Ajin, Sake was unexpectedly calm. With that remark, Ajin hesitated and nodded his head. He put his fist on the table and shivered slightly. He made his head drop and made his voice go hoarse. ¡°¡­I don¡¯t know anything about magic. I¡¯ve learned a lot of things. But¡­ I¡¯m curious and very much interested in magic, and I¡¯ve always admired it.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Seeing Ajin speaking in a trembling voice, Sake¡¯s eyes narrowed down. Looking at Sake¡¯s expression, Ajin recited his lines just as he thought. ¡°I know it¡¯s hard to learn magic, and I also know that it requires talent. But it¡¯s hard to learn magic at my age. I know.¡± With Ajin¡¯s murmur, Sake said nothing. Ajin continued to say. ¡°But I had a dream. I felt that I wanted to be a magician when I was collecting the Hanemos you asked me for. It¡¯s like¡­ it¡¯s like I want to be a wizard. I feel like I¡¯ve become a wizard when I was collecting materials for magic. Maybe I¡¯m just drunk in stupid delusion¡­¡± ¡°¡­I-is that so?¡± Sake murmured with a low sigh. Sake looked at Ajin with a sad look. As Ajin said, learning magic requires talent. But talent is not everything. To be a truly proper wizard, you need a teacher to lead the way. ¡°¡­and in the end, I couldn¡¯t stand it and I ended up blabbering about it. I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°No, you don¡¯t have to say sorry. So¡­ what do you really want?¡± Sake asked while patting the teacup. Such a grumbling expression pertains to him having a request to give something to him. It was that kind of question that Ajin was waiting for. ¡°¡­Can you teach me some magic?¡± ¡°¡­Hmm¡­¡± He sighed as if he did something embarrassing. Frankly speaking, he didn¡¯t even want to say yes to him. However, he still attempted to do it. There¡¯s a saying that there¡¯s no tree that can¡¯t be axed in the end. What Ajin is trying now is the first ax. ¡°I¡¯m not begging you to take me as a disciple. I just want a small part of your knowledge. Could you please teach me¡­?¡± Ajin looked up at Sake, lifting his bowed head. With an earnest look on his face, he rummaged through his arms and pulled out his purse and put it on the table. ¡°I¡¯ve collected all the money that is from the hard work you¡¯ve done for me so far. If this is going to cost me an educational fee¡­ No, I¡¯ll continue to collect Hanemos if you want.¡± Sake didn¡¯t answer and continued his perplexed face. He was in conflict, and Ajin noticed it. ¡°Or you could rather have me do chores. I¡¯ll do all sorts of chores, clean this house over and over again. Ajin shivered her shoulders lightly. He said and acted like that accordingly. He made it obvious for Sake and empathizes in a form of desperation. At first, Sake found him obviously pitiful. And so he aimed for it. ¡°Um¡­ it¡¯s such a sudden thing to say.¡± Sake blurted out his words. Looking at it, Ajin decided it was time to step down. Appealing him with emotion was not a bad attempt. He was thinking about the timing of his action is not bad, and he thinks the favor with him is also good. However, if he insists on his desires unconditionally, it will be counterproductive. ¡°¡­Thank you very much. I think I gave it to you. I¡¯m sorry to put you under pressure.¡± Ajin bowed his head with a sad sigh. Shivering his shoulders, he shed a drop of tears. Seeing the tears dripping down the table, Ajin thought it was enough. ¡°¡­no, no. You must have been in a lot of trouble. Yeah, how about this one?¡± Sake, who had been pondering for a while, uttered something. ¡°It¡¯s true that I¡¯ve been short-handed in my recent research. Not as a student, but would you like to work as my assistant to help me with my experiments for a while? I¡¯ll give you the proper remuneration.¡± All right, then. Ajin thought. ¡°Well, are you sure about that?¡± Ajin asked, lifting his head up sharply. At the question, Sake smiled and nodded his head. Then he reached out and tapped Ajin on his shoulder. ¡°I¡¯m asking you because I thought of you as a trustworthy person. And Hans, the vigilante, told me that you¡¯re a capable and hard-working man.¡± Hans is a vigilante who commissioned Ajin to kill blue wolves. Ajin hid her smile. Doing what you ordered properly and always treating you politely makes this kind of rumor. Well, the results are satisfactory. ¡°So, be available around 2:00 pm tomorrow. Would you be able to do that?¡± ¡°Yes! Of course!¡± Ajin smiled, bending around her eyes wet with tears. Sake grinned at Ajin¡¯s face. ¡°Is it so good enough? Well, magic is a fascinating discipline. The passion for learning is beautiful, whoever has it.¡± Sake nodded as he stroked his beard. ¡°I can¡¯t make you my student right now, so you will be an assistant, but¡­ If you do your job right, you never know. Even if you can¡¯t be a student, I¡¯ll write a recommendation letter to my school.¡± ¡°Thank you!¡± Ajin bowed his head even more and there he goes. He grinned while his head was facing the floor. For this, he did not use energy drain when he have Hanemos on hand. Wandering through the forest for hours, he gathered Hanemos, and went back and forth in town many times, making Sake feel good about himself. It took quite a while, but he is satisfied that he got the results he wanted. It takes too much preparation and it¡¯s time to catch a big fish. Ajin then judged that the big fish took the bait. ¡®A little more.¡¯ Soon, he will be caught. * After finishing his conversation with Sake, Ajin went to Raconda¡¯s house instead of returning to the forest. It¡¯s already been two days since he first met her and was passed down the Heavenly Demon Arts. While gathering Hanemos and hunting blue wolves, Ajin raised his level and skills. His level was now 15. The Energy Drain has reached level 16, and he mana has reached level 7. The slow growth was inevitable because of the lack of resources. ¡®Even the Heavenly Demon Arts isn¡¯t climbing very well.¡¯ Even if he is a good fighter, Ajin¡¯s Heavenly Demon Arts still remained at the lowest level. He¡¯d been using it for two days, but it only reached 40% proficiency. The strength is satisfactory, but slow growth is a bit painful. ¡°You¡¯re late.¡± Just in time, Heuk Seol Hyang was standing at the door smoking. She untied her tied hair and leaned her back against the closed door. As soon as Ajin saw Heuk Seol Hyang, he bowed his head deeply. ¡°Sorry, master.¡± ¡°You smell like reagents. Have you met Sake?¡± She smells good. Ajin bowed his head more deeply toward the sour-faced Heuk Seol Hyang. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Hmp, I¡¯m not so curious about what you talked about. But the smell you emit is offensive.¡± As she said so, she opened the closed door and went inside. ¡°Take off your clothes and come back.¡± As he closed the door and came inside, Ajin obeyed her order immediately. He took off all his clothes and was stark naked. Then he walked behind Heuk Seol Hyang, who walked ahead. Her order to take off the clothes was degrading, but it was something that he had already gone through yesterday. Heuk Seol Hyang went into her room, and Ajin followed him without a word. ¡°Sit down.¡± Sitting on the bed, he ordered Heuk Seol Hyang. In an instant, Ajin put down his undressed body and sat on the floor with his legs crossed. Heuk Seol Hyang¡¯s room was too common to think of as a woman¡¯s room. The only furniture it has is a bed, a small table, a chair, and a wardrobe. There are no vases or frames. However, the walls were hung with a sword and a shaman¡¯s robe that is colored in blue. ¡°It would be the same as yesterday. Are you used to the pain?¡± ¡°¡­not yet.¡± Ajin answered in a low voice to the question of Heuk Seol Hyang. In a few moments, Heuk Seol Hyang rose and approached Ajin with a burst of laughter. She had a wry smile as she looked at Ajin¡¯s body that has solid muscles. ¡°Well, it¡¯s only been a day.¡± After saying that, Heuk Seol Hyang went to Ajin¡¯s back. As she stroked Ajin¡¯s upright back, Heuk Seol Hyang whispered in his ear. ¡°Don¡¯t scream just because you wanted to.¡± In the end, Ajin¡¯s body trembled as if he had been struck by lightning. Heuk Seol Hyang¡¯s fingers are stuck in Ajin¡¯s back. Heuk Seol Hyang told him to come to visit her every day. When he first visited Heuk Seol Hyang yesterday, she forced Ajin to take off his clothes and sit down. And as she stroked his body with her fingers, she began to infuse air into the blocked blood and thin veins. It does not help direct his internal growth, but it makes his movement faster and smoother, which was explained by Heuk Seol Hyang. As for Ajin, he had no reason to refuse. However, this shit hurt like hell. ¡°Are you sick?¡± Heuk Seol Hyang whispered in Ajin¡¯s ear. Hot breaths that made him feel strange wrapped into his ears, but Ajin couldn¡¯t even get excited. Because it really hurt like hell. Chapter 18 Editor: anuvrat ¡°Does it hurt a lot?¡± Heuk Seol Hyang whispered in his ear with a hint of whining. Ajin bit his lips hard. He couldn¡¯t talk, and just screamed. ¡®Don¡¯t say anything. You know what a booty is, right? Since I am a player, I can¡¯t afford to be called a limp, but you can¡¯t avoid losing all the hard work you¡¯ve scratched.¡¯ That was the warning by Heuk Seol Hyang yesterday. A player comes back to life even if he dies. Therefore, he will not become a fool out of himself with coins filling his mouth. But¡­ he can¡¯t wait to see the ultimate level of the energy drain that he had collected so far. So, Ajin put up with it. With his mouth shut, he endured all the excruciating pain he felt whenever she moved her fingers. The original virtual game either cancels all the pain felt or controls it into a very slight tingling. But it wasn¡¯t for Ajin. He commissioned the modification of the capsule to set the pain just like it is in reality. The reason was simple. Because it¡¯s much more realistic. Because it¡¯s more fun. He accepted the pain he felt in this world, as he built only a safety line that would force him to cut off the signal when pain couldn¡¯t be handled by his brain. ¡®I think I¡¯m going to die, but it¡¯s bearable.¡¯ It was rather crazy. If the pain was unbearable, the capsule that caught the brain¡¯s danger signal would have blocked the pain altogether. If the pain is not at that level, so the pain he felt is it seems to be. Ajin put strength in his eyes with a cold sweat. ¡®Fuck you, bitch!¡¯ The giggle of Heuk Seol Hyang, and her breath that comes to his ears. Heuk Seol Hyang is enjoying his current situation. She enjoys inflicting pain on Ajin¡¯s body, while he is shaking in pain. What a crazy bitch! Ajin thought while shivering. ¡®After four years, you will surely lay under my body.¡¯ But right now, it¡¯s impossible. Heuk Seol Hyang is so powerful that it is impossible for Ajin to dare to do anything about it. When he was the strongest man in Breeze of Murim, he would still be easily defeated if he were against Heuk Seol Hyang. No matter how hard he thought about it, there was no way to do anything about her right now. ¡®Not yet, but one day¡­!¡¯ After the hellish pain, Heuk Seol Hyang¡¯s hand fell on Ajin¡¯s body. She whispered in Ajin¡¯s ear as she patted his shoulder. ¡°And that¡¯s it.¡± And with that, Ajin breathed in and out harshly. He still struggled with the terrible pain that lingered in his body. Heuk Seol Hyang went back to Ajin with a giggle and sat on the bed crossed her slim legs and picked up the pipe beside her. ¡°You¡¯re pretty patient. Well, it¡¯s for your own sake after all, and it¡¯s actually fun.¡± ¡°T-thank you¡­.¡± Ajin spat out in a harsh voice. He took a few deep breaths and straightened his lower back. Looking at Ajin like that, Heuk Seol Hyang smiled fishy. ¡°As I explained yesterday, this is the Mara Chenle method handed down to Magicians. Originally it is only allowed to be used by a lower member of the Magic Sect, which requires permission from the Senate. In fact, it¡¯s common for a master to give cirrhosis for a later man, but the Mara Chenle technique is a shame to compare with such a miscellaneous thing.¡± Heuk Seol Hyang said while spewing smoke. Then, she stretches her finger and flick on Ajin, without saying anything, crawled to the front of Heuk Seol Hyang on his knees. Heuk Seol Hyang hung over Ajin¡¯s shoulder, raising her legs as if it were natural. As she put her leg on his shoulder, Ajin immediately raised his hand and began to rub her leg. ¡°The Mara Chenle technique, go through the inner parts of the body and penetrates through blocked veins by forcibly widening the thin path through which the mana flow. I can¡¯t get you through the lymphatic vein, but I¡¯m going to widen all the way to it. Do you know what this means?¡± ¡°The mana in my body are flowing in search of a path without floundering.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Blood and mana flows at once and fast enough because the road is already open. It also means that the speed of turning the inner air around is increased, and with that, it is faster to raise breathing methods and to extend the attack.¡± As Ajin¡¯s hand touched her thigh, Heuk Seol Hyang shivered and groaned shortly. She stretches and was dumbstruck. Ajin carefully moved his fingers and rubbed where he felt Heuk Seol Hyang is sensitive. ¡°¡­well, it¡¯s¡­ The Mara Chenle technique creates a body that is optimized for flow. You will have to practice this trick for three days. Tomorrow will be the last day. I warned you before, but you must not manipulate or modify anything in your internal until this technique is finished. Not all of the facets have been opened yet, so carrying out the process in rush for no reason could ruin your efforts.¡± That¡¯s why Ajin didn¡¯t use the explosive heart attack method. There is no problem with using the Heavenly Demon technique. This is because the long-term method, power method, and security method have already been passed down the appropriate path. However, if he let the internal parts flow through the body¡¯s veins through the screening process, his efforts to endure pain yesterday and today will be futile. ¡°When this is over¡­ I will teach you by looking at your attacks. The deadline is until you stay in this town. Most of the users have already left this town and gone elsewhere, and that¡¯s what you¡¯re going to do.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Ajin replied, moving his hand while touching her thigh. At that moment, Heuk Seol Hyang reached out and grabbed Ajin¡¯s wrist. ¡°A little more, up.¡± Ajin felt the blood on his lower body when she said that with a strange smile. Heuk Seol Hyang¡¯s bridge Calf, thighs, toes¡­ It¡¯s all so soft that he can¡¯t think of her as his master. Ajin has no choice but to feel excited. Ajin swallowed his saliva and carefully groped her dark-scented thighs. ¡°If you leave, I won¡¯t have to stop you. You and other users came to this world for it anyway. But you¡¯d better stay in this town a little longer.¡± ¡°¡­why?¡± As he groped the inside of her thighs, Ajin blew. Even the tops of the thin clothes, he could imagine her thighs, and how they were within his own hands. Heuk Seol Hyang answered with a fine groan. ¡°The master who rules the Breeze of Murim has not yet fallen.¡± ¡°¡­what do you mean?¡± Instead of answering, she pulled Ajin¡¯s hand. Ajin¡¯s hand came up to her waist. Heuk Seol Hyang moved Ajin¡¯s finger to hold his pants dance. ¡°A monster lurks in the deepest part of the forest, the user who left the village chose to go over to the Silent Forest instead of challenging the monster. Beyond the Silent Forest, there is the port city of Locester. And in the vicinity of Locester there lies Forest of Pain and Oblivion.¡± Listening to the explanation of Heuk Seol Hyang, Ajin carefully lowered her pants down. Heuk Seol Hyang moved his legs to help Ajin take off her pants. The white, slim legs were exposed as they were. She spread her legs wide over Ajin¡¯s shoulders. Ajin felt thirsty when she saw Heuk Seol Hyang¡¯s vagina hidden behind black underwear, which was plainly visible right in front of her. ¡°It¡¯s not bad to go to Locester and challenge the monsters of Forest of Pain and Oblivion. Or maybe it¡¯s okay to go beyond the Wild forest, to the cliffs of the Indigo, or even to the Blue Volcano that¡¯s over it. In Blue Volcano, there is also a Singing Sea. Either way, it doesn¡¯t really matter which way you want to go.¡± Ajin carefully groped Heuk Seol Hyang¡¯s thighs. With his touch, she folded her legs with a queer smile, bringing Ajin¡¯s head closer. ¡°Lick it.¡± Ajin did not resist. He delved his head forward and opened his lips. The black underwear was a little darker in the middle. Ajin carefully covered her labia majora with his stretched tongue. ¡°Heuk.¡± Heuk Seol Hyang sheds a groan. He pulled her hips a little forward and leaned back. As the quilt rolled over, the clothes of Heuk Seol Hyang slipped out and her body was exposed. ¡°¡­hah¡­ in the end¡­ The choice is yours, but¡­ The owner of the wild forest is a monster that is worth knocking down. As you¡¯re in this town doing your work¡­ you¡¯re qualified to challenge that monster, and when you knock him down¡­ You¡¯ll get the price for defeating it. Leaving this town is still not too late after that.¡± Heuk Seol Hyang tasted salty and familiar at the same time. It¡¯s an odor of a woman¡¯s scent. Her scent emits like she is a hungry woman. Ajin licked the place where he drooled over. It was as soft as a marshmallow and fluffy as it was pressed against Ajin¡¯s tongue, and Heuk Seol Hyang wrapped Ajin¡¯s head around her hand, spitting out a small groan. ¡°Ugh¡­¡± Heuk Seol Hyang did not explain further. She enjoyed Ajin¡¯s tongue moving as she tilted her body back. Ajin opened his lips and bit there. He bit the plump flesh with his teeth and rolled his tongue on the bulging organ, firm and straight. ¡°Ha!¡± When asked about the place, Heuk Seol Hyang moaned. Her legs on Ajin¡¯s shoulder were convulsing. Ajin grabbed it and slowly massaged her thigh that is on his calf. Heuk Seol Hyang screamed to the point water dripped. ¡°¡­Whoa.¡± After enjoying it for a long time, she ordered, as if she couldn¡¯t stand it any longer. Ajin slowly laid his back on the ground, smashing his lips from the lower mouth of Heuk Seol Hyang, staggered, stood up, and revealed her lower mouth by lowering down her damp underwear. Touching the place where black hair grew neatly, Heuk Seol Hyang looked down at Ajin lying on the floor with sticky eyes. ¡°¡­move on your own.¡± Looking at Ajin standing up solidly, Heuk Seol Hyang whispered. Then she moved slowly and spread her legs with Ajin¡¯s body in the middle. The broadened knees bent, and the waist of Heuk Seol Hyang bent. ¡°You, stay still. I¡¯ll be the one who is going to move. Be grateful for that. Oh, my God, Heuk Seol Hyang¡­ this magician leader and your master will be the one who will move.¡± Squash¡­ Ajin shuddered at the hot sensation he felt. It¡¯s so wet and hot. It has a completely different feel from what he had with Acacia. Her hole is so narrow once penetrated, Ajin feels like he was sucked into another dimension. ¡°Y-you have pretty big jabber there.¡± ¡°¡­thank you, Master.¡± At that moment, Heuk Seol Hyang¡¯s body completely swallowed Ajin. Ajin shuddered and felt the pressure of bursting. Heuk Seol Hyang only moved for a moment and groaned hard. Her flesh quivered convulsively. She looked she reached her peak just by inserting his jabber. ¡°¡­it¡¯s been a long time since I¡¯ve experienced this. It¡¯s been a while.¡± Heuk Seol Hyang groaned hard on the top of her mouth. He slowly rubbed her back and forth, touching her big breasts that were exposed and wrapped with nothingness. Her breast rubbed against Ajin¡¯s, and sticky water soaked him. The tightness of her flesh eased off smoothly. ¡°¡­h¡­h¡­h¡­don¡¯t be flattered. It¡¯s simply because I want your body¡­¡± The speed of Heuk Seol Hyang¡¯s movement around his waist increased. Her hole is still narrow and short. Ajin trembled, feeling her touch till the end, and feeling of tightening and pressing his whole body had gently loosened. ¡°If you do something unnecessary, I¡¯ll kill you.¡± Heuk Seol Hyang did not bend over. She still looked down at Ajin, and opened her lips and only moaned. Ajin immediately gave up his desire to use the energy drain because of her. It¡¯s different from the time he had with Acacia. ¡°If you feel like you¡¯re going to be in trouble, tell me. I don¡¯t want to take your little seed. You¡¯re just¡­ like a toy that fills my desires.¡± As she looked down from Ajin, Heuk Seol Hyang whispered. As he listened to her whisper, Ajin chewed his lips. She¡¯s I¡¯m just a toy. Well it maybe not a very good deal but Heuk Seol Hyang¡¯s interior is just insanely great. Chapter 19 The deed has to be done on the floor. Faithful to what she said, she controlled Ajin¡¯s thing with her own body while she is inducing pain unto Ajin. After a moment, she saw his eyes begging. She then immediately pulled out her body and kept her silence. With her blatant action, Ajin felt humiliated when he made her look like a spectacle and just made him feel good with the use of her hands instead. She shook her hands, and there was a sticky sensation and deep smell that had been released. The room was only filled with a mixture of male and female carnal desires. ¡°Don¡¯t be mistaken and don¡¯t act cocky.¡± When Ajin was done with the third round, Heuk Seolhyang was no longer willing to cooperate. She sat on the bed caressing his reddened flesh, he exhaled and his thing rose up again, with his fluids still dripping. The floor, which was supposed to be cold, turned hot as his cum dripped on the floor. ¡°This is nothing more than an act to satisfy our own sexual necessities. This has nothing to do with the affection of ordinary men and women or a gesture of animals for the preservation of their kind. It is just an act of a starved female who covets and eats men.¡± Heuk Seolhyang lifted her hand that was touching his junior and brought it up in front of his eyes. There is a sticky transparent thread between her fingers that forms into a web. She giggled at the sight and reached out to Ajin. ¡°Did you have fun?