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1I Alone Level-up: Chapter 65
2
3On the drive home.
4
5zooom-
6
7The face of the van’s driver was clouded with disappointment.
8
9‘Sigh…’
10
11Was it because the extraction target’s abilities were far greater than his own? Unfortunately, Jinwoo had failed in the Shadow Extraction of the ice elf boss.
12
13‘Shame, but what can I do…’
14
15Surely, the opportunity to take down another high-level boss would come again someday. The important thing was that when that opportunity came again, he would be strong enough to not fail.
16
17Level-up.
18
19It was something he was quite good at.
20
21Still, the Raid wasn’t all for naught. He took his left hand off of the steering wheel; an elegant, curved dagger appeared in it.
22
23Baruka’s Tanto [1]
24Rarity: A
25
26Type: Dagger
27
28Attack Power +110
29
30Agility +10
31
32It is the tanto wielded by the great warrior, Baruka. A magical enchantment makes both the dagger and the wielder more agile.
33
34Jinwoo had not left the Dungeon empty-handed. While one of the twin daggers wielded by the boss was destroyed by Knight Killer, he had claimed the unbroken one as his own.
35
36‘Baruka’s Tanto.’
37
38It had the highest attack power out of all the daggers he had found so far; on top of that, it even had an effect of increasing his agility. It was obviously better than the C-rank Casaka’s Poisoned Fang, and even the B-rank Knight Killer, bought with gold, could not compare to it. An A-rank dagger! It was the perfect weapon to replace Casaka’s Poisoned Fang, which was gradually losing its effectiveness in battle.
39
40‘The grip doesn’t feel bad either.’
41
42While he was going over the events of the Red Gate, the van had arrived in front of Han Songyi’s house.
43
44screech.
45
46The student, who was silent throughout the entire ride, bowed her head to Jinwoo,
47
48“Then, take care.”
49
50“Okay.”
51
52Watching the girl walk back to her house with sunken shoulders, Jinwoo felt like he had accomplished his mission.
53
54‘Things got a little complicated, but the original goal was to convince Han Songyi.’
55
56It looked like the girl would not be continuing as a Hunter anymore. Well, anyone whose first ever Dungeon was a Red Gate would do the same. Jinwoo was about to drive away in satisfaction when the passenger door opened.
57
58‘...?’
59
60He turned to see Han Songyi holding the door open.
61
62‘What’s wrong with her?’
63
64His curiosity only lasted for a brief moment. The girl deeply bowed her head again,
65
66“Thank you for today, oppa.”
67
68Now that he thought about it, her title for him had changed from “ahjussi” to “oppa”.
69
70“Oh, yeah, no problem.”
71
72“So…”
73
74“Hmm?”
75
76“I’ll see you tomorrow- I mean, few hours from now.”
77
78Few hours from now?
79
80Before he could ask her what she meant, Han Songyi ran inside. After she disappeared into her home, Jinwoo realized,
81
82‘Oh right.’
83
84It was already dawn, but the Raids with Yoo Jinho would resume today. As Han Songyi was still part of their raiding party, they would see each other again.
85
86‘That’s what she meant.’
87
88Oh shit… If Han Songyi completely retired from anything related to Hunters, Yoo Jinho’s team would’ve lost a team member, and it would’ve delayed their plans. Thankfully, it looked like the girl would at least finish the remaining Raids.
89
90‘Thank god...’
91
92With the Shadow Soldiers, the clearing speed of the C-rank Dungeons would rise a level higher. Jinwoo was confident he could complete the remaining Raids in a record time. He was also looking forward to Yoo Jinho’s reaction when the young man saw the Shadow Soldiers.
93
94‘That man, Yoon Gijoong, his reactions were top notch.’
95
96Jinwoo grinned widely while turning the steering wheel.
97
98Few hours later.
99
100“Yawn-”
101
102Jinwoo arrived at the lobby of his apartment while yawning. When he opened his eyes after a brief nap, it was already the promised time.
103
104“Good morning, hyungnim!”
105
106A familiar voice filled with energy greeted him. Yoo Jinho was already waiting for him.
107
108“I took the car. How’d you get here?”
109
110Jinwoo had borrowed the workhorse of their raiding party, “Bongo”, for last night’s events. The van was parked nearby.
111
112“A taxi, hyungnim.”
113
114“Ah, taxi.”
115
116Jinwoo had hoped to flip their positions for once and go pick up the young man.
117
118“It’s okay, hyungnim. I’m the one receiving your help. I should be the one accommodating you.”
119
120Yoo Jinho spoke while chortling. After a one day break, their morning exchanges had resumed as normal.
121
122“Huh?”
123
124Yoo Jinho discovered something. Jinwoo was holding something cylindrical in his hand. The young man asked curiously,
125
126“Hyungnim, what’s that?”
127
128“What, this?”
