Chapter 102

I paused.

What was that about something going up?

But there was no time to think.

The next Wave was starting without a break.

The Lizards, not missing the opening, pounced on me.

“D-Dan…”

Before Lee Seok-jae could finish saying “danger,” I swung my hand.

They were just a bunch of annoyances.

[Severing Wind]

Slice-

The Severing Wind, spinning like a boomerang as it flew, passed through them, cutting them in half.

They were sliced so cleanly that not even a drop of blood seeped from the cross-sections.

The next thing I knew, a flood of messages telling me my Experience Points had increased poured in.

So I hadn’t seen it wrong after all.

I turned around and said.

“Stop.”

After confirming that Lee Seok-jae had pressed the stop button for the Monster Wave, I stared at the System Message again.

Experience Points have increased. Sensory Stat has increased.

I hurriedly opened my Status Window.

Name: Choi Gi-woong.

Current Level: 390

Stamina: 300 Strength: 310

Mana: 995 Senses: 311

My Sensory Stat, which had been 310 just a moment ago, had changed to 311.

Just in case, I checked if I was under any Mental Magic, but as expected, I wasn’t.

My condition was better than ever.

I clenched and unclenched my hand.

Just from one point increase in my Sensory Stat, I could feel the movement of my muscles better.

At this point, there was no need to doubt any longer.

It was certain.

The Seal known as F-Rank that had been placed on me until now was broken.

When?

There was no need to ask.

[System Disassembly Analysis Solution]

The Potion I received from Rachel Carson was taking effect.

No wonder something overflowing with S-Rank Mana couldn’t possibly end with just improving the System’s intuitiveness.

But what was the method?

If I only knew the method…

I put the brakes on my thoughts, which were about to get complicated.

Trying to figure out the principle behind this effect was something I couldn’t know even if I tried.

What was important was the effect itself.

If there was a Level, could I raise it? How much Experience Points did I need to accumulate to Level Up? Besides Leveling Up, how could I raise the Status on the Status Window? What other functions were there that I didn’t know about…

I had a mountain of questions.

At the same time, my heart was pounding.

It couldn’t be helped.

I had found a way to become stronger without having to risk my life fighting.

Suddenly, I felt a presence.

Beside me, Lee Seok-jae was staring intently at me.

With a dreamy look on his face.

It seemed he was replaying the Intermediate Magic I had just shown him, [Divine Punishment].

On his face, I could see a strong desire I had never seen before.

“I’ll teach you magic next time.”

“Y-Yes. I understand.”

It was time to go to a deeper Hunting Ground.

My feet moved faster.

I entered the deepest part of the forest.

I could see five purple Gates.

If I went up to them and pressed the start button, Monsters would pop out from inside those Gates.

And each and every one of them would be terrifying beings over Level 300.

Press it once, and they come from one place. Press it twice, and they come from two.

Naturally, no madman would press the start button twice in an S-Rank Hunting Ground.

As such, only thoroughly vetted people could enter an S-Rank Hunting Ground.

For example, me, and Jung Hye-in.

“You can’t enter he…”

An Awakener guarding the entrance to the S-Rank Hunting Ground widened his eyes.

“Mr. Choi Gi-woong?”

“I’d like to enter.”

“Ah, yes. Of course. The person next to you is Ms. Jung Hye-in… My goodness. Good luck.”

We passed the entrance, from which a desolate energy emanated.

Only then did Jung Hye-in open her mouth.

“Is this the place?”

Jung Hye-in asked with trembling eyes.

She was looking at the sign placed to the side.

In terrifying red letters, it read, [S-Rank Zone].

“Have you ever entered an S-Rank Dungeon?”

“Twice.”

Even among S-Rank Awakeners, it was rare to experience an S-Rank Dungeon.

Because you had to risk your life.

I grinned and continued.

“You said you wanted to get stronger, right?”

“Yes, I did, but…”

“When we went to America together, you said you were disappointed you didn’t get to do anything, right?”

“What? I never said I was disappointed…”

“You said you were sorry you couldn’t be of any help.”

That is true.

She stared at me with that kind of expression. Her face looked somehow ominous.

“So I thought I’d give you some help. A chance to get stronger. I was thinking we could do a simple Party hunt.”

“Simple…”

At my words, Jung Hye-in shuddered as if she had recalled a bad memory.

What’s with her?

Ah. She must have remembered me requesting 100 consecutive Sparring Matches.

I think I did say I just needed a little help back then, too.

I offered some insurance to Jung Hye-in, who was stealthily backing away.

“It’s different from back then. You just have to hunt the small fry. It won’t take long, either. About an hour?”

As I emphasized the words ‘one hour,’ Jung Hye-in’s hardened face slowly relaxed.

She let out a sigh of relief, as if she wouldn’t have to stay up for days and nights on end like last time.

Did I really work her that hard?

After a moment of thought, Jung Hye-in reluctantly nodded.

“If it’s just for an hour, then okay.”

Before she could take it back, I quickly pressed the start button.

Five times in a row.

“?”

Jung Hye-in tilted her head and looked at me.

“Uh, that was five times…”

Kwa-gwa-gwa-gwa-gwa-

Her following words were buried by the explosive roar of the Gates activating.

The five Gates, lined up in a row, began to stir.

Jung Hye-in’s head creaked as she turned it.

“What is this…”

“For just one hour, please take care of the small fry, just the small fry.”

The next moment, from within the ominous Gates, Monsters poured out.

As if they had discovered the surface world after wandering through hell, their eyes were filled with desperation.

“Kuweooooooh!”

