《Reversing Life With Legendary Skills!》 Chapter 1 Ten years ago. The world transformed into something similar to a game. People began to see the status window and had received an inventory. Soon after, mysterious dungeons started to appear. The skill window was created, and it was possible to raise one¡¯s level. To level up, a person had to clear dungeons and the unearthly monsters that inhabited it. Initially, many people were afraid of entering dungeons. The problem was that if a dungeon was created and was not cleared after a certain period, monsters began popping out into the world. At first, those trained in the military or by the government came out. But over time, another factor came out. [D-10 until Game Over] A notification window popped up in front of the eyes of civilians who did not attack the dungeon. We were all able to understand what Game Over meant intuitively. Some people moved to attack the dungeon, while conversely, there were people who did not believe and waited. When D-Day occurred, countless deaths had occurred around the world. After that, many people devoted themselves to the dungeon. People wanted to raise their level and get the equipment to become stronger to survive. There was nothing more precious than life. The market was formed, and the item economy began to develop. Naturally, the items that helped the battle were costly. Ten years then passed. It was enough time for people to adapt to the changed society. Nevertheless, not everyone was interested in hunting dungeons. Many were still hesitant to enter the dungeon. The enemies were monsters, but people were instinctively reluctant to kill life. The problem was that regardless of their beliefs, they still had to clear the dungeon every period. The solution was surprisingly simple. People who were reluctant to kill monsters had to pay to clear the dungeon. It was a kind of proxy strategy. Those who didn¡¯t like to kill monsters or weren¡¯t willing to take risks were prepared to pay. When it became known that it was profitable, more people began to attack the dungeons, and the world called them players. Players and normal players. The world was divided into two and began to coexist. * * * ¡°Let¡¯s go this way.¡± A dark cave. Five men and women were walking. The man at the top checked the map and pointed in the direction. Four men and women followed. ¡°How much longer do we have now?¡± The middle-aged man asked. The man at the top exchanged the map and clock. ¡°It¡¯ll take about 2 hours.¡± ¡°Can you arrive safely?¡± ¡°Sure. This is a cleaned dungeon that I usually use. Do not worry.¡± ¡°Thanks, I¡¯ll take your word since it¡¯s you, Jin-Woo.¡± Kang Jin-Woo smiled at the words of a middle-aged man. There are two ways to clear a dungeon. One is to deal with all the monsters inside the dungeon. If all the monsters are dealt with, the dungeon is destroyed. The other way is to find an exit. Most normal players hate to battle, so, in many cases, the latter was chosen. It had the advantage of low risk and low cost. Players who substitute clears for these dungeons are called guides. ¡°Brother! Why did you become a guide?¡± The child asked. I was guiding a family today. Parents still didn¡¯t want to show young children the gruesome scene of killing monsters. But the children were different. In today¡¯s era, being a player is considered a distinguished profession. Players now occupy positions of former sports players and entertainers. That¡¯s why many people are very interested in players. A guide was also a classification of a player, so people had a lot of questions. ¡°Taejun! Excuse me!¡± The mother was exhausted, but the child¡¯s eyes were already glowing. Kang Jin-Woo replied with a bitter smile. ¡°Because I am not as strong as others. Now, let¡¯s go before the timing is delayed.¡± ¡°Oh, yes.¡± Kang Jin-Woo took the lead and walked. * * * Clearing the dungeon was simple. We arrived safely to the exit. ¡°Thank you! Thank you very much!¡± ¡°No. Please use us again next time.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± The group only said cordial goodbyes and separated. After handling the job, Jin-Woo headed to the office. Pibig-! When the door lock was pushed in, a sturdy man greeted him. ¡°Good work.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Jin-Woo unconcernedly answered and went to his seat and sat down. Players were rarely alone. In particular, the guide had many purposes. One such purpose is dungeon management. The goal of a guide is not to fully clear a dungeon but rather to guide a group through safely. To do that properly, you need to know the dungeon well and to be able to use that knowledge to navigate without fighting monsters inside. Moreover, you must resist the people who want to hunt monsters to preserve the dungeon. Because of their lack of combat ability, the guides wouldn¡¯t have been able to do such a thing. That¡¯s why Jin-Woo entered a company that manages dungeons. The company starts by looking for dungeons that are efficient for services and that are long-drawn. When they find a sufficient dungeon, the company hires a mercenary to organize the monsters inside and to map them simultaneously. After removing the risks as much as possible, the company gathers the guests. A normal player commissions the company, and its guide conducts the service. When the directions are finished, the payment is deposited, and the company and the guide split it. That was the structure of the company. Jin-Woo¡¯s company is small, so he worked most of the roles. There were only two dungeons to manage, so it was not too difficult. In the case of a large-scale company, it managed dozens or even hundreds of dungeons, so he could see how small his current affiliation was in comparison. ¡°I put in a daily wage. It¡¯s quite good because it¡¯s work for 4 people.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°I have a request tomorrow. How would you like it?¡± ¡°I have to.¡± Guides belonging to Roppen worked as freelancers. ¡°Jin-Woo is really good because he is sincere. The other guys don¡¯t get in touch for at least a week if they work one day.¡± ¡°You have to earn it when you can.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± ¡°Then I will go in.¡± ¡°Yes, go in carefully.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Jin-Woo left the office. ¡®500,000 won ¡­ ¡­ . ¡® The guide receives 500,000 won per person. (Approx. 400 USD) Since there were 4 people, 2 million won would be his commission. (Approx. 1600 USD) Jin-Woo was going to have a very productive day. But it doesn¡¯t happen every day. In many cases, he worked a day and lost a month. So he had to earn it when he could. Competition has been increasing recently. As competitors increase, profits naturally decrease. In fact, even half a year ago, the cost of driving directions per person was 1 million won. (Approx. 800 USD) However, now that there were many companies, it was reduced in half. ¡°Sigh¡­ ¡­ Let¡¯s go buy some chicken.¡± Thinking of his younger brother waiting for him at home, he entered the chicken house in the alley. * * * ¡°Hyung, are you going to work today?¡± ¡°Yeah, I have a series of requests.¡± His brother Sun-Woo asked with a worried face. ¡°Aren¡¯t you working too hard these days?¡± ¡°When you catch a fine dungeon, you have to earn hard.¡± The most important thing for a guide is a dungeon. It was essential to know how many monsters remained in the dungeon and every detail of the inside path. The company replaces that. But a company doesn¡¯t control everything. It just helps you to get inside. Success was critical to how familiar the guide was with the dungeon. In this regard, this dungeon BC-172 is a dungeon that has been successfully cleared 100 times on record. Thanks to this, the map was very detailed. The number of monsters, too, was very few. Even if they met a monster, there was no great danger, as all orcs were between level 30 and level 50. Above all, Jin-Woo himself cleared the dungeon 20 times. So, like the front yard of his house, he knew the ins-and-outs of the dungeon. But, of course, it was not that simple, and there were always unexpected variables. ¡°I will be back.¡± ¡°Take care of yourself.¡± Jin-Woo nodded and left the house. When he dies, his younger brother Sun-Woo becomes an orphan. They didn¡¯t have parents, nor did they have any relatives. This world was too difficult for a 14-year-old orphan to live in alone. ¡®Be careful today! Be careful again! ¡® Once again, he stepped forward. Chapter 2 ¡°I¡¯m Kang Jin-Woo, the one who will guide you through the dungeon today. I will do my best to make sure that you¡¯re safe.¡± Every time he met a customer, Jin-Woo was kind. Since it is necessary to clear the dungeon every year, it is more convenient to make regular customers. ¡°What is the best thing here?¡± One of the customers asked, ¡°You can just go around the 45-level dungeon, right?¡± ¡°Mister, how many levels?¡± Today there were three men. Their impression was not good from the first meeting. The words were short, and the tone seemed to be demeaning. Most of the time, customers were like this. People¡¯s perception of the guide was not usually good. There is always a possibility that a monster will pop out once the maintenance period is over unless the dungeon is fully extinguished. If the management is inadequate, the protruding monster may attack the passerby. It was a common occurrence in the world, though, but of course, the accusations naturally headed for the company and its guides. ¡°It is level 56.¡± Jin-Woo said. ¡°Oh ~ it¡¯s pretty high.¡± ¡°Hey! Then you are right. ¡° ¡°Heh giggle!¡± Looking at them smiling, Jin-Woo thought it would be quite difficult today. ¡°Then, I will enter.¡± He smiled as much as possible and took the lead. * * * Kwajik! One of them shouted, ¡°Shhh!¡± The man wearing eyeglasses was holding a stick and had hit him directly on the shoulder. Suddenly, he felt extreme pain as if the bone had been broken. ¡°Mister, I¡¯m lying in moderation. Do you think it will be for us?¡± The yellow hair next to him, squatted and laughed. ¡°You said your level is 56? I am level 141, that kid over there is level 156, while the level of the guy from behind is level 170, at least three times higher than your level.¡± Having levels is a skill, as you level up, your body develops, and when you reached Level 100, an additional skill window opens. They have not used their abilities yet. In other words, it meant that they have not even exhausted their powers. Nevertheless, it was not an opponent he could handle. ¡°Hey, let¡¯s do it properly and go deal with the monsters.¡± ¡°Okay ~¡± ¡°Where do you plan to go after the request today?¡± ¡°Maybe in a club or something.¡± ¡°Khaha-! Good! Let¡¯s go all out! A brother is going!¡± The three men continue to walk while looking at the map they stole. According to the map, they headed through the direction where the monsters remained. ¡°Damn it¡­ ¡­ Damn it!¡± Jin-Woo forcibly raised his body. ¡®It was a request. Is this an assassin from a competitor?¡± The assistant companies were increasing, and so the competition has also increased. As a result, there were times that some companies use illegal methods. Of course, the most important property for a guide company is a dungeon. When the dungeon disappears, the number of guests that can be attracted decreases. Did he lose the place to operate? ¡®I had to find another assistant company. ¡®Some of the competitors around here are ¡­ ¡­ ¡® Jin-Woo thought to himself. ¡°Surely, I will lose my head soon.¡± It was not the right time for him to think about it. I need to go out and tell the boss. ¡®The map was stolen, but it didn¡¯t matter.¡¯ He thought. Anyway, the structure of the dungeon was retained in Jin-Woo¡¯s mind. Jin-Woo struggled to move his body. He wasn¡¯t quite as fast as I was injured. ¡°How long has it been?¡± Courung-! Suddenly the ground shook, cracks on the ground started to appear, and soil scraps fell from the ceiling of the dungeon. ¡°Oh no ¡­ surely ¡­!¡± He knew what these signs meant. It was a sign that appeared when all monsters in the dungeon were cleared, and the mana stone was recovered. In other words, it was a sound that popped-out when the dungeon disappeared. ¡°Oh shit¡­ Damn it!¡± He shouted in an angry voice. The men had recovered the mana stone, meaning that it did not matter whether he dies or not here. ¡°Oh, no.¡± Jin-Woo dragged his immobile leg. The wall was forcibly moved. ¡®I can¡¯t die here.¡¯ He thought. Who will take care of his younger brother Sun-Woo when he dies? A memory flashback came to his mind. He was holding his mother¡¯s hand while she was dying with cancer; he made a promise to her that he will take care of his younger brother.¡± ¡®It is my responsibility!¡¯ ¡®I had to live.¡¯ ¡®I want to live¡­¡¯ ¡®There is still a lot that I want to try.¡¯ Jin-Woo thought to himself. Kururung-! But the world continued to pull down until the end. The ceiling collapsed and began to fall. There was no hope anymore. Crack- At that moment, the wall that supported his body collapsed, and he fell. ¡°What¡­ ¡­?¡± The only question came to his mind before he felt the pain of falling. This is because a space appeared as the wall collapsed. ¡°Is there a place like this?¡± ¡°It is a dungeon that operated like my front yard.¡± ¡°I wanted to find out if there was a secret area.¡± ¡°But I couldn¡¯t find it.¡± There was no such place on the map provided by the company. ¡°That¡¯s ¡­a door?¡± He said while looking at the door with eyes widely open. There was an old wooden door in the space. Kururung-! The worries were not long. It is not the right time and place to sit down and bargain. ¡°Let me in.¡± Taking a gamble was a better option. Jin-Woo opened the door and went inside. Shortly after, the dungeon collapsed, and the secret space disappeared completely. * * * A bright light greeted him as he entered through the door. He closed his eyes because the light was too strong, then slowly, he opened it. ¡°Here ¡­?¡± The first thing that caught his eye was the massive snow mountain. Buildings were gathered underneath. There was a village, and he could see people coming and going over the entrance. ¡°What happened?¡± He asked himself as if he was forgotten everything. He was really in doubt. The dungeon already disappeared. As he remembered, he was already dead. However, through the wooden door, a completely different place appeared. ¡°A hidden exit? Where was it?¡± It was important to be alive anyway. Jin-Woo walked to the village. He thought of seeking some help. There seemed to have guards at the entrance of the village. But there was no deterrent. Jin-Woo tried to talk to someone, but he seemed to be invisible. He then entered the village. There are lines of shops from the entrance. All the people walking around were unique. There were humans; some looked like monsters, while others look-like aliens. ¡®What the hell am I doing here?¡± He silently asked himself. Once it was clear to him, it was not the Earth. Jin-Woo looked around coolly. His experience as a guide was a big help for him. The most important thing is not to panic in an unexpected situation. If the guide were to panic, then his clients were at risk. That is why he tried to stay calm. The effect was still present. ¡°Hey-!¡± He heard a voice calling someone. As he turned his head, an octopus man, who appeared to be the owner of the store, was staring at him. He was quite heterogeneous, wearing a Japanese yukata, wrapped around with a bear¡¯s band, an octopus leg, and a smoke. ¡°Me?¡± Jin-Woo answered back ¡°Yeah, little boy, and if you block the front of the store like that, you will be in the way of your business.¡± ¡°Oh, sorry.¡± He apologized and stepped aside. ¡°That¡­uh, but where are we?¡± Jin-Woo asked the octopus man. ¡°Huh? Did you come from somewhere?¡± The octopus man asked him back, wondering. ¡°Yes¡­ I passed through the door of the dungeon, then when I opened my eyes, and I was already here.¡± ¡°Hmm-! Door? How does it look like?¡± ¡°It was an old wooden door.¡± ¡°Fooha! Did the old passage still remain?¡± The octopus man burst into what was so funny. ¡°Haha¡­ I am sorry, I laughed. This is just a village.¡± ¡°Just a village?¡± ¡°Yes, and if you qualify, you will know the name of this place.¡± It was a strange feeling. ¡°I¡¯m just asking what you¡¯re doing here?¡±. ¡°this¡­ this¡­¡± The card on the board caught his eyes. ¡°Is that a skill card ?!¡± He asked the octopus man. ¡°Yeah, is this your first time?¡± Jin-Woo shook his head. Skill cards exist on Earth. The problem was that it was ignorantly rare. There are two ways to get a skill card. One is the bonus skill card you get when you level up. The section for obtaining bonus skill cards is at 100 level intervals after level 110. The highest-level player on the planet was 372, so he got a total of 4 skill cards through level up¡ªone initially, one at level 110, level 210, and level 310. The second way is to kill and acquire the card through monsters in a dungeon, which was very rare. A skill card in itself was exceptional, and the price was very high. Even the lowest general-level skill card was sold for tens of millions of won. The most expensive ones had the Hero rating and were priced at close to 100 billion won. A player can register only one skill initially. That is the reason why the skill cards were so expensive. Then, as a person¡¯s level goes up, one skill window is added for each skill card section. Even at a low level, it was possible to register a hero-class card. When a player registers a skill card, he can release the skill simply by shouting the skill name. For example, if you registered Fireball¡¯s skill card, you could create a fire sphere by shouting fireball. There were many different types of skill cards, and most of the strong players on Earth had high-level skills. ¡®I also have skills ¡­ ¡­.¡¯ Jin-Woo¡¯s skill is a linguist. With passive skills, all languages ??were understood, and free conversation was possible. It was a very comfortable ability in a peaceful world. However, it did not help much in a world where they had to fight. ¡®That skill card ¡­ ¡­.¡¯ It was laid on a board. It is not one or two sheets. Putting it all together, over one hundred pages were seen. ¡°Oh¡­ Can I see it?¡± ¡°Sure. I was displaying it so.¡± I lifted a skill card and turned it over. [Skill: Dokgogu Sword] [Rating: Legendary] [Description: You can learn Dokgogu Sword, legendary swordsman.] Chapter 3 ¡°Huh!¡± A legendary grade skill card. It is his first time to see a skill card like that. ¡°Did you just sell something like this on a stand in the first place?¡± ¡°What if someone steals it?!¡± Jin-Woo asked the octopus man. Instead of answering him, the octopus-man then asked him. ¡°What? Why are you so surprised after seeing an old sword?¡± ¡°Um ¡­Yes?¡± Jin-Woo quickly replied. ¡°It¡¯s good to use, but at some point, it¡¯s not because I¡¯m wielding a knife. Ssangdo and Samdo are okay; Meat is good too.¡± Meng-! The Octopus man pulled out a knife for each of his six legs. ¡°What on earth?¡± It is impossible if he wasn¡¯t an octopus. ¡°That. That¡­ ¡­ Can I see some?¡± ¡°See what? This?¡± The octopus man held out the one he was holding on his first leg on the right. [Yodo: Muramasa] [Rating: Legendary] [Description: Muramasa with a curse, if you can¡¯t overcome the curse, don¡¯t wield it.] Again, it was a legend. This isn¡¯t the only one. The lowest skill card on the board was the hero rating. Those weapons that the octopus man holding are all legendary grades. ¡°Are you dreaming like this because you¡¯re already dead and still have a regret?¡± The octopus man asked Jin-Woo. He then looked at the legendary grade card, Dokgogu Sword. ¡°Hum¡­!¡± ¡°Oh huh-!¡± At that time, the octopus man closed Jinwoo¡¯s mouth with a sucker leg. He can smell that sea scent that came into his mouth. ¡°Are you an Earthling?.¡± ¡°How¡­ ¡­?¡± ¡°Well, I will explain that later¡­. If you calculate in won, for reference, that is an expensive one. Do you know?¡± ¡°gulp-!¡± I swallowed dry saliva. (TL: If you know, you know.) Even hero-level skill cards cost billions. Legendary rating? No matter what the octopus man charged, he could not pay the money. Then the octopus man handed out the calculator. ¡°This is it.¡± Said the merchant as he showed Jin-Woo what was on the calculator. ¡°Is this enough?¡± Asked Jinwoo. ¡°Yes, is it expensive?¡± The man replied. ¡°Really¡­Is this the price?¡± Jin-Woo asked with surprise. ¡°Why? Do you not have money? I am sorry, I can¡¯t bargain.¡± The octopus man said firmly. Expensive? Bargaining? I checked the price on the calculator once again. ¡®1.5 million won?¡¯ The number ¡®1,500,000¡¯ was displayed there. ¡®What the hell is the economic concept here?!¡¯ What should I think of this ridiculous price? No, it wasn¡¯t time to worry about it now. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I don¡¯t have enough money, I¡¯ll better leave now.¡± Jin-Woo said. ¡°Wait! Do you have some money? All right, sold!¡± ¡°Huh? ¡­ But I told you, I don¡¯t have enough cash ¡­¡± Jin-Woo exclaimed. ¡°It¡¯s okay; you can also transfer accounts. Call your account number.¡± ¡°Now? Wait. What? Huh? Here? ¡­Do you have access here? He asked with confusion. As the embarrassment continued, it was now adapting. ¡°375-0000-00000. This is the Bank of Korea.¡± The octopus man pressed the button of the machine visible on the phone a few times and nodded. ¡°Transfer complete!¡± Said the octopus man. ¡°That¡¯s okay?¡± ¡°So, this is mine now?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Wait¡­Really?¡± ¡°Oh, why? Excuse me, but I don¡¯t allow refunds here.¡± The octopus man said firmly again. ¡°Are you thinking that I am asking for any refund when I was trying to acquire a skill?¡± ¡®Wait, if this isn¡¯t a dream ¡­ Can I go back here and sell this? ¡® ¡°If it is a legendary grade card, it is worth calling it literally, But with that money, I was able to do whatever I wanted to do, not only paying my debt but also giving a good life for Sunwoo. Then the octopus man said. ¡°For reference, it disappears after the entrance there.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°You mean, I can¡¯t take it to Earth.¡± ¡°Ah¡­There will be such restrictions.¡± ¡°Unfortunately, I couldn¡¯t help it. It was money, and I was able to earn this skill through the power of learning. There was no hesitation. ¡°Accept.¡± [Do you want to acquire a Dokgogu sword?] [Caution¨CSkill card disappears when mastered.] [Y / N] The information window popped out one after another. [Skill: Dokgogu Sword] [You can use the original sword.] You have a legendary grade skill. * * * It was good to have a legendary grade skill in hand. The only problem he had now was figuring out how to get home. The answer was surprisingly easy. ¡°Return ball! Only 1 million won in Korean won!¡± As he was in trouble, the octopus man said with a blue ball. ¡°If it¡¯s a return ball¡­ ¡­ Are there any marbles coming here?¡± ¡°Oh, you came through the old door. When you come, you can buy tickets, not marbles.¡± ¡°Do you sell the ticket?¡± The octopus man pulled out the paper from the yukata. ¡°Here.¡± Said the octopus man as he landed the ticket on the table. The admission ticket is also 1 million won!¡± In total, it is 2 million won. Of course, it wasn¡¯t a waste when I looked at the value of things. The problem was that the money in the bankbook was now gone. ¡®Don¡¯t be afraid. It¡¯s an investment now. If you can¡¯t come back here, that¡¯s more damage. ¡® ¡°I need to leave now.¡± The octopus man gave out the admission ticket and the return ball. ¡°Transfer complete.¡± ¡°Yes, does the admission ticket disappear?¡± ¡°Yes, the items that can be put in the inventory are not gone. Uh? Your entry time is over.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°I cannot see?¡± The octopus man looked down in the direction of the man. There was a clock from when it was there. The gradually decreasing time left only one minute. ¡°If it goes to zero, you will die.¡± The octopus man reminded him. It was funny to see him trying to hit his neck with an octopus leg. But his words weren¡¯t funny, so he urgently lifted the ball. ¡°How do you use this?¡± Jin-Woo asked. ¡°You can just say return.¡± The octopus man answered. ¡°Return!¡± Jin-Woo shouted. Light came from the beads. ¡°See you again next time, little boy.¡± ¡°My name is Kang Jin-Woo!¡± ¡°If you come next time, please call me by my name. I will tell you my name then.¡± Jin-Woo tried to answer back, but the light distracted him. It became more robust and bright that he had to close his eyes. When he re-opened his eyes again, he saw himself standing in a familiar park. It was the park near his house. ¡°Um¡­¡± When he saw the landscape of reality, something came back. And he became suspicious. ¡°Skill window.¡± He whispered. He was trembling to see if he had really learned the legendary skill list. [Language Master] Linguist, the original skill, is on the first list. [Dokgogu Sword] And the legendary skill Dokgogu Sword was underneath. ¡°Yes¡­ ¡­ It was real.¡± Jin-Woo looked down at his hand. There was a ticket that was folded there. ¡°Haha¡­ ¡­ haha¡­ ¡­ .¡± A miracle happened. * * * Yum-! The password for the door lock was pressed. Thump-! He heard footsteps in the house. Tirolong-! As he opened the door lock, the door automatically opened. Sun-Woo, with a messed face, greets him. ¡°¡­ ¡­ Sun-woo! Why is your face like that?¡± His eyes were swollen. His hair was moist, and his face was full of oil as if he had not showered for days. Sun-Woo came to him and started crying. Jin-Woo couldn¡¯t resist his tears from falling, upon seeing his brother crying. After a while. A little calmer, Sun-Woo told him an astonishing fact. ¡°The dungeon collapsed¡­ ¡­ It¡¯s been a week?¡± He asked his brother, while still wondering. ¡°Yes, well, where have you been? It has been a week since you have been gone.¡± Sun-Woo asked him. He was only in that place for a few minutes, or maybe less than an hour, but here on Earth, a week had already passed. ¡®Is the time base different? I could think so.¡¯ He thought to himself. ¡°The police came here and said that my brother was dead. So, I ¡­ I know only that ..¡± When the dungeon was destroyed, everything inside disappears. That was common sense. The police weren¡¯t wrong. If he hadn¡¯t found the door, he would have died. He calmed his younger brother and brought him into his room. Jin-Woo went through his pocket, but couldn¡¯t see his smartphone. ¡®Did he drop it from the dungeon? It may have been.¡¯ He sighed and then turned on the computer to confirm the date. ¡°It is really, it is. Sun-Woo was right.¡± A week passed. He accessed the portal site and searched for articles. It was quite a week ago, so there were few articles now. [Guide A, missing with the demise of a dungeon] He read the title of the article. The contents were mostly similar. The last article said that the police concluded the investigation and that Guide A was dead. ¡°Dogs¡­ ¡­.¡± They failed to catch the culprit. The evidence disappeared with the dungeon, and guys were counting on it too. ¡®If It had been before, I wouldn¡¯t be able to ¡­ ¡­.¡¯ But not anymore. He had a legendary grade skill. ¡°I must take revenge.¡± For revenge, Jin-Woo held his sword. Chapter 4 The next day. Jin-woo arrived at the company. ¡°You¡­ ¡­ you¡­ ¡­!¡± The boss¡¯s face turned pale as if he saw a ghost. ¡°You¡¯re alive? What happened to you?¡± The boss asked him. He then explained what had happened. ¡°That day, the clients were actually mercenaries from competitors. One of the men hit me, and I almost lost my life. They stole the map and left me to die. I failed to exit the dungeon because of my injuries; I failed to get out there ¡­ but fortunately, I was able to escape somehow before the dungeon fell apart.¡± ¡°Dogs!¡± The boss cursed when he heard that. ¡°They¡¯re definitely from Shinil!¡± Shinil Guide. It was a guide company recently established in Bucheon. They were also in the same business. ¡°Would you be able to find the exact culprit if you trace those client guys?¡± Jinwoo asked. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll call the police. And when do you want to go back to work?¡± Jinwoo shook his head at the boss¡¯s words. ¡°Now, I want to stop.¡± He said. ¡°What?? But why?¡± His boss was shocked. ¡°After going through all this¡­ it¡¯s too scary now.¡± ¡°Ha¡­Is that so?¡± The boss nodded; he understood what Jin-woo meant. ¡°Unfortunately, I cannot help it, but if you ever want to come back here, feel free to contact me, okay?¡± ¡°Yes. Thank you.¡± ¡°In a few days, I¡¯ll give you some severance pay.¡± ¡°Severance allowance?¡± It was unexpected, he thought. Guides were basically freelancers. It was an irregular job, and there usually wasn¡¯t any severance pay. ¡°I¡¯ve been a guide company for quite some time, but it was the first time I¡¯ve met someone sincere like you. Don¡¯t refuse me; just think of it as my way of thanking you for the things you¡¯ve done.¡± ¡°If that¡¯s so, thank you.¡± Jinwoo said with gladness. ¡°Yes, let¡¯s often get in touch.¡± His boss said. ¡°Yes, boss.¡± He bid goodbye and leave the office. He looked down at the old company building and bowed his head again. ¡®Thank you, boss.¡¯ He whispered. Assistant Kang Jin-woo is now signing off. He took a step forward. * * * There are three ways to be strong. First is to level up. When you hunt monsters, your level will go up. If you level up 1, you get 1 point. Players can invest points in the status of Strength, Agility, Intellect, Stamina, and Mana. When you invest in Strength, your strength gets stronger. Agility increases speed, and Intellect increases magic. Health and Mana increase HP and MP, respectively. The second way is through items. It could be obtained by catching monsters or purchasing dungeon treasure chests made by item manufacturing companies. There are different types of items, and there are endless variations of specs. From old weapons like swords, spears, and bows, to pistols, bazookas, or railguns. There were countless items, and each of them had a rating. They are divided into five levels; general, advanced, rare, hero, and legendary, while it is known that there are only four legendary grades worldwide. There were many cases where low-level players beat high-level players, depending on the items they were using. The last way to be strong is through your ¡°Skill.¡± Like items, skills are divided into five levels; general, advanced, rare, hero, and legendary. Although, unlike items, a legendary skill has never yet been discovered before. ¡°¡®I already have such legendary skills.¡¯ Jinwoo could not help but smile. Even if you have only hero-level skills, your annual salary is already over a billion. What more if it is a legendary level skill? He can now live the life he always desired. ¡°Brother! Brother!¡± Sun-woo hurriedly cried as he entered the house. ¡°They started attacking the King¡¯s Guild Dungeon!¡± ¡°Oh, I¡¯ll be there soon.¡± ¡°Please, Hurry!¡± In the beginning, people watched runs in the obligation of gaining insight to stay alive, but now it was just for entertainment. At first, they filmed dungeon attacks for documentation purposes. But as time passed by, the level of players increased, and the videos of the players¡¯ dungeon clear became very popular. It became known to everyone as it reached global status through YouTube. Companies designed different ways to advertise their products. Some of them paid the players in exchange for the condition of promoting their products. When it became known that it would be for money, players began to care about the content. As the quality of the content increased, people became more excited. Naturally, the effect in advertising increased, and along with it, the sponsor cost also rises. Players became very popular after a few cycles. These days the media didn¡¯t have celebrities such as idols or actors. Instead, they were replaced by players. They were often interviewed in different new channels and were featured in the morning shows. As their popularity increased, their profits also skyrocketed. Related companies appeared, and some players made their own guilds to take advantage of this. The King¡¯s Guild announced that the cost of sponsorship in one year was hundreds of billions. South Korean players rank second. Tae-gil, the master of Park Tae-sung, was ranked 7th in the world¡¯s guild rankings. The King guild earned astronomical money through sponsorship contracts. Their dungeon attack was broadcasted all over the world live on YouTube. It was popular with millions of people, even though it was a streamed event. -Fire Dragon Sword! Hwaryongsu! -Quoo, oh-! A man yelled as he lifted the red sword. The flame from the sword turned into a dragon and wiped out the monsters. The drone camera accurately captured the scene from the air and highlighted it. ¡°Wow ah ah-!¡± Sun-woo opened his mouth and exclaimed. For the children like Sun-woo, the high-level players were literally heroes. It was the same with Jin-woo. ¡°I also wanted to be like that, and I got the chance to be.¡± Jin-woo said. Even though the Hwaryong sword was hero rated, it still had ample destructive power and was magnificent. It was possible to check the skill description of the legendary Dokgogu skill. Jin-woo was curious. Indeed, what is the effectiveness of the Dokgogu sword? ¡°Skill confirmation, Dokgogu sword!¡±. When he shouted the command, a window appeared in front of him. [Dokgogu Sword] [Rating: Legendary] [Skill: 1] [Description: The form does not bound the Dokgogu Sword.] [Skill Effect: Increases the user¡¯s sword attack power by 1,000%. Mana is continuously consumed when the skill is activated.] [Type: Continuous Skill] Nothing flashy happens. However. ¡°Isn¡¯t this a scam? Its effect was broken.¡± Jinwoo thought. * * * One of the reasons why people use good items was for the item¡¯s stats. As reality turned into a game, all the abilities of a person became numerical. Everyone had the same basic stats. And through level up, they gained stats to strengthen themselves. It was like growing. When you have an item, your stats are increased further. For example, if a player named A with 10 attack power uses a long sword with 10 attack power, he will get a total of 20 attack power. The question is, does it really have the ability to increase the sword¡¯s attack power by 1,000%?¡¯ The average damage of long swords sold in general weapon shops is 10. If it worked, the attack power would be increased to 100 when using the Dokgogu skill with it. In general, when leveling up, to increase attack power by 90, you had to invest 90 points in the power stat. In other words, it means that you had to increase your level by 90. However, it was only possible to receive such drastic corrections through skill effects. ¡°This is amazing.¡± It was unfortunate that it didn¡¯t have a flashy offensive skill, like the Hwaryong sword. However, due to the Dokgogu Swords¡¯ broken effect, Hwaryong swordsmanship was incomparable. ¡°What will happen if I get Muramasa into this skill?¡± Jinwoo asked himself. Muramasa. A Legendary item. There are four legendary grade items spread all over the world. Each one of them had fraudulent stats and additional options to perfect the world. Muramasa will do the same. ¡®I¡¯d be an endgame raid boss character ¡­ ¡­.¡¯ Immediately, there will be perceptual changes in player ranks around the world. ¡°How much will Muramasa do?¡± ¡°Well, I could not ask for the price.¡± However, if you think about it based on previous experience, it is not that expensive. The problem was money. The bankbook had only hundreds of thousands of won. It took money to purchase Muramasa. ¡°I have to be stronger than the other guys. Certainly.¡± Jinwoo said. The average level of 150. That was their specs. If you add items and skills into it, it will become stronger. Revenge would only be fruitful if he gained an absolute victory. He needed to plan for it. ¡°First, I need to make money.¡± ¡°How do I make money?¡± ¡°I have to go to a dungeon.¡± Chapter 5 IC-332 Dungeon. It was the target of Jinwoo. ¡°Are you Kang Jin-woo?¡± The government official asked him. ¡°Yes¡± Jinwoo answered. ¡°Please sign here.¡± The official handed him the tablet. While Jinwoo was signing it, he continued the explanation. ¡°We are about to leave after thirty minutes, but other party members haven¡¯t arrived yet. You may take a break in the waiting room.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± He nodded and headed to the waiting room. ¡°Hunting in such a long time.¡± At first, he worked hard, but later, he realized his limit. Above all, he had to make money. So, he decided to become a guide. It was a life far from hunting. ¡°Hoo-!¡± Then a loud noise came from outside the tent. Soon, one side of the tent was kicked, then a group of people entered. ¡®Two people in their thirties and two in their twenties. One was a woman. ¡® It was an ailment of assistant life. If you meet a group of people, you must check the composition first. A man in his thirties came to discover Jinwoo. He must be the leader. ¡°Good morning? Are you going hunting today?¡± The man asked him. ¡°Oh, yes. My name is Kang Jinwoo.¡± He simply replied. ¡°I am Byung-Cheol Lee of the Blue Wolf Guild. This is Park Gyu-sung and Kim Min-ji from the same guild.¡± The man said as he introduces the two people with him. ¡°Good morning.¡± ¡°Good morning!¡± Jinwoo simply said hello, and Lee Byung-Cheol spoke again. ¡°What is the level of Kang Jinwoo?¡± ¡°It is level 56.¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± Disappointment appears on Lee Byung-Cheol¡¯s face. The limit level of this dungeon is 50. At level 56, it had to be considered a chin girl. ¡°Damn it¡­ ¡­ I¡¯ve become a bus.¡± ¡°Kyu Sung-ah!¡± ¡°You did not say the wrong thing. Do you know what¡¯s coming out of the dungeon here?¡± ¡°Stop it!¡± Lee Byung-cheol obstructed Park Kyu-sung. ¡°Sorry. But the child is still young ¡­¡± ¡°No.¡± He heard worse insults while he was a guide. There was nothing good about this, so he chooses to keep silent. ¡°Everyone is leaving now.¡± At that time, officials came in. ¡°The atmosphere seems weird.¡± Said the government official reading the atmosphere inside the tent while pulling out a small ball from his bag. ¡°As you all know, everything in the dungeon is recorded by this drone.¡± ¡°So, let me remind you, fighting is prohibited inside.¡± The mini drone is a recording device that shoots inside the dungeon. Although it is for recording, it is possible to communicate through it, and it also has GPS function, so it can track things and can be used as a map. It was useful in many ways. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± They headed to the gate with the guidance of a government official. There was a stinging glance from Park Gyu-seong¡¯s, but I ignored it. When the first dungeon appeared, it was managed by the government. Access was banned because It could be very dangerous. The player¡¯s restrictions became known over time, but access could no longer be forbidden. However, several devices can guarantee safety even when the player enters. Even as a player, they were obliged to protect the people. So, some laws were made. First, crimes such as murder and robbery cannot be committed in a dungeon. Also, to enter the dungeon, it was necessary to report it to the government first. There were also various restrictions depending on the level. ¡°The main monsters of the IC-332 have been identified as Orcs in the 40th level, Orc Warriors from level 50 to level 60, and finally Trolls at level 70. The location of the map is displayed as a hologram towards the handed mini drone.¡± The government provided a few things. Some received it, while others do not. There is a 15% tax on proceeds from monster hunting. Whenever a specific section is crossed, a progressive rate is attached, so for a high-level player, the amount of tax paid for a year is enormous. ¡®Well, I will earn so much.¡¯ ¡°Then, I¡¯ll run the gate.¡± Running the gate was simple. Simply put your hand on the slab that appears with the gate and say: ¡°Activate¡±. So, when the gate appeared, a security device was installed on the slab to block the dungeon¡¯s entrance. ¡°Activate¡± The security device was released, and the gate was activated. Then suddenly, the gate glowed. Light flowed on the pillars and soon began to gather in the air. As the sphere gradually grew, it filled all the holes in the gate, creating a wormhole. ¡°I hope you have safe hunting.¡± A civil servant who spoke quietly stepped to one side. ¡°I will go first.¡± Lee Byeong-cheol took the lead. After that, Kim Min-ji followed, and then Park Gyu-sung, who stares at him once again, entered. As he shook his head, Jinwoo also walked towards the wormhole. * * * After passing the wormhole, a jungle unfolded. It was not surprising that the inner part of the dungeon was different. The three people who came in have already taken out the weapons. Lee Byeong-cheol had a shield, Kim Min-ji had a sword, and Park Gyu-seong had two pistols. ¡°Mr. Kang Jin-woo, where are your weapons?¡± Asked Byung-Chul Lee. He seemed to be willing to hunt together. ¡°Sorry, but¡­¡± ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°I will act separately.¡± ¡°What is that¡­ ¡­?¡± He looked at Park Kyu-sung once and smiled. ¡°I do not have a good personality.¡± ¡°No, whatever it is, it¡¯s too dangerous to go through the dungeon alone.¡± ¡°No, brother. Just leave him alone if that¡¯s what he wants.¡± ¡°Kyu Sung-ah!¡± ¡°No, thanks. If it is dangerous, you run away, well. Orcs can be dealt with alone. I don¡¯t want to ruin the atmosphere while we are walking together.¡± I bowed my head lightly. ¡°Thank you for saying that. Then do it.¡± And then he turned around. A dispute between Park Gyu-sung and Lee Byung-cheol was heard from behind, but it didn¡¯t matter to him. ¡°I¡¯ll go my way.¡± * * * Jin-woo, who is somewhat distant from his party, met an orc. ¡®Three.¡¯ All three were at level 40. The level gap was 16. The odds were with him if they were dealing one by one. ¡®Can I play with three dogs?¡¯ But now there were three. He got the scam skill Dokgogu, but he was nervous. The world was like a game but was still real. If he dies, he won¡¯t revive again. ¡°Hoo-!¡± Jinwoo sigh deeply. He was relieved from tension. ¡°Status¡± When I shouted the command, a window appeared in front of my eyes. [Gang Jin-woo] [Level: 56] [Strength: 22 (10) Agility: 32 Health: 17 Mana: 10] [Holding Skills: Linguist, Dokgogu] Jinwoo¡¯s status was a little bit miserable. At first, he dreamed of a warrior job and invested in strength. However, as a guide, he focused on agility and stamina while aiming at survival. As a result, stats that were neither here or there were created. In fact, it was tough to deal with even one orc with his previous abilities. Previously, there was an item that the company lent to him, so it was possible to correct the ability. But now he had to solve it with his own abilities completely. ¡°I believe in the old sword.¡± From the list of possessed skills, he looked at the shining golden sword and resolved his will. Then he got up and took out his long sword. It was a basic item that can be purchased for 100,000 won by going to the city hall; it was a beginner¡¯s long sword. Woo-oh! After he shouted the skill, the golden color surrounded the beginner¡¯s long sword. [Skill: Dokgogu was used.] [The attack power of the beginner¡¯s long sword has increased because of the Dokgogu sword skill.] [Mana is constantly consumed.] Once again, he checked the stat window. [Strength: 22 (110) Agility: 32 Health: 17 Mana: 10] A smile was drawn on Jinwoo¡¯s face. ¡°Crew-!¡± ¡°Shhh!¡± Then he saw the orcs approaching. He felt powerful. ¡°Now!¡± He cried with strength. Jinwoo wielded the sword as they entered his range. Die! Beginner¡¯s long sword was diagonally cut while embroidering a golden line in the air. Crackling! Following the sound of something torn. Blah! The bodies of the orcs split. Kugugung-! The upper bodies of the three orcs split diagonally and fell to the ground. Thud- Jin-woo himself was surprised by the spectacle he had created. ¡°Oh my God¡­¡± Legendary skill Dokgogu sword. He realized its power. His body trembled again. In fear? ¡°No!¡± He was trembling with excitement. ¡°I must sweep the dungeon!¡± He got the items shining on the floor and packed them. Chapter 6 Before the world had changed. Jinwoo used to play an MMORPG. As his character grew to some extent, he became greedy for more. That was why he enjoyed playing in the first place. His level became very high, to the point where he wiped out strong monsters with one shot. A lot of time passed, but he could not forget the feeling. Ki¡ªak! [The level has risen.] He can feel that feeling again in reality. From Orcs, Orc Warriors, to the highest trolls in that dungeon, the Dokgogu sword indiscriminately cut it in half. Occasionally, some guys needed to be hit twice before falling, but this was not a big deal. He cut the monster without any irresolution in mind. ¡°Is hunting fun like this?¡± Jinwoo simply asked himself. During his assistant days, an encounter with a monster was the worst. It was too scary, and he always wanted to avoid it. That was a monster for Jinwoo. It was always the same. Things never changed even after he joined a party. It did not help him much. So, he always got a stinging glance from party members. ¡°Wow! But now, he didn¡¯t have to feel that. Monsters were not creatures to be afraid of. ¡°Quuck!¡± [The level has risen.] The monster was just a chunk of rich experience. ¡°Yeah-! Lucky.¡± ¡°Do you have a rare grade armor?¡± It was a beneficial item, he thought. He gathered armor that glowed in green, and information came to mind. [Troll¡¯s Leather Armor] [Defense + 22] [Agility + 10] [10% resistance to a Troll¡¯s attack] [A strong armor made from Troll¡¯s leather.] Rare-grade armor was traded at millions of won. It was more expensive in the past, but since the overall level went up, it¡¯s price had went down. Leather armor was less defensive but was more agile. ¡°It¡¯s a little unfortunate that the ethnic characteristics are attached.¡± ¡°If it only had any other extra stats, it would have been worth more.¡± ¡°a-! But where is this?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s see.¡± He unfolded the map and confirmed the location. ¡°Is it about 80% progressed?¡± It was a noteworthy speed. As far as he knew, it takes an average of one to two days to clear an appropriate dungeon level. Jinwoo progressed to 80% in just 8 hours. ¡°Shall we speed up a little more?¡± Jin-woo raised the heat for hunting. * * * Lee Sang-min looked at the gate where the wormhole serves as the opening. He then checked the time. Nine hours passed. ¡°Nine hours. It¡¯s been a long time.¡± It was quite a long time for the first hunting session. ¡°Hoo¡­ ¡­.¡± ¡°Oh-!¡± ¡°Sigh¡­ ¡­.¡± The three people who passed the wormhole sighed one after another. They were the Blue Wolf guild members from Incheon. But where was the other one? ¡°What about Kang Jin-woo, who went in together with you??¡± The official asked them. ¡°Hasn¡¯t he come out yet?¡± Lee Byeong-cheol asked. ¡°Isn¡¯t he with you? You entered the dungeon together, right?¡± ¡°Oh, that¡­¡± Lee Byeong-cheol briefly explained the situation. Lee Sang-min crumpled his face. Being in a party outside didn¡¯t necessarily mean that they had to party together inside the dungeon. Dungeons are places where sudden situations often occur. Therefore, the decision was left to the players¡¯ best judgment. ¡°Wait, I still have a life signal¡­¡± Lee Sang-min checked the tablet PC. A biosignal connected to the mini drone was being captured. It meant Kang Jin-woo was still alive. ¡°Are you coming out?¡± The location point was close to the gate. Soon the gate was activated, and a wormhole was formed. It revealed Jinwoo, who¡¯s appearance was slightly different from when he first entered. ¡°Oh¡­ You were safe.¡± Lee Byeong-cheol said in a worried voice. ¡°Yes, I am, where is the official? Jinwoo simply replied, then left to look for the official. ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°The monsters inside are already cleared, and only two are left.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°The location is marked on the map.¡± Jinwoo crossed the map with a mini drone. ¡°Ha-! There is no such thing. Did you take care of all those trolls by yourself? Only level 56?¡± Park Gyu-seong said with sarcasm. Jin-woo, who saw Park Gyu-seong walking with fertility, spoke again. ¡°And I also checked the routes and exits that were not documented, so I think you can use them as clear dungeons.¡± Lee Sang-min was in awe. ¡°I am worried about whether to believe you or not.¡± ¡°I would like to receive compensation in a lump sum payment. Where can I go through the procedure?¡± When you clear the dungeon, a mana stone comes out. Depending on the level of the dungeon, the level of the mana stone that comes out varies. Initially, all mana stones were in high demand, but recently low-level mana stones have fallen in price because its demand had decreased. That is why it is sometimes more beneficial to let the government handle the dungeon. These dungeons were transferred to private companies through auctions and used as clear dungeons. The player also received compensation, so it was a win-win. ¡°Well, wait a minute. I¡¯ll check it first.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± The verification process was simple. Just check the video shot on the mini drone, and you are done. ¡°It doesn¡¯t make any sense¡­¡± Park Gyu-sang grumbled at the end. But let us play the video first. He was forced to shut up. ¡°What..¡± The video displayed Orcs falling one after another to Jinwoo¡¯s sword. Occasionally, some guys needed to be cut twice, but most of them fell in one blow. ¡°is this?¡± Park Gyu-seong could not believe his eyes. But the evidence was clear. ¡°Uh¡­ ¡­ Once it¡¯s confirmed.. Compensation will be paid after further verification. Please fill out the application form here.¡± The application was completed through a tablet PC. . ¡°Can I get a copy of the hunting video?¡± Jinwoo asked the official. ¡°Yes, of course. I will send it by email. But what are you going to do with that?¡± ¡°I may be an official, but I am also curious.¡± The official answered. It was even more mysterious after he found out Jinwoo¡¯s personal information. ¡®Former guide.¡¯ ¡®Level 56¡¯. ¡°But you, you are a linguist.¡± That was the content of a player named Kang Jin-woo registered in the government database. Jinwoo smiled while looking at Lee Sang-min. ¡°Because I got a skill this time.¡± ¡°Skill?¡± Official asked while wondering. ¡°Yes, thanks to you, I hunted comfortably.¡± Jinwoo answered with confidence. ¡°Maybe, can you tell me the rating¡­ ¡­?¡± Lee Sang-min asked carefully. Instead of answering, Jinwoo packed his bag. ¡°Then let me go first.¡± Jinwoo took a glance at Park Gyu-seong. The expression was quite impressive. ¡°If you judge a person by level, you will have trouble.¡± ¡°What¡­ ¡­ what?!¡± Park Gyu-seong looked disappointed. Jinwoo stared at him. Park Gyu-seong trembled with both fists and quickly turned his head. Jinwoo walked confidently past Park Gyu-seong. ¡°It¡¯s starting now.¡± He thought to himself. Preliminary preparations are over. * * * The player has become an enormous business. A famous player earns billions of dollars a year. Of course, hunting accounts for a large proportion of revenue. But most of the money they make comes from elsewhere. Advertising, Sponsorships, Internet broadcasting, etc. They can earn through numerous routes. The down payments and salaries through contracts with guilds accounted for the most substantial portion. The guild uses players to perform various profitable activities. When clearing high-level dungeons, most people aimed for the enormous rewards provided by the government. That is why they focused on recruiting strong players. However, most of the ranking players build their own guild. So, what else can they do, new players were forced to focus their attention. Skill is the most crucial factor in recruiting promising players. The top players chosen were called Rookies. It was also known as a lottery since skills are acquired randomly when you reach level 10. No one knew when and where a Rookie would appear. Each guild¡¯s scouts spend the money on their backs to get that information quickly. Even the Royal family¡¯s Han Dong-jin, one of the best guilds in Korea, was giving money to many civil servants. Han Dong-jin¡¯s messenger rings. ¡°Huh? Lee Sang-min. ¡° [Discover great jackpot! Please check out the video first!] ¡°What is this fuss..¡± Han Dong-jin checked the attached video. And less than halfway through, he got up. His hand was already pressing Lee Sang-min¡¯s number on his smartphone. ¡°Mr. Sang-min! I am coming! See you right now!¡± He was the leader of the team, Dong-jin Han. * * * Next day. ¡°Brother! This is done editing!¡± ¡°Already?¡± ¡°This is not enough. But is it you, brother, who was filmed in this video?¡± ¡°Right.¡± ¡°Wow-! Did you kill the troll in one slash? How?!¡± Sunwoo is also a player. He was more knowledgeable, more than Jin-woo. ¡°I got a skill this time.¡± ¡°OMG! Great! ¡­ Is it a hero rating?¡± Instead of answering, he smiled. ¡°Aha- I know that smile, OMG! Really?! Awesome! You want to upload it on YouTube?¡± ¡°Yeah, but can you help me manage it?¡± ¡°Of course! I¡¯ll do it! Let me do it!¡± Sunwoo was very interested in the video. After Jinwoo left Sunwoo and entered the other room, he received an incoming call from an unknown number. ¡°Hello?¡± -Is this Kang Jin-woo, I am calling? ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. Who are you?¡± ¡°This is Dongjin Han, the team leader of the Royal Family Scout. The call he was waiting for came. Chapter 7 ¡°How did the scout leader get my number?¡± Jin-woo thought. But he wasn¡¯t too concerned. Even though he lived as a guide, he still understood how the industry worked. Scouts always wanted to find a new rookie player. Since they lived off of each other, players and the government, have typically had a cordial relationship. He had no reason to hide his ability; rather, it was more beneficial to display it. He was already expecting to get noticed by a scouter after frivolously clearing the first dungeon. It worked as he wanted, although he didn¡¯t expect to be contacted by the leader of the Royal Family Guild. ¡°This is a little unexpected.¡± The Royal Family ranked 7th in the Korean Guild Rankings. It was a colossal guild; it was close to the top 5 with just its finances alone. A man approached Jin-woo as he entered the caf¨¦ he had promised. ¡°Mr. Kang Jin-woo?¡± ¡°Yes, are you leader Han Dongjin?¡± ¡°Yes. Thank you for coming. Please sit down and let us talk.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Team leader Han Dong-jin bought the drink himself. ¡°I saw the video. You were great? I heard you are only level 56.¡± ¡°Oh, I leveled up in that dungeon, and now I am at level 59.¡± Jin-woo said with pride. ¡°Aha-! You are? That is great! You¡¯re going to catch a troll at that level.¡± The praise continued until they ended their conversation. ¡°Wow¡­I like how it feels¡±. ¡°The feeling of someone desperately wanting me.¡± ¡°Oh- It was the first time.¡± Han Dong-Jin poured strange words without changing his complexion. ¡°It didn¡¯t feel bad.¡± ¡°Well, of course, how will I get offended when I hear compliments?¡± However, part of him seemed not that excited. Was it because he already knows everything? Among his friends, there was someone who had acquired a rare grade skill. He met him by chance, and he listened to his thoughts while drinking. ¡®If I hadn¡¯t been caught by the scout¡¯s praise that day, I¡¯d have been better off.¡¯ His friend had said it with an absolute conviction. After that, he went through many things. Jin-woo was experienced enough to know that those who speak good things usually had a hidden agenda. Han Dong-jin took to the main subject. ¡°So, in our Royal Family, Kang Jin-woo must be recruited¡­¡± Weing-! Then Han Dong-jin¡¯s phone rang. After checking the number, he frowned. ¡°Can you please excuse me for a moment?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Shortly after he got up. Jin-woo¡¯s phone rang. It was Sunwoo. ¡°Uh, Sunwoo, what happened?¡± ¡°Brother! It¡¯s awesome!¡± ¡°Great!¡± -The hunting video on YouTube ranked # 1 in the popular real-time section! We got over 500,000 views! He calmed an excited Sunwoo and ended the call. He quickly connected to YouTube and checked the situation. The number of views of the video was running toward 800,000. The response was also great! -tryhard3321: Wow ¡­ ¡­ OP! What troll can you cut in one slash?] -Dongmin-chan: CG or not? ¨C KangMinwoo: Isn¡¯t that a hero-level skill? A high-level player can¡¯t be in that place, right? -Heimin: It could be his weapons, right? -Choco Choco Good: No way, it¡¯s a beginner¡¯s longsword that sells for 100,000 won at the weapon item store. -Cool Wolf: Isn¡¯t that too much? Just as Han Dong-jin walked back into the room, Jin-woo had received another call from an unknown number. Han Dong-jin¡¯s expression had become more strenuous. Maybe the guild came. Jin-woo thought. ¡°Hmmm, sorry. The company had an emergency call.¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s okay.¡± ¡°To continue with our conversation, the Royal Family spares no effort to recruit promising players like you, Kang Jin-woo. Because of that, I will guarantee you the best salary¡±. ¡°Well, can I put off the answer?¡± ¡°Yes? But why? Is there any problem?¡±. ¡°Because I started to get in touch from other places, too.