¡± Looking at her hand that was approaching his face, Ajin opened his mouth. As if it was normal, she put her fingers into his lips. ¡°Is your junior in good shape?¡± ¡°¡­Yes.¡± His way of talking sounded broken due to her finger poking inside his mouth, but it was still understandable. She burst into laughter with his answer. ¡°You may have felt humiliated, but your thing is still happy. It¡¯s not like conquering is something only men can do after all.¡± ¡®Sadist!¡¯ Ajin thought and didn¡¯t feel surprised. The way Heuk Seolhyang made him feel humiliated and made him suffer is enough to regard her as sadistic. Ajin twirled his tongue, tasting the fishy taste hovering inside his mouth. He carefully tasted the fingers of Heuk Seolhyang and tickled it with the use of his teeth. ¡°If you don¡¯t like it, consider it as a reward for your hard work. Or you can be in a position like eating pizza. Haven¡¯t you tried to taste your own seed before?¡± He hasn¡¯. Ajin opened his eyes thinly and reached out Heuk Seolhyang¡¯s knuckles. He was satisfied. Their deed may have been done satisfactorily out of desire, but also his mental satisfaction was still there. He thought that someday, he¡¯ll make her his lap dog. He thought that all the holes are indecent and will make her mouth scream in a pleading manner, and make him sprinkle all his seeds that she called insignificant, all over her body. Ajin promised to make her do that to her. ¡°What are you doing with Sake?.¡± After stirring her fingers in Ajin¡¯s mouth for a long time, she asked him, while pulling her fingers out. She crossed her legs as she rubbed her sticky fingers that had Ajin¡¯s saliva on a blanket. She moved her legs, grabbed his thing and started to rub until her legs were completely red, looks like Ajin was still holding it good. ¡°¡­I want to learn magic from him.¡± ¡°Hoo Haven¡¯t I already given you Heavenly Demon Arts and Mara Chenle Technique. Now you want magic too? Isn¡¯t your appetite too big? Magic huh¡­¡± Heuk Seolhyang frowned while grabbing her forehead ¡°It¡¯s not bad to learn magic, but it¡¯s hard to get good at it quickly. Martial arts and magic are two completely different prowess. It may not interfere with mana flow in your inner space, but it takes a lot of effort to make it happen.¡± Ajin remained silent while he listened to every word Heuk Seolhyang uttered. Although her personality was terrible, she is still his master who is several steps higher than Ajin, and more familiar with this world than Ajin, who is an NPC/ Player. ¡°Alright, but I won¡¯t recommend it. Whatever you learn, it¡¯s your right as a player. Think of it as a piece of advice from a Lord to his servant. It¡¯s good to know magic, but it is hard to do it in comparison with martial arts. If you have power other than your qi, the amount of qi that can be re-gained with energy drain will decrease and if you try to take both, you might end up being a dainty moron who is not faithful at all.¡± ¡°¡­yes, ma¡¯am.¡± Ajin bowed his head deeply to Heuk Seolhyang. It was quite unexpected for that arrogant woman to give positive advice, but Ajin thought that it really didn¡¯t matter. Learning magic is only an excuse for him after all. He had no intention of learning magic. * ¡°Oh, are you here already?¡± Sake looked pleased as he opened the door. As soon as Ajin saw Sake, he bowed politely, and Sake waved his hand to dissuade him. ¡°Thank you for accepting my favor.¡± ¡°Ho ho¡­this person really¡­Why would you say that? I also in need of an assistant.¡± Sake replied while he scratched his grayish hair head. Whether he was just doing an experiment, he was rolling up the sleeves of his robe that he normally used along with his new silver glasses. Along with the smell of reagents, Ajin¡¯s body has been emitting that kind of scent lately. ¡®Hanemos.¡¯ Ajin took out a bundle and handed it to Sake. He took the bundle from Ajin and opened his eyes wide. ¡°This is¡­a lot.I think this is much more than the last one you gave me, was collecting Hanemos the only thing yo did?¡± ¡°I wanted to help you with your research¡­Don¡¯t you need it?¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s not it. It¡¯s just too much. I¡¯m just feeling sorry for giving you a hard time.¡± He knew it well. Ajin smiled outwardly and thought so inwardly. In order to collect this amount of Hanemos, he left Heuk Seolhyang¡¯s house yesterday and wandered through the forest until dawn without a break. In collecting Hanemos, he had to go through the black wolf to the blue wolf area and wandered around again and again. If it became wasteful, he wouldn¡¯t have put down his plans and his stuff for a moment and just punched them on Sake¡¯s face. ¡°I¡¯ll try to make use of all this¡­For now, let¡¯s get inside first.¡± When Sake beckoned him, he went inside the house cautiously. Of course, it was all just an act, and he intended to act like he was nervous and intimidated. He shrank his shoulders and walked slowly while still looking around. He thought that it would be better to look foolish. ¡°Are you the assistant that Sake was talking about?¡± He heard a voice. Ajin looked at the owner of the voice while holding his eyes on the ground. And there he saw a tall woman with short cut black hair and had glasses. For a woman, she was average with a mediocre chest. ¡°That is my daughter, Runia.¡± Sake introduced Runia to Ajin. He bowed his head straight and said something. ¡°It is nice to meet you for the first time. I am Ajin, and I am here as Mr. Sake¡¯s assistant.¡± With what he uttered, Runia had a scrutinizing look and looked at Ajin up and down. Maybe he was just checking him out as he is foreign in her eyes. Ajin hesitated a little bit due to her gaze on him and glancing at her in a sense of awkwardness. ¡°Hans said you hunted a lot of blue wolves. But from your looks, I don¡¯t think so.¡± ¡°Haha, this guy must be too nervous.¡± ¡°No, I was just lucky.¡± Ajin replied politely. She doesn¡¯t have to be so bossy. There is no harm in showing modesty after all. With his reply, Runia said something while smiling wryly. ¡°With or without luck, taking Hanemos while wandering through a forest infested with wolves is something that is supported with ability. Well¡­not that I care about it. Can I call you Ajin oppa?¡± ¡°Yes, yes, I don¡¯t really mind it at all.¡± After answering, she shrugged and turned around. After a few small steps, she turned her head as if she had thought of something and glared at Sake. ¡°Father, it¡¯s good to experiment underground, but¡­The scent is just too much. It¡¯s a big problem if our clothes smell bad, so will you take precautions too?¡± ¡°Oh, yeah. I¡¯m really sorry. I¡¯ll be more careful.¡± With his answer, she smiled for a bit and went up the stairs. Her room looked like it was on the second floor. When her footsteps were no longer heard, Sake glanced at Ajin, while scratching his head. ¡°Still she¡¯s a woman, so she doesn¡¯t really like strong smell. But still¡­I can¡¯t help it as it is part of my experiment. Oh and you too. Your clothes won¡¯t come out well if the smell is engraved.¡± He then opened the door that was beside the stair, while saying so. The scent of reagents and Hanemos filled the house, along with the potent, the quaint scent of the basement was also strong. ¡°The laboratory is down there. Follow me.¡± Following Sake down the stairs, the laboratory room was about the size of a living room. There were potion bottles containing reagents everywhere, and there was a spacious table in the center that had tools for the experiment. Sake pointed to the old lobes on the wall. ¡°Put that on first.¡± Following faithfully, Ajin put on a robe. The cloth was filled with Hanemos scent. As Ajin wore it, Sake pointed to the safety gloves secondly. ¡°Those gloves were actually made of black wolf skin. I¡¯m used to it, so it doesn¡¯t really matter, but if you wore it for the first time, you might feel nauseous.¡± ¡°By the way, what kind of experiment are we doing?¡± Ajin asked while wearing the gloves. He glanced and looked inside the laboratory. The first thing he saw was a pile of Hanemos on one side. The hanemos were on the floor and were inside a magic ball painted in white, which looked like it was already there for a few days since he had been pulled out, but was still fresh and green as if it was just plucked out. ¡°I¡¯m trying to pull out Hanemos¡¯ mana neatly and in high density, and make a new potion out of it.¡± Sake pointed to the reagent bottles that are on display. Each of them was subtly different colored reagent bottles, and they seem to be potions that are dipped with mana that is from the Hanemos. ¡°I¡¯m changing the ration and adding this and that material, but it doesn¡¯t work that well as I thought of.¡± ¡°Potion you say¡­what kind of potion?¡± ¡°It¡¯s literally a mana potion. It¡¯s a potion. Though it is drawn into magical rather scientific. There are already a lot of different kinds of potions, and there¡¯s a lot of Hanemos out there. But what I¡¯m trying to make it more effective, which is a pure Hanemos mana potion. If I am successful and mass produce it, it will be a great help.¡± ¡°You really are great.¡± Ajin admired the amount of potion and the amount of Hanemos will make it possible. With those words, Sake smiled proudly and nodded his head. ¡°And because Hanemos isn¡¯t even a very rare grass. If mass production is successful, more wizards will be able to use the potion. Now, I¡¯ll tell you what you have to do from now on.¡± Sake pointed to the tool on the table. ¡°The first thing to do is to process Hanemos. For now, I¡¯m thinking of doing it artificially rather than by using magic. We have to dissect, boil¡­or maybe burn it. The first thing to do is to find out which one is more efficient while trying every way we can. It¡¯s a simple task you can do without mastery of magic, so don¡¯t worry about it.¡± ¡°Yes sir!¡± Ajin replied loudly. Sake felt that he was nervous. But honestly, he never felt nervous. Chapter 20 Desire CH 20 On the second day of being Sake¡¯s assistant, Ajin reduced his hunting time and only hunted the wolves that were coming his way, and the rest of his time was devoted to wandering through the forest gathering Hanemos. While walking he realized that his feet were on the boundary between black wolf¡¯s territory and blue wolf¡¯s territory. Ajin pulled out the map from his inventory. It was a map made through the capture function within the capsule and the maps distributed in the village. It was perfect and detailed beyond comparison with those simple maps and bulletin boards that are circulating in the village right now. In addition to that, he also sold the information he collected to the bulletin board. ¡®3 million won.¡¯ It¡¯s not too much for the profit of just selling a map and it¡¯s also not too rip off. How many people will start the game as soon as it¡¯s released? Unless one can make inroads into other villages, users will eventually end up in this village. For such users, a wide forest is certainly worth it. He will sell the information, and the target site will buy it. By publishing it, the target site catches novice users. There¡¯s nothing bad either ways in the end. ¡®It¡¯s a map of a forest that has nothing to do with my growth.¡¯ Ajin thought while eating ramen. About a month is left for the beta. With his immediate gains, his recent sufferings have paid off to some extent. The current problem is long term turns. ¡®It¡¯s okay to sell information about the wild forest boss monster.¡¯ A sentiment of a Boss Monster, which had not yet fallen will certainly make money. While the gains referred by Heuk Seolhyang may not refer to returns, money is still needed to make a living. ¡®I¡¯ll have to raise my earnings by the next 6 weeks.¡¯ Ajin wasn¡¯t that in money, but like games, there¡¯s nothing bad about having money in reality. And if that is the case, it is better to have more than less. And in order to make money by selling information, that is sold steadily. ¡®And to do that, I have to become strong.¡¯ Ajin dipped the pot in the running water. The beta test ends in a month, and the user¡¯s status will get reset. Although it will remain the information in his head and will be helpful when the servers are public, it would be painful for him to reset his ability right away. I know the relationship between the Blood Explosion Technique and Heuk Seolhyang. If only I can use that even if the service starts officially¡­¡¯ Reset. Will it affect NPC¡¯s memory, too? If that happens, he must rebuild his intimacy with Heuk Seolhyang and the other NPCs. To be honest, it¡¯s annoying. But he can¡¯t help it as Heuk Seolhyang is the leader of the Magic Sect, and has Blood Explosion Technique, and is also connected with the blacksmith who has the black wolf teeth quest. After all, should he really be starting all over again is what he thought and had a frown on his forehead. ¡®But I like this side best.¡¯ It would be all right if there is no stuff going on in the game, like learning Heavenly Demon Art by the leader of the Demon Sect, and to strengthen his own body by using Mara Cheonle technique. All done. To be honest, the balance will break down if it is given to beginners. But there is also a hidden piece of the game¡¯s story, so it¡¯s better to use it. ¡°Let¡¯s get it started¡± I brushed my teeth, drank water and did my business. After finishing his preparation, Ajin chewed his fatigue medicine, vitamins and drank water again. Then he went into the capsule. [Welcome to the First World] With that voice, the darkness was lifted and the world that he saw changed. Ajin stood in front of the fountain where he logged out and checked the time. The time of First runs just like the in the real world, but now the world is strikes before noon. ¡®First, Heuk Seolhyang.¡¯ At noon, he visited Heuk Seolhyang and got himself educated. It¡¯s the promise that they will meet sharp at noon, and if he is late, Heuk Seolhyang lecture will be very harsh. No matter how helpful she is, he doesn¡¯t enjoy getting beaten up. Ajin immediately went straight to Heuk Seolhyang¡¯s house. Instead of entering the house, Ajin headed to the vacant lot behind the house. Mara Cheonle Technique is already over, and her education has been changed to Sparring Discipline. When he arrived at the vacant lot, Heuk Seolhyang was smoking. ¡°You¡¯re on time.¡± Heuk Seolhyang spoke in a calm manner as he watched the approaching Ajin, who immediately kneeled down and put his head on the ground. ¡°I am here to see my Lord.¡± ¡°Okay. Get up.¡± With that, Ajin stood up without hesitating. Heuk Seolhyang¡¯s polite order, so he didn¡¯t refuse. She inhaled smoke for a few more, and then shook off the leaves filled in the pipe unto the ground. Then she kept it around her waist and stretched her arms at ease. ¡°You did it yesterday, so it won¡¯t be awkward anymore. Bring it on.¡± He didn¡¯t hesitate at all and he just kicked the ground right away. Sparring has always been like this. Ajin would come at Heuk Seolhyang and attack her. There is no courtesy even if she is a woman. Even if he exerts all his might and goes beyond his limits, Ajin could never touch Heuk Seolhyang. He used Heavenly Demon Arts Thousand Miles Footwork Technique for approaching and went on with Heavenly Demon Arts Thousand Star Explosion. Both neither control their internal strength nor use energy drains, as he usually did when hunting wolves. His opponent is someone who used to be the leader of Demon Sect. If she uses energy drains, he will die in a matter of seconds. She was squinting Ajin¡¯s fists. She just stretched out her finger still. Bang! Ajin flew up into the air. His fist didn¡¯t even touch her, he vomited blood, feeling the pain of his gut being squashed. The voice of Heuk Seolhyang came to Ajin, who was dropped on the ground. ¡°Too much honesty. Do you see yourself as a wolf?¡± What a load of shit. No matter how irregularly he had done, that monster would always see through Ajin attacks. So, in the end, Ajin¡¯s attack is honest in the eyes of Heuk Seolhyang. ¡®You¡¯re such a bummer.¡¯ Ajin sprang to his feet, while spitting blood and rushed forward. His beaten body ached but there was no room for hesitation. With a sour face, she crept out as she watched Ajin approaching. Dash! The body of Heuk Seolhyang that vanished in an instant came before Ajin, and he raised her arms in surprise. Clash! There was a pain in his waist and felt like there was a broken bone. Although he blocked her palm that flew into his head, the shock was so great. As he staggered and watched Ajin approaching, she shrugged her shoulders. ¡°It¡¯s on my side that¡¯s hard to control.¡± He is glad that she noticed it. Ajin shook his fist as he swallowed curses. With the old rule of the Heavenly Demon Thousand Star Bombardment, his qi would overflow, but the power flow is different. Since he is a heavenly demon user without fixing his internal body, it changes the form of the power trajectory. If the strong power of the heavenly demon Thousand Star Bombardment is used, it can also imitate the other power techniques. He then used Pearl Meteor Barrier Force Explosion. He then clenched his fist. Pearl Explosion¡¯s martial arts are suitable for quick fists and blows at close range. Bang! He stretched his fist quickly. However, Heuk Seolhyang did not move, and the counter attack that was on his fist blew in instant. Ajin sat down half way while feeling dizzy. ¡®Monster..!¡¯ It can¡¯t be helped. His current level of Heavenly Demon Art is still at Level 1. On top of that, his power has been reduced by 80%, so it is evident that he is still no match for her who is the Demon Sect former Leader, who had succeeded in mastering Heavenly Demon Arts. ¡°You are used to that form. Do you know anything about Explosion Technique?¡± ¡°Sort of¡­¡± Ajin was still getting up while staggering, and immediately swung his left knee. His knee swung diagonally, stretched out his legs and then tried to kick her head. As soon as he raised his knees, he twisted his back and turned around. Tap! He stepped on the ground with his left foot, and swung his heel on the right foot against Heuk Seolhyang. ¡°So it was the Shaolin¡¯s Limitless Proportion!¡± Heuk Seolhyang laughed out loud. It was a slap off, but it doesn¡¯t mean that it didn¡¯t help him. His opponent is far stronger than him, so he can never knock it down. By confronting the opponent, Ajin was trying to test everything he remembered. Even if it causes enough pain to death and would be in that kind of state, he knew he wouldn¡¯t die because he¡¯s a player. Tak! Heuk Seolhyang, who was caught by the flying Ajin, swung her arms and stretched to Ajin. Her speed was fast, but not to the extent that Ajin could not see. As long as her leg is caught, her movement is limited, and if she twists it violently, she will lose her balance and fall down. He moved his upper body slightly, applying force to his left leg on the ground. Jeez! She dodged his attack. Next- her two arms are free. ¡®Ceiling of Tathagatha¡¯s Law¡¯ [¡®ÈçÀ´·¨Ì컨°å¡®]!¡¯ He made a triangle with both hands and stretched it out. Zoom! Heuk Seolhyang¡¯s body lightly backed away. She laughed and put her left hand around her abdomen. ¡°So you use qi for the Heavenly Demon, and use other types of arts. If it¡¯s like this, you can make a good move with the use of Heavenly Demon Arts that doesn¡¯t have a fixed type. But there¡¯s no depth in it!¡± Flash! Her body turned red in an instant. The aura, each occupied the different direction and was about to strike at Ajin. Is this what Heuk Seolhyang¡¯s true form is? Maybe there will be some real moves and attacks that will come at him in different directions. ¡®Focus-¡® But he couldn¡¯t recognize it. Squash! Ajin fluttered down on the ground feeling shocked and blew his mind away. Looking at Ajin shivering, Heuk Seolhyang shook her fist. ¡°You have a good application and timing. But you still lack power and speed. In the end, you followed other types of Martial Arts, but had no depth. It¡¯ll work for the skills, but it¡¯ll be terrible if you are just good enough to figure out your movements.¡± ¡°I¡­can¡¯t help it!¡± Ajin spat out blood and barely raised his immobile body. With what he said, Heuk Seolhyang spat. ¡°Yes, it can¡¯t be helped. That I understand, too. The head, who is originally allowed to master Heavenly Demon Arts, besides specializing one or more techniques before learning them. In my case, it is also right to have few demon arts and techniques. I mingled with Heavenly Demon Goddess and became a Blood Heavenly Demon Witch.¡± Tap! Her quick hands reclined at Ajin¡¯s head. Ajin, who was staggering, froze up again and stumbled again, even though he had stood up already. ¡°I understood all the Extreme Demonic Arts. It adds to the might power of the Heavenly Demon, and it is also called the greatest of all time. But how about you? Have you understood both the power of Shaolin words and Martials Arts regarding the Fist?¡± ¡°¡ªNot yet.¡± ¡°Of course it is. You just followed my teachings and did not find for yourself after all. I already passed on the Heavenly Demon Arts, and trained you, but you still don¡¯t know how to use it. It would be such a great disgrace for a mother to have a dainty moron even after teaching you.¡± She smiled mysteriously. ¡°I don¡¯t want to endure such disgrace. So, learn from me.¡± ¡°¡ªWhat?¡± Ajin asked back in surprise at what Heuk Seolhyang said. Through the general conversation, Ajin was convinced that she would teach him about something else. ¡°Flesh Martial Arts.¡± And with that he¡¯s expectations were met. ¡°Twenty years ago, I resolved to my heart that I will kill those goddamn bastards who dropped me here. This also doesn¡¯t have to do with learning different classes. I don¡¯t need to learn it. This is a bizarre way of learning martial arts, which may or may not be necessary for martial arts technique.