The first to appear were the Xiphos.

Creatures with the heads of bulls and the bodies of humans.

They were the kind of things that would typically serve as the Boss Monster in an A-Rank Dungeon.

They looked around for a moment, rejoicing as they smelled the air of the surface.

Then they found us.

It seemed my senses had already adapted from the alphabet system to the Level system.

The creature’s Level appeared above its head.

“That’s a small fry?”

“Yes.”

320 is definitely a small fry.

Jung Hye-in, seemingly with no room to argue, was gathering her Mana as she watched the oncoming Monsters.

Good, very good.

This was exactly why I had bothered to bring Jung Hye-in.

-Creating a Party.

-Party Member: Jung Hye-in.

-Experience Points will be distributed according to combat contribution.

Jung Hye-in raised the side of her hand. For a moment, she thrust it deep into the heart of a charging small fry.

Tiring-

-Experience Points are being distributed. 8,700 exp!

-Your Level is higher than your Party member’s! Distributed Experience Points will not be reduced!

Look at this.

I hadn’t done a thing, yet Experience Points were rolling in just by standing still.

If I simply killed them myself, I would receive more than double that experience, but the problem was speed.

To deal with so many Monsters in such a wide area, a Party was essential.

Because it was more efficient.

It was truly a cheat-like ability created by the System.

It was also the function I had wanted so badly.

Until now, my Potential Rank was a mere F-Rank, so no matter how many I killed, I couldn’t even dream of experience distribution.

My thoughts ended there.

The creatures Jung Hye-in had just killed were now pouring out by the hundreds from each Gate.

The sight alone was breathtaking, and Jung Hye-in gasped for air.

“You said you wanted to get stronger.”

“Not like this…”

“Watch out!”

Thwack!

My fist pierced through the heart of a Xiphos.

Then, I threw myself forward.

An S-Rank Monster of the Orc Great Warrior class loomed large. Its Level was 370.

Seeing me, it snorted and charged forward to meet me.

Around it, the shamans who were protecting the Great Warrior like royal guards also raised their respective staves.

My body flinched for a moment, and my vision went dark.

It was because of their Curse.

I quickly drew up my Mana.

The Mana Heart scoffed as if it were nothing.

The Mana Heart was right.

My vision, which had narrowed to a buttonhole, widened in an instant.

Then, a message appeared.

-Breaking through the Skill.

Skill Broken: High Shaman’s Spell of the Orc Tribe.

The shamans’ faces of disbelief, the Orc Great Warrior’s bewildered gaze.

They gradually grew larger.

Soon, my face was reflected on the surface of its pupils.

My form, swinging a sword from top to bottom.

The Aura Blade imbued in it, and.

[Odin’s Blessing]

Immediately after.

Kwaaaaaa-!

The sword, heavily charged with lightning, split the Great Warrior in a straight line from the crown of its head to its groin.

That wasn’t all.

The residual lightning, even after killing it, spread out in all directions.

The frail bodies of the shamans had no way of withstanding it.

39,000 exp gained, 51,000 exp gained, 70,000 exp gained…

A rough estimate of over 100 messages.

-Turning OFF messages except for important information.

This was my chance to use all the functions I hadn’t been able to use until now.

Because I was finally an Awakener, too. A smile spread across my face.

Jung Hye-in was looking at me like I was a madman, but in this moment, I didn’t care.

Tick, tock.

58 minutes had passed since entering the Hunting Ground.

This was the fifth Wave.

Jung Hye-in’s breathing was starting to become ragged.

It was because she had been dispatching well over 800 Monsters without a single break.

To be honest, it was admirable that she was keeping up.

Even I was reaching my limit.

I turned my head.

Something like a swarm of bees was approaching at high speed.

No, it wasn’t something as cute as a swarm of bees. It was closer to a bat. Sharp claws protruded from its membranous wings, and its twisted, gnarled face was smiling.

Each one was Level 300.

[Wrath of Shiva]

A rain of fire fell upon them.

For a moment, the smell of something well-cooked brushed past my nose, and then they vanished into blue particles.

At the same time, I felt a ticklish sensation deep inside my body.

Just a little more.

I was almost there.

Even though there was no quantifiable number to check, I could feel it.

So…

I felt a mound of dirt bursting upwards.

There was no time to look down.

I swung Durandal, fully charged with Aura.

“Kuweooooooooh!”

A giant centipede that had been trying to swallow me whole with its maw wide open exploded with a splatting sound.

Pitter-patter-

A purple rain fell from the sky, scattering a deadly poison so potent it would melt the flesh of any B-Rank or lower Awakener on contact.

I had deployed Ares’ Shield.

It was then.

The ticklish feeling from before became refreshingly clear, as if someone had scratched an itch with a backscratcher.

Ah!

I hurriedly turned on the System Messages I had turned off.

-You have Leveled Up!

-You are awarded 5 additional Stats.

-Please distribute your remaining Stat points!

I almost shouted.

It was just as I had expected.

Leveling Up really existed. Moreover, I was granted five Stat points.

My perception changed significantly with just a single point.

But five!

Continuing the battle, I opened the Status Window.

The Mana Stat of 995 was the first thing that caught my eye.

Naturally, I allocated all five points to it.

Because at my core, I was a Mage.

But the messages didn’t end there.

-Mana Stat has exceeded 1,000.

-Skill Correction Effect has occurred!

-Magic-type Skills will receive a significant correction!

-Owned Skill, Advanced Dragon Language Magic (A), evolves into Advanced Dragon Language Magic (S).

This was a massive jackpot.