¡± Han Dong-jin¡¯s face was toppled. * * * Jin-woo realized what it meant to be under a spotlight. Every minute, every second seemed too long. He received calls from Korea¡¯s top ten guilds, and from guilds that he never heard of. He got invitations from at least a hundred different places in a span of a few days. ¡®He has the power of hero rating skills.¡¯ Currently, Jin-woo¡¯s skill was known to be of the hero rating. Of course, it was natural. There was no known legendary grade skill in the world yet. So, people had no reason to think that Jin-woo possessed a legendary grade skill. Maybe, it was because it was beyond common sense to have one in the first place. Jin-woo did not accept an invitation right away. There was no reason to yet. A week has passed since the video was released. The Royal Family Guild did not meet him again. The reason was, of course, to prepare and compose a more worthwhile offer. ¡°This is an opportunity to reverse my life. If I do not plan appropriately from the first step, everything will be a mess. ¡° Jin-woo¡¯s first encounter with Han Dong-jin made him anxious. His words would have already swayed him if he did not have a good plan initially. Although, even if he was contracted at that time, he would have received more than a significant amount. ¡°I¡¯m holding the sword.¡± ¡°Now, it is the right time to swing it.¡± Jin-woo picked up the phone and contacted the guild scouts. * * * Bucheon, Gyeonggi-do. A group of people sat in the cafe. They had nothing in common in terms of appearance. Their genders and ages varied. There was only one thing they had in common, and it was discomfort with each other. ¡°Where does that fishy smell come from?¡± A bald man exhanged words with a woman. ¡°You have to sit for a year to sell your body.¡± ¡°What did you say? You, motherfucker!¡± ¡°What a bitch! Want to fight?!¡± The two of them shouted at each other. ¡°Hey! Calm down.¡± ¡°Hi-jacking guys speak like gentlemen.¡± This time, a woman in her early twenties fought against a middle-aged man. ¡°Huh, huh, where is that fishy smell coming from?¡± ¡°It smells awful.¡± They rushed towards each other. Since they were in the same industry, it was natural to bite each other openly. There was also Han Dong-jin, the head of the Scout team of the Royal Family Guild. ¡°What the hell are you doing with so many scouts?¡± It was a question of what the other person was thinking. ¡°Are you going to stick to the ransom competition?¡± ¡°I could think so.¡± ¡°It is a good idea.¡± ¡°I have heard of some sports stars in the past.¡± ¡°If it¡¯s a hero-level skill, it¡¯s worth it.¡± Hero rated skills. If dungeon clearing were a sport, it would be like sprinkling a 100-mile fastball in baseball. In soccer, it would be equivalent to having the talents of Ronaldo and Messi. ¡°We have to build a wall before the kids of a foreign country can attack.¡± It was possible since the world of players was not only limited to Korea. Players around the world were also doing business. Of course, guilds also existed abroad, and they were just as eager to find rookie players. Fortunately, Jin-woo is Korean. However, foreign competition was now starting to move. A week has passed since the video was released. Foreign guild scouts on radar were being detected and begun to move. Well, it did not matter. In sports such as baseball and soccer, foreign clubs usually dominated because their funding power was on a different scale. But that wasn¡¯t the case in the player industry. Global companies also supported Korea, and they had sufficient funds even when compared to foreign guilds. Jing-! Then the door of the cafe opened and Jin-woo came in. ¡°Oh, sorry. Am I a little late?¡± Jin-woo bowed his head with a nice smile as he sat on the empty seat. ¡°He¡¯s young.¡± ¡°¡­ a little silly.¡± ¡°His body is smaller than what I saw in the video.¡¯¡± ¡°This guy has hero skills.¡± Scouts were evaluating Jin-woo. ¡°Thank you for meeting today.¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t you say hello and go straight to the main subject?¡± Said the middle-aged man, who was in a hurry. The others agreed. It was the same with Jin-woo. ¡°Then, let¡¯s move on to the main subject immediately.¡± Jin-woo¡¯s authority fell. The middle-aged man said in a firm tone as if waiting for it. ¡°I¡¯m Han Sung-tae of Scouting Team of Runnulus.¡± Runnulus. It ranked eighth among the top ten Korean guilds. Their funding power was slightly lower, but they had good teamwork. ¡°We will give 10 billion won as a down payment and 3 billion annually as an annual salary.¡± ¡°Why are you going first with so little?¡± ¡°What?!¡± ¡°In our Goryeo Guild, 15 billion won as down payment! I will give you 4 billion in annual salary. In addition, we will maximize your profits by renting out top-level items and providing sponsorship contracts¡±. It was the beginning. Even if Jin-woo did not say anything, he knows what it meant, the scouts started to compete with each other. The annual salary, which began at 3 billion, has surpassed 10 billion. The down payment was now close to 50 billion won. There was also a gradual increase in additional benefits. The atmosphere was overheating. The organizations other than the top ten guilds could not even speak at all. Han Dong-jin looked at the situation then looked at Jin-woo. ¡°I thought he was an innocent guy, but he was a fox.¡± ¡°He knew his situation well and knew how to use it.¡± Some scouts, including Han Dong-jin, have not said a word yet. The reason was simple. Because it wasn¡¯t time to yet. Precise timing was required to give maximum impact. That was the proper way to dominate the competition. It was also a way to make a definite impression on the opponent. ¡°You are ripe.¡± Han Dong-jin decided that the time had come. When he put his hand on the table, he was about to open his mouth. ¡°I will tell you what I said.¡± Jin-woo spoke first. ¡°I think you misunderstood.¡± ¡°The reason I brought you all here today is to correct one misinformation.¡± Han Dong-jin felt anxious. ¡°Wrong information?¡± Han Dong-jin asked Jin-woo. ¡°My skill is not a hero rating.¡± Jin-woo said. He caught the group¡¯s eyes. Jin-woo was doing what he planned to do. ¡°The skill I have is¡­.¡± He pauses for a while¡­ ¡°Legendary level.¡± The nuclear bomb was dropped. Chapter 8 There is no eternal secret in this world. The moment two people know about it, it is no longer a secret. [The appearance of legendary grade skills?!] [Player with legendary rank skills appear!] [Who has the legendary level skill?] ¡°That is why I was not surprised by the different articles on the Internet.¡± ¡°Oh, it also went up in real-time search terms.¡± 1st to 10th. The search terms associated with the legendary rank skill rose. It was a significant ripple. ¡°Wow¡­ ¡­ The author of this blog has great observation.¡± Blogs also posted related articles in real-time. And of course, Jinwoo was suspected to be holder of the skill. ¡°O-M-G¡­ ¡­ There are a lot of curses.¡± ¡°But this time, we are connected to the player community.¡± There was a lot of cursing because of how concentrated the attention was. -Are you a legendary skill holder? Why did you uncover it? ©¸ Agree. If you expose yourself, someone is bound to send an assassin to get rid of their competitors, so why? ©¸Would a kid with legendary grade skill die from an assassin?] ©¸ Is he not level 50 at best? -I think it is smart to reveal the legendary grade. Even if you have a hero-level skill, are there places where you can be killed if you do not come to them? But if it is legendary, the story is different. Wouldn¡¯t it somehow protect you from signing? ©¸ IKR. ©¸ Did you even think that? Not just a seed of interest? ©¸ One up-vote for interest. Different articles filled the community. Most of them were Jinwoo¡¯s story. He felt strange, yet proud. ¡®Hero-grade skill holder.¡¯ What a stunning title. That alone can make a lot of money. The problem is the retaliation. If you have a hero-level skill, it is high and rare power. In other words, it means that the rank of the guild may change if someone of that grade joined. If a guild cannot have the talent for themselves, they will try to get rid of it. In the past, there were several incidents where a hero-level skill holder died. They had one main thing in common. ¡®Their level was low.¡¯ It was because the guilds only moderately needed them. It was worthwhile to dispose of the individual if they couldn¡¯t get their hands on them. So Jinwoo decided that he needed to be a desperately wanted individual. The guilds would not dispose of the first legendary player. So, he revealed it. That he has ¡®Legendary grade skills.¡¯ The effect was excellent. Creak-! He opened the window and looked outside of the house. Cars were surrounding it. He recognized half of the people walking down the street. They were Korea¡¯s 5th guild. The government assigned them to be there. For what reason? It was for Jinwoo¡¯s protection. -A Legendary skill holder of unprecedented levels. The government sent troops to protect him in case of any emergency. There was also another group there. ¡°Uh! There!¡± ¡°It¡¯s Kang Jin-woo!¡± ¡°Legendary skill holder!¡± Flashes fired one after another. They were journalists and paparazzi. On the Internet, Jinwoo was known as the Legendary skill holder. He had reporters and guild officials writing articles and headlines about him. Thus, rumors began to spread Worldwide from the moment Jinwoo revealed it. Now he was living like a celebrity. * * * The Legendary rank skill player appeared. Not only in Korea, but the whole world knew. The guilds had been turned upside down. ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Are you sure?¡± It was a common reaction in the reported hypocrisy. There was quick confirmation from Jinwoo¡¯s guild, where the scouts had a meeting with him previously. ¡°It was confirmed.¡± ¡°The skill name is Dokgogu. He revealed it himself.¡± ¡°Do you think we can even be excited without having had it confirmed first?¡± The scouts said confidently. It is because they saw it with their own eyes. Players were able to reveal their stats, skills, and possessed items at will. Jinwoo had already shown his skills to the scouts. He only revealed the grade and skill name and had excluded the ability¡¯s description. ¡°How much should we give?¡± ¡°I do not know.¡± ¡®How much would it take?¡¯ The guilds were still worried because there was no standard set yet. * * * Several guilds came and went. However, they did not provide proper conditions. At most, they offered 10-20 billion more than the existing hero-grade skill holders. Although a considerable amount, there was no impact. The first legendary grade skill. The first to have that skill would forever be remembered in history. After that, the impression of the legendary grade will decrease. ¡®First is an opportunity that only comes once.¡¯ He wanted to get a proper evaluation. *** A week had passed. Big hands began to move in earnest. The first to start was the Royal family. ¡°We prepared 100 billion won as a deposit.¡± Han Dong-jin said. Jinwoo almost spat out his juice. The last hero-level skill contractor received 50 billion won. It was twice the amount. ¡°The annual salary is 10 billion, and we promise to provide benefits, including free housing and other conveniences such as hero-class items owned by the guild.¡± Royal family Han Dong-jin¡¯s proposal was a signal. The next day, officials from Korea¡¯s Top Ten Guilds came. The down payment and salary increased day by day. Jinwoo felt like he was already rich, even though he had not received anything yet. However, he needed to be more alert now than ever. ¡°It¡¯s not my money until it comes into my bank account.¡± He said to himself. He slapped his cheeks and tried to organize his feelings. ¡®Smack!¡¯ Then, with the sound of a knock, Sunwoo opened the door. ¡°Hyung, are you alright?¡± ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m fine.¡± ¡°Thank goodness. Brother, can I ask you something? ¡° ¡°Huh, what is it?¡± ¡°Did you ever decide where to go? Every day at school, all the kids and teachers ask about you.¡± Sunwoo¡¯s voice was filled with excitement. Since revealing the legendary grade skill, Sunwoo had been tense. He was worried that Sunwoo would be bothered or hurt. Fortunately, he seemed to be enjoying the attention. ¡°I haven¡¯t decided yet. I¡¯ll have to make a decision soon.¡± Jinwoo answered. ¡°Indeed, today¡¯s news says that the guild master of the Taewang Guild is coming out.¡± ¡°On the news?¡± ¡°Yes! You said you were doing an interview related to the last dungeon attack. It should have started by now. Would you like to see it too?¡± ¡°Ok.¡± The Taewang guild has always been grandiose; everyone was puzzled because they had not made contact yet. Jinwoo thought that he would be contacted immediately by the Taewang guild. It was one of the top three Guilds in Korea, and with an overwhelming amount of funding power, it ranked seventh in the world. Taewang Guild. He wondered if they were not interested. He sat in front of the TV and played a news channel. At that time, the Taewang guild, Park Tae-sung, was being interviewed. It was an interview about the dungeon strategy. There was nothing special. The conversation seemed to come and go, following the written script. Then the announcer threw a question. -Recently, a Legendary level skill holder has emerged and become a hot topic. What is the Taewang guild¡¯s position regarding this? ¡°Hey, they¡¯re talking about you, brother!¡± Sunwoo¡¯s eyes twinkled and focused on the TV. The same was for Jinwoo. ¡°What is he going to say?¡± -I am thinking of acquiring it. -Ah-! Is that true? -We are the best guild in the world. The best players, of course, must come to our guild. It does not matter what conditions he wants. I will bring it. ¡°Wow¡­He¡¯s so cool.¡± Sunwoo said in a soft voice. Indeed, Jinwoo also felt that Park Tae-sung¡¯s self-confident figure was cool. Ding-dong! The bell rang. Jinwoo stood up and checked the door. A beautiful woman that looked like a celebrity was standing upfront. Beside her was Park Tae-sung, the guild master of the Taewang Guild. * * * It was something he could not even imagine possible. The World¡¯s Top Ten Guild Masters was at their home. ¡°Wow-! I¡¯m going to see Park Tae-sung in real life!¡± Sunwoo ran around watching Tae-Seong Park¡¯s autograph and photos on his cell phone. Jinwoo, looking at his younger brother¡¯s excitement, glanced at his hand. There was a piece of paper. ¡°Please write the amount you want.¡± He had seen it in movies. A blank check. ¡°You can write how much you want. I¡¯ll give it to you.¡± Park Tae-Seong was imposing, just as they saw on TV. Jinwoo thought Park Tae-Seong was a wonderful man even when he saw it. ¡°I want to create the best guild in the world. For me to do that, we need your strength,¡± the Guild Master said. Before they left his house, Jinwoo recalled what the master said, ¡°I want to create the best guild in the world. For me to do that, we need your strength.¡± He wanted Jinwoo to be part of his guild. Jinwoo¡¯s heart was pounding just thinking about it. * * * A week had already passed. It was quiet, but the media was still busy. High-ranking officials all over the world visited Korea one day after another. They all have the same purpose. [The first legendary class holder, Jinwoo Kang, where is his destination?] [The guild¡¯s choice will depend on Kang Jin-woo¡¯s choice!] [Different from hero rating! What kind of skills does he possess the legendary grade, Dokgogu Sword?] [China¡¯s Red Dragon presents 300 billion won as a down payment!] [Will he stay in Korea?] There were so many articles. China¡¯s big hands have moved, and the guild, based in the United States, has offered to sign. Now the Korean media was worried. The story of their country¡¯s first legendary-level skill holder reached abroad. There was no legal way to stop it. Many hero-level skill holders signed contracts with overseas guilds. Conversely, it was also common for foreign players to recruit domestic guilds. The problem was that he was a legendary-level skill player. If he signed to foreign countries, there had to be substantial damage. Jinwoo Kang remained focused on all the attention. That was all he thought about every day. And now it came time to make a decision. He called someplace on his phone. ¡°I¡¯m Kang Jin-woo.¡± * * * After a week, Taewang¡¯s guild faced Tae-Seong Park again. ¡°There are conditions.¡± ¡°Please speak.¡± ¡°I want a hero-level skill card separate from the down payment and salary.¡± ¡°A secretary.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°What hero-level skill cards do you currently have in the guild?¡± ¡°We have three cards.¡± Jin-woo was surprised by the four words. A hero-level skill card was hard to get even with money. But they had three. ¡°When the contract is signed, you can choose which of the three you want.¡± Park Tae-sung accepted the conditions without hesitation. ¡°You can also say any other conditions. I will accept all of it.¡± Jinwoo was astonished. It wasn¡¯t just a blank check. Park Tae-sung was planning to make Jinwoo sign even if he invested everything in the guild. It was impossible to refuse. ¡°I will sign the contract.¡± ¡°You thought well.¡± ¡®Jinwoo signed the Contract.¡¯ And 10 minutes later. All media outlets reported it in breaking news. [Contract with the First Legendary Rank Skill Holder, Taewang Guild!] Chapter 9 ¡°Wow ah ah-!¡± Sunwoo couldn¡¯t shut his mouth. He ran around their new house. Then he asked Jinwoo. ¡°Brother! Is this our home?!¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Wow ah ah ah-! Awesome!¡± Sunwoo went back to the house. Jinwoo pretended to be nonchalant throughout the process, but he too was surprised. ¡°No way, I can see the Han River.¡± He thought to himself. The Taewang guild provided the residence. It was a luxury apartment overlooking the Han River. ¡°I used to live in a 15-year-old villa, and now I¡¯ve moved here, how can I adapt?¡± ¡°Well, I have to. That miserable life is now in the past. I have to reach further forward.¡± In the future, he was planning to progress further as a player. He opened the inventory and checked the items. There were two items there. The first item was the hero skill card that he had received from signing the contract; The other was a ticket to get back to the strange subspace. Jinwoo took out the skill card. ¡°Sunwoo.¡± He called his brother. ¡°Yeah?¡± Sunwoo came with a slightly tense expression. ¡°Take this.¡± ¡°Huh? What.. That¡¯s.. It¡¯s a hero grade skill card!¡± ¡°It¡¯s for you, learn it.¡± ¡°This? Really?¡± Jinwoo nodded. ¡°I¡¯m already out of skill slots. Even if I wanted to learn the skill, I am unable to. In the first place, I asked for it so I can give it to you. So you better learn it.¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± Sunwoo sobbed. They lived in a dangerous world. Time will come when Sunwoo will also have to go to the dungeon as a player. Getting a stronger will increase his chances of survival. ¡°I wish I could bring a legendary card¡­¡± The octopus man had more at his shop. ¡°I can¡¯t take it.¡± ¡°Then, I¡¯ll make you stronger by being in this world.¡± Jinwoo vowed once again. ¡°And Sunwoo.¡± ¡°Mhh?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry too much about me. I have to go somewhere. I will be back in about four days.¡± ¡°Where are you going?¡± ¡°To become strong.¡± Jinwoo smiled. * * * The axis of time at the place he was heading did not align with Earth¡¯s. Therefore, at the time of the contract signing, Jinwoo requested for Sunwoo to have a bodyguard. Sunwoo had a bodyguard securing him for 24 hours a day. ¡°I must go now.¡± Jinwoo took the admission ticket from the inventory. The admission ticket looked like a standard red ticket. Upon looking at it, there was nothing on its surface. There was no information provided at all. [Admission Ticket] Even if he checked the item information, that was all it said. He remembered what the octopus man said. ¡®You will know when the time comes.¡¯ ¡°I have to become stronger.¡± Knowing that it would expedite the process, Jin-woo ripped the ticket. * * * When he opened his eyes again, Jinwoo welcomed the familiar scenery. There was a large snow mountain and a village underneath. He had returned to the place that changed his life. ¡°I missed checking the time last time.¡± He looked at the bottom right to see how long he could stay. His eyes opened wide with surprise. [59 seconds] ¡°What is this? You¡¯ve got to be kidding me.¡± Previously, he had stayed there for close to an hour. But this time, he was only given 59 seconds. Fortunately, the time did not start counting down yet. Unlike his first visit, this time, he was using an admission ticket. ¡°Is that why?¡± He asked himself confusedly. ¡°My head hurts.¡± ¡°I never expected it to be like this¡­¡± This time, he planned to buy an item. He had enough money in his bank account to purchase anything he wanted to. But there was an unsuspected limitation set on him. ¡°Hoo-! It doesn¡¯t solve the problem.¡± He calmed his mind. Like in his guide days, even in the event of an emergency, he quickly adapted to reality and found a way to cope. ¡°I have to buy something in 59 seconds.¡± He thought to himself. No matter what, he needed to purchase a ticket and a return bead first. If he did not have an admission ticket, he would not be able to enter the place again. More importantly, if he does not use the return bead in time, he would die. The two things were his top priorities at that moment. ¡°Then, I must get a Muramasa-class weapon.¡± It was best if he got Muramasa. If not, he at least needed to get a weapon of the same quality. A Legendary grade weapon. He needed an item that produces the maximum effectiveness of the Dokgogu Sword. Legendary-class weapons and skills will give him the strength that no one else can surpass. ¡°I have to hurry.¡± Time was of the essence. * * * He stood in front of the entrance. There were guards staunchly guarding it. When he looked inside, he could see many shops. The nearest one was the uncle¡¯s shop. ¡°Could it reach Mister Octopus if I scream?¡± He asked himself. ¡°Mister!!¡± But, the octopus man could not hear him. Jinwoo shouted again. ¡°Mis-¡° ¡°They can¡¯t hear it.¡± ¡°They don¡¯t see you.¡± The guards alternately said. ¡°If you want to buy something.¡± ¡°Pass the door first.¡± Said the guards. ¡°Why are you talking turns talking?¡± Jinwoo asked them. He was puzzled, but it was not relevant since he was pressed for time. He sighed. He only had one choice. ¡®I need to be quick.¡¯ He stepped back, posed like a sprinter, and then launched himself. [58 seconds] It was as he anticipated, the moment he passed through the door, the time started counting down. [55 seconds] He arrived at the uncle¡¯s shop. ¡°Huh? It¡¯s you, little Earthling.¡± The octopus man said. ¡°Mister! It has been a while. I don¡¯t have much time. Please give me a ticket and a return bead!¡± Jinwoo said to the octopus man. ¡°Have you eaten wrong? Why so sudden¡­¡± ¡°The Entrance time!¡± ¡°Aha! Okay.¡± As if he understood Jinwoo¡¯s situation, he quickly took out the admission ticket and the return bead. ¡°What was your account number again?¡± The octopus man asked him. ¡°The Bank of Korea! 375-0000-00000!¡± ¡°Okay, wait a second.¡± The octopus man pressed a button on something that looked like a phone. Time check. [37 sec] Ahhh! He only had 30 seconds left. He quickly rolled his eyes and looked at the board. Various weapons and armors were placed next to the mouth-watering skill card. ¡°Where is the hero rating¡­ hero rating¡­ hero rating¡­. and legend rating ?!¡¯ ¡°Okay, the payment went through.¡± After the payment was processed, the admission ticket and return bead were added to the inventory. ¡°Mister! Weapons¡­ where? Where are the legendary-grade weapons?¡± ¡°It¡¯s in the store.¡± ¡°Muramasa too?!¡± ¡°Huh? this?¡± The octopus man put his hand on the yukata. Muramasa was in his hand. [22 seconds] ¡°I¡¯ll buy that!¡± Jinwoo exclaimed. ¡°Huh? You can¡¯t buy this. ¡° The octopus man answered. ¡°Money! I¡¯ll give you money! I have a lot of money!¡± [20 seconds] The octopus man scratched his head with his sucker. ¡°Money is not the problem. Little one, listen.¡± Jinwoo caught Muramasa that the octopus man handed over. [18 seconds] At that moment. Ahhhhhhh! Chills ate at his whole body, and the landscape in front of him had changed. He stood alone in a vast, dark space. No, he was not alone. There was someone else there, someone that made all of his senses flare-up. It was then. At that moment, he felt that someone was grabbing him. The dark space disappeared, and the scenery of the village came to his eyes again. ¡°Ugh¡­ ¡­ Ugh¡­ ¡­.¡± ¡°You can¡¯t use it.¡± ¡°What¡­What was that?¡± ¡°Because your world has no power yet. You can¡¯t use something like Muramasa.¡± ¡°That¡­ what?¡± ¡°Hey, your time is almost up.¡± Jinwoo froze at the words of the octopus man. [7 seconds] ¡°Oh, no¡­¡± ¡°Take this one instead, not a guy like Muramasa.¡± At that time, the octopus man handed him a sword. It was a stunning blue long sword. [4 seconds] ¡°I will take care of the payment. Goodbye, Mister Octopus.¡± ¡°Go, and thank you!¡± Jinwoo hurriedly bowed, put the long sword into the inventory, and then took out the return bead. [2 seconds] As he broke the bead, a light encased his body. * * * When he opened his eyes, he was standing in his room. ¡°Ugh¡­ ¡­ Ugh¡­ ¡­.¡± The eerie feeling of Muramasa¡¯s grasp has not yet diminished. He looked at his hand that was quivering. ¡°Wow¡­What was that?¡± He had no way of finding out what had just occurred nor a way of uncovering what the words of the octopus man meant. ¡°Ha¡­Still, I somehow acquired a weapon.¡± He checked the inventory, thinking that he should say his thanks to the octopus man. ¡°Hoo-! It would be nice if skill cards can be stored in the inventory.¡± The type of items that were eligible to be stored in the inventory was limited. Among the limited items, skill cards were not included. ¡®If it was possible, I could buy a skill card and come back.¡¯ He thought. ¡°Huh?¡± [Admission Ticket] [Cooldown: 180 days] There was a cooldown time. It was never like that before. ¡°Ha¡­That passage was a special case. It must have been like winning the lottery.¡± According to the octopus man, it was an old passage. In other words, it was likely that the system for that dungeon entrance was implemented with a different system from that of the admission ticket. ¡°Hoo-! It¡¯s unfortunate that the dungeon is already gone.¡± The dungeon that had the passageway had already disappeared. ¡°Now, the weapon¡­¡± He put his admission ticket away and took out his weapon. Although the bluish sword was impressive, it had no distinguishing features. It did not have any unique designs or an unusual configuration. ¡®Information¡¯ As he shouted the command, the sword¡¯s information appeared in front of him. [Sleeping Sword] [Level: 1] [Attack Power: 20] [Durability: ?] [A sword that grows with you. It receives 10% of the experience you gain.] Its attack power was low, but that was not what caught his attention. ¡°The name of the sword implies that it¡¯s asleep?¡± ¡®It has a strange name.¡¯ He thought. Jinwoo had another question. ¡°Why is there no rating indicated?¡± He asked out loud out of curiosity because every item was supposed to have a rating. But the sword did not have one. ¡°A weapon without a rank? I wonder if there is such a thing.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a pity that I didn¡¯t get a legendary weapon¡­¡± Still, he learned a lot. ¡°The time limit was 59 seconds.¡± ¡°It is the same as my level.¡± ¡°Of course, it could be for another reason, but it is the most suitable conclusion.¡± ¡°There is a cool time for the admission ticket and above all¡­¡­¡± He remembered the experience he had when he touched Muramasa. It gave him chills just thinking about it. ¡°Mister Octopus said that my world wasn¡¯t ready yet. What did he mean?¡± There were many answered questions, but now an even bigger question had appeared. ¡°Ugh¡­¡± He woke up and scratched his head. ¡°I have to increase the entry time by raising my level.¡± That was the only way for him to obtain answers and better equipment. ¡°I will improve myself further.¡± Jinwoo vowed. Ri-ing! Ri-ing! His smartphone rang. It was a withdrawal confirmation. [Withdrawal: 1,000,000,000 won] [Withdrawal: 1,000,000,000 won] ¡°Huh¡­ ¡­ Why is it more expensive than a legendary skill card?¡± He exclaimed with shock. ¡°Was I a victim to price gouging?¡± [TL NOTE: Too soon, Korean novel, too soon.] ¡°I didn¡¯t think so.¡± ¡°There must be more to it.¡± The sword must be strong. He had to get stronger within the next six months. Jinwoo called someone. ¡°I¡¯m Kang Jin-woo. I want to start hunting.¡± Chapter 10 The Taewang Guild Headquarters. This was the second time Kang Jin-woo had been there. During his first visit, he came through the front door. Hundreds of reporters surrounded it. It was pure chaos. Fortunately, it was different today. They passed through an underground parking lot where only insiders could enter. ¡°I think it would¡¯ve been more convenient for me if I used this passage the last time.¡± The woman with a sensual body sitting next to him said with a smile. Her name is Han Yu-ra. It was Park Tae-sung¡¯s first secretary, the one who accompanied them when they came to Jin-woo¡¯s house. ¡°I agree.¡± He nodded and then got out of the car. Jin-woo took the elevator to the seventh floor. When the doors opened, the desk was the first thing visible. ¡°Oh, if it isn¡¯t, Yu-ra¡± An impressive woman in suspenders greeted the two, leaning against the desk. ¡°Long time no see, Miss Seo.¡± ¡°Yes,~ I often come to play. By the way, is that person beside you, Kang Jin-woo?¡± ¡°Yes, it¡¯s him.¡± ¡°Wow! Nice to meet you! I¡¯m Seo Ha-young, manager of item storage.¡± Said Seo Ha-young, while offering a handshake. ¡°Hello.¡± ¡°Wow~ Legendary skill. That¡¯s great. But what kind of skill is it? They said the technical name was Dokgogu Swordsmanship? How impressive is it?¡± She shot questions, one after another, like a quick-fire gun. ¡°Boss¡­¡± ¡°Huh? Oh. Sorry, did I ask too many questions? But what¡¯s going on today?¡± ¡°I¡¯m taking a hero-grade item.¡± Replied Yu-ra. ¡°Huh? Not renting?¡± ¡°Yes, here is the paperwork.¡± Seo Ha-young received the documents and confirmed it. She stamped it with a Master¡¯s Seal. ¡°Okay, you said hero grade, right? That would be in Zone B.¡± ¡°Noted.¡± Han Yu-ra bowed and began moving. ¡°Later.¡± ¡°You can go and choose now, and show me your skills when you get the chance.¡± Seo Ha-young told Jin-woo. ¡°I will.¡± He answered briefly and followed Han Yu-ra. The head office has various facilities. Most of the amenities are located here. Training centers are also available. Goods may be lent from the stockroom. Of course, permission is required first. In many ways, the size of the Taewang guild was remarkable. ¡°Remember, if you apply through the application form, you can receive consumables directly. ¡° ¡°That¡¯s very convenient.¡± Jin-woo replied. Han Yu-ra laughed. Jin-woo finds Yu-ra¡¯s laugh attractive. ¡°This is it.¡± The d¨¦cor was similar to that of an office. Passing through the carved door, B-4, he felt as if he were in a warehouse store. The difference is that there were no people there. ¡°Please check the list of items here.¡± She pointed at the monitor. He nodded and stood in front of the monitor; a list of items appeared. ¡®This¡­¡­¡¯ Hero grade item. A single hero grade item can significantly increase the value of a player and hundreds of such things were there. ¡°Amazing.¡± He realized that this was only possible in Taewang. ¡®I need armor¡­¡¯ One of the conditions of the signed contract was that the Hero Grade item would be transferred rather than rented out. In other words, Jin-woo will have full ownership. It may be unreasonable, but the guild readily accepted it. Jin-woo visited Park Tae-sung. ¡°I¡¯ve already chosen an item. I¡¯ll take the Cyclops¡¯ leather armor,¡± he said. Han Yu-ra gave him a meaningful look. But no questions were asked. Using the tablet, he manipulated the robot arm. It picked up the box and brought it before Jin-woo. When he opened the box, it contained a dark red armor. [Cyclops Hero¡¯s Leather Armor] [Rating: Hero Grade] [Cyclops¡¯ armor.] [Physical Defense + 1042] [Agility + 312] [Vitality + 3000] ¡®Cyclops.¡¯ A level 300 monster. It was also the main opponent in the C-11 dungeon attacked by the Taewang Guild. The hero that defeated the Cyclops, known as the Cyclops Hero, died and had dropped the items. The item was considered to have an excellent physical defense. But it was not an efficient item because it had zero magic defense. Nevertheless, Jin-woo chose this item. Even if Jin-woo would level up like crazy over the next six months, there was a high chance that he would still not exceed 200 levels. Before level 200, a monster with attack magic can¡¯t appear. It is only after level 200 that magic attacks begin. Therefore, it is efficient to maximize physical defense. ¡°Excuse me, Ms. Secretary.¡± ¡°Can you find someone for me?¡± ¡°A person?¡± ¡°Yes, there¡¯s something I must return.¡± Han Yu-ra looked at Jin-woo silently, then nodded. ¡°Okay. Give me some information, and I¡¯ll help you find them.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve chosen several dungeons in advance, just choose which one you want.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± The adventure was about to begin. * * * ¡°Will you be okay alone?¡± Han Yu-ra asked him with a worried voice. ¡°Yes, it¡¯s all right.¡± Jin-woo decided to hunt dungeons alone. The main reason was efficiency. ¡®Solo play is the answer to quick leveling.¡¯ Party play was indeed safer. With several team members having to share their roles, the burden of physical strength was also lower. But having a party had its drawbacks of sharing the experience gained from killing monsters. It was not an option for him if he wanted to be as strong as possible in six months. He was willing to risk his safety. ¡®The Leather Armor of the Cyclops Hero.¡¯ Just by looking at the defense of this item, dungeon monsters under floor 100 won¡¯t do much damage to Jin-woo. Park Tae-sung gave in to Jin-woo¡¯s unreasonable request; however, he had a support team ready. ¡°We have a support team ready, please don¡¯t overdo it.¡± Park Tae-sung stated. If Jin-woo gets into a dangerous situation, he had the most reliable support team ready to follow him into the dungeon. ¡°Thank you.¡± Jin-woo replied. Park Tae-sung waved goodbye to Yu-ra and walk through the gate. ¡°I¡¯ll enter now.¡± He spoke briefly and then entered the wormhole. * * * ¡®The World¡¯s Seventh Largest Guild.¡¯ Their strength was high. The dungeon prepared for Jin-woo¡¯s leveling-up was in the form of a tower. It was preferable for Jin-woo because typically, players preferred high-structured dungeons. There were many reasons. First, the small area required less travel time. Only a certain number of monsters could appear in circular spaces. Once you¡¯ve dealt with all those monsters, you can move on to the next floor. Activating the device makes monsters appear, that one has to defeat, this becomes a repeated pattern. Jungles, deserts, or urban dungeons make it harder to locate monsters for players. It takes them a long time to hunt and capture. But the tower did not need such steps, so it was very convenient to hunt. The second is that you can get out of the dungeon at any time. When the floor moves, the gate moves, so you can always escape. It was also very convenient to receive supplies. ¡°I¡¯ve never tried a tower-type dungeon before.¡± I¡¯ve seen it on TV a few times. It was known that tower-shaped dungeons were very rare. The Taewang Guild was influential and powerful, being able to provide a tower. ¡°I think it¡¯s a moving device.¡± There were columns in the center of the room. Atop of the waist-high pillar was a green gem. Jin-woo knew how to use it, as he learned from the briefing. Now! Jin-woo pulled the sword and checked his armor once again. Jin-woo smiled at the sight of his sturdy armor. Then he touched the jewel with his left hand. ¡°Activate!¡± Woo-oh! The jewel sparkled. The area before him became distorted, and a wormhole appeared. Black objects fell from the wormhole. Thud! Thud! Three orcs. ¡°Not a bad start.¡± Levels 50 to 80 are dungeons set to the recommended level. In the beginning, appropriate monsters would appear. ¡°Dokgogu Sword.¡± [Skill: Activates the Dokgogu.] [Mana continues to decrease.] [The original attack power of the sword increases by 1000%.] Woo-oh! As the skill activates, the sword shined with a renewed golden light. ¡°Let¡¯s begin with a bright attack!¡± Wow! When Jin-woo wielded the sword, it glowed in the air. Thud! The skill was finally activated. One orc split and fell. ¡°Quoo!¡± Enraged by his companion¡¯s death, another orc rushed towards Jin-woo. Jin-woo stabbed the orc before it got to attack. Fook! ¡°Quo¡­ ¡° The orc shrieked and shouted. Good! Then another orc hit Jin-woo on the back with a stick. The impact was so strong that it made a loud sound. Attacks like that would usually result in broken bones. ¡°Oh, did a mosquito bite me?¡± But he did incur some wounds. The attack still hurt Jin-woo. ¡°Take this!¡± Swiftly wielding the sword, he cut off the neck of the last orc. [Level up.] Then a beautiful system window popped up. But that wasn¡¯t the only thing floating around. [The level of the Sleeping Sword has risen.] His new sword¡¯s level had risen. [When the level of a Sleeping Sword reaches 10, it wakes up.] ¡°Ohh.¡± He also learned new information. ¡°Item Information¡± While looking at the sword, he shouted the command. [Sleeping Sword] [Level: 2] [Attack: 21] [Durability: ?] [A sword that grows with you, it gets 10% of your experience gained.] Defeating three orcs allowed the Sleeping Sword to level up. Although it only earned 10% experience, the level of the sword was low, so it quickly leveled up. ¡°Okay, then let¡¯s work hard to level up.¡± He had a different purpose for leveling up. Jin-woo immediately raised his hand at the jewels. ¡°Activate!¡± Chapter 11 ¡®Outside the gate.¡¯ The support team was seated together, their eyes filled with curiosity. In front of them, a monitor screen was infolding the events in real-time. ¡°Ya-! Trolls were all cut at once.¡± ¡°That¡¯s why he¡¯s nicknamed One Cut Man.¡± ¡°Is that sword hero-grade?¡± ¡°I heard that that contract required a deposit costing hundreds of billions of won and If this much is spent, it will be a hero Item.¡± It was not new that he envied Kang Jin-woo¡¯s life for extraordinary skills and a hero grade Item. Anyone would want some event like this to happen to them just one, if not for a lifetime. ¡°He¡¯s already passed the 7th level, what monster is next?¡± one of them said. ¡°Isn¡¯t it the wolf?¡± ¡°There are level 77 wolves?¡± ¡°Usually, no.¡± ¡°Do you think he can also kill it in one cut?¡± While sitting there, their curiosity heightened. They were watching every move he made. ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Why did he sit down?¡± They saw Kang Jin-woo sitting down on the floor. * * * The last troll blew. [Level Up.] A pleasant notification popped up. He was at level 62. [The level of the Sleeping Sword has risen.] Another notification window popped up. [The level of the Sleeping Sword is now 10.] The support team looked at each other as if silently wishing them luck. [Sleeping Sword wakes up.] Oh-oh-! finally! [what?] An SD character said in a nasty tone. It was dressed in a uniform, and his hairstyle matched the aesthetic. A strange red tattoo covered the side of his face. [Warrior, who are you?] This was entirely unexpected. [Where are the octopus pups? and who are you!] It used an ability-! ¡®Scream.¡¯ It had made a loud noise. ¡®What the hell is this?¡¯ [What? This? Did you call ¡®Genma¡¯ ¡®This¡¯?] ¡®The sword¡­?¡¯ He¡¯s played a lot of games over the years. He¡¯s read lots of novels. He knows what it looks and feels like. Above all, his Sword was given to him by his uncle. Was the sleeping Sword that special? He knew that Sword had some sort of unique ability, but he wasn¡¯t expecting this. ¡°Are you really a sword? Were you trapped in the Sword?¡± [Oh-ho! Surely a simpleton like you has heard about this great being¡¯s name, but since you haven¡¯t let¡¯s just assume that I¡¯m the captain of the millennium magyo.] ¡°Fool!¡± [Smile?] ¡°No, I¡¯m not going to smile.¡± The SD character puts his hands on his waist, then did a small dance, and raised his chin with an elate expression. No matter who saw it would put on a cute smile. But that just offended him even more. First, he had to gather more information. ¡°That¡­You said something about an octopus baby?.¡± [Are you not an octopus as well?] ¡°Are you talking about that octopus who uses the eight pieces of Muramasa and kendo?¡± [Yes! Where is he ?] He wondered how the two knew each other. His curiosity was aroused. He had to take advantage of the situation. Once they were seated, Kang Jin-woo collected himself. ¡°So, you want to meet Uncle octopus?¡± Kang Jin-woo asked the SD character. [Of course! This time, I am finally going to cut his head off! No, I think I¡¯ll cut off one of his legs first and cook it over a charcoal fire, the meat will be chewy!] Based on his reaction, the two seemed to have had a duel, that much was obvious. ¡°Did you lose?¡± Kang Jin-woo asked. [Me? Lose? He couldn¡¯t beat me even if he used his four sword technique!] But it seemed like he lost. [I didn¡¯t lose!] He obviously lost. ¡°We can meet him.¡± [Oh! Let¡¯s do that now!] Said the SD Character. ¡°It¡¯s not possible right now.¡± Kang Jin-woo said. [Why?!] Asked the SD Character ¡°We can meet him for six months. I¡¯m busy right now with something else.¡± He explained. [What?!] ¡°If we go there, I can only stay for a minute? Can you finish your fight by then?¡± The Sword crossed his arms. And he made a painful expression. [1 minute? Oh ~ I fought for three consecutive days and nights last time. You couldn¡¯t defeat me if I gave you a week. ] ¡°Wait, there is a way to increase the time I can stay there.¡± [What?] ¡°You have to increase my level.¡± [level?] ¡®Item Information.¡¯ A hologram appeared in front of him. To see that, you have to shout the public command. [Your name is Kang Jin-woo?] ¡°Huh? How did you know? You can see this?¡± Kang Jin-woo asked. [Of course, I can.] ¡®That¡¯s amazing.¡¯ Kang Jin-woo thought. Item information should only be visible to him. It¡¯s an optional command that most people can do, but only the person who said it should be able to see it. He remembered that he and the Sword shared an experience point, so it shouldn¡¯t be a surprise that it could see his stats. [What is ¡®Level¡¯?] ¡°It can measure one¡¯s strength as well as their offense and defense abilities. ¡° [Are you talking about the state? Is it like Hwakyung or Hyunkyung] Those words seemed acquainted with him. ¡°Yes, they¡¯re similar.¡± [Hmm, that¡¯s interesting.] The Sword was sitting cross-legged now. Then, he looked down and studied the status window. ¡°So the higher my level gets, the longer you can stay there.¡± Kang Jin-woo said while pointing at the stats window. [there?] ¡°Yes, there, where the octopus is.¡± [Ah-! # @! @ # Mean?] He could not understand the Sword. ¡°What?¡± He asked himself. Linguist is a passive skill. It should always be active. He should be able to understand any language. ¡°What? Could you repeat that?¡± [# @! @ # I mean.] the Sword said again. The words sounded like cracking sounds instead. He listened, but he did not understand. The Sword realized Kang Jin-woo did not understand, then smiled brightly. [You are not qualified.] ¡°Not qualified,¡± he whispered. Again, those words are familiar to him, ¡°Where have I heard that before?¡± ¡®Yes, if you qualify, you¡¯ll understand what I was saying.¡¯ ¡°Aha- that is what Uncle Octopus said.¡± He was curious. ¡®What is that qualification?¡¯ The Sword smiled. [Strength!] He expected that answer. ¡°Can you help me until I get that qualification?¡± Kang Jin-woo asked the Sword. [Then, will you take me there?] The Sword asked him back. ¡°Yes¡± Transactions take place when there is something to be exchanged. For the Sword and Kang Jin-woo, they both needed something from the other. [Okay, I can help you.] Kang Jin-woo got the Sword to cooperate. [I¡¯ll understand your level once I see you fight.] ¡°Okay.¡± Kang Jin-woo woke up. Weing-! Then the gate was opened. ¡°Are you okay ?!¡± The support team came in through the wormhole. ¡°Yes? Why?¡± Kang Jin-woo was confused. ¡°You suddenly sat down and didn¡¯t move for a while¡­¡± He lifted his head and eyed at the mini drone. He realized his encounter wasn¡¯t caught on tape. He sighed exhaustingly. ¡°I have to be a little cautious from now on.¡± He said to himself. ¡°Yes, I¡¯m fine. Can you leave now?¡± He said curtly. ¡°Oh, yes.¡± The support team exited through the wormhole, which disappeared later on. Alone again. [Who were they?] ¡°it¡¯s not important. activate!¡± Woo-oh! A wormhole appeared as the jewel glowed, and the air was released from the gap where black objects slowly emerged. ¡°Grrrr!¡± [Oh, there are werewolves.] Five werewolves appeared. Kang Jin-woo held the Sword upright and got into position. ¡°Then let¡¯s begin.¡± [Do your best.] ¡°Ye!¡± The battle has begun. * * * Kuung-! The last werewolf was down. His level went up, so it wasn¡¯t a difficult task. ¡°I had to cut twice.¡± [That was terrible.] The Sword¡¯s evaluation was accurate. [I might be biased, but I didn¡¯t see any form of swordsmanship, you were just swinging your Sword around. That would be fine, but you can¡¯t correctly yield the power of the Dokgogu sword like that.] ¡°Isn¡¯t that normal?¡± [What?] Kang Jin-woo explained. About this world that everyone uses some type of skill. He also explained how a skill is activated. Upon hearing all the explanations, the Sword was shaken to the core with surprise. [Huh! So, if you learn a skill, you can use swordsmanship without training?] Kang Jin-woo nodded. [Unbelievable, I¡¯ve known people who had to yield their swords tens of thousands of times just to master swordsmanship!] It was funny to see the Sword lose composure and start kicking the air. [Good! As long as this helps you level up faster, so I can get on my way!] The Sword smiled brightly, and Kang Jin-woo knew its meaning. * * * The dungeon quest is over. Kang Jin-woo defeated all the monsters until the 20th floor. Leaving the support team, he went straight home. [Ya-! Nice house.] ¡°Homes alone cost billions. I had no choice but to work hard.¡± [Do you have an area where you can practice swordsmanship?] They moved to the fitness center. ¡°After the world became like this, a fitness center had to have a separate training room. Here you can use your skills. There¡¯s also an AI robot that allows indirect combat training.¡± [This is enough.] The Sword reached out. Then it got enlightened from all directions, and the Sword began to transform. [Remember the action of the Sword that I¡¯m about to show you.] Kang Jin-woo nodded. The Sword closed his eyes then lowered his weapon, exhaling slowly. He opened his eyes then blinked several times. Then he raised his weapon high and then swung. Ding-Ding! The Sword went straight up in the air. ¡°Is that it. Are you done?¡± [Yes.] There was a lot he wanted to ask, but for now, he quietly copied what he saw. He held the Sword high and swung. Boo Boo-! This time the sound was different. ¡°Should I go faster?¡± [Do it until you hear the sound I made.] Kang Jin-woo kept repeatedly swinging his Sword. Once, twice, ten times, a hundred times. His whole body got covered in sweat. [Swing it with all you¡¯ve got right now. All you¡¯re doing right now is wasting energy.] The Sword spoke out. He closed his eyes, exhaled, then swung, again closed his eyes, breathed out, then pivoted, over and over again. But after a thousand passes, he could no longer support his body. The skin on his palms began to bleed and tear off. ¡°Huff! Huff!¡± [Hmm, is that all you¡¯ve got?] The Sword stood up. Then Kang Jin-woo raised his hand to stop him from approaching. He opened his inventory. [What¡¯s that?] Even while weary, Kang Jin-woo¡¯s mouth opened slightly. He took out a red potion from his inventory. Kang Jin-woo drank it at once. ¡°Woo! That felt good.¡± He was up and running once more. Moments ago, he seemed like he was at the brink of death, but now his health and stamina had quickly recovered. Kang Jin-woo took out another potion and poured it on his hands, and it quickly healed his injuries. The torn wound was healed. [Huh!] The Sword said as he saw something unbelievable. It was unlike anything he had seen before. ¡°Hoo-!¡± Kang Jin-woo let out a sound of relief. ¡°If something like this was going to make me give up, I might as well have never started.¡± [Puhahaha! I like your persistence. That¡¯s right; let¡¯s keep going.] Kang Jin-woo had been waiting for this opportunity his whole life, and he wasn¡¯t going to lose it. ¡°I¡¯m not going to waste this opportunity by giving up.¡± Jin-woo started wielding the Sword again. He recalls what the Sword showed him. ¡°What did he do again?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s see the first step was ¡­¡± ¡°Oh- I almost forgot how to do it.¡± He took a potion when he got tired and poured it when he got hurt. And he wielded the Sword like a crazy man. He only stopped when a notification appeared before him. [?? I have learned the basics of swordsmanship.] [?? The Sword is registered in the skill.] Something unexpected happened. Chapter 12 ¡®Skill cards¡¯ was the one way to sharpen one¡¯s skills according to the norm. Unique skills could be produced by amalgamating them. ¡°What is this ¡­ ¡­?¡± The Sword approached him. [These are primary weapons] ¡°What happened to this?¡± [what?] ¡°Skills can be obtained by winning cards; what is the use of this?.¡± [That¡¯s the universal law.] ¡°Really?¡± [In my world, the sheer practice of martial arts involving weapons was required to master it. You should learn the archaic Sword first before moving on the better weapons.] ¡°This old fashioned monolithic Sword? Why is that?¡± [Starting from the basics and moving on step by step will help you.] ¡°Why?¡± [ Work on the spirit in the body and practice martial arts so you can learn Neogong. The Dokgogu Sword is a fraudulent ball with many internal organs implanted in its body just by memorizing, well, before that, you don¡¯t even seem to know its conditions either] ¡°Of course, I don¡¯t know, and I don¡¯t have a clue of it.¡±, He needed to acquire a particular skill. That was common sense , and his common sense was collapsing. [To master the Dokgogu sword, relying on skill cards isn¡¯t enough. The Sword lies somewhere between magic and your abilities.] He still couldn¡¯t comprehend it. Then the Sword said, [Are you still confused?] ¡°Yes?.¡± [Your common sense has obliterated, but ultimately your goal was to get stronger, wasn¡¯t it?] Right! He knew what his end goal was. But, common sense had been destroyed before, like in the case of uncle octopus because of the existence of legendary grade Items and Skill cards. ¡°That¡¯s right; I want to get stronger.¡± [Once you acquire strength, then you can get an answer.¡± ¡°I see, then I¡¯ll just have to work harder.¡± Kang Jin-woo raised the Sword again. ¡°What should I do next?¡± [Keep practicing. You¡¯re still learning the foundations.] ¡°Understood!.¡± Jin-woo started wielding the Sword again. * * * The relationship between guilds and players, everything the player does, and the Items they leave behind could be used for business. Videos and broadcasts were just the beginning. The events, character goods, merchandise, and others contributed a lot to a guild¡¯s profit. That¡¯s why Guilds invest a lot of money on recruiting famous players. People talk about players, especially when they¡¯ve recently done a heroic act. The public did not hesitate to compliment them or discuss them. -The people sometimes wondered what Kang Jin-woo was up to in recent times. -Didn¡¯t he have a contract a guild or something? -Two months ago, I remembered seeing a video of him on the top floor of a dungeon. -After that, no more videos followed. -What do legendary skill holders have that makes them so strong? -I think it¡¯s a combination of strength and skills. -I¡¯m getting tired waiting for updates about him. -I wonder if he had trouble with the Taewang Guild? Two months ago, Kang Jin-woo had been in the limelight. But suddenly, he disappeared. In his absence, the cheers he once received, have now turned into gossip and various accusations. He didn¡¯t care, but there were other problems. [Taewang Guild¡¯s Executive Meeting ] ¡°A request from the Korean government to subjugate the C-132 dungeon has arrived.¡± Jin Sung-kwang asked for Han Yu-ra¡¯s report. ¡°I heard Runnulus started attacking C-132.¡± ¡°Because the two guilds ahead of Runnulus failed, it seems that they¡¯re preparing emergency measures.¡± ¡°Phuh! They can¡¯t even show results but are already preparing for failure.¡± ¡°If anything happens, leave the rest to us.¡± ¡°What can we do? The Korean government has no money.¡± Director Jin Sung-kwang remarked while laughing, The Korean director¡¯s comments made the Chinese representatives uneasy. It was then that Tae-Seong Park sat down and corrected his posture. That was enough to make Director Jin Sung-kwang¡¯s shut up. ¡°If a request is officially made, accept it.¡± Said Park Tae-sung to Han Yu-ra. ¡°Okay.¡± She replied ¡°Next.¡± Director Jin Sung-kwang, once again, spoke up. ¡°I would like to discuss Kang Jin-woo.¡± Park Tae-sung leaned against his chair, which meant they could proceed with the topic. ¡°Hmm, hmm! Kang Jin-woo signed a contract with our guild, it¡¯s been two months since the dungeon quest, and it hasn¡¯t done anything else. He¡¯s been stuck inside his house the whole time. ¡°Huh! Then aren¡¯t we losing a lot of money because of that person?¡± ¡°He shouldn¡¯t be paid such a large amount. He¡¯s damaging our guild!¡± Negative opinions about Kang Jin-woo dominated the meeting. The other party couldn¡¯t speak up since what they were saying was true. At that time, Park Tae-sung opened his mouth. ¡°Get straight to the point.¡± ¡°Hmm!¡± Jin Sung-Kwang showed discomfort since Park Tae-sung was younger than him. ¡°The shareholders are quite uncomfortable about the situation.¡± The purpose of the first guild was to gather three to five members to subjugate dungeons. As time passed by, the heroic tales and great rewards attracted more people to join, and soon guilds became quite profitable. Guilds continued to expand, and player-related jobs have become more common, money began to circulate. As profits increased, so did expenses. Naturally, guilds started experiencing financial problems. By this time, the guilds have now developed into systematic organizations, and rewards from dungeons weren¡¯t exclusive to the adventurers anymore. Even the top guilds followed these new systems. Instead, as more funds were compiled in the top guilds, various interests became entangled. The Taewang Guild was the same. Jin Sung-kwang was a consignee from the Chinese capital. He came down to check out the most influential guild¡¯s master, Park Tae-sung. Jin Sung-kwang saw Kang Jin-woo¡¯s absence as an opportunity to prey on the guild. It was Park Tae-sung¡¯s influence over the masses that allowed him to recruit Kang Jin-Woo. Jin-woo tried to force Tae-sung back into a corner. Jin Sung-kwang felt confident about his argument, and he had a cocky smile on his face. Park Tae-sung did not seem affected by Jin Sung-kwang¡¯s expression. Tae-sung simply opened his mouth and said, ¡°so.?¡± His voice showed no sign of being intimidated. Jin Sung-kwang was also a dominant player at level 33. Nevertheless, Tae-sung remained calm as ever. ¡°In conclusion?¡± ¡°fire¡­ ¡­ Kang Jin-woo.¡± Sung-kwang was the one giving the command, yet his lips trembled when he did Kururung-! The atmosphere was icy. The people inside the meeting room avoided eye contact by staring out the window. ¡°That¡¯s what I think you should do¡­ ¡° The pressure continued to rise. ¡°Why?¡± Suddenly an emergency alarm rang. ¡°I understand there¡¯s a situation.¡± Park Tae-sung gave orders. ¡°Yes.¡± The meeting ended with Han Yu-ra¡¯s answer. * * * The events happened fast. ¡°Runnulus failed to conquer the dungeon.¡± ¡°Why is that?¡± ¡°It seems that the monster inside the dungeon was popping out while the gate was malfunctioning. ¡°Shhh!¡± It¡¯s happened a few times before. People¡¯s actions are unpredictable after-all. In particular, people in the state of shock won¡¯t know how to act. ¡°What kind of monster was it?¡± ¡°It was a giant snake with a bell on it.¡± ¡°How unfortunate.¡± ¡®Giant Snake.¡¯ It was a monster belonging to the giant species. A monster can only be classified as a giant if it¡¯s over 15 in height. The most extensive snake known was over 30cm long. ¡°How long?¡± ¡°It was 20m, the level is measured at 300.¡± ¡°Level 300?¡±. Although it was a high-level monster, it was not impossible to capture. But the problem was the giant Snake itself. The guy was classified as a monster that is very difficult to attack because of its tentacles. Tentacles poured out of its dense body attacked from all angles. If it catches you, you¡¯ll be preyed upon. The humans that fell under its power became zombies, attacking anyone that approaches them. Only the elites were confident enough to face monsters like that. Another way to defeat it is to gather a large number of people and attack it simultaneously. But in a city, it was a different story. ¡°This is a direct order, send an emergency call to all players above level 300.