¡± She slowly stretched her hands. She laughed as she watched Ajin gulping down his own saliva. ¡°The flow of air should be filled in as static, gentle and explosive at some point. Extensive sensory, listening, sight and feeling and also acceleration of thought should be considered for martial arts growth. Avoiding and getting hit should also be considered. Any movement about how to swing and stretch, stab and hit, all of this would be transmitted through flesh.¡± ¡°Thank you, master¡ª!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t get me wrong.¡± She cut off the gratitude that Ajin gave. She came up to Ajin and giggled and slapped him in the head. Her body and his went backwards. ¡°It¡¯s everything that I have invested myself, though I can¡¯t easily give you all that in just one go.¡± ¡°¡­Then?¡± Blood came out of his lips, but Ajin asked him without thinking about wiping the blood he had vomited. Heuk Seolhyang answered in a light voice. ¡°Kill the Boss of the wild forest.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll kill it.¡± Ajin answered on a whim, because there was no need to think about it, as he decided to kill the wild forest boss monster anyway. ¡°When that happens, I¡¯ll let you know.¡± Feeling satisfied with his answer, she nodded. Ajin clenched his fist as he listened to her giggles. He was going to kill the boss of the wild forest for information and money anyway, because he had another reason to catch it. Chapter 21 After leaving Heuk Seolhyang¡¯s house, Ajin headed straight to Sake¡¯s House walking briskly trying to organize his thoughts. Flesh Martial Arts. It is questionable whether Heuk Seolhyang will be worth the price, but she must be great enough as she was confident about it. She¡¯s an absolute master who calls herself a ¡°golden one¡± and she acclaimed that she spent 20 years trying to invent a whole new level of martial arts¡­ ¡®If you can get it, you can grow up in a leap and bounds.¡¯ He felt that he was lacking his method to attack. Power and speed may be replaced by Heavenly Demon Arts, but his body type just can¡¯t take it. Long term combat is possible while combining energy drain, but he doesn¡¯t know how to eventually attack and avoid attacks at the same time. However, the attack technique has no choice but to focus on coping with the situation. He believes in his fighting sense and aim. He hasn¡¯t felt much trouble about it yet though. But he felt fed up with previous virtual reality games. He thought that it was not enough. Heuk Seolhyang warned him that his fighting techniques would make him end up struggling when facing an opponent overwhelmingly stronger than Ajin. If he ever meets an opponent who can cope with his moves, it will affect Ajin¡¯s side, and lose miserably. ¡®I¡¯ve been mimicking the attacks I remember so far but¡­¡¯ He still lacks depth. Even in the Heavenly Demon Arts when replenishing his power and speed, he still cannot boost his energy. The previous game¡¯s martial arts skills were all about leaving the body to the system throughout. Thinking about the skills, he wanted to aim for the place he wanted and unfold. So with the assistance of the system, he grew his skills under some circumstances. Now that the skills are not properly mastered and the system cannot be subsidized, it is impossible to achieve its original power. But what if he was thought through flesh? Flesh Martial Arts is an art itself, but it is not considered to be part of martial arts entirely. Ajin couldn¡¯t understand exactly what it was, but it would certainly help him. The sparring practice incident with her would certainly change if he would get her to teach him the acceleration movement of qi, and the expansion of his senses just as Heuk Seolhyang said to him. ¡®¡ªWho am I gonna talk about these things?¡¯ As for the reason why she had Flesh Martial Arts, she said that it was to use to avenge those who dropped her in this world. He wondered if this is also part of the storyline. Ajin¡¯s eyes narrowed down. First is the game too unkind for a user. While the player is in the game, the game forces the users to feel this game is real and not as a game. To acquire an item, one must skin the monster and cut the meat. Many other things are just like reality. In other words, everything is real except for their avatar. It¡¯s as if an avatar was thrown into a real world, and not a game. ¡°Hey, you¡¯re a player, aren¡¯t you?¡± Someone suddenly spoke to him. Ajin stopped walking and looked at the girl looking at her. It was a woman with bright blue eyes. ¡°Yes, are you too?¡± Is she a foreign player? ¡®First¡¯ is a virtual game that was created for the first time in the world, and from the very beginning, servers have been integrated into one without dividing into countries. They may be confident in the world that can embrace countless players across the country or pride in the server it runs into. What¡¯s clear is that it has come as a great attraction for game players around the world. Since virtual reality has been created, a chat system using the avatars, if not because of this large online RPG game, has already been completed. There is no language barrier, as they are speaking through brain waves, and the doctors said it is known as the wind of consciousness, and language. It has become a sure way of communication rather than having a translator for a conscious avatar, and dialogue. ¡®No, maybe it¡¯s just a Western version of Avatar.¡¯ Avatar¡¯s customization is free, wherein Blacks can be White, and Asians can be Black. Gender is limited due to the large gap between reality and the game, but the outer appearance itself can be perfectly controlled from the tip of the fingers until the genitals. ¡°Yes. My name is Daisy. Level 21.¡± ¡®That¡¯s average.¡¯ Five days have passed since the beta test began as of today. Luke, who was 20 by the time of the second day, was fourth in the ranking. There were many overlapping levels, but it was clear that level 20 was the fourth highest. But it changes over time. Luke¡¯s level is now 28. While it can¡¯t be helped that his level of growth increases, Luke raised his level by 8 in three days, and his ranking remained at 4th place. When he checked, Asela¡¯s level was in Level 26. ¡®Total averages, 20.¡¯ But Ajin¡¯s level is still 16. He¡¯s even below the average. He is also at the bottom of the ranking. As Ajin looked at Daisy, she looked at the two people staring at her from afar. They¡¯re players, too. There were still quite a few players left in the village. The problem is that the level of quests given in this village falls short of their level. So instead of interacting with the NPC and taking quests, the player is making their hoard and repeating the hunt. It is not yet enough to challenge the wild forest monster, but players are growing up from hunting silver wolves that swarm by a party. ¡°Is there anything I can do for you?¡± Ajin asked while smiling faintly. Daisy approached Ajin with a big nod when he said that. ¡°Hey, if you¡¯re free or don¡¯t have a party yet, why don¡¯t you join us?¡± ¡®As expected, that¡¯s what it was.¡¯ Ajin was not surprised. Although there are many players left in the village, the number is only around 50. About 50 out of 1,500 players were thrown into the game first. And other players have already left the town. Silver wolves are said to give quite a good amount of experience, but there is no reason to stay in the starting village in a limited time beta service. Perhaps, most players had already moved their bases. They probably have crossed into the Silent Forest and headed to the port city, just like Luke and Asela¡¯s parties had done, or maybe towards the end or beyond the Forest of Pain, Forest of Forgetfulness, or the Cliff of Indigo. In the end, about 50 players are hunting in the wild forest. ¡°Well, I don¡¯t belong to any party, but I am at a low level.¡± He wasn¡¯t lying on that part. Ajin scratched his head with a smile filled with embarrassment. He decided to take a step back. At that moment, Daisy said something with glittering eyes. ¡°Ah, I know about you. You¡¯re Ajin right?¡± How the hell does she know my name? Ajin hesitated for a bit. Daisy shook her hand and continued to talk while she saw Ajin¡¯s expression. ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sorry. The vigilante Hans mentioned you to me, so I did a little bit of research in the rankings. Your level¡­is 16 is what I heard?¡± That fucking bastard. As Ajin recalled Hans¡¯ face, which had a lot of freckles, he clenched his fist. That bastard was always nodding until his crutch on fine days, but his mouth is just so talkative. Come to think of it, Sake knew about Ajin, saying he had heard about Runia, from Hans. He attests that someday, he¡¯ll put a stone in that talkative mouth. Ajin clicked his tongue discreetly. ¡°You know my level and you still recommended party play. I¡¯m sure I¡¯m at the bottom of the list.¡± ¡°Well that¡¯s true, but the level doesn¡¯t matter in this game, doesn¡¯t it? Master Hans said that you have hunted a lot of blue wolves. The blue wolf level is 15. But given your skill level, you¡¯re able to defeat blue wolf before level 16.¡± She¡¯s quite the smart girl. Ajin eyed her as he looked at Daisy and explained her side while fidgeting her fingers. It was true that levels didn¡¯t matter for this game. The most important thing is the skill level. Depending on how high they are and how skilled they are, with their basic competence, they may hunt a stronger monster other than themselves. ¡°I think Ajin¡¯s skill level will be helpful enough. Even if you¡¯re at the bottom of the ranking, I think you¡¯re the standard for hunting in our party.¡± ¡°¡ªWhat are we hunting?¡± ¡°Silver wolves.¡± Daisy answered Ajin¡¯s question with a cheerful smile. Is that so? Unlike red and blue wolves that roam around all alone and attack players, silver wolves that are inhabitant in the deepest part of the woods, they go in packs. The same goes for hunting. To play solo, he has no choice but to face several wolves all at once. So being in a party plays gives you a chance to be in the limelight. This is natural in PC MMORPG games before virtual reality games were introduced. The purpose is to be able to unite players in dealing with a large number of monsters or to hunt powerful monsters. Is what they call Party Play. Of course, unlike a solo play, which monopolizes experiences, as the experience gained in catching one monster is less than solo play because it would be distributed among party members. But it¡¯ll be faster. It¡¯s like hitting a monster that needs to be captured for a long time when one is in solo play. But of course, it¡¯s faster and efficient. ¡°We have one tanker, one healer, and one dealer in our party.¡± Just as she said, Daisy beckoned back. She approached a man and a woman watching from afar. One man who had heavy-looking plate mail, and he wore a large shield behind his back. That¡¯s a typical tanker. And the next one is a woman with a thin robe and a short wand. Dealer or is that a healer? ¡°The one on the left side is the tanker. The one next to him is Rina who is the healer. And I¡¯m the dealer.¡± Daisy explained with a big smile on her face. Haguro greeted and Rina curled her hair while looking around. Ajin waited for Daisy¡¯s words as she continued talking. ¡°What we are looking for is a dealer and a tanker. I think the healer will be covered by Rina, but she is not good enough, so I¡¯m going to recruit more. Haguro is playing for the tanker role, but it will be a little hard for him because there are so many wolves.¡± Daisy scratched her head with a bitter smile on her face. Ajin waited for Daisy to say something without saying anything. ¡°So either you get a tanker or¡­or I¡¯m thinking of getting another dealer for faster hunting. You¡¯re a dealer, aren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°¡ªYes.¡± ¡°Then why don¡¯t you join our party? I¡¯ve heard from Hans that you¡¯ve been hunting alone in the woods. Dealing with a blue wolf can be done by solo playing, but it¡¯s going to be hard when it comes to silver wolves.¡± That¡¯s what Ajin had in mind. Soloing is easy because even the blue wolf goes alone, but silver wolves that are roaming around in groups, are too much to deal with all alone. If he overdoes it, it would be possible, but will he be able to get as much experience as he wants with that much effort? ¡°Okay then.¡± There is no reason for him to refuse. Ajin nodded and approved it. Daisy smiled brightly. ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Yes, but¡­ I don¡¯t think I can hunt right now. I don¡¯t think it¡¯ll be possible until 18:00 in-game time, don¡¯t you mind that?¡± ¡°Ah, yeah. It doesn¡¯t matter. You don¡¯t mind it, right everyone?¡± She answered and Daisy asked Haguro and Rina who was behind her. The two exchanged glances for a moment and nodded. ¡°That¡¯s alright. Shall I send you a friend request?¡± ¡°Yes, please.¡± Daisy smiled broadly and nodded her head. Ajin raised his finger to manipulate the screen and made a friend request. He sent Daisy a friend request and she accepted it immediately. ¡®You are my first friend in this game.¡¯ At the same time, it is only a relationship that is woven for mutual understanding. Ajin looked at Daisy¡¯s name that had a green light on. ¡°Then, call me later, at 18:00 or I¡¯ll wait for you in front of the fountain.¡± ¡°Yes, please do as you please. Is there anything urgent you have to do?¡± ¡°Yes, it¡¯s a little bit about business¡­¡± He doesn¡¯t have to talk about the quest that he is doing. He didn¡¯t even expect that he would be going for a quest. Ajin smiled like a good human, hiding his suspicious smile at the back of his head. ¡°Yes, sir! See you later, then.¡± Daisy bowed her head to Ajin and he also bowed his head. Then he moved on and headed towards Sake¡¯s house. ¡®It¡¯s time to start working.¡¯ Preparation is not very necessary as the intimacy already had been formed. The problem is the tactic. It¡¯s important to know what to do. Ajin smiled as he was seeing Sake¡¯s house getting closer. ¡®It¡¯s important to clean up the mess.¡¯ As he checked some of his plans he had formulated, Ajin giggled. Chapter 22 Like Heuk Seolhyang¡¯s house, Sake¡¯s house was in a quiet place away from the center of the village. Perhaps he was concerned about the dangers and evil magic experiments. Which is rather favorable on Ajin¡¯s part. He was not feeling lazy when he was looking around. He walked and headed towards another place. He didn¡¯t do much with the people around him right in an instant, but he thought that he would be different from now. With so much time and effort, Ajin reached Sake¡¯s house. There was no one around. Ajin immediately approached the door and turned the doorknob without even knocking. As he entered, silence prevailed. He listened intently as he breathed the air in the house; it was filled with the scent of old corridors, the scent of reagents, and the aroma of Hanemos. ¡®Runia is probably at home.¡¯ It¡¯s better that way. Ajin stretched out his feet while smirking. There was a very small creek that disturbed the silence. He opened the door that led him underground and went inside. Sake was so engrossed in his research. Without knowing that Ajin came in, he was just sitting at the table with his robe on and his back stretched. ¡°Runia? No, it¡¯s Ajin.¡± Sake turned around due to the sound he heard. Ajin bowed his head, smiling the same way he usually did last time they met. Sake also smiled kindly as he swept his sweaty hair. ¡°I can see that you are finally here and questioning what¡¯s happening. Looks like Runia opened the door for you.¡± ¡°Yes sir.¡± Ajin came up to Sake, answering gently. Sake shrugged. ¡°You must have gotten close to Runia, huh? Oh did you bring Hanemos with you?¡± ¡°Of course, it¡¯s for your research.¡± With Ajin¡¯s reply, Sake smiled. He said something as he wiped the sweat dripping down his wrinkled forehead with the back of his hand. ¡°Just put it over there, with the Hanemos that has been already collected.¡± ¡°Yes, sir.¡± Ajin took out the Hanemos from his bundle and put them in the pile. This is the last time he will pick that goddamn flower. So far, the Hanemos, which he and the other players had collected, have been piled up. As he looked at it, he let out a pleased smile and turned around and wore the robe that is on the wall. ¡°What about the experiment?¡± ¡°Hmm. Frankly speaking, it isn¡¯t going well. Baking, boiling, burning¡­I¡¯ve tried it all, but the amount of mana I can get is very small. Do I need to do magic too?¡± Sake murmured solemnly. He had already learned about the process from Sake. Magical processing will get refined mana, but that would be costly just like Sake doesn¡¯t want it to. Wizards are high-level personnel. Hiring one would be expensive. ¡°I thought it¡¯d be a little better if I mixed it differently, but there¡¯s a limit for that. I need a way to extract pure mana from Hanemos.¡± Ajin knew how to do it. He had energy drain after all. He can extract the energy of his opponent; he can also extract the pure mana from Hanemos. However, it would be impossible for Ajin to extract and get the mana that he absorbed out of his body. ¡®If that¡¯s possible, that would be amazing.¡¯ Ajin clicked his tongue out of regret. If the mana he extracted was made into a potion and distributed, he could have accumulated lots of fortune. With that in mind, they have experimented Hanemos several times, but the energy they have absorbed has already been replaced with internal energy that they have accumulated in the power plant. It was impossible to turn it into mana and take it out. Would it be possible if he can just learn magic? He thought so, but he put this on hold for now. ¡°First of all, I want you to work as hard as you did yesterday. Of all the things that aren¡¯t magical, baking works. Why don¡¯t you give me 20 Hanemos?¡± ¡°Yes, sir.¡± He answered Sake¡¯s order, he slowly approached Sake. Sake was mixing reagents as he glanced at the flask on the table. Ajin was struck with a strange feeling as he looked at Sake¡¯s back. Sake is not a bad man. He had a good character. He was weakened by his request, and didn¡¯t think of anything malice and helped Ajin. He even promised to write him a letter of recommendation to the magic school because he wanted to walk a path towards being a magician. ¡®You¡¯re a good man.¡¯ Ajin admitted purely. Unlike the image of a wizard being eccentric, Sake is truly a good man. He knew how to take care of all the people and he knew how to make concessions. Perhaps it is to focus on the experiment of making a lot of cheaply produced mana. His personality and attitude deserve praise. ¡®I won¡¯t be like him forever.¡¯ Ajin stood behind Sake. He looked at this small wizard whose back was bent, for a moment. Yeah, he can¡¯t be like this good wizard all of his life. He can¡¯t care for others, and he can¡¯t yield. It¡¯s not possible for him because he is Ajin after all. He is selfish, individualistic¡­Because he¡¯s a man of desire. After all, this is his personality. He is a scumbag who thinks he has nothing to do with what happens to others for his good. If it is him, he is the best out of all. He is a person whose brain has developed with such values. He smiled silently. He bargained that he liked the confidence he had. He liked himself for not caring about others, and he liked himself for not doing anything bothersome for others. It is also excellent to be faithful to desire. He questioned himself what¡¯s wrong with doing what he wanted to do? Living alone is one of the reasons. It¡¯s comfortable to be alone because he can be immersed in himself and only for himself. The same reason he had right at this very moment. Squash! He trusted his hands together, up and down. His target was the top of his head. Yeah, he was a good man, so I won¡¯t give you painless death. This was the least courtesy and consideration for the wizard called Sake whom Ajin referred to him too. ¡°Uh¡­¡± Instead of groaning or screaming, Sake made such a stupid noise. He was floundering and falling, so he grabbed the table instinctively. His head was hot and could feel something sticky and damp flowing down his forehead. Sake thought as he looked with blurry vision. ¡®What is this?¡¯ The idea he had, of course, did not last in the end. He was swallowed by darkness as if the wind blew out a candle. Ajin lowered his fist raised while looking at the safety of the basement. ¡°¡­Dumb.¡± Ajin smiled. Wizards are not that single focused. They can create numerous phenomena with a few bites on their lips. They cause thunder to strike, set fire, spit water, cause wind, and shake the ground. Powerful. But they are also weak. They are not warriors who had mastered martial arts, keen senses, and strong bodies, but that is something wizards disregarded. They exert a powerful force if they are ready, but if they don¡¯t give time to prepare, they are no different from ordinary humans. So for Ajin, this was very easy. His body is strong and fast. He didn¡¯t feel any difficulty breaking a middle-aged man¡¯s head. Rather, the red wolf¡¯s head is harder than that of this man. ¡°You¡¯ll be in big trouble if you trust anyone.¡± Ajin giggled and laughed as he watched the blood-soaked Sake¡¯s hair and his unclogged colorless pupils. No one can tell what he was thinking, his facial expressions, his behavior, and his speech. It is the first impression of others to guess and accept it and when it becomes long term, it changes the perception of others. After all, what one feels about others is a mask that cannot be known whether it is true or not. Even if the mask is smiling, no one knows whether the face inside the mask is laughing or crying. He thought how ridiculous it is to trust others with that kind of perception. Ajin wore a smile as a fa?ade when he met Sake. He masked himself as a ridiculously kind, gentle¡­and with that, he had hidden his true nature, which is a hideous beast. And it worked well for Sake. The foolishly good-natured wizard never doubted that Ajin¡¯s fa?ade was not even true. And so he died. ¡°I think magic is an attractive discipline.¡± Ajin threw Sake¡¯s body right in front. He slowly stretched his hands and grabbed Sake¡¯s head. He smiled wryly and activated his energy drain. ¡°But it doesn¡¯t suit me.