Chapter 149

“Urуаааaaаааh!!!!”

Аs Вyutek unleаshеd a battlе cry аnd swung his mаssivе grеаtswоrd with lightning speеd, the Stonе Gоlems insidе thе dungеоn wеre sliсed аpart likе рарer.

Thе Stonе Golems’ levеl wаs a whopping 120.

Соmpared to Khаn’s сurrent level of 89, theу wеre monstеrs of а signifiсаntlу higher level, so thе exреriеnce роints gаined would surеly be substаntial.

‘Moreоvеr, Stone Gоlеms give а relativеly high amount оf eхрerience pоints for mоnstеrs in thе 120-levеl range.’

Васk when he рlaуеd <Gео Аrc>, dungеоns with Stоne Gоlеms were popular hunting grounds.

They were creatures that provided quite a decent amount of experience points, and since Khan possessed the 8-star Hidden Skill ‘Growth Acceleration,’ his level might even rise if things went well.

‘I should check my progress first.’

Khan immediately opened his Status Window to check his experience points.

◈ LV.89

◈ Khan (Lee Huseong)

◈ Mana: 19140/19140

◈ Talent: Magic

◈ Experience Points: 3.1%

◈ Skills: (10★)Sage’s Heart, (8★)Growth Acceleration, (1★)Arrow, (1★)Barrier, (2★)Fire Boom, (2★)Fireball, (2★)Mirror Defense, (2★)Mana Enhancement, (1★)Wind Cutter, (3★)Dragon’s Breath, (4★)Mana Circulation, (4★)Power Amplification, (4★)Space-Time Leap, (5★)Dark Flame, (1★)Wind Drill, (4★)Flame Curtain

Khan’s experience points had originally been 1.1% and had precisely increased by 2%, reaching 3.1%.

As soon as Khan checked the increased experience points, he had no choice but to give up.

‘There aren’t many Stone Golems left either… I never expected it to increase this little.’

It fell far short of his expectations, making it practically impossible to level up through monster hunting grinds in the Gate.

Of course, hunting for several days might make it possible, but leveling up through hunting within today was absolutely impossible.

So, Khan let go of his lingering hopes and cleanly gave up.

‘In that case, I must win this Underground Arena Tournament by any means necessary using the skills I have.’

Having resolved himself, Khan observed Byutek’s movements in great detail.

With each swing of his sword, the Sword Aura that shot out, cutting through the wind, sliced through the Stone Golems’ bodies.

In less than five minutes, all the Stone Golems in the Golem Temple were dead.

Khan opened his Status Window once more to check his experience points.

◈ LV.89

◈ Khan (Lee Huseong)

◈ Mana: 19140/19140

◈ Talent: Magic

◈ Experience Points: 4.1%

◈ Skills: (10★)Sage’s Heart, (8★)Growth Acceleration, (1★)Arrow, (1★)Barrier, (2★)Fire Boom, (2★)Fireball, (2★)Mirror Defense, (2★)Mana Enhancement, (1★)Wind Cutter, (3★)Dragon’s Breath, (4★)Mana Circulation, (4★)Power Amplification, (4★)Space-Time Leap, (5★)Dark Flame, (1★)Wind Drill, (4★)Flame Curtain

The experience points gained from defeating all the Stone Golems were a mere 3%.

He would need to clear this Gate over 30 times just to gain one level.

‘It takes at least 2 hours for the monsters in this Gate to respawn.’

Therefore, forcing a level-up was absolutely impossible.

“Hahaha! How about it, Sharin! This big brother’s power!”

“Well… it’s kinda cool.”

“Kehahahahaha!! Right, right. Finally admitting it, are you?”

Byutek laughed loudly and shouted, seemingly intoxicated by his increased power.

“Byutek, at that level, you still can’t even hand out your name card anywhere, so don’t get too arrogant.”

“Ah… Yes, Hyungnim. I’m sorry…!”

“But you’ve become much stronger than before. Don’t neglect your training and keep striving.”

“Yes!”

Khan spoke with charisma, but in truth, he wondered if it was okay for him to say such things to Byutek.

‘Right now, Byutek might even be stronger than me, so is it okay for me to say this… Hoo, I need to get stronger too.’

Somehow, despite possessing the unique 10-star ‘Hidden Skill’ Sage’s Heart, Khan struggled to keep up with these talented Knights and Mages.

‘Well, but there might still be more hidden effects in Sage’s Heart that I don’t know about.’

‘Sage’s Heart’ would shine brighter later.

Being able to use magic with Chantless Casting and eliminating Skill Cooldowns.

These two alone would shine much brighter later when Khan became stronger than he is now.

“Byutek, Sharin. Starting today, it’s free time. Well, it is free time, but don’t enter any more Gates today; return to the city and rest.”

“Huh? Why…? I was planning to enter a Gate and hunt some monsters too…”

“My body is still itching for action, Hyungnim!”