¡± Park Tae-sung commanded. ¡°Okay. Who¡¯s leading the party?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be directly leading.¡± ¡°That¡¯s impossible.¡± Jin Sung-kwang suddenly interjected. ¡°The fact is we¡¯re not a charity, so why are you wasting valuable manpower into something that won¡¯t benefit you?¡± ¡°People are dying.¡± ¡°That¡¯s the government¡¯s problem. Once they send a formal request, then we can act!¡± ¡°But when that happens¡­.¡± ¡°What? You¡¯re just a secretary what makes you think your opinion matters ?!¡± After Jin Sung-kwang said those words, Han Yu-ra bit her lips. ¡°And another thing¡­¡± At that time, Park Tae-sung opened his mouth to speak. ¡°Do you think you are in a position where you can raise your voice in front of me?¡± ¡°Ugh¡­!¡± Again, an unpleasant atmosphere arose from the two. Jin Sung-kwang hurriedly pulled out his smartphone with his trembling hand. ¡°Stop that.¡± A hologram of a woman appeared from the LCD screen. The video call was already connected. It means that he planned this from the start. ¡°Lin¡­¡± ¡°Tae-sung, you are the master, but Jin Sung-kwang is my agent. So be polite.¡± Lin Xiao. She was the eldest daughter of the Lin family, the largest conglomerate in China. The Lin family was one of the significant shareholders of the Taewang Guild and held a 12% stake. It was close to the 15% stake Park Tae-sung had. ¡°In this case, the Taewang Guild will not participate until a formal request comes from the Korean government; only then will we proceed.¡± ¡°Then, people will die.¡± ¡°Our members could also die.¡± Their eyes shot daggers at each other. It was an unexpected outcome that managed to stop the two from fighting. ¡°excuse me¡­¡± Said Han Yura. ¡°Master, Kang Jin-woo ¡­¡± ¡°Say it.¡± ¡°I received a call saying he entered the war zone. He was caught by the camera of one of the news stations.¡± Park Tae-sung turned on the TV. All channels were broadcasting the Giant Snake emergency. ¨C Once again, we are reporting that Kang Jin-woo, known as the first legendary skill holder, has entered the war zone. However, there is still no sign from the Taewang guild, which is casting doubt on their abilities. The camera zoomed and focused on a man. It was Kang Jin-woo, who disappeared for two months. ¡°Damn it! What¡¯s that crazy guy doing there alone?¡± Two months ago. Kang Jin-woo was only at level 60. Back then, even if he leveled up alone and took all the points, he still wouldn¡¯t reach level 100 No matter how legendary the skill, facing a giant monster alone seemed like a suicide mission. Park Tae-sung also agreed with Jin Sung-kwang. ¡°Stop him!¡± ¡°Y-yes.¡± But there was no way to stop him this time. Park Tae-sung tried to contact all the members because he knew how difficult this battle would be. Jin Seong-kwang was forced to bite his tongue. Park Tae-sung was about to follow him, but the Kang Jin-woo pulled out his Sword and began moving forward. * * * [You have one target.] The Sword, invisible to others, rose from his shoulder. [It¡¯s in front of my eyes.] ¡°I have faith in you.¡± In response to Kang Jin-woo¡¯s answer, the Sword smiled. [Let¡¯s show off the result of our training.] ¡°Yeah!¡± The Sword kicked the air in excitement. Kang Jin-woo, who was by himself, began moving forward. Giant Snake could be seen in the distance. He also moved his body, waving his tongue like it was taunting Kang Jin-woo. ¡°Aaargh-!¡± ¡°Grrr-!¡± The people that got caught by Snake¡¯s tentacles, similar to marionettes, started attacking like zombies. Taang-! Then the head of one of the zombies exploded loudly. When he looked back, he saw a group of people approaching. ¡°Hey! Don¡¯t come to me. You might die! Fall back!¡± Based on their uniform, they seemed to be from the Rennulus Guild. They came to avenge their name. Clang! ¡°I said, fall back.¡± He masterfully held the Sword as he ran forward. Everything was being filmed on camera and broadcasted across the whole country. Is he going on a suicide mission? ©¸Did his head get too big just because he finally got the taste of a legendary skill? ©¸ No matter how legendary the skill, a player who has not reached level 100 cannot defeat the Giant Snake. ©¸ Has he gone mad? ©¸ Maybe he went crazy because of what people kept saying. ©¸Power has ruined another person. ©¸I know right, he¡¯s lost his mind. ©¸ But what will the Taewang Guild do about it? Fire him? There were dozens of hundreds of comments. More than 90% were negative. Skills and Items allowed him to jump over levels. But, there were limits. No skill and Item would overcome the 200-level gap. That was considered common sense in this world. Woo-oh! Then the Sword began trembling. [Let¡¯s get started.] A smile could be seen on the swordsman¡¯s face as hi watched the figure from a distance. Kang Jin-woo took a step forward. ¡°Kiee-aeek!¡± Kururung! At that moment, the Giant Snake made its move. The buildings surrounding it collapsed as the Giant Snake rushed towards Kang Jin-woo. It recognized him as an enemy. Kang Jin-woo raised the Sword. [Put everything in one blow.] Ji-ing! Red energy emanated from the Sword. [As well as your physical strength, put your entire heart into one attack.] [Place your complete trust in the Sword.] ¡°Kyahat!¡± Giant Snake raised his body. It¡¯s shadow consumed Kang Jin-woo as if a mountain blocked the sun. [There is nothing you cannot slash.] Wedge-! The Sword fell. At that moment, a red flash enveloped the city, then, in a flash, it disappeared. While filming, the camera caught the Giant Snake standing entirely still, as if it was frozen. Crrrckkk! They heard a cracking sound. From head to tail, the Giant Snake¡¯s body split into two perfectly split halves. Kuung! The Giant Snake¡¯s body was divided and fell to the left and right sides of the ground. A smile appeared on Sword¡¯s face. [That¡¯s the first month of the Moon¡¯s Red Moon Method, the actual moon, Ta-da!] Kang Jin-woo raised his Sword and looked at it cheerfully. ¡°Oh, no!¡± [What is it? What is it ?!] He smiled as he heard the Sword shouting. Then he saw a reporter running from a distance. ¡°I¡¯m going to an interview now.¡± [men and horses! It¡¯s crumbled! Are you crying ?!] Kang Jin-woo continues to ignore the screaming Sword. Chapter 13 [One Cut Man was great!] Posts with similar titles have been posted on various sites. The captions were different. However, it contained only one thing. [Legendary skill holder Kang Jin-woo vs. the Giant Snake of Level 300!] Giant snake. It is a monster classified as under the giant species. It starts at the lowest 250 level and goes up to the 350 level. It is a monster that can be hunted down only after long-term attacks of a small number of elite or giant species-guilds. It does not make sense that it has been defeated by a player of level 60. It has become an issue not only in Korea but also abroad. [Destruction of legendary skill balance!] [What is the efficacy of legendary skills?] On the front page of all articles, pictures of Kang Jin-woo are posted. His presence, which had disappeared, was once again imprinted on people¡¯s minds. * * * People¡¯s attention was focused again on Kang Jin-woo. Media attention soon followed. 5 a.m. ¡°Well¡­¡± It is usually time to stay home. But today, Jinwoo was sitting in a car. Han Yu-ra sat next to him, yawning. ¡°The first interview will be conducted with more players.¡± More players. It is a global player magazine. It was loved by many for its high-quality articles and accurate content. One would be able to measure a player¡¯s popularity if he was interviewed alone or with a group. He was going alone after the first group was interviewed. ¡°But what are we doing here at dawn?¡± ¡°The interview time is 10 a.m.¡± ¡°Eh? Then why are we here this early?¡± ¡°You would have your picture taken, so naturally, I have to do make-up and fix your hair. Did you think I would allow you to get interviewed looking like this?¡± Han Yu-ra stared at Jinwoo. [Ya-! That girl is good. She¡¯s communicating her intentions with her eyes. Say: ¡®Why do you need to do make-up!¡¯] ¡°Khmm¡­¡± Kang Ji-woo did not agree with the words of the sword. In this case, it was best just to cough and avoid gaze. ¡°Once I finish my make-up and hair settings, change your clothes immediately.¡± ¡°Oh, no, but it¡¯s really¡­¡± Ah¡­ He ran out of words. [I think you¡¯ll mess up if you say one more word.] ¡®No, where did you learn so much about talking to women?¡¯ [Of course, the sea of ??information, isn¡¯t it the Internet?] ¡®Egg¡­¡¯ It was a sword that had already been colored by modern civilization. * * * [Wow¡­] ¡°Wow¡­¡± The sword and Jinwoo burst into excitement at the same time. [Is this really you?] ¡°Is this really me?¡± Man standing in the mirror. Everything has changed. Other than being a little tall, there was nothing else special about his appearance. He looked ordinary. His skin was also not clean. But now there was no blemish. The eyebrows became darker, and the skin was like porcelain. The rugged hair that had been roughly beaten with wax was changed to a clean pomade style. The same is true of the outfit that he wore. Casual attire turned into a professional-looking suit. ¡°Now, it¡¯s okay.¡± As she looked at him, Yu-ra smiled, satisfied. ¡°Shall we go now?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± [Hey! In the future, I think the best way is simply to do what she wants.] ¡®I feel the same way.¡¯ He never thought he could look like this. * * * An interview was held at a cafe in Gangnam. The interview took place over 30 minutes, but he didn¡¯t get bored throughout. ¡°People call you One Cut Man, what do you think?¡± ¡°I think I made good use of my characteristics. At first, I wanted something else, but now I like it.¡± All famous players have nicknames. The representative guild master, Park Tae-Sung, was nicknamed the Dragon Wizard. ¡°I see. I¡¯ll move on to the next question. Some say that Kang Jin-woo is passive in attacking the dungeon. Do you have anything to say about this?¡± He is a famous player. One of the reasons why the line of questioning is direct to the point and full of pressure. The magazine does not merely feature the player; it also asks questions about what the public really wants to know. That¡¯s when he felt a little uncomfortable. ¡°I plan to restart the dungeon attack. In the meantime, there was a special preparation so that I couldn¡¯t start immediately, but I plan to start moving in earnest from the next month at the latest.¡± ¡°Oh, really?¡± This is the first time Jin-woo, who usually disappears from the public eye, has revealed his future activities. The reporter glowed and entered the contents into the notebook. From then on, the interview was conducted with various contents. Most of the questions were within the scope of the pre-interviews prepared by Han Yu-ra, so answering them was not difficult. ¡°Thanks for the interview today. I apologize in advance if there is anything I have made you uncomfortable with.¡± ¡°No. I also enjoyed it.¡± The last question was answered, and the interview ended. ¡°Oh, did you hear that there will be an attack on the Dragon¡¯s Nest dungeon by the Noblesse Guild in England?¡± ¡°Is it, really?¡± Han Yu-ra, who was quiet throughout the interview, asked. ¡°Yes, we had an exclusive interview with Noblesse Guild in the UK office. The attack is scheduled for tomorrow. I¡¯m telling you this in return for your interview with us.¡± ¡°Thank you for the information.¡± ¡°Then see you again next time.¡± After shaking hands, they left the cafe. Back in the car, Jin-woo asked Han Yu-ra. ¡°If it¡¯s a dragon¡¯s nest, what are we talking about here? A level 400 dungeon?¡± ¡°Yes, that is correct. I think it¡¯s true from the British side.¡± ¡°Ya-! If successful, isn¡¯t it the first time? A dungeon at level 400.¡± Currently, the highest-level active dungeon is level 375. In other words, it was previously believed that a level 400 dungeon does not exist. So it was like a dream to attack the dungeon at level 400. Most dungeons above level 300 had long expiration dates. Dragon¡¯s Nest has a known expiration date of about five years. This means that you have five years to strategize and plan your attack, and you don¡¯t have to rush in immediately. ¡°But would they suddenly attack the Dragon¡¯s Nest?¡± ¡°It must be because of you.¡± ¡°Me?¡± ¡°Yes, you know there are several places where legendary skills and items are expected to come out?¡± ¡°Ah¡­!¡± Active research continues to be conducted on legendary skills. One of the hypothesis that came out was that a Legendary-grade skill or item was more likely to come out of a dungeon of level 400 or higher. The hero skill, on the other hand, could be found on level 300 dungeons. Giant guilds continuously attacked level 300 dungeons, hoping to get hero skills and items by chance. As the power of the hero skill became more well-known, the search for it became more active. ¡°In the meantime, the expectation that legendary skills will emerge from dungeons of level 400 or higher is the accepted truth. But for the giant guilds, there was no merit to risk it.¡± The reason is that the efficacy was unknown. Academia suggested two possibilities. One was the hypothesis that it would have a performance that completely outperformed the hero rating. On the other hand, the other was completely opposed. It would be better than the hero rating, but it wasn¡¯t going to make a big difference. ¡°But the effectiveness of the legendary skill has been demonstrated. So, from the standpoint of the giant guilds, opinions were consolidating toward the advantage of getting legendary skills at hand as soon as possible.¡± Jin-woo nodded at Han Yu-ra¡¯s explanation. ¡°The Giant Snake Hunt was a big hit there. In the meantime, since you only attacked low-level dungeons, we couldn¡¯t guess how effective the legendary skill was. However, with the Giant Snake incident, the giant guilds saw the merits of legendary skills.¡± ¡°Haha¡­.¡± This is a different story. Dokgogu swordsmanship is definitely a great skill. However, this time, the biggest thing that led to defeating the Giant Snake is the achievement in catching the Giant Snake is the Moon Moon method. ¡®I couldn¡¯t have done it with just Dokgogu.¡± [Stupid bastard.] ¡®Yes?¡¯ [The guy who licked only the exterior of the Dokgogu is saying that he knows everything.] ¡®What do you mean¡­¡¯ ¡°Oh, I arrived. I¡¯m getting off now.¡± Han Yu-ra said, interrupting Jin-woo¡¯s conversation with the sword. * * * One week. He really wandered around. ¡°Uh¡­ ¡­ I can¡¯t do this again.¡± Interviews and commercials. Even though only they only answered the most important calls and requests, the time of one week passed. However, there was no particular schedule today. It was thanks to Han Yu-ra¡¯s consideration. [Kuh-hee!] He heard a strange laugh came out. As he looked, he saw a sword sitting at a desk and staring into a smartphone. The focus on the smartphone was like a four-year-old child seeing a smartphone for the first time and falling in love. ¡°It¡¯s amazing.¡± [What?] ¡°Those who do not have a body can do all the touch and drag.¡± [In the main seat, the mind transcended the body. Most things you can do with your body can be done.] It was true. The swordsman was able to wield a sword or throw an object in that form. ¡°By the way, the thing you said before about the sword¡­¡± [What is it?] ¡°You said I just licked the outside. What does that mean?¡± [The Dokgogu you know now is just the basic level.] ¡°So, what does that mean?¡± [Really! Why does my regular phone keep disturbing me when I use my smartphone?] ¡°That¡¯s because I¡¯m curious.¡± [Moon Moon doesn¡¯t end with learning about it. It is a law that must be learned by repeating the training. A guy who didn¡¯t even practice properly knows all of the Dokgogu swords? Isn¡¯t that funny?] ¡°Well¡­¡± [Simply think of it this way: the steps you took when learning the Moon Moon Method, the same goes for the Dokgogu sword.] After meeting the sword, a lot of what he took for granted as truth was broken. Jin-woo thought about the possibilities. Ji-ing! Then the smartphone rang. It was Han Yu-ra. ¡°Yes, Yu-ra?¡± [The three people you told me last time, I found them.] Jin-woo¡¯s face hardened. ¡°Yes?¡± [By the way, these people are of poor quality, why are you trying to meet them?] ¡°I have a debt. I will pay them back.¡± Chapter 14 Players. Those who live their lives attacking dungeons and hunting monsters. But not everyone could attack dungeons. Various occupations were in place, such as disposing monsters¡¯ corpses or collecting animals and plants from the dungeons. In the past, Jin-woo was a simple guide. Some would ask, why don¡¯t everyone train, get stronger, and become a player? Surely, you can earn more money as a player. Even Jin-woo did. I once dreamed of becoming strong. However, I felt I reached my limit. The gap with those players increasingly widened. Eventually, he chose to face the reality of the present rather than keep dreaming about the future. That was why he chose to simply become a guide. He thought it would be a safe route. But in his case, it wasn¡¯t. ¡®I have them to thank for it.¡¯ It was ironic. They tried to kill him. Thanks to that, he was able to go there. He got a legendary skill and went through a lot of work. ¡®Yes, I would not be able to get stronger without them.¡¯ After some preparations, he left the house. * * * Pagak! ¡°Shhh!¡± A fist struck the man on his face. He stumbled backward, bleeding from his nose and mouth. A woman rushed to the man. ¡°Hey, honey!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry; it¡¯s okay¡­¡± ¡°Why, why are you doing this to us?!¡± With a fearful voice and eyes, the woman looked at them. Three men. Just five minutes ago, they appeared to be kind. But they suddenly turned crazy and started beating up her husband. Her husband tried to fight. He was at level 120. He fired magic to defend himself. But it didn¡¯t work at all. His water ball was destroyed by the fists of the guys. The husband was not a match for one of these guys, let alone three of them. ¡°Auntie, don¡¯t you know why we¡¯re doing this?¡± The yellow-haired man approached and sat down. ¡°Of course, it is money.¡± The man smiled and made a gesture with his thumb and index finger, forming a circle. ¡°I¡¯ll give you! Wait, here¡­ This is my wallet!¡± ¡°Ah~ this is not enough. It will not pay for our labor costs. Shoot 50 million won by bank transfer.¡± ¡°Oh, 50 million won? That¡¯s too much!¡± ¡°No? Then I can¡¯t help it. You couldn¡¯t afford the labor cost, but I have to relieve my stress, at least.¡± Kwajik! ¡°Oh, awha!¡± The man with glasses approached, carrying a club. The man with the club brought down the weapon on her husband¡¯s finger. The husband screamed, grabbing his weirdly broken finger. No¡­ No! ¡°Oh, my God! Stop it!¡± ¡°Even if we want to stop, our labor cost is not paid.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll give you! I¡¯ll get it as much as I can!¡± ¡°Do it quickly.¡± She turned on the smartphone with a trembling hand. All the money they have in the bank is 35 million won. It¡¯s money she and her husband have struggled to save. The money they collected little by little so they could buy a house. But I can¡¯t let my husband die, she thought. ¡®What is this?¡¯ the yellow-haired man snapped once he received it. It¡¯s fifteen million short!¡± ¡°That, that¡­ I¡¯ll give it to you in a few days! please¡­ please!¡± Sobbing¡­ She barely had any money, and now it is all gone. But at least her husband is safe. All she needs is her husband. Life will be hard, but they can manage if they have each other. ¡°I¡¯ll send you the rest of the money soon.¡± ¡°Alright then,¡± said the yellow-haired man. It looked like they have no intention to move. ¡°What else do you ne-need?¡± she stammered out of fear. ¡°You have seen all of our faces.¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­ You said you¡¯d let us go! You said we would be safe?¡± ¡°I did? When?¡± Yellow Hair looked at his colleagues. ¡°Did you say that we would let them go?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t even speak at all.¡±, said one of them. ¡°Do you think we¡¯re stupid enough to let you go?¡± Yellow Hair told her menacingly. If she gave them money¡­ she thought they could live. The hope is gone. ¡°Anyway, you look pretty good for a married woman¡­¡± Damn-! Yellow Hair licked his lips with tongue. He looked at the woman¡¯s body with greedy eyes. ¡°Don¡¯t do this!¡± ¡°What can you do?¡± Yellow Hair started to move closer. The man in the glasses was also loosening his belt. The third guy, a handsome man, shook his head. ¡°Anyway, you perverts. Finish quickly. I¡¯ll go to the club; you can meet me there later.¡± ¡°I¡¯m glad.¡± Suddenly, there was a voice heard in the dark. ¡°Because you are more trash than I expected.¡± ¡°What are you¡­ ¡­ .¡± Shhhh! The handsome man felt a strong impact on his abdomen. He was choking. Huh-! Then he saw a black shadow coming up from below. I have to avoid it¡­ he thought. Kwajik! The body did not listen. The fist just hit his chin. Thud! The handsome man fell. He could no longer be called handsome. His jawbone is crushed, and the tongue is stretched between the lips that are swollen and not closing correctly. His front teeth were all broken and ugly. ¡°What, what?!¡± ¡°Taejun!¡± Suddenly, when they noticed that their friend fell, the two remaining men rushed in. Then a man walked out in the dark. Red light shone gently from both hands of the stranger, whose face was covered with a black mask and a hat. ¡°You fucking bastard! Do you know who we are!¡± The yellow-haired guy ranted harshly. The stranger felt like his ears were getting dirty. I have to shut that mouth right now. Lightly springing from the ground, he quickly narrowed the distance with Yellow Hair. He reached out and blocked his mouth. ¡°Eup-!¡± Puck! The yellow hair was trying to escape. He hit the stranger¡¯s arm with his fists. But it was like hitting concrete. There was no damage at all. ¡°You like money, right?¡± Ah. The yellow-haired guy¡¯s eyes were wide open in fear and desperation. Kwajik! The stranger squeezed the man¡¯s jaws with his hands, until he heard it crack. ¡°Oh, awha!¡± The stranger turned when he heard the sound of something swinging behind his head. Kwajik! The club hit his head. It seemed to be made of hardwood. It broke down to fragments upon impact on the back of his head. But he did not feel anything. [It¡¯s good to use items.] ¡®I agree.¡¯ The three men are high level, so he came prepared. Of course, he could have used Dokgogu, and with the Moon Moon method, he could cut them down in just one blow. But he did not want it to end that way. ¡°I suffered.¡± ¡°You¡¯re a monster!¡± The man with the club screamed. ¡°You should feel it too.¡± Kwajik! He broke the man¡¯s legs effortlessly. These guys are wearing pretty good items, but it¡¯s nothing like the hero item he¡¯s wearing. [Did you say the name was Ogre¡¯s Gloves?] ¡®Yes.¡¯ [Ogre¡¯s Gloves] [Rating: Hero] [Ogre¡¯s leather and tendon gloves. It is a hybrid weapon that combines human science.] [Attack Power 581] [Agility + 220] [Life + 1,500] ¡°How many more people would you hurt if I came later?¡± ¡°Wow, why do we¡­.¡± He went past them and approached the husband and wife. The wife, who was guarding her injured husband, trembled with fear as I walked towards them. ¡°Inventory.¡± I took the potion out of the item window and crossed it. ¡°Once you heal, leave us quickly.¡± ¡°Thank you. Thank you!¡± Although the husband¡¯s injuries were severe, it was instantly cured with an advanced potion. I watched them leave and turned to three people again. One of them is unconscious, one has a broken jaw and the other has a broken leg. ¡°Do you want to know why I¡¯m doing this?¡± He approached the guys leisurely. ¡°Why?¡± He lowered himself and matched his eye level with them. Then, he took off his mask and hat. ¡°Wow, One Cut Man!¡± ¡°Of all people, why you! Why are you, the legendary skill holder, attacking us?!¡± ¡°Ha¡­¡± Jin-woo sighed. No way. They can¡¯t even remember their victims. They are truly trash. ¡°I have to dispose of the garbage.¡± ¡°What, what¡­ oh no! He let his anger go. Every time his fist went down and struck them, it felt like something was coming out of his chest. He just wanted to beat them up and forget everything. ¡°Please¡­ Spare me¡­¡± The eyeglasses man said, with his face swollen so much that Jin-woo couldn¡¯t remember how he looked like in the first place. ¡°Did you spare me?¡± He remembered how he begged for mercy. Please, spare me. Please, spare my life. But they ignored him, and laughed at him instead. ¡°Have you ever spared people who begged you for mercy?¡± They never have. They have no mercy. Kwajik! ¡°Shhh!¡± ¡°Ugh¡­ ¡­ Ugh¡­ ¡­ .¡± Blood flowed from the fist. Most of it were their blood. However, some of the blood was also from his own knuckles. His skin was torn through from the impact. ¡°Hoo¡­¡± It¡¯s time to end it. ¡°I will do the same.¡± Jin-woo turned around and disappeared. Among the three men who were unconscious, the eyeglasses man woke up first. ¡°That fucking bastard¡­¡± His tears fell with every painful step he took. His whole body hurt, but he had to endure it and get away. He had to run away before One Cut Man came back. Suddenly, he felt something heavy tugging his legs. As he turned, he saw Yellow Hair was holding his pants. ¡°De¡­ Wow¡­ Uh¡­.¡± Help him? He kicked him off. ¡°Fuck¡­ ¡­ I live on my own.¡± He walked away. He had to survive¡­ He still had a lot to do. ¡°Fuck¡­ Fuck¡­¡± He was going to expose everything once he goes out. ¡°Pup¡­ ¡­ I¡¯m going to throw it all in the press.¡± This is going to be a big scandal. The dark side of Kang Jin-woo, the hottest player. There will be many who would want to buy his story. He will get rich. This nasty Korea. I¡¯ll leave this country and stay in Europe. ¡°Huh¡­¡± He laughed as he imagined it. Just then, the ceiling and the ground shook. Kururung-! ¡°Fuck¡­¡± He knew what was going on. It¡¯s what they did to get the job done and remove the evidence. Making the dungeon collapse. ¡°Damn it! Damn it! Damn it!¡± He hastened his steps. I have to get out somehow. He could almost see the exit. ¡°Uh¡­?¡± The gate was crumbling. The exit is starting to collapse. ¡°Ah¡­ ¡­ .¡± Blah-! He looked up and saw cracks filling the ceiling, like a spider web. ¡°It¡¯s fucked up.¡± Thud-! Quark quark! The dungeon began to collapse. * * * Jin-woo turned to look at the collapsing gate. He had Yellow Hair¡¯s smartphone in his pocket. Ji-ing! His own phone rang. It was Han Yu-ra. ¡°Hello.¡± ¡°Shall I take you home?¡± He raised my head and looked at the driveway. A red sports car was parked, and Han Yu-ra was leaning on it, with her arms crossed. ¡°Then, thank you.¡± He felt exhausted. He was grateful for Yu-ra. A friend¡¯s car is more comfortable than a taxi. Rap-! He sat in the passenger seat and closed the door. She started the car silently and drove the car. It took almost thirty minutes to get home, and there was no conversation throughout the ride. She didn¡¯t ask him anything, and Jin-woo did not deliberately explain. Kiik-! The car stopped in front of his apartment. ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°Not yet,¡± Yu-ra said, as he tried to remove his seat belt. Jin-woo looked at her. ¡°They are criminals. There is a lot of money involved and perhaps, powerful people behind them. You need to hand it over to the police.¡± Jin-woo quietly listened to her and thought about it for a few minutes. Then, he took out Yellow Hair¡¯s smartphone and placed it on her console box. ¡°If you are a criminal, you should be punished properly.¡± Jin-woo bowed her head to her answer and left the car. As soon as Jin-woo entered his apartment, Yu-ra started dialing. ¡°I¡¯m Han Yu-ra, I need to speak to the police.¡± She works fast. Chapter 15 [A connection between Yellow Hair¡¯s group and a government official was discovered. Prosecutor Kang Woo-shik of the Incheon District Prosecutor¡¯s Office said today that he had arrested Shin-il Guide representative Jeong-mo for being connected to the group¡¯s crimes. Jeong-mo was charged with a shocking number of crimes, including being the mastermind of murders, accessory to murder, assault, extortion, and violation of electronic financial law. Prosecutor Kang Woo-shik said that further investigation would be done to see if there are other officials involved.) It was as expected. The three men were connected to the Shin-il Guide. The representative of the Shin-il Guide was like a hotbed of all kinds of corruption. The prosecution did the job properly, taking him down and finding other connected officials. ¡°I¡¯m a little scared of it being a giant guild.¡± Jin-woo said. [Originally, the organization becomes stronger, and it becomes scarier as it expands.] ¡°Have you experienced it?¡± [Of course, not only in our school, but also in the Moorim League, and in the Sapa coalition. Ichi, which goes around the world ¨C it¡¯s similar everywhere.] Jin-woo nodded. ¡°Oh, by the way, I felt strange last time.¡± [Strange feeling?] ¡°Yes. When dealing with them, it feels like I was using mana, as if I was using the true moon method.¡± [Of course. You wielded the sword tens of thousands and hundreds of thousands of times to learn the true moon. In the process, your body remembers the movements of the mana within you.] ¡°Well¡­¡± [It is not like a weapon that can be consciously folded or unfolded.] ¡°It¡¯s like a missile could launch anytime.¡± [That¡¯s it. Do you want to hold the button?] ¡°No, how did you know about how missiles work?¡± The swordsman smiled and pointed at the smartphone. [I told you, the Internet is a sea of ??information.] ¡°Oh my¡­¡± [So what do you want to do? Would you like to control the release button, or leave it to be a bullet that you don¡¯t know when it could fire?] ¡°Isn¡¯t it obvious? Of course, I want to control it. What should I do?¡± [Alright, it¡¯s time for action. Fight, fight, and fight again and get used to it!] Jin-woo nodded. The remaining time to use the admission ticket is only around three more months. He didn¡¯t have time to worry about anything else anymore. * * * [Noblesse Guild has released an official statement today that they are going to capture the Dragon¡¯s Nest dungeon. The announcement sounded confident that the guild would succeed.] Dragon¡¯s Nest. One of the highest-ranked dungeons to date. ¡°How long will it take to capture it?¡± Jin-woo asked. Han Yu-ra, who was driving, replied, looking straight ahead. ¡°According to our guild¡¯s analysis, it is expected to take about 90 days. Factoring in the uncontrollable factors, it may take more than 100 days, overall.¡± In the case of high-level dungeons, the attack does not finish in a short time. It proceeds slowly, like breaking a huge rock. ¡°Is it all going to be on streaming?¡± ¡°For sure. I would probably edit it and just show important parts, though¡± The first level 400 dungeon. Attacking it has tremendous monetary value. Money can be earned in different ways. Yu-ra was unlikely to stream it for free. ¡°I¡¯m looking forward to seeing how it does.¡± ¡°Me too.¡± Han Yu-ra smiled, then continued. ¡°Jinwoo, you can always tell me when you want to stop streaming.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Jin-woo decided to use real-time streaming in this attack on the Dragon¡¯s Nest. This time, the attention of the world will be on him as he fought versus monsters. ¡°It may be uncomfortable at first, but it will be okay once you get used to it.¡± ¡°Yes, but how do you communicate with viewers?¡± Jin-woo liked watching dungeon strategy streams in the past. He felt satisfaction watching the brilliant skills of players who could easily catch monsters that he couldn¡¯t catch before. He was especially happy when the players responded to the chat, and he wanted to be able to give that joy as well to the people who will watch him. Han Yu-ra was silent for a while; then, she opened the console box. There was a black bracelet inside. ¡°You can check the chat window in real-time using this,¡± she explained. ¡°Ah! I¡¯ve seen players use it.¡± Jin-woo took the familiar device and wore it on his arm. He pressed the button. A window was projected onto the wrist. ¡°Oh, you¡¯re familiar with it?¡± ¡°I often watched streaming when I had nothing to do. I saw the players there.¡± The bracelet was a piece of specialized equipment made for broadcasting. Smartphones were still being used, but they are hard to manipulate if you¡¯re inside a dungeon with monsters around you. ¡°You can always contact me with that, so if you have anything you need, please contact me,¡± Yu-ra said as the car stopped. ¡°Okay, is the support team waiting outside this time?¡± ¡°Yes. Normally, a team would have gone with you. But yours is an unusual case, so the guild authorized you to go in alone.¡± ¡°I will be careful.¡± Jin-woo took a deep breath as he went down the car. * * * The Dragon¡¯s Nest dungeon was also in the form of a tower. Jin-woo felt that he was given special treatment in the Taewang Guild. However, the intention of the Taewang Guild in sending him to this popular dungeon was clear. The Dragon¡¯s Nest is a very popular dungeon. Every guild wants to take the lead by taking ownership of it. ¡®Focus.¡¯ Jin-woo told himself. He was thinking too much. He should not be stuck in his thoughts as he faced the dungeon. It was time to move forward. ¡°I¡¯m coming in now,¡± he said. -Wait, the broadcast settings are being finalized. Almost done. It was Yu-ra¡¯s voice over the earphones. -I¡¯m ready. I¡¯m going to put a count here. 3, 2, 1. Broadcast is live! As Jin-woo looked up, he saw the light from the mini drone changed from red to green. -It started broadcasting. Can you say hello? ¡°Oh, how are you?¡± There was no reaction. He swung his sword, trying to look cool. -What are you doing?? His moves were met with Yu-ra¡¯s ridicule. Ah, damn it, he thought. At that time, Han Yu-ra¡¯s voice came through, tinged with surprise. -The reaction is really hot! ¡°Yeah?¡± -Weren¡¯t you checking the chat window? ¡°Ah!¡± He totally forgot about it. He checked the display and the chat window. [Watching now: 57,000 people] -Sweetroll: It¡¯s live, man! -joker: Oh! Is it real-time? -Park Min-young: Jin-woo¡¯s cute!! -Heim: Whoo, whoo! Jin-woo! Jin-woo! [Eunyayoung supported = 5,000 won.] The numbers went up unceasingly. ¡°Is this for real? Over 50,000 people?¡± -Now, there are over 60,000. The numbers go up very quickly. Jin-woo watched dungeon strategy streams frequently. He knew that even for popular players, over 50,000 viewers were extremely rare. Occasionally, large raids with a giant guild and multiple players attracted a huge audience. However, the broadcast of a solo player was a different story. -There are a lot of sponsors! You have more fans than I thought? ¡°Haha¡­¡± The sense of duty soared in him. The viewers only wanted one thing. To watch him fight monsters and capture the dungeon. It was time to act. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± He entered the dungeon and touched the jewel on a pillar. He shouted the command: ¡°Activate!¡± Soon, the monsters arrived. -Kimming: Oh-! Lamia! -Dr. Monster: Lamia has a serpentine for the lower body and a female for the upper body. The main attack is¡­ -Min-Sik Min: I¡¯m very suspicious of the explanation. [LEETAEJUN supported 10,000 won.] The first monster that appeared was a Lamia. Average height: 3m. Jin-woo grabbed his sword while looking at the Lamia, which was significantly larger than himself. ¡®Sword, can I awaken the true moon by dealing with these guys?¡¯ [Yeah, don¡¯t swing the sword haphazardly, feel the energy moving inside your body.] ¡®Yes.¡¯ Jin-woo nodded and went into a fighting stance. ¡°Kyahat!¡± There were now a total of five Lamias in front of him. They raised their upper bodies, as snakes like cobras do when they feel threatened. It is hard to see that they look like women. Their tongues are long, and the tips are split; their skin is blue-green, and their eyes look like snake eyes. Monsters. There was a furious look in Jin-woo¡¯s eyes. ¡°Sologo Sword.¡± [The Original Sword skill is activated.] [Continuously consumes mana.] The sword shined. [Don¡¯t use the true moon yet. Your power is still not that strong. If you use it at once, you may not be able to use it anymore for the other monsters.] ¡®I understand.¡¯ Jin-woo nodded and charged. There was no reason to wait for the guys to move. He had trained with this sword hundreds of thousands of times. He has the range to attack. Huh-! However, the Lamias¡¯ range was longer. The one in front spun quickly, using its tail to attack. Jin-woo was forced to step back. After that, he tried several more approaches. However, he failed to get close to them every time. The tail composes 2 meters of a Lamia¡¯s 3-meter height. In other words, it has a much longer reach than a human being. ¡®How can I get closer?¡¯ Jin-woo thought, starting to get frustrated. The monsters moved in earnest and started to surround him, upon seeing that his attack was not working. ¡®The thing that stops me is their tail¡­¡¯ If so¡­ Jin-woo Upon seeing his approach, one of the Lamia¡¯s spun to wield her tail. At the same time, Jin-woo raised his sword. Tadak-! He swung his sword and cut the tail! As the tail flew in the air, Jin-woo jumped towards the Lamia screaming in pain, and slashed his sword from left to right. ¡°Kyaaaaaaaah!¡± The Lamia was cut in half and crashed to the ground. Jin-woo, who landed lightly on the ground, looked down at the sword. ¡®Just before¡­ ¡­ .¡¯ He felt something in his body, moving through the sword. [That is the flow of the inner air.] The sword spoke to him. [Make the flow yours. The moment you unravel at your will, you will be reborn as truly invincible.] ¡®So, the sword is getting stronger?¡¯ [Yes, it¡¯s getting stronger.] ¡°I have to fight some more.¡± He flew to the other Lamias. * * * Outside the gate, Yu-ra was watching Jin-woo through a monitor. ¡°Incredible. He¡¯s playing Lamia at that level,¡± said the support team leader, Lee Sang-ho, behind her. Han Yu-ra nodded in agreement. ¡®If the legendary skill is this powerful¡­¡¯ Around the world, the top guilds, including Taewang Guild are preparing to attack dungeons at level 400, interested in getting legendary skills. It would not stop with Dragon¡¯s Nest. The world is changing. Just because of one man who had a legendary skill. ¡°We just broke through 200,000 viewers.¡± Reports from the monitor team continued. ¡°The funding also exceeded 10 million won.¡± ¡°Pay more attention to the management of the chat window. And make sure to share this information with the media team as well.¡± Han Yu-ra said and focused once more on the monitor. Chapter 16 Jin-woo was passionate about leveling up. [Move while thinking about the sword¡¯s trajectory.] However, he wasn¡¯t just concerned about leveling up. More than hunting monsters, he was also practicing his swordsmanship. [Imagine in your head first how the enemy will move. If you cut the sword sideways, the opponent will either fall back or jump in the air. Or it would block your weapon. If your mind is ready to attack, the body will prepare itself accordingly.] Jin-woo swung horizontally according to the words of the sword, which was nagging above him. Wow! The sword slashed at his enemy¡¯s stomach. However, Ogre just yawned and scratched his belly with his rough nails. ¡®He didn¡¯t avoid it?¡¯ [Well¡­] The sword looked embarrassed. I shook my head. The Ogre raised its arm and swung its club down heavily. The club in his hand screamed over Jin-woo¡¯s head with a threatening sound. ¡®Solo Gogu.¡¯ Jin-woo¡¯s sword was turned into a golden color. He lowered his posture and lifted the sword to defend. Kring! As soon as the club touched the sword, it fell into two pieces as easily as cutting paper. Ogre¡¯s movement stopped for a moment, shocked. Jin-woo did not miss the opportunity and wielded the sword once more, following his body¡¯s instinct. Worry! ¡°Great¡­¡± Ogre was erased as a result of the Dokgogu sword. ¡°Whoo.¡± Jin-woo looked back and sighed. There were seven Ogre bodies scattered behind him. [Cleared the 37th floor of Despair] [Additional experience is paid as a clear reward.] [A treasure chest appeared as a clear reward.] [Level has risen.] The notification window popped up one after another. And the treasure chest came up as the floor opened. [What came out?] ¡®It¡¯s a high-grade weapon.¡¯ It was mace. It was a higher grade than normal. [Looking at it, your level has also increased.] ¡®Yes, good.¡¯ [Gang Jin-woo] [Level: 99] [Strength: 42(30) Agility: 32 Health: 20 Mana: 30] [Holding Skills: Linguist, Dokgugu, Red Moon Sword] Level was rising quickly. It¡¯s thanks to catching the top-rated monsters. However, it was still only at Level 99. He was not leveling up as fast as before, but it took him a short time, still. [Don¡¯t hurry. If you rush yourself, things may go wrong.] ¡®Yes.¡¯ At that time, Han Yu-ra¡¯s voice was heard through the earphones. -Jin-woo, shall we wrap up the broadcast today? ¡°Yes, I was just about to ask you for that.¡± He had enough for today. He had hunted for a total of 7 hours and needed to rest. -Notice posted. Say goodbye to the viewers, and don¡¯t forget to thank them. Jin-woo waved his hand while looking at the mini drone floating in the air. ¡°Thank you for watching the broadcast today. See you tomorrow!¡± Soon, the light of the mini-drone turned red, meaning the streaming was over. [Wow, that was hard. Aside from hunting, you have broadcasting to take care of.] ¡°Well, I will make money, thanks to them,¡± Jin-woo answered. The sword nodded. [Have you gotten used to the old sword?] ¡®Yes, it would have been nice to have a longer duration because right now, it can only be used at the right timing, as you said.¡± Dokgogu sword is a skill that continuously consumes mana. Currently, Jin-woo can only use it for a short duration. The sword suggested activating the skill only when necessary. It was a little uncomfortable at first. However, as time passed, it became more and more familiar, and now it is possible to control it proficiently. ¡°Activate!¡± The gate opened, and a wormhole appeared. Jin-woo passed through it. It was Han Yu-ra who greeted Jin-woo. ¡°You look tired.¡± ¡°Yeah, thank you.¡± He took the fruit juice that Yu-ra gave him as they headed to the break room. ¡°Would you like to take a rest first before having a meeting?¡± ¡°No. Let¡¯s do it right away,¡± Jin-woo answered. It was easier for him to take care of everything that needs to be done before he rested. He sat down. ¡°Today, the number of subscribers has exceeded 2 million.¡± It¡¯s only a month since Jin-woo started streaming. It was very fast. The name Kang Jin-woo is now well-known at home as well as abroad, so it was possible. The merit of being a legendary skill holder was great. In addition, the aggressive promotion of the Taewang Guild also helped a lot. ¡°The amount of the donations received is also quite high, but the offers for advertisement have more value. Also, a proposal came from PIC.¡± Player Item Company is the world¡¯s most famous player equipment maker. There are two types of items that players can use. First, they could use the items dropped from the dungeon. The other option is using a hybrid item made by mixing materials from dungeons with modern materials. PIC was the pioneer in developing this hybrid item. Recently, there have been many companies trying to catch up; PIC dominates the market. It occupies more than 30% of the market. However, as the competitors were growing rapidly, it needs to work hard on promotional activities. One such activity was sponsoring famous players or putting out collaboration products. So, on the community site, the popular players were classified according to whether or not they would be sponsored by PIC. ¡°In addition, many other companies have contacted me to provide sponsorship contracts or supplies.¡± Han Yu-ra showed him the tablet PC. There were lines of companies with familiar names. In all, it was close to 50 companies. ¡°It¡¯s amazing.¡± ¡°It¡¯s just the beginning. When you reach a certain level, you will participate in a full-scale raid from then on.¡± It is called a raid from dungeons above level 250. Party play is taken for granted, as there are too many players to hunt alone. The gap between the levels was large because Jinwoo could not participate there yet. Han Yu-ra got up. ¡°Then rest well.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± When she left, Jin-woo lay in the cot. [Why do you have a serious expression that doesn¡¯t suit you?] ¡®Nothing.¡¯ A moment of silence. [Why?] ¡°Why aren¡¯t you teaching me how to do it? In martial arts novels, most of them learn the methods quickly and get strong instantly.¡± [We started too late.] ¡®Yeah?¡¯ [In Moorim, most of them learn the internal method around the age of five. The reason is that as humans grow older, impure energy naturally accumulates in the body.] ¡°Impure energy?¡± [A human being is full of pure energy at birth, but as he goes on in life, he is exposed to impure energy, and it builds up inside him.] ¡®Ah¡­¡¯ [When such energy accumulates, the blood path through which the power flows is gradually blocked. Human bones also lose flexibility and shape as they age.] ¡®The technique needs younger bones? Maybe I¡¯m too¡­¡¯ [Rubbish. If you can¡¯t make it, don¡¯t you think I¡¯ll know immediately?] Ah, the words of the sword hurt. [Anyway, it¡¯s rather dangerous for you to learn it all at once. That¡¯s why I don¡¯t teach you too quickly.] ¡®Well¡­¡¯ [Fortunately, mana exists in your world. Its nature is similar to that of the inner air, so if you make the most of it, you will be able to mimic the Red Moon technique.] Imitation, Jin-woo thought. A level 300 Giant Snake has been sliced in one hit. If it was just an imitation, what would the real thing be like? [Did I not tell you? The Red Moon technique was made to cut the moon.] ¡®What?!¡¯ Jin-woo was shocked. ¡°Can it really do that?¡± [Yes.] The sword¡¯s answer was quick to answer. Jin-woo shook his head in disbelief. He didn¡¯t know if that was true or not. [Ah! Why did you ask if you wouldn¡¯t believe me?] ¡°Honestly, how can anyone cut the moon?¡± [You¡¯ll know if you learn the essence of the technique later.] ¡°Hmm¡­ Anyway, I have to sleep.¡± Jin-woo turned over. He imagined himself cutting the moon using his sword. He thought about that image over and over, until sleep finally came to his tired body. * * * Woosh-! ¡°Koureoooo-!¡± The Stone Golem disintegrated with a painful scream. [Cleared the 50th floor of the Wizard.] Several notification windows popped up. And to the last notification window. [Level has risen.] The level has risen. ¡°At last.¡± Jin-woo¡¯s eyes turned to the most important detail in the notification window in front of him. [Level: 130] Finally reached level 130. He succeeded in leveling up to double in six months. It was very fast. ¡°Inventory.¡± The item window was opened. There was a piece of paper in it. [Admission ticket] [Cool time: 1 day] The admission ticket¡¯s cool time was running out. After returning here, for two months, he trained intensely and focused on leveling up. He can go back there tomorrow. ¡°Yu-ra, I¡¯m going to finish hunting here today.¡± -Already? ¡°Yes, I want to rest.¡± -Um, okay. ¡°You guys, see you tomorrow.¡± Now, he has gotten used to the broadcasting routine. When the drone¡¯s light went out, he ran the gate and went out. As usual, Yu-ra met him immediately. ¡°Jin-woo, are you not feeling well?¡± ¡°Yeah? No. I just have something else to do today.¡± ¡°Are you sure?¡± ¡°Yes, and I want to take a day or two to rest, but is it okay?¡± ¡°Yes, of course, it¡¯s okay. But where are you really not sick?¡± ¡°No. Thank you. You did a good job today.¡± As she watched Jin-woo running, Han Yu-ra had a puzzled look. ¡°Why did he look so excited?¡± She could not understand. * * * Next day. The admission ticket¡¯s cool time was approaching. ¡°I¡¯m going to leave the house for a while.¡± Jin-woo told his companion, Sun-woo. ¡°Huh? Why? Where?¡± ¡°I think I have to go and stay at the guild for a day or two.¡± ¡°Yea, I got it.¡± Sun-woo thought that its about a dungeon attack. Jin-woo entered his room and took the admission ticket from the inventory. ¡°Swordman.¡± [Why?] ¡°When I enter this time, I have less time to stay. So¡­¡± [Do not worry. I¡¯m only going to say hello. You only have to stay there for a little time to get a good deal with him, anyway.] [The admission ticket¡¯s cool time is over.] Soon an alarm went off. Jin-woo held the admission ticket with both hands. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± [OK.] Chiik-! He tore the ticket in two. * * * He immediately saw the snow mountain that he saw before. ¡°Hoo-!¡± [It¡¯s been a long time.] ¡°I will go in.¡± [OK.] Jin-woo walked to the entrance where the giant guards stood. [A long time. Goblins.] As they approached the guards, the sword smiled. Unlike the previous two times, the faces of the guards called goblins are distorted. ¡°Damn it!¡± ¡°You came again! You¡¯re supposed to be dead!¡± They seem to know the sword. Jin-woo was only slightly curious. ¡®What have you been doing here?¡¯ [You see the snow mountain over there?] ¡®Yes.¡¯ [Originally, there were more mountains on the right.] ¡®Yeah?¡¯ [Yes, I¡¯ve blown them up.] Jin-woo didn¡¯t ask any more about it, as he thought the sword was kidding him. How can anyone blow up mountains? They soon arrived at Mr. Octopus¡¯ shop. ¡°Mister!¡± Jin-woo greeted him. Mr. Octopus turned. ¡°What the-¡° At that time, the swordsman disappeared from Jin-woo¡¯s side. Mr. Octopus took out his Muramasa. The swordsman also grabbed the red sword, and they rushed at each other in an instant. BANG! The moment the swords clashed, a huge explosion occurred. [It¡¯s been a long time, Octopus baby!] Chapter 17 ¡°Who are you? You are so small that I almost didn¡¯t recognize you.¡± The octopus laughed. [You¡¯re still sneaky.] ¡°That¡¯s my trademark.¡± ¡°Mr. Octopus, Master!¡± Jin-woo, who came through the dirt, caught the sword. ¡°You said you would fight later?¡± [Who fought?] ¡°Who fought?¡± ¡°Yes?¡± Jin-woo was confused. [This is a greeting.] ¡°It¡¯s just a greeting.¡± This is just a greeting. The common sense of these people is¡­ What is going on here? ¡°Huh? Kang Jin-Woo, I thought you might be a little stronger. Are you, though?¡± Mr. Octopus asked him. ¡°Yes? The level has risen a lot¡­¡± ¡°Ah, the swordsman raised disciples so slowly.¡± [I haven¡¯t taught him much yet.] Jin-woo felt smaller as he stood in front of the two. ¡°So, what are you going to buy today?¡± ¡°Ah! Can I see some legendary skills?¡± ¡°Sure. It¡¯s over there, so look at it comfortably.¡± It¡¯s really easy, Jin-woo thought. It¡¯s just scattered around here. ¡°How can someone deal with legendary skills like this?¡± he asked. ¡®They are not that important,¡¯ Mr. Octopus answered. Jin-woo stared at the cards. There are 8 attack skills and 2 auxiliary skills and 4 defense skills. [62 sec] The remaining time is just over 60 seconds. There was no time to worry. ¡®Go to defense skills.¡¯ Jin-woo is having a lot of trouble deciding. What new skills will you learn? Each legendary skill is unique. There is no regret, no matter what skill you choose. His mind went to attack skills. The Dokgogu sword was effective but less glamorous. When it comes to splendor, it didn¡¯t even reach some of the hero skills he has seen. The Red Moon method was splendid but short-lived. Use it once, and you¡¯re done. He wanted to find a new legendary skill that will increase his attack power, as well as look splendid, to appeal more to the public. However, he¡¯s also thinking about his current situation. Two of the three skills he has are for attacking. The other one, Linguist, is just an auxiliary skill and does not help in combat. Above all, it was highly probable that the attack skill will increase significantly in the future. Like the Red Moon method. Your heroic armor can only keep you safe in a low-level dungeon. In high-level dungeons, there are limits to your defense. Above all, Jin-woo thought about the future. Currently, he¡¯s able to hunt dungeons safely thanks to his hero-grade armor. However, as the level goes up, the story changes. Safe hunting is now impossible. His life is at risk. This is not a game. Once killed, re-spawning was impossible. That was why he decided to invest in defense skills. He is looking at four legendary defense skills. [Skill: God¡¯s Shield] [Rating: Legendary] [Description: Summons a shield containing God¡¯s protection.] [Effect: Summons an invincible shield. Duration is proportional to divine power.] ¡®Pass!¡¯ Divine power is a stat that he does not have. He would not be able to use God¡¯s Shield. [Skill: Absolute Shield] [Rating: Legendary] [Description: Absolute defense magic! Consumes all mana to unfold a one-time invincible shield.] [Effect: Unfolds one-time powerful shield magic. Any attack can be prevented.] ¡®Well¡­ ¡­ I¡¯m concerned about it being a one-off.¡¯ He liked that it would prevent any attacks. However, there was a disadvantage of one-time. It was still a good skill, so he held off his decision. [42 seconds] Time was running out. Jin-woo¡¯s heart beat urgently. ¡®The remaining two¡­¡¯ The moment he tried to check the other two, the swordsman already picked up one of the cards. [Maybe you can buy the Geumgang Fireball.] ¡°Yeah?¡± The sword has picked one of the two cards. Jinwoo checked the card when he received the card. [Skill: Geumgang Fireball] [Rating: Legendary] [Description: The legendary Geumgang Fireball is here, and a body that is not destroyed by anything has been created.] [Effect: It becomes a body through which physical attack does not work. Immunity to all poisons. While using it, it constantly consumes inner air.] It was perfect as a defensive skill. But the last phrase took Jin-woo¡¯s attention. ¡°I don¡¯t have inner air?¡± [If you didn¡¯t have it, you wouldn¡¯t have been able to use the Moon Moon method. This card is the most useful among the other skills.] In Jin-woo¡¯s eyes, all seemed good. They are legendary grade cards. If they were not good, they wouldn¡¯t have been at this level. [Listen to me; this is my recommendation.] The swordsman was insisting. For six months, Jin-woo received countless help from the swordsman. Jin-woo threw his worries away and picked up the card. ¡°I¡¯ll do this.¡± [24 seconds] ¡°Is it the same as I did the last time?¡± Mr. Octopus asked him. ¡°Yes, and give me a ticket and a return ball.¡± ¡°Here.¡± Jin-woo placed the admission ticket in his inventory and held the return ball in his hand. [17 seconds] Time continued to shrink while he was paying. ¡°Okay, payment is complete.¡± [13 seconds] ¡°Thank you. Get!¡± Jin-woo activated the command. He had to do this before he leaves the area because the skill card will disappear when he goes back. [Skill: Do you want to learn the Geumgang Fireball?] [Caution¨CSkill card disappears when mastered.] [Y/N] He just pressed Y. [Skill: I learned the Geumgang Fireball.] After confirming that the information window was opened, the swordsman was looking at the octopus. [Octopus! Is there an elixir of the ten-thousand years oil?] ¡°Yes.¡± [Give me one.] [9 seconds] ¡°Payment?¡± The octopus¡¯ gaze turned to Jin-woo. [This guy will do it.] ¡°Are you going to do it?¡± Mr. Octopus turned to him. ¡°Yes? Yes!¡± He did not understand, but he believed the swordsman. There must be a reason for getting the elixir. [6 seconds] ¡°Hmm, I can¡¯t find it. Is it inside?¡± Uncle Octopus stretched his leg. They watched his elongated leg disappear into the store. [5 seconds] Jin-woo grabbed the return ball. When time runs out, it will crack automatically. They had to get the elixir before that happens. [4 seconds] ¡°Here it is.¡± [3 seconds] ¡°Receive it.¡± Tuk! [Put it in the inventory!] The swordsman exclaimed. ¡°Inventory!¡± Jin-woo said in a panic. [Hurry!] [1 second] As soon as the swordsman shouted, the return ball broke. They were instantly covered by a light and disappeared in a flash. The octopus was left checking his calculator. ¡°Today was good, good!¡± The octopus laughed as he looked at the numbers on the calculator. * * * When Jin-woo opened his eyes, he saw a familiar scenery. He was back in his room. ¡°Hua¡­¡± He was trembling. It¡¯s such a sense of urgency every time he goes. ¡°I still got everything I could ask for.¡± He was proud. He didn¡¯t panic like the last time. Through thorough preparation, he got the things he wanted. ¡°Skill window.¡± A window appeared in front of him, and several skills were seen. Among them, he checked the newest skill. [Skill: Geumgang Fireball] Another legendary skill. Geumgang Fireball. But it was strange. ¡°Why is it grayed out?¡± This was the first time. When he clicked on the skill, detailed information broke out. [Skill: Geumgang Fireball] [Rating: Legendary] [Description: The legendary Geumgang Fireball is here, and a body that is not destroyed by anything has been created.] [Effect: It becomes a body through which physical attack does not work. Immunity to all poisons. While using it, endurance is continuously consumed.] [Status: No endurance ¨C can not use.] The last line is a new phrase. ¡°You can¡¯t use it?!¡± Nothing really happened. It was the worst. The swordsman went to his shoulder and explained. [Hmm, I guess you can¡¯t use the card without learning the skills.] ¡°Uh¡­ How will we do it?¡± [Check what the octopus gave you.] ¡°Ah!¡± The last thing they purchased in a hurry. He was so rushed that he could not even check it before going back. ¡°Inventory.