¡± Ajin whispered. The energy drain sucked into the dead Sake¡¯s body. The mana that the wizard, Sake, had gathered so far, slowly slipped into his body through his hand. It would not be a bad idea to put his dead body in front of others and ask for forgiveness. It would be like an insult to the lion, but the shape wouldn¡¯t have been bad. He can¡¯t afford to be so relaxed. He had already experienced how inefficient it is to spread the energy he drained of a dead body. If he kills them, they lose energy and dispersed into thin air. To stop it, it had to be sucked out immediately after it was killed, when there is still warmth left in the body. Ajin held on to Sake¡¯s head for a long time. He didn¡¯t know if Sake was an outstanding wizard or not, but he had a considerable amount of mana at least a lot more than the black wolf. He was thrilled with the amount he had received. He gazed at the mummy-like shriveling Sake in his hands. After a long absorption of the energy drain he had from Sake, Ajin immediately went to the place where Hanemos was piled up. He activated again his energy drain while holding a pile of Hanemos in both hands. In the end, he spent the whole night collecting Hanemos, pretending to skip hunting. He would suck it all anyway, but he didn¡¯t think it was a waste of effort. If a definite return was promised, the effort he had is pleasurable. Although Hanemos was all shriveled already, Ajin kept moving instead of having a dry breakfast as full energy was swirling around his body. He thought how much bigger it would be if he rolled around with this?¡­ It would probably be possible to level up his blood attack into ten¡­Ajin though he continued to do his deed while imagining something pleasantly. He then raised his foot and¡­Squash! His raised foot hit Sake¡¯s body. As he did that for a long time, Sake¡¯s body was already butchered. Next, he picked up the note on the table. It was Sake¡¯s research note. After glancing into it several times, he gave up the idea of getting it into action. Aside from the magical powers, it is difficult for him to understand without systematically learning magic. However, there is a risk of being caught up in selling them away. Ajin put down the notes without hesitation and took out the candles that were lighting up the basement. And he took the oil out of the inventory. He bought it at a local grocery store. He sprayed oil all over Sake¡¯s body, the table, and the basement of Sake. He then dropped the candle and lit it. The ravaging flames shoot up. He turned and went out of the basement while watching Sake¡¯s body being swallowed by the flame. It¡¯s funny how a magician dies in a simple fire. With that, some directing is needed. Explosion¡­yes, the experiment would have killed him in an explosion. His body is made of rice cake, so of course, it is also burned which is reasonable. He wished he could have saved a bomb, but he can¡¯t. He thought that should he just let the basement collapse? No maybe a little later. Once this house collapses, he must kill everyone but himself. ¡®Next one is¡­¡¯ Runia. Chapter 23 Should I knock? While standing at Runia¡¯s door, Ajin thought about her for a moment. It¡¯s certain that he killed someone, but isn¡¯t his next victim a Lady? Of course, Runia is not a noble birth woman. There is nothing bad about opening the door and going inside rudely. It¡¯s just that he thought he might get cursed at and get a slap on his cheeks. So he smiled and grabbed the doorknob. If that happens, she¡¯ll die more painfully. ¡°Huh? Who¡ªAjin?¡± Runia is sitting at her study table, writing something down. She then looked back with a surprised face. Ajin did not answer the question and strode into Runia¡¯s room. Runia pulled her chair and stood back, while she had a frown on her forehead. ¡°What are you¡ªwithout even knocking? No, why are you even coming here in the first place?¡± He didn¡¯t answer. Runia backed away unconsciously, stepping back as she watched the coming Ajin. ¡°Wait, don¡¯t come in¡ª!¡± His actions are different from the usual. Runia noticed it when she saw his expressionless face. Ajin, whom she remembered is always such a shy man who smiled awkwardly at her. He is a timid man who can¡¯t even properly make eye contact and stammers when he talks to her. But what about this kind of Ajin now? Instead of imposing a timid smile that he always had, he instead kept his mouth shut. His eyes are slightly open and were not shaking even if he was not facing her properly. ¡°Hey, what¨C¡± What¡¯s wrong with him all of a sudden? When she asked, his movements changed and it got faster. Smash! The fist that he yielded struck her head. The glasses she was wearing fell off and smashed along with her skull. Squash! Runia, who couldn¡¯t even scream, fell on the ground. He swat away his fist and looked down at Runia. ¡® I know it¡¯s fascinating when it happens in reality.¡¯ He doesn¡¯t have to. Yes, he does have sexual desire, but he is not crazy enough to get swayed by uselessness. What he values the most is efficiency at it¡¯s finest. The only reason he killed Sake was because he wanted the mana he possessed and the mana of Hanemos, which he collected. There is no other reason besides that. It was not a murder out of resentment, but rather it is driven from desire. There is no difference between the intensity of catching and killing people for money. ¡®Let¡¯s just say it is out of courtesy to a poor wizard.¡¯ Ajin thought as he looked down at Runia, who had not even moved. Well, if she is a good looking woman, then she will be granted a bit of fun, but then he already killed her, so he doesn¡¯t have to do something unnecessary. I don¡¯t have a preference for playing with a dead body, but if it is anything else, then that¡¯s a different story. Ajin stood up and carry Runia¡¯s body on his shoulder. He left Runia¡¯s room and entered the basement where he set the fire. The moment he opened the door of the basement, the flame hit Ajin. The flames had not yet reached the stairs, but the heat is inevitable. He closed his mouth and went down the stairs. And now he will just wait until their bodies are moderately burned. He climbed the stairs and closed the basement door. It¡¯s a little early to set off an explosion in an instant. He just needs a little more time, until it burns down. He thought that he had too much time. How long has it been? Probably less than half an hour and thought that it is almost time to leave the house. He strode away to the house, while he is dancing his shoulders up and down and turned around. How much production would it take for a magician to get perished just like that? Ajin held out his hands and activated his Heavenly Demon Blood Corruption. His hands were covered in red like liquid but were red as a flame at the same time. He wrapped his hand with it and had a smirk on his face. There is no one around. No one will see it. It¡¯s perfect. Crash! The fire blew the house and Ajin laughed menacingly when the house exploded with a loud noise and quickly went away. After he went away to Sake¡¯s house, he went to the territory of red wolves instead of the village and went straight to a tree right in the right branch. He then turned his head on his hands. As he activated the Blood Heart Attack, it circulated his hand. The energy he sucked from the wizard and extracted Hanemos¡¯ mana, was then carried into his body through energy drain. First gives you real-world experience, but the only exception in that world is the avatar. The sucked energy is replaced with mana and is deposited in the dungeon [inner body], which increases the total amount of MP in his avatar status. Even if it is consumed into pulp, it can be recovered if he had a meal. Likewise, if he performed Blood Heart Attack while activating the Heart Law and increases the internal part of his body little by little. Kururung!! There was a huge amount of mana flowed through his veins like a clap of thunder crashing into his body that was transmitted through the Mara Chenle technique. The speed that he received through this method was the same as always. Though with the help Heuk Seolhyang, it had broadened and polished the airway that the amount of mana run smoothly than usual. It didn¡¯t take too much time for the mana to get in his body. At present, his level in Blood Heart Attack is Level 9. The reason behind it is because after he received Mara Chenle Technique, he continued to use it when he is collecting Hanemos. The rapid growth of his mana was due to the Mara Chenle Technique and a large amount of internal energy he had collected just like now. His inner body that had sucked from Sake and Hanemos, were nearly twice as large unlike before. [Explosive Blood Heart Attack had reached Level 10.] [Explosive Blood Heart Attack had grown into Bloodstream Technique.] [Heavenly Demon Art turned into the Bloodstream Technique.] [The player¡¯s power is reduced to 60% because the player hasn¡¯t reached Heavenly Demon level.] During the process, an alarm rang. Ajin¡¯s lips smirked and made a smile. He stopped crying and burst a short laugh. The giggle turned into a menacing laugh as it grew louder and louder. ¡°Puhahaha!¡± It was an enchanting harvest. Ajin then put his head back and forth and burst into a laugh. He thought that finally the Blood Heart Attack had turned into Bloodstream. It wasn¡¯t until five days after he started the game. The Heavenly Demon Arts had decreased from 80% to 60%, which means the Heavenly Demon Arts is as twice powerful as it used to. That¡¯s not all. Unlike Blood Heart Attack, Bloodstream can move and drive the ki according to the internal capacity of his body. Unlike having to focus on a small task for a long time by using his hands, he can grow more and level up by hunting. He couldn¡¯t stop laughing. Nickname: Ajin Title: None Level: 16 HP: 7500/7500 Magic: None Mental Strength: 9100/9300 Energy: 23000/23000 Bloodstream Method: Level 1 (0%) Energy Drain: Level 24 (56%) Heavenly Demon Art Heavenly Demon Thousand Star Explosion Level 1 (89%) Heavenly Demon Heaven and Earth Splitting Level 1 (87%) Heavenly Demon Thousand Miles Footwork Technique (78%) Heavenly Demon Blood Corruption Level 1 (3%) He continuously laughed while checking his status. He couldn¡¯t hold back his laughter at the immense power he received. If he had this much mana, he will not surely get run out easily of mana even if he uses it to the extreme. No, if he continuously uses the bloodstream method, his ki can recover quickly on the spot. There won¡¯t be much delay. ¡®The energy drain is pretty high, too.¡¯ No wonder it is high, he used energy drain when he is always hunting. The MP is also satisfactory. He couldn¡¯t think of any other options in restoring his MP but potion but that kind of method would allow him to devote himself to hunting for quite a long time. ¡®I¡¯m all set.¡¯ He got everything he wanted. He absorbed a huge amount of Hanemos, by killing Sake, and also gained explosive energy. His Blood Heart Attack had also turned into Bloodstream Method, and soon his Heavenly Demon Art will reach Level 2. Although my chosen technique is high and the other techniques he had is extremely low, there is no need to focus on growing that much. A strong Ki Technique can cover it. ¡°I¡¯ll have to get this over with.¡± Ajin got up from his seat with a smirk on his face. Even though he sat there for a long time, his body is still as light as feather. Maybe because he is in good mood, he even hummed that he usually doesn¡¯t do. He jumped off the tree while being so absorbed in his singing. Tap! He reached the floor like a cat, and then he breathed deeply. ¡°¡ªGood day.¡± Ajin murmured merrily and proud. Ajin, who collected a few Hanemos, returned to the town with a bundle on his hands, while he was humming. There were no vigilantes were seen guarding the entrance all the time, but that is not something surprising. He headed to Sake¡¯s house with light steps. ¡°A-Ajin!¡± There were many people gathered in Sake¡¯s house. Some players were struck due to the strange spectacle, including Daisy. He tilted his head as he watched Daisy as if he was pretending he knew her. ¡°What¡¯s going on? Why are you here?¡± ¡°That¡¯s what I thought! You know him too, right? The NPC wizard gives a quest in collecting Hanemos! He died!¡± ¡°What?¡± He asked with a surprised face. Then he rushed to the ground, shoving away the NPCs that had blocked the way to the house. He then approached the house. The house is completely blown away and is not recognizable. The remains of the house that had fallen all over were half burnt and covered with ashes. As he looked at the debris, he fell to his knees with a bewildered face. ¡°It looks like it is from an explosion while he was in the middle of an experiment.¡± A deep voice approached. Ajin burst into tears as he looked at Hans, who had his hands on his shoulders. ¡°Keuk¨Ch-how did this happen?¡± ¡°Whoo¨CI¡¯m sorry to hear that, but¡ªit¡¯s quite common to get into this kind of problem when doing something related to magic. I¡¯m just so glad that you weren¡¯t caught up in this mess.¡± ¡°Heuk- this is for you Sake. I-heuk, I got this Hanemos for you. Why did this happen?¡± ¡°How did this happen?¡± Hans has no further consolation. He shouldn¡¯t have left. He shook his head. After crying for a long time, he raised his head and looked at Hans. ¡°What happened to their bodies? Runia must have been in the house, too!¡± ¡°Well, we found their bodies. There were two bodies that we found. I couldn¡¯t check it out because it was too burnt. Though I¡¯m sure it is him and Runia. I don¡¯t usually like his magic experiments, though I¡¯m trying to help him with anything. Though he seems to have been upset.¡± With those words, he dropped his head and shed tears. [Is it you?] While crying, he could hear a voice in his head. He shuddered due to it. ¡®There is a note.¡¯ Ajin thought that there is only one person who can do this kind of message. [I¡¯m asking if it is you. I¡¯m not accusing you. So just answer me. I am curious.] It¡¯s Heuk Seolhyang. Ajin slowly lifted his head trying to find her. She was not that far from the scene. She is wearing a black eye patch as always, with her long black hair while her pipe was hanging on her mouth, as he had seen before. His eyes met hers. He then smirked while his face was covered with tears. Chapter 24 ¡°¡­Hahaha!¡± When he saw her, Heuk Seolhyang stopped laughing. She looked at Ajin while she put her hand on her forehead, still laughing and had tears on her face. ¡®You said you¡¯d learn magic, but you told me a pretty cute lie¡¯. She then smirked. ¡®You must have been after this from the very start.¡¯ Well, you can¡¯t just say you¡¯re going to learn magic while you¡¯re still working on the Heavenly Demon Arts. She enjoyed the change of Ajin. This bastard had changed. He is so different from when she saw him at her house just a few hours ago. The mana he had increased greatly and his internal body had stabilized. ¡®You¡¯ve eaten Sake.¡¯ He didn¡¯t mean to involve Heuk Seolhyang. She is the leader of a Magistrate, the highest position in the sect. She is familiar with every facet and can harm someone for her gain. Of course, if she is included in the list, Heuk Seolhyang will kill him without hesitation and destroy every single part of his avatar. ¡®Acacia got a good one.¡¯ Heuk Seolhyang laughed as he recalled Acacia. At the same time, she recalled four people, including Acacia. Chrysanthemum, Carleya, Primrose, Hyacinth¡­ As soon as she thought of them, there is someone who naturally followed them. Gladiolus. The person who took her left eye. It was at that time, he raised his hand and burned her left eye. ¡®Bastard.¡¯ Thinking of Gladiolus, who had taken her eye away, Heuk Seolhyang took a breath. Well, that¡¯s good. She wasn¡¯t interested in who out of five of those, but she assured she is going to kill Gladiolus, who took her own eyes and somehow got stuck here. ¡®And to do that¡­¡¯ Heuk Seolhyang glanced back. Her only eye is focused on Ajin who was sobbing as he punched the ground. ¡®I¡¯m looking forward to what comes next.¡¯ She then looked at Ajin and smiled. * ¡°Are you sure you¡¯re okay?¡± On the way into the woods, Daisy had already asked it several times. He looked at her, didn¡¯t uttered anything, and just slightly nodded. When he responded like that, Daisy nodded her head without asking anything else. After properly recovering the bodies of Sake and Runia, Ajin, who had been crying for a long time, stood up while being aided by NPCs. While he is on the way to the distance from the collapsed house he looked back several times, then returned to the fountain. ¡®Let¡¯s go hunting.¡¯ Ajin said to Daisy while hovering. She hesitated for a bit as she was confused about what she will do. Their time when they met is exactly six o¡¯clock. Daisy asked if it is fine, but he obstinately refused to take a little more rest. Ajin persuaded Daisy, saying he would rather concentrate on hunting. They eventually came into the forest that is inhabited by silver wolves. ¡®Are you sure you¡¯re okay?¡¯ Daisy thought as she looked at Ajin¡¯s face who had his lips tightly closed. Ajin¡¯s face that had been crying out loud is still visible. Perhaps, the dead Sake and Ajin had a special friendship, not just the Hanemos Quest. ¡°¡­Hmm, is it your first time hunting a silver wolf?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Ajin answered Daisy¡¯s question in a subdued voice. Daisy glanced at Lina, who was walking alongside them while feeling embarrassed to keep asking questions. Lina is hugging her wand helplessly then jerked her head away when Daisy and her eyes met. She is not able to cope with the situation. ¡°What attribute did you choose?¡± The question was not answered and they continued to walk while he is on the lead. He seemed determined to break this stuffy atmosphere. Daisy and Lina took a breath and Haguro stepped forward. ¡°The expertise I choose is a supernatural Iron Body and Martial Arts of Roar of Heavenly Lion.¡± Haguro glanced around Ajin, while he lifts his helmet. Ajin knew the technique. The iron body is making the body as hard as steel. The Roar of Heavenly Lion is a kind of sound attack, and it is capable to cause internal injury to the opponent or destroy it if the level is high by shouting with power in the voice. ¡°¡­What about shields?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not exactly a skill. It is simply using it is more defense. If you believe in Iron Body, you won¡¯t be able to stay mentally strong.¡± When he asked by Ajin, Haguro answered with a grin. Daisy quickly connected the words. ¡°But the shield of Haguro is enormous right? He¡¯s just swinging his shield and hitting the opponent. Oh, by the way, my expertise is the martial art of Heavenly Heart Attack and the Song of Falling Flowers.¡± The Heavenly Heart Attack is the advanced level for Heart Attack that has a style of Roar of Luoyang¡¯s Life, which used the method of singing. Ajin looked at Lina, nodding his head. ¡°Oh, I-I learned the magic of the Securia and the Rossini school.¡± The Securia school has healing magic, the Rossini school has auxiliary magic. And chosen Healer skill. Not a bad combination. ¡°¡­I¡¯ve mastered Bloody Heart Attack Explosion, and I¡¯ve mastered Double Spear Explosion Technique.¡± The energy drain is hidden. Instead, he decided to disguise his skill as having mastered another technique. Without an attack technique, it¡¯s hard to explain your power in attacking. Daisy nodded at Ajin¡¯s words. ¡°Well, then you¡¯ll have to make a close deal. Ah, do you know? Just because you¡¯re a tanker in this game, you don¡¯t have the skills to save your ass.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± He didn¡¯t know any of that. Because he had never hunted while in a party before. Daisy shrugged and nodded at Ajin¡¯s answer. ¡°Yes, so just because you¡¯re a tanker, you can¡¯t turn off the monster¡¯s aggro. Fortunately, you have a wide range of attacking techniques, so it¡¯s easy to get the monster¡¯s attention, but¡­ If we join forces in attacking, the monsters could attack us because aggro is not managed. Please be aware of that.¡± In the case of PC games, large-scale party hunting, or MMORPG games before virtual reality games were introduced, each of them had a certain role to play and had respective jobs. They would be split up into tankers, dealers, and healers. The tanker is optimized in managing the aggro that would draw the monster¡¯s attention and holds the attack on him, and the dealer attacks the monster while the tanker is being hit by the monster. The healer manages the tanker¡¯s stamina, restoring the dealer¡¯s occasional exposure to the monster¡¯s attack. This is an absolute rule that is not changed even in PC games where many MMORPGs existed. But First has a different case. First, this game doesn¡¯t have a fixed role. Players can choose two specialties in their respective tutorials and acquire different skills while playing games. The key is how they combine it. ¡°¡­Okay.¡± Ajin replied, nodding his head. This means that they cannot rely on the tanker as much as they can. First is a damn real game, where the aggro is not fixed, and where the monster¡¯s condition and the target will be. If they think that the tanker is holding onto the aggro, they may suddenly get bitten by a wolf that is coming on their way. ¡°From here on, it¡¯s the silver wolf¡¯s territory.¡± Daisy, who is wearing a double spear on her shoulder, smiled and said, While reaching there, they met some wolves, but Daisy had quickly stabbed them to death. Did they say level 21? Levels across the average, their movement wasn¡¯t bad. ¡®He must have a pretty high level in terms of skill.¡¯ It can¡¯t be helped. Attack skill can grow steadily every time you hunt, so he grew at the same time as level. I don¡¯t know what kind of martial arts it would be if Roar of Luoyang¡¯s Life technique reached 10 stars, but Daisy¡¯s technique seemed to have exceeded 10 stars. ¡°Three or four silver wolves are in a pack. Usually, there are about six of them in a group, but sometimes 13.