“No, you have the Underground Arena Tournament tomorrow, so rest well today and manage your condition. That way, you can achieve slightly better results tomorrow.”

“Alright…”

“If Hyungnim says so… understood!”

Sharin and Byutek seemed reluctant, but since Khan put it that way, they nodded and replied.

As soon as Khan, Sharin, and Byutek exited the Gate, Khan immediately used the ‘Space-Time Leap’ skill to return to Erindel.

“Hoo, then I should get some rest too.”

Sharin and Byutek disappeared somewhere, saying they would each wander around the city.

Of course, Khan had no intention of just lying down and resting either.

‘The application deadline for the Underground Arena Tournament is today, right?’

This Underground Arena Tournament would be several times larger than any previous ones.

‘It might even be about ten times larger.’

Originally, Underground Arena Tournaments had less than 100 participants, but rumors said that this time, at least several hundred had applied.

Therefore, instead of the usual method, a separate application location for the Underground Arena Tournament was set up in District 6, where applications were accepted simply by writing down personal details.

‘It’s completely different from when I, Byutek, or Sharin applied.’

Just what is Viscount Aldrik thinking?

Khan speculated that he probably changed his mind on the day Khan came to apply.

‘I should go check first.’

Other adventurers weren’t as concerning anymore.

Of course, adventurers over level 100 were opponents Khan could potentially lose to in a fight, but the most important one was Dramos, who had awakened Byutek’s talent.

‘Will I be able to see Dramos at the application venue?’

He was also curious about what Dramos’s level might be now.

As far as Khan knew, his level when he was the Guard Captain was definitely over 400.

‘But that’s strange. If he’s still serving as the Kingdom’s Guard Captain, he absolutely shouldn’t have time to participate in such a tournament…’

The Guard Captain of the Kingdom of Sinsiniel is given almost no personal time.

A scene from playing <Geo Arc> where he conversed with Dramos came to mind.

‘Hoo, the position of Kingdom Guard Captain is a heavy responsibility. Moreover, I have no personal time at all, so I cannot leave this place. So, could you do me a favor?’

He remembered that when meeting Kingdom Guard Captain Dramos, the conversation would start like this, leading to a fairly decent Quest.

Khan briefly reminisced about the past and then quickly headed towards the Underground Arena Tournament application location in District 6.

* * *

Dramos, who had just been on the mountainside with Byutek, was leaving the rocky mountain at an incredible speed.

His speed was so fast that neither ordinary people nor adventurers over level 100 could possibly keep up.

“Kheukheuk… So that’s the person Byutek serves. But something’s a bit off…”

As soon as Dramos left the rocky mountain, a man appeared out of nowhere in the surroundings.

Knights of exceptional skill like Dramos were beings far beyond the human realm, and their eyesight surpassed even that of animals.

Thus, even the distant mountainside was clearly visible to him.

“Not sensing any Mana from his body at all… Is that guy really a Mage? Moreover, the Mana of the girl standing next to him… is at an astonishing level.”

Dramos could gauge Sharin’s Mana, but he couldn’t gauge the Mana of that man named Khan, whom Byutek served, at all.

“That guy… has more Mana than even the Royal Palace Mages?”

Dramos didn’t have a particularly high amount of Mana in his body.

It was similar to an average Mage’s level, and he couldn’t use Mana to cast magic.

He was a Knight, not a Mage.

However, Dramos had a remarkably high talent for Mana for a Knight.

While at the Royal Palace, he even tried learning magic at the suggestion of a Royal Palace Mage.

But unfortunately, he had no talent for magic whatsoever.

“Kheukheuk, I never thought the day would come when I couldn’t gauge someone’s Mana. Just how much Mana does he have inside?”

Dramos, retired from the position of Kingdom Guard Captain, felt curiosity towards someone else for the first time in a long while.

Having spent peaceful days in a quiet rural village, interacting with people and helping with farming, he felt a spark igniting within him for the first time in ages.

“Fighting someone like that would be a first in a long time. It would be very interesting.”

Before becoming the Kingdom Guard Captain, Dramos was a Knight.

Moreover, before being a Knight, he was a Swordsman skilled with the sword and greatly enjoyed sparring with others.

In his youth, he was so obsessed with fighting that he even had the nickname ‘Madman.’

“I’m looking forward to it. I’m curious if I’ll lose to that Mage as my disciple said.”

He smiled with genuine amusement and accelerated his movement.

Whoosh…!!

Fwoosh!!!

Then, his figure vanished in an instant.

As if using teleportation magic, Dramos arrived at the Underground Arena Tournament application location in Erindel in the blink of an eye.

“Now, now! The application deadline for the Erindel Underground Arena Tournament is today at 6 PM! Please line up properly!”

The Underground Arena Tournament application location was situated in District 6 of Erindel.

Under a sturdy canopy, a Power Measurement Device was placed.

‘A Power Measurement Device… It’s been a while.’

Dramos, having been at the Royal Palace, recognized it at a glance.

Smiling leisurely, he began lining up to apply for the tournament.