¡± The inventory had admission tickets and a black bottle. Jin-woo took out the bottle. There were Chinese characters inscribed outside it. Because of his Linguist skill, he was able to read it without a problem. ¡°The ten thousand years old oil?¡± [You had a pretty good item.] ¡°Is this an elixir?¡± [Yes, by taking it, it will drive the impure energy in your body and break the path through which the inner air can roam. If you do so, you will be able to learn to respect me.] The swordsman is down on the floor, sitting cross-legged, with a pious expression. Suddenly, Jin-woo thought about it. He calls the swordsman ¡®Master¡¯, but he has not paid respects. He started to bow down. [What are you doing?] ¡°Yes? To pay respects-¡± Papapat-! The sword¡¯s hands moved like lightning. Jin-woo¡¯s body was stiff after he was attacked. His body floated in the air. When the swordsman moved his hand, Jin-woo¡¯s body followed the movement. [The master has only had one disciple so far. I didn¡¯t make another disciple again because I saw him die earlier than me.] I heard the past history of the swordsman. [One reason I don¡¯t call you a disciple is because you¡¯re weak. You will die soon. But if¡­] The swordsman¡¯s hand moved, and made Jin-woo sat across him. [¡­if you take this and survive, maybe I¡¯ll accept you as a disciple.] ¡®Is it possible to die?!¡¯ [A drop of the elixir can increase your power significantly. However, you will drink the whole thing, not a drop.] The swordsman smiled. [What do you think will happen if you take all of this?] ¡®Do I have to do it?¡¯ [You will be strong. If you can control this force.] ¡®Please help me¡­ Okay?¡¯ [Of course, I will do my best to help. However, I can only do so much. What matters is your mental power.] Jin-woo looked worried. [It is okay to give up. If you are as strong as you are now, you can live in this world.] That¡¯s right. His legendary skills are not just one, but two. Jin-woo thought he is reasonably strong enough. But he knows he has only tasted what it means to be strong. He didn¡¯t feel it using the Dokgogu sword. It was from the time of the Red Moon. He couldn¡¯t forget the joy at the time. The swordsman smiled. [Other people cannot learn the joy in being strong.] ¡®I will.¡¯ [I thought so.] Pod! The swordsman¡¯s hand pressed Jin-woo¡¯s mouth open. Then, he brought the bottle closer. [Be mindful.] ¡®Yes.¡¯ Clit-! The Ten Thousand Years Old Oil entered Jinwoo¡¯s mouth. It has a fragrant smell. He felt himself getting drunk with the smell. Kuung-! Huge energy began to fill his body. Chapter 18 It was hot. Everything seemed to burn. Too Duc-! Too Duc! There was a sound of a broken bone. It was a terrible pain. The broken bones reattached. Usually, bones can heal, but it can take time. However, the broken bone was immediately reattached this time. Too Duc! Broken. Healed. Bones, skin, nerves, blood vessels, etcetera. Everything that makes up the body is newly created. The impure energy hidden in the body was discharged through a hole. All the bad qualities that modern humans have accumulated during their lives have also escaped. ¡®Okay¡­¡¯ The process was very painful. He felt it in his cells, his nerves, his flesh, his bones. It was beyond imagination. After a few hours, finally, it was done. Jin-woo thought, if I had taken these pills alone, I wouldn¡¯t have lasted a minute. The enormous energy has a destructive nature. It destroys the surroundings you place it in, and through that destruction, it creates something new. In short, it means that Jin-woo¡¯s body has been destroyed. [Concentrate your mind. The moment you lose your mind in pain, your body¡¯s speed of recovery slows down. Then, this mighty power will crush your body.] The swordsman continued to give advice to Jin-woo. Thanks to this, Jin-woo was able to get his mind set. I am not alone. That fact alone has helped. ¡®Okay, uh¡­¡¯ He bit his lips through the pain. The swordsman smiled as he watched it. [You must have that degree of self-righteousness to qualify for discipleship.] * * * Jin-woo opened his eyes. The first thing that caught his attention was the notification window. [Level has risen.] He pressed the X button to turn it off. But soon, there it was again. [Level has risen.] He pressed the X button again. However, the notification window did not disappear. The notification window did not disappear even if he continuously pressed the X button. Is it a bug? ¡°Oh my.¡± He stared at the status window in front of him. [Kang Jin- woo] [Level: 270] [Strength: 73(40) Agility: 32 Health: 20 Mana: 30 Inner Air: 180 [Holding Skills: Linguist, Dokgugu Swordsmanship, Red Moon Swordsmanship, Geumgang Fireball] The level was up significantly. He was only at level 130 before drinking the elixir. There is also a new stat called Inner Air, with a huge value of 180. He didn¡¯t know how it is calculated, but it was above other stats. ¡°Skill window.¡± A new window has opened. From Linguists to Dokgogu Swordsmanship to Red Moon Swordsmanship ¨C everything appeared normal. However, the Geumgang Fireball is now shining golden and not grayed-out. [Skill: Geumgang Fireball] [Rating: Legend] [Description: The legendary Geumgang Fireball is here, and a body that is not destroyed by anything has been created.] [Effect: It becomes a body through which physical attack does not work. Immunity to all poisons. Due to the effects of perforation, the internal air is not consumed.] ¡°Done!¡± [Did you confirm?] The swordsman falls on his shoulder. ¡°The level has risen tremendously. Can you see it?¡± [I saw it.] ¡°I thought I could only level up through catching monsters. Why did it rise?¡± [The level you say is a measure of strength.] ¡°Then I am strong?¡± [You got stronger. Your body changed by absorbing the power of the oil. The bones, muscles, and nerves have become suitable for mastering the inner air.] ¡°Is that good?¡± [Of course, it is still only a power given to a child. In order to use it fully, you need to learn proper pneumatics and know how to handle it.] Inner Air training. The time has finally come. Jin-woo stood up and looked at the swordsman. ¡°I will bow.¡± [Okay.] The sword was sitting cross-legged. Jin-woo bowed to him with all my heart. After a total of nine bows, the swordsman spoke with a stern look. [The master is the elder of the Cheonma Protestant Church. Learning martial arts from the master means that you, too, will become a member of Cheonma Protestantism.] ¡°Yes.¡± [Good. Please keep in mind that your honor is the same as the honor of the master.] Jin-woo nodded. The swordsman smiled. * * * The room is messed up. There were places where the wallpaper was torn, and the walls were dug and cracked. If anyone sees it, they would think that Jin-woo had a fight. ¡°Sun-woo must have heard the commotion.¡± [No. I stunned her.] ¡®What?¡¯ Jin-woo went out and saw Sun-woo watching TV as if nothing happened. [Gangnam¡¯s C apartment smells bad.] ¡°Our apartment?¡± Jin-woo was confused at the swordsman¡¯s words. [Well, I guess your foreign matter that spilled into the toilet was the problem.] Then, Jin-woo remembered seeing that in a novel. It is said that when circumventricular metastasis is achieved, a very stinky liquid is discharged. Jin-woo was a little puzzled because there was no trace of the stinky liquid in his room. Then he realized what happened. The swordsman removed it. ¡°I have troubled you, Master.¡± [I just hated being in a room with a disgusting smell.] Jin-woo was too grateful and said nothing. [Come here.] ¡°Yes.¡± [From now on, I will hand over you the inner air technique.] ¡°That¡­ ¡­ But Master.¡± [Why?] ¡°Isn¡¯t Cheonma Shingong a martial art that is often transmitted only to the headmasters of Makyo?¡± [Everyone is equal before power. Therefore, any member of the church could learn the martial arts called Cheonma Shingong. Anyone can get a fair chance. It¡¯s up to the individual¡¯s ability to get that opportunity.] ¡°It¡¯s surprisingly fair.¡± [It was an uncomfortable logic for many to have.] It was dim to see why anyone would be uncomfortable with people getting stronger, but Jin-woo realized why. Powerful people try to protect their power. This is the status quo. However, the doctrine of Makyo was to shake the status quo from the beginning. [Now, those are all useless stories.] The swordsman was sitting cross-legged. [There are two powers asleep in your body. Close your eyes and focus your mind. And feel the two forces in your body.] He closed his eyes as instructed and concentrated his mind. Soon, through contemplation, he was able to visualize the inside of his body. It was as if a mysterious landscape unfolded before him. From a distance, two glowing spheres were visible. One was red and the other white. When Jin-woo tried to approach it, he heard a voice from the swordsman. [The red sphere is the power you can handle now.] ¡®What about the white one?¡¯ [The power of ten thousand years old oil is enormous. Your body can¡¯t handle it all at once. So, I sealed off half of it.] ¡°If it¡¯s sealed, can I use it later?¡¯ [When the time comes. For now, focus on the power you can use. The master will move the power now. Memorize the path well.] ¡®Yes.¡¯ Jin-woo felt a warm touch on my back. Subsequently, the red sphere began to move. Slowly moving at first, it began to increase in speed. Soon after, it shook through Jin-woo¡¯s body at a very high speed like a sports car on a well-polished highway. There was no blockage in movement. This is because there was no single impure left in the body. The red sphere, which began beneath the navel, ran past down to the direction of the toes. [Have you memorized it all?] It was a very complicated route. There are three hundred fifty-five blood vessels in the human body. The energy flows through the blood vessels. The path is not something that a normal person could memorize at once, but Jin-woo answered immediately. ¡®Yes.¡¯ [Try it.] Jin-woo focused his mind. Soon the red sphere began to move at his will. The path was as if the swordsman was moving it. It started slowly but soon began to move faster by adding speed. [Look at him.] A smile deepened in the mouth of the swordsman. It took only one try, and the disciple in front of him has already memorized the path exactly. After a while¡­ ¡°Hoo-woo!¡± Jin-woo drew a deep breath and finished. [Once a day, repeat it.] ¡°Yes.¡± Jin-woo, who got up from his seat, looked at his body. He felt very light. ¡°I like doing it ¨C Daejucheon method, right?¡± The swordsman nodded. [Human beings accumulate waste products in their bodies every day. Daejucheon also includes the process of discharging such wastes, so the body inevitably becomes lighter.] ¡°I wonder how strong I am.¡± [Only one way to find out.] Jin-woo smiled at the words of the swordsman. The time to hunt monsters is back. * * * Jin-woo had a meeting with Han Yu-ra. ¡°I beg your pardon?¡± She asked with amazement. ¡°It has reached level 270.¡± ¡°Are you kidding me?¡± She asked. It was a natural reaction. After Jin-woo reached level 130, only two weeks have passed. It was not possible that it had doubled. ¡°Status Window.¡± The window popped up when Jin-woo said the command. Han Yu-ra stared at the window with eyes wide open. ¡°This¡­¡± [Level: 270] ¡°What the hell did you do?!¡± ¡°It¡¯s confidential.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want this information to be open to anyone.¡± Jin-woo answered. ¡°We are in the same guild¡­¡± ¡°That doesn¡¯t mean I have to give you access to all information.¡± Han Yu-ra bit her lips because it was true. Guilds and players are contractual. The contract doesn¡¯t last a lifetime. At the end of the contract period, there will be offers from other guilds, and a transfer may happen. ¡°I need some excuse for the press. So I need to know the right information.¡± ¡°I think that will be done by the guild.¡± Media play is entirely up to the guild. Han Yu-ra walked away and made a call. ¡°Master, it¡¯s me. I have something to discuss.¡± -Say it. She explained the situation. Park Tae-sung, who heard all the stories, was silent for a moment and opened his mouth. -Do whatever you want. ¡°Yes? But in situations where you don¡¯t even know how the level up happened¡­¡± -You can make a reason. Say he used an experience talisman or took a potion. ¡°But all of those things are just legends, right?¡± There were legends going around about talismans and potions that increase experience. There were items such as that in games, so logically, something like it may exist in a world that has changed like a game. -It doesn¡¯t matter whether it¡¯s true or not. The main thing is whether it is convincing or not. ¡°That¡¯s it¡­¡± -Please try to see the maximum convenience. ¡°Yes, I understand.¡± Yu-ra¡¯s gaze turned to the chair where Jin-woo was sitting. Her eyes were full of questions. Chapter 19 It is said that there is a 200-level limit. A limit for those people who were dreaming of gorgeous lives as players. Dungeon difficulty spikes when it reaches level 200. The monsters are more intelligent, and their methods of attacking also had great variations. When a player reaches this point, he has three options. The first option is to give up. Return home, live a safe and normal life until you have to go through dungeons again to make a living. But always stop at the 200th level. The second option is to push through. The third option is death. In many cases, many players have lost their lives because they did not recognize their limits. The second option is only possible if you had a party. Hunting alone is impossible. It was common sense. There were many reasons for party hunting. The main reason is that the level of monsters increases significantly at the 200th level. Their size, physical strength, attack power, defense ¨C the level rises in all respects. While it¡¯s tough enough to face these monsters, there¡¯s an inevitable ace monster that players must also face. The ace monster is exponentially more powerful than the base monsters. The second reason for party hunting is to reduce the risk. Dungeon-hunting is like a game, but it is not a game. It¡¯s game over once you die. There is no respawn. Therefore, the risks had to be reduced as much as possible. Of course, no player has ever tried solo play. Several dazzling players have tried solo, but it always ended terribly. Death. As the data piled up, the other players are unavoidably discouraged, until no one attempted solo play anymore. *** -Don¡¯t overdo it. Han Yu-ra¡¯s voice was heard through his earpiece. She sounded worried. Even the swordsman on his shoulder has expressed concern. [I¡¯m quite worried about you. In fact, no one using common sense would do this. Only a crazy person will do this.] ¡°I agree,¡± Jin-woo answered. Only a crazy person would do this. [But your awakening defies common sense, too.] Jin-woo raised his head and looked inside the dungeon. A rugged canyon stretched out before his eyes. The sky was full of dark clouds, and a chilling cry of a monster came from far away. [I mean, dragons live here¡­] The name of the dungeon is Dragon Canyon. It was a dungeon equivalent to Level 250. ¡°They are a little different from the dragons you know,¡± Jin-woo muttered to the swordsman. [Yeah?] Yes, the dragons that appear here are¡­¡± Kugung-! The ground shook. Then, a huge creature popped out of the ground. Its head was a dragon¡¯s, but its torso is similar to an anteater. A seven-meter anteater. There were several of them. ¡°There they are.¡± [What are those things?] ¡°Earth Dragons. It¡¯s one of the high-level monsters, but it has little intelligence. However, its defense and attack power are excellent. Most of all, they are troublesome because they can attack from underground in an instant.¡± An Earth Dragon¡¯s average level is between 200 and 250. Although its attack power is weaker than the Level 300 Giant Snake, they are equal in terms of defense. ¡°Yu-ra, please start streaming,¡± Jin-woo spoke through his earpiece. -Wouldn¡¯t it be better to try just one first? ¡°It¡¯s okay. Please start right away.¡± -Huh! Okay. Start! The glow on the drone turned green. The ring display was opened to check the broadcast status. [Access number: 1,170 people] Instantly, the number of connections was growing. Subsequently, the chat went crazy. -Dunhill Master: Huh? Are they not Earth Dragons? -A goat: Hull! Why is Jin-woo in the Dragon Canyon? -YDA131: Can you see anyone around him? -red007: Crazy! Solo play? -Eun Camp: No way! No one does that these days! Jin-woo found the reactions fun. Most of them called him crazy. There were also rumors that he had a party with him, hiding from the camera. Of course, there were worse things, such as people saying he¡¯s going to commit suicide, or that he is overdoing it for greed. Some of them wished for his death. ¡°Why do they have this resentment against me?¡± He asked the swordsman. [If a person rises to fame, jealous people begin to appear.] ¡°But why would they wish for my death? Isn¡¯t that too much?¡± [They don¡¯t gain anything from it. Just common people saying common things. Don¡¯t mind them.] ¡°I¡¯m getting curious¡­¡± Thung! Jin-woo pulled out his sword. ¡°If I clear this place without dying, how would they react to me?¡± [I¡¯d like to see that, too.] The swordsman flew up to the drone and sat on it. [Do it!] ¡°Okay!¡± Jin-woo took a fighting stance. ¡°Dokgogu Sword!¡± [Skill: Dokgogu Sword is activated.] The sword shone goldenly. ¡°Crure-!¡± The Earth Dragons burst into low cries, before plunging to the ground. Although they were also named dragons, it has a lower intelligence than his other namesakes. They are close, Jin-woo felt instinctively. It was a dangerous situation. The swordsman coached him. [Manage your breathing.] Jin-woo focused and did the inner air movements that the swordsman taught him. Suddenly, he felt an enormous force within his body. [Skill: Cheonma Shingong is activated.] [Additional power is applied to the Dokgogu Sword.] [Calibration system does not apply.] ¡°Ahhhh!¡± The power of the red sphere within him was released through his shoulders in the form of a huge, strange shape. In some ways, it looked like a devil or a ghost. The chat window went up in a frenzy due to its appearance. Messages went up so quickly that it was impossible for them to be read. ¡°Here it is again!¡± The true moon used to kill the Giant Snake. Calibration system? Jin-woo thought. He didn¡¯t know exactly what it meant. [Concentrate!] The swordsman shouted as if he knew that Jin-woo was thinking about other things. He calmed himself and focused. [Cheonma Shigong is all about control.] He operated the energy and sent it to his lower body, allowing him to jump higher than he thought possible. ¡°Oooh yeah!¡± Dudududu-! The Earth Dragons popped out of the ground, at a speed that didn¡¯t fit their sizes, causing earthquakes within the dungeon. But Jin-woo is already in the air, digging the ground with his feet as he jumped powerfully. Kwajik-! Boom! His jump caused a major explosion! The explosion blew away the Earth Dragons that popped out to attack him, sending them all flying in the air. [Cheonma Shigong Limbo.] The swordsman sounded satisfied. Then, Jin-woo raised his sword once more. ¡°Red Moon Sword!¡± The sword shook violently. The golden glow of his sword began to turn red little by little. [Adjust the power. The power you cannot control is not yours.] Now, the sword is covered entirely in red light. [Skill: Red Moon] [Calibration system does not apply.] He ignored the notification and swung the sword once more. An intense red glare filled obscured his sight, and all the viewers on the screen could only see the red glare. After a few moments, the red glare subsided. Jin-woo landed lightly on the ground. Then, bodies of Earth Dragons who were split in half began falling around him. -Blood Trail: One Cut Man! That was glorious! The chat window erupted. One Cut Man is back. * * * Han Yu-ra doubted her eyes. This doesn¡¯t make sense! There are things that you can¡¯t believe even after seeing it with your eyes. And she wasn¡¯t alone. The support team who were on standby in case of emergency had the same reaction. The people in the chat window were the same. Solo play against Level 200 monsters¡­ He didn¡¯t just defeat them. He overwhelmed them. The worries she had earlier is now a little bit embarrassing. At first, she didn¡¯t understand Master Park Tae-sung. Why did he allow Gang Jin-woo? There was tremendous internal opposition against this move. Also, Gang Jin-woo was given preferential treatment. The greatest conditions were provided to him. Even if he is the first legendary skill holder, the majority¡¯s opinion was that he was being treated too excessively. Nevertheless, Park Tae-sung pushed for it. But now¡­ It was an excellent choice. She could only look forward to what Jin-woo could do in the future. * * * Cheonma Shigong and Red Moon method. The two skills have something in common. They were not skills learned using skill cards. There was also something different when using them that Jin-woo didn¡¯t find in other skills. [Swing from left to right.] Quark! The Dragon in front of him was split in half easily, even if he was thinking about other things. Calibration system. At first, he didn¡¯t know what it meant. But now, he had an idea. When a player shouts a skill to activate it inside a dungeon, they automatically unfold like in a game. It was like a well-written program. No one questioned it. But since his Cheonma Shigong and Red Moon method were not skill cards, they do not attack automatically. He had to swing the sword and make the proper movements through his will. Wedge-! At that time, the Dragon in front of him was wielding a spear. He lifted his arm and blocked the spear. Caen-! The sound of iron colliding was deafening. The impact was enough to make one stumble backward, but he had the efficiency of the Geumgang Fireball. In an instant, he was already under the Dragon. ¡°Cre?¡± Fook-! He stabbed the sword under the Dragon¡¯s chin. ¡°Kurr¡­ ¡­ .¡± It crashed, bleeding. He looked around. There were thirty dead dragons around him. [Gang Jin- woo] [Level: 277] [Strength: 100(117) Agility: 82 Stamina: 60 Mana: 60 Inner Air: 180] [Holding Skills: Linguist, Dokgugu Swordsmanship, Red Moon Swordsmanship, Geumgang Fireball, Cheonma Shingong] All his stats increased. With the mana increase, he is now able to use the Dokgogu sword longer. He checked the Dokgogu skill further. [Dokgogu Sword] [Level: 98] [Attack Power: 117] [Durability: ?] [A sword that grows with you. You get a 10% bonus experience.] It has not reached level 100 yet. It was unfortunate that the sword level is not very high. A hero-grade weapon usually had three times attack power higher. I need to buy a weapon next time, he thought. The octopus¡¯ shop came to mind. I have really bad luck with the draw. The last time he tried it in the shop, he got a regular card and a luxury card. But what is that¡­ As he thought about his luck, he noticed something strange in one of the cliff walls. The swordsman noticed his expression. [What¡¯s wrong?] ¡°A little over there¡­¡± [Where?] Jin-woo raised his hand and pointed at it. [Isn¡¯t it just an ordinary cliff wall?] ¡°Its color is slightly different.¡± [Color?] The swordsman flew to the wall and examined it closely. [Huh? You¡¯re right!] It was really subtle and hard to notice from a distance. But the color was really different. [Nice eyes.] ¡°When I was a guide, it could be fatal to miss even a small thing. It would be dangerous for visitors if there are secret passages that monsters can use in a dungeon.¡± Jin-woo reached out and touched the wall. Even the texture was different. ¡°I¡¯m sure¡­¡± He clenched his fist and knocked on the wall. Tung-! Tung-! It sounded hollow. There must be something inside. ¡°Yu-ra, pause streaming.¡± -Okay. The drone¡¯s light has changed. -What happened? ¡°I found a secret passage.¡± He took out his sword and swung as hard as he could. Kwaang! The wall was cut as easily as cutting tofu. And beyond it, a long passage appeared. ¡°Bingo.¡± Chapter 20 -What do you see? He heard Yu-ra¡¯s voice through his earpiece. As he turned, the drone was flying over his shoulder. ¡°I am not sure what¡¯s inside. It¡¯s deep.¡± -I¡¯ll scout with a drone. Jin-woo nodded. Using the drone with a GPS function, they would be able to roughly check the structure of the secret passage. He stepped aside to let the drone pass. He watched its light disappear inside the darkness. Thirty minutes passed, then he heard Yu-ra¡¯s embarrassed voice. -The signal was cut. Where the hell is this passage leading? * * * They paused hunting. Because of the new variable, it was too risky. Jin-woo, Han Yu-ra, and Han Ji-joon, the team leader of the support team, attended the meeting. Han Ji-joon was a high-level plater, at level 307. He is currently ranked at the 101st place in the Taewang Guild. The reason he is with the support team is entirely because of Han Yu-ra¡¯s request. She¡¯s his daughter, Jin-woo thought, letting the swordsman hear him. [Huh? Really?] Yes¡­ [Ya! Han Yu-ra surely looks like her mother.] Han Ji-joon stood 2 meters tall. Prior to being a player, he was a mixed martial artist competing in the heavyweight division. After his retirement, gates started to occur, and he went out of retirement to be a player. ¡°Gang Jin-woo,¡± he boomed, startling Jin-woo. ¡°Oh, yes?¡± ¡°You¡¯re always with my daughter nowadays. A relationship between a man and a woman, well¡­ so long as you don¡¯t have an accident before you get married¡­¡± ¡°Mr. Han?¡± a cold voice spoke out, cutting him silent. It was Han Yu-ra. A skill that instantly shuts down a level 300 player. I want to learn that skill, Jin-woo thought. [I agree.] ¡°Let¡¯s focus on this meeting,¡± she said. ¡°At this point, Jin-woo has two options¡­ Are you listening?¡± Jin-woo was startled out of his thoughts. ¡°Huh¡­ Yes, of course.¡± ¡°The first option is to delegate the rights of the dungeon to the guild. In this case, the guild will clear it later. Of course, before that, we should explore the dangers of the secret passage and give information to the guild.¡± Jin-woo nodded. Dungeon rights. In the early days, anyone could enter the dungeon. However, only a few people wanted to enter it. Only a few people wanted to face monsters. So, the government allowed anyone who wants to get in and clear it out. However, the situation changed when the methods of clearing dungeons became more stable. As players appeared and got stronger, everyone tried to enter dungeons. It turned into a competition. The competition was so fierce that it would usually end up in fights. Fights between superhumans do not end well. It causes a lot of destruction, and result in loss of valuable talents. Thus, the government stepped in. The first who did it was the U.S. Government. The United States announced that the dungeons within their territory belong to the U.S. Government, and it issued laws that require people to seek government approval before entering dungeons. The backlash was severe, but the U.S. government was a world superpower, and it was impossible to change their mind with force. Eventually, other governments followed suit, and everyone accepted the changes. Currently, Jin-woo has the right to Dragon Canyon. The guild buys the rights from the government and delegates them to players. The player clears the dungeon and pays the guild a fee for the by-products, consignment sales, etcetera. It was a way to earn money for both the players and the guild. ¡°The second option, of course, is that Jin-woo continues to attack the dungeon.¡± Once he hands over the rights to the dungeon, he would not be able to hunt in there anymore. Jin-woo will have the rights related to the products he had obtained so far, but anything else discovered moving forward will be owned by the guild. It is very rare that a dungeon has a secret passage¡ªa one in a hundred chance. No one can say for sure what could be found inside secret passages. Only precedents could be used to make predictions. A treasure chest, a monster, or an entirely new dungeon that exceeds the current dungeon level¡­ Jin-woo thought. There were many precedents, so various outcomes are possible. [Treasure chest? What¡¯s in it?] Gold and silver. Sometimes, they also contained high-grade items. [High-grade?] Rare to legendary grades, yes. Suddenly, something came to Jin-woo¡¯s mind. ¡°The Noblesse Guild found the Excalibur out of a treasure chest, right?¡± Han Yu-ra nodded. ¡°Yes.¡± There are only four legendary-grade items in the world, one of which is the Excalibur. The legendary sword, now a symbol of England, has been found in a treasure chest inside a secret passage. ¡°I know what you¡¯re thinking,¡± Yu-ra continued, ¡°but it¡¯s very unlikely. So far, many treasure chests have been found, but it was only once that a legendary item appeared.¡± ¡°But the probability is not zero, right?¡± ¡°Right.¡± Jin-woo felt confident. Even if a monster or a dungeon beyond the current level comes out, he can handle it. He made his decision. ¡°I¡¯ll do it.¡± * * * They formed a team. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen a dungeon with a secret passage. I¡¯ll come. No need to give me a share of the products.¡± Han Ji-joon said. A level 300 player. Of course, Jin-woo appreciated help. Suddenly, Kim Dae-sung, a member of the support team, also joined them. ¡°If the captain goes, I¡¯ll go, too!¡± His level was 288. Finally, Han Yu-ra stepped forward. ¡°I¡¯ll come too.¡± It was somewhat surprising. ¡°Are you sure?¡± Jin-woo asked. ¡°What?¡± Her father was also worried. ¡°It can be dangerous. The base dungeon is already at level 200, so if we find a monster inside the secret passage, it will probably be at a 300-level.¡± From the precedents, the probability of finding a monster is high. Because of this, most players delegate the rights of a secret passage to their guilds. However, Han Yu-ra looked determined. ¡°I can take care of myself. Don¡¯t worry.¡± Jin-woo nodded. ¡°Then, let¡¯s go.¡± * * * The passage was long. It was understandable that the drone¡¯s battery died, and it got disconnected. They have been walking for three hours before they decided to take a break. [Everyone looks nervous.] Because secret passages are not easily found. It¡¯s a one in one hundred chance. If Jin-woo didn¡¯t have the experience of being a guide, he wouldn¡¯t have found it. I guess my days of being a guide weren¡¯t meaningless. [Everything happens for a reason.] Definitely. When Jin-woo looked up, he saw Kim Dae-sung smiling at him. ¡°Do you have anything to say?¡± he asked. As if waiting for his question, Kim Dae-sung¡¯s eyes twinkled. ¡°Yes! In fact, I¡¯m your number 1 fan!¡± ¡°Are you a fan?¡± ¡°Yes! The world¡¯s first legendary skill holder! Yum! It was also cool. The Giant Snake! You¡¯re the best!¡± Is he a former rapper? He speaks so fast without breathing, Jin-woo thought. ¡°Haha! That was really great. A level 300 giant snake is caught by a level 60 player! Now, you¡¯re level 270! How did you do it?¡± ¡°Ah¡­ That is a secret.¡± ¡°Of course, it¡¯s a secret! I understand! By the way, since you caught a giant snake of level 300 at level 60, can you catch a monster of level 500 now?¡± Can I? ¡°I do not know. I have never thought about it¡­¡± ¡°By simple calculation, you should be able to do it. But so far, level 500 monsters have never been found, so how about dealing with a level 400 Elemental Dragon?¡± Han Yu-ra joined their conversation. ¡°You can¡¯t compare a Giant Snake to an Elemental Dragon,¡± she said. ¡°A Giant Snake has a high level but low intelligence. On the other hand, you know that Elemental Dragons are very intelligent.¡± Elemental Dragon. It refers to a dragon commonly found in fantasy novels. So far, only two have been discovered. The first has been found in a secret passage such as this one. At that time, the players who encountered it escaped without confrontation. When they returned, the dragon was gone. The second encounter between humans and an Elemental Dragon was not peaceful. That time, the players were high-leveled ones and wanted to be the first ones to capture an Elemental Dragon. However, they were wiped out. They were all killed in a single dragon¡¯s fire breath. If there had been no drones, no one would ever know what happened to them. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t want to meet an Elemental Dragon,¡± Jin-woo was serious. It would be dangerous. [I have a question.] What? [Is this what they call a ¡®foreshadowing¡¯?] What are you talking about? Did you see that on the internet again? Han Ji-joon suddenly stood up. ¡°It¡¯s time! Let¡¯s go.¡± The group started to walk again. * * * After walking for another hour, Jin-woo noticed a light coming from a distance. ¡°It¡¯s an exit.¡± Everyone saw it, too. ¡°Jin-woo, what would you do?¡± The right of the dungeon belonged to Jin-woo, not the guild. In that sense, he would be the primary decision-maker. ¡°First, let¡¯s send a drone to see what¡¯s inside.¡± ¡°It¡¯s an excellent choice,¡± Han Yu-ra nodded. A drone was sent in, and they watched its footage from a tablet. ¡°Is it a narrow exit?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think so. It looks spacious.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no way up or forward, let¡¯s send it down.¡± Kim Dae-sung manipulated the drone as Jin-woo and Yu-ra gave him directions. ¡°Can you point the camera down, not forward?¡± The drone descended for a long time. Finally¡­ The swordsman smiled. [Foreshadowing is right.] On the tablet¡¯s screen was a dragon¡¯s skeleton. Chapter 21 A dragon. As in a game or a novel, a warlock is using the body of a dead dragon. A dead dragon has lower combat power than a live one, and since it doesn¡¯t have its own intelligence, it would be easier to deal with. [Then, you can catch it.] It¡¯s easier than a dragon, but it doesn¡¯t mean it¡¯s easy to catch. Han Ji-joon and Kim Dae-sung approached him. ¡°This dragon is decent. The level is 330, the detection range is 100m,¡± Kim Dae-sung relayed the information about the monster. It was one of his skills. [Search]. It is a rare-ranked ability that can find out a monster¡¯s information in a glance. It¡¯s a low-grade but valuable skill. ¡°What are you going to do?¡± Han Ji-joon asked Jin-woo. ¡°Well¡­¡± He was troubled. He came here expecting a treasure chest. Instead, they found a dragon and a warlock. Jin-woo consulted the swordsman through his thoughts. I think I can catch it if I use it. Both his mana and stamina were full. He¡¯ll be able to use the Red Moon Method. [If you use it here, we will be buried alive.] Yes? [You¡¯re a stupid student. Start by understanding the battlefield before initiating battle. You¡¯re thinking about using an explosive skill inside a cave!] The swordsman was right. The place they were in was structured like a cave. It was possible that they are underground right now, considering the direction they walked through. The Red Moon Method will surely blast this place and bury everyone underground. ¡°It will be better if we come back later¡­¡± Jin-woo decided and told the team. However, a wormhole suddenly opened near them, and a figure in a black robe walked out of it. Everyone, including Jin-woo, raised their weapons. The warlock raised his hand. ¡°Long-term visitors¡­¡± he said in a sullen voice. ¡°I can¡¯t afford that.¡± Blah! Black energy poured out of the warlock¡¯s raised hand, filling the air with a crackling sound. Jin-woo thought it was an attack and leaped towards the warlock, swinging his sword in an instant. Wooosh! The warlock was split in half! However¡­ His body dissolved into smoke and scattered in the air. [A greeting.] What? ¡°Ji..Jin-woo?¡± He turned after hearing Yu-ra¡¯s trembling voice. Did she get enchanted? What was that spell? ¡°Time out¡­ reduced.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°Check the dungeon information.¡± Jin-woo opened the notification window to understand. [Dungeon name: Dragon¡¯s Canyon] [Appropriate level: 200~250] [Timeout: 02:00] It was a dungeon with about six months left. How could it have 2 hours remaining? ¡°He reduced the time out?¡± Jin-woo exclaimed. He couldn¡¯t believe it. He has never heard of such ability. Han Ji-joon raised his long sword and shield. ¡°Well, we can¡¯t come back anymore.¡± He looked like a typical knight. Kim Dae-sung wore a gauntlet in both fists and flexed his fingers. Lastly, Han Yu-ra pulled out a staff. Is she a wizard? Jin-woo didn¡¯t know. Each one held their positions. However, Jin-woo had a different idea. Master, you said to think about the battlefield before going to battle, right? [Yes.] He turned to Yu-ra. ¡°Can you do teleport magic?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t have that skill, no, but I have a scroll.¡± ¡°Do we have enough space here to activate it?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Jin-woo nodded and went to the edge of the cliff. Looking down, he saw the warlock standing on the dragon¡¯s skull and looking up back at him. ¡°Yu-ra, what¡¯s your strongest skill available?¡± ¡°I have Earthquake.¡± A hero-level skill that can be used to attack or build defense walls using the earth around them. It was perfect for the terrain they were in now. ¡°Use it towards that warlock.¡± ¡°What? Then the ground will collapse, and we will get buried.¡± ¡°We will teleport out.¡± Han Ji-joon and Kim Dae-sung nodded. ¡°It¡¯s a good idea.¡± ¡°If we can avoid it, we don¡¯t have to fight.¡± Avoid? Jin-woo thought. He had no intention to do so. But before anyone could say anything, the dragon started to move. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s going to fly up now,¡± Jin-woo warned. ¡°Okay.¡± Yu-ra nodded, then approached the cliff. She pointed at the ground with her staff. Woooo-oh! A huge magical circle appeared at her feet. Shortly after, it began to emit blue light. ¡°Earthquake!¡± she yelled, activating her spell. Kurrung! The light gathered at the end of her staff, then the ground subsequently cracked. ¡°Come here right away!¡± she yelled, and the group ran close to her. Instantly after she tore the scroll, the four people were covered in light. When the light disappeared, the four people were gone, just before the cave collapsed. * * * Woo-oh! The four people appeared a few meters from the dungeon entrance. From it, they watched the ground sink as the cave below collapsed. Jin-woo¡¯s teammates celebrated. ¡°It was a very good operation!¡± ¡°You used the soft ground to bury them, that was creative.¡± Jin-woo shook his head. They didn¡¯t understand. ¡°I buried him underground to lure him out.¡± Everyone looked at him as if what he said was ridiculous. ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°How can it come out if it¡¯s dead? It¡¯s impossible to survive that situation.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be happy if it¡¯s dead.¡± [Get ready.] It seemed that it would not happen. Kurrung! A huge, roaring dragon burst out of the ground! It soared up in the air. Although only bones remained on it, it flapped its huge wings and looked spectacular. ¡°Well¡­¡± ¡°It won¡¯t be easy.¡± Kim Dae-sung and Han Ji-eun stared at the dragon with a nervous face. Han Yu-ra looked at Jin-woo. ¡°If it was your goal to pull it out, you have a plan, right?¡± she probed. ¡°Of course.¡± A monster whose size was enough to put it under the giant specie-category, while also being a flight-type monster. Against flight-type monsters, it was better to finish it off inside the cave. However, there was a reason why Jin-woo preferred to lure it out. Here, I can use my full power and catch it, he thought. He cut a Giant Snake at level 60. He is now at level 270. It is not impossible to catch a level 330 dragon. ¡°I will cut him with my legendary skill. The problem is that I may miss my aim because he is flying.¡± Han Ji-joon stepped forward with his shield. ¡°Then, I must drop him.¡± ¡°I will set it up.¡± Han Yu-ra¡¯s staff glowed blue. ¡°But where is Kim Dae-sung?¡± He was gone. Han Ji-joon spun. ¡°He was right behind me¡­¡± ¡°There.¡± Jin-woo saw him. He was running from a distance of about 300m behind them. ¡°Where is he going?¡± He was running at an amazing speed, more than world-class sprinters. He was approaching them. They felt his incoming force. Whoo-! And then, as if choreographed, Han Ji-joon raised his shield over his head. Boosh! Kim Dae-sung stepped on the shield and leaped upwards! ¡°Bash!¡± he yelled as he soared in the air. A Bash is a physical attack skill. Where is he going? Incredibly, Dae-sung¡¯s momentum brought him to the dragon¡¯s altitude. The warlock on the dragon¡¯s skull saw him and stretched out his wand. ¡°How is he going to avoid it?¡± Jin-woo worried. ¡°He won¡¯t,¡± Yu-ra answered as she raised her own staff. ¡°Dark Lightning!¡± the warlock yelled. A black lightning bolt flew towards Dae-sung. ¡°Shield!¡± Right then, Yu-ra stretched her staff and protected him. Bang! A magical shield appeared in front of Kim Dae-sung and blocked the lightning bolt. Meanwhile, Kim Dae-sung charged his skill. ¡°Dragon¡­ Kick!¡± A dragon-like shadow appeared on Kim Dae-sung¡¯s right foot, and it wrapped itself in his legs. Kwajik! It slammed against the dragon¡¯s skull! It was enough to shake the dragon¡¯s whole body, but not enough to make it fall to the ground. However¡­ ¡°Kick! Kick! Kick! Kick!¡± Kwajik! Kwajik! Kwajik! Kwajik! If it doesn¡¯t work once, do it several times, Jin-woo thought and smiled at Dae-sung, beating the dragon¡¯s skull. Kuung! The dragon screamed and crashed to the ground. The ground shook at the impact. As Dae-sung was kicking the dragon, Yu-ra was charging another spell. When the dragon crashed, Yu-ra yelled. ¡°Dae-sung, get out of there!¡± Dae-sung aptly jumped to the side after landing. Then, she released it. ¡°Chain Lightning!¡± Keeyeop! Her staff shot lightning bolts that wrapped the dragon¡¯s upper body. The lightning acted as a chain that held the dragon down. [It¡¯s your turn.] Yes. Jin-woo gripped the sword with both hands. ¡°Dokgogu.¡± [Skill: Dokgogu Sword is activated.] [The attack power of the sword increases.] [Continuously consumes mana.] The sword was bathed in a golden light. ¡°Hoo¡­¡± I concentrated my mind and moved the inner air within me. Woo-oh! The golden sword turned red. [Skill: Cheonma Shingong is activated.] [Skill: The Red Moon Method is activated.] [The effect of the Cheonma Shingong increases the attack power of the Red Moon Sword.] Preparation is over. Then, unexpectedly, the warlock shouted. ¡°Cancel!¡± Pop! Instantly, the chain lightning exploded and dissolved away. ¡°Ouch!¡± Han Yu-ra stepped back as if she got shocked. Fortunately, it didn¡¯t appear to be serious. The problem is the dragon. It roared angrily. ¡°You dare play with us? Blow them up!¡± the warlock yelled. The dragon opened its mouth. Black smoke rose, and mighty dark energy gathered in its throat. ¡°I will stop it¡­¡± Jin-woo said as he walked forward. ¡°Jin-woo?¡± Yu-ra worriedly called out to him. However, he looked determined. Dragon¡¯s Breath. One of the most destructive skills. Although it was not a normal, living dragon, a skeleton dragon is still a dragon. The strength of its attack cannot be taken for granted. But I don¡¯t think I will lose. [Why?] I can¡¯t tell, but my instinct says so. [Well, if you say your instinct told you that¡­ trust it. You have to follow your instincts.] Jin-woo raised his sword overhead. The warlock screamed at him. ¡°You¡¯re crazy! Die!¡± The dragon released a powerful burst of black flame. The flame killed everything it touched. Not only creatures or plants, but even the air it touched turned black, the color of death. [Now!] Jin-woo swung his sword. The warlock¡¯s eyes were wide open in disbelief. The flame, the dragon¡¯s skull, the warlock¡­ Everything was swallowed up by a mighty red flash. Chapter 22 The dragon and the warlock. There were four items dropped when the two monsters died. There were one hero-grade item and three rare ones. Jin-woo checked the hero-grade item. [Dragon¡¯s Ring] [Rating: Hero] [Ring made by processing the Dragon¡¯s Eye.] [Magical Attack + 312] [Mana + 450] [Special Effect: Activates when you go to a specific place.] The option was just for the wizard. A hero-grade item. Jin-woo worried about what to do with it. At that time, Han Ji-joon approached him. ¡°Wow! It¡¯s a hero-grade item! Congratulations.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°Hero-grade? Congratulations!¡± ¡°Congratulations.¡± Kim Dae-sung and Han Yu-ra also approached and congratulated him. Han Ji-joon stood in a daze. ¡°I said I wouldn¡¯t accept distribution, right?¡± Jin-woo nodded. He almost forgot about it in the heat of the battle. ¡°Then, you can just treat me to a big dinner and drink!¡± ¡°Dad! You need to have some shame. And what drink are you talking about?¡± ¡°Hmm! Please contact me next time.¡± ¡°Dad!¡± I was worried about what to do. At that time, Han-Gi-Han came. ¡°Five! It¡¯s a hero rating. Congratulations!¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°Are you heroic? Congratulations!¡± ¡°congratulations.¡± Kim Dae-sung and Han Yu-ra also congratulated each other. What? Han Ki-Jun gave an explanation when he stood in a daze. ¡°You said you weren¡¯t going to accept the distribution.¡± ¡°You must have been devoted to the battle and forgot?¡± Ah¡­ ¡­ I did. But something was reluctant to gulp expensive items. ¡°I can eat this with a big drink!¡± ¡°Dad! It¡¯s not good for the shame these days, and what a drink!¡± ¡°Hmm! Please contact me next time.¡± ¡°Dad!¡± Han Yu-ra continued to nag. After seeing that they were alright without taking distribution even if the loot turned out to be high-value, Jin-woo began to relax. Then, he noticed that the swordsman was looking at the dragon bones. What are you doing? [This is harder than any full-scale metal.] How hard is it? [I am a mineral from where cold air is concentrated. It is characterized by very strong strength. The sword that I used in the past was also made of dragon bones.] Wow¡­ Jin-woo looked closely at the bone. It was split in half by the Red Moon method, but there were parts that were still whole and undamaged. Han Yu-ra approached him. ¡°What about these bones?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s divide it.¡± ¡°Are you sure? It¡¯s yours.¡± ¡°It¡¯s too much for me alone to have.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± Han Yu-ra said with a smile. Each of the four people divided the number of bones and placed them in their inventory. Monster bones, leather, tendons, etc. Everything can become an ingredient for a hybrid item. ¡°Oh, I¡¯m going to upload today¡¯s video to the guild account, not your personal account. What do you think?¡± ¡°You took a video?¡± ¡°My glasses have a recording device so I can record at any time. I also recorded this dragon hunt.¡± ¡°Ah¡­ It doesn¡¯t matter.¡± Everyone worked to catch it, anyway. He didn¡¯t have to upload it to his personal account. Jin-woo finally finished putting the dragon¡¯s bones in his inventory. ¡°Now, let¡¯s finish up.¡± Three people nodded at Jin-woo¡¯s words. Timeout is running out. It wasn¡¯t time to rest. The four hunters started hunting again, and soon, Dragon¡¯s Canyon was successfully collapsed. * * * ¡°Master.¡± [Huh?] The swordsman replied without looking away from the smartphone. He really had an addiction. ¡°This sword¡­¡± Thung-! Jin-woo brought out the Dokgogu Sword. [What about it?] ¡°Why is it called a ¡®Sleeping Sword¡¯?¡± [Because its power is sealed.] ¡°Sealed?¡± [Yes, the octopus sealed it because he didn¡¯t want to fight with me.] ¡°Wow, is that what the octopus did?¡± [What? Did you think the octopus is stronger than me?] ¡°Yes? a¡­ No way.¡± However, Jin-woo thought that if the octopus was able to seal his master¡¯s power, then the octopus was definitely stronger. [Obviously, the kid used to use a strange trick to keep my power locked. If I get it right, I win!] ¡°You were already defeated¡­ ¡­ .¡± [Win!] Jin-woo closed his mouth. [Huh! The disciple doesn¡¯t know the truth about his master, so he wonders. Gosh! A little respect!] ¡°Will you fight with the octopus again?¡± [It takes a few days to play with that kid. I may get killed. It would be better if my power was not sealed.] ¡°Yes? How do we unseal it?¡± [What is the level of the sword now?] Jin-woo checked the status of the sword. [Dokgogu Sword] [Level: 99] [Attack Power: 118] [Durability: ?] [A sword that grows with you. You get a 10% bonus experience.] After killing the dragon, the sword had risen in level. ¡°It¡¯s pretty slow. I thought that if I cleared the level-200 dungeon, it would be up soon.¡± [It¡¯s power is not so easily awakened. Still, almost there.] ¡°What?¡± [When you reach level 100, you will be able to temporarily wake up its power. You¡¯ll see, then, how strong your master is.] ¡°Inventory.¡± Jin-woo checked out the admission ticket cooldown time. [Cool time: 32 days] Next month. You can go there again in a month. ¡°Skill window.¡± [Skill: Linguist] In the first slot was a linguist. [Skill: Dokgogu Sword] [Skill: Geumgang Fireball] In the second and third, there were Dokgogu sword and Geumgang fire, respectively, and there was an empty slot next to it. Another slot for a new skill became available as his level increased. Jin-woo thought about learning a hero-grade skill, but he didn¡¯t. Why learn hero-grade skills when he knew where to get legendary ones? ¡°Let¡¯s work hard for the next month!¡± The more he levels up, the more time he can stay there. Shopping would be more leisurely, and he¡¯d be able to speak more to the octopus. ¡°But first,¡± he muttered, ¡°let¡¯s get some rest.¡± He laid down on the bed and closed his eyes. * * * Taewang Guild Headquarters. Park Tae-sung¡¯s eyes were focused on the monitor. ¡°It¡¯s great.¡± A video was playing on the monitor. It was a scene where Jin-woo used his Red Moon method against the dragon. ¡°It¡¯s like when caught that Giant Snake; this dragon is also at a higher level.¡± It is weaker than a living dragon, but it is still a dragon. Level 330. Monsters above level 250 are usually caught by party hunting. However, Jin-woo caught the dragon alone. Although others helped, the fact that it was Jin-woo who made the final blow was unchanged. ¡°It was amazing,¡± Han Yu-ra nodded. ¡°Would Lin Xiao¡¯s camp stop attacking us after this video?¡± Lin Xiao was still dissatisfied with Jin-woo. ¡°They wouldn¡¯t. But that¡¯s not important.¡± ¡°Yeah?¡± Park Tae-sung got up from his seat. ¡°The Noblesse Guild is missing.¡± ¡°What?!¡± Han Yu-ra¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°It was said that the contact was lost while they were clearing the third stage in Dragon¡¯s Nest.¡± Dragon¡¯s Nest, a level 400 dungeon. She thought it was taking a while for them to finish it. But missing? ¡°How did they say it to the media?¡± ¡°There is no reason for the UK to advertise that their main power has disappeared.¡± Unlike other guilds, the Noblesse Guild was recognized as a government agency. In other words, it is one of the main powers of the British government. So, their disappearance was a huge power loss for the British government. ¡°This won¡¯t stay quiet for long.¡± ¡°Right.¡± It could not be foreseen how this event would continue. One thing was certain; it would be a huge variable. ¡°Don¡¯t spare anything to support the growth of Mr. Kang Jin-woo.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± In a world with many variables, the more powerful players you have, the better. * * * Jin-woo focused on leveling up. He raised his level by attacking various dungeons. As a result, he was able to reach level 288 in a month. This growth was possible thanks to solo play. Han Yu-ra, who saw how he handled the dragon, has fully supported Jin-woo¡¯s solo play ever since. Above all, the fact that Jin-woo had the best support team did not hinder his solo conquests. [You¡¯re saying that¡¯s fast?] ¡°From the second half of 200, it¡¯s really hard to level up. Players usually gain about 1 level per month.¡± [What? How are there players at the 300-levels?] ¡°That¡¯s when everyone can enter dungeons. It¡¯s very difficult to be assigned a dungeon right now.¡± [Well, it¡¯s hard to understand the system of your world anyway.] Unlike the past, now is the era of competition. Everyone was trying to enter the dungeon. He himself would not have been able to level up so quickly without the support of the guild. [Anyway, you¡¯ve leveled up, so the time we can spend there would be longer.] ¡°Yes! I must prepare to go now.¡± [Prepare?] ¡°I¡¯m going to get some things for the octopus.¡± [Oh, is it a gift?] ¡°Well, you can call it that.¡± [Okay, don¡¯t forget the dragon bones.] ¡°Yes? Why is that? The inventory is not infinite, so if I carry it, I can¡¯t get much else.¡± [There will be something in return. Bring it.] * * * [Admission ticket] [Cooldown time: 1 minute] The cooldown of the admission ticket was coming to an end. All preparations are done. Jin-woo had already decided what he needs to buy. All that remains is to put it into practice. [The admission ticket¡¯s cool time is over.] Jin-woo saw the alarm and took out the admission ticket. [Go.] ¡°Shhh!¡± He tore the admission ticket. Intense light flowed from the ticket and wrapped him. When the light disappeared, he opened my eyes. It was the familiar village entrance, with the giant guards, and the snow mountain behind it. ¡°It didn¡¯t change one bit,¡± he remarked. [It is a place that will not change even after infinity.] ¡°Infinite time?¡± [This is a space where only those who have broken the boundaries of time can enter. I¡¯m just surprised that a child like you can come here.] ¡°Well¡­ ¡­ .¡± Definitely. Those guards at the entrance. Forget about the swordsman and the octopus; Jin-woo knew that he couldn¡¯t even beat those guards, even if he became stronger. [Let¡¯s go in.] ¡°But, you shouldn¡¯t¡¯ t say hello like the last time.¡± [Okay.] ¡°If you break your promise, I will change my Wi-Fi password.¡± [Blackmailer.] They walked towards the octopus¡¯ store, with the two guards staring at the swordsman again. ¡°Mr. Octopus!¡± The octopus was cleaning up his stall. ¡°Oh, Kang Jin-woo. And you brought the little kid again?¡± Ah¡­ The swordsman didn¡¯t take it nicely. [If he calls me a kid again, I¡¯ll tear off one of his legs and cook it over charcoal.] ¡°Huh! Is that possible?¡± ¡°Oh, Mr. Octopus! I¡¯ll buy the admission ticket and return ball first.¡± ¡°Huh? Oh yeah.¡± Time was already running out. Jin-woo had to buy what he needed quickly. The octopus took out a ticket and a ball from inside the yukata and gave it to him. ¡°Payment is from the same account?¡± ¡°Yes, and I want to buy weapons and skill cards.¡± ¡°You can get the skill card here. Weapons, however¡­ like what?¡± ¡°I want to buy a legendary-grade weapon.¡± ¡°Legendary level¡­ ¡­ The weapon you¡¯re wearing is¡­ ¡­ The level is low.¡± The octopus stroked his chin with one of his legs. ¡°I don¡¯t have anything like that in this store. Follow me. I¡¯ll introduce you to a good store.¡± ¡°Yes? Then, we should buy a skill card first¡­¡± ¡°No, don¡¯t worry. It¡¯s right next to my store.¡± Jin-woo was anxious. Every second is important, shouldn¡¯t they get the skill first? However, the octopus was already moving, and it was pointless to stand by the stall when the owner has already left. Fortunately, it was really right next to Mr. Octopus¡¯ shop. It seemed to be a blacksmith¡¯s shop, and the weapons were scattered like laundry. There were also braziers and burning coals inside the store. But where is the owner, Jin-woo thought. ¡°Mr. Seo. Are you there?¡± the octopus called out. Suddenly, a voice called out from below. ¡°What is it? You bald octopus.¡± When Jin-woo lowered his gaze, he saw a rat in a white hanbok carrying a cigar ten times larger than his body. The rat looked at Jin-woo curiously. ¡°What¡¯s this? An Earthling? And you have the swordsman with you. Are you here to play poker?¡± [Long time, rat.] ¡°Your Agari is still there. Would you like to play? [Unfortunately, I don¡¯t have time to deal with you today.] ¡°I want to buy some weapons,¡± Mr. Octopus explained. ¡°Weapon? You have Muramasa.¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m not buying. This friend is.¡± Mr. Octopus pointed to Jin-woo. ¡°Well, is it possible that an Earthman deserves my weapon?¡± [He¡¯s my disciple.] ¡°Yes?¡± the rat tilted its head. [Open the inventory.] ¡°Oh, yes. Inventory open.¡± The inventory opened right in front of the rat, and the rat¡¯s eyes glowed upon seeing what¡¯s inside. ¡°Ohh! Are those dragon bones? How much do you have?¡± ¡°Uh¡­ ¡­ Roughly¡­ ¡­ .¡± Jin-woo began taking out the bones off his inventory. Soon, a pile of over 4 meters was created. ¡°There is this much.¡± ¡°Okay, if you hand these bones over to me, I¡¯ll lend you a weapon.¡± ¡°Lending? Not selling?¡± [Take that offer. He¡¯s a useful guy.] ¡°Useful, huh? All the weapons I make are the best!¡± The rat raised a lever in the smithy. Soon, a sword flew in and came to their view, stopping in front of Jin-woo. ¡°I¡¯ll let you borrow this.¡± It was a long sword with a red blade. It was impressive. Its golden handle even had jewels. [Check it.] ¡°Oh, yes.¡± Jin-woo touched the sword. At that moment, the information of the sword opened automatically before their eyes. [Dragon Blade] [Rating: Legendary] [A sword made from a mixture of dragon bones.] [Physical attack power: 1,070] [Power: 570] [Agility: 320] [Health: 600] [Mana: 430] [Special Skill: Dragon Pier] [Special Skill 2: Dragon Shield] [Special Skill 3: Dragon Slayer] Jin-woo had only one thought upon reading the information: This is crazy. Chapter 23 Legendary grade weapons. There are only four of them known around the world. There may be more hidden, but it certainly wouldn¡¯t exceed ten. One of such legendary weapons was in Jin-woo¡¯s hand. He didn¡¯t feel this way about Mr. Octopus¡¯ Muramasa. The Muramasa made him feel scared because it felt like he didn¡¯t have enough power to wield it. But this one¡­ The Dragon Blade. As he squeezed it, he didn¡¯t feel any fear. Rather, he felt as if its power was in his hands. On top of the 1,070 physical attack power, it was also increased by 570 with the power stat. The max stats given by an average hero-grade weapon do not exceed 1,000. It was almost fraudulent. It was clear that he can deal insane damage with it. Can I kill a real dragon with this in just one blow? He thought. It was a realistic possibility. ¡°You can use this as soon as possible,¡± said the rat. ¡°Leave all the dragon bones here. I¡¯ll use them to make a masterpiece.