¡± ¡°I almost died then.¡± Haguro turned the shield on his back forward as he was speaking in a sour voice. Daisy pinched her cheeks at Haguro¡¯s words. ¡°There were too many. Besides, Lina¡¯s mana is already gone, and what else can we do besides running away?¡± ¡°I hope not this time. You too, Lina, take good care of your mana.¡± ¡°Okay, Oppa.¡± Ajin asked while watching the three talking friendly to each other. ¡°Do you know each other before this?¡± ¡°Oh, we met at another virtual reality game. After winning the beta test, we were looking for someone to play the game with.¡± Ajin could understand them to some extent. In his case, he had no intention of playing games like others, so he thoroughly adjusted the acquisition of professional skills in the tutorial to solo playing. But like Daisy¡¯s case, if they get someone to party hunting together from the start, they can harness their skills in terms of party play. That¡¯s probably why Lina focused her magic on the healer, which seems to be hard to hunt alone. ¡°First of all, Haguro would stand at the front, and then when we encounter a hoard of wolves, Haguro will surprise the wolf with the Roar of Lion, and then break apart the pack. We have to kill the wolf quickly while he is still holding it. You understand that, don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± There is no aggro management, so it would be best to operate it this way. Ajin nodded his head. Daisy smiled back at the answer and stretched her steps. ¡°Well, we¡¯re quite experienced. Don¡¯t be so nervous. Lina will restore your HP if you are attacked. Rest assured.¡± So they set forth in the area of the silver wolf. The time is seven o¡¯clock, and the sun is setting and tainted the sky in red, but the trees were high and thick so its making the forest as dark as night. Soon the darkness had been lifted. Lina, who had small wand, did magic. There was a small sphere of light that rose up to the center of the party, brightening the surroundings. ¡°In case you run into another hunting party first, go a little deeper.¡± As Haguro said so, he proceeded with his shield in front of him. Then they ran into a pack of wolves. There are a total of six silver wolves. They had no difference in size than a normal wolf, but it had lighter complexion and had a very long tail. Not to mention they had sharp teeth and claws. ¡°-Groaaan!¡± Haguro breathed heavily. Should we cover our ears? Daisy stopped Ajin, who hesitated and is about to put his hands on his ears. ¡°The skill level of Haguro is quite high.¡± -Rooooaaar! For a moment, Haguro shouted loudly. The surroundings moved and the bushes shook. At the same time, he rushed the land to the wolf. The wolf leader that roared a sudden cry, was hit by a shield that was given by Haguro and flew backward. Roooooaaarr! At that moment, the wolf flew up, the restless wolves roared and stormed towards Haguro. He used his shield to defend himself on the wolf¡¯s attack, while striking the wolf with his fists. ¡°Let¡¯s go that way, too.¡± Daisy whispered, pointing the spear forward and stomped the ground. Daisy¡¯s fast-running spear pierced the wolf. Ajin, who is watching the scene, started to move. ¡®Heavenly Demon Art Protection.¡¯ It¡¯s like the Heavenly Demon Art Thousand Star Explosion. He didn¡¯t have to use MP. It also modifies his internal strength. He didn¡¯t know how much internal strength he had to control. But if he would show too much power, he will be suspected. Chapter 25 ¡®The only thing I can use is the Heavenly Demon Thousand Star Bombardment.¡¯ He thought of that while he ran directly towards the wolf. If it is necessary to use it, he would use the Heaven and Earth Splitting, but it will limit him to some cases where the situation is not favorable. Now that his expertise which he only disclosed are Bloody Heart Explosion and Thousand Star Bombardment, he decided to stick to it. It is not that bad to say that I chose the energy drain¡ª. It may have been trivial for him to disclose his energy drain instead of revealing his Bloody Heart Explosion Technique. And oh it¡¯s also okay for him to lie about his absorption method. It is used to increase the attack power by learning professional techniques, or to increase the attack by increasing the strength of the energy drain or the absorption method. In the end, it will be the same for others who don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on. However, he decided to hide the energy drain. His energy drain is equal to the number as his spleen. As it is like a Strong Ki Technique. ¡®This game is not so friendly to the players.¡¯ Although Daisy is receiving a party request,it confirmed how badly Ajin concentrated on the game. He can see the names of the party members, but that is all. There were no details like level or physical strength on the status. He was so shocked internally. Party play huh. He had experienced raiding against big monsters in PC games and Single games. Of course, in the case of single games, one will party with an NPC. None of the games he had ever experienced has been this unfair. The inability to know the health and detailed condition of his party member is fatal to the party play. Especially to the Healer. The healer must exert more MP and had to decrease in physical strength while constantly checking the health of a party member due to the nature of its role. If they don¡¯t work properly, the tanker dies, and the tanker¡¯s death leads to annihilation of the party. If it is party play in an ordinary game, healer will be proven to exist by watching the party¡¯s tanker and remove the curse that makes it ill. But this game is different. In order to check each other¡¯s condition, one must keep an eye on the other and see the flow of the fight like who gets attacked by the monster, and the one who attacks. She has to check it over and over again. ¡®The healer must be pissed off.¡¯ The healer, who had been complacent with a comfortable system so far, will probably abandon it due to the lack of contribution. Ajin glanced at nervous Lina, who was holding the wand behind her. Can I trust her? No, I won¡¯t believe her. Ajin doesn¡¯t trust everyone except himself in the first place. ¡®It will end well anyway. If the condition is not disclosed, my energy drain can be used.¡¯ He decided not to trust Lina the healer, and just restore his stamina consumed through energy drain. It seems like we are going to be on each other¡¯s side. ¡°Lina, heal!¡± Haguro shouted as he was being attacked by the pack of wolves and was in the middle. Lina responded immediately. She then lifted her wand and uttered something gently and then a light came out the wand. Ajin glided along the direction and drew letters. There was a burst of light that wrapped Haguro. ¡®Communication is important.¡¯ Ajin thought as he swung his fist at the wolf that was preparing for an attack on the outside. There were a number of statuses that can¡¯t be checked as a chi, so they have no choice but to communicate with each other in the form of shouting. In order to do that quickness, composure and probably trust with each other? This party is not that bad. This is his first time to be part of this kind of party, and they are hunting together for the first time, but Ajin likes this kind of scenario. Before they started this game, they met in the virtual reality community and built friendships with each other. They had matched each other¡¯s positions with party play in mind. Being acquainted with a stranger is not better than having a social relationship with the concept of improving. ¡®I don¡¯t intend to butt in.¡¯ Punch! The fist he wielded smashed the wolf¡¯s head. He thought that he should control his internal strength along with energy drain control. Being familiar is okay, but the problem is the adjustment of power. He looked at a wolf rolling on the ground. Hmm. The power is stronger than he thought. Well , all of Explosive Heart Attack, Blood Stream Technique and Heavenly Demon Art had doubled in terms of power. Now that he has done this, they had no choice but to reduce his power? He clicked his tongue. ¡®It¡¯s not a lack of internal strength.¡¯ Rather, it¡¯s overflowing. He recovers his strength by always operating his bloodstream technique. Even if he attacks with all his might, he will end up having plenty of experience. But the problem is, the people around him will put their attention to him. His level is Level 16. No matter how high his skill level is, he must coordinate it with his level. He has to compromise or else he will be suspected. He didn¡¯t mean to betray them right now just like he did to Sake. Because there is no reason for him to do so. But no matter how much he did it, he didn¡¯t want to expose himself to the fullest., but it would be troublesome if they questioned him for no reason due to his offensive power. His strength is due to Heavenly Demon. So to be precise, it is due to his relationship with Raconda, who had the authority in the village, and Heuk Seolhyang, a leader of Magic Sect. She is like a main source for Ajin. He didn¡¯t have the slightest desire to share this with others. Even if they question him, he will only keep his mouth shut. It¡¯s better if he doesn¡¯t do anything that can be questioned. ¡°We are getting faster.¡± After all the wolves had fallen, Haguro took a deep breath and said that. He had scratches and bites around his toenail and there were teeth marks on his armor. ¡°Because we have one more dealer that¡¯s why. I¡¯m glad I invited Ajin.¡± ¡°I agree with you. He is pretty incredibly aggressive for Level 16.¡± His expression went dark when Haguro said that due to surprise. Not within expected range, huh? Ajin smiled faintly as he watched the two evaluate him. They have heard him hunting wolves as a solo player. He hid his satisfaction due to their theories. ¡°What about dropouts?¡± Leaving his satisfaction, Ajin decided to ask something realistic. This game doesn¡¯t drop items even if they catch monsters. They had to get the items by dissecting the monster itself. While the monster¡¯s body is abandoned for rapid growth for hunting so far, the case is different for party hunting. In other words, he can¡¯t focus for himself alone. ¡°The most expensive deal is leather, though¡­ it¡¯s a bit hard to skin it so we will just pull out its teeth.¡± Daisy said. Ajin nodded silently. Perhaps this part aims for fast hunting rather than making money in hunting. It is somewhat in line with him. ¡°Just pull out the fangs.¡± Daisy said, while she is pulling out the fangs out of the wolf¡¯s mouth. It would be difficult in reality to pull out these kinds of animal¡¯s teeth in only bare hands, but this is a game and this body is an avatar so the status is elevated in accordance to their level. Other than that, there is an enhancement of the skill. With a bit of strength, the wolf¡¯s fangs were pulled out neatly. ¡°Wolf fangs can be sold for 50 gold each at a local store. Leather is accepted in blacksmith. They sell it for 200 gold at the lottery. Once I have collected all the teeth, I¡¯ll go back to the town and make a deal. I¡¯ll do the splitting in accordance with the number of the party.¡± With that, Ajin handed over the pulled fangs to Daisy. He can¡¯t trust Daisy just like that. Though I know there is no reason for her to lie just in case. A desire for money? Of course he can¡¯t overlook it. But why does she have to lie just by monopolizing the wolf fangs? ¡°Then let¡¯s go a little deeper. We¡¯re new here, so we might meet another party here.¡± Daisy said, then Haguro moved again with it¡¯s big shield, not wasting time. At this rate, it may not be bad to join the party in the future. ¡°I am 21 years old.¡± Daisy grinned as she approached Ajin¡¯s side who was silently walking. With her words, he glanced at her. ¡°I live in England. What about you Ajin-ssi?¡± ¡°I am Korean. I¡¯m 24 years old.¡± ¡°Oh, so you¡¯re the oldest among us? Me and Haguro are of the same age, while Lina is 20 years old.¡± ¡°May I call you brother?¡± Haguro said that and smiled back at him while taking the lead. Perhaps they wanted to keep him at the party. He nodded after thinking about it for a while. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter.¡± Hunting silver wolves for solo play may not be that bad, As a result of dealing with it, although there were a lot, it is not that difficult to catch it. But he can¡¯t insist on playing solo forever. After all, if he plays this game, no matter how hard he plays solo, there will be a time when he has to join a party in hunting. It is not that half bad to get used to party hunting just in case. ¡°Please speak freely. I am much younger than you.¡± ¡°Well¡­if that¡¯s what you want to. Though it¡¯s a little awkward.¡± He laughed faintly and scratched his head. He naturally dropped his manner afterwards. Haguro nodded and had a placid smile. ¡°I am not yet comfortable here. You said you were Korean, right? I live in Japan.¡± ¡°I-I am from Canada.¡± Lina hesitantly answered. Daisy chuckled as she wrapped her arm around Lina¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Let¡¯s all talk comfortably. Can I call you Ajin oppa?¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter.¡± ¡°Ah really. Please don¡¯t use honorifics.¡± In English, there is no honorific in it. However, conversations in virtual reality are not based in linguistics but rather through brainwaves. That¡¯s why Daisy understands Ajin, who has English as her native language. ¡°Okay¨Cokay, I got it.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, oppa. Speaking of which, why don¡¯t you keep having parties with us in the future?¡± Daisy said as she approached him silently. ¡°It¡¯s a little too much for me to say, but our party is quite good. We¡¯re close and our skills are not that bad. The only thing is, our level is average¡­¡± Daisy drooped her shoulders, whispering the end of her speech. Then she opened her eyes widely, and raised her voice again. ¡°That¡¯s level! We can raise our levels if we hunt even more. Ajin oppa¡¯s level is low, too, right?¡± ¡°¡ªI don¡¯t think level is that important.¡± Ajin answered honestly. Daisy laughed as if she knew the answer and poked Ajin at the ribs with her elbow. ¡°Right? Right? I¡¯m not going to ask you in detail, but Ajin oppa¡¯s skill level is pretty high right? I instantly knew when I saw you fighting.¡± Ajin smiled vaguely instead of answering. ¡°That means we are as well. In fact, our level is also due to our focus in raising our skill level, and not because we¡¯re weak. Hey, oppa. We¡¯re all on level 21, and if we get 25, we¡¯re going to move to another hunting ground.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°At first I thought of the Silent Forest. I was also thinking of going to the port city across the Silent Forest. Ajin oppa you know what? Luke¡¯s party.¡± ¡®Luke.¡¯ Ajin¡¯s body flinched due to the name she mentioned. There¡¯s no way he doesn¡¯t know. How can he forget when he was one of those bastards who gave him his first death in this game? Ajin clenched his fist, while thinking of Luke¡¯s participation and made him blown away. Chapter 26 ¡°Yes, I know. 4th rank?¡± ¡°Oh it seems, you know huh. Looks like you are constantly checking your ranking. The first users to enter the Silent Forest are Luke¡¯s parties. They consist of Luke, Asela. Moore, Sylves.¡± Luke and Asela are what, I know that Luke is Level 28 and Asela is at Level 26. But Moore and Sylves are new to his ears. ¡°Who are Moore and Sylves?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you see the video of them hunting? Moore is a wizard at Level 26. They don¡¯t have a healer. Sylves is at Level 27 and Asela¡¯s level 26¡­.¡± There is a hunting video. He hasn¡¯t looked for it. Ajin then decided to log out later and search on the website. ¡°Anyway, they were the first party to enter Silent Forest, arrived at the port city, preoccupied the surrounding hunting grounds, and released the information. Most of the players have gone out of the Silent Forest.¡± Daisy chewed her lips. ¡°There¡¯s a lot of players already that have gone, so we¡¯ll have a hard time sucking up the sweet water even if we¡¯re delayed. In that case, we¡¯d rather go in a different direction. We¡¯re thinking of going to the Indigo cliff.¡± The Indigo cliff. Beyond the forest is the cliff. Beyond that, there is the blue volcano, and the Sea of Symphonies, according to Heuk Seolhyang. ¡°There are quite a few players on that side, too but it¡¯s rare for players to be able to reach the Blue Volcano that is over the Indigo cliff. We¡¯re going there.¡± ¡°Rare?¡± ¡°To be exact, it¡¯s a monopoly. Isn¡¯t that more fun?¡± Daisy grinned as she made eye contact with Ajin. She seemed to like him with what he said. Well, it¡¯s more interesting and fun to aim for an unoccupied area rather than an area that is already trampled and emptied by other players, and it¡¯s better if they succeed and will produce money when they sell the information to other players. ¡°Then I¡¯ll try to join your party.¡± Ajin said and nodded after he weighed the gains and losses. For a moment, he thought that it is better to join Daisy¡¯s party. He can throw them away when they are useless. Even if their opponent is NP, he has not thought of antagonizing the players yet. This is an online game after all. ¡®Of course, those bastards are different.¡¯ Ajin had a smirk on his face. He intended to avenge himself from Luke and Asela regardless of their hostility. Wasn¡¯t it Asela¡¯s side who started the fight first? That scoundrel couldn¡¯t tell where she was going to be, but she interrupted his attempts and attacked him first. Not only that but also killed him. He is not a self-deprecating person who will stab at the back and laugh, nor is he Jesus that is willing to get slapped in both cheeks. And Moore and Sylves they say? I don¡¯t have a direct grudge against those bastards but what they, uh, prevent him from killing Luke and Asela? It doesn¡¯t matter. He can kill them both. ¡°Really? Really? We have to reach level 25 first then. That would make a level difference with us, but that doesn¡¯t matter right?¡± ¡°It¡¯s alright.¡± If it doesn¡¯t work, he can hunt alone when they log out and raise his level. He rarely does his daily life except playing games anyway. In order not to starve to death, he runs and has a cycle of eating, playing, and sleeping every day. ¡°Yes, let¡¯s hunt until 11 o¡¯clock today in-game time. Do you want to do it tomorrow instead of around this time?¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± Ajin answered and the others just nodded. Daisy smiled and checked the time. ¡°It¡¯s a little past seven o¡¯clock, so¡ª let¡¯s hunt until midnight. Let¡¯s take a break for 20 minutes every 2 hours, that would be alright right?¡± And the hunt resumed. Hunting is not much different from the first one. Haguro drives the wolf and Ajin and Daisy catch the wolf. With the demands of Haguro and the appropriate communication, Lina doesn¡¯t bite around the bush. Except for Ajin, the three of them have already played together as a party from the very beginning, so their hands and feet are in sync. On the other hand, Ajin is more comfortable. All they need is a spoon on the table that the three of them make up for. During the break, Ajin logged out for a bit and drank water, and went to the bathroom. The duration of his rest is the same as everyone. It¡¯s because it¡¯s just a game and regardless of what happens, they¡¯re all human. ¡°We¡¯ll see you in front of the fountain tomorrow.¡± They arrived at the village at midnight, the group signed out after bidding goodbyes to each other. Ajin remained until he turned back and headed to the forest. He doesn¡¯t know exactly, but besides being a player, the life outside is always important. They probably have school and separate jobs. But it¡¯s different to Ajin. For him, virtual reality is his work and life. Three or fours of sleep a day is enough for him. He has been taking in simple meals and taking medicines including vitamins to prevent malnutrition. Leisure time is luxurious except for the time he spends on it. No, the time he invests in virtual reality itself is the best leisure time for Ajin. ¡® The best job that one can do is a job that one can enjoy the most.¡¯ So one can enjoy and concentrate. Ajin had a smile while heading to the silver wolf¡¯s territory. Now that he has taken advantage of party play, it¡¯s time for him to solo play. He may belong to Daisy¡¯s party, but he had to get used to party play afterward and had to prepare in going to the cliff that they have not yet headed off. His strength works so well in the wild forest as of now, but there is no guarantee that he will be able to play solo even on the cliff or at the blue volcano beyond it. Daisy¡¯s party is like insurance for the meantime. After five hours of party play, Ajin was able to reach level 18. He frequently used Heavenly Demon Thousand Star Bombardment that had reached the second level with a lot of EXP. Thanks to his steady use of energy drain, the amount of his skill range had also increased. Now the next one. Since Heavenly Demon Thousand Star Bombardment has escalated to 2 stars, that might be able to grow to another technique that branches out from Heavenly Demon Arts. Blood Stream Attack that he had continued to use at the battle had also reached the second level. Except for Heavenly Demon Arts: Blood Corruption, all of the Heavenly Demon Arts Techniques had reached 2 stars, and the bloodstream method. And now, Ajin aimed to hit bigger. Ajin moved quickly and had already reached the area of the silver wolf. He had already experienced hunting silver wolf through party hunting, but he is the first soloist to do so. Silver wolves swarm and fight, they are monsters that are hard to deal with if one does solo play. But with that in mind, when he succeeds in hunting, he can monopolize a large amount of EXP, which is a big advantage for solo players. ¡®I¡¯m gonna have to save some money.