Chapter 22 - Chapter 22

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Translator: penny

Chapter: 22

Chapter Title: Skeleton

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Ruins of the monastery, shadows in the stone cave.

Someone was quietly watching Kang Min-jun and his group.

"Heh. Newbies, huh."

The silhouette curled its lips into a grin, as if savoring fresh prey after a long wait. Soon, the black shadow slithered away without a trace.

Once the undead started pouring out, they kept blocking our path relentlessly.

Sss...

Skeletons that would normally regenerate even after being sliced by a sword, making them a real pain.

But with that one strike boosted by 10% holy damage, they crumpled like leaves in the wind.

"Give me your body!"

I slashed through two skeletons charging straight at me and deflected a sword swinging in from the side.

Then I slid my blade up along their sword and severed the skeleton's neck.

"Grraa..."

The decapitated skeletons collapsed to the ground all at once, going still. Looking around, I counted fourteen piles of debris scattered about.

This would make things a lot smoother moving forward.

The mobs' stats weren't too high yet, but once we hit higher-level trials, the hunting difficulty ramps up to the point where four or five players have to gang up on a single mob.

Especially since most dungeon trials feature undead, knocking out achievements like this early—and even titles—would pay off big in future trials.

'Still, the weapon makes it a one-shot either way right now.'

Grabbing that holy weapon from the Rest Area was a godsend.

Kaboom!

'Looks like they're done over there too.'

As I sheathed my sword, Shin Seo-yeon was dusting off her hands and snorting in satisfaction.

'Any other mage would've needed two fireballs or ten seconds of sustained flames due to lacking firepower.'

S-Rank mage, the Crimson Flame Witch indeed.

Even in our fifth fight, her firepower and mana showed no signs of waning.

'Truly a transcendent ability. With this, we might even pick up the pace.'

"Argh! Why do these things keep coming nonstop? Dickhead, you didn't reset something, did you?"

"No way."

This wasn't like the Tutorial. Even if reset, respawns took at least thirty minutes.

We were constantly on the move without stopping, so that was unlikely.

'Still weird, though. I heard there were undead roaming around here, but not this many. We're encountering way too many.'

It felt like every monster on this floor was swarming us.

"This is ridiculous."

Shin Seo-yeon scowled at the scattered skeleton remains. The sticky, dark red blood coating the bones wasn't just ugly—it felt gross to touch.

"So, no reset?"

"We have to! Do you know how much these are worth?!"

Right, as long as we were raking in cash, who cared if things weren't going exactly as planned.

Shin Seo-yeon and the Saintess quickly swept the floor for resets. The debris vanished, leaving items behind.

'One spear and two maces this time.'

Items were stacking up nicely in my inventory. Stacks worked for identical items, so the ten slots felt roomier than expected.

"Seriously amazing, though. Why do you get two abilities?"

They eyed the gear vanishing into thin air, curiosity piqued.

They must've mistaken my resident perks for unique abilities.

'Including [Binding], it looks like two. And technically, it is.'

[Resident Perks: Full Appraisal, Inventory, Second Round Bonus, Rest Area Benefits, Drop Rate Boost]

[Unique Abilities: Luck, Binding]

'Anyway, drop rates are definitely higher than first time around.'

Hunting speed helped, but [Luck] and the [10x Drop Rate Boost] from entering couldn't be ignored.

Items were practically exploding out.

"Ooh, another one."

Shin Seo-yeon grinned ear to ear as she snatched a gem. Even amid exhaustion, gems wiped away her complaints.

Of course, the smile didn't last.

"Pray! But God shall not hear your voice!"

"Hand over that body!"

"Argh! How long are these things gonna keep coming?!"

I gripped my weapon tight at the sight of about fifty skeletons closing in from behind and charged without hesitation.

'What the hell are those guys?'

Meanwhile, human hunter Oh Hae-un gaped at Kang Min-jun and his party.

"Keurk."

"Kuhuk..."

'Taking them all down again?'

It was unbelievable. The third time already. She'd herded mobs three times, and they smashed them every time.

The vengeful spirits that had massacred countless humans here were getting farmed by the "crazy explosive mage" and "skinny swordsman" newcomers.

'Am I going crazy? Maybe malnutrition and lack of sunlight are making me hallucinate.'

Gurgle. Her stomach growled. Last prey was two days ago, and her rations were nearly gone.

She'd barely drunk water; her mouth was parched.

So she thought it was a hallucination...

"Die! Die die die!"

Kaboom!

No matter how many times she blinked, it was real. Oh Hae-un stared dumbfounded.

...Should I give up?

'No. One more try. That's how I make money.'

She was one of the rare early realizers of item farming's value.

She'd desperately collected gems(?) here, amassing 200g worth.

Over 100 million in Earth currency.

'Plan was to finish hunting today, steal from those pervs at the dungeon entrance, and head to the next Rest Area.'

But plans changed. Newbies showed up, killed the pervs, took all the gems, and now were farming mobs and gems like crazy.

'Gulp. If I steal their gems, food, and especially that gear! I can breeze through the Selection Process!'

With that, Oh Hae-un roamed the monastery ruins again, gathering undead.