¡± The creature who looked like a rat is now a master in Jin-woo¡¯s eyes. [There is not much time left.] The swordsman reminded him. Jin-woo checked the remaining time. [32 seconds] Getting a sword was taking too much time. ¡°I will use it well!¡± he told the rat. ¡°When you come next time, stop by here again.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± They said goodbye to the rat and went back to the octopus¡¯ shop. Jin-woo hastily scanned the skill cards. He sorted through the pile displayed on the board and found five legendary cards. [No time to check them!] The swordsman was rushing him. [17 seconds] They are running out of time. Mr. Octopus picked up one of the cards. ¡°If you learn this one, it will be useful someday.¡± [15 seconds] ¡°Thank you!¡± Jin-woo trusted the octopus. ¡°Learn the skill!¡± [Skill: You learned Infinity Mana.] [You can use Infinity Mana.] Infinity Mana? He will check its description later. He opened the inventory and saved the admission ticket. Then, he took out the gift he had prepared. ¡°Mr. Octopus! Here¡¯s a gift!¡± ¡°Oh? A gift?¡± [7 seconds] ¡°I will come again next time!¡± Jin-woo bowed to the confused octopus and held his return ball. [5 seconds] ¡°Okay. See you next time.¡± Clink-! He gripped the ball tight, and it broke effortlessly. The light emitted from the ball wrapped Jin-woo and the swordsman. Soon, the light disappeared, leaving only the octopus standing holding a bag. The rat approached the octopus. ¡°Are they gone?¡± ¡°Uh, yes.¡± ¡°But what is that?¡± ¡°He said it was a gift?¡± ¡°Dried seashells?¡± Dried seashells were contained in a transparent bag. Mr. Octopus put one of his legs in, took a piece, and put it on his mouth. ¡°It¡¯s delicious. do you want to eat?¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m done. Eat a lot.¡± The rat disappeared back into his forge with a ridiculous expression on his face. Mr. Octopus limped back to his stall. ¡°It¡¯s really good.¡± * * * [Skill: Infinity Mana] [Rating: Legendary] [Obtains infinite mana.] [Effect: You can use skills without consuming mana for 5 minutes. Cool down is 24 hours.] He got some sense of it from the name. Infinity Mana. Mana limit disappears for 5 minutes. In a way, it was unbelievable. The lack of limitation means he can use the skills indefinitely within the 5-minute period. Can I use the Red Moon indefinitely, then? [Stupid bastard. Does the Red Moon only use mana?] The swordsman scolded him. Hey¡­ you¡¯re right. The Red Moon contained everything. It¡¯s what makes it strong. Mana, stamina, mental power, inner air. But why is this skill a legendary grade? [There must be a reason for that.] Jin-woo nodded. There must be a reason why the octopus recommended it to him. Tuk-tuk! He heard someone knocking. When he opened the door, it was Sun-woo. ¡°Huh? What¡¯s up? ¡°Oh? You¡¯re here? When did you arrive?¡± ¡°Just now, why?¡± ¡°Ah! Right. Have you heard the news?¡± Jin-woo looked puzzled and shook his head. Then, Sun-woo showed him his smartphone where the news was displayed. [No contact from the Noblesse Guild at Dragon¡¯s Nest!] The Noblesse Guild disappeared? * * * The world turned over. The Noblesse Guild¡¯s disappearance attracted attention from all over the world. The British government is said to have requested many guilds to help search for the Noblesse Guild. That day, the news was all about the Noblesse Guild. Ten years ago, dungeons began appearing. Historians have called the first five years as ¡®transition¡¯. The world was not yet able to cope with the change. The government was slow, and the public spent day after day in danger and chaos. Then, progress came. Players soon appeared to handle the problem. Risks existed, but they were now within control. Accidents occurred to some extent. But none as large as this. The Noblesse Guild ranked 21st in the world rankings. It is in the Top 3 in Europe. Most of all, it had a close relationship with the British government. The disappearance of an entire guild had no precedent. So, people were anxious. They were worried that the days of chaos and danger will be upon them again. Other guilds moved in a hurry, calculating their own profits and losses that could result from this loss. The Taewang Guild was no different. Park Tae-sung would have a busy day full of meetings. So, why did he call me? Jin-woo thought as he entered the president¡¯s office. ¡°Hello.¡± ¡°Welcome. Long time no see. Sit here,¡± Park Tae-sung gestured him to sit closer. ¡°Han Yu-ra, please get out for a moment,¡± the president then said. ¡°Yes? Ah¡­ Okay.¡± She looked a little embarrassed, but the president¡¯s order was clear. Han Yu-ra bowed slightly and left the office. ¡°I just wanted to talk to you alone.¡± ¡°Oh, yes.¡± Jin-woo was nervous and didn¡¯t know what to say. ¡°A formal request came from the British government with regards to the Noblesse Guild. They requested our help to find traces of whether the guild members are still alive, or dead. ¡°I see.¡± It was a tough request. A level 400 dungeon. Even the Noblesse Guild failed and went missing. They had no choice but to seek help from higher-ranked guilds. ¡°We accepted the request.¡± ¡°Oh? Already?¡± The news went out only three days ago, so Jin-woo was surprised that the coordination has already been made. ¡°Yes. Because we were commissioned three weeks ago.¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± The British government made it secret. ¡°I intend to lead the search team myself,¡± Park Tae-sung declared, ¡°as we need elite members for this mission.¡± For Park Tae-sung himself to join, it had great significance. ¡°I want to include you, Jin-woo, to the search team.¡± ¡°Me?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Jin-woo thought he couldn¡¯t be more surprised. It was not within common sense to include a player who was not even level 300 yet in a level 400 dungeon mission. Park Tae-sung read his thoughts. ¡°I think you can do more than your level. The Giant Snake and the Dragon battle proved it. Nobody thought you could do it at your level.¡± It was an accurate analysis. ¡°I¡¯m looking forward to you to show the same abilities again.¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± Jin-woo couldn¡¯t answer immediately. It is a level 400 dungeon. It has never been cleared in history. Of course, the objective was not to clear it but to search for the Noblesse Guild, but still, it was dangerous. ¡°Of course, it¡¯s a dangerous request, so I¡¯m going to reward you enough.¡± Park Tae-sung opened a cabinet, took out a piece of paper, and gave it to Jin-woo. ¡°According to the contract we made with the British government, I have the first option of selecting an item if the mission is a success. I will give that option to you.¡± First selection. It was huge. As it is a level 400 dungeon, the possibility of getting a legendary skill card or weapon was very high. It sounded like a good offer to concede to. ¡°Of course, it would depend on the situation. We would be searching, not attacking, so there would certainly be other rewards for you.¡± It was an attractive offer. Park Tae-sung got up and stared at Jin-woo, who seemed to be troubled. ¡°The search team¡¯s assembly is a week from now. You have until then to decide.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Jin-woo nodded. * * * Jin-woo bought chicken before going home. As he left the chicken house, he looked at the package in his hand. His father brought home chicken like this. Anytime his father needed to tell his mother something serious, he brought chicken. I now understand why he thought. It was a means to lighten the atmosphere when trying to talk about something difficult to say. ¡°Brother? Oh, you bought chicken!¡± ¡°Huh.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure why, but chicken is exciting.¡± ¡°Go, set the table.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± As Jin-woo entered his room and changed clothes, Sun-woo set the table in front of their TV. ¡°Let¡¯s eat!¡± They each took a chicken leg and bit into it. They watched a movie while eating. They haven¡¯t had an evening like this after a long time. When the movie was halfway done, Jin-woo caught his brother¡¯s attention. ¡°Sun-woo¡­¡± ¡°Huh?¡± He told the truth. Without adjustment. Without embellishment. Sun-woo¡¯s expression was surprisingly calm as he listened to his stories. It was somewhat surprising. ¡°Go ahead,¡± Sun-woo told him after he finished the story with the invitation to the search mission. ¡°Are you going to be okay here, alone?¡± Jin-woo asked him again. ¡°Sure. I¡¯m old enough. Rather, I am more worried about you. I¡¯m afraid you¡¯re going to drag down the high-level players.¡± ¡°Shut up! Is your older brother selfish?¡± ¡°No. Don¡¯t worry about me. I know you¡¯ve sacrificed for me so far. From now on, do what you want to do.¡± His younger brother had strength. ¡°Thank you,¡± Jin-woo smiled. * * * A week later, Jin-woo stood at London International Airport. ¡°Hey! What¡¯s with that expression,¡± Kim Dae-sung approached him. ¡°It¡¯s my first time abroad.¡± ¡°Really? You¡¯ve never even been to Japan or Hong Kong?¡± ¡°Yes, this is the first time.¡± ¡°Yeah, then you will find it different.¡± Jin-woo nodded his head as if he understood Kim Dae-sung. Han Ji-joon, who was listening, joined in. ¡°When I was younger, I liked to go around. Don¡¯t hunt too much.¡± ¡°Haha, I have to.¡± ¡°Anyway, how about a beer tonight for commemoration?¡± ¡°Dad! Have you forgotten that this could take a while?¡± Han Yu-ra¡¯s cold voice made her father scream in surprise. Jin-woo couldn¡¯t help but stare at her with amazement. Yu-ra noticed him and asked, ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Nothing. I am just surprised that you are a high-level player.¡± He just found out that Yu-ra was a level 311 player herself. It was surprising. ¡°Yu-ra hasn¡¯t been hunting a lot these days,¡± Kim Dae-sung remarked, ¡°but her height doesn¡¯t reflect her power. She was famous enough to get a nickname: Witch of the Thunderbolt.¡± ¡°Stop.¡± Kim Dae-sung looked down immediately to avoid Yu-ra¡¯s cold eyes. Kim Dae-sung was the only other non-level 300 player that had been selected for the search team. His Search ability was valuable. The group was formed more like a search team than a battle team. ¡°Shut up and get to work,¡± Yu-ra commanded. The three men nodded. Their group will meet the advance team that was sent here earlier. * * * The Taewang Guild entered the Dragon¡¯s Nest, where the Noblesse guild disappeared. It was an event that attracted attention from all over the world. The search team was composed of a hundred elite players. The Dragon¡¯s Nest was a forest with rugged mountains. ¡°Install the base camp,¡± Park Tae-sung instructed. After the camp was quickly installed, he ordered the drone operators to check the surroundings. Soon, drones soared high in the sky. Everybody moved in an efficient and systematic manner. Jin-woo was surprised at the organization of the Taewang guild. The swordsman agreed. [They are well-organized.] Why do you think so? [Definitely, it¡¯s the leader. His charisma is overwhelming.] It was very unusual for the swordsman to admire others. [Oh, look at your ring! Why is it glowing?] Huh? Jin-woo immediately checked the ring he obtained from the skeleton dragon. It was really glowing as the swordsman said. [Dragon¡¯s Ring] [Rating: Hero] [Ring made by processing the Dragon¡¯s Eye.] [Magical Attack + 312] [Mana + 450] [Special Effect: Guides the way to the dragon¡¯s rare.] The last description changed. Chapter 24 Dragon¡¯s Nest. In short, this is where dragons live. Jin-woo checked his tablet. ¡°The Dragon¡¯s Nest map provided by the Noblesse Guild¡­¡± He focused on the map displayed on the tablet. [The area is divided into four sections.] ¡°Yes, Noblesse Guild headed this way.¡± He pointed to a location on the map. Green Dragon¡¯s Forest. There are many monsters in the dense jungle, but this section has lower numbers and could be considered the least dangerous. ¡°In the testimony of the Noblesse Guild support team, their members lost contact after clearing this place and going inside.¡± [It looks dangerous. Did you say the ring will guide you?] ¡°Yes.¡± Jin-woo stared at the ring¡¯s description. It says it could guide him inside the Dragon¡¯s Nest. But how? He tried the simplest method he could think of. ¡°Open the map!¡± he commanded it. Woo-oh! He got it correctly. The ring shook a little, then burst out light all over, creating a hologram. The hologram was similar to the map provided by the Noblesse Guild. ¡°I think this is more detailed and accurate, right?¡± [Yes. But what are those?] Dots were shining on the hologram. ¡°Maybe the green dot is my location?¡± [Then the red dot seems to be the target point.] A red dot is shining on top of the mountain range section. ¡°But this looks very complicated.¡± The map displayed was very complex. It was in 3D form and shown entangled terrains of the four sections. [Yes, it looks like a plain terrain when viewed on the map given by the Noblesse Guild. It seems that they didn¡¯t see the maze because they were looking at a flat surface.] ¡°Yes?¡± [They were deceived by their eyes. If the terrain is higher than what is displayed, they could have changed their approach.] ¡°Amazing.¡± [When you get to that place, show me the map before you continue. Otherwise, you can get into a maze and wander forever.] ¡°Then, the Noblesse Guild must also be in a maze¡­¡± [Very likely.] ¡°If they entered the maze through the Green Dragon¡¯s Forest¡­ Jin-woo rotated the hologram map, his expression turning serious. ¡°They are still there.¡± * * * Main camp. Park Tae-sung is in a meeting with four other guild leaders. Their facial expressions were not very good. The reason is that Jin-woo was participating in their meeting. Jin-woo knew that, but he didn¡¯t mind. He was familiar with that kind of reception since his days of being a guide. Above all, he had no reason to feel scared because he was not saying anything wrong. When his remarks were over, one of the men opened his mouth. ¡°In other words, Kang Jin-woo is saying that his ring activated a navigation effect when he entered the Dragon¡¯s Nest area. That¡¯s it.¡± He was Raymond, the greatest wizard in the Taewang Guild. Haojun, called ¡®The Shield of the Taewang Guild¡¯, snorted. ¡°Ha! That¡¯s a great luck. So, you suddenly had a ring that could navigate through a level-400 dungeon?¡± As if waiting, the other leaders nodded their agreement. Jin-woo¡¯s story was almost unbelievable. ¡°Even if it was true, the Noblesse Guild has already provided us the route that their members have passed through. We don¡¯t need to explore other areas.¡± ¡°Yes. If this was a clearing operation, we could consider it, but since this is a search, we just need to follow their trail!¡± Haojun raised his voice as he gained the others¡¯ agreement. Jin-woo fell silent. Their words certainly made sense. Four of the five leaders were actively opposed. [It¡¯s a difficult fight.] The swordsman told him. It¡¯s a level-400 dungeon. If they made the wrong choice, lives would be lost. Hundreds of lives. [They won¡¯t bend down unless they have a justification.] It was as the swordsman said. The leaders did not lose their will. Eventually, they left. Park Tae-sung approached Jin-woo, who was sighing. ¡°I think your story makes sense. However, as a leader, I must also listen to their opinions.¡± It was not what Jin-woo expected. Park Tae-sung was known in the world as a strong general. It was known that he doesn¡¯t bend when making decisions. [The public appearance differs from what he had shown in this table.] ¡°But Jin-woo¡¯s opinion is too hard to ignore. If your ring really acts as a navigation tool, and if it could really tell you where the Noblesse Guild is, you can save us a lot of time.¡± Park Tae-sung looked troubled for a moment before he continued. ¡°Why don¡¯t you have your own team?¡± ¡°W-what? Am I going to be a team leader?¡± Park Tae-sung smiled at Jin-woo¡¯s question. * * * It was an unexpected offer. ¡°Take within ten people. That¡¯s the most we can afford. Please select any one you want,¡± Park Tae-sung told him. Ten people. That was 10% of the search team. Their goal will not be to attack. To search and to explore were the objectives, so more people in the team would make it uncomfortable. Jin-woo thought about his current situation. To many guild members, he was someone who made it too fast. Most of the guild members have built up their strength and wealth slowly. People could not help but be jealous. When he came here, he felt a lot of antipathies. Some were even openly hostile. It¡¯s impossible for me to lead such people, he thought. [That¡¯s right. When leading an organization for the first time, it¡¯s best to get friendly people.] Jin-woo nodded to the swordsman¡¯s advice. Those whom he has a friendly relationship with¡­ He didn¡¯t have to think long, because there were only three. Jin-woo went and visited them. Fortunately, they were gathered in one tent, chatting with each other. He was comfortable with these people in a level-400 dungeon. They have a lot of experience. ¡°Get in!¡± ¡°How did the meeting go?¡± Han Ji-joon and Kim Dae-sung welcomed him. Han Yu-ra was checking the schedule on her tablet. ¡°I actually have to tell you what happened at the meeting.¡± Jin-woo explained the situation. The three people who were listening to him were thoughtful. After a while, Han Ji-joon opened his mouth first. ¡°I will join you.¡± ¡°I will join you, too,¡± Kim Dae-sung agreed. The last one was Han Yu-ra. ¡°I would follow what the master advised.¡± * * * The next day, four people left the base camp. It was the all-star team with Jin-woo as the lead. They walked to the opposite direction of the Green Dragon¡¯s forest, where the main search team would head to. It was the fourth section on the map that Noblesse Guild gave them. The Poison Bog. It was classified as the worst route. Han Yu-ra asked Jin-woo, ¡°Isn¡¯t Poison Bog a poisonous swamp?¡± Jin-woo nodded. ¡°As explained in the briefing, it is marked as the most dangerous of the four sections. But the ring navigation marks it as the safest place.¡± ¡°So, the most dangerous place on the Noblesse Guild map is actually the safest?¡± ¡°You can say that.¡± ¡°It must be risky to take the whole search team through here,¡± Han Yu-ra said as they watched the main search team gathering. ¡°Yes. If a large number of people come with us, it would be hard to retreat when needed, so I think it¡¯s best to move with a small team.¡± They quickened their pace. Poison Bog. According to the report by the Noblesse Guild, the risk was measured at 4. It was the highest risk of the four sections. However, the monsters that appear here are of the lowest levels within the dungeon. They have only recorded monsters from level 300 to 330. The Noblesse Guild¡¯s raid team consisted of platers above mid-level 300. Looking at their levels compared to the monsters¡¯, you would have thought that they would decide to take the Poison Bog route. However, there was one huge reason why they did not consider passing through here. ¡°Be careful,¡± Jin-woo warned them. ¡°Well¡­¡± The color of the atmosphere changed in the area in front of them. It was covered in green mist. ¡°Is this all poison gas?¡± ¡°Yes, according to a report by the Noblesse Guild, it was said that even protective clothing was not enough to endure this gas.¡± ¡°Huh¡­ so that¡¯s why it was tagged as the highest risk.¡± ¡°How are we going to pass through,¡± Han Yu-ra asked him. ¡°I¡¯m going to pass through.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± The three people looked surprised. Jin-woo activated the map and showed them. ¡°Open the map!¡± Jii-ing! The hologram appeared before their eyes. He reached out and expanded the map of the Poison Bog. ¡°The green dot is where we are now. The black dots here are the locations of the monsters.¡± ¡°What? You have markers for them?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°So, what is this blue dot here?¡± Kim Dae-sung pointed to a place on the map. Jin-woo reached out and touched the point. Then, a window appeared. [Device to deactivate the poison fog.] After seeing the explanation on the window, Han Ji-joon exclaimed. ¡°Wow! It also has the location of the trap and where to unlock it.¡± ¡°Yeah, this is a great item,¡± Kim Dae-sung said in admiration. But Han Yu-ra was silent. After a moment, she asked Jin-woo. ¡°But how do you plan to get there?¡± Jin-woo would have to walk for 30 minutes within the poison fog to reach the device. ¡°The Noblesse Guild reports show that protective clothing can¡¯t stop the poison fog,¡± Han Yu-ra continued. ¡°The player¡¯s defense skills and detoxification skills don¡¯t help either. That¡¯s why they chose a different route.¡± There is no way through using modern science and technology, or a player¡¯s skills. That is why even a giant guild like the Noblesse rated it as the highest risk. The three people turned their eyes to Jin-woo. It seemed that there was really no way. But Jin-woo chose this route, so he should have an answer. ¡°I¡¯ll just pass through it,¡± he said. ¡°What?¡± Jin-woo took a step to the mist, to the shock of Han Yu-ra and the men. ¡°Jin-woo!¡± Jin-woo¡¯s body will soon be eroded in the green mist. According to the report, one Noblesse Guild member who entered the fog melted. Jin-woo will be like that soon¡­ Soon¡­ Soon¡­ SOON¡­ ¡°Why¡­ are you okay?!¡± Han Yu-ra screamed at him. Jin-woo looked unaffected by the mist. He had a golden aura around him. ¡°I have a special skill.¡± [There is no way that poison could hurt you after you.] The swordsman told him. He didn¡¯t have to. [Skill: Geumgang Fireball] [Rating: Legendary] [Effect: It becomes a body through which physical attack does not work. Immunity to all poisons. While using it, it constantly consumes inner air.] It was one of the benefits Jin-woo gained with his legendary skill. ¡°I will go and clear the fog and return.¡± ¡°Alone? Isn¡¯t it dangerous?¡± ¡°When I checked on the map, there are very few monsters in this area. It¡¯s likely because of the mist.¡± It wasn¡¯t just for humans. Even monsters cannot survive in this area. In addition, the monsters he may encounter would be poison-type species, which are useless against Jin-woo¡¯s Geumgang Fireball skill. ¡°I¡¯ll go now.¡± Jin-woo went through the fog of poison and moved inside. Chapter 25 One week. That was it time it took them to breakthrough Poison Bog. Not all problems were solved by lifting the fog. Although they were weaker than in other areas, monsters also existed in this place. It took them longer to move forward as they dealt with the monsters. ¡°That cave,¡± Jin-woo pointed, ¡°is the entrance.¡± It was an ordinary-looking cave, no different from others. But no one doubted him. For a week, they hadn¡¯t been lost in the swamp thanks to the ring¡¯s navigation. It took three months for the huge team of the Noblesse Guild to break through the Green Dragon¡¯s Forest¡­ but we broke through in just a week, Jin-woo thought. It would not have been possible without the ring. [Hmm, the flow of the energy inside seems distorted.] What does that mean? [As soon as you enter the cave, you are likely to fall into a labyrinth. Prepare yourselves for changing terrains.] The swordsman warned him. [It won¡¯t be easy.] Jin-woo looked around his colleagues. ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± he said, then stepped into the cave. Beyond the entrance, there was no light coming in. ¡°It¡¯s normal,¡± Kim Dae-sung said. Darkness was not unusual for caves. [Be careful.] Before he could ask the swordsman, Jin-woo suddenly felt the cave vibrate. Coroorung-! ¡°Earthquake?!¡± a surprised Han Ji-joon shouted. ¡°Stick to me!¡± Jin-woo yelled, and his colleagues went close. Soon, the walls and the ceiling split. Like a cube, the four sides of the cave switched places, moving up and down. ¡°We almost got caught¡­¡± ¡°Um¡­ It¡¯s the first time I saw something like this,¡± Han Ji-joon had a cold sweat, despite having a vast experience in dungeons. Thank you, Master. [Before the labyrinth switches, the flow of energy changes. Focus your mind and let it feel it.] Yes. Jin-woo focused his mind. Then, he felt the flow of the air around him. Left, he thought. The energy on the left feels slightly distorted. At that moment, the ground rose and went up to the ceiling. Right. This time, the wall on the right collapsed. Top. ¡°Fall back!¡± Jin-woo yelled out, and his colleagues immediately jumped backward. Immediately afterward, the ceiling descended and crashed where they had been standing. If they were late for a second, it would have been dangerous. Afterward, Jin-woo was able to confidently follow the changes in the energy and respond safely to the changes in the terrain. The swordsman was amazed as he watched his apprentice¡¯s figure. Humans in this world know the existence of Ki, but they cannot perceive it. However, Jin-woo was accurately detecting it after just hearing his advice. [It¡¯s funny.] What is? [Nothing, focus!] ¡°Jump to the left!¡± Jin-woo yelled, just before the ceiling above their heads crashed. * * * After about 10 minutes, the terrain stopped changing. The first stage is over. ¡°I can¡¯t believe we made past that,¡± Han Ji-joon said, looking back at the cave that continued to move. ¡°What¡¯s our current location?¡± Kim Dae-sung asked. ¡°Open the map!¡± Jin-woo showed them their location, marked with a green dot. ¡°I think we¡¯ve already reached the center of the labyrinth,¡± he explained. ¡°Wow¡­ in just ten minutes.¡± ¡°If there was no map, we would have been in trouble,¡± Han Yu-ra said. ¡°The Noblesse Guild got disconnected after it passed through the Green Dragon¡¯s Forest and reached the labyrinth,¡± she continued. Jin-woo nodded. ¡°Yes. There are four entrances to the labyrinth, one in each section. The Green Dragon¡¯s Forest also had an entrance, and electronic devices must have stopped working after they entered.¡± ¡°Uh, that¡¯s right. The drone is not working anymore,¡± Kim Dae-sung confirmed. ¡°Well¡­ their radios wouldn¡¯t even work.¡± ¡°The main team would have already arrived by the labyrinth. Can you confirm their position using the ring?¡± Jin-woo reached out and zoomed in on the labyrinth area. Then, they saw several blue dots that are separated but seemed to be surrounding one point. ¡°Who could be acting as a central point?¡± Han Ji-joon asked. ¡°It would surely be the master,¡± Han Yu-ra answered. ¡°Mr. Park Tae-sung?¡± ¡°Yes, only Master can cope with such an unexpected situation and control the number of people at once.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± [They have great faith in that child named Park Tae-sung.] I know, right? Park Tae-sung was a legendary figure. First rare item holder; hero item holder. First, who broke through various dungeons. In particular, his achievements made the Taewang Guild a globally-respected guild. ¡°Huh?¡± Kim Dae-sung noticed something. ¡°They are moving,¡± he pointed to the map. Seven blue dots separated from the main team. Jin-woo¡¯s face hardened when he saw where they were going. * * * ¡°Captain, is this the right path?¡± a member asked Hao-jun. ¡°How do I know that?! It¡¯s my first time here, too!¡± The man fell silent at Hao-jun¡¯s raised voice. Damn it, Hao-jun thought. At first, it was easy. Simply follow the trail of the Noblesse Guild. The Noblesse Guild¡¯s support team had their route, so tracking was not difficult. After exiting the Green Dragon¡¯s Forest, they reached the point where the Noblesse Guild lost contact. The traces they left were confusing. Some moved the other way; some moved straight onwards. Their problems started then. As if it was not hard enough, a fog appeared, and they watched their colleagues disappear in it one by one. Eventually, they lost sight of Master Park Tae-sung. There was no way to communicate. Their devices stopped working. ¡°Will the master be okay?¡± ¡°Of course. Master is a monster.¡± ¡°Yes, he¡¯s been through worse.¡± The members talked about Park Tae-sung¡¯s achievements. Hao-jun didn¡¯t like it. I¡¯d rather have Park Tae-sung die here, he thought. Then, the Taewang Guild will naturally come into the hands of the Chinese. It was the best scenario. But first, we have to get out of here. Hao-jun raised his hand as they came across a huge statue. The people who followed him stopped walking in unison. ¡°That¡¯s¡­ ¡­ What?¡± ¡°When did that happen?¡± ¡°It looks old.¡± The statue has a bull¡¯s head on a human torso. It was standing on two bull¡¯s legs. Its muscular human arms carried a huge ax. ¡°Is it for decoration?¡± Suddenly, Courung-! The stone statue shook. And its red eyes glowed. ¡°Damn it! Ready for battle!¡± At Hao-jun¡¯s cry, the players pulled out their weapons all at once. Hao-jun also pulled out a shield engraved with a red dragon. ¡°Koo-oh-oh!¡± The stone statue roared mightily. ¡°Check the level.¡± ¡°Yes¡­ Search!¡± A player with the Search ability used his skill. ¡°What does it say?¡± ¡°Madness¡­ The Minotaur of Madness¡­¡± ¡°What is the level?¡± ¡°It is¡­ 382!¡± Hao-jun¡¯s face hardened. Monsters were categorized as general monsters or named ones. General monsters were not that strong, even at high levels. A player of the same level can catch it alone. However, named monsters have superior stamina, attack, and defense compared to general monsters. It is common knowledge that named monsters can only be caught by 10 players that matched their level. Over 380¡­ Hao-jun¡¯s eyes quickly glanced over the players behind him. There were 7 players, including him. No one was over 380. Thud-! The Minotaur of Madness moved. Damn it. It was the worst-case scenario. * * * Yu-ra looked worried after hearing Jin-woo¡¯s explanation. ¡°What should we do?¡± There is now a huge black dot in front of the seven blue dots on the map. Smaller black dots appeared in front of the other blue dots. Jin-woo touched the huge black dot to confirm the information. [The Minotaur of Madness] [Level: 380] The guardian deities who guarded the labyrinth awakened. Damn it¡­ that¡¯s why I chose to come through the Poison Bog. The safest entrance to the labyrinth was the one in Poison Bog. Jin-woo reached out and zoomed out the map to view the overall appearance of the team. The units are separated all over. If they were in one place, it would have been easier. No matter how fast he could get there, there are limits. He could only use the Red Moon once. Some of the members would die. Some would live. And it was all in Jin-woo¡¯s hands to choose which team survives. [You can save everyone.] How? [I will teach you the second phase of the Red Moon method.] A second phase? [Yeah, I don¡¯t know if you can do it, but in this situation, the second phase would work better than the first phase.] Jin-woo didn¡¯t know what the second phase meant, or how it is different. But right now, it didn¡¯t matter. The only thing he needs to do is to save those people. Teach me, Master. [Good.] * * * The blue dots on the map were disappearing one by one. It wasn¡¯t hard to figure out what that meant. ¡°They¡¯re dying,¡± Han Yu-ra¡¯s voice trembled. Her eyes turned to Jin-woo. He was sitting with his eyes closed. He¡¯s already been in that position for five minutes. She didn¡¯t understand. There are people dying. They need help. How could he rest like that? ¡°We need to go!¡± Han Ji-joon said. Kim Dae-sung also stood by his side. Their colleagues were dying. These are the people who have been with them together since they started in the guild. They couldn¡¯t just sit there waiting for their death. Han Yu-ra bit her lips. ¡°We need to wait for Jin-woo.¡± ¡°What? Are you going to watch your colleagues die?¡± ¡°I want to help, too. But¡­¡± Before they left as a special team, Park Tae-sung spoke with Han-Yura. ¡°If anything happens,¡± he told her, ¡°trust Kang Jin-woo, as much as you trust me.¡± Park Tae-sung told her to trust him. So, she will. As much as she trusted Park Tae-sung. It was then. Whoosh-! A strong breeze passed by the three people. * * * [Focus on your mind.] Jin-woo closed his eyes and concentrated. [Erase everything around you.] Even with my eyes close, he knew there were three people with me. He erased their presence from his thoughts. I¡¯m alone. I¡¯m alone in a space of complete darkness. [Fill the dark space with your inner air.] He slowly spread the inner air within his body. It was as if he dropped white paint on black drawing paper. Gradually, the space was filled with color. [Now, this world is yours. You dominate this space. There is nothing you can¡¯t see.] He opened his eyes and looked down. My world. People are fighting Minotaurs. [Pull your sword.] My sword? [Everyone¡¯s sword.] But¡­ how? [Pull it out.] I understand now. [Skill: You acquired the second phase of the Red Moon Method.] Jin-woo raised his hands. ¡°Sologogu.¡± [Skill: Dokgogu Sword is activated.] [The attack power of the sword increases.] He pulled out all the swords in his world. Tulle-! Dozens of swords flew up all at once. ¡°What¡­ ¡­ what?!¡± ¡°Suddenly, my sword!¡± ¡°How?!¡± He heard people panicking. At the same time, he felt his mana running out quickly. [Use the skill the octopus gave you.] ¡°Infinity Mana!¡± [Skill: Use Infinity Mana.] [You can use the skill without consuming 5 minutes of mana.] Mana was no longer reduced. [Now¡­] The swords that flew began attacking all at once. Swords began to cut down the Minotaurs. They pierced their bodies, cut off their limbs and necks. The Minotaurs tried to fight. However, aiming for only a fast-moving sword was impossible. Their tough stone bodies were cut as easily as tofu. They began to fall one by one. [Level has risen.] Jin-woo heard a system alert whenever a Minotaur falls. He didn¡¯t care. He was too immersed in his world. He can¡¯t lose focus. Puck-! As a sword pierced through the last Minotaur¡¯s head, Jin-woo collapsed. Blah-! ¡°Shhh!¡± Soon, his world dissolved. The place where he was before returned. He was surrounded by Han Ji-joon, Kim Dae-sung, and Han Yu-ra. The swordsman was right beside him. [What a weak guy. Fainting after only a few minutes?] However, the swordsman said it with a smile. [It wasn¡¯t bad for the first time, though.] Jin-woo laughed. [Why did you laugh?] Master, he thought, as his vision blurred. For the first time¡­ you praised me. With that, Jin-woo fell unconscious. Chapter 26 Jin-woo opened his eyes. [Weak guy.] He saw the swordsman sitting in front of him, with his legs crossed. [You¡¯ve been unconscious for a day after using the Red Moon method for three minutes.] He smiled weakly. Isn¡¯t it a miracle to use it for three minutes? [I once handled ten thousand swords at once!] Really? Jin-woo looked at him as if he was bluffing. [What?! You think I¡¯m lying?!] Jin-woo stood up and looked around. Am I in a tent? [Once I get my strength back, I¡¯ll show you. Let¡¯s see if you can still look at me like that.] He walked out of the tent with the swordsman nagging above his head. He saw people moving in a row. Some of them were familiar. They were in the main search team. ¡°Oh, Jin-woo!¡± He turned to see Kim Dae-sung running towards him. ¡°When did you wake up?¡± ¡°Just now¡­ Is everyone safe?¡± ¡°Although there have been casualties, the majority are safe. When the Labyrinth was cleared, the survivors of the Noblesse Guild have been found as well.¡± Jin-woo nodded, looking at some faces which were unfamiliar. They looked like they have suffered a lot. Kim Dae-sung followed his glance. ¡°Because they have been trapped in the labyrinth for nearly two months, they weren¡¯t able to eat properly.¡± Not everyone was saved. Only about 300 people survived. The Noblesse Guild raid had 1,200 members. ¡°Ji-joon and Yu-ra went to a meeting and left me here to wait for you to wake up.¡± ¡°I see.¡± ¡°The Labyrinth was cleared shortly after Jin-woo fell. I heard people say that their swords suddenly flew up and cut the Minotaurs. They have been on the lookout for quite a long time to see if there were ghost monsters.¡± Ghost monsters. They might think so. From their point of view, the swords were moving at will. ¡°Perhaps¡­¡± Kim Dae-sung trailed off. ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°Did you do it?¡± Dae-sung asked him carefully. Jin-woo understood the tone. Skills were the players¡¯ main weapons. There was no reason to expose your weapons to someone who was not a close friend. It doesn¡¯t matter, Jin-woo thought. ¡°Yes,¡± he answered, then went back inside the tent. From behind, Kim Dae-sung was yelling in amazement. ¡°Oh oh oh!¡± He ignored it. He needed to rest. He¡¯s becoming nauseous again. [Ah, your mental strength is too weak.] Yes¡­ yes¡­ Jin-woo was too weak to speak anymore and crashed down on the cot. *** Main camp. The meeting is over, and most of the people left the room. Han Yu-ra remained with Park Tae-sung. ¡°I¡¯m glad there wasn¡¯t much damage,¡± she said. ¡°We lost Hao-jun.¡± Hao-jun is a player whose level is on the high 300s. It was a blow to the guild. ¡°Because he¡¯s from Lin Xiao¡¯s side, it could be beneficial to you, Master.¡± ¡°All players are precious. Especially the high-level ones. We¡¯ll need them in the future.¡± Park Tae-sung got up from his seat, before continuing. ¡°What about the video?¡± ¡°Oh, here it is.¡± Han Yu-ra took off her glasses and placed it on the table. When she pressed a small groove on the frame, a holographic image was projected. The video contained the movement of Jin-woo¡¯s team as it went through the Poison Bog and the Labyrinth. It contained everything, even the scene where Jin-woo stayed in a sitting position without moving. Park Tae-sung took another pair of glasses from his pocket and projected the holographic image from the main team. He quickly fast-forwarded the video, and upon reaching a certain section, he paused it. Then, he played the two images simultaneously. In the video taken by Han Yu-ra, Jin-woo was sitting with his eyes closed. In the video, he took was the scene against the Minotaurs. Then, in the video, Jin-woo reached out. At the same time, the swords of those who were facing the Minotaurs soared into the air. When Jin-woo moved his hand, the swords attacked the Minotaurs. ¡°What¡­ did Jin-woo do it?¡± Han Yu-ra gasped. ¡°I think so,¡± Park Tae-sung¡¯s lips curled with delight. The evidence was clear. It had been a long time since Han Yu-ra saw her Master look that way. ¡°Let¡¯s continue keeping an eye on him.¡± ¡°Do we need to? I know for sure he had nothing to do with Lin Xiao, and he hadn¡¯t been in contact with other guilds¡­¡± ¡°You misunderstood. It¡¯s not about surveillance, but about watching him.¡± Han Yu-ra¡¯s brows furrowed. Isn¡¯t that the same, she thought. She wanted to clarify, but she couldn¡¯t because Park Tae-sung suddenly turned away. In that state, he won¡¯t answer questions anymore. She knew him well. ¡°Hoo¡­ I see.¡± She sighed and made her way out of the tent. * * * It took two days before his condition returned to perfection. No more headaches. [My disciple is so weak¡­] He continued to ignore the swordsman. [Hey!] ¡°Ugh?¡± Jin-woo raised his face, surprised at the swordsman¡¯s reaction. [Why do you act as if you don¡¯t hear me?] If you keep doing that, I¡¯ll change the wi-fi password. [Hmm¡­ stop your useless talk and check the sword.] Sword? [Yes! The level would have risen.] [Sleeping Sword] [Level: 101] [Attack Power: 120] [Durability: ?] [A sword that grows with you. Obtain 10% of the user¡¯s experience.] [Special Skill: Ultimate Sword] A new skill¡­ He checked the information. [Special skill: Ultimate Sword] [To express the full power of the swordsman. The power that can be used by the sword is determined in proportion to the user¡¯s inner air ability.] What does that mean? [It means that my sealed power can now be unleashed.] Oh, does it mean you¡¯re not sealed anymore? [Yes.] Shall we try? [Foohahaha! The man who only lasted 3 minutes! You can¡¯t take it.] He made that suggestion with good intention. Jin-woo looked offended as the swordsman continued laughing. Suddenly, he heard a familiar voice. ¡°Jin-woo, are you inside?¡± ¡°Yes, come in.¡± Familiar faces came inside the tent. Han Ji-joon, Kim Dae-sung, and Han Yu-ra. ¡°The meeting is done, we wanted to check on you and share the results.¡± ¡°Is this another meeting?¡± ¡°I have something to discuss with you,¡± Han Yu-ra said as she sat down. ¡°What¡¯s going on? Aren¡¯t we going home now?¡± The goal has been achieved. They have found the Noblesse Guild. Although they weren¡¯t able to rescue everyone, Oliver, the Noblesse Guild Master, was one of the survivors. ¡°Well, things are now a little different,¡± Kim Dae-sung looked away as he spoke. Han Yu-ra continued. ¡°Master Oliver said that now the Labyrinth has been cleared, the dungeon is almost 80% clear. If we go a little further, we will be able to conquer it.¡± ¡°Well, can the Noblesse Guild, who owns the right to the dungeon, be able to attack again? They lost a lot of core manpower.¡± ¡°The Noblesse Guild side has proposed collaboration.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll discuss the details, but the main thing is that we¡¯re going to clear the dungeon.¡± ¡°Why? Everyone must have been very tired.¡± The search period alone took over a month. It has been two months since the Noblesse Guild entered the Labyrinth. The situation has been physically and mentally devastating for everyone. Still, the Noblesse Guild wanted to clear the dungeon? ¡°It¡¯s their only chance¡­¡± Han Yu-ra said. ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°With this attack, the Noblesse Guild lost its core power. The damage can¡¯t be undone. If they returned without conquering the dungeon, there would be nothing left for them but to shut down the guild.¡± ¡°Will clearing the dungeon make a difference?¡± ¡°Yes. It would give them a powerful title. Master Oliver has one purpose. To take the title of being the first guild to conquer a level 400 dungeon, and regain the support of the British Government and other companies who might sponsor them.¡± ¡°For the reconstruction of the guild?¡± ¡°It may be the reason now. Over time, there may be a lot more benefit to him.¡± Jin-woo¡¯s head hurt as Han Yu-ra discussed the politics behind this dungeon. [Simply think about it this way. You gained enormous wealth just because you were the first who had a legendary skill in this world.] Well¡­ [Humans are obsessed with being the first.] The swordsman¡¯s explanation helped Jin-woo understand. ¡°So, we¡¯re not going home yet?¡± ¡°Yes. I don¡¯t know how Master Park Tae-sung would decide, but I think the decision-making alone will take a few more days.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Jin-woo was worried about his brother alone at home. Sun-woo is a smart kid, but he couldn¡¯t help worrying about him. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it be better to leave now, regroup, and attack it later? I don¡¯t know why we have to collaborate with Noblesse,¡± Kim Dae-sung asked. Han Ji-joon answered him. ¡°Look closely at the dungeon report. This is a reset-type dungeon.¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± Reset-type dungeon. It is a type that occasionally appears in dungeons above level 300. The Dragon¡¯s Nest is one of them. If there is no boss attack after a certain period, the terrain will be reset, and the monsters will respawn. There will be a high probability that the casualties would only increase if they postpone the attack. ¡°And Master seems to be focused on another thing rather than the strategy,¡± Yu-ra said. She works with Park Tae-sung closely, so her words had credibility. ¡°Another thing?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure what it is, but I noticed he¡¯s not entirely focused¡­¡± A strange voice suddenly came from outside the tent. ¡°Mr. Kang Jin-woo, are you there?¡± When they opened the entrance, a man was standing outside. ¡°I¡¯ve been sent by Master Park Tae-sung. He wants to talk to you.¡± * * * Main camp. When Jin-woo entered the tent, he found Park Tae-sung and a white man. The man who looked handsome shook his hand. ¡°I am Oliver of the Noblesse Guild.¡± He knew. He had seen this man¡¯s face on various media. ¡°I¡¯m Kang Jin-woo.¡± ¡°It¡¯s an honor to meet a legendary skill holder. I definitely wanted to meet you.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s sit down and talk,¡± Park Tae-sung said. When each of them was seated comfortably, Park Tae-sung went straight to the main subject. ¡°You may have heard about it, but the Noblesse Guild is asking for a collaboration. We will be finishing the dungeon attack together.¡± ¡°I heard.¡± ¡°I want this to be quick. I want to check certain information before deciding on the collaboration. According to Yu-ra, you can know the monster¡¯s information through your ring. Is that true?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°What? How is that possible?¡± Oliver¡¯s eyes were wide open. It seemed to Jin-woo that it¡¯s best to show him than explain. ¡°Open the map!¡± The ring projected a 3D map. ¡°Huh¡­ it¡¯s so detailed.¡± Oliver laughed. They spent a lot of manpower and money to create a map of the dungeon. Jin-woo manipulated the map and zoomed in to a large red dot. When he touched it, a window popped up. [Can not read information] It was unexpected. It¡¯s the first time he received that notification. The Minotaur, the guardian of the Labyrinth, had detailed information. Park Tae-sung asked him, ¡°Had it ever done this before?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s the first time. The Minotaur¡¯s information was immediately available. Strange.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s strange.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°It could be the final boss of the dungeon, or where the mana stone is kept.¡± ¡°Well¡­ whatever it is, it seems dangerous.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± ¡°Yes. When the Minotaur of Madness appeared on the map, it is marked by a black dot of this size¡­¡± Jin-woo made a small sphere with his index finger and thumb. It was about the size of a grape. ¡°But this red dot here¡­¡± He pointed to the glowing dot on the map. ¡°It¡¯s almost the size of an apple.¡± It was several times larger than the Minotaur. ¡°So,¡± Jin-woo added, ¡°if you decide to attack, we must prepare thoroughly.¡± Park Tae-sung smiled. ¡°Thank you for the information. It was a great help. You can go back and rest.¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Jin-woo stepped out of the tent. As he headed towards his tent, he looked up at a mountain far away. It was where the red dot was located. Master. [Yes?] What is in there? [You are taking it for granted.] What? [What is the name of this dungeon?] Dragon¡¯s Nest¡­ an elemental dragon? [I¡¯m excited to see it. Dragons look different in my world.] Huh, I just want to go home. Jin-woo felt his heart beat faster. Is he nervous? Afraid? He didn¡¯t know. But he started running. [Clap! Go!] The swordsman urged his steps, smiling meaningfully. Jin-woo ran into the night. Chapter 27 The base camp is a hive buzzing with activity. Supplies were coming in from outside the dungeon, and members were organizing them inside the camp. Weapons and new personnel arrived one after another. ¡°I think we¡¯re going to attack,¡± Kim Dae-sung grumbled as they watched the scene. He was opposed to the attack from the beginning. ¡°I don¡¯t know what Master is thinking,¡± he continued. ¡°Hmm, Dae-sung. How many times have you been on an attack with Master commanding?¡± Han Yu-ra disagreed with Dae-sung¡¯s line of thinking. ¡°Yes? Once.¡± Kim Dae-sung¡¯s level is no different from Jin-woo¡¯s. On the other hand, he had been in the guild for about ten years, like Han Yu-ra. From the beginning, Yu-ra had been with Park Tae-sung through several dungeon attacks. So, her level of acceptance is different from Dae-sung. ¡°There must be a reason why Master wanted to push through with the attack.¡± ¡°What could it be?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know in particular, but I know Master.¡± Nevertheless, the two people seemed not to be anxious about the attack. Their reactions are polar opposites. [Interesting.] Jin-woo and the swordsman were watching them. Obviously, the members of the guild are also divided internally, such as in Dae-sung¡¯s and Yu-ra¡¯s situation. However, Master Park Tae-sung pushed ahead. The backlash from the Chinese was expected to be severe, but for some reason, they were quiet this time. Jin-woo assumed that there had been some sort of negotiation that happened behind the scenes. [Stop worrying and start preparing.] That¡¯s right. The decision has already been made. If successful, the participants on the attack will be rewarded according to the contract. Park Tae-sung will have the first choice amongst the loot. That choice was delegated to Jin-woo. It would be nice if a legendary skill comes out. [Are there any skills you would like to learn?] No, I¡¯m going to give it to Sun-woo. If he can get stronger, he¡¯ll be safer. [Right.] Jin-woo didn¡¯t feel greedy about legendary skills because he knows where he can get them regularly. [Let¡¯s check the weapon the rat gave you.] Okay. He opened the inventory and took out the Dragon Blade. Even with its physical appearance, the Dragon Blade is obviously not an ordinary item. It was shining with golden light. Jin-woo preferred to keep it inside the inventory to avoid questions about it. But now is a good time to take them out. Because they will face a dragon soon. ¡°Check items.¡± A hologram window appeared in front of him. [Dragon Blade] [Rating: Legendary] [A sword made from a mixture of dragon bones.] [Physical attack power: 1,070] [Power: 570] [Agility: 320] [Health: 600] [Mana: 430] [Special Skill: Dragon Peer] [Special Skill 2: Dragon Shield] [Special Skill 3: Dragon Slayer] Jin-woo felt great as he checked the stats. It really suited the ¡®legendary¡¯ rating. Excalibur would have around the same stats, right? [Yes. Because they have the same grade, it would be similar.] When Jin-woo met Oliver, he was impressed by the great white sheath on his back. He had seen him with the sword through various media in the past. He was wondering what skills it could perform. Well, Excalibur is Excalibur. I must check my own weapon. ¡°Check skills.¡± Three windows appeared simultaneously. [Skill: Dragon Peer] [Legendary Weapon Exclusive Skill] [Use Dragon Peer to reduce the attack power and defense of monsters and make them rigid.] [Range: 1©N] [Number of uses: 2 times] [Cool Time: 24 hours ] [Skill: Dragon Shield] [Legendary Weapon Exclusive Skill] [Dragon Shield is deployed to defend against attacks. Defends all attacks up to 7,000 damage.] [Range: 500m] [Number of uses: 1 time] [Cool time: 24 hours] Both skills were good. Dragon Peer was suitable for large-scale battles. If all the monsters they would face gets within 1km range, he could make them rigid. That could secure an early victory. Dragon Shield was also a very good defense skill. It had a wide range and can block up to 7,000 damage. That¡¯s around 4-5 attacks from a hero rating weapon or skill. Lastly¡­ Jinwoo checked the last skill. [Skill: Dragon Slayer] [Legendary Weapon Only Skill] [Temporarily gain the power of a legendary dragon slayer warrior.] [All users¡¯ abilities increase by 500%.] [Range: Individual] [Number of uses: 1 time] [Retention time: 5 minutes] [Caution: After a single use, the skill will disappear.] A 500% increase in all abilities¡­ It was almost cheating. It was a single-use skill, though, probably to compensate for the overpowered ability that was attached to the weapon. Single-use. The last phrase was stuck on Jin-woo¡¯s mind. After using it, the skill disappears forever. This is not my sword. It was a borrowed weapon. He wouldn¡¯t want to use the skill if it could degrade the sword¡¯s performance afterward. [Ah! Don¡¯t be a stupid disciple. Do you think the rat would give you this sword without knowing about that?] What do you mean? [He won¡¯t care if you used that skill. Stop that useless worrying.] The swordsman¡¯s words made him feel comfortable. I think I can really catch a dragon with this. [It¡¯s not that easy.] What? [It won¡¯t be an easy fight.] The swordsman¡¯s voice was firm. Jin-woo felt nervous. * * * The raid team left the base camp after a week of preparation. Their route was set through the Green Dragon¡¯s Forest. With the Labyrinth cleared, it was the easiest and fastest route. It took only two days to reach the Labyrinth. When Jin-woo arrived at the place where he helped the other guild members, he was amazed. I didn¡¯t notice it at that time because I was too focused on the Red Moon. The size of the Labyrinth was only about two football fields. [It doesn¡¯t take a lot of space to confuse people.] The raid team took a night¡¯s rest in the Labyrinth. The next day, the raid group was divided into three teams before heading for the mountain range. Jin-woo couldn¡¯t figure out why they have divided up so soon. The mountain range was about two days away. Dividing the troops too soon seems to be risky. [Be careful.] Yes? As the swordsman spoke, Park Tae-sung, who was leading the groups, raised his right hand. It was the hand signal to stop. Everyone quickly stopped walking. Jin-woo, who was in the frontline along with Park Tae-sung, saw the reason why they were asked to stop. A man was sitting about 300m in front of them. He seemed to be camping, with a campfire in front of him. It was suspicious. A campfire in front of a mountain range with dragons? Ridiculous. Everyone has drawn out their weapons. Jin-woo¡¯s eyes turned to Park Tae-sung, admiring his great insight. [It wasn¡¯t just great insight.] Then, what is it? [Well¡­ First, focus on the enemy in front of you.] At the words of the swordsman, Jin-woo stared at the man in their path. The man slowly got up from his seat. ¡°I didn¡¯t want to see my house break down. I came down to greet the guests.¡± Despite the distance, the man¡¯s voice was clearly heard. Everyone then knew who the man really was. Park Tae-sung raised his hand to his ear, gesturing to the group to wait for the hand signal. At that moment, Oliver also moved. Thung-! He pulled out Excalibur. ¡°The King¡¯s Blessing!¡± As he cried out, white flashes of light spread out in all directions. [Skill: The King¡¯s Blessing applies.] [All stats increase by 30%.] [Retention time: 120 minutes] This¡­ Excalibur¡¯s exclusive skill. A skill that increases the abilities of the user¡¯s allies. With this, Oliver has grown the Noblesse Guild into one of the best in the world. Park Tae-sung then cried out as well. ¡°Fire Mana Cannon!¡± Blue flashes coming in from the left flew and struck the place where the strange man stood. Mana cannon. One of the strongest hybrid weapons that combine technology and human abilities. The user¡¯s mana and the mana stones on the weapon are synergized and amplified the power of the weapon. The power was comparable to a rare skill. In addition, the Tae-wang Guild developed it further. Their Magic Team was deployed to handle the weapons so the power would be greater. As a result, the power was comparable to a hero-grade skill. With a weapon like this, they have enough power to change the flow of battle. It was then. The man soared through the air as the blue flashes hit the ground, spreading clouds of dirt. ¡°Two wave launch!¡± The mana cannons were then aimed at the air as if they have expected the man¡¯s movement. With Park Tae-sung¡¯s command, the blue lights flashed and hit the man in the air. [It¡¯s a great power.] The swordsman admired it. The attack power was comparable to several hero-grade attacks. [But there¡¯s not much damage.] As the clouds of dust cleared, the man was revealed. He had a purple sphere around him. ¡°It¡¯s a good attack,¡± he spoke. ¡°This time¡­¡± ¡°Three wave launch!¡± Park Tae-sung shouted before the man¡¯s words were over. More mana cannons fired this time. Quark-! The man was once again covered in a fog of dust and smoke. ¡°It¡¯s rude¡­¡± the man¡¯s voice can be heard through the fog. ¡°to attack while I am speaking.¡± Whoo-! A strong wind burst from his position. The dust and smoke quickly dissipated. The man was gone. In his place was a black dragon larger than an airplane. Elemental Dragon. ¡°Maryong¡­¡± someone who had a search skill blurted out the dragon¡¯s name. Cour-! The dragon¡¯s mouth opened. Black flames began to gather in his throat. Everyone was on high alert. One of a dragon¡¯s strongest weapons was his breath. ¡°Three teams, ready!¡± Park Tae-sung¡¯s voice rang out. ¡°Stay back!¡± The black flames burst forth. Jin-woo hurriedly took out the Dragon Blade from his inventory. The Dragon Shield would make a great defense against the dragon¡¯s breath. At that moment, though, several things flew in front of them. Drones? They look thinner and longer than regular drones. They quickly flew in front of Team 1. Ji-ing! Each device radiated light, connecting to each other. Like a net. A giant blue net covered Team 1¡¯s front. Kwa-kwa-kwa-kwa-! The dragon¡¯s breath struck the net with tremendous power, sending dust clouds into the air. As it did, the Team 2 released a volley of mana cannons again. Kwa-kwa-kwa-kwa-! With the size of their target, it was hard for them to hit. Maryong was accurately hit. ¡°Okay!