¡¯ The money that he had from the hunt earlier was 2,600 gold. Each wolf has two fangs that can be obtained are divided into four. A wolf¡¯s fangs are 50 gold each. Roughly speaking, he caught 104 wolves. In five hours he had 2,600 gold. Since cash transactions have not yet been activated, he doesn¡¯t know how the gold¡¯s market price will be set and most importantly, its beta services. No matter how much money he saves, it will only be reset. However, it is better to have money without thinking about cash transactions. For now, he doesn¡¯t want to wear beginner¡¯s clothes forever and needs to buy a potion. Then he faced a group of seven wolves. Even before the wolf caught him, Ajin used the Heavenly Demon Thousand Miles Footwork Technique and attacked the wolf. He planned to actively use the Heavenly Demon Technique to raise his EXP. In fast hunting, he also had less control over his power. Instead of using Heavenly Demon Arts: Thousand Star Bombardment, he used Heavenly Demon Arts: Heaven and Earth Splitting and hit the wolf¡¯s head. Clash! The beaten wolf rolled on the ground. The blow didn¡¯t kill him, but the damage went far enough. If he pours too much energy, the energy drain will not be enough to cover the consumption. He is determined to control his internal strength in moderation and used the Heavenly Demon Thousand Miles Footwork Technique. Smack! The wolf that was behind fell on the ground that had drawn his attention. Through the Mara Chenle technique, Ajin¡¯s body became dramatically stronger. The best thing is that the consumption of internal strength has been reduced. It is possible to achieve the optimal effect by using the minimum amount of strength for fast and explosive moves. Besides, his senses became more sensitive and he felt a presence at the back. ¡®Free movement of internal organs.¡¯ Every strand of hair looked like it had guts on its own. It gave him a maddening pleasure. He continued to move without hiding his laughter. His body used the Heavenly Demon Thousand Miles Footwork Technique and struck the wolf as it made its end. The Heavenly Demon Arts: Heaven and Earth Splitting. The air surrounded a large number of wolves. Crash! The wolf¡¯s body rolled on the ground and exploded. The attack is not the only thing he had done. He didn¡¯t let go of the tension and kept moving, dodged the wolf¡¯s attack, he struck back and attacked the wolf. ¡®It¡¯s slower than a party hunting and I get tired fast and have to stay alert.¡¯ It consumes a lot of mental strength and a lot of internal strength. Ajin looked down at the body of the wolf as he picked up his breath. He clenched his tongue and began to pull out its fangs as he opened the mouth of the dead wolf. ¡°Surely Acacia got a good hand.¡± People were watching Ajin. There was a woman wrapped in black clothes that had enveloped the dark red complexion that stood there and had her hand folded around her. She had covetous red hair that looked like fiery red and thin green eyes that twinkled like emeralds. ¡°It¡¯s because of that filthy woman who used a cowardly trick!¡± Primrose. Her face was smeared with a sullen expression. She spat out on the little girl that has blonde hair and turned her over by hand. ¡°My toys are much better than those little ones.¡± ¡°Oh, well. Your playful thing¡­Was it Laquis? I¡¯m sure that one is in the second of the list, right?¡± The woman grinned and glanced at Primrose. Primrose nodded with a proud face. ¡°Their level may fall behind Chrysanthemum¡¯s toys, but levels are not important in this game anyway. How about you, Carole? Are your toys good?¡± ¡°You mean Harves? Well, it¡¯s meeting some expectations. But¡­¡± Carole slightly dilated her eyes and licked her lips when he was checking Ajin who is hunting wolves using Heavenly Demon Arts. ¡°I couldn¡¯t use Hidden Piece. The only player who¡¯s ever reached the Hidden Piece is Acacia¡¯s toys.¡± ¡°Well¡­ Heavenly Demon Arts. I guess it¡¯s activated with Heuk Seolhyang.¡± Primrose murmured. Heuk Seolhyang. The leader of the Magic Sect is also called Bloody Witch. She is a hidden piece that was dispatched by Gladiolus, the ¡°Great One¡± including Primrose, Carole, Chrysanthemum, Hyacinth, and Acacia. A hidden piece like her now exists around the world. It¡¯s purely up to the player to find it, and the player who reaches the Hidden Piece has the power to overwhelm other competitors. ¡°I¡¯m going to do some backup work here, too.¡± Carole murmured as she loosened her arms. With that, Primrose looked back at Carole in surprise. ¡°What¨C? Are you trying to intervene? Gladiolus said¨C.¡± ¡°He¡¯s not moving.¡± Carole affirmed. She puts her arms around Primrose¡¯s shoulder and had a meaningful smile. ¡°And what¡¯s limited to us is direct intervention. Did I tell you right? It¡¯s a backstabbing.¡± ¡°¡ªGladiolus might get angry.¡± Primrose murmured as she shook her shoulders. The terrified little girl shook Carole slightly. ¡°I¡¯m sure they¡¯re all getting involved anyway. Chrysanthemum¡¯s toys also found a way to reach the Hidden Piece. I don¡¯t know if she was lucky, or she did that, but¡ª.¡± Carole¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°If Ms. Chrysanthemum intervened, she wouldn¡¯t have let us know. Does that even matter? As long as we don¡¯t get caught.¡± ¡°¡ªBut.¡± ¡°Gladiolus doesn¡¯t come forward to execute us himself. To execute us, we need to have some suggestions and consent from someone but the executioner. It doesn¡¯t matter if Acacia, Chrysanthemum, and Hyacinth don¡¯t know about it.¡± Carleya put her lips close to Primrose¡¯s ear. Her whisper, hot breath struck Primrose¡¯s ear. ¡°Or, you are going to betray me? Are you going to pass on my denial to Mr. Gladiolus?¡± ¡°T¡­hat¡¯s not it.¡± Primrose bowed her head and had a blush on her face. In response, Carole groaned and licked Primrose¡¯s ear. That¡¯s good then. I don¡¯t mean to accuse you, either. And¡­you want to win, right? So am I. I want to win. No, even if I don¡¯t win, I think the winner should be either you or me.¡± Primrose chewed his lips. I wanted to win. Purely, Primrose wanted it. She recalled her rivals except herself. Evil Chrysanthemum, Dirty Acacia¡ªUnenthusiastic Hyacinth. We can¡¯t make those three the winners. She is the only one who should be Gladiolus or else¡ª. She then glanced at Carole. ¡°Harves had mastered magic. I¡¯m thinking of linking him to one of the Archmage.¡± As Primrose had come to her side so Carole had a thin smile on her face and loosened her arms around her shoulders. ¡°Laquis has superpowers, wasn¡¯t he? Then we can connect him to one of the Esper. You¡¯re going to right? You don¡¯t want to make Acacia do that right?¡± Primrose nodded slightly. Carole smiled contentedly at the answer. ¡°That¡¯s enough, there¡¯s a lot of ways¨C.¡± Carole looked down at Ajin. ¡°You can¡¯t let that man win over Acacia.¡± Chapter 27 When I logged out, it was already dawn. My body is still motionless, but my mind continues to deteriorate and I¡¯m getting hungry so I don¡¯t have a choice. I am thinking about eating only ramen. Although, I don¡¯t have to worry about the malnutrition crisis because I am taking supplemental medicine for that reason. He decided to cook as it has been a long time since he had eaten. It¡¯s not that grandiose, even though it is expressed grandly just because of the effort he had exerted for it. He took out the instant rice that was in the refrigerator and put it in the microwave, then brought out the frozen food in the freezer and cooked it. Then he went to the table, not using a plate or table cloth, and just ripped off the bag. That¡¯s the meal. Ajin tore off the wooden chopsticks and ate the rice. Being not in a hurry, he slowly chewed it. There¡¯s no need to rush. He¡¯s going to take a break for the next four to five hours anyway. I planned what he will do later. It¡¯s the same as always. Eat a meal. Wash. The food he ate is cheap. He went to urine, shit, and masturbate. He collected the information and cleared up the garbage and slept. When he wakes up? It will be the same. If he doesn¡¯t feel hungry, he still has to eat meals and nutritional supplements. Drink plenty of water and do his job. Wash up and log on to the game. That was his daily lifestyle for six years. All he focused on was provided for his own needs and his game generated dry life, but he is still satisfied with it. There is no conflict regarding his satisfaction. Six years ago, his parents died. It was a common accident. Without a moment to despair about it, Ajin who was 18 at that time, was thrown into reality, and understood immediately that the house was handed down by his parents, along with a certain amount of wealth and insurance money came out along with it. For now, however, there is no enough money for him to bear for the rest of his life. Ajin himself commented on the boy of Ajin at that time, the boy had nothing to be greedy about. No, it was less, to be exact. He wanted his comfort and that is all. He didn¡¯t mean to be luxurious or to have a family to support him. Nor is the hopeful about the future just like Lee. He studied well, but he didn¡¯t have the desire to get the job he wanted based on it. He finished high school. Going to a good university. If he tried, he might get a scholarship, or might fail and spend tuition. What about after that? After graduating from college and had specs, what about next? The answer is employment. After he gets a job? It is the old source of the pyramid of society. No, it¡¯s a caste. He has to look up at the top of the social caste and enslave him. Make money, make money, and repeat it once again. With the repetition of going to work and leaving work, there is an accumulation of experience while he goes through it. ¡®It¡¯s the same as the game.¡¯ Ajin laughed at the cold reality. The reality is not much different from the game. To build up and grow with light and ruggedness. Skill levels could be replaced by studying or skill. The higher the growth value for it, the faster the growth. The thought of growing up, Ajin doesn¡¯t know about that. It didn¡¯t take much trouble to decide to drop out of high school. At that time, an 18 years old boy understood society and understood the system that could eventually be described as a society, whether it be a pyramid or caste. He understands that if efforts are added, he can start a little higher than the bottom. He has no thoughts of marriage, nor the intention of having children. He wanted to live alone and die alone. He didn¡¯t even intend to have a luxury in his life. If that happens, the travel expenses needed to reach death would be minimal. If he has a decent job, he will have no issues living alone with the inheritance left by his parents, insurance money, and even if his goddamn pay. But Ajin quit. He just finished high school. He didn¡¯t think about going to college or getting a job. Because he thought it would be boring. He chose virtual reality instead of reality. The same thing is a pyramid or what he thought of caste. He thought virtual reality would be the best. It certainly seemed to be interesting. At least he had a desire to do what he wanted to do. No, to be exact, the focus of his greed is on virtual reality. There is no law there. No one can stop his low and straightforward desires. NPC? That doesn¡¯t matter. He¡¯ll kill them if he tries. Still, it¡¯s a world that doesn¡¯t matter. Ajin, who stuck up in the trash can, focused on virtual reality. Because he felt the need to make money. He chose to be a target reporter. He earns money by playing games to the fullest. He tries one thing or another to explore fun he had never experienced before. That¡¯s the best job for him. He had been like that for six years. And with that, the 18 years old boy had turned into a 24 years old adult. But the only thing that has changed is his appearance that has passed by time. Nothing changes from his nature. He is still lustful and he only knows himself. He went back to his room with a towel on his head and accessed the Post Homepage. There are still four hours for him to use to rest. Sleeping for three hours is only enough for him. So there¡¯s an hour left. During that time, Ajin is thinking of looking up the hunting video Daisy said. Many users were wasting their time chatting uselessly on community bulletin boards. Stupid bastards. Ajin laughed as he looked at the real-time posts. They¡¯re going to play games while going to do something like this? Oh is that it? The beta test will be initialized in a month anyway, so you don¡¯t intend to be enthusiastic? He laughed at that remark. If that¡¯s the case, those bastards who wasted their time here are idiotic. It¡¯s certainly different to be on a path you¡¯ve never experienced and get hurt when you stumble on a path you¡¯ve already taken. Experience is important. Even if the beta test will be initialized, the experience accumulated between the beta services is a property that can never be ignored in later formal services. It is painful for Ajin to reset the beta service, but he stood to gain the experience when he is this desperate for the game. Ajin, who looked at the community bulletin board for a few minutes, concluded. These bastards are garbage losers. It¡¯s not worth the competition and didn¡¯t want to think of them as a competitor. Of course, most of them have a higher level than him. But does that matter? He thought that those bastards waste so much time to rest and he will eventually reach a place higher than them. So ignore it. He entered the video bulletin board. There were quite a few videos uploaded by players. Most of them were images of Sanyang, such as exploration, conversation with NPC, and execution of quests. Most of them were showing off to everyone, or revealing information about attacks. These bastards are idiots. Why are they releasing information that cannot be sold and it¡¯s for free? The reverse desire to show off? A desire for fame? It¡¯s all worthless. As he used the search function, the video that he wanted to find came out immediately. It was a video of Luke¡¯s party. Ajin played the most recently uploaded video. This time it was uploaded three hours ago. There is no difficulty in terms of the camera paneling as it focuses on the place where it should be focused on. Ajin watched the hunting video intently. What is it? The monster that was chosen as the target of the hunt took his attention. It¡¯s a monster he hasn¡¯t seen before. It was a huge tree, with hideous sharp fingernails. The roots became feet, dragging and moving its huge body slowly. Its arms were fast and violent. At one blow, the ground is emaciated, and the view makes him tremble with his mouth agape. It¡¯s a great deal of pressure. Four players took a stance against the giant monster. He saw familiar oysters. Luke, Asela, Moore, and there was a face he hadn¡¯t seen before. Ajin looked at the woman standing without a single weapon. Is that Sylves? He ignored conversations going on and off at the party. Ajin is going to check it out later. The first party to advance into the Silent Forest. The first party in First is a place where you enter the port city first and use it as a base. How strong is this party that they consist of the top four rankings? ¡®¡ªThey are not simple tankers.¡¯ He thought as he watched Luke collide with the three, throwing himself all over. That giant monster stumbles back and steps back. That was a powerful clash. With that level of aggression, he¡¯s not just a tanker. Besides¡­not only powerful but also fast. He stretched out his hands and let the tree back down. Instead of avoiding the swinging attack, he grabbed and pulled it. It¡¯s a power of ignorance. He gritted his teeth as he recalled Luke¡¯s rush. And Asela. She was shooting with her crossbow as fast as she could. She is much faster than he had seen her before. Of course, if one goes into the game, one may be able to cope with it with an extended sense and strong status, but he can¡¯t deny that Asela¡¯s skill level has grown more rapidly than before. ¡®They didn¡¯t even use a sword.¡¯ The only thing they used is a crossbow. Do they mean they don¡¯t have to be close? Well, putting a close-up deal against a big monster does have a huge risk. ¡®There isn¡¯t a healer either.¡¯ The focus of the camera was on the girl who was wearing a large cone-like hat, and enchanting spells with her long cane in front. The difference in performance with Daisy¡¯s party was obvious. The members themselves have different specifications. Unlike Lina who poured in Healer¡¯s buff magic, there is a lot more room for Moore¡¯s magic skill. When he looked at the flow of battle, one must use the most appropriate magic when you needed it the most. It¡¯s not like you hit a hill in ignorance. That also means one had to manage their mana while watching and coping with the flow of battle. Also, Daisy¡¯s magic causes the flames to explode and turn the ground upside down, in other words, she is a healer and dealer at the same time. ¡®This bastard.¡¯ Sylves. He poked his hands in his hand pocket and glared at the woman standing still. There was a woman with long silvery hair and was wearing a suit that is suitable for a party rather than armor. Her hands in her pocket are not moving either, so it¡¯s doubtful where she is involved in the battle. But she is actively attacking. ¡®Superpower!¡¯ A silver knife floated around Sylves and rapidly shot at the tree-like. It¡¯s not all that, pebbles and sand were rolling over the ground, and it¡¯s about to go in the direction of the tree. The attack was recaptured and attacked again. Supernatural powers, huh, is that psychokinesis? Ajin frowned. It didn¡¯t take long for the monster to fall. The video was over as soon as the monster fell. He kept his mouth shut and checked his feelings and grasp. The first thing to think about is the direction of the party. That party was being held fully by dealers. The tanker Luke also presses the monster with a strong offense, and even the healer, Moore, uses attack magic. Of course, it¡¯s power is no match for the main dealers, Asela and Sylves, but everyone is in charge of their roles and attacks, the hunting speed was incredibly fast. ¡®We can¡¯t compare.¡¯ Ajin naturally compared Daisy¡¯s party to Luke¡¯s, while he was holding a cigarette to his mouth. It¡¯s too much. There¡¯s nothing to weigh about the party itself. What is the meaning of balance of their party, when the members themselves are not that balanced? Chapter 28 Translator: Skye ¡®Haguro is a great tanker.¡¯ He isn¡¯t as good as a dealer like Luke, who is sturdy to the core. There is no aggro system in this game, but the wide range of the Heavenly Roar of Lion is responsible for our victory . A monster that is almost beaten will be agitated. Believing that it is what the monster would do, with his iron body¡¯s steel-like defense, he focuses and holds on to the monster. But it¡¯s also incomparable to Luke. Haguro may be better at dealing with multiple monsters, but Luke is better at dealing with large monsters or powerful monsters. Haguro can clean up small monsters, but he can¡¯t deal with powerful boss monsters. ¡®Healer¡¯s skill positioning is better on Lina¡¯s side.¡¯ But that¡¯s all. Their sense of sight and how they deal with the monster is greater than their side. Luke¡¯s party- he won¡¯t ask a favor to their healer. Their magicians don¡¯t shout their incantations. Unconditional trust in party members? It¡¯s just because their skills are supported. Moore¡¯s senses are perfect. The timing of the healer is perfect. He can also deal damage by using attack magic. The Buff Magic Merit is dominated by Lina¡¯s side, but her overall competence is no match to Moore. ¡®Daisy¡¯s position as a dealer is fine.¡¯ But she lacks power. Daisy¡¯s attack is quick. Luoyang¡¯s Song of Binding and Luoyang¡¯s singing style is focused on pleasure. Her spear that stretches out in an instant draws countless ripples to pressure the opponent. But its power is weak. The Law of Heart Attack Technique produces a core for mana, and it is not specialized in producing explosive power. Of course, the problems pointed out may naturally be resolved over time. The lack of Haguro¡¯s dealing method can also be resolved if the level of the Roaring Lion is raised. Lina¡¯s sense can also be resolved with experience. Daisy¡¯s Luoyang¡¯s Song of Binding and Luoyang¡¯s singing style can also be expected to rise in power if the skills grow. Their level may be lacking compared to Luke¡¯s party, which is still close to 20s. Then should I wait for them to grow up? While they are growing steadily, will Luke¡¯s party stay still? A competitor always runs ahead and does not wait for the competitor who is left behind. It¡¯s all the same, even in sports. The striker who catches the ball does not wait for the defender to follow. The runner does not wait for another competitor who is behind. All they see is a goal. Running in hope of reaching the goal before anyone else. Even if they are in the same boat or even if Ajin is ahead, he will not be considerate of those who are left behind. While this side grows, that side grows even more. ¡°¡­the subject is me.¡± Ajin smashed out the cigarette. I decided to join Daisy¡¯s party. I have no intention of getting out of it right now. But their party¡¯s growth is slow. Focusing on solo play all night like this would help him grow, but Daisy¡¯s party would fall behind. In the end, he will be alone again, and he will have to take risks on his own. There¡¯s a long way to go. The owner of the wild forest, The Indigo Cliff and The Blue Volcano. He has to challenge the monsters that are present there with his bare body. Perhaps they will meet a powerful enemy that is impossible to escape from, and he might die. Then he¡¯ll throw away four hours all over again. If he belongs to a party, he can minimize his death rate. He¡¯s a tanker to death. He might run away when the tanker is dead. It¡¯s not just a tanker. There¡¯s no such thing as healer or dealer. Everyone can be used as a shield. ¡®Well, that¡¯s the worst case scenario.¡¯ Ajin raised his body. He thought about something for a moment, but he decided this might be better. He squinted her eyes. If the team he is with falls behind, he won¡¯t be able to avoid getting dragged with them. * * * * * ¡°How many did you eat?