"Come on, you lot! Over here, here!"

"Need blood...! More!"

She dashed through the dungeon, skeletons trailing like ornaments.

Fifty failed, so this time over a hundred. As she neared Kang Min-jun's group, she activated her [Unique Ability] at point-blank.

A perfect camouflage erasing all presence in an instant.

This Mythic-grade skill hid her form, footsteps, even scent flawlessly.

'Heh, no surviving this time!'

"Whoa, how many this time?"

A lot. The cave, barely twenty meters wide, was packed with skeletons.

"Run."

"What?"

"Kite 'em and wear them down."

I grabbed the Saintess's hand and bolted, explaining as we went. Shin Seo-yeon caught on quick and followed, hurling fireballs at the horde.

Kaboom!

Explosions sent hot gusts rushing past my head. Shin Seo-yeon pulled up beside us and yelled.

"Can't we just fight? You were mowing them down solo even surrounded earlier."

"No problem for me alone."

"Then?"

I glanced at the Saintess and Shin Seo-yeon instead of answering. Shin Seo-yeon got it and clicked her tongue.

"And the path's this way anyway. No point tangling with the ones from behind."

"Say that sooner! I can't farm the ones I just killed."

"Anyway, watch Ha-na for a bit."

"Huh?"

I placed the Saintess's hand in Shin Seo-yeon's and surged ahead. Five skeletons were shambling toward us up front.

"Light... why... Keurk."

I dashed in, carved them up, farmed the corpses as the group passed, then caught up.

"What are you, some kinda ninja?"

Ten years of this grind.

"A-Amazing, Min-jun."

I flashed our cute Saintess a smile and charged forward again. Speeding up meant more frequent encounters from scouts ahead.

'Good thing they don't react to sound.'

If they did, the noisy chase would've drawn every last one from the labyrinth.

First trial gave players room to run and hide.

I kept clearing ahead, farming, pushing forward.

"Hey, Dickhead! Can't we slow down?"

"No. Hear those clattering behind? Pause and we're surrounded. Gotta break through."

Path opened up ahead, but deeper in, rooms appeared.

Places to hide, fortify solo—me or Shin Seo-yeon could hold them.

Even under constant pressure, we'd fight with breathing room.

"Huff. Huff. But I'm dying. Thirty minutes running. Can't anymore. Backpack's heavy, legs numb."

"Seo-yeon, I'm doing most hunting and looting. Why you complaining?"

"...Damn, what can I do? Should've pumped stamina if I knew."

Right, she went all-in on intelligence as a mage.

Sweat pouring, barely keeping up.

Pale face, gasping like death—pure karma.

"Huff. Huff. Huff."

Now her limbs were shaking too.

"S-Seo-yeon, you okay? Need me to support you?"

"I'm fine. Think I'm weak enough to need a girl helping?"

"You sure? You look wrecked."

The Saintess, on the other hand, was comfy.

Saintess's stamina: 26.

Six higher than Shin Seo-yeon's with [Binding].

'Stamina boosts endurance and physical defense—core for survival.'

That six-point gap seemed small, but in brutal fights and life-or-death wars, it was massive.

'Especially for mages who don't move much.'

Inexperienced folks tense up everywhere under stress, wasting stamina. Pros focus power precisely.

"You won't escape here either!"

'Running? Legs only.'

Whoosh!

'Striking? Load legs, waist, right shoulder, arm.'

"Keurk."

For someone used to Earth's cushy life—gourmet eats, selfies, gossip—running felt awkward and exhausting without these tricks.

"Huff. Huff."

Shin Seo-yeon flailed her limbs, barely alive.

'Told her to pump stamina. Stubborn as hell.'

I shifted gaze to the Saintess supporting her, pleased. Obedient as ever, back to normal.

'Calmed down now.'

The skeletons' gruesome looks plus nonstop chase had worked wonders.

Deliberate on my part.

'People stew in bad thoughts when idle.'

Move your body when stressed. Running's best—psychologists and shrinks swear by it.

'Not the only reason, though.'

"Huff, huff."

"Shin Seo-yeon, faster! Why so slow?"

"G-Goin'."

She staggered, using her staff for support. The Saintess, fretting, suddenly clapped palms together.

"Hold on, Seo-yeon."

She healed her. Shin Seo-yeon blinked in shock—first heal.

"...Huh, breathing's easy? Legs light, mana's full?"

"Better now, Seo-yeon?"

Shin Seo-yeon turned, eyes widening at the Saintess.

"Still rough? One more?"

Her gaze flipped.

"Sis!"

Whoops, forgot she's monopolizing our Saintess. Would've let her spin a bit more.

Shin Seo-yeon hugged her tight.

"Sis! You know I love you tons, right?!"

"Uh, y-yeah?"

Shin Seo-yeon's eyes crescent moons.

Sucker fished in.

'No worries about her harming the Saintess now.'

Instant mana and fatigue recovery? Saintess probably looks like an infinite battery.

"Hey, Dickhead! Let's go! Lead on!"

Golden lifeline secured, full energy—Shin Seo-yeon bossed me boldly.

Her eager eyes met mine; I nodded.

"Now we rest."

"You bastard!"

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