¡± The sky began to darken as the battle heated up. Team 1 was safe, thanks to the drone-like devices. Team 2 was successful with their counter-attack. The swordsman glanced up at the dark clouds, then stared back at Maryong. [It seems that the attack only made it angrier.] ¡°Foolish humans! Abandon the thought of quick death!¡± The dragon¡¯s eyes flashed. A violent earthquake occurred, and cracks began to form on the ground. Skeletons with red glow began to rise from the cracks. That wasn¡¯t the end of it. Numerous demon creatures slowly climbed out of the cracks as well. Giant earthworms. Wizards in black robes. Black wizards. Hundreds of them. They look exactly like the one Jin-woo met in the Dragon Canyon. Fortunately, they didn¡¯t have skeleton dragons with them this time. It was then. ¡°Powersuit Team, advance!¡± From Teams 2 and 3, several groups of people moved forward. They were wearing mechanical clothing. The dragon¡¯s voice boomed out. ¡°Kill them!¡± His monster troops rushed. One of the men in mechanical suits placed his hands on the ground. Kwajik-! When he lifted his hands, he carried a huge chunk of soil and rocks. He threw it to the rushing monsters. Quark-! The skeletons were shattered upon impact as if they have been hit by a bomb. ¡°Combat begins!¡± The members in mechanical suits began rushing towards the monster troops. Jin-woo was amazed at the sight. So, this is how the Taewang Guild looks like in battle. It was more incredible than what he had seen in videos. It seemed that they have prepared for everything. Park Tae-sung was indeed a remarkable commander. It was not hard to understand why Han Ji-joon and Han Yu-ra trusted him completely. If you¡¯ve been watching this for ten years¡­ you will have no choice but believe in Park Tae-sung. [Disciple, the fight is not over yet.] Yes, I know. The fight has just begun. Chapter 28 A massive battle began. Each team entered the battle in accord with the monsters¡¯ offensive. Those wearing power suits acted as tanks and dealt with the monsters from the front. ¡°Bash!¡± Kwajik-! Han Ji-joon swung his shield. Skeletons shattered, and bone fragments scattered in the air. ¡°Dragon¡­¡± Kim Dae-sung stayed back as he gathered energy. ¡°Kick!¡± Kwajijik-! A skeleton¡¯s head was smashed by his kick. ¡°Kick! Kick! Kick!¡± As he spun and continuously kicked, monsters continued to fall around him. ¡°Abyo!¡± Kim Dae-sung, who burst into a strange sound as if possessed by Bruce Lee, looked down at his power suit. ¡°It¡¯s amazing!¡± Power suit. As the name suggests, it was a suit that increased the wearer¡¯s physical ability. It contains skill amplification effects from mana stones. It was excellent in defense and was the strongest auxiliary item for a close-range dealer. Its only flaw was the limited effectivity. Once the mana stone¡¯s mana runs out, the skill amplification effect disappears. When the fuel ran out, it was just another heavy armor. ¡°Daesung! On your right!¡± ¡°What?¡± Kim Dae-sung¡¯s head turned. A Dark Worm was rushing towards him. It was too late to avoid. Kim Dae-sung crossed his arms. It was then. Worry-! A blue flash broke through the air. Then, the dark worm split in two. ¡°Are you okay?¡± ¡°Ah! Jin-woo! Thank¡­¡± ¡°Get down!¡± As he spoke, Jin-woo was already lifting his sword. Kim Dae-sung hurriedly lowered his upper body. Jin-woo¡¯s sword passed over his back. Kwak-! The heavy body of the Dark Ogre standing behind Dae-sung was split horizontally. ¡°¡­ ¡­ Thank you.¡± Jin-woo wasn¡¯t even wearing a power suit. Nevertheless, he was cutting more monsters than anyone else. ¡°Look out.¡± Jin-woo hit the ground. His sword, glowing golden, continued to slash around. Each time, the monsters were cut like tofu. He¡¯s really great, Dae-sung thought Park Tae-sung is a hero to Han Ji-joon. On the other hand, for Kim Dae-sung, the hero was Kang Jin-woo. With overwhelming force, he plays a large part in the battle against these monsters. He has the appearance of a hero, too. Kwajik-! Kim Dae-sung, who crushed down a running skeleton, glanced once more at Jin-woo¡¯s back. At least I have to watch him with my own eyes. To be able to do that, he had to be stronger. It¡¯s the only way he could stand by the man who will be strong in the future. ¡°Dragon Kick!¡± Kwajijijik-! Skeletons got thrown in the air with the impact of another spinning kick. Strangely, that kick seemed like it had more power. * * * Kwak-! The dark worm¡¯s body split in half. How many have I killed? Jin-woo wondered. I can¡¯t remember now. Thanks to the use of Dokgogu sword, the monsters could be cut with a single blow. But their numbers seemed endless. I¡¯d rather cut that one. He looked up and stared at the dragon. [The only thing that can cut him is the Dragon Slayer skill. But can you do it in one blow?] I can¡¯t guarantee it. Only one chance. The risk was too great. So, I couldn¡¯t act. [Look at it. His movement is also weird.] Definitely. In the beginning, the dragon breathed fire and made the battlefield tense. After that, he summoned the monster army. But from then on, it was weird. He didn¡¯t come down from the sky. Why? [It may take time to recharge.] Charging time? [If the smartphone continues to consume energy, it needs to be charged.] You sound like a modern person. [Ahem! Your Master is quick to adjust.] It seems like you¡¯re just addicted to smartphones. [What?!] Kwajik-! Jin-woo swung his sword once more. A Hellhound, who was approaching as quietly as it could, was split in half. So, if I listen to your words, it meant that he cannot attack using the fire breathe right now. There was no answer. That¡¯s what you¡¯re saying, isn¡¯t it? It was quiet again this time. You are truly a master. How did you just figure that out just by looking at it? [Hmm!] The dragon seems to be waiting for something. [It looks like you guys are preparing something on the left.] Jin-woo glanced at the left, where Team 2 is. He saw two teams connecting the mana cannons, as if they are combining the cannons into one. Is it possible to amplify the damage by connecting the cannons? Jin-woo had never heard of it. He wished that they have used it in the beginning, if it was possible. The mana cannons alone had a great deal of damage. Why didn¡¯t they use that in the beginning? [Because the dragon wouldn¡¯t have waited for them to connect those cannons.] Whoo-! [It moves.] The dragon flapped its wings. -The magic dragon Maryong is now moving. Everyone be on the lookout! Park Tae-sung¡¯s voice rang through everyone¡¯s earpieces. Maryong. That was his name. That was all that had been revealed through Search. Everything else, including its level, appeared as unknown. ¡°This boring fight¡­¡± Maryong opened its mouth. The earth trembled as its heavy voice echoed in the plain. ¡°Let¡¯s finish it.¡± Kurrureung-! The ground shook. Is it a monster army again? No. The source of the earthquake was not underfoot. ¡°The mountains¡­¡± Beyond Maryong¡¯s colossal form, something seemed to be moving in the mountain range. Soon, dozens of black objects in the mountains soared into the air. The objects flew to Maryong¡¯s side. ¡°Crazy¡­¡± Profanity flowed from someone¡¯s mouth. This is a really crazy situation. ¡°Dozens of dragons¡­¡± Dozens of dragons were flapping their wings in the air. They were smaller than Maryong, but still appear to be full-grown dragons. ¡°Nonsense¡­¡± ¡°How to are we supposed to overcome this¡­?¡± The raiders who were fighting the monster army seemed to begin losing focus. [I wonder if he would have expected this, too.] Jin-woo looked at Park Tae-sung at the words of the swordsman. He looked the same as usual. Did he really expect this? [My disciple.] Yes? [Are you just going to be a spectator?] It was as if an invisible dagger was stabbed in Jin-woo¡¯s heart. [If my disciple deserves to be my disciple!] Threung-! Jin-woo pulled out the Dragon Blade. [Lead the battle!] ¡°Yes!¡± Bang-! Jin-woo hit the ground. In an instant, he threw his sword and jumped about ten meters high. Using the sword in the air as a stepping stone, he made another leap. [Start!] Kurrureung-! Jin-woo raised the sword in the air. [Skill: Heavenly Devil is activated.] A red air current flowed around Jinwoo¡¯s body floating in the air. Its appearance was similar to that of the devil. Kwajik-! Jin-woo struck a dragon¡¯s head near him. ¡°Quaeeek!¡± It fell to the ground with a shrill scream. Bang-! The ground shook as its massive body hit the ground. A red current followed it down to the ground, the red light shining amidst the dust. It was Jin-woo. Seeing one of its subordinates at swordpoint, Maryong¡¯s eyes opened wide in anger. ¡°Come on, you lizard,¡± Jin-woo taunted. ¡°How dare you!¡± Grizz-! Then, a blue light shone. Jin-woo turned his head to the direction of the blue light. The mana cannons that have been connected radiated blue light. ¡°The King¡¯s Protection!¡± He heard Oliver yell, and Excalibur shined again. [Skill: The King¡¯s Protection is applied.] [All stats increase by 30%.] [Retention time: 120 minutes] A golden glow flashed from all allies¡¯ bodies. Afterwards, Park Tae-sung¡¯s cry came. ¡°Mana Interlock Cannon Ready!¡± Jiing-! Kurururu-! Maryong also moved, charging a fire breathe. Jin-woo stretched out his Dragon Blade. ¡°Dragon Fear!!¡± [Skill: Use Dragon Fear.] ¡°Okay!¡± At the moment, all the dragons and monsters, including Maryong, froze on their spot. Park Tae-sung did not miss the opening. ¡°Launch!¡± Just in time, the massive connected cannon fired. A beam of flash hits Maryong and the dragons. Kwa Kwa Kwa Kwak-! There was a huge explosion. With the violent explosion, the monster army was swept away by the massive storm of energy. The attack squad also couldn¡¯t withstand the storm began to get carried away. ¡°Lift up the shield! Endure the storm!¡± The tankers shouted here and there. Those who wore power suits blocked the front and prevented their colleagues from flying away. The shielding devices also interlocked once more and formed a vast shield to protect the group. After a while. After the storm disappeared, the calm came. Most of the monster army was caught in the storm and got carried away. The attack team did not seem to have any damage, but the battle was far from over. It¡¯s amazing, Jin-woo thought, as he watched some dragons from the mountains dissolved. Bodies of dragons, including Maryong, were also scattered on the ground. How did they make such a weapon? It was the first time he had seen a weapon of such power. It was not even mentioned to the press. ¡°Gaso-! It is finally over.¡± One of the raiders walked toward Maryong. He tapped his feet on Maryon¡¯s bloody face, as if to check if it was still alive. ¡°Hey-! It¡¯s dangerous!¡± ¡°What if you it wake up?!¡± Colleagues warned him. However, the man seemed to enjoy the attention, and he kicked Maryon¡¯s face harder. Puck-! ¡°What is dangerous¡­ ¡­ .¡± Kwajik-! That was it. The man¡¯s upper body disappeared. He could not even scream. Maryong raised its head and ate the man. Quad deuk-! Quad deuk-! ¡°Uh¡­ ¡­ Ahhhhhh!¡± ¡°He is alive!¡± ¡°Damn it! I thought it was dead!¡± ¡°But¡­ it can¡¯t even get up!¡± The crew¡¯s words were true. Maryong didn¡¯t even get up properly and appeared to be severely injured that it could only move its head. [That¡¯s great vitality.] There was admiration in the swordsman¡¯s voice. I have to finish it. Jin-woo had prepared for an emergency. The moment to use the True Moon. ¡°Kill it!¡± ¡°Revenge!¡± ¡°I will kill it with my hand!¡± The crew rushed to Maryong to avenge their colleague. ¡°I have to kill this monster.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s hit it once more!¡± ¡°You have to get experience!¡± With different motives, the raiders charged at the fallen dragon, like a swarm of ants. I could not use the True Moon like this. It was then. Quad deuk-! ¡°Uh¡­ ¡­ Ahhhhhh!¡± ¡°What, what?!¡± Maryong moved again. ¡°This, this motherfucker ¡­ it¡¯s eating its kindred!¡± It was chewing on the body of a dead dragon. The raiders who saw the taboo scene were frozen in shock. A few of them, faithful to their desires, continued to pierce Maryon¡¯s body with weapons. Suddenly, black tentacles protruded from Maryong¡¯s body. The tentacles devoured the dragon¡¯s corpses in no time. Dozens of dragon corpses disappeared in no time. Grungy-! Maryong¡¯s body suddenly swelled up like a balloon. As it grew, the raiders got terrified and began to run away. Then, Maryong¡¯s body shone with such an intense light that Jin-woo had to close his eyes. People instinctively covered their eyes as well. After a while. As the light disappeared, one or two people opened their eyes. ¡°Uh?¡± ¡°Where did it go?¡± They discovered that Maryong had disappeared. The massive monster that turned as huge as a mountain disappeared in an instant. In its place was a different entity. Height of about two meters. Dark skin. Purple eyes like those of reptiles. Even the tail of a long snake. It¡¯s the first time they saw that monster, but everyone realized who it was. It was Maryong. It raised its head. Quad deuk-! Kwajik-! A creepy sound echoed through the plains. Raiders who were within its range suddenly fell, their heads rolling off their bodies. ¡°Don¡¯t think about returning from here alive,¡± the creature declared to the terrified teams in front of it. [Disciple.] Yes. [Give it all from the start.] It was the first time the swordsman said that. [Otherwise.] The swordsman¡¯s expression turned more serious than ever. [Everyone here dies.] If Master acknowledged the enemy¡­ that alone meant it was terrifying, Jin-woo thought. [You are still in your advantage. Do you know why?] The enemy¡­ The Dragon Blade in his hand seemed to pulse. ¡­doesn¡¯t know my abilities yet. [That is correct. You have to be fast.] Jin-woo began manipulating his inner air, as the swordsman taught him. [Don¡¯t give him a break.] When he was ready to move, the creature suddenly opened its mouth. Black energy in the form of a sphere formed in front of it. Then, it burst out in a straight line towards them. ¡°Dragon Shield!!¡± Jin-woo urgently lifted the sword. Red light from the sword scattered in all directions, drawing a huge magical shield over the raid teams. Shortly thereafter, a black ray collided with the magic shield. Kwa Kwa Kwa Kwa Kwang! [Skill: Dragon Shield has disappeared.] The shield was destroyed with just one attack. It means that seven thousand damage was contained in one of those rays. [Do it!] He had fended off the first attack and wasn¡¯t intending to wait for another. I¡¯m sorry, Mr. Rat. I¡¯ll pay you back somehow. ¡°Dragon Slayer!¡± [Skill: Uses Dragon Slayer.] The red light that started from the sword flowed down like liquid and spread through his body. [All stats of the user are increased by 500%.] He felt his power rising. His mana seemed to overflow. He¡¯s seeing things that were not previously visible. He¡¯s hearing things that he hadn¡¯t heard before. It was a deluge of sensations. Then. His head cleared. It was done. ¡°Infinity Mana.¡± [Skill: Uses Infinity Mana.] Five minutes. He had to finish him in five minutes. Jin-woo¡¯s gaze met with Maryong, who seemed to know who his opponent is. He reached out his hand. Wooh-! All the swords of the raid team soared into the air at once. Previously, he handled dozens of swords. This time, there were hundreds. A curtain of swords spread in the air. With another gesture from Jin-woo, they all came flying to Maryong at once. Maryong stretched out both arms. Black energy shook his body. The black energy soon became magical whips that blocked the flying swords. Kwa Kwa Kwa Kwang-! The clash of swords and whips. Each time they collide, there was an explosion. The explosions were enough to damage the raid. ¡°Be careful!¡± ¡°Stay back!¡± The commanders who quickly noticed it ordered retreat. Only Maryong and Jin-woo remained on the battlefield. A deadly sword and whip battle. Jin-woo reached out again. This time, the Mana Interlock Cannon flew to him. He held it in one hand and filled it with mana. Wow-! Raymond¡¯s face paled with surprise. ¡°How is he carrying it with one hand?!¡± It was Raymond who developed the Mana Cannon. Park Tae-sung had the same question. It was his idea to create a mana cannon as an ultimate weapon. So, he knew how heavy it was. It needed dozens of players to carry it. It didn¡¯t end there. ¡°It can only be activated when dozens of players above level 300 have infused mana on it¡­ Doing it alone¡­¡± Grizz-! The cannon fired. It was a red flash, not blue like before. Maryong also responded. Its abdomen cracked, revealing sharp teeth. It had another mouth on its body, and purple energy blasted out of it. The red energy and the purple beam soon collided. ¡°Defense!¡± Park Tae-sung shouted urgently, as the collision could damage the raid. Meanwhile, Jin-woo once again prepared to attack. Three minutes left. He injected mana again into the cannon. Tuk-! Tuk-! Flames and smoke sprang out of the cannon¡¯s body as if it was overloaded. It was designed for single-charged attacks. It didn¡¯t matter to Jin-woo. I didn¡¯t intend to use it for long anyway. ¡°Die!¡± He fired the cannon once more. Fusiung-! However, Maryong disappeared from his spot. ¡°If someone needs to die¡­ ¡­ .¡± Maryong¡¯s voice came from the air. The monster was floating above his head. ¡°It¡¯s you!¡± Mouths protruded from the creature¡¯s shoulders and knees. Purple spheres formed simultaneously in the monster¡¯s several mouths. Fusiung-! The spheres combined and launched a single, powerful ray. It was power that has never been felt by anyone on the battlefield. Jin-woo, seeing the beam of great power flashing towards him, gripped his sword tightly. [Remember¡­] The swordsman¡¯s words filled his head. [There is nothing you can¡¯t cut with the True Moon.] He raised his sword. [Nothing.] He swung it against the beam. Fshhh-! A red flash cut through the beam and split Maryong vertically. Blah-! ¡°How¡­ no¡­¡± Maryong¡¯s body cracked. ¡°Are you¡­¡± He spoke in a tone of great disbelief. ¡°Are you human?¡± Then, the creature¡¯s body split in half. Chapter 29 -The Taewang Guild has officially announced that it has successfully conquered the Dragon¡¯s Nest, the world¡¯s first level 400 dungeon! -The boss monster in the Dragon¡¯s Nest has been identified as Maryong, a magical dragon. The items found are not yet disclosed. -On the other hand, the world¡¯s top guilds are currently raising expectations and preparing to launch attacks on the level 400 dungeon. The breaking news sent shockwaves around the world. The eyes and ears of people all over the world were focused on the Taewang Guild. The Taewang Guild moved. They started with a press conference, where public attention was at its peak. Two videos were released. One was a full video, with a 3-hour duration. It was edited so that people could see the battle in detail. The other was a 15-minute highlight video. The video mainly consisted of the battle scene with the dragon, Maryong. The labyrinth battle was not captured because their devices broke down. The highlight video was divided into three parts. The first part highlighted the state-of-the-art weapons of the Taewang Guild. Flashy mana cannons firing off at once. The comment section exploded in the scene where the shield drones linked and blocked the dragon¡¯s breath. -Great! It stopped it! -OMG¡­ How could it stop the dragon¡¯s breath? -Panels! In the middle part was the massive battle with the monster army. The battle of close-range dealers wearing power suits was exciting. The fire support from remote dealers was also gorgeous. -Whoa, the Taewang guild! Every player is amazing. -Wow-! How much do you think that power suit costs? -The King¡¯s Protection skill is really gorgeous. -OMG! The Lightning Witch! -Wow¡­ How strong is she? -I didn¡¯t know the Lightning Witch was still there. -Kang Jin-woo is the best. -The One Cut Man is still there. The battle was gradually leaning toward the guild¡¯s favor. Then, Maryong moved. People were astonished at the scene where dragons poured out. -How many dragons are there?! -OMG! I know it¡¯s a level 400 dungeon, but isn¡¯t that too much? -How did they clear it? -There are 22 in total, and they caught them all? The responses to the comments were the same. The reaction of disbelief. The climax began with the mana interlock cannon. The power of the weapon dominated the video. -Wow-! Using a mana cannon like that! -Won¡¯t that catch the dragons all at once? Comments filled with cheers and joy lined up. But suddenly. Comments were cut off. People lost their words at the sight of the dragon devouring a guild member, and the smaller dragons. Subsequently, Maryong appeared in its final form. -Is that the final boss? -Do you think it¡¯s powerful? -It looks small. People who were deceived by their appearance commented. At that moment, Maryong emitted a ray. Then, a magic circle protected the guild, along with the shield drones. The battle between Jin-woo and Maryong began in earnest. -Wow¡­ -OMG¡­ The last 3 minutes of the video. As the scenes progressed, the responses of the comments became consistent. Then, Jin-woo¡¯s trademark single slash came. The first comment that popped out echoed the dragon¡¯s final words. -Is he human? * * * Jin-woo, who shocked the world, was lying in bed. ¡°Master.¡± [Hahaha!] Instead of an answer, he heard laughter. When he turned his head, he saw the swordsman floating in the air while staring at a smartphone. He took the smartphone from the swordsman¡¯s hands and checked the screen. It was the most useless memes in the world. ¡°Master!¡± [Why?] ¡°I have a question.¡± The swordsman turned to look at him. [What?] ¡°How good am I if I were in the place you were?¡± [Are you talking about Moorim?] ¡°Yeah.¡± [Hmm.] The swordsman stroked his chin as he considered it. [Excluding the retired elderly people, you would be on the average in Moorim.] Average? Is that all I was? Jin-woo thought. [There are many strong people in Moorim, countless as sand. Also, you have a big weakness?] ¡°A weakness?¡± [Yes, surely your martial arts are strong. You gained it from borrowing power from the elixir. Your natural talent is also not bad.] The swordsman gave him compliments for some reason. [Now, let¡¯s look at your shortcomings. Your martial arts are still on the premature level.] ¡°¡­¡± [Except for the True Moon, your other swordsmanship techniques are just plain wielding.] ¡°¡­¡± [Your swordsmanship is obviously usable, but against the masters, your limits are clear.] ¡°Then what should I do?¡± [Learn, study, and practice.] ¡°Are you talking about leveling up?¡± [The concept of leveling up your world is somewhat difficult to understand.] ¡°So, what is it?¡± [Being strong is something that cannot be easily quantified.] ¡°Ah! So, what level of strength am I when I fought Maryong?¡± [Hmm¡­] The swordsman contemplated again. [Beings who were as strong as you could be counted in one hand.] ¡°Oh¡­ that strong?¡± [If you can make that power entirely yours, no one at Moorim will be sure of victory. It was that great power.] The Dragon Slayer was a scam. Because it increased all stats by 500%. Perhaps that is why the Full Moon was spread out easily. The number of swords he could handle also increased significantly. He didn¡¯t even faint afterward. He also used the mana interlock cannon singlehandedly. After the fight, Raymond approached him with embarrassing questions. He could not forget how he felt in those five minutes. It seemed like he could do everything at will. ¡°I¡¯m sorry I could only use it once.¡± The Dragon Slayer is gone. There were only two skills left on the Dragon Blade. [There is no need to be disappointed. You just have to get to that point again.] ¡°Is it possible?¡± [You have already opened the door once. It will take a long time to get there again, but when you get there, you will be able to open the door more easily than others.] Once again, you get to have that feeling. His heart started to beat fast as he thought about it. Jiing-! Then the phone rang. It was Han Yu-ra. ¡°Yes, Yu-ra.¡± -The dungeon contribution has come out. As expected, you ranked first in contribution. Congratulations! ¡°Thank you.¡± This was expected to some extent. It was natural that Jin-woo rated first because he was the one who killed the boss monster. -The press release will be released the day after tomorrow. I¡¯m thinking you get your item tomorrow, how about that? In large-scale raids, loot items do not get distributed on the spot. The main guild will collect it, and then players can select an item according to their contribution level. If you do not want to take an item, there are many other options, such as selling it at an appropriate price to the guild. In particular, the items from the Dragon¡¯s Nest were expected to be tremendous. ¡°Okay.¡± -Then tomorrow, I¡¯ll be picking you up at the hotel. ¡°Yeah.¡± What kind of items will I see? Jin-woo was already excited. * * * Next day. Jin-woo got up early, washed, and prepared. [Disciple, I think your guild leader is holding a press conference.] ¡°A press conference?¡± The swordsman moved his hand. A smartphone floated to Jin-woo from the swordsman¡¯s hand. On the screen, Park Tae-sung was shown standing on a platform. Along with him were executives and Noblesse Guild Master Oliver. -I have a major announcement to all of you who gathered today. Park Tae-sung stared straight at the camera. -The Taewang Guild and the Noblesse Guild have decided to merge. -What exactly does it mean?! A quick reporter shouted. -It means as it is. The two guilds will stay as family members in the future. -Is the Taewang Guild absorbing the Noblesse Guild?! -It is a merger. Questions flooded Park Tae-sung. Jin-woo checked the comments on the video in real-time. -How is that a merger? -Then, is Oliver going to be a member of the Taewang Guild? -How many legendary items are there in the Taewang Guild now? -Is the British government going to allow this? -If this is realized, the Taewang guild will surely rank up. Most of the comments were expected. Although they used the word ¡®merger¡¯, everyone thought otherwise. Noblesse Guild lost most of its power in the last attack. There was no reason for Taewang Guild to merge with it. It was surely an absorption. A legendary item is now in Taewang¡¯s possession. The Excalibur¡¯s contribution to the battle was undeniable. A tremendous ability that increases the stats of all allies. Park Tae-sung seemed unreasonable then, but now his reason to attack the dungeon was clear. Also, he was totally prepared for the battle, Jin-woo thought. The advanced weapons that were unknown to everyone until the battle with Maryong. The power of the Mana Interlock Cannon was beyond imagination. [It was definitely great.] Even the swordsman recognized its power. An anti-dragon weapon¡­ And of course, the shield drones that are capable of shields that could block a dragon¡¯s destructive breath. Park Tae-sung definitely excelled in preparation. It was obvious why the members of the guild, such as Han Ji-joon and Han Yu-ra trusted him so much. Despite Park Tae-sung¡¯s excellence, a thought was left hanging in Jin-woo¡¯s mind. But he couldn¡¯t have prepared for it that much¡­ Although the dungeon¡¯s name was a dead giveaway, Jin-woo felt different as he watched Park Tae-sung¡¯s expression towards the dragons. It was a little different from preparedness. It was as if he knew the future. [It certainly felt like that.] ¡°Do you think the so, Master?¡± [I¡¯m not sure. If he knew everything that would happen, he wouldn¡¯t have allowed Maryong to eat the other dragons.] ¡°Well, when everyone saw it, they were in shock. But Park Tae-sung¡­ ugh, my head hurts.¡± [Does it make your head hurt? Why are you thinking about it now? It doesn¡¯t matter. There is something more important that will require you to think hard.] ¡°Yes.¡± It was almost time to collect the loot. Jiing-! Just in time, his phone rang. It was Han Yu-ra. * * * The Taewang Guild had branches all over the world, including England. The loot was primarily classified and organized in the British branch. Then, from today on, the distribution of the items according to the degree of contribution began. Jin-woo, the number one contributor, has the first pick. Han Yu-ra explained the details to him. ¡°According to the level of contribution, you will not only get to select an item, but you also have authority over other loot. Along with by-products from monsters, all items rated Grade B below will be purchased by the guild and be paid to you in cash.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Jin-woo didn¡¯t care much about the details because he has already read the contract. ¡°Your selection can be made public or private according to your will. Choose an item, then decide and let me know.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Ding-! The elevator stopped, and the door opened. Park Tae-sung was sitting inside a neat office. ¡°Welcome.¡± Jin-woo greeted him and sat down on the sofa. Han Yu-ra brought him a tablet. ¡°Here¡¯s the list of items. It is ranked by grade, for convenience.¡± Jin-woo nodded. When he took the tablet, a program that he saw for the first time was running on it. It was advanced but user-friendly, and he soon adapted to it without difficulty. Let¡¯s see¡­ what do we have here¡­ The first page showed a shield inscribed with a black dragon. [Maryong¡¯s Shield] [Rank: Legendary] Jin-woo felt his throat dry up. A legendary item. But it was just the beginning. When he turned the page¡­ [Maryong¡¯s Plate Armor] [Rating: Legendary] It was another legendary item again. For ten years, there were only four legendary items known in the world. Now, in just one raid, they found two. It was amazing. ¡°How many legendary items are there?¡± he asked Yu-ra. ¡°Two. Unfortunately, no legendary skill came out.¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± Many expected to discover a legendary skill. It was disappointing. If they actually found one, he would have taken it and given it to Sung-woo. However, the shield and the armor also had great value¡­ He turned the page while thinking about it. [This¡­!] The swordsman, who has been quiet until now, suddenly cried out in surprise. Is this something that you know? On the screen was a statue of a goddess. Jin-woo read the information below it. [Choose this!] After checking the information, Jin-woo understood the swordsman¡¯s reaction. [Unknown Goddess Statue] [Rank: Relic] It was a rating that had never been discovered. Chapter 30 -The Taewang Guild revealed that it had acquired two legendary grade armor as the trophies for this attack. -This is the first time that two legendary grade items have been found. Unfortunately, it was made known that no legendary skill has been found. The media¡¯s focus was on legendary armor. This is exactly what Jin-woo wanted. He kept a secret that he acquired a relic item. The guild also agreed to keep it unknown. Information control was perfect, as expected from the Taewang Guild. I haven¡¯t figured out what this is yet, Jin-woo admitted. He tried to get the swordsman to explain it to him, but he was disappointed. The swordsman could not understand it yet as well. His Master told him he would find a way to figure it out. [You are not qualified yet. If you were qualified, you would know.] The swordsman kept saying. What qualifications are you talking about? In the past, Jin-woo thought that being ¡®qualified¡¯ is a matter of being powerful. However, it seemed like it wasn¡¯t. He was not qualified, even now that he is much stronger. However, he did not resent it. He did not regret not taking the legendary items instead. He was a little disappointed about the absence of a legendary skill card; however, he could buy those at any time, so it was not a big problem. I don¡¯t care if this was really a useless item. He had received so much from the swordsman. If Master chose this, there must be a reason. It was something he had to believe and wait for. * * * It¡¯s been a long time, but Jin-woo was finally back in Korea. When he arrived, he brought chicken and shared it with Sun-woo. ¡°Then, did you get a legendary item?¡± ¡°Huh.¡± He took out the Dragon Blade and showed it to his brother. ¡°Wow!¡± Jin-woo didn¡¯t want to tell him about the relic-ranked item. He does not know what it is yet exactly. He did not know if he gained something powerful or a failure. Above all, knowing this secret may prove dangerous for Sun-woo. So, he decided not to say it. ¡°The Taewang Guild is amazing. How could legendary weapons come out and no further information leak?¡± ¡°All the giant guilds are like that. They are great at information control.¡± ¡°Have you decided on what guild to join?¡± After acquiring a hero skill, Sun-woo started receiving love calls from many guilds. One of the reasons for those love calls was his older brother. Sun-woo agonized over and over and finally chose the Taewang Guild. ¡°People are good to me because of my older brother,¡± Sun-woo smiled. ¡°What is your level now?¡± ¡°175.¡± Sun-woo was also working as much as he could. -The British government announced the results of the investigation regarding the recent occurrences of sudden haunts. No abnormalities were found. He had just been to England. When the news about it came out, Jin-woo listened. ¡°There are many sudden haunts these days,¡± he remarked. ¡°Yeah?¡± ¡°Yes, especially in the UK, but it seemed a bit common in Europe? Not long ago, some European people visited the guild headquarters and mentioned that.¡± ¡°Hmmm.¡± Unanticipated monster appearances were called sudden haunts. There were many causes for this occurrence, but human error is one major factor. Like in the Giant Snake incident. Sun-woo considered. ¡°Is it because of the merger that these investigations were started?¡± It was as Sun-woo said. The Noblesse Guild represented their country. A legendary weapon will change hands because of the merger. It was bound to be a big shock to British players. Shock often made things seem different than usual. ¡°Well, it¡¯s not even in Korea. Don¡¯t think about it too much.¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± It was indeed a story from a distant country. Jin-woo, with chicken wings on his mouth, changed the channels. * * * Jin-woo visited the training room after a long time. There were no people around. He stood in the silent space and pulled his sword out. ¡°I still can¡¯t understand it, Master.¡± [Let¡¯s wait a few days.] Is there a faster way? Maybe Mr. Octopus can tell us about it. [You will know when you are qualified.] But how will I be qualified? Jin-woo activated his status window. [Gang Jin-Woo] [Level: 305] [Strength: 110(117) Agility: 100 Stamina: 60 Mana: 60 Inner Air: 180] [Owned Skills: Linguist, Dokgogu Sword, Red Moon Sword, Geumgang Fireball, Celestial Spirit, Infinity Mana] His level has exceeded 300. Minotaur and Maryong. The monster army. He quickly reached the level-300 mark. It was difficult to find a level up rate faster than Jin-woo¡¯s. ¡°But, this is still not enough.¡± Level 300 is the gold standard for players. But even after reaching that, he was still not qualified. ¡°Master said that strength could not be measured simply by level. There are things that I still lack.¡± He still has room to improve. As the swordsman told him, his martial arts at present was premature. His killing blow might look good, but it was risky. It was evident with his fight with Maryong. ¡°I would not have been able to beat him without the Dragon Slayer skill.¡± He hesitated several times to use it because if he missed his chance, it¡¯s over. If he meets someone as powerful as Maryong¡­ It would be difficult in his current state. [That is correct.] ¡°Ahh!¡± Suddenly, the swordsman appeared. ¡°Damn. You surprised me!¡± [Tsu! Your tolerance is too weak.] ¡°No, honestly, who won¡¯t be surprised with that?¡± [I won¡¯t.] ¡°¡­ Oh, yes. Did you find a way to understand this?¡± [Yes. However, I could not tell you about it right away. It will take a few days. You¡¯re so weak, so it¡¯s too annoying.] Level 300 is weak. He really couldn¡¯t understand his Master¡¯s standards. [From today on, I will teach you Celestial Swordsmanship.] ¡°Celestial Swordsmanship?¡± ¡°Yes. Now that the level of Celestial Spirits within you has increased to some extent, you will be able to use it freely.¡± Jin-woo was thrilled. Celestial Swordsmanship often appeared in novels. Was it really possible to learn it? He held his sword excitedly and prepared. ¡°Please, teach me!¡± [Okay.] Wheeik-! A red sword appeared in the swordsman¡¯s hands. It was a sword made up of energy around them. Then, the swordsman suddenly swung the powerful mass of energy at him! ¡°What?!¡± Jin-woo hurried to avoid the sword. ¡°Why did you do that?¡± [You wanted to train.] ¡°Surely¡­¡± [Did you think that I would discuss it with you?] ¡°Training is usually¡­¡± [That takes too long. It¡¯s best to learn it by practice.] Wheeik-! Jin-woo bowed low to avoid another swing. He felt the energy passing right above his spine. [Don¡¯t keep dodging, fight me!] He raised his sword at his Master¡¯s words. At the same time, he used the Red Moon Method technique. Caang-! A clear, sharp sound as their swords clashed. However, the swordsman did not stop there. As if it was a snake agilely climbing a tree, the swordsman¡¯s hand moved up his arm and slapped him in the face. ¡°Ouch!¡± [Swordsmanship is not just swinging, cutting and stabbing. You can attack the opponent in multiple ways.] ¡°Woo-!¡± [First, your body and your sword must move in unison. See how the sword moves ¨C make it yours.] ¡°Yes!¡± Jin-woo grabbed his sword again. * * * A month passed. The swordsman was still looking for a way to understand the relic item, moving back and forth between different dimensions. When he is gone, Jin-woo trained with his younger brother. ¡°Huh!¡± Sun-woo blocked a cutting attack and stabbed Jin-woo back. Jin-woo sidestepped it and stabbed his sword at Jin-woo¡¯s neck. This time, the younger brother sidestepped while bringing his sword forward. But Jin-woo predicted his movements. In Sun-woo¡¯s eyes, his older brother looked blurry; the next second, he was behind him, holding a sword to his neck. ¡°Wow! Surrender!¡± ¡°Alright! That should be enough for today.¡± ¡°Yes, but what did you just do? How could you get behind me when there¡¯s a sword flying right in front of you?¡± ¡°Remember the footwork I told you the last time? I applied it. As my body moved, the sword naturally follows. Above all, I was using only about 10% of my strength while fighting with you. In that final move, I used 30%.¡± Regulation of power. And increased speed. Jin-woo achieved a lot in just a month. ¡°Oh¡­ the speed increased, and I missed your movement.¡± Sun-woo was the same. Was it because they were brothers? He was as quick to learn as Jin-woo. ¡°By the way, I learned these things from the Dragon¡¯s Nest, and I¡¯m also at Level 300, so the speed is markedly different.¡± Jin-woo smiled. He could not tell his brother the whole truth. His younger brother also believed anything that he said, so he didn¡¯t worry about it. ¡°What would you like for dinner?¡± ¡°Pizza, maybe?¡± ¡°Call them!¡± *** Before going to bed, Jin-woo checked the news on his smartphone. [Sudden haunt appears in Gangnam] Another one. Fortunately, the monster that popped out was an Orc. It was something that even ordinary players can handle. There were no deaths, and only minor injuries were reported. ¡°This is getting too frequent.¡± It¡¯s already the fifth sudden haunt this month alone. It was suspicious. ¡°Well, I¡¯m glad there weren¡¯t much damage.¡± [What¡¯s causing damage?] Red smoke appeared from the sword, and the swordsman appeared. Jin-woo was now familiar with the scene, so he continued the conversation naturally. ¡°A monster popped out again.¡± [Hmm¡­ I see.¡± The swordsman then reached out to the door. Click-! ¡°Huh? Why did you lock it?¡± [I found a way.] ¡°Really?¡± [Yes. The full moon has just risen today, so let¡¯s start right away.] ¡°Yes!¡± The swordsman then swung his hand once more. The pencils that were in the room flew and stuck on the walls. Jin-woo got up and looked at him. [From now on, I¡¯m going to block the energy and contain it in this room.] ¡°What?¡± [Be quiet!] Instead of answering, the Master stretched out both hands. Then, the red energy spread out in all directions. Jin-woo felt great power. The red energy spread around the room, stopping at the pencils in the corners. Then, it surrounded them, like a tent. [Hoo¡­] ¡°The outside energy¡­ I don¡¯t feel it at all.¡± [Because I completely blocked it.] Master came down to the bed and sat down with Jin-woo. [Get the statue from the Dragon¡¯s Nest.] Jin-woo nodded, then opened the inventory and took out the statue. When he handed it over, Master looked serious. [Yes, I have seen an object that has the same power, although it has a different shape.] ¡°Where?¡± [My teacher had it.] ¡°What?¡± Master nodded. I could feel the longing in his eyes. ¡°Perhaps¡­¡± [He was killed by those who wanted this object.] Chapter 31 It was the first time. Listening to his Master¡¯s past. [They destroyed Moorim. Only a few people survived, including me.] It was a shock. Moorim was destroyed? [I dreamt of revenge. So, I made the True Moon Swordsmanship. After many years of training, I was able to go one step further. I thought I had reached my limit, but it turns out I could transcend it. After gaining new strength, I succeeded in my revenge.] Ping-! Suddenly, one of the pencils popped up and bounced into the air. [Seems that it won¡¯t last long.] ¡°What are those for?¡± [To avoid their eyes. I created a space that was disconnected from this world. It would soon collapse because it is against the flow of this dimension.] ¡°They?¡± [There is no guarantee that what happened in Moorim would happen in this world. However, since this object appeared, there is a great possibility that it would.] Ping-! The second pencil. The swordsman¡¯s words went faster as if he was in a hurry. [A tower appeared in Moorim. We were naturally drawn to it. But we were shocked upon entering the tower¡­ there was an entirely different world inside it.] Ping-! The third pencil went off. Now, there is one left. [That item will be useful inside the tower. So, we should take care of it. Above all, you have to be stronger than you are now. The tower¡­ it is where those monsters exist.] Jin-woo frowned. Even Master considered them as monsters? Just how strong are they? He had a lot of questions, but before he could speak- Ping-! The fourth pencil popped up. The red energy that enveloped them dissolved. ¡°Master?¡± The swordsman held a finger against his lips as if to silence him. What on earth are they? What makes Master so nervous? He had a lot of questions, but they would have to wait. There is only one thing that he needs to do now. ¡°Then,¡± he spoke. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t I start getting stronger now?¡± The swordsman laughed. [That¡¯s right.] * * * -Another monster appeared in Seoul, this time causing 33 casualties. It was the 5th sudden haunt in this month alone, and some people wondered if there was a change in¡­ The stable situation seems to be changing. -A gate suddenly appeared in Hongdae Station, and monsters that popped out were¡­ Sudden haunts became increasingly frequent. However, people didn¡¯t seem to care. It wasn¡¯t their job; they weren¡¯t affected; it must be an unfortunate accident. -The government has decided to cooperate guilds to set up preparations and countermeasures¡­ Above all, they were confident that the situation was under control. They did not notice that the world was changing little by little. -The City of the Dead, a level-400 dungeon in Dubai, has been cleared by Mujahideen. Mujahideen ranks 7th in the global guild rankings¡­ The changes were so gradual that people didn¡¯t notice it. -Middle Eastern countries, including Dubai, reported the increased frequency of sudden haunts. Gate experts are concerned about the seemingly increased anomalies¡­ Something unforeseen is happening. * * * Clang-! Swords collided. The red sword then bent like a snake, aiming for the opponent¡¯s wrist. Jin-woo, however, avoided the attack by pulling out his hand, then stabbed his sword again. Clang-! There was a sharp sound. It was an attack with tremendous strength and speed. The swordsman raised his sword at the right moment and blocked it. However, Jin-woo¡¯s sword suddenly stabbed several more times in dizzying succession, as if the tip of his blade increased to a dozen. The red sword of the swordsman blocked it every time despite the speed. ¡°Ugh!¡± The moment his last attack was blocked, Jin-woo stepped back, clutching his stomach. [A recoil happens when an attack charged with inner air is blocked. So, don¡¯t forget to protect yourself while attacking.] ¡°Yes.¡± [It was a good attack, though. Most of all, it was made at the right time. There was no wasted force, and the movement was efficient.] The swordsman was a teacher that used carrots and sticks appropriately. Jiing-! Jin-woo heard the vibrating sound and checked his smartphone immediately. It was a text message. -Ogres appeared at Jamsil Station Exit 3, ten of them. All nearby guild members report to location. ¡°I have to go.¡± [Okay.] Another sudden haunt. This phenomenon has increased in frequency. Eventually, the government had to seek help from the guilds. As a result, each guild devised a plan to provide quick responses to sudden haunts. Jin-woo hurried. Surprisingly, he met Sun-woo in the elevator. ¡°Brother!¡± ¡°Are you going, too?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Sun-woo is now a guild member of the Taewang Guild. The Taewang Guild moved the fastest to respond to the government¡¯s request. They introduced a notification system that communicates the situation to guild members spread around the world. There was also a compensation policy to motivate the guild members. As a result, the Taewang Guild players moved faster than the other guilds. Naturally, this increased their appeal to the public. Isn¡¯t that what the guilds always wanted? Jin-woo thought. For Jin-woo, however, his main purpose was the actual battles that the sudden haunts provide. He trains every day with the swordsman and Sun-woo, but actual battles are better than sparring. So, whenever a monster appears, he rushes to the scene. But today, he seemed a little late. ¡°Huh? Isn¡¯t that Kang Jin-woo, the One Cut Man?¡± A man wearing the emblem of the Royal Family Guild approached him, his tone dripping with sarcasm and arrogance. Nam Jeong-ho. A player from the Royal Family. Jin-woo had seen his face a few times because they both worked in the Gangnam area. ¡°Long time no see,¡± he greeted him. ¡°Yes. By the way, you are too late. We started organizing first.¡± Nam Jeong-ho pointed over his shoulder. Jin-woo saw Royal Family players fighting against the ogres. Two of the monsters were already dead. ¡°It¡¯s fortunate that there were no civilian casualties,¡± Jin-woo remarked. Suddenly, some people approached him. ¡°Hey¡­ isn¡¯t that Kang Jin-woo, One Cut Man?¡± ¡°Yes! Right!¡± The couple who approached him trembled. The man took out a notebook and a ballpoint pen. ¡°I¡¯m a fan! Can I ask for your autograph?¡± ¡°Okay,¡± Jin-woo took the pen. He was used to signing autographs. It was awkward at first, but now he¡¯s pretty familiar with the feeling. As the couple took pictures with him, more people came. The police tried to intervene and take control of the situation, but there was no way to stop those who had already seen the star. ¡°Sheesh!¡± A disgusted Nam Jeong-ho clicked his tongue and walked away. Suddenly- A water column rose from Seokchon Lake. It was a large column of water that could be seen even though it was hundreds of meters away. ¡°Lagia!¡± someone in the crowd screamed. As the water fell, a huge monster was revealed. Sharp teeth, long snake-like form, short limbs, and protrusions on its back. A level 310 monster, Lagia. It was one of the giant underwater monsters. ¡°Crazy! Why did a Lagia pop out of nowhere?!¡± It didn¡¯t end there. Smaller columns of water rose, and black shapes could be seen within them. Fishmen. ¡°Kekkekeke!¡± The fishmen burst into eerie cries. Jin-woo handed back the notebook to the man. ¡°Excuse me.¡± ¡°Ah, yes.¡± The crowd parted to make way for him. Sun-woo stood next to him. ¡°I¡¯ll take care of the Lagia,¡± Jin-woo told his brother, who nodded back. As Jin-woo pulled out his sword, Sun-woo yelled out. ¡°The main character in the story!¡± A magic circle appeared beneath Sun-woo¡¯s feet, and a bookshelf appeared. Sun-woo reached out and grabbed one of the books on the shelf. ¡°Being! Bruce Lee!¡± The book floated and shone brightly. Then, it went inside Sun-woo¡¯s body. A flash of light. When it subsided, Sun-woo¡¯s form was visibly different. ¡°Abyo!¡± Sun-woo, who was now moving like Bruce Lee, hit the ground and ran towards the fishmen. Quazzik-! A fishman¡¯s face was crushed by his kick. ¡°Kyak!¡± ¡°Kyarreuk!¡± The other fishmen roared at him. Sun-woo, possessed by Bruce Lee, faced the fishmen and brought them down with dazzling kicks and quick punches. Wow, that¡¯s definitely a useful skill, Jin-woo thought as he watched his brother. It was a hero-grade skill that Jin-woo gave him. A Being skill, which allows someone to become the protagonist of any story. It was not limited to novels and fictional stories. It also included a wide range of real characters and heroes. Now, Sun-woo is Bruce Lee, dealing with the fishmen with great ease. My turn, he thought. Other fishmen blocked Jin-woo¡¯s path as he rushed towards the Lagia. Threung-! A blue flash slashed through the fishmen. Then, Jin-woo appeared behind them. Thud thud thud-! The fishmen began falling one by one, like dominoes. If I drag the battle longer, there would be more damage, Jin-woo thought. Giant species can wreak great damage just by their movements. It was fortunate that it appeared in the middle of the lake. If it popped out in the middle of the city, buildings would have collapsed around it as it moved. ¡°Dokgogu sword!¡± [Skill: Dokkogu Sword is activated.] Jin-woo jumped high off the ground. The Lagia opened its mouth as it followed Jin-woo¡¯s trajectory in the air. ¡°Woo-!¡± It¡¯s been a long time. He held the sword with both hands and struck. Keeek-! With a terrifying swing, the Lagia¡¯s head was slashed off its torso. ¡°Wow! He¡¯s really One Cut Man!¡± ¡°Did you actually see that?¡± ¡°Big kill!¡± ¡°Did you take a video?!¡± The people gathered near the Seokchon Lake to watch cheered in a frenzy. They had just seen monsters pop out around them, but they did not seem to be alarmed. It was as if sudden haunts were getting normalized. Jiing-! The smartphone in Jin-woo¡¯s pocket vibrated again. A text message from Han Yu-ra. -The White House guild cleared the Ancient Ruins. Another level-400 dungeon has just been cleared. ¡°There is only one left now,¡± he said to himself. The last level-400 dungeon. It was located in China. * * * Park Tae-sung was in his office, talking to a staff who brought him a report. ¡°According to our sources, the White House also acquired relics in that dungeon.¡± ¡°That¡¯s the third time relics have been retrieved,¡± he said. ¡°Yes. It is expected that relics will also appear in the King¡¯s Tomb dungeon that the Red Dragon is attacking.¡± ¡°How are they going so far?¡± ¡°It has been reported that their progress is at 90% now,¡± the staff responded. The last level-400 dungeon, the King¡¯s Tomb. The Red Dragon, one of the best guilds in China, was in the process of clearing it. ¡°It¡¯s coming soon,¡± Park Tae-sung remarked. ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°Make sure to closely monitor the Red Dragon¡¯s progress.¡± ¡°Oh, yes.¡± The staff bowed and left the room. Park Tae-sung contemplated for a moment, then picked up the phone. ¡°It¡¯s me. From now on, we will keep all the alert levels in each station to the maximum.¡± He hung up and stared out of the window, watching the peaceful city outside. ¡°We won¡¯t see this scene any longer,¡± he murmured as he clenched his fist. * * * ¡°Hoo¡­¡± Jin-woo was breathing heavily, covered in sweat. He wasn¡¯t alone. Sun-woo, his younger brother, held a wooden sword in front of him. They were sparring. [Hmm, your little brother is also quite talented in martial arts.] Yes? [He learns quickly. He¡¯s younger than you, but his potential is pretty good. The masters who possessed him must have left him a good influence.] Jin-woo agreed with the swordsman¡¯s words. He was facing Sun-woo, but it felt like he was fighting a master. Suddenly- [Huh?] The swordsman looked out the window. Jiing-! Right after that, Jin-woo¡¯s smartphone rang. -Han Yu-ra: Red Dragon has cleared the King¡¯s Tomb dungeon! The last level-400 dungeon has been cleared. ¡°What¡­ The King¡¯s Tomb was cleared already?¡± ¡°Really? The Ancient Ruins was also cleared not long ago.¡± ¡°They started the attacks around the same time.¡± [Disciple.] The swordsman¡¯s tone was urgent. Why? [Check the relic, quickly!] Jin-woo felt nervous with the swordsman¡¯s tone and opened his inventory as quick as he could. ¡°Inventory.¡± ¡°Why are you suddenly¡­¡± Sun-woo looked curious. Jin-woo could not answer. He looked in his inventory with a surprised expression. The relic was shining. He pulled it out. ¡°Huh? What is that?¡± It was the first time Sun-woo saw it. The moment Jin-woo tried to answer, the relic suddenly trembled. Then, it shone with bright light. The bright light hovered around the relic for a few moments; then, it flew out of the window. ¡°What¡­ what happened?¡± Jin-woo was at a loss of words. [Disciple¡­] The swordsman was looking out the window. He could feel a huge ominous energy spreading throughout the world. [You must get ready.] Outside the window, above the city, several gates were opening up in the sky. Jiing-! Jiing-! Jiing-! Jin-woo¡¯s smartphone vibrated continuously. Numerous disaster notifications. It was non-stop. Dozens of messages were constantly coming in. Suddenly, a notification window appeared in front of both brothers. [Congratulations] [You have cleared the tutorial quest] [The main quest begins.] Chapter 32 Bang-! The car exploded. Through the rising fire and smoke, a pair of monster¡¯s red eyes flared. ¡°Oh no¡­ Run away!¡± ¡°It¡¯s a Werewolf!¡± ¡°Are there any players here above level 100?¡± ¡°Out of the way! It¡¯ll kill you!¡± From behind the red eyes, more monsters popped out. One? Two? No. The gate opened, and all the monsters within it poured out. Tens of thousands. Slimes, goblins, werewolves, giant snakes¡­ all kinds of monsters poured out and started attacking. ¡°Damn it¡­ At least, let¡¯s kill off the goblins!¡± Courageous players pulled out their weapons. ¡°Kieek!¡± ¡°What? Are you so scared of level 10 monsters?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you know what our level is? 120. But there are hundreds of goblins¡­¡± Quazzik-! In an instant, the man¡¯s upper body disappeared before he could even finish his sentence. ¡°Huh?¡± The other guy looked up at the giant monster chewing up his friend¡¯s upper body. A Giant Snake with shining red eyes. ¡°Fuck¡­ A Giant Snake¡­¡± Quazzik-! The monster slithered away after eating the man, its giant body slipping through buildings. The city looked like a war zone. Players were fighting in different places. There were battles that were won, but in most places, there was only confusion and loss. The situation was better in places close to guild headquarters. ¡°Tankers take some time from the front. Rear dealers do the right support.¡± Runanculus Guild was dealing with the monsters systematically. ¡°East, people are coming. Clear the barricade. Support, fire on the werewolves.¡± The same was true of the Royal Family. Each guild¡¯s top priority was securing its headquarters. The Taewang Guild players also quickly cleaned up the area around their headquarters, while their leaders assessed the situation. ¡°It is believed that gates have been opened in Seoul and in places within the Korean Peninsula, as well as in most parts of East Asia such as Japan and China.¡± ¡°The same goes for Europe. Sudden haunts are causing great damage.¡± Intelligence reports were coming in one after another from the Taewang Guild¡¯s branches all over the world. ¡°Call the offices. Make a stronghold and make the most defensive movements. Also, open underground bunkers to accommodate as many citizens as possible.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± ¡°Also, run Operation E. All battles should be controlled by each station.¡± Operation E. An emergency operation is made in preparation for large scale monster appearance. Even when it was not in effect, it required enormous funds just to maintain it. So, there were many opinions that it had to be shut down. However, because of Park Tae-sung¡¯s strong will, it continued. Now, in such a catastrophic situation, his judgment and foresight once again proved brilliant. ¡°What about Class A players?¡± Class A players refer to those with level 300 or higher. They were the main forces of the guilds. Of course, they were under special instructions in crisis situations. ¡°Currently, 132 people are located in Seoul, of which 82 are gathered here in the headquarters. The other 50 people have been contacted.¡± ¡°Is the location of Kang Jin-woo confirmed?¡± ¡°Yes. I got in touch with him five minutes ago. He¡¯s currently fighting monsters at Seokchon Lake in Jamsil.