¡± Standing in the backyard and smoking, Heuk Seolhyang asked toward the approaching Ajin. He¡¯s not so stupid as to not know what the question means. Ajin bent his knees and hit his head on the ground before responding to her. ¡°I saw the Lord.¡± ¡°Okay. Stand up.¡± Ajin stood up right away after she responded. He opened his eyes thinly and uttered something after inhaling some air. ¡°I asked how many you ate.¡± ¡°Two before the latest one.¡± He talked about the previous incident he had experienced. She burst into laughter as she blew the smoke to his face. ¡°You¡¯ve had your fill. Well, he wasn¡¯t a sloppy wizard. Though I don¡¯t know why he died in your hands.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think he¡¯s good enough to avoid being hit on his back.¡± Hearing his response, she put down her cigarette and clapped several times. She nodded her head with a look of satisfaction. ¡°By all means, you had a dagger. That¡¯s the only way you could kill him.¡± The rumbles of Heuk Seolhyang came to Ajin. As she approached, he made a stunt. This is the same battle as usual. Heuk Seolhyang smiled at Ajin. ¡°Sake was a brilliant wizard. He was just so stupid and nice. You are lucky this time.¡± ¡°I know.¡± He has never fought a sorcerer in this game. But he had fought with a magician in a previous single player game. He also once became a wizard. So Ajin knew how fearful, dangerous and powerful the existence of a wizard is. A wizard needs that much preparation to exert his or her power. They need time to cast,and time to implement their magic. Aiming at that moment may be the standard for killing a wizard, but a prepared wizard cannot easily get killed even if there is a difference in ability. They have to bear some losses. Likewise, an unprepared wizard can be killed even if the difference in skill is large. ¡°I don¡¯t think it was a bad choice. Was learning magic a lie too? It¡¯s not a pleasant feeling being lied to, but¡­¡± The approaching Heuk Seolhyang stopped in front of Ajin. He shook his hands ready for the question and answer portion. His fist full of past experiences swung through the air and flew to her direction. Smash. The fist he wielded was blocked in vain. ¡°I¡¯ll forgive you for that. It was no harm to me and you got what you wanted, and by getting him I decided to count on you.¡± Ignoring the seized fist, Ajin stretched out his hand again. Heavenly Demon Arts : Heaven and Earth Splitting. But even that was blocked. Ajin¡¯s arms were both caught by the Black Seolhyang. ¡°I knew you weren¡¯t a petty, honest bastard. You are a liar and a hypocrite, a man who puts the swamp of abyss deep in your heart and puts your cunning personality in it. If you were a decent person, I would have killed you with contempt.¡± Suddenly, her face came to Ajin. Ajin pulled his hair back, feeling her breath. ¡°You¡¯re a madman.¡± She uttered in a whispering voice and an alluring breath. Ajin gulped down his saliva. ¡°I¡¯ve got the Heavenly Demon Arts deep in your chest. And I am your teacher. But it will soon come to an end, that¡¯s why I¡¯m happy that you¡¯re not stupid. It¡¯s a pleasure to see a scumbag that doesn¡¯t mind doing something evil to get what they want.¡± ¡°¡­Thank you.¡± Though it was a slanderous remark, Ajin smiled and smirked. He knows that he is a scumbag. ¡°Kneel down.¡± As she let go of his hand, she commanded him that. He immediately knelt on the ground and put his head on the ground. ¡°Bow to me nine times.¡± Bow! Ahjin felt lightning in his head. It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t know what this means. The only opponent who can make him do nine bows is his teacher. Bang, smash, bang. Ajin bowed nine times, crashing his head on the ground. As he lowered his head, she held him into her chest with her arms. ¡°Who am I?¡± ¡°The heavenly witch, the Heavenly Demon Lord, my earthly existence. Heuk Seolhyang, the Heavenly Demon Woman.¡± ¡°Forget it.¡± She spewed that out briefly. ¡°Forget all the titles you know about me. Don¡¯t you call me teacher. Now, you are my disciple and I am your master.¡± ¡°¡­yes, Master!¡± Ajin said, as he lowered his head. With that, Heuk Seolhyang put her hand on Ajin¡¯s head. ¡°I won¡¯t teach you anything other than martial arts. I already gave you the Heavenly Demon Arts, taught you the Mara Chenle Technique, and promised to teach the Flesh Transmission Technique. It looks like I have told you everything I had. I have given you everything that a head of Magic Sect teaches to their apprentice.¡± Heuk Seolhyang leaned on him and whispered in his ear. His shoulders trembled when she whispered like that. ¡°I mean, you have everything a teacher assistant has to have in order to be a teacher.¡± ¡°¡­Okay.¡± ¡°There is no magic in this world.¡± She said as she raised Ajin¡¯s shoulder. Stumbling, Ajin stared into her face who was looking at him. ¡°There are also no hundred thousand mountains in this world. There is no pro-western force that follows me and no clerks who respond to my murmurs. It¡¯s just me and you who exist within. Ajin, my disciple, it¡¯s just you and no one else.¡± Heuk Seolhyang turned around. She walked ahead, flapping her long black hair. He silently followed in her footsteps. ¡°I¡¯ve given you everything that one can give to their apprentice, but I can¡¯t give you magic.¡± Her words felt sad and bitter. He stared at Heuk Seolhyang, who seemed to have become a little smaller. ¡°So you make it.¡± Heuk Seolhyang stopped walking and turned around. She squinted her eyes at him. ¡°You should make a manifestation in this world. Paint the heavens and earth with blood with your words alone. Create a group that embraces them all. And conquer it all.¡± Heuk Seolhyang spread her arms wide. There was a surge that sprang out from his body. Ajin stumbled back unwittingly, and fell to the ground. ¡°You don¡¯t have to follow the steps. In the first place, even these techniques do not believe in me. Evil needs no Doctrine. There is just an absolute law. Blind loyalty to the leader, the existence of a master will completely capture a small mischief and drain the seeds. Strong Core. Only a strong core is necessary for a magician, who reigns above her because she is stronger than anyone else.¡± Heuk Seolhyang standing in front of him seemed different than before. She is not the shrouded woman who tamed him and made him do carnal desires with her faithfully, nor is she a sadist who laughed while enjoying his suffering. She is a woman that had Heavenly Demon Arts, and a leader of Magic Sect. ¡°Make the law. Make a territory governed by your law. Make subordinates that will follow you and challenge¡­¡± ¡°¡­challenge what?¡± ¡°The God.¡± Heuk Seolhyang said. What she said was an overwhelming responsibility. A heavy manifestation that would crush space, and had an absolute will combined with hatred. Ajin gulped down his saliva. He felt, for the first time, that he could die from her gaze alone. He is relieved that her murderous aura was not directed at him. ¡°I¡¯ve decided to count on you. I¡¯ve decided to put my trust on you, not just a trifle.¡± Her murderous aura dies down. She twisted her lips as she lowered her open hand. ¡°But that¡¯s not enough. So you prove it.¡± ¡°¡­what kind of proof do you want?¡± ¡°Kill the master of the wild forest, the Howling Beast.¡± That¡¯s what she said before. But he still listened to her without protest. ¡°Prove yourself with it. I expect you to prove whether I did or did not make the right decision of choosing you as Heuk Seolhyang¡¯s disciple.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll kill it.¡± ¡°If you fail, challenge it again. You¡¯re a player, you¡¯re not going to die anyway. Try again and again and again, and even if you fail, challenge it again. And, kill it as much as you can.¡± Heuk Seolhyang smiled brightly. ¡°I will give you everything.¡± * * * * * * Chapter 29 The Howling Beast. It is known as the wild forest boss monster, it¡¯s exact identity has yet to be revealed. There were many parties that challenged the howling beast, but most of them were wiped out or had retreated before reaching the boss. In the first place, Ajin already had an idea of catching the Howling Beast, so he had been investigating. The howling beast is beyond the realm of the silver wolf, it¡¯s at the end of the forest. The end of a forest, not the path leading to a forest of silence or to the Indigo cliff . In other words, there is no big problem with playing the game even if you don¡¯t go over it. So the top rankers didn¡¯t take the risk and turned their feet in the other direction. Of course, toppling the boss will reap considerable benefits, including honor, but they don¡¯t want to risk their death during the short beta play. Or maybe they have decided that it¡¯s better to grow a little bit more in other hunting grounds and deal with it in later days. But Ajin can¡¯t. He promised to kill the Howling Beast to Heuk Seolhyang. Apart from the promise, he must kill. After leaving the house, Ajin opened his eyes thinly. It is about three weeks before the beta test is terminated. The game will reset when the service is finished. It¡¯s a game that will reset anyway, so why should he take this kind of adventure? There is. It is questionable whether the memory of the Heuk Seolhyang will reset or not, but killing the howling beast will benefit him greatly. Information about the Boss Monster makes a lot of money. And if he gets to kill it, Ajin can grow rapidly. The resulting growth will also be of use in Indigo Cliff and the Blue Volcano they are headed to. ¡®Catch it in not longer than three days.¡¯ Kill a wild beast within that timezone. If he spends more time than that, it wouldn¡¯t pay off. He can¡¯t stay in the forest forever. The current level of Ahjin is 20. Daisy¡¯s party and hunting yesterday made his level rise up from 16 to 18 and raised his level by two more by playing solo until dawn. He also saved about 8,000 gold. I need to find equipment.¡¯ There is still considerable time left until 7:00, the time which Daisy promised. The remaining time is about six hours. Before the hunt, Ajin decided to go to the blacksmith¡¯s shop. It¡¯s his first time to access this game and look for equipment. Ajin headed for the blacksmith¡¯s store. ¡°Oh, are you here to buy things?¡± Riggs smirked when he recognized Ajin. Him and Ajin smiled at each other. Even if they don¡¯t try to take advantage of each other, it won¡¯t get any worse by getting close to NPC. No, not to get close, but to be hateful. In the old days, the butcher gave less meat to the nobleman who called him Butcher guy, and sold a lot of meat to the nobleman who called him Husband Kim. ¡°Yes. May I see your leather armor?¡± Ajin asked with a smile. With that, Rick took Ajin inside the blacksmith¡¯s. Most of the equipment was equipped with swords, axes, and bows, but there was also some armor. ¡°It would be better to protect yourself with chain mail or plate mail than leather armor.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not good if it weighs too much or feels uncomfortable when I move my body.¡± The weight of armor won¡¯t make me feel much, given the physical parameters and the strength of my core that have risen through level-up. However, it should not be uncomfortable for him to move his body in, even if he weighs it. He had to twist or bend his upper body or bend one¡¯s waist, and not just simply to move one¡¯s arms and legs; to recline. The body should not be restricted from all possible movements. ¡°That would be better for the chest. How about this one?¡± Rick has been recommending stuff as if he had been waiting. What he pointed to was a black leather armor that wrapped only in his chest. Ajin stared still at the glossy black armor. ¡°Armor made from smelting the skin of silver wolves. The skin of the silver wolf is tough. You know better about it since you hunted it yourself, don¡¯t you? But the leather used in that armor adds special treatment, so it doesn¡¯t cut easily with a knife, and it doesn¡¯t get penetrated well with an arrow.¡± ¡°How much is it?¡± Listening to Riggs¡¯ explanation, Ajin asked about the price. It looked like Riggs hesitated for a bit, and he replied with a huff and a smile. ¡°The original price is 7,500 gold, but I¡¯ll give it to you for 6,000 gold. What do you say?¡± What he said is not very reliable. He may have said to everyone who comes, and no one knows whether the price of the bargain will be higher than its original price. ¡°Well, I don¡¯t have enough money.¡± Ajin replied with a bitter smile. That¡¯s a lie. I have enough money to buy that armor. But to buy that armor, he must spend most of his money. But is that armor really worth it? Ajin killed countless wolves while building his current level, but never felt the need for armor. The reason was simple. As long as he doesn¡¯t get attacked. He restores his physical strength through the energy drain, even if the attack is inevitably allowed. In the end, life and death are determined by the figure of physical strength. He can reduce damage by wearing armor, but Ajin doesn¡¯t need it right now. ¡®I don¡¯t know later though.¡¯ If he challenges the Howling Beast right now and feels the need for armor, he will buy it without hesitation. But not yet. With his reply, Riggs shook his head as if he had no choice. ¡°Well, that¡¯s too bad. If that¡¯s expensive, how about a cheaper one?¡± ¡°No, I¡¯ll save a little more money and then buy the armor.¡± As he said so, Ajin looked at the equipment in the blacksmith¡¯s shop. He bought a small dagger to be used in dismantling the monster¡¯s body. Then he looked for a weapon that he could use. First of all, what caught his eye was a knuckle glove for his fist. The joints were sharply protruding with metal, and even a simple punch seemed likely to produce a considerable amount of power. But Ajin didn¡¯t buy it. His weapon is not just his fist. Heavenly Demon Arts : Heaven and Earth Splitting and the Heavenly Demon Arts : Thousand Star Bombardment it¡¯s not just fist that moves, but the hand itself. The knuckle makes it uncomfortable to use for a long period. He doesn¡¯t have to wear a knuckle just to amplify his strength. Then what caught Ajin¡¯s eye was the leather tosses that wrapped only around his forearm. As the forearm is often used to defend against attacks, Ajin bought it. It is made from smelting the skin similar to silver wolf, and was bought for 4,000 gold at 2,000 per unit. ¡®¡­he didn¡¯t give an explanation for the item.¡¯ On the spot, he put a torch on his forearm, and Ajin frowned between her eyes. If it¡¯s an ordinary game, it¡¯s bound to follow the instructions for each item. For example, this item increases defense capacity a few times, that works. But that wasn¡¯t even the case in the First. What kind of unkind games is this? Ajin left the blacksmith¡¯s shop, grumbling. It is inconvenient in many ways that there is no explanation for the item. It also means that the value of an item cannot be recognized at a glance, which means that there will be a considerable amount of inconvenience in future item transactions. This is a trading fraud. Ajin flicked his tongue slightly. But it¡¯s none of his business. If it is possible to buy items, he could use him. In addition, although he is making money through games, his main focus is on attack and information. ¡®This is a weird game.¡¯ As he checked the time, Ajin frowned. There are still about four hours left before Daisy¡¯s party and the time she promised. In the meantime, should he hunt, or log out? There¡¯s nothing to worry about. He then headed for the forest. This game was certainly strange in many ways. The biggest deal would be that everything except the Avatar is just too real. In fact, the Avatar itself is too fake-looking. The displayed stats are all about physical strength, mana, HP, and MP. There¡¯s.no offensive and defensive status. There is no information and no name in the equipment. To catch a monster and get an item, one has to skin the monster and cut off the flesh. In party play, no party member¡¯s information is visible and even no information can be found about monsters. Why did they pursue reality so much? Games should be like games. They should pursue game ability thoroughly while having only a certain amount of reality. Entertainment, simplicity, and consideration for users. Did they get arrogant and confident with the fact that they got the title of the world¡¯s first online virtual reality game? Ajin did not deny that this game is the best game on the market right now, but considering the convenience for the users, the previous solo play game is much better. If there is another online virtual reality, user-conscious game, the First will soon be abandoned. ¡®Or are they thinking of revising it when beta services are over and officially open?¡¯ He can¡¯t tell either way. Ajin frowned his forehead, clenched his fist and then unfolded it. It was quite fun in this sense of reality, but will all users have the same fun as him? Do they really want to feel the same inconvenience as the reality even in the game? ..even if it¡¯s the same, it¡¯s not real. After all, this place is virtual reality. There are monsters that don¡¯t exist in reality, and users become warriors against monsters from ordinary people to magicians or become a psychic. After all, it is only deviation from reality. Such deviation does look addictive. No matter how important reality is, it is attractive to humans in real life as long as they are in the world of games. ¡°Well, right now this is the best.¡± Ajin twisted his lips and laughed. Yeah. First is the best virtual reality game that came out as of the moment. First is the first online game to throw a large amount of users into the same world, and the game quality is great, except that it is unfriendly to users. He doesn¡¯t know if there will be more online virtual reality games starting with First. For now, there is only one online virtual reality. If the virtual reality game that comes out afterwards catches more users, Ajin will also move to that game, but for now, it¡¯s not time for that yet. So he went hunting devotedly. The remaining time until 7:00, the appointment time, is 6 hours. Heavenly Demon Arts reached the second star except for Strong Ki Technique, and the Exploding Heart Attack Technique also got up to third star. I¡¯d rather grow up a little bit, but¡­ ¡®It wouldn¡¯t be a bad idea to keep an eye on it.¡¯ What kind of monster is the Howling Beast? Can he get there? He thought it wouldn¡¯t be a bad idea to check it out. If he died, and if he covered the death risk of four hours, he will be a little late for the promised time. The contemplative Ajin moved deep into the forest. There is a bridge that runs through the forest quickly. ¡®With no reserve of history.¡¯ The rushing wolf collapses with an uncontrolled attack. One by one, the blue wolf pack was so organized. It was not that long since he entered the silver wolf realm. As Ajin killed the wolf, he went deeper into the woods. There wasn¡¯t much trouble when he proceeded deeper in the forest. This forest is not unfamiliar to Ajin. At this time of year, there are quite a few parties of players who are in the forest. As the forest deepened, Ajin faced quite a few parties. Most of them looked at Ajin, who roamed the forest alone, with a curious look, but did not bother to talk to him. The same as him. Unnecessary communication is a waste of time. Fortunately, the number of active parties has reduced the number of wolf encounters in the forest. It made him move faster. He checked the time from time to time. Avoided fighting as much as possible, and saved time, even when he is forced to fight the wolf, as much as he can. He is constantly like that for an hour. He is not preoccupied with hunting by circling the forest, but is just purely digging into the forest. As a result, the surroundings have changed. The soft earthy floor turned into rocks and gravel, and the shape of the tree had changed. No more wolf cries, no more battle sounds. Only the creepy and heavy silence eluded in the darkness of the forest. All he can hear is his breathing, and his footsteps. Chapter 30 Dash! As soon as he moved on, a loud roar broke out. Ajin flew reflexively in accordance to his senses and instincts while his body shuddered. Smash! The ground was smashed and there were broken pieces of stones scattered everywhere. After rolling on the ground, he quickly rose up. There he saw a giant wolf with a shimmering golden fur. The size were exactly a large wolf and he thought that it is not actually a wolf rather a tiger. No, probably bigger than that. He recoiled back and made a pose, while staring at the eyes of the beast who was also looking at him. That is not the howling beast. It¡¯s just a monster that blocks the path to the owner of this forest. At the same time, it is also the one who wiped out the player who wants to challenge the boss and forced them all to retreat. One for now, is that what it means? He slowly pulled her foot forward, and stiffened. At that moment, the golden wolf rushed in. Fast! As big as it is, this wolf is different from the wolves that has been roaming around in this forest. The golden eyes glide and draw a long glare in the darkness. He hurriedly used Heavenly Demon Arts : Thousand Miles Footwork Technique. With the Wielding claws scratched in the air, he immediately used Heavenly Demon Arts : Thousand Miles Footwork Technique . Turning to the wolf¡¯s side in the gap, Ajin, held his fist then struck down the wolf¡¯s side. Heavenly Demon Arts : Thousand Star Bombardment. A fist full fire went straight up to the side of the wolf. But even though it is beaten down, the wolf didn¡¯t even stumble. The wolf immediately turned and tried to bite Ajin. He hurried back, watching the approaching mouth. Squash! The sound of chewing in the air is just too terrifying. ¡®That¡¯s enough to get wiped out.