¡± ¡°Is it possible to watch him right now?¡± ¡°Yes. It is possible to request access through the police database for CCTV access. Shall we send a request?¡± Park Tae-sung nodded. Soon, the TV in the conference room was turned on, and the CCTV video was broadcast. Seokchon Lake did not have its usual peaceful atmosphere. The city was destroyed by monsters. There were fires in buildings everywhere. The streets were also lined with corpses, reminiscent of a battlefield. However, Jin-woo wasn¡¯t on the screen. After switching to several cameras around the area, they finally saw him. He was leading the citizens to safety. Park Tae-sung immediately gave instructions to his staff. ¡°Send a rescue team, and bring Kang Jin-woo to the headquarters.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± ¡°Divide into teams and deal with the monsters starting from areas close to the headquarters. The VIP team should start securing the President and other key government officials.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± The Taewang Guild started moving quickly. * * * Kiik-! The underground parking lot of the headquarters of the Taewang Guild. Dozens of vehicles stopped, and people got off. Among them was Jin-woo. ¡°Jin-woo!¡± He turned his head to the familiar voice and saw Han Yu-ra running towards him. ¡°Yu-ra! Are you okay?¡± ¡°Yeah. I was in the headquarters when it started. Sun-woo, it¡¯s been a while.¡± ¡°Hello.¡± They talked while following her to the elevator. ¡°I saw the news on the internet, was that real? Gates all over the world have opened?¡± ¡°It¡¯s true. Both of you received notifications, right?¡± ¡°Yes¡­ that we have cleared the tutorial¡­¡± ¡°That notification appeared to people all over the world. Then, the gates all opened and monsters poured out.¡± ¡°All the gates?!¡± Han Yu-ra nodded. It was an insane situation. The number of gates spreads all over the world has not been accurately determined because of their sheer number. The total number of monsters that were unleashed must be astronomical. ¡°Currently, every government has declared martial law. The same goes for our country.¡± Tanks and soldiers were on the street. ¡°The government is also requesting cooperation from guilds.¡± Jin-woo nodded. No matter how many soldiers the government has, they cannot deal with all monsters. Soldiers have also been trained to hunt monsters, but training and real-life application were different. The guilds and the players were the professionals in this situation. ¡°What are we supposed to do?¡± Jin-woo asked. ¡°Of course, we¡¯re complying with the request. We also have a manual for this situation.¡± ¡°We¡¯re ready for this?¡± ¡°Yes. The Master foresaw that the gates won¡¯t remain stable forever. So, he wrote a manual and had our players trained for an emergency.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t get that training.¡± ¡°It was a specialized team.¡± The elevator stopped, and Yu-ra led them to the control room. ¡°This way.¡± She opened the door to a room filled with dozens of monitors. On them were CCTV footages of the entire Seoul area. ¡°Team 3, over fifty people in the subway station are waiting for rescue. Level 50, level 100, and level 150 monsters have been sighted, so please be careful.¡± ¡°There are about a hundred people trapped in the department store. There is a banshee in the department store lobby, so we need to clean up the monsters first.¡± Information and instructions were quickly exchanged. The rescue was progressing smoothly. ¡°The system is well-organized.¡± ¡°They were trained for this.¡± Then, Park Tae-sung walked in along with some guild officers. ¡°Jin-woo, thank you for coming.¡± ¡°What the hell is going on?¡± Jin-woo couldn¡¯t hide his frustration at the current situation. Park Tae-sung was his usual calm self. ¡°What has been revealed so far is that all the gates around the world have been opened, and quest notifications popped up for everyone.¡± ¡°The reminder that the tutorial has been cleared?¡± ¡°Yes. However, since no further information has been provided after that notification, we are currently focusing on rescue operations and collecting information.¡± Information was important. Especially in a world with many variables like now. ¡°Team 17! Reply! Team Leader Han Ji-joon!¡± At that time, an urgent voice came. ¡°What happened?¡± Han Yu-ra asked the staff with a firm expression. ¡°I lost contact with Team 17 that were put into operation to rescue Yeouido. Mr. Han Ji-joon is the team leader.¡± ¡°Father?¡± Park Tae-sung gave the order. ¡°Display the screen of a nearby CCTV on the main monitor.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Soon, the image of Yeouido Hangang Park was broadcast on the main monitor. Many monsters were also seen in Hangang Park. Lizardmen were the largest number, and various underwater monsters, including Sea Gorillas, were all over the place. ¡°Dad¡­ Where is he?¡± Han Yu-ra stared at the screen with an anxious voice. Jin-woo felt the same. His father has been killed by monsters. He also had a personal relationship with Han Ji-joon. The screen changed to saw people gathering. ¡°What¡¯s that place?¡± ¡°This is where the Mulbit Stage is.¡± There were around fifty people gathered there. And those who were protecting them were the players of the Taewang Guild. Among them, there was Han Ji-joon, standing with an enormous shield. ¡°Let¡¯s check the surrounding CCTV to see what¡¯s going on.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± The screen changed again. Hundreds of Lizardmen and Sea Gorillas. Lizardmen were monsters with levels between 110 and 150. The level is low, but the intelligence is high, and above all, they attack in groups. Sea Gorillas were level 250 on average. Higher-level Sea Gorillas can reach up to level 300, and they have an acid attack that could melt through anything. Most of all, they belong to the giant species. They were hard to stop. ¡°Ask a rescue team nearby to support them. We will send Class A players from the headquarters.¡± ¡°Okay!¡± Jin-woo suddenly spoke. ¡°I will go, too.¡± Park Tae-sung looked at him and asked. ¡°You just arrived, are you okay?¡± ¡°Yes. We can start right away.¡± ¡°I will go, too.¡± Han Yu-ra said. ¡°This is my father. Shouldn¡¯t I go to help?¡± Suddenly, she pulled out her magical staff. ¡°Please put me on the team.¡± They turned their heads to the sound of someone¡¯s running footsteps. It was from Kim Dae-sung. ¡°Dae-sung! When did you come?¡± ¡°I just arrived. I heard the situation. Please let me go with you.¡± The three gazes turned to Park Tae-sung. Three people with an average level of over 300. Above all, if there was someone powerful enough to rescue those people, it was Kang Jin-woo. Park Tae-sung nodded. ¡°Okay. Then, I hope Jin-woo will take over as the team leader.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Chapter 33 Quazzik-! ¡°Quek!¡± Lizardmen, who were hit by the shield, spewed green blood as they flew backwards. ¡°Be careful!¡± Wajangchang-! Han Ji-joon cried out as the Sea Gorilla approached. The monster was grunting heavily as it dashed, its red eyes flashing. ¡°Block it!¡± The players prepared to confront it. However, it appears that the Sea Gorilla was just the first of many. From behind him, more Sea Gorillas and Lizardmen were rushing in. It was the worst-case scenario. Han Ji-joon was the highest level player in Team 17. He was over level 300, but he couldn¡¯t deal with these many monsters alone. On top of that, there were civilians around him. Protecting the civilians while facing the monsters limits his ability. ¡°Damn it¡­¡± Han Ji-joon¡¯s giant shield shone blue. ¡°I can¡¯t just cry here. Bash!¡± Quazzik-! He swung his shield with all his might, hitting the Sea Gorilla¡¯s neck. At the same time, another Sea Gorilla kicked Han Ji-joon. Bang-! He was thrown backwards from the impact, then rolled on the concrete several times. When he finally stopped rolling, he vomited blood. His intestines seemed to be injured because of the direct hit he took. ¡°Damn¡­ it¡­¡± The Sea Gorilla continued to approach him. ¡°Ah, uncle¡­¡± As Han Ji-joon turned his head at a little girl¡¯s terrified voice, he stared at the child¡¯s deer-like eyes. Suddenly, he remembered Han Yu-ra as a child, entering his room, saying that she had a scary dream. ¡°No!¡± He struggled back to his feet and raised his shield. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, kid. I¡¯m gonna blow all these monsters away!¡± ¡°Okay, be strong Uncle!¡± Han Ji-joon smiled at the girl¡¯s cheer. He thought he was going to die. I¡¯m not dead yet; he convinced himself as he coughed blood one more time. The Sea Gorilla brought its fist up, and Han Ji-joon raised his shield to block it. Bang-! A heavy shock was felt through Ji-joon¡¯s arms. ¡°Bash!¡± Suddenly, the shield was covered with a blue light. Bang-! The Sea Gorilla was thrown back. It flew like a missile, crashing through a wall. The other Sea Gorillas grunted at the sight. ¡°Come on!¡± he shouted at them. But everyone around him knew that he was already at his limit. No one could help. The other players were also fighting for their lives against the other monsters. But Han Ji-joon couldn¡¯t give up. Until I could not move, I have to keep fighting. It was then. Wooong-! A red flash cut through the Sea Gorillas. Subsequently, the dozens of monsters in front of him all fell. A figure was revealed in front of him. It was Kang Jin-woo, holding a sword that glowed blue. ¡°Haha!¡± Han Ji-joon laughed. ¡°Heroes always appear in that kind of moments to look cool.¡± Jin-woo smiled at Han Ji-joon¡¯s words. ¡°You need to rest.¡± ¡°Alas¡­ yes, please help us.¡± Jin-woo nodded and turned around to face the other monsters. [Disciple.] The swordsman floated over his head. [You¡¯re not planning to use the True Moon or the Full Moon against these monsters, right?] Sure, Jin-woo responded. There was no need to bring out the True Moon. I will use Cheonma Swordsmanship. * * * Jinwoo slowly used the Cheonma Shingong to rotate the inner air inside his body. A red current filled his sword. [The Cheonma method is not for defense, but to initiate an attack.] He practiced the Cheonma method that he learned from training with the swordsman. He swung his sword in the air. Cut. Stab. Several Lizardmen raised their weapons reflexively. However, Jin-woo¡¯s attack was with a hidden sword that could not be stopped. Kwoong-! Lizardmen hardened in place like statues, then one by one, they split into halves and fell. Jin-woo¡¯s sword was stained with green blood. He shook it, sprinkling green blood to the ground. ¡°Huh huh huh huh!¡± The Sea Gorillas flocked towards Jin-woo. Kurreung-! Then there was a dark cloud in the sky. ¡°Lightning strike!¡± Pagejik-! With the shout, a lightning bolt struck a Sea Gorilla, burning it to cinders. Then, a figure landed on another gorilla near Jin-woo. It was Kim Dae-sung. ¡°Dragon¡­¡± He landed in a crouching position; then, he quickly bounced back. ¡°Kick!¡± Pagak-! A dragon appeared in his legs. He spun and kicked a Sea Gorilla with it. The Sea Gorilla¡¯s head spun; its neck broken. However, there were dozens more gorillas flocking towards him. He was besieged. ¡°Dragon Kick!¡± He used the skill once more, but this time, he didn¡¯t swing his leg. He kicked the ground with all his might. ¡°Tornado!¡± He spun several times with his leg outstretched, hitting multiple enemies. The Dragon Kick¡¯s weakness was obvious. It has strong destructive power, but it was only a single attack. However, Kim Dae-sung developed it into a ranged attack by using its force to spin quickly. As Sea Gorillas were thrown back by the force of the Tornado, Han Yu-ra stretched out her staff. ¡°Chain Lightning!¡± An electric whip stretched out of her cane, coursing through the fallen gorillas. When all the Sea Gorillas were linked, the whip flashed. Kwa Kwa Kwa Kwang-! A powerful bolt of electricity coursed through the whip, turning the Sea Gorillas into ashes. After disposing the Sea Gorillas, Han Yu-ra turned her eyes to Jin-woo. He was facing a Sea Snail. It was attacking Jin-woo with its tentacles, but Jin-woo was cutting the tentacles as easily as cutting tofu. ¡°That wasn¡¯t as easy as it looked¡­¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± Dae-sung agreed. ¡°Those tentacles were harder than most metals.¡± Suddenly, the Sea Snail spit out acid. The transparent liquid hit Jin-woo¡­ no. Jin-woo wasn¡¯t there. It was only his after-image. The acid melted the concrete it landed on. Jin-woo was already behind the Sea Snail, stabbing its vital spot with his sword. Fook-! ¡°Kieek!¡± The Sea Snail unleashed a bizarre scream, before falling. There were no more monsters left. All the Sea Snails were dealt with by Jin-woo. Han Yu-ra then ran quickly towards her father. ¡°Dad, are you okay?¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯m fine.¡± Han Ji-joon turned his head and looked at the citizens. Most of them were normal players with very low level. Unlike the professional players in guilds, they rarely deal with monsters. There were millions of people in Seoul. How about the whole country? The whole world? I could not rest now, Han Ji-joon thought. Even if I¡¯m hurt, I couldn¡¯t rest. He looked over the Team 17¡¯s members. They all have exhausted expressions. They have all faced death. ¡°Huh! We need to evacuate these citizens!¡± Han Ji-joon yelled. ¡°Yes!¡± ¡°Are you the only back up that arrived?¡± he turned to the three. ¡°No. More volunteers will arrive soon. The bridge can be dangerous, so I think it would be better to bring them back to the guild headquarters.¡± ¡°It can¡¯t be helped.¡± There were a number of marine monsters that appeared. Crossing the bridge and encountering monsters midway could result in greater casualties. Suddenly, one of the citizens recognized Kang Jin-woo. ¡°It¡¯s One Cut Man!¡± ¡°Wow! The real One Cut Man!¡± ¡°We¡¯re safe now!¡± The citizens cheered. Kang Jin-woo¡¯s skill was known not only in Korea but also in foreign countries. A sense of relief flooded through the citizens just by looking at him. ¡°Are you okay?¡± He asked Han Ji-joon once more. ¡°Thank you for saving me.¡± ¡°Then, let¡¯s move right away. The support team must be nearby.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± They led the citizens out of the park. When they got to the highway, they saw the RVs of the Taewang Guild. The citizens were picked up first, and soon, the team members also went inside the vehicles. Jin-woo was the last to get in. However, they felt a sudden earthquake. Kurreong-! ¡°Wow, uh-!¡± As they looked around, they saw a Giant Snake rising from the Han River. It was much bigger than the monster Jin-woo faced before. He looked around, then contacted the control room of the headquarters. ¡°Can you hear me?¡± -Yes. ¡°Please tell me what the tallest building in my current location is. -Checking. Han Yu-ra got out of the car. ¡°Jin-woo, why?¡± ¡°If that monster keeps moving, more people will get hurt.¡± -The tallest building near you is 99m high. ¡°Okay.¡± Jin-woo stepped forward. ¡°Where are you going?¡± Han Yu-ra asked. ¡°It will only take a minute.¡± [As you said, if he moves, more people will get hurt.] Yes, Jin-woo answered. That¡¯s why I¡¯ll take care of it now. ¡°Dokgogu sword!¡± Wow-! A golden aura fluttered on the dragon blade. Subsequently, he operated the Cheonma Shingong and held the sword with both hands. [Cut the sky. You can cut through that snake when you do that.] Yes. Kwoong-! He swung his sword into the air. A blinding red flash swallowed up the surroundings. When the glare disappeared, the Giant Snake appeared to be frozen in place, like a statue. Then, they heard a cracking sound. The sound grew louder, and soon, the Giant Snake¡¯s head fell from its torso and splashed into the Han River. ¡°Whoo¡­ Let¡¯s go.¡± Jin-woo exhaled loudly as if he had just finished a heavy exercise, before climbing into the car. Han Yu-ra was still standing outside, looking up at the sky. The clouds were parted neatly as if they have been cut through with a knife. He¡¯s really beyond common sense, Han Yu-ra thought. She shook her head multiple times before climbing into the car. Chapter 34 Two days after the gates opened. It was enough time to shatter the peace. People were engulfed by shock and fear. However, not everyone was rendered helpless by panic. Park Tae-sung and the Taewang Guild quickly responded to the situation and rescued numerous citizens. Since their headquarters alone was not enough to accommodate all whom they¡¯ve evacuated, they secured nearby buildings as well. The other guilds also followed suit. Citizens naturally sought the protection of giant guilds. The government also regularly sent out instructions through the internet for the citizens to head out to nearby guild branches. ¡°Damn it¡­ the world is a mess. I¡¯m glad the internet is still there.¡± Jin-woo ran his hand through his hair as he listened to Sun-woo¡¯s words. ¡°I heard that there are places that have been swallowed up by sinkholes.¡± ¡°There are giant monsters that go underground. Who knows what else could happen in the future?¡± ¡°Well. Hearing the stories of the leaders, they said they are still investigating why this happened.¡± ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it have anything to do with the notification window that popped up then?¡± ¡°It is very likely.¡± It was a potentially huge problem. A tutorial is an adaptation program designed for beginners. The difficulty is set to easy, and the monsters that appear are weak. Active players could survive even if society collapsed. They are used to facing monsters. The only difference now is that they are fighting them in cities rather than inside the dungeons. It would be possible for them to survive by hunting monsters at their level while avoiding higher-level monsters. The problem was the normal citizens. Most of them lived a peaceful life. Some of them have only encountered monsters during sudden haunts. With the increase of the gates and the monsters roaming around their homes, the casualties are bound to increase continuously. Something had to be done. Chijik-! -Jin-woo, could you come to the master¡¯s office now? Han Yu-ra¡¯s voice came through the radio. ¡°Yes, I will go now.¡± * * * Park Tae-sung was waiting behind his desk when Jin-woo entered the office. ¡°Have you taken a break?¡± Jin-woo asked him. ¡°Yes.¡± The guild leader looked pretty exhausted. It was understandable, given that he was handling the situation without any rest. After Jin-woo sat down, Park Tae-sung started talking in earnest. ¡°The situation is going pretty bad. Seoul is in a decent situation, but damage to surrounding areas and cities are increasing day by day.¡± ¡°Is it because the giant guild headquarters are all in Seoul?¡± ¡°Yes. Although the guilds have branches in metropolitan areas and other cities, the local cities do not have dedicated branches.¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± ¡°The conclusion from meeting we had with the government and the other guild heads is to restore Seoul first.¡± ¡°Are you thinking of creating a safe zone?¡± ¡°Yes. The government and the guilds will cooperate and subdue the monsters, pushing them southward.¡± It was the most ideal and standard strategy. In Seoul, when you go south, you¡¯ll eventually reach the sea. One day, all the monsters could be driven out of the inland, except for underwater monsters. ¡°Then, I will also join the subjugation team.¡± ¡°No.¡± Jin-woo was surprised at the rejection. He thought with how the conversation was going; he was going to be assigned to the team. Instead, Park Tae-sung showed him a tablet PC. ¡°You know that there is a considerable amount of Chines capital invested into the Taewang Guild.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Thanks to this, we¡¯re able to obtain quick information from the Chinese said. This is a footage from Beijing yesterday. Watch closely.¡± Jin-woo pressed the ¡®play¡¯ button on the video shown on the tablet screen. The video showed a man standing at some sort of Chinese castle. The man¡¯s outfit was strange. It was like something medieval European nobles would wear. However, his skin was purple, and there were horns on his head. The man who was filming shouted at the creature. -Hey! This is a no-entry area! Although the man spoke in Chinese, it was no problem for Jin-woo because of his Linguist skill. Suddenly, the man being filmed raised his hand. Purple energy gathered at the tip of his index finger; then, it exploded into a bright flash of light. -Ahhhh! The camera shook, and the footage turned black. The video ended there. Park Tae-sung then showed Jin-woo some pictures. ¡°The video and the photos were obtained through our branch in China.¡± The first photo was where the scene happened in the Forbidden City. It was China¡¯s pride, but now it was just desolate ruins. ¡°The Forbidden City is believed to be destroyed by that attack.¡± ¡°Just one attack?!¡± ¡°Yes. We secured testimonies from witnesses. They said there was only one flash, then a loud explosion afterwards. Now, look at the second photo.¡± Jin-woo checked the next photo. It was definitely the same place as before, but instead of the Forbidden City castle, there was a strange tower on it. ¡°What is this?¡± ¡°This is the site where the Forbidden City was, a day after the explosion. No one has seen construction work. The tower was built in one night, as if it just sprung out of the ground.¡± ¡°The man in the video¡­ it would be right to think that he made this tower, too.¡± ¡°I have the same thoughts.¡± Jin-woo put down the photos. ¡°I understand the situation. What do you need from me?¡± ¡°At present, information is coming in from offices around the world. There were four places where these towers appeared.¡± ¡°Four places¡­ surely¡­¡± ¡°Yes. China, England, Dubai, and the United States. Places were level 400 dungeons have appeared in.¡± The prediction was correct. The pieces seem to be clicking into place in Jin-woo¡¯s head. ¡°Then, the reason why we ¡®cleared the tutorial¡¯ is because the level 400 dungeons have all been cleared?¡± ¡°We guess so, but we¡¯re not sure.¡± There is no clear evidence yet, but it was the general assumption at this point. Suddenly, something popped up in Jin-woo¡¯s mind. ¡°Have relics appeared in the other dungeons?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Park Tae-sung nodded, then continued. ¡°There are currently four guilds that have relics. We, the Red Dragon in China, the White House in the United States, and finally, the Mujahideen.¡± All of them were in the top 10 rankings globally. ¡°We have decided to gather together to discuss the current situation, share findings about the level-400 dungeons, and finally, to discuss the relics.¡± Park Tae-sung then looked regretful. ¡°The problem is that I cannot be away in this current situation. I think it¡¯s the same with other guild leaders. So, I decided to send a proxy.¡± ¡°That means¡­¡± ¡°Yes. I would like you to attend the conference on my behalf.¡± Jin-woo thought about it for a moment, then nodded. ¡°Okay.¡± * * * Jin-woo returned to his room. [I¡¯m surprised you agree with it.] Jin-woo¡¯s personality was not extroverted. Therefore, the swordsman thought that he would, of course, refuse. Surprisingly, however, Jin-woo decided to go. It¡¯s because I have more information than others. [I see. That¡¯s right.] Jin-woo has heard stories related to relics through the swordsman. He also knows that Moorim was destroyed by other beings. It was similar to their situation now. When the relics appeared, monsters swarmed the world. It was like an invasion. It was also the same that unknown towers sprang out of nowhere. [It¡¯s a little bit different¡­] Yeah? [Remember what I said.] Ah¡­ In your case, the towers appeared after the revenge was over. That being said, this might not be the end. ¡°Whooo¡­ ¡­ .¡± Jin-woo felt a piercing headache. There was too much to think about. [First, let¡¯s start with what¡¯s right in front of us.] Yes. He reorganized his thoughts. There are currently four relics in the world. Those who had the relics decided to gather and exchange information. After getting the information from others, he needs to compare it with the information that the swordsman gave him. I¡¯m sure we could get to the bottom of this. [Sure.] ¡°Inventory.¡± Jin-woo opened his inventory and checked the admission ticket. [Cooldown: 10 days] He would be able to return to that place ten days from now. Won¡¯t they know something about this? The swordsman stayed silent. Jin-woo considered. Regardless if he could get hints from that place or not, there was one thing he can be certain of. He can bring in new items to save the world. That was enough. * * * The next day, Jin-woo was brought to the airport in a helicopter. The meeting place was not announced for security reasons. As it is an important passageway for other countries, the government moved rapidly to secure airports. Thanks to that, there were a few flights that were running. Han Yu-ra will accompany him to the conference. After spending a few minutes in the waiting room, they were guided by a stewardess into a plane. Although it was a small personal plane, it was decked out luxuriously. Upon entering, Jin-woo and Han Yu-ra met the other guests. ¡°Nice to meet you. I am Lin Xiao, who will fly with you.¡± Lin Xiao was one of the major shareholders of the Taewang Guild. Both Jin-woo and Han Yu-ra knew his name. Despite his young age, he was famous for having excellent business skills. His family, the Lin family, also owned the largest Chinese corporation. ¡°I am Kang Jin-woo.¡± ¡°It¡¯s been a while, President Lin.¡± ¡°Long time no see, Secretary Han.¡± They laughed and said hello to each other. ¡°But why are you here, President Lin?¡± ¡°I also decided to attend the conference.¡± ¡°Oh, I didn¡¯t hear about it¡­¡± Han Yu-ra wondered aloud, but Lin Xiao cut her off. ¡°Of course, you wouldn¡¯t hear about it. I am not attending on behalf of the Taewang Guild.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°I am Red Dragon¡¯s delegate.¡± Han Yu-ra¡¯s face hardened. ¡°Oh, did you think that the Taewang Guild is the only guild the Lin family invested on?¡± The Lin family. The largest corporation in China, and one of the largest in the world. They were known for making aggressive investments in numerous businesses. In particular, they invested a huge amount in the guild business. It was undeniable that the financial power of the Lin family played a big role in bringing the Taewang Guild to its current position. It was surprising for both Jin-woo and Han Yu-ra to learn that they are also involved with the Red Dragon guild. ¡°The plane will take off soon,¡± a stewardess announced. ¡°Please sit down and fasten your seat belt.¡± Soon, the plane took off. Chapter 35 Singapore. It was the place for the conference. Jin-woo unpacked his luggage at the hotel, then went straight to the meeting place with Han Yu-ra. It wasn¡¯t a situation where they could do some sightseeing. There was no time. They have to find the exact cause as soon as possible. The meeting place is on the top floor of the hotel, a business suite. Han Yu-ra and Jin-woo spoke as they were going up in the elevator. ¡°There must be no guild leaders in this meeting.¡± ¡°They¡¯ve sent proxies like me?¡± ¡°Yes, most likely. It¡¯s an emergency meeting, the guild leaders could not have prepared in advance to attend this.¡± Ding dong-! The elevator stopped at the top floor. Armed guards were waiting as soon as the elevator doors opened. ¡°Please verify your identity.¡± ¡°I am Han Yu-ra of the Taewang Guild. This is Kang Jin-woo who came on behalf of Master Park Tae-sung.¡± Jin-woo is famous around the world, but nevertheless, the security check was done thoroughly. His weapon was retrieved, and his inventory was checked for other weapons before they were guided to the meeting room. Click-! As soon as the door opened, they saw a spacious interior, and a wide view of Singapore¡¯s city center was on the window. Jin-woo saw familiar places. They were all globally famous. Jin-woo had seen them only on TV before. ¡°Whoa, it¡¯s the legendary skill holder!¡± One of the players stood up to greet him. David James. A level 361 player and a former soldier. He was an active player in the White House guild four years ago and is now their general manager. ¡°Why don¡¯t you stop talking about useless things and start the meeting right away?¡± At the words of an Arab man, the atmosphere was chilled. ¡°I agree. What are we waiting for?¡± Lin Xiao, representing Red Dragon, agreed. He opened his inventory and pulled out an item. ¡°Isn¡¯t this the actual reason why we gathered together?¡± A statue in the form of a sword. Subsequently, Mujahideen¡¯s agent and David also opened their inventories. Each of them took out a different type of statue and placed it on the table. Everyone then looked at Jin-woo. He took out the relic from his inventory. That moment. Jiing-! The relics shone and resonated with each other. The moment the resonance stopped¡­ [Quest has been updated] A notification window popped up in front of everyone¡¯s eyes. [Quest Content] [Kill Boru, one of the four kings of the demon kingdom] Could he be the creature seen in the video? [Sure. The towers also appeared in four places.] So, there must be demon kings in each tower, and we have to go kill one of them. [Since your relic came from the Dragon¡¯s Nest, your target tower should be the one in England.] Oh, you have good reasoning skills! [Ahem!] The swordsman laughed. The other attendees seem to have understood themselves what needs to be done. Each one left their seats and saying excuses before leaving the room. As expected, the meeting didn¡¯t last long. Jin-woo also left the room. * * * Lin Xiao¡¯s private plane was gone when Jin-woo and Yu-ra arrived at the airport. It was absurd. They came together, but they were left here without a word. ¡°Well, does it really matter?¡± Their destination was not Korea anyway. They are going to England. With the help of the Singapore branch of the Taewang Guild, a special plane was arranged for them. Soon, they were on the way to England. On the plane, they contacted Park Tae-sung to discuss what happened. -Quest has been updated here as well. Quest update seemed to have occurred simultaneously around the world. It said to kill the four kings¡­ Boru. I never heard of that name. ¡°I see.¡± The main quest seemed to be shared by people all over the world. ¡°First, we¡¯ll go to England and check the Dragon¡¯s Nest again.¡± -Do that. I will contact Oliver in advance. ¡°Thank you.¡± After disconnecting, Jin-woo looked out the window. Four Demon Kings. Relics. Will they give a reward once the quest is finished? Jin-woo was 50/50 on it. Rewards usually come with a quest, but they did not receive a reward for finishing the tutorial quest, so he could not say for sure. I¡¯ll find out soon. There was no point in wasting time on a problem that could not be answered right now. [Just sleep and try to rest. I think you need it.] Yes. Jin-woo closed his eyes and slowly fell asleep. * * * The plane flew over London. ¡°London has also suffered severe damage,¡± Han Yu-ra said. Jin-woo looked out the window. There were fires in the city, and places were buildings have collapsed. ¡°I think Master is correct when he said that Seoul is in decent state compared to others.¡± The merger of the Noblesse and the Taewang Guild was postponed. However, the two guilds still maintained their cooperation. Oliver met them when they landed. ¡°You¡¯ve flown a long way.¡± ¡°Long time no see.¡± ¡°I¡¯m surprised you came here yourself to meet us.¡± ¡°Because we¡¯re from the same family,¡± Oliver smiled. ¡°Now, let¡¯s go.¡± They climbed in Oliver¡¯s Rolls Royce and left the airport. Restoration work was in full swing throughout London. ¡°The damage is not as bad as I thought.¡± ¡°London is an important city. The guild, as well as the British government moved quickly to defeat the monsters.¡± Soon, they stopped in front of Noblesse¡¯s headquarters. They were guided into a conference room. ¡°You must be tired from the long flight, but we need to discuss what happened immediately.¡± Jin-woo and Han Yu-ra nodded. Everyone around the world was surprised at the quest update. It took ten years to complete the tutorial. Now, the main quest has been updated in just a few days. ¡°Well, we don¡¯t have any new information except for the information we already sent.¡± ¡°So, we need to capture the four kings of the demon kingdom, and they are in the towers in countries where the level 400 dungeons were?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± ¡°I see. Okay, well. I¡¯ll take you to the hotel.¡± ¡°Oh, rather than the hotel, we would like to go directly to the Dragon¡¯s Nest,¡± Jin-woo said. ¡°Dragon¡¯s Nest?¡± ¡°Yes. We want to meet the Demon King there.¡± ¡°Well¡­ could you please give me time?¡± ¡°Time?¡± ¡°Yes, I need a few days to gather help.¡± [Isn¡¯t that rather good?] Yeah? [Have you forgotten? The cooldown of the admission ticket is in a few days!] Ah! I forgot. [Stupid guy.] It was because I was so busy! ¡°Okay. Then, we can take a few days off.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± They went to their hotel. After unpacking, Jin-woo immediately opened his inventory. [Cooldown: 2 days] There are still two days left. What am I going to do for two days? [What else should you do? You should practice.] The swordsman raised his sword. Jin-woo silently grabbed his sword as well. ¡°Good.¡± * * * Next day. Han Yu-ra came to Jin-woo¡¯s room. ¡°Have you seen the video, Jin-woo?¡± ¡°What video?¡± Instead of answering, she handed him a smartphone. He took it and pressed ¡®play¡¯ on the video on-screen. He saw several white people. ¡°These are the members of the White House guild. They raided the Ancient Ruins last night.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Yes. It seems like they thought there would be some hidden reward if they cleared it first.¡± Jin-woo had also thought of it. At that time, a woman appeared on the screen. She looked similar to the creature who blew up the Forbidden City. The only difference is that she had bat wings. Soon, a battle broke out. The White House guild players number about a hundred. It was not a lot. However, they were all powerful. Jin-woo could infer that they were all high-level players based on their movements and skills. Then, the woman took off her clothes. -Ho ho ho ho! Are you here to play with me? Everyone froze. After a few moments, the players started moving again. But this time, they behaved strangely. They stumbled like they were drunk, then they pulled out their weapons and attacked each other. What¡¯s even more strange is that there were no screams or cries of pain. They just continued whacking at each other mindlessly. Soon, the video was cut off. ¡°What is this¡­ ¡­ .¡± ¡°Everyone died.¡± ¡°Well¡­ Just how powerful is that hypnotic magic¡­¡± ¡°You cannot disregard it. All the players who went there are over level 300.¡± ¡°So, even the high-level players could not fight against that magic¡­¡± ¡°Yeah. We do not know what abilities the other demon kings have. We need to be careful.¡± ¡°Thank you for letting me know. Oh, and I¡¯ll be away for a while tomorrow.¡± ¡°Yes? Where are you going?¡± ¡°Yeah. I want to do some shopping.¡± Han Yu-ra looked at him as if what he said was absurd. Shopping. In this situation. ¡°Are the stores even open in this situation?¡± ¡°I know where the stores are open.¡± ¡°Ugh. Suit yourself.¡± Han Yu-ra left the room, shaking her head. The swordsman landed on Jin-woo¡¯s head. [Shopping¡­ it¡¯s not wrong.] Huh, right? Jin-woo smiled as he stared at the admission ticket in his inventory. * * * Next day. Jin-woo stood at the entrance in awe. ¡°The Earth is in uproar, but it¡¯s so peaceful here.¡± [Because it doesn¡¯t matter to them at all. You seem more relaxed today, too.] ¡°Ah, I¡¯ve been here many times. Now, I can relax.¡± [Oh. Now, you¡¯re a little more prepared?] ¡°Yes.¡± It is not a bluff. Jin-woo has already made perfect preparations. There was no gap in his plan, so he was full of confidence. First, he will buy an admission ticket and a return ball. Then, buy legendary skill cards on display. Choose a recovery skill as a secondary skill instead of an attack skill. Jin-woo wanted a recovery skill just in case. With a legendary recovery skill, he can heal most injuries instantly. After getting a skill, he would go to the forge next to it and buy legendary weapons and armor. All those should only take 120 seconds! Thanks to his current level of over 300, he had a total of 3 minutes to spend. ¡°It¡¯s a great plan, right?¡± [No.] The swordsman gave him a strange smile. It made Jin-woo a little anxious, but he shrugged it off. ¡°Now, shall we go in?¡± He passed through the gate. [Time remaining: 305 seconds] The timer started. Okay! I can do it! He quickly went to the octopus¡¯ shop. However¡­ ¡°Mister?¡± It was closed. The store was dark. [It¡¯s a great plan until something goes off.] ¡°Damn it!¡± The store is closed! Jin-woo couldn¡¯t even have imagined that happening. ¡°Hoo, let¡¯s calm down, calm down¡­¡± He can do the next part of the plan. He turned and headed to Mr. Rat¡¯s forge. ¡°Huh? The kid!¡± ¡°Oh, thank God!¡± [Sheesh! It¡¯s not fun to see him again.] ¡°What? This swordsman.¡± Jin-woo was so glad to see Mr. Rat, but he does not have time to celebrate. First¡­ ¡°Do you sell tickets and return balls here?¡± ¡°This is a forge, not a general store.¡± Jin-woo¡¯s head spun as if he was hit by a hammer. The only way out of this place was through a return ball. If he exceeds the timer, he will die. [Stop worrying about useless things and go inside the smithy.] ¡°Huh? But¡­¡± [There¡¯s another general store inside. They can sell you tickets and return balls.] ¡°Really?¡± Mr. Rat nodded. Jin-woo sighed with relief, then opened his inventory. He took out the Dragon Blade. ¡°This is the Dragon Blade that I borrowed last time.¡± ¡°Did you use it well?¡± ¡°Yes. Thanks to this, I was able to eliminate a great risk. However¡­¡± ¡°You used the Dragon Slayer skill.¡± ¡°Yes¡­ Sorry. I should somehow compensate¡­¡± Hoop-! Mr. Rat threw the sword behind him. Wajangchang-! Dragon Blade, a legendary weapon, clanged on the floor. ¡°I don¡¯t care. I told you to use it anyway. By the way, your weapon is not finished yet.¡± Jin-woo¡¯s eyebrows furrowed, then he remembered. He gave Mr. Rat a pile of dragon bones for a weapon. He totally forgot about it. There were so many things in his head. ¡°Can I buy another weapon?¡± [There is not much time.] Jin-woo checked the timer at the swordsman¡¯s words. [Time remaining: 121 seconds] Two minutes left. He has wasted too much time reeling from shock at the closed Octopus¡¯ store. Mr. Rat suddenly spoke. ¡°Open your inventory.¡± ¡°Inventory? Okay.¡± Jin-woo opened his inventory, then unexpectedly¡­ Mr. Rat threw several weapons and armors into his inventory! ¡°That would be useful to you.¡± ¡°Useful?¡± Jin-woo¡¯s eyes widened as he checked the items in his inventory. The new items inside were all hero-rating or higher. Chapter 36 ¡°You can return them after I finish your weapon. Or use them up. They are failures, anyway.¡± [90 seconds remaining] ¡°Uh¡­ Thank you!¡± ¡°Hey, now go.¡± Jin-woo bowed quickly and followed the swordsman. The place they went to was not far from the smithy. ¡°Purr-! It¡¯s been a long time since I saw a human.¡± A lion. An octopus, a mouse, and now a lion. This seems to be an animal kingdom. [Long time.] ¡°Huh? Ugh! You¡­ you are-!¡± The lion looked shocked upon seeing the swordsman, and the hairs on his mane rose. ¡°What on earth are you doing here?!¡± [Nothing. Just playing around.] You obviously don¡¯t know what playing means, Jin-woo thought. [Tsu! Stop wasting time and buy your stuff.] ¡°Ah! Do you sell return balls and tickets?¡± ¡°Purr-! Of course!¡± ¡°Oh, yes! I¡¯ll live!¡± ¡°Hang on, I¡¯ll search for them.¡± The lion entered the store. Jin-woo was nervous, but he waited quietly. He looked around the shop as he waited. ¡°Is that a potion?¡± There was a golden liquid in a pretty bottle. He reached out and took the bottle to check the item information. [Highest level recovery potion] [Rank: Legendary] [Efficacy: Restores 100% health and mana at once.] [Cooldown: 8 hours] Legendary potion? 100% recovery?! I¡¯ve certainly never seen a potion like this. Jin-woo also examined the other items on display. There were mostly consumables, but all of them are great. Soon, the lion came out. ¡°Here.¡± The lion held out a return ball and an admission ticket, which Jin-woo took. Then, Jin-woo pointed at the potion on the stand. ¡°Is that for sale?¡± ¡°Radish¡­ Of course! First, pay me for those items on your hand!¡± ¡°Ah, do you accept money transfer?¡± ¡°What are you talking about? You have to pay me in points?¡± Jin-woo has never heard about points before. ¡°Points?¡± [Hey, lion cub.] At that time, the swordsman intervened. With a low voice, he spoke to the lion. [Put it on my tab.] ¡°What? Credit? That¡¯s¡­¡± [It would be better if you don¡¯t refuse me.] It seems like it¡¯s not the first time the swordsman did something like this. The lion hesitated. ¡°Hmm! Okay! I¡¯ll allow you 1,000 points!¡± ¡°1,000 points?¡± [That¡¯s enough for the potion you are holding, the admission ticket, and the return ball.] Jin-woo nodded, then placed the potion and the admission ticket in his inventory. Then, a little marble beside the potion caught his eye. [Orb of Holy Power] [Rank: Legendary] [Effect: Temporarily generates a Holy Power stat.] [Duration: 3 hours] Something flashed in Jin-woo¡¯s head. ¡°How much is this?¡± ¡°500 points.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll take this and the recovery potion!¡± [Disciple, time is up] Jin-woo hastily placed the marble inside his inventory and gripped his return ball tight. ¡°Mister Lion! Thank you!¡± ¡°Hey! Ah¡­ Don¡¯t come again!¡± Jin-woo laughed awkwardly and broke the return ball. * * * Back in his hotel room in England. Jin-woo checked the date on his smartphone. They were gone a little longer than a day. ¡°Whooo!¡± He caught his breath. It was another nerve-wracking experience. ¡°I thought I planned it so well, but the Octopus¡¯ store is closed.¡± He turned to the swordsman. ¡°How did it happen?¡± [I guess he took a day off. Did you think they go to work every day?] With that, the swordsman grabbed the smartphone from him and started browsing the internet again. Jin-woo shook his head. ¡°I have to consider that when I plan for the next time.¡± He was sadder that he didn¡¯t see Mr. Octopus rather than the fact that he couldn¡¯t buy from him. ¡°Well, Master. What¡¯s a point?¡± [Think of it as a currency that can be used there. You¡¯ll know when you qualify.] ¡°Again, with that. Are you talking about the quest?¡± [Well, that¡¯s what it is.] Jin-woo considered. The name of the quest they have was Proof of Qualification. ¡°If I finish this quest, I¡¯ll learn more about that place, right?¡± [Yes. You¡¯ll know all the things you don¡¯t know.] Jin-woo nodded. In order to qualify, he had to deal with the Demon Kings. He started to check the items that were in his inventory. There were various types of swords, maces, helmets, and shields. ¡°They are at least hero level¡­¡± There were also legendary items mixed in. Among those items, Jin-woo picked up a sword. It looked impressive. Its blade is white, and its handle is quite colorful. It looks more like a decorative sword rather than one for practical use. However, when he checked the stats¡­ [Durandal] [Rank: Legendary] [Sword from Angel] [Physical Attack: 580] [Divine Attack: 400] [Strength: 440] [Agility: 450] [Health: 500] [Mana: 530] [Special Skills: Angel¡¯s Song] [Special Skill 2: Holy Shield [Special Skill 3: Holy Blade] The weapon is a great option. Its attack power was lower than that of the Dragon Blade, but it had a Divine Attack Power stat. There were also three special skills attached to it. ¡°All skills have something to do with divine power¡­ Did he know?¡± It was the same with Dragon Blade. Mr. Rat handed him the sword as if he knew that Jin-woo was going to deal with a dragon. This time, he has to deal with demons. Of course, divine power was bound to be their weakness. However, the divine power stat does not exist in other weapons on Earth. Jin-woo began checking the other weapons. Among them were weapons for magic-users. He went through all the items and finally checked the marble he hastily took from the Lion¡¯s shelf. Marble of Divine Power. He took it at the last moment because he realized something at that point. Divine power will hit demons hard. If this marble forms some sort of synergy with Durandal and the other weapons¡­ Jiing-! A text message arrived from Han Yu-ra. -Meeting with Oliver tomorrow. D-Day is approaching. * * * Next day. Dozens of vehicles filled with Noblesse Guild members pulled out of England¡¯s city center Jin-woo and Han Yu-ra were in one of the vehicles, along with Oliver and a woman. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you would lead the team yourself,¡± Han Yu-ra told Oliver. ¡°Haha! I don¡¯t like sitting and waiting for results,¡± Oliver said with a cheerful smile. ¡°By the way,¡± Oliver turned to the woman sitting next to him. The woman is in a priest¡¯s uniform and is wearing eyeglasses. She bowed her head quickly, as if she is embarrassed. The gesture looked pretty cute. ¡°This is Priestess Emily from the Church of England,¡± Oliver introduced her. ¡°Ah, hello. A priestess?¡± Han Yu-ra looked puzzled. Oliver nodded. ¡°It¡¯s not a well-known fact, but those who are engaged in religion have unique stats.¡± ¡°A unique stat?¡± ¡°Yes. Divine Power.¡± Even before the monsters came out, some religious people already claimed to have special powers. Some of them were scammers, but others may have been telling the truth. Jin-woo thought that divine power didn¡¯t exist on Earth, but now, someone in front of him has it. ¡°She will be of great help because our enemies our demons.¡± ¡°I agree,¡± Jin-woo said. Kiik-! The car stopped. ¡°We¡¯re here.¡± As they got out of the car, Jin-woo saw the familiar place. It was where Dragon¡¯s Nest was. Now, there was a five-story tower in its place. Oliver took the lead. ¡°We¡¯ll walk from here on.¡± Jin-woo nodded and pulled out the relic as he followed him. He wanted to see if the relic is going to show some reaction as it approached the tower. Suddenly, Priestess Emily approached him with her eyes glowing. ¡°Is that a relic?¡± ¡°Oh, yes.¡± ¡°Wow¡­ I think I can feel divine power just by looking at it.¡± ¡°Haha¡­¡± Jin-woo thought it was rather absurd. He didn¡¯t believe in God. Above all, there was no word about divine power in the relic¡¯s item description. The party continued their march, guarding the surroundings, and soon they were able to reach the tower. Surprisingly, the entrance on the first floor was wide open. There was no security or monsters guarding the way. [Makes you confident, doesn¡¯t it?] Right. As if they want to make you feel you can come at anytime. When they went inside, all they found was a circular space. There was no staircase going up. ¡°How do we go up?¡± Oliver and the other team members looked around. Jin-woo raised his head toward the ceiling. After a few moments, he swung his sword towards it. Bang-! Dust and small stones showered them. When the dust settled, a huge hole was on the ceiling. ¡°There. We can go up through that,¡± Jin-woo said. Oliver smiled awkwardly. ¡°Jin-woo, you¡¯re a radical one.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Jin-woo didn¡¯t think about it as a radical move. He thought it was common sense. He jumped through the hole and installed equipment so the team members could climb up. One by one, they climbed up through the rope. When everyone was ready, they heard a booming voice. ¡°You guys don¡¯t even know the rules of the game! In a tower like this, you have to clear the first floor before going up! Why did you break the ceiling?!¡± The creature appeared. It was a man the size of a house. He had purple skin and horns. The man from the video. ¡°Check him out,¡± Oliver said to one of his team members. ¡°Search!¡± The team member activated his skill, but suddenly ¨C ¡°Ahhhhh!¡± He screamed and fell to the floor. Then, he convulsed violently. His colleagues rushed to check his condition, but he was dead in seconds. ¡°Dead¡­¡± ¡°His eyes¡­¡± The eyes of the team member were burned black. ¡°Humans dare to fathom the power of this body, huh?¡± The demon laughed. [Hmm, he¡¯s not that much.] Yes. Jin-woo felt it as well. He felt much stronger energy when he faced Maryong. He was only fortunate that he had a weapon with a Dragon Slayer skill when he faced Maryong. Compared to the Maryong, the demon in front of him now is not that much. Above all, he had Durandal, a sword with divine power. It was then. Priestess Emily stepped forward. ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Oh, a priest who worshipped God,¡± the demon looked amused. ¡°You are the devil.¡± ¡°Haha! That¡¯s what I am, yes.¡± ¡°I will punish you in the name of God!¡± Ah¡­ Jin-woo thought. It¡¯s cringy. The swordsman also felt the same way. [Somewhere inside this body, I feel shudders.] Master, we need to watch her. [What?] How she uses divine power. Jin-woo was genuinely curious about how priests use divine power. One of the Four Kings of the Demon Kingdom. It was a grand title, but Jin-woo knew the demon was no match for him, so he could afford to watch leisurely. Then, Priestess Emily moved. She put her hands on her chest and prayed. ¡°Emily Bronte, servant of the great God, is desperate. Please give me the power to punish that demon!¡± A divine light fell on her. Boru was watching it leisurely. He seems so relaxed? Jin-woo looked at the demon. The demon could have attacked the priestess several times already. Still, it just watched. As if it was daring her to give everything that she can. ¡°Holy Cross!¡± Emily shouted and spread her arms. A divine light in the form of a cross shone from her body towards the demon. ¡°Oh, so that¡¯s it?¡± The demon raised its right hand. A purple energy emanated from his hand and swallowed the sacred light. Poof-! The divine light is gone in an instant. ¡°What¡­ nonsense¡­¡± Emily¡¯s face was filled with shock as if she couldn¡¯t believe what happened. Jin-woo shrugged. In a way, it was expected. Divine power was not common in this world. Only a few were blessed to have this stat. As such, it hasn¡¯t developed enough. On the other hand, the enemy is a demon king. His evil magic was at its ultimate form. Beginner divine power was no match for it. ¡°You did well,¡± Jin-woo approached the priestess. ¡°Please step back.¡± Jin-woo continued to walk past her. ¡°Oh¡­ Jin-woo! What are you trying to do?!¡± Oliver cried urgently. In response to Oliver¡¯s question, he opened his inventory and took out a sword. ¡°That¡¯s¡­?¡± Emily¡¯s eyes sparkled. It is the same reaction as when seeing the relic She certainly seemed to be sensitive to divine power. Jin-woo turned to look at Oliver and smiled. ¡°I think I can handle that guy alone.¡± Chapter 37 ¡°Yes?!¡± ¡°Ha-! I can¡¯t understand the humor of humans.¡± It was obvious from Boru¡¯s expression that he thought it was ridiculous. For Jin-woo, it didn¡¯t matter. ¡°Dokgogu sword.¡± [Skill: Dokgogu Sword is activated.] Durandal shone with golden energy. Jin-woo felt a little amusement as he thought about it. Now, he has magic, physical attack, and divine power. How did he become such a powerful character? The swordsman floated above him. [There¡¯s a lot of useless things in your head.] Jin-woo quickly dismissed his thoughts and focused on his master¡¯s words. [Even if you know that your opponent is weak, you must stay vigilant. A small difference can decide winning or losing.] Yes. Maryong was also confident about his power, and that caused him to have gaps. Above all, it was possible for this enemy to be hiding a secret power, as he does. [Don¡¯t miss your first chance in this fight.] Jin-woo nodded, then hit the ground, quickly narrowing the distance between him and Boru. Boru¡¯s eyes widened as he watched the approaching Jin-woo. ¡°You have a pretty good weapon!¡± It seemed that he recognized Durandal¡¯s value. Or not. He¡¯s still relaxed, Jin-woo thought. He released his inner air and struck him as hard as he could. ¡°Huh!¡± The demon quickly flew sideways. Bang-! A great explosion resounded as if a bomb was detonated. Thick dust rose. ¡°What¡­ what?!¡± ¡°Is that a new skill?¡± People shouted in surprise. The demon was as shocked as they are. At first, Boru thought it wasn¡¯t a big deal. However, he suddenly felt a huge amount of energy coming in and felt threatened. He chose to dodge it rather than block it. As the thick dust settled, he knew that he made the right choice. ¡°What happened¡­?¡± ¡°That huge hole¡­¡± A huge hole was drilled where the demon stood, the aftermath of a tremendous attack. As the demon stared at the hole, he suddenly felt another huge wave of energy incoming. Woong-! The demon king flew to avoid it but was a beat too late. A white light slashed at him and caught his arm. His right arm was chopped off. ¡°Arrrgh!¡± Boru stared at Jin-woo with a furious look. I tried to cut him in half, but I failed. [It means that his reflexes are not bad. But now, without an arm, his balance is broken. Don¡¯t be too confident; keep driving at him!] Yes! Jin-woo straightened his stance and hit the ground once more. Boru reached out his left arm as Jin-woo approached. Jiing-! As another ray of white light flew to the demon king, a dark sword appeared in his left hand to block it. Chaeng-! A dark sword formed from the evil energy in the demon king¡¯s body. In terms of swordsmanship, do you think he¡¯ll give me trouble? [It doesn¡¯t seem like it. He doesn¡¯t seem much.] Jin-woo nodded at his master¡¯s evaluation. Every night, he practiced against someone who has superior swordsmanship than any other opponent. That should be enough. He swung Durandal as hard as he could. The demon king met his sword head-on. Quajik-! The two swords collided. Violent energy was expelled at the moment of collision. ¡°Ugh¡­!¡± The demon king felt. Jin-woo understood his shock. The demon king was fighting against someone with a divine sword. He wouldn¡¯t have dreamt of fighting against someone with a Durandal. It was impossible for this weapon to exist in this world. [Finish it.] ¡°Holy Blade!¡± Sacred light rose from his sword, and the light gathered above them to form a glowing cloud. Then, the cloud opened, and angels and saints appeared. ¡°Alas¡­¡± Over the demon king¡¯s shoulder, Jin-woo saw Emily fell to her knees and pray. From her point of view, this must have been like a miracle. [Skill: Holy Blade is activated.] [Holy attack power increases by 1,000% for 1 minute with God¡¯s protection.] Durandal is the best divine weapon. Its physical attack power was at best at hero-level, but with its Holy Blade skill, it boosts divine attack by a whopping ten times. Of course, this skill cannot be used in general situations because only demons can take damage from divine attacks. But now, he¡¯s facing a demon! Above all, one of the demon kings! It was the best match for Durandal. ¡°Damn it¡­¡± And it seemed like Boru realized it too. ¡°How can you use the power of the saints¡­ ¡­ .¡± ¡°Well. Actually, I don¡¯t know.¡± ¡°Damn y ou! Are you kidding me?!¡± ¡°It¡¯s true.¡± Jin-woo could not spend more time in the conversation. The skill¡¯s time is only one minute. Now, he has to finish him. Woong-! He swung the sword, and white light flew from it. The demon king¡¯s magic sword split in to. Subsequently, a crack appeared from the demon¡¯s right shoulder to his left waist. Black smoke rose from the crack as the demon king groaned in pain. Then, flame burst out from Boru¡¯s body, burning his corpse to a cinder. [He¡¯s just a big name. He¡¯s not strong at all.] Isn¡¯t it because of my weapon? [No. He hasn¡¯t reached the level of transcendence.] Oh. It was then. [Quest has been updated] [You killed Boru in solo play.] [A hidden reward is given.] [You were the first to kill a demon king.] [A hidden reward is given.] The quest has been updated. Jin-woo turned his head and looked at the other team members. Most of them have surprised expressions. Is it because the quest has been updated? That¡¯s not it. Boru was powerful enough to kill dozens of level 300 players. They seemed shocked that he killed Boru alone in that short amount of time. Am I the only one who got the rewards? It was highly likely because they were hidden rewards. Jin-woo felt curious as he stared at the notification. Suddenly, a new window appeared. [300 points are paid as compensation.] [300 points are paid as compensation.] Points. If he hadn¡¯t been in that place, he wouldn¡¯t have the slightest idea what the points were. Isn¡¯t that it? The points that Mr. Lion was talking about? [Yes. Hmm. You received points even if you haven¡¯t qualified yet. That¡¯s a little strange.] The swordsman was also surprised. Jin-woo thought that he received a lot. An admission ticket, a return orb, a legendary-grade potion, and a divine power orb cost 1,000 points in total. He received 600 points in just one quest. There are other shops that I haven¡¯t visited yet. It may be a good idea to save a lot of points. He killed one of the four demon kings and received 600 points. Excluding the first kill reward, he could get 900 points if he deals with the remaining three kings. The only problem is that he had to kill all three in solo play. I wish I could kill them before the others could. It¡¯s not that easy. The other guilds with relics are likely on the move to hunt down the other three kings. Because of that, he must hurry to the other sites. As he thought about it, he felt powerful, ominous energy coming. It was then. [It looks like his colleagues are coming.] The swordsman noticed it too. Soon, the air was distorted, and a black portal appeared. A creature walked out of it. He had a familiar face. It was one of the four kings who blew up the Forbidden City in China. Then, another portal appeared. This time, the female demon who enchanted level 300 players in the United States walked out of it. A third portal opened, and a child riding a round sphere floated out of it. This child must also be one of the four demon kings. The man sighed as he looked at Boru¡¯s corpse, then he looked around the people inside the tower. ¡°Woo-! He¡¯s been beaten by these guys. What a stupid demon.