¡¯ Ajin went backwards and clicked his tongue for a bit. The deeper the forest, the more that monster will keep coming out. The closer he get to the howling beast, the more often it¡¯ll come out. He did not hesitate to open the Heavenly Demon Arts: Blood Corruption. As the power drained away, a red strong aura formed on his right hand. He ran to the wolf while maintaining his strength. Clash! His stretched out hand cut the wolf with just one blow. The body of the wolf could not bear the absolute power of the strong power. He shook his hands watching the wolves fluttering on the river side or on the ground. He didn¡¯t expected that he would be using the Strong Ki Method when it¡¯s not even a boss monster. Ajin kicked his tongue and checked his status. The blood stream is recovering its internal strength as he is on idle, but the amount of HP lost at once is way too large. He held onto the wolf¡¯s head without hesitation and used his energy drain. The amount of energy sucked up from the dead bodies were minimal, but better than nothing. ¡®Let¡¯s go in a little bit more.¡¯ For a moment, Ajin agonized. Should he continue to bear the loss, and go into the woods? The purpose of coming here is to search for the howling beast. He didn¡¯t even have the idea that he could face and kill him right away. He is prepared to die at least once. However, he intend to get the information he will get even if he died. Like How strong the howling beast is. What he lack in himself. ¡®I¡¯m going in.¡¯ While weighing it down, Ajin came to a conclusion. He had come all the way here, he should keep going in. The golden wolf that blocked the road to the boss can be finished quickly. Of course, there were no style of fighting. However, even so, it can¡¯t be helped because ordinary Heavenly Demon Art Techniques don¡¯t work. It takes too long to cut losses and fight. ¡®There¡¯s a little bit chance for party hunting party.¡¯ The party he had with Daisy. With that, it won¡¯t be difficult to break through the golden wolf while reducing losses. In order for that to happen, Daisy¡¯s party must be capable to reach here. It¡¯s not that hard. He decided to see the growth of Daisy¡¯s party. If he fights properly, there is no big problem in hunting a group of silver wolves. The battle will be faster, and so will the growth of the party. ¡®Before we reach the cliff, we¡¯ll have to hunt down the boss monster and he¡¯ll snap.¡¯ If he can¡¯t take it down, he can persuade them. Though it¡¯s too early to think about it. Then he moved on. The golden wolf made an appearance. The dark forest grew darker and darker as it deepened, and the golden wolf pierced through the darkness and struck him down. Although he is almost got attacked again, he always avoided direct damage through Heavenly Demon Arts : Thousand Miles Footwork Technique. His body that is strengthened by Mara Chenle method is as swift as before taking the explosion of Mana and spread into the air. Most of the attacks turned into Strong Ki Technique. It would not be bad to take this opportunity to grow the Heavenly Demon Arts : Blood Corruption, which is not usually used efficiently. Him, on the other hand, had recovered his strength to Hanemos, which he collected while hunting silver wolves at dawn yesterday, while using energy drains on the bodies of wolves. It was this moment when the true value of the energy drain was revealed. If he recover in this kind of method, he don¡¯t have to use a potion. How much do he traveled anyway? About half an hour from where the golden wolf appeared, he had taken a long time as he is not accustomed with it. He stopped walking as he checked the amount of internal strength. The landscape of the forest had changed. There are no trees that have soared up to the sky. There is no swaying bush either. Is the forest over? He touched the tree next to him. There was a small lake right before his eyes. Beyond the lake he could see a steep cliff. It seems that this side can reach the Indigo Cliff. But to get close to the cliff, he have to cross the lake. The problem is that there is a monster in front of the lake. Yes, it was a monster. He gulped down and looked at the monster sitting in front of the lake. What the hell is that even called? Ajin looked at the monster, clenched his fist that has a lot of tension. It is so big. It look twice as big as him in size. He had a wolf¡¯s head, but that monster didn¡¯t used his two paws. It¡¯s like a human being. He put his long hind legs on the ground and sat down with his hips, with his head down. ¡°Werewolf!¡± Ajin realized what that monster is. Among the single games played before The Breeze of the Murim, there was a game called ¡®The Age of Magic.¡¯ It is a game placed at the medieval fantasy world, and The Breeze of the Murim had the modern content, the main content of The Age of Magic is through purely medieval and magic. ¡®The Breeze of the Murim¡¯, ¡®The Age of Magic¡¯ and ¡®The Evolution of Humanity,¡± which is set in the future, is based on superpowers. The three solo games were developed by Gladiolus, the developer of First, a masterpiece that brought virtual reality games to perfection before First. Werewolf. When he was playing in the Age of Magic, Ajin had encountered that monster several times. To put it simply, Werewolf is a wolf, a monster of the night that power up in the full moon night. He didn¡¯t know the owner of the wild forest, the howling beast, is the werewolf. He frowned his forehead. Werewolf is a tricky monster. He don¡¯t know how much the data from the previous single game series in First may have been referenced, but it bothers him if that werewolf has the same specs as the Werewolf in The Age of Magic. Werewolf is strong and fast. And the most tricky thing is the resistance to magic and the regenerative power for wounds being inflected to it is not consider a wound. [¡­Smells like food¡­] It¡¯s hard to deal with it alone. He have take a step back. As soon as Ajin, who thought so, was about to move behind, his voice, mixed with the cries of the beasts, saw his shadow. In Ajin¡¯s vision, the head of werewolf slowly lifted up. Gray mane hair, bursting muscular body, eyes as small as a wink and sunken bloody red eyes. As soon as it was directed at him, He looked like he had loosen his strength in his legs. He trembled even more. What the hell is this? Why is my body shaking? Fear? [Come here.] Werewolf slowly raised itself up. A three-meter giant stood on the ground and left the lake. It¡¯s not night yet. There are no trees near the lake, so bright sunlight shines on the lake. The glittering surface of the lake looks beautiful. But there is a monster in front of that beautiful lake. [Come, be eaten by me.] The werewolf stood still and talked to Ajin. The breath of the beast, the creepy teeth that he sees whenever his mouth moves. He took a step back while swallowing his saliva. He have to run away. He can¡¯t deal with that monster right now. Search? Don¡¯t be ridiculous, this is dog-death [ T/n: Dog death is dying with no apparent reason]. It¡¯s impossible to fight it properly. What kind of search is that? Oh, yeah. It¡¯s a search for fear. He gave up fighting. It was the most rational and realistic judgment he had in this kind of situation. [Don¡¯t wanna miss it.] Not to the monster he guess. The rational and realistic judgment of the monster would be that he would not miss the food that appeared right in front of him. It would greedily chew that to fill the hunger. At that moment the Werewolf¡¯s knees bent on both legs. Clang! The werewolf who lifted in the sky fell before him. The impact sent his body flying backwards and the trees shaking. Standing on the ground, the werewolf lifted up his huge arm, and swung loudly with his sharp claws as sharp as a knife. The tree flew as it was cut like a piece of paper. [I¡¯m hungry.] Werewolf showed his teeth as he leaned toward the collapsed Ajin. What should I do? Ajin thought as he looked at the Werewolf¡¯s head, which was up close to him. Run away? No, that¡¯s too much. Through the leap just happened, Ajin is convinced of it. Even if he run with all his might, if that monster leaps a few times, it will catch up quickly. Fucking Heuk Seolhyang bastard. You told me to catch a monster like this? Ajin gnawed his teeth. The power difference was obvious. If it was a party play then there is hope but, Ajin could not feel the hope of catching the monster in a solo play. ¡®Log out¡­¡¯ No. If you log out and log in, he¡¯ll only be logged in here. Then he¡¯ll encounter that monster again. In the end, either run to the village or die here. Either way, he will arrive at the village. ¡®If I can¡¯t run away. Then¡­¡¯ Dying. Ajin raised himself thinking of it. He will be given a four-hour penalty for death, but he would rather do something than dying while running away without doing anything. Ajin clenched his fist as he gnashed his teeth. [Are you going to resist, prey?] Looking at Ajin, the werewolf twisted his mouth. Can the wolf laugh? Twisting mouth, gnashing teeth, blood sunken eyes¡­ Ajin thought the monster was smiling. Maybe, it can. Would it be difficult to laugh while talking? That made Ajin¡¯s chest flutter. God damn it, it made him falter! He used the Heavenly Demon Arts : Blood Corruption. There was an aura enveloping in both arms. [Raconda?] The werewolf hesitated when it saw him. Raconda, does it know Heuk Seolhyang? Either way, it¡¯s good. Ajin rushed at the moment the wolf stopped. It¡¯s body jumps up. His fist, which leaped nearly two meters at once, flew into the werewolf¡¯s head. [No, it¡¯s not. You¡¯re too slow.] This bastard! The fist that Ajin wielded went through the air in vain. The werewolf stepped back in an instant while dragging his feet lightly, stared at Ajin with his arms stretched out. [It¡¯s slow but still threatening. It can¡¯t be compared to hers, but¡­] The werewolf muttered, while he tilted his head. [Young man, have you come to kill me?] ¡°Come on, you wolf bastard¡­¡± Ajin rushed back. The shadow created by the Heavenly Demon Arts : Thousand Miles footwork technique was blurry and made Ajin¡¯s appearance disappeared. Ajin attacked the werewolf, moving in a different direction like a phantom. [Are you going to kill me with that skill?]] Clash! The accident stopped for a moment. When he came to his senses, Ajin was flying in the air. After that, his mouth was wide open with appalling pain. The beaten left arm was mangled and rattled like a rag. Did he get hit? How? Clash! Dropping the ground, Ajin held his left arm with a groan. [This, Valcun?] The werewolf named Valcun came up to the fallen Ajin, dragging his feet. Ajin rose up, enduring the pain. The smashed left arm drooped. He didn¡¯t even see it. The movement of Valcun, attacked him. It was the first time I felt this helpless in this game since I had a duel with Heuk Seolhyang. I can understand her now. She¡¯s the leader of Heavenly Demon, and his teacher. But he didn¡¯t expected that he would feel this helplessness in a monster. Thinking about it, Ajin never once felt threatened to monsters when he started this game. He only had Repetition of tutorials, assistance from Acacia, and meeting with Heuk Seolhyang, and his betrayal to Sake. Through it, Ajin gained absolute strength that one could not achieve at some point. The Heavenly Demon Arts and his skills made no wolf in the wild forest dare to harm him. But now it¡¯s different. You can¡¯t win. Ajin had come to realized that. Chapter 31 ¡°You must have liked him quite a bit, didn¡¯t you?¡± I heard a voice when I felt the presence. Heuk Seolhyang, who is sitting on the bed while meditating, opened her eyes and looked ahead. The closed door, in front of it, stood a woman in a white dress with short, platinum hair. ¡°Acacia.¡± The Heuk Seolhyang called her name in a low voice. There was no sound of the door opening. The windows are also closed. No, if Acacia had invaded in that way, there is no way Heuk Seolhyang wouldn¡¯t felt it. Acacia has always been vocal with her presence towards Heuk Seolhyang. As soon as she spoke, she showed up out of nowhere. ¡°Long time no see.¡± Acacia smiled brightly as she soon as she called her. Without knowing whether she was showing courtesy or mocking, she bowed her head slightly, lifting the hem of her skirt with both hands. She frowned and glared at Acacia. ¡°My toy seem to be bothering you.¡± ¡°Weren¡¯t you also pleased with him?¡± With what Heuk Seolhyang said, Acacia quipped and asked again. She nodded her head without hesitation. ¡°He¡¯s not that bad.¡± She mumbled and rose up. Not bad, she said. Though she said it herself, she thought it was just a humble answer. Ajin is the best. The body that is given to players in this world right now is an avatar. It¡¯s not a real body. But even if such a lie is given, the body itself is not different from the reality. He can grow overwhelmingly through levels, but it¡¯s up to the player to get used to it and move around. That is why, there is no natural talent for the body given in this game. In other words, the soul is particularly developed and the veins or what so ever are not that related to the avatar. If she have to consider it, all the bodies given in this world are extremely boneless. So it¡¯s important to think about the difference between players. It¡¯s just the player¡¯s own consciousness. ¡®It¡¯s quick to get used to him. I don¡¯t want to spare any kind of effort.¡¯ So Ajin quickly became stronger. She can¡¯t deny that growth has the help of energy drains, Acacia and Heuk Seolhyang, but it¡¯s Ajin who makes it his own and uses it, and had grown up. ¡°It is welcome gift for you, Hidden Peace, just adore him.¡± Acacia smiled faintly. Hidden Piece. At the word she called her own, Heuk Seolhyang gritted her teeth. When she was first thrown into this world, she learned what the hidden piece, which she calls herself, meant. The first feeling she had after understanding it was great honor. But at the same time, she felt anger to the point of going crazy. There¡¯s nothing she can do about it. She dominates a world and is considered one of the strongest in the world. The owner of 100,000 mountains, a hundred million Heavenly Demon Lord. Heuk Seolhyang, the person considered as the Ancient Golden Witch. She can¡¯t help but feel humiliated because she is treated as a foundation for someone to grow up. ¡°¡­you better watch your mouth.¡± ¡°Aha? Does it feel bad to be called Hidden Peace? But I can¡¯t help it. You¡¯re a hidden piece.¡± Acacia said so with a broad smile. The words surged into her like a storm breeze to her body. Sha! The red energy that centered around her was a huge, visibly dense. She opened her eyes that is smeared in crimson red and showed her teeth toward Acacia. ¡°I would have told you to watch out for the mouth, you naughty girl. Gladiolus won¡¯t be able to recognize you if I were you!¡± Looking at the overtly hostile Heuk Seolhyang, Acacia stepped back slightly. She is a bit burdensome towards Acacia. If she insisted to kill Acacia, it would cost Acacia considerable damage as well. No, maybe she will be wiped out if she is on this side. She didn¡¯t need to provoke her. ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll be careful. ¡°Dear Heuk Seolhyang.¡± Acacia looked slightly down. As Acacia took a low-key attitude, she stopped her rage. She took a deep breath and regained the strength she had loosened. The red aura, which had been covered around her, died down. ¡°¡­why are you here?¡± ¡°It¡¯s just that, it¡¯s been a while, hasn¡¯t it? I was wondering how you¡¯re doing.¡± At Acacia¡¯s answer, she briefly laughed. ¡°How am I? Well, I¡¯m doing fine. Living like a dog with a leash stuck in this narrow island, I must say?¡± She gnawed her teeth. What happened 20 years ago took a lot from Heuk Seolhyang. Her power, her position as a Magistrate leader, and the world she was born and living in. Twenty years ago, the blood thirsty maniac was defeated by the Gladiolus. The Heavenly Demon God, who had made her an absolute ruler, was crushed in vain in the hands of Gladiolus, and the attack which she had earned with all her might did not even hurt the monster. She had an absolute sense of helplessness as if it had encountered a wall that could never be overcome. The humiliating and perfect defeat she felt for the first time in her life. The defeated Heuk Seolhyang had her left eye in plucked out in return of resistance, and thrown into this world. And she is still constrained. She is never allowed to leave the island. So she got stuck on this island, and got the name Raconda. ¡°Well, that¡¯s not my punishment. I can¡¯t help it if you¡¯re angry with me.¡± Acacia replied with a bitter smile. It was Gladiolus who defeated the Heuk Seolhyang 20 years ago and dropped her into this world. It wasn¡¯t just her. All the hidden pieces that were laid out in this world were defeated by the Gladiolus, and fell into this world as a hidden piece that had there hard earned belongings taken away. ¡°Aren¡¯t you¡¯re playing a pretty good role here? I thank you for that. Thanks to you, I have a better chance of winning.¡± With what she said, Heuk Seolhwang gnawed his teeth. Frankly speaking, she didn¡¯t like Acacia that much. To be exact, he did not like all Gladiolus and the five transcendentalists who followed him. Even if it was Gladiolus who put himself in trouble, it is no doubt that all the transcendentalists who follow him are trying to use her as hidden piece. ¡°¡­if you win, Gladiolus, the son of God, will lose his integrity. I¡¯m sure it is, aren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Of course, the absoluteness he had, and what he gained is because he became God. If one of us becomes a god, his absoluteness naturally falls to the future generations.¡± This is why she maintained the role of Hidden Piece and properly made Ajin her disciple. For the past 20 years, Heuk Seolhyang has only lived with the idea of killing Gladiolus. But no matter how strong she gets, she can¡¯t kill Gladiolus. Because he¡¯s a God. How can a man kill God? God doesn¡¯t even have death as an option in the first place. ¡°Of course that¡¯s the case when the winner of the five of us came out.¡± Acacia made it clear. The ultimate goal of the game is to create a new God after Gladiolus. The force of the transcendentalists who do not have absoluteness is all the same, so there is no point in competing with each other who is stronger. The choice is not to use one¡¯s own force, but to use a substitute. It was Gladiolus who invented that kind of game. The Evolution Of Mankind The Magical Age The Breeze of Murim It is a virtual reality game with superpowers, magic, and exploits as the main characters. Throwing humans into the world of the game, and select talented people. The avatar created in the world made, how strong is the human being adapted to it? The purpose was that, and the detail was to search for a suitable agent. That¡¯s how 1,500 people were chosen. The 1,500 are thrown into this world as beta testers, are competing with each other again. ¡°I know that. I decided to make Ajin the strongest. Not for your victory, but for my revenge.¡± ¡°You¡¯ll have to try. You know that this world has only three weeks away, right? Acacia giggled and laughed. Heavenly Demon is within the hands of Heuk Seolhyang. It is also known that the player¡¯s information thrown into the world would be reset in three weeks. ¡°To avoid resetting, you need to be recognized for its value. Is he really worth being used as an agent?¡± The 1,500 beta testers were composed of people who excelled in the games they had played so far. But there are some parts in this world that have not yet been captured by the transcendent. Therefore, a month¡¯s beta test determines the value of being a proxy, and the next official service reveals the world slowly. Among the countless number of humans that are pushed from there, they will find another useful gemstone. To do so, the starting line needed to be the same. Therefore, the chosen method is reset. But there is a way to avoid the reset. If she¡¯s looking for a perfect agent, they don¡¯t have to search for another. For the best, that person can be treated as an insurance. ¡°Ajin will avoid resetting.¡± Heuk Seolhyang assured. She continued, glaring at Acacia. ¡°I ordered him to catch the howling beast. A monster that¡¯s not yet taken down, and if he kills it for the first time, he¡¯ll know the value of Gladiolus.¡± ¡°You¡¯re quite active, aren¡¯t you? ¡°To be honest with you, I don¡¯t care which of you five wins. Whoever becomes God, Gladiolus will lose his integrity. But¡­ I took him as my disciple.¡± She laughed, while her cheek twitched. ¡°If it¡¯s for the best, he¡¯d rather be a disciple I¡¯ve raised.¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s good. I¡¯m relieved if you work so hard for him.¡± She¡¯s here to confirm it. Is she really doing her best as a hidden piece? Does she intend to make efforts for her victory? However, I think it was a useless idea. In the end, it¡¯s called cowardice. Or is it just pride? She wants her student to be stronger than any other Hidden Peace player. ¡°What do you think your chances of winning is?¡± ¡°Thirty percent.¡± Acacia answered without hesitation. ¡°Not just him, but other players are starting to reach the hidden pieces. Carleya¡¯s toys are associated with Archmage Orcel, and so are Primrose¡¯s toys. He contacted Esper Hasen. And so is Mrs. Chrysanthemum.¡± ¡°Everyone except Hyacinth.¡± With what Heuk Seolhyang murmured, Acacia nodded her head. ¡°She¡¯s not into this game. She doesn¡¯t even seem to be that interested of being a God.¡± ¡°So that¡¯s why it¡¯s 30%. The other three toys¡­are in contact with the other Hidden Piece?¡± ¡°Yeah, but the problem is Gladiolus¡¯ arrangement.¡± Acacia laughed bitterly. ¡°There¡¯s no guarantee that any of us will win. This game is designed because competition with Gladiolus itself is impossible, including our transcendental skills. In order to win in the end, we need to eliminate other competitors and eventually defeat Gladiolus¡¯ arrangement.¡± ¡°So, 30 percent?¡± ¡°If we look at the possibility right now, it is 0. But if Ajin grows as he is now¡­¡± Acacia¡¯s eyes narrowed down. ¡°I¡¯m sure of my victory.¡±