¡± ¡°It can¡¯t be helped. He has good strength, but a bad head, right?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be too relaxed. Whatever they did, these humans have been able to kill one of us.¡± Jin-woo felt nervous as he watched the demon kings¡¯ casual conversation. It had been easy to deal with Boru, but now, the Holy Blade skill is gone. He would not be able to kill a demon king again in an instant. However, defeating them is still doable. Durandal¡¯s divine attack power is still there, and he also had other skills. Most of all, he hasn¡¯t used the thousand swords technique yet. The female demon started to move. She was dressed in revealing lingerie. She smiled, then dark energy flowed out, hovering over Jin-woo and the other team members. ¡°I don¡¯t like getting blood on my hands. Would you guys kill yourselves?¡± It was a ridiculous command, but that nonsense was becoming a reality. The team members suddenly pulled up their weapons and started aiming at each other. The enchanting magic of Reka, one of the demon kings, turned everyone into her slaves, ignoring gender and race. That moment. Woong-! With the sound of a sword slashing the air, the team members returned to their sanity. ¡°Huh?¡± Reka stared at the person who broke the spell. It was Jin-woo, who slashed at the dark energy cast over his teammates. ¡°How did you do it?¡± The swordsman smirked as he stared at the surprised Reka. I think she¡¯s a little surprised. [It was a pretty high-level enchantment. However, it would not work on you. You¡¯re mentally mature due to the Geumgang Fireball and the metamorphosis.] Jin-woo focused on the demon kings in front of him. ¡°He broke Reka¡¯s magic. He must be the one who killed Boru.¡± ¡°There is a high possibility that enchantments won¡¯t work on him.¡± The two other demon kings stepped forward. At that moment, Jin-woo hit the ground and ran towards them. He was thinking of taking advantage and attacking early before the opponents finished talking. [Avoid to your right!] Jin-woo was surprised at the words of the swordsman, but he followed and changed his trajectory. Suddenly, a magic circle appeared on the path where he was running, and a pillar of fire rose from it. ¡°Oh, he avoided it?¡± One of the demon king¡¯s eyes sparkled. He was Gerdan, the best wizard among the four demon kings. ¡°Now, can you avoid this, too¡­¡± [Use your inner air!] Jin-woo kicked the stones on the floor upwards. When the stones met his eye-level, he flicked his index finger. Fusiung-! The stones flew towards Gerdan¡¯s head like bullets. At that moment, a black flash appeared in front of Gerdan. Pasasak-! When the stones hit the black flash, they turned to dust. Jin-woo stopped running and stared at the last of the four demon kings. ¡°That wasn¡¯t necessary, Bertel.¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t need my help, don¡¯t be too relaxed.¡± The three demon kings are in front of Jin-woo. Master. If I kill these guys, I¡¯ll get another hidden reward, right? [Well, very likely. It was the same when you killed Boru.] And points are the currency used in that place, right? [That is correct.] That¡¯s great, then. Jin-woo raised Durandal. Woong-! I can¡¯t sleep if I have a debt. Durandal began to glow red. Chapter 38 The battle began in earnest. Jin-woo spurred the ground to narrow their distance. The three demons flew in different directions to avoid Durandal¡¯s blade. Reka floated in the air and stretched her arm. Black smoke flowed down her arm and turned into a long whip. ¡°A human who could resist my charms¡­¡± Whilik-! ¡°Die!¡± The whip cracked at Jin-woo, but Jin-woo disappeared. He reappeared in the air behind Reka using the Cheonma Shingong method. He prepared to swing Durandal at the exposed Reka, but he couldn¡¯t move. It was because he felt something appear behind him as well. He quickly made his body heavy to drop to the ground; then, he quickly looked up. Bertel was the one behind him. Suddenly- ¡°Fire Will!¡± Bang-! Gerdan stretched out his staff as soon as Jin-woo landed. A black circle appeared on the floor, and black flames soared from it. Jin-woo used Cheonma Shingong again to quickly escape it. One is fast¡­ one has mental power¡­ the other is a wizard. It was a good team balance. Above all, the pace of their attacks was good. It seems that they have done this synchronized attack before. Then, is Boru their tank? It was very likely. He was muscular, and his movement was slower than that of Bertel. The other three demon kings each have their own characteristics, so it would be the same for Boru. Then, it means that they are in a situation with no tanker. Jin-woo quickly grasped the situation. It was the same in his tour guide days. Whenever something unexpected happens, he quickly grasps the situation. Their team is not perfect. There will eventually be a gap. [That is correct.] With the swordsman¡¯s agreement, Jin-woo began to feel more confident. He moved quickly and induced the demon kings to attack him. It looked pretty risky. It seemed as if he was getting pushed because he kept avoiding and defending without attacking. ¡°Damn¡­ we should help him¡­¡± Oliver, who was on the floor after Reka¡¯s mental attack, tried to get up. However, he couldn¡¯t move. It was an aftereffect of Reka¡¯s mental attack. Every time he tried to move a muscle, he was consumed by excruciating pain. It¡¯s not just Oliver. Other team members were also suffering from pain. ¡°Gah¡­ I have to help Jinwoo¡­¡± Han Yu-ra also tried hard to move. She¡¯s been with Jin-woo since he joined the guild. So, she wanted to help somehow. However, she could hardly move her body. It was heartbreaking to helplessly watch her colleague fight alone. Meanwhile, Jin-woo has a completely different thought as he glanced at his colleagues. I guess everyone still can¡¯t move. It¡¯s perfect. [What? You¡¯re happy to see that your colleagues can¡¯t move?] But I have to kill these guys alone to get the hidden rewards. [Doesn¡¯t matter.] They¡¯re not dead. Besides, I don¡¯t think I really need their help. [Oh, you can deal with them alone, you mean?] I think so. Jin-woo raised his sword. Daang-! At the same time, Bertel appeared in front of him and swung a dagger. ¡°Quick!¡± Jin-woo¡¯s sword and Bertel¡¯s dagger clashed and sent sparks flying. At that moment, a groan escaped Bertel¡¯s mouth. He was surprised to feel pain. Jin-woo brought his sword down. Bertel flew back to avoid the sword. However, a shadow loomed over his head as he landed on the ground. Jin-woo was already upon him. Since he had just landed, Bertel¡¯s movement had to slow. It was too late to avoid. Whilick-! Suddenly, Reka¡¯s whip wrapped around Bertel¡¯s waist and pulled him away. Bang-! Jin-woo¡¯s sword hit the ground, causing a massive explosion. ¡°If you have been hit by that, you would have been dead,¡± Reka muttered. ¡°Th- thank you.¡± Reka stared at Bertel with amazement. Did Bertel stutter? That means this human is really dangerous, Reka thought. Of the four demon kings, Bertel had the coldest blood. He has never lost composure in battle. This time, however, he was almost killed. Bertel¡¯s reaction made Reka nervous. Whilick-! At that time, a red flash flew towards them. ¡°Quick!¡± ¡°Damage!¡± The two demon kings fled together. The red flash was aimed at Bertel. Bertel was the fastest among the four demon kings, but Jin-woo, with Cheonma Shingong, could catch up to him. Like a snake, Jin-woo could dodge Bertel¡¯s dagger easily, and with enormous power enough to cut a mountain, he swings a counter-attack. Bertel looked desperate as attacks came in one after another. He was able to block the attacks, but he was shaken from the impact of their clashes. Eventually, he couldn¡¯t hold it anymore and started to vomit blood. ¡°Bertel!¡± At the same time, Reka swung her whip. Jin-woo immediately fled to avoid it. Gerdan stretched out his staff as he waited for Jin-woo to land. ¡°Dark Lightning!¡± Bang-! Dark lightning crackled above Jin-woo¡¯s head. However, Jin-woo disappeared in an instant and reappeared behind Gerdan. Woong-! A red flash slashed at Gerdan¡¯s body. However, the body dissolved into smoke. Gerdan reappeared beside the weakened Bertel. Magic? [Probably. I haven¡¯t seen that move yet. Anyway, it¡¯s a proper battle. You¡¯re playing close quarters with the fastest guy, preventing the others from attacking you. You¡¯re doing well.] Yeah? I thought the wizard¡¯s attack affects an area; hence he couldn¡¯t strike me if I am close to his colleague. [Good thinking.] The swordsman was impressed. In a short moment, Jin-woo has recognized the strengths and weaknesses of his enemies and found a method of combat to adjust to them. What was even more surprising is that he was able to execute his plan smoothly in that short period. [The more you know, the more amazing it is.] What is amazing? Jin-woo asked the swordsman without removing his eyes from the demon kings. [Don¡¯t pay attention to useless things, push firmly until you get the victory.] Yes. You didn¡¯t have to say that¡­ Hit-! Jin-woo hit the ground and appeared in front of the demon kings. I know what I have to do! He opened the inventory and took out the orb of divine power. [Item: Use a divine power ball.] [100 Holy Power stat is temporarily granted.] Jinwoo¡¯s body was engulfed in a brilliant white light; then, he swung his sword. The two demons split ways. Again, it was aimed at Bertel. Bertel parried the sword and boosted his speed even further, with Jin-woo closing in behind him. Bertel was going so fast that the other team members present in the room could not see him anymore. Jin-woo¡¯s head kept moving as if he was watching something. Then, he also disappeared. Caang-! Bang-! Red light and black flames splattered in the air everywhere. First, in the ceiling, then all over the floor, even right in front of the team members. Sparks flashed, then gusts of wind were felt. Han Yu-ra was astonished. What¡­ nonsense¡­ it¡¯s such a speed that you can¡¯t even see it. Can humans move at that speed? Some players can move very fast using skills. However, Jin-woo wasn¡¯t using a skill. He was doing it on pure physical ability. It was a situation that was hard to understand. Park Tae-sung¡¯s order came to Han Yu-ra¡¯s mind. Even if Jin-woo wasn¡¯t from Lin Xiao¡¯s side, the master told her to keep an eye on him. At that time, she thought that he was just cautious. But now, it didn¡¯t seem like that. It was as if he told her to watch Jin-woo because he knew there was something special. If he knew this¡­ how? What the hell does the master have? Questions only lead to more questions. It was then. Kook-! Bertel and Jin-woo appeared. Bertel¡¯s eyes were wide with disbelief as he stared at Durandal, penetrating his abdomen. ¡°This¡­ nonsense¡­¡± ¡°Maybe.¡± Jin-woo cut him off. ¡°Don¡¯t ask me if I¡¯m human. I¡¯ve heard that question already.¡± Then, Jin-woo slashed upwards. Woop-! Bertel¡¯s body split in half from his abdomen to his crown, then burst into black flame. [Quest has been updated] [You killed Bertel, the demon king, through solo play.] [A hidden reward is given.] The expectation was correct. A hidden reward is given for killing the demon king in solo play. I¡¯ll get more rewards once I¡¯ve dealt with the other demons. Jin-woo stared at the remaining demon kings. In his eyes, they weren¡¯t enemies. They were prey. Reka and Gerdan stepped back as if they had read Jin-woo¡¯s thoughts. ¡°Damn it!¡± Reka fled first. Bang-! She broke the tower¡¯s wall and started flying away. Jin-woo had no plans to let her escape. He threw Durandal at her. Soon, Durandal disappeared after Reka. Jin-woo controlled it as it flew after her. Meanwhile, he noticed Gerdan summoning a portal. Jin-woo reached out and threw the Sleeping Sword at him. Gerdan hurriedly lifted his staff to block the sword. Caang-! The sword bounced back, then continued slashing at Gerdan. Unlike Durandal, it didn¡¯t have divine attack power, so it could not inflict fatal damage. But it was enough to hold him down. That was Jin-woo¡¯s purpose. Meanwhile, Durandal pierced through Reka¡¯s back. [The quest has been updated.] Durandal then returned to his hand. ¡°Now, you¡¯re the only one left.¡± ¡°Damn! Die! Hellfire!¡± Woosh-! Gerdan performed his ultimate magic, driven to desperation. Blue flame emerged at the tip of his staff. Jin-woo felt great power from it. ¡°You can avoid it! But all of your colleagues behind you will be burned to death!¡± The team members are still unable to move. The power in that attack was enough to annihilate them. It would have been more comfortable if I was alone, Jin-woo thought suddenly. I wonder if it would have been possible to finish them off faster if I was alone. Jin-woo dismissed his thoughts and focused on Gerdan. ¡°Die!¡± The blue flame was floating towards him. ¡°Now, let¡¯s finish this.¡± He raised his inner air and placed all his mana on the sword. A red flash exploded, covering everything in a red glare. After a few moments, when the glare subsided, they saw that Gerdan¡¯s upper body was gone. His lower body remained standing on the sphere, before finally bursting into flames. [The quest has been updated.] [You killed Gerdan in solo play.] [A hidden reward is given.] [All four demon kings were killed in solo play.] [A hidden reward is given.] [Quest content has been updated.] Several notification windows popped up in succession. Two more hidden rewards were given. Finally, the content of the quest has been updated. Jin-woo opened the notification window and checked the contents. [The Demon King of the West sends you an invitation to the Tower.] Chapter 39 He slept like he was dead for one whole day. It was an overwhelming victory, but that didn¡¯t mean he didn¡¯t take any damage. The battle where he used all his abilities exhausted his body and mind. Jin-woo rose after sleeping for a full day. [Get breakfast first.] Yes. He spent a lot of energy while dealing with the demon kings. He recovered some during his sleep, but to fully recover, a heavy breakfast is needed. I must have slept a lot. [It¡¯s a law that you have to eat a lot after a battle.] Jin-woo shook his head and ordered room service. He ordered almost everything on the menu that the staff who took his orders checked twice or thrice to make sure that he got all of Jin-woo¡¯s orders. After waiting for a while, he heard a knock on his door. When he opened it, he was surprised to see Han Yu-ra standing with the room service staff. ¡°What? Did you get a job at the hotel?¡± Jin-woo laughed. Then, he started to dig in on the food that was brought in, starting with steak. It tasted pretty good. ¡°Did you know how many hours you slept?¡± Han Yu-ra asked him. ¡°I think I slept a whole day.¡± Han Yu-ra sighed as she watched Jin-woo answer casually. The room was filled with food as if there was a buffet. ¡°You¡¯ll eat all this?!¡± ¡°I¡¯m a little hungry.¡± Jin-woo devoted himself to eating food. After a while, with the empty plates and bowls stacked up neatly, Jin-woo wiped his mouth. ¡°Wow, you really ate everything.¡± ¡°Yeah. Tell me what happened while I slept.¡± ¡°A lot changed while you were sleeping.¡± ¡°Change?¡± ¡°Yeah. First, the quest has been updated.¡± ¡°I know. After I killed all the four demon kings, I received the notification.¡± The points he received were 2400 points after the battle with the three demon kings was 2400. 900 points from killing three demon kings. 1,500 points from hidden rewards. Combined with the 600 he earned from killing Boru, Jin-woo now has 3000 points. The legendary-grade potion was worth around 500 points. With this amount, he could buy six of them. However, the rewards were only for him. The other players did not receive rewards, although their quests have been updated as well. He didn¡¯t confirm it for himself, but it was his assumption after checking the reaction of Han Yu-ra and other people. ¡°And, there is a tower¡­¡± ¡°A tower?¡± Han Yu-ra walked to the window. Then, she drew the curtains open. Bright sunlight came into the room, blinding Jin-woo for a few seconds. Then, he saw the beautiful city of London through his window. There was something that wasn¡¯t there before in the city center. ¡°That¡­ ¡­ .¡± There was a huge white tower reaching up to the sky. ¡°It appeared shortly after you fell asleep. Other towers have been found around the world as well.¡± ¡°It just appeared?¡± ¡°Yeah. As if it was originally there before. Each government and media outlets sent thousands of people to get information about the towers but came up empty.¡± ¡°Why?¡± [Because you can¡¯t go in there the usual way.] ¡°Several fighters, planes, helicopters, carriers, etc. were sent, but they could not get to the tower. It is visible to the eyes, but it¡¯s unreachable. No one can get close to it. It¡¯s like a mirage.¡± Is this what the invitation letter was for? [That is correct.] Jin-woo remembered receiving an invitation from the Western Demon King. There was an admission ticket for it in his inventory. ¡°Is that all?¡± ¡°No. Monsters started to retreat around the capitals of certain countries.¡± ¡°Certain countries?¡± ¡°Yeah. United States, China, UAE, and¡­.¡± ¡°England?¡± ¡°Yes. That¡¯s why London is now quiet and peaceful.¡± ¡°Then, Korea must still be¡­¡± ¡°Yes. Because you¡¯re here.¡± Currently, there is a total of 4 relics in the world. The 400-level dungeon appeared in England, but the relics that came out were owned by Korean Jin-woo. ¡°Then, that may be the reason why those guys out there are watching me.¡± Jin-woo said as he looked out the window. There were black SUVs parked on the road. It looked suspicious no matter who saw it. ¡°Yes. These are MI6 information workers. There must be other intelligence agents set up somewhere.¡± ¡°Yes. There are two people lurking in one on the third floor of the building opposite, two on the roof, and in a clock tower about 1 km away.¡± Han Yu-ra¡¯s eyes widened. Most of the players who are secret intelligence agents possess special abilities for stealth and stealth. Deliberately, only those people were selected and placed. Only the best agents would have been deployed to monitor Jinwoo. But Jin-woo found them at once. It was a monster-like ability. ¡°There must be one thing they want. The London relic.¡± ¡°Yes, that is correct. Or, maybe they will try to enlist Jin-woo.¡± Jin-woo had the rights over the London relic. The value of the relic that makes its location a safe zone is very great. ¡°It seems that it¡¯s not only Britain that wants to get this.¡± ¡°Every country in the world wants Jin-woo. Including the US or China.¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± The United States and China already have relics. Nevertheless, there was one reason for wanting another relic. It is intended to be used as a weapon. In addition to being able to gain the upper hand in various negotiations, it was possible to increase the safe zone even further. Above all, in the case of other countries, their states owned the relics. It was different from the London relic, which is owned by Jin-woo, an individual. ¡°The White House, the Mujahideen and the Red Dragon have a close relationship with their governments. There is no reason for them to move their relics. But your case is a little different.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°Korea is the Taewang Guild¡¯s home, but it is not particularly tied with the Korean government.¡± ¡°Ah, yes. It¡¯s a global guild.¡± Han Yu-ra nodded. ¡°As a result, governments around the world will aggressively try to recruit you, because you bring the relic with you.¡± The Taewang Guild started in Korea. But now, its image was more of a global guild rather than a Korean guild. ¡°More than anything else, the big thing is that the relics were not attributed to the Taewang Guild.¡± There were many ways for the other guilds or governments to persuade Jin-woo and take the relic. ¡°They won¡¯t murder you, but kidnapping or confinement is possible,¡± Han Yu-ra warned. When a specific player dies, all items that are bound to him disappear. Therefore, not a lot of crime related to item ownership happens. However, the relic is different from all other items. It defines a safe zone. In other words, they only need Jin-woo to stay alive. The effects of the relic won¡¯t change even if Jin-woo was trapped or confined. Jin-woo considered for a moment before opening his mouth. ¡°For now¡­ let¡¯s go back to Korea.¡± ¡°Are you sure?¡± ¡°Yes. I want to see my brother, too.¡± It was time to go home. ¡°I understand. Then, let¡¯s get ready.¡± Jiing-! Then Han Yu-ra¡¯s phone rang. She checked the screen to confirm the caller. ¡°It¡¯s Master Oliver.¡± * * * Numerous reporters flocked in front of the Noblesse Guild building in London. ¡°It¡¯s a big crowd.¡± ¡°Most of them came to see you.¡± ¡°There are also protesters.¡± There were people holding pickets in the crowd. A lot of their messages was that the relic should stay in London. The car passed through the crowd and went to the underground parking lot. Then, they took the elevator to the top floor. Jin-woo has been in this place a few times, so he¡¯s quite used to it. ¡°Welcome.¡± The handsome Oliver was waiting for them when the elevator door opened. He led them to the office. There were two more people inside the office. One was Priestess Emily, and the other was an unfamiliar middle-aged man. He was wearing the same Church of England uniform as Emily. The middle-aged man approached Jin-woo with a friendly smile. ¡°Nice to meet you. I am Bishop Jack Mersher from the Church of England.¡± Jin-woo returned the greeting and sat down comfortably. ¡°While you were asleep, many things happened. Did you hear about them?¡± ¡°Yes. Yu-ra explained, so I have a rough idea of the situation.¡± ¡°If so, I wouldn¡¯t have to explain much. Please excuse me, but I want to know what you plan to do in the future.¡± Jin-woo explained his plans. Oliver nodded when he heard that Jin-woo was going back to Korea. ¡°Then, we will arrange a flight for you.¡± Han Yu-ra¡¯s brows furrowed. ¡°You agree to it?¡± Oliver smiled. ¡°It will be a little uncomfortable for the British government, but that¡¯s okay. It is what¡¯s right.¡± ¡°Our church may be able to help a little with explaining to the government,¡± Bishop Jack Mersher joined in. ¡°You¡¯ll help us?¡± ¡°Yes. I will explain it well to the government officials. There should be no inconvenience in your return to Korea.¡± Jin-woo wondered. Does the bishop have that much power? He wouldn¡¯t have guaranteed that if he hadn¡¯t. But a question remained in Jin-woo¡¯s mind. He asked the bishop. ¡°Why are you helping me?¡± ¡°I saw the video.¡± ¡°A video?¡± ¡°There is a scene where a believer is being protected by an angel.¡± It¡¯s the scene where he used the Holy Blade. Jin-woo looked at Han Yu-ra. ¡°I always have captured your battle scenes on video.¡± Jin-woo knew, but to think that she was filming even in that situation says a lot about her strong professional spirit. He turned to the bishop. ¡°I see. But did you know that the scene is from using a skill?¡± ¡°Of course I do. But it doesn¡¯t matter. What¡¯s important is that Priestess Emily, who saw it in person, gained enlightenment.¡± His gaze turned to Priest Emily. She does seem to be holier than before. She had a definitely different aura. It is difficult to explain exactly in words. ¡°So, we, the Church of England, would like to express our gratitude to the you, and will try to help you as much as possible.¡± There was no reason for them to refuse the Church¡¯s help. ¡°Okay. Thank you,¡± Jin-woo answered. ¡°Jin-woo¡­ this is a gift from me.¡± Priestess Emily, with an embarrassed expression, handed him a crucifix. ¡°It is upon that cross where I prayed with all my heart. I hope you will accept it.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± There was no reason to refuse the gift. Then, a bright light emanated to the cross. The light penetrated Jin-woo¡¯s body. Subsequently, a window appeared in front of his eyes. [You received a gift that touched the heart of a candidate for Sainthood.] [Sacred power stats are permanently generated.] Chapter 40 Candidate for Sainthood? What is this? Jin-woo stood with a puzzled expression. ¡°The light just¡­¡± Bishop Jack Mersher smiled at him. ¡°Ah¡­ you acquired the divine power stat.¡± It seems as if the bishop knew about it. Jin-woo listened quietly to the bishop¡¯s explanation. ¡°After the world changed, some priests received a stat called divine power. It was quite controversial because other members of the church didn¡¯t¡­ In time, I learned that some of the priests¡¯ divine powers include baptism or blessing.¡± ¡°Then, did Priestess Emily bless me and gave me divine power?¡± ¡°Of course, not everyone can do it. It occurs only with people who have enormous faith.¡± Faith? Jin-woo wondered if he had such a thing. He had none. He stopped believing after his experiences. If there was a god, his father would not have been killed by monsters. If there was a god, his mother would have never died slowly and painfully from cancer. [You are different from others.] Different? [Yes. Ordinary humans have faith in God. But in your case, you did not just believe. You experienced divine power yourself.] Do you mean the Holy Blade? Because, as I said, it was simply a skill¡­ [It¡¯s not that simple. It¡¯s a good stat to have, anyway.] Jin-woo agreed. It¡¯s good to have it as an option. He used divine power forcibly from the sword and the divine power orb, but now, those options are gone. Seeing the notification about the Western Demon King, there was a high possibility that more demons exist. Divine power was absolutely necessary to deal with them. By the way, she¡¯s a candidate for sainthood? No wonder she¡¯s already a priestess at that young age¡­ ¡°Thank you,¡± Jin-woo told Priestess Emily. ¡°Ah¡­ No¡­ It was only possible because you were devoted to your faith.¡± She looked embarrassed but kept making eye contact with him. Jin-woo found it a bit burdensome. He turned his head toward Oliver. ¡°What happens to London after I leave?¡± ¡°The British government intends to build a barrier. The plan was being made even before the monsters appeared.¡± ¡°Even before?¡± ¡°Yes. Governments around the world were preparing for an emergency as larger numbers of monsters come out of gates. In fact, from the time the First Gate appeared, we were already trying to implement a plan to build a barrier.¡± This is the first time I heard it. ¡°The reason the plan was not implemented was because some of the gates appeared within the city. Even if we build a barrier, it could not stop all the monsters.¡± ¡°But it will be different this time.¡± ¡°Yes. All the gates opened and all the monsters in the dungeon poured out. If a giant species appears, we cannot stop it, but we will be able to discover and prepare in advance.¡± ¡°More than anything else, I think that the citizens can have a sense of security.¡± Jin-woo nodded at Han Yu-ra¡¯s words. ¡°I guess it¡¯s not only the British who were making preparations.¡± ¡°All the countries were getting ready. We have also finished facilities that can build barriers at any time. It looks like we can build a barrier in 30 to 60 days.¡± It¡¯s a pretty quick time. But it will be possible. This is a matter of national survival. So, it was obvious that all manpower and resources would be exhausted for it. ¡°I have a request for you,¡± Oliver looked at Jin-woo. ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°Could you please postpone returning to Korea for two days? We need time to notify each guild and government and temporarily build a defensive line near the border.¡± When Jin-woo leaves England, the monsters will return. They need time to prepare for that. It wasn¡¯t an unreasonable request. Above all, Oliver has helped them a lot during their stay in England. ¡°Okay. Then, I will leave in two days.¡± ¡°Yes. I will prepare the plane accordingly.¡± There have been many changes. But people were adjusting to it again. * * * Upon returning to the hotel, Jin-woo checked his inventory. There was an invitation from the Demon King of the West. Master, do I also tear the admission ticket to get inside the tower? [Yes. When you tear the ticket, you will be able to meet the guy who sent the invitation. Before that, check the information written on the invitation.] Jin-woo checked the invitation. Unlike the admission ticket, something like a black picture was painted. [Tsu! These guys always send invitations in their own language.] ¡°Hmm¡­ ¡­ An expiration date and a number of people are written on it.¡± [Huh?] ¡°I have the skill of being a linguist. I told you last time.¡± [Oh, does that even decipher the languages outside of this world?] ¡°Yes.¡± [That¡¯s a useful technique. It will be used in more various ways in the future.] ¡°That would be great. Anyway, why is there a limit of five people?¡± [Five people? Surprising.] ¡°Do you know anything?¡± [I will tell you once we¡¯re in the tower. If they catch me speaking here, they¡­] ¡°You can tell him.¡± A third, unfamiliar voice joined in their conversation. Jin-woo was startled and turned his head quickly. He saw a man in a butler¡¯s uniform. He had white skin and a single horn on his head. I can¡¯t feel any energy from him. It was completely different from when he confronted the demon kings. Every creature has its own energy. After learning martial arts from the swordsman, Jin-woo has learned to feel this energy from others, anytime, anywhere. Even the four demon kings had this energy, albeit stranger than the others. However, the presence in front of him now does not emanate such energy. Jin-woo wondered if the stranger was alive. [An observer. Do you mean he is qualified?] ¡°That¡¯s correct.¡± ¡°Observer?¡± Jin-woo didn¡¯t know what it meant. The swordsman nodded. [These guys are observers and judges. They play various roles.] ¡°Thank you for the brief explanation,¡± the stranger said. ¡°Oh, can I have some of these cookies?¡± He pointed to the cookies on the table. Jin-woo nodded. ¡°Thank you.¡± The stranger sat on a sofa and began to eat snacks in earnest. It was a weird scene, but it doesn¡¯t matter right now. ¡°Master, you said they were judges. What are they judging?¡± [The game. The tower is a kind of an arena. There, beings of various dimensions play games.] ¡°Various dimensions?!¡± [That¡¯s right. There is not only one dimension in this world. There are countless dimensions such as the Moorim where I was from, the world you live in, and the demon king¡¯s dimension.] Jin-woo had expected it to some extent, but it was still shocking to have it confirmed as a reality. ¡°What sorts of games are they playing?¡± ¡°Survival.¡± The stranger answered him. ¡°Who¡­ ¡­ But what survival are you talking about?¡± ¡°It is the survival of the species. Oh, it¡¯s a little weird to say this To be precise, you can think of it as dimensional survival.¡± ¡°What is that¡­ ¡­ ?¡± [If you lose a match, your dimension will disappear.] ¡°What?!¡± Jinwoo looked at the swordsman with surprised eyes. ¡°Is that possible?¡± [Enough¡­] ¡°Enough. That¡¯s it.¡± The observer got up from his seat and stopped the swordsman. ¡°Don¡¯t say more than that. If you reveal too much, it won¡¯t be much fun later.¡± The swordsman frowned, but that was it. What the hell is this guy? How could he make master behave? Everything was questionable. ¡°Many questions may complicate your head. But now you only need to remember one thing.¡± He took the last remaining cookie and put it in his mouth. ¡°Invitation letters must be used before the deadline. If you¡¯re too late, you lose your chance to play. What would happen, then?¡± The Observer smiled. ¡°Well, and my name is Riel, not Observer. Next time, please call me by my name. Oh, excuse me, can I take this cookie?¡± Jin-woo nodded. ¡°This is really good. Hopefully, this world will not disappear. It¡¯s hard to find delicious sweets like this. Well then.¡± He bowed down and disappeared. Jin-woo stared at the spot where Observer Riel was. ¡°Master¡­¡± [Tell me.] ¡°Have you tried that match, too?¡± [I tried.] ¡°Where have you been?¡± [67th floor.] ¡°How many floors are there?¡± [I do not know either. Ask the octopus about it.] ¡°Mister Octopus?¡± Jin-woo looked at the swordsman with a puzzled face. The swordsman flew through the air and landed on the table. Then he reached out for Jin-woo¡¯s smartphone and started watching videos on YouTube. [The first person to reach the last floor is that octopus.] ¡°What?!¡± * * * Korea. The Taewang Guild headquarters was full of people. Evacuees. At first, only citizens of Seoul and nearby areas came, but recently, more refugees were coming in from all over the country. The guild headquarters and other nearby buildings were secured and used as shelters. In the conference room of the guild headquarters, intense meetings were going on every day. ¡°The work of pushing the defense line further south from Seoul to Gyeonggi-do is progressing smoothly.¡± ¡°The number of monsters found in Seoul has decreased by 30%. No monsters have been found near Samseong Station in the last 48 hours.¡± ¡°The team of Director Lee Jong-cheol, who was dispatched to Busan, joined the 53rd Division. It will be put into full-scale operation from tomorrow.¡± ¡°I have been requesting supplies from the Runanculus Guild.¡± There were a lot of things the Taewang Guild did. Not only were they securing the safety of the citizens, but they were also fighting monsters in cooperation with the army and the police. The guild members were being put into most of the work. Lin Xiao¡¯s side is complaining day after day, but with the current situation, it was stopped at the level of dissatisfaction. ¡°I received a call that Mr. Kang Jin-Woo will arrive in Korea with the relic tomorrow.¡± ¡°Oh oh-!¡± ¡°Is he finally coming?!¡± Everyone was well aware of the effectiveness of relics. The people in the room began to smile brightly. ¡°The official announcement will be made by the government, so please finish as much as you can.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± The meeting ended in a good mood. Everyone was tired of the long meetings and the daily battles, but they left the conference room with smiles on their faces. Park Tae-sung, who was left alone, got up from his seat and walked to the window. A strange tower loomed from a distance. It¡¯s not just in Korea. There were towers like this from all over the world. Park Tae-sung muttered to himself as he watched the scene. ¡°Finally¡­¡± The time has come. ¡°I can¡¯t hide it anymore.¡± Now is the time to reveal his identity. And the secrets of this world. Chapter 41 The next day. Jin-woo arrived in Korea through Incheon Airport. ¡°There are a lot of reporters from domestic and foreign media.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be too nervous. I¡¯ll try to stop sensitive questions.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Anyway, it¡¯s something that you have to go through. Korea is safe, all thanks to you.¡± ¡°Me?¡± ¡°You¡¯re a hero.¡± Han Yu-ra shrugged as she said it. Until a while ago, Jin-woo was just a dirt-poor tour guide. Now, he is a hero that saved their country. My status skyrocketed. [All thanks to me.] What? How can you say that? [You mean it¡¯s not true?] Jin-woo turned his head and saw the fuming swordsman. No, it¡¯s true. [Ahem!] ¡°Okay, let¡¯s go.¡± Jin-woo nodded at Han Yu-ra. She took the lead. They were surrounded by bodyguards. Actually, I don¡¯t need security. [But it¡¯s normal when high-ranking men moved. You¡¯re now at that level.] Eh, you seem to speak from experience. [Thousands of escorts followed me when I moved.] Thousands? [You mean you can¡¯t believe it?] No, no¡­ I believe you. Jiing-! When the gate opened to reveal Jin-woo, camera flashes flooded the area. ¡°Kang Jin-woo! Did you bring the relic?¡± ¡°Do you intend to keep the sacred object in Korea?¡± ¡°The whole world wants Kang Jin-woo, please say something!¡± ¡°Please comment about the update on the quest.¡± ¡°What do you think of the tower that suddenly appeared.¡± Dozens of questions poured out. Jin-woo calmly scanned the crowd and considered what they were most curious about. ¡°Inventory!¡± In an instant, silence followed. ¡°This is the relic.¡± Cholalarat-! Sounds of camera shutters clicking burst out. It was hard for Jin-woo to keep his eyes open due to the cameras¡¯ flashes. It continued until Jin-woo placed the relic back to his inventory. ¡°For the time being, I plan to stay in Korea. Thus, the relic will be here.¡± ¡°Then, do you plan to stay in Korea permanently?¡± ¡°It may or may not happen.¡± ¡°I know you have received huge offers elsewhere. Was it because of patriotism that you chose to return to Korea?¡± Jin-woo looked at the reporter who asked the question. Patriotism¡­ I have never really thought of that. He tried to think of a great answer but ended up answering in his own simple words. ¡°I came back because it was home.¡± * * * -Player Kang Jin-woo has arrived in Korea. He confirmed the existence of the relic at the arrival site, then left the airport with the Taewang Guild officials. He stated that he returned because this was his home. -At the same time, monsters are disappearing. The monsters were observed to escape to the mountains, rivers, and seas as if they were possessed by something¡­ Monsters began to disappear as soon as Jin-woo arrived. A week after his arrival, there were no monster sightings within the Korean Peninsula. It was curious where a huge number of monsters went. Some escaped to North Korea and Japan through the sea. As such, diplomatic disputes rose, but it was not for Jin-woo to care about. He was at home with Sun-woo. ¡°Then, will you be in Korea for a while,¡± Sun-woo asked. ¡°Well, where else would I go. My house is here. And I couldn¡¯t live abroad for so long.¡± ¡°Okay?¡± Sun-woo was puzzled. The internet was flooded with contents related to Jin-woo. They mentioned that he had received an offer worth hundreds of billions from the United States. He was also offered a position in the National Assembly in Russia. All kinds of rumors were circulating, such as him being recruited as an official in China. To Sun-woo, those offers seemed incredible. However, his older brother seemed not to have any intention of taking any of those offers. It wasn¡¯t because of money or power. It was just because Jin-woo was comfortable in Korea. ¡°Our house is the best.¡± ¡°I took good care of it when you were abroad.¡± ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll give you some money so you can take a vacation. It¡¯s not something I want to do myself.¡± ¡°A handful of real money?¡± ¡°If there¡¯s a place you want to go to, tell me.¡± ¡°Call!¡± Jin-woo smiled as he looked at his younger brother¡¯s face, who seemed to be looking forward to a trip. Ding Dong-! Then, the doorbell rang. ¡°It¡¯s pizza!¡± The pizza ordered for lunch arrived. ¡°Huh?! You are Mr. Kang Jin-woo, are you not?¡± ¡°Yeah. Yes.¡± ¡°Wow! Meeting Kang Jin-woo like this! Can you give me an autograph¡­¡±? ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll do it.¡± He signed for the pizza delivery man and took a commemorative photo. It was a little awkward at first, but now he¡¯s gotten used to it. ¡°Alright! Thank you for ordering from us! Please order often!¡± ¡°Yes, the pizza here was delicious.¡± ¡°Hehe, my dad makes pizza well.¡± ¡°What¡­ You¡¯re the boss¡¯s son?¡± ¡°Yeah! Anyway, so it was you who ordered our pizza. I was wondering why there were so many people outside.¡± ¡°People?¡± ¡°Yeah. There¡¯s a crowd at the entrance of the apartment. I thought there was a defect in the apartment and they were protesting. Ah! I¡¯ll go there. Have a good pizza!¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°Thank you for the autograph!¡± The deliveryman greeted him with a warm smile. ¡°Set the table,¡± he asked Sun-woo as he moved towards his window. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°There must be some people who want to see me.¡± Jin-woo opened the blinds and looked outside. As the deliveryman said, there were dozens of people below, and they were holding placards. He didn¡¯t care about the placards, but there was something that irked him. Shouts and music were coming through the speakers. It was noticeable that even those entering and leaving the apartment felt uncomfortable. ¡°The food is ready!¡± ¡°Okay. Go, eat first.¡± ¡°Huh? Where are you going?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be right back.¡± Jin-woo took his coat and left the room. He waited for the elevator to arrive. When the doors opened, an unexpected person was in it. ¡°Jin-woo, where are you going?¡± ¡°Yu-ra! What are you doing here without contacting me?¡± ¡°I heard there was a protest, so I came and checked. I¡¯ll get in touch with the chief of police and fix it soon. But where are you going?¡± The police chief. After all, the Taewang Guild has great connections. ¡°I¡¯m also going to check out the protests.¡± ¡°No way.¡± ¡°I just have to show my face for a moment.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not a good idea. It could get bigger for nothing. Just be patient. We¡¯ll take care of it.¡± ¡°They are making the other residents uncomfortable. There are also a lot of babies in these apartments. They are making everyone uncomfortable.¡± Jin-woo got on the elevator. As he passed through the lobby, security guards approached him. ¡°Mr. Kang Jin-woo, there are protesters outside, so it would be better to use another exit.¡± ¡°I want to meet those people.¡± ¡°Yeah?¡± Walking past the puzzled guard, Jin-woo went straight towards the protesters. One of them noticed him immediately and shouted. ¡°It¡¯s Kang Jin-woo!¡± ¡°Give the relic to the state!¡± ¡°Relics must not be personal, but national!¡± ¡°It took countless lives! Kang Jin-woo, donate the relics to the country right now!¡± He listened to their logic. Dozens of them surrounded him and yelled constantly. It made his head hurt. Can¡¯t I report this as noise pollution? If so, it would have been disbanded immediately. Surprisingly, Korea is tolerant of protests. It doesn¡¯t matter how loud the song is played unless it exceeds a certain decibel. Protests are louder than most construction sites. Whether its day or night, they always play loud music. Soon, apartment residents may explode due to stress. Jin-woo had no intention of seeing that happen. ¡°Excuse me.¡± His voice broke through the voices of the protesters. It was thanks to the inner air. ¡°Donate personal property? Isn¡¯t that an infringement of property rights?¡± ¡°What is infringement of property rights if it saves the lives of millions of people?¡± ¡°The lives of our people are more important than your property!¡± ¡°Please donate now! Donate!¡± Logic does not work. Listening to them made Jin-woo felt dizzy. They set up their own definitions and ignore the law. ¡°But will you be able to handle it?¡± He responded. ¡°What?¡± ¡°If I leave Korea because I am annoyed by protests like this, will you be able to handle it?¡± ¡°Blackmail!¡± ¡°Wow! Jin-woo threatens the people!¡± ¡°Take a video!¡± People started holding out their smartphones. ¡°If I left Korea, the monsters will invade the cities again, and the citizens will be hurt and killed. Those who have lost their family will resent me. But I won¡¯t be in Korea anymore. Then, you will find another object of resentment. Who will it be, then?¡± The protesters began to mumble. It¡¯ didn¡¯t take long to find the answer. The faces of those who found the answer were stained with speculation. ¡°I will be in Korea for the time being, unless you bother me this much. Above all, don¡¯t approach me with different intentions, you know?¡± Jin-woo did not accept the protesters¡¯ cause as is. People always have different causes, be it justice, status, or money. It didn¡¯t matter. Jin-woo turned his back, leaving the protesters staring at him blankly. ¡°They must have understood, right?¡± ¡°No matter, there was no reason to turn people into your enemies,¡± Han Yu-ra answered. On that day, the conversation between Jin-woo and the protesters were posted on YouTube. The reaction was explosive. -Protesters go there again. -Protesters are fucking annoying. Play strange songs every day. -The logic of those things is also strange. Why are you telling me to give out relics that are personal property? -They don¡¯t even say it? If the relics disappear, many people will die again. -What is right? Kang Jin-woo is not a philanthropist. Opinions were divided. However, the opinion that Jin-woo did not do anything wrong was overwhelming. And people learned one thing. That means that Kang Jin-woo could always leave Korea. They didn¡¯t even think about it. * * * Jin-woo visited the Taewang Guild headquarters at the request of Park Tae-sung. ¡°Thank you for coming.¡± ¡°I also had something to say.¡± ¡°I see. Han Yu-ra, please leave us alone for a while.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Han Yu-ra left the room. When only two of them were left in the office, Park Tae-sung spoke up. ¡°Would you like to speak first? Or would you like to start?¡± ¡°Please go first.¡± ¡°Yes. Well¡­ Where should I start talking¡­¡± Park Tae-sung looked troubled. After thinking for a moment, he opened his mouth firmly, as if he had made a decision. ¡°I am a returner.¡± ¡°A return¡­ What?¡± ¡°I have already lived my life now. When I opened my eyes after I died, it was in the past, something like that¡­¡± Are you kidding me? Park Tae-sung continued. ¡°I didn¡¯t just go back once. This is exactly my fourth life.¡± Chapter 42 ¡°Are you kidding?¡± ¡°Do I seem to be joking?¡± Not at all. Park Tae-sung was as serious as usual. But it was hard to believe. Even if it was true, a question was raised. ¡°Why are you telling me that?¡± It was the biggest question. If he is indeed a returner, it would have been Park Tae-sung¡¯s biggest secret. Why would he tell such a thing to Jin-woo? The relationship between him and Park Tae-sung is not strong enough to tell such a secret. So, it was even more questionable. ¡°The first reason is that tower.¡± ¡°The tower?¡± ¡°Yes. And the second reason is because of the three lives I experienced.¡± Park Tae-sung got up from the seat. He walked to the window and looked at the tower. ¡°In my first life, I was just a normal player. The level was a little over 200, and I didn¡¯t have any hero skills. I died in my first life when the level 400 dungeon was cleared and monsters invaded the city. When I opened my eyes again, I was back in the past.¡± He poured the whiskey into his glass. ¡°In my second life, I was strengthened by using the memories and information I had before my return. I got hero skills and items. And I made strong colleagues too. Thanks to that, I was able to survive the first monster wave.¡± He poured the whiskey down his throat. ¡°In the monster wave, the four demon kings appeared. Many colleagues have sacrificed their lives, but finally, we were able to win. But this time, a war broke out between humans aiming for the holy relic. We won the war, but the problem is that the losers fired nuclear weapons.¡± No matter how strong players were, there was no answer when a nuclear war occurred. ¡°In the end, I died in vain even in my second life. And when I opened my eyes again, I was back to the beginning. I was empty and angry. I couldn¡¯t trust people anymore.¡± Jin-woo understood. Park Tae-sung gave everything to get out of the monster crisis, only to die once more in the hands of other people from the nuclear war. It was understandable to feel disillusioned with humans. ¡°So I decided to do it alone. Become stronger alone and take all the high-level items. I used to have a lot of legendary weapons and armor. I did not enter any guild. I didn¡¯t even create any relationship.¡± It is the third life. ¡°I used people as needed. I threw bait at the guilds and used them. Lastly, I hid all of the relics in one place by myself. It didn¡¯t inform humanity.¡± If the existence of relics became known, there was a high possibility that a war would occur again. It wouldn¡¯t have happened if Park Tae-sung didn¡¯t announce its existence from the beginning. ¡°But I didn¡¯t know then. What the tower is like.¡± Jin-woo listened intently. If Park Tae-sung words were true, the stories to come from now were very important. ¡°In the tower, beings of each dimension gather and compete. I participated alone in the first match. Because I couldn¡¯t trust other people. But that was a mistake.¡± ¡°A mistake?¡± ¡°Yes. I participated alone, ignoring the number of people on the invitation. I also had confidence. Because I caught the four demon kings alone. But it was a grave mistake.¡± [You did something stupid.] The swordsman who was listening to his story remarked. ¡°The match is not just a one-on-one fight. There were rules to follow. Attack and defend. The Four Demon Kings were simply their emissaries. Killing the demon king in the tower will be the true victory for mankind.¡± ¡°A tower siege¡­¡± ¡°Yes. The monsters were part of a legion led by the demons. The first condition was to prevent them from destroying the four relics.¡± ¡°But mankind didn¡¯t know that.¡± ¡°Yes. Eventually, we lost the fight. While I was fighting the Demon King in the tower, mankind could not defend itself. The cause of defeat was selfishness. Each guild was only protecting their own interests.¡± It was expected. Over the years of stability, each guild has adapted to a peaceful life and transformed guilds into businesses. It was impossible for them to change in such a short time. Unless there is a breakthrough leader that could unify them. ¡°When I opened my eyes again, I was back to the beginning. And I thought, what should I do? What kind of life must I lead to save mankind? And I found one answer.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Forming two teams. One leads the team that attacks the tower, and one that defends the world.¡± ¡°Someone to defend¡­¡± ¡°Yes. And I chose the head of the Red Dragon to do that. Even in my previous lives, he was very strong. Also, his ability to lead a group was excellent. That¡¯s why I have accepted Lin Xiao as my partner.¡± ¡°What does he have to do with it?¡± ¡°The Red Dragon¡¯s guild leader, Michael Lin, is Lin Xiao¡¯s father.¡± It made sense. It was a strategic choice. ¡°Everything went as planned. Beyond being the best guild in Korea, the Taewang Guild became a global guild. I also had a close relationship with Lin Xiao. But you have emerged.¡± ¡°What do I have to do with it?¡± ¡°In the three lives I¡¯ve led, there was no one like you in any of them. Of course, you may have been living your own life unnoticed.¡± To put things simply, a normal life. ¡°I think history has been distorted in the process of me changing things during my reincarnations. Even if you repeat life, not everything will stay the same.¡± Jin-woo thought about the butterfly effect. Subtle changes can make a significant change in another person¡¯s life. Park Tae-sung thought about the same concept. ¡°But what surprised me most is you, who appeared with legendary skills.¡± ¡°Well?¡± ¡°In all three lives I¡¯ve experienced, no one has ever appeared with a legendary skilled.¡± Jin-woo was surprised. It was a little unexpected. Is he the first one who ever had a legendary skill in this world? ¡°When you appeared, I knew right away that some things would change dramatically. So, I worked hard to recruit you.¡± Certainly, the Taewang Guild did aggressive recruitment. From the beginning, they have presented him with the best conditions. ¡°I needed to have you on my side. But in my mind, I have a lot of questions. Who the hell is this man? Can he be my ally? Is he someone I can trust?¡± For someone who had repeated his life several times, Tae-sung had no choice but to be cautious. ¡°In the beginning, I even thought you were another returner.¡± ¡°What? Me?¡± ¡°Yes. Because if I had been reincarnated, somebody else may have experienced it, too. However, after observing you for a while, I concluded you were not one. You have that tendency to do something stupid. That trait can¡¯t be found in time travelers.¡± ¡°Hahaha! Is that so? But why are you telling me this?¡± ¡°I have experienced this world several times, but I failed. I couldn¡¯t catch the demon king. I couldn¡¯t save the world.¡± ¡°Get to the point.¡± ¡°I will do the defense. I want you to attack the demon king in the tower.¡± Jin-woo nodded. He expected it to some extent. ¡°The reason I have made it clear that I am a returner is so I could share information to you about the tower. Unless this fact is revealed, there was no way I could explain my knowledge to you.¡± Well, even now that Park Tae-sung has explained everything, Jin-woo still found his story hard to believe. It wasn¡¯t something he could decide on immediately. ¡°Let me think about it.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± * * * All the protesters were gone when he returned him. His blackmail seemed to be working. ¡°What do you think, Master?¡± [Park Tae-sung¡¯s return?] ¡°What do you think?¡± [Well, well, there is credibility for Park Tae-sung to be a regressor.] ¡°Okay?¡± [All references to the tower in his story are correct. There are many types of tower matches, but the most common is Attack and Defend.] ¡°Did you experience it, too?¡± [Yes.] ¡°Did you win?¡± [Of course, I won. Red Moon cut the castle at once and split the demon king¡¯s head in two.] Jin-woo shook his head. The swordsman made it sound so easy. ¡°What about defense?¡± [There was no need to do it.] ¡°Yes?¡± [As I said, Moorim was annihilated by the troops they sent. Only a small number survived, and we all went inside the tower.] ¡°Ah.¡± [More than anything else, the defense will be easy for us because I could cut down all the monsters they sent.] If that¡¯s true, Jin-woo thought, his master is truly powerful. [You have two ways to win. One is to cut down all the monsters in this world by the date written on the invitation. But that¡¯s almost impossible with your skills right now.] ¡°Is it really impossible, even if I get more skills or items?¡± [It will only be possible if you have realized the true power of the True Moon Swordsmanship.] Jin-woo had nothing to say to that. [The second option is to accept Park Tae-sung¡¯s proposal.] ¡°Well¡­¡± [There is nothing wrong with what he said. You don¡¯t like it because you feel that he¡¯s tricking and using you. But if you take that out of consideration, he could be a strong ally. Above all, he is a leader who is more famous, more trusted by the people in this world.] It was a fact. Her reputation and credibility have also been higher than before. But was that enough to lead the whole of mankind? The probability is close to zero. Billions of people, the heads of each country, and guild leaders. He would have to persuade them all. ¡°Then, are you saying I should cooperate with him?¡± [If you gain more experience and become stronger, you can do what he does. But right now, you need his help.] Division of roles. It was the best scenario if he could trust his ally. ¡°But can I trust Park Tae-sung?¡± Park Tae-sung used people. He sent people to dungeons with high-difficulty for his experiments. Can he really trust such a person? Jin-woo was unwilling. [You are thinking about it in the wrong way.] ¡°Yes?¡± [We¡¯re talking about the survival of your entire world. Think of it as a high-stakes bet, not simply as giving your trust to him.] ¡°Well¡­¡± Survival of the entire world. It didn¡¯t completely affect him, because he had never experienced something like it. It was something that he had only seen in movies. His Master, however, advised him to go with Park Tae-sung. He trusts his Master. ¡°Okay.¡± * * * Next day. Jin-woo met Park Tae-sung once more. ¡°I will accept the proposal.¡± ¡°Thank you for trusting me.¡± ¡°No. In fact, I don¡¯t completely trust you. But I will cooperate with you because we have a bigger cause.¡± ¡°Thank you anyway, whatever your reason is.¡± Park Tae-sung bowed his head with sincerity. However, it was not the end of the conversation as far as Jin-woo is concerned. ¡°There are conditions before cooperation.¡± ¡°Speak.¡± ¡°I would like to select the number of people who should go to the tower.¡± ¡°Can I ask why?¡± ¡°I felt it while fighting the Four Demon Kings. Most players couldn¡¯t match them. Protecting people during the fight will only interfere with my attacks.¡± ¡°I understand.¡± These are things Park Tae-sung has already experienced. He knew how it felt to fight along with people who had such a great power gap from him. He nodded. ¡°So, I would like to organize 5 people, including myself, who will go to the tower this time.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± Park Tae-sung asked with surprised eyes. ¡°5 people?¡± ¡°Yes. The invitation said to have a party of 5 people. Is there a problem?¡± ¡°When I got the tower¡¯s invitation, there was no limit on the number of people.¡± ¡°There was no limit?¡± ¡°Yes. Above all, attacking the tower with 5 people¡­¡± It is near impossible. Something was changing.