129
130Jinwoo smiled widely,
131
132“I’m going to use it in the Dungeon today.”
133
134Holy… Yoo Jinho’s stomach fluttered.
135
136‘Is it a weapon to be used in the Dungeon?’
137
138Hyungnim always showed off something crazy in Dungeons. Just what kind of a terrifying weapon was he holding now? Yoo Jinho already began to feel anxious.
139
140gulp
141
142Yoo Jinho gathered his courage then raised his head,
143
144“Hyungnim, let us go.”
145
146“Hold on.”
147
148Jinwoo put up a hand, then took out his phone.
149
150“We’ll be picking up someone on the way.”
151
152“Huh? Who?”
153
154Jinwoo ignored him and spoke into the phone,
155
156“Yeah, Songyi, it’s me. We’ll pick you up and take you to the Gate.”
157
158Songyi… That Songyi? When Jinwoo hung up, Yoo Jinho asked,
159
160“Hyungnim, is the person we’re picking up our team’s highschool student?”
161
162Jinwoo nodded. Since she lived really closed to his house, he felt like it would be efficient to just pick her up before leaving the area. However, as he had done in the past, Yoo Jinho completely misread Jinwoo’s intents.
163
164Han Songyi.
165
166A cute-looking girl with short hair falling just below her ears.
167
168‘If hyungnim knows her number and talked to her with such familiarity… Is their relationship like… that?’
169
170As he had always known, hyungnim was an amazing man.
171
172‘Especially when I watch him go to work on giant magic beasts with a single dagger…’
173
174The young man was sure his hyungnim had no interest, but it made sense that the female student would fall for his hyungnim. Yoo Jinho nodded to himself. If that was the case, there was something he had to clear up,
175
176“Hyungnim, so should I be addressing Ms. Han Songyi as “missus” from now on?” [2]
177
178What the fuck.
179
180Was what Jinwoo’s eyes were saying. Even Yoo Jinho, who was terrible at taking hints, was able to read as much from the man’s expression.
181
182“Er… Were you two not dating?”
183
184“She’s just my little sister’s friend.”
185
186“Oh. Oooooh.”
187
188So that’s what it was. Yoo Jinho finally understood the situation. To think that he accidentally almost called her his sister-in-law. The young man’s face turned red with embarrassment.
189
190Soon, Hang Songyi came down from her apartment. Compared to their previous meetings, the girl appeared to have paid a little more attention to her looks this time. Yoo Jinho smiled,
191
192‘She’s just like a teenager who wants to show off before her friend’s oppa.’
193
194Yoo Jinho was about to act like a leader and compliment the girl’s clothes when Jinwoo greeted her first,
195
196“Did you get some sleep?”
197
198Yoo Jinho’s face froze.
199
200‘...’
201
202Han Songyi smiled and shook her head,
203
204“I couldn’t sleep a wink.”
205
206“You must be tired, get some shut-eye in the car.”
207
208At the pair’s conversation, Yoo Jinho’s mind became more and more chaotic.
209
210‘Huh? Huuuuuh?’
211
212Han Songyi asked Jinwoo a question,
213
214“Oppa, did you get any sleep?”
215
216“Just a quick nap. It was already 4AM when I got home.”
217
218“Right…”
219
220Couldn’t sleep? Must be tired? 4AM? Yoo Jinho’s confusion turned to horror. Jinwoo was heading toward the Bongo and turned around,
221
222“Yoo Jinho, are you coming?”
223
224“Err… Hyungnim?”
225
226“...?”
227
228“That’s er… Ms. Han Songyi is underage, hyungnim.”
229
230What the fuck.
231
232“So?”
233
234“...Nevermind, hyungnim.”
235
236As expected, hyungnim was the manliest of men. Yoo Jinho was in awe of Jinwoo’s personality that gave no thoughts to society’s rules.
237
238‘He’s truly not a normal man.’
239
240Yoo Jinho berated himself for judging his hyungnim with laws of ordinary people. [3]
241
242At the same hour.
243
244Baekho Guild’s Meeting Room.
245
246“-And that’s pretty much all I saw.”
247
248Park Heejin finished recounting the events of the Red Gate. Before she began, Baek Yoonho had asked if she needed some rest out of concern, but the woman insisted that they complete the investigation. She explained that she was relatively comfortable(?) in there.
249
250“...”
251
252“...”
253
254The two upper management members who conducted the interview, Guildmaster Baek Yoonho and Chief Ahn Sangmin, were at a loss for words. The one who was in charge of the training, Hyun Gicheol, was sent to the Association to argue about the incident. As such, only three people were gathered in the meeting room. Ahn Sangmin broke the silence,
255
256“Was all that really true?”
257
258“You can contact Go Myunghwan and Yoon Gijoong. They’ll tell you the same story.”
259
260The two C-rankers had returned to their homes, stating that they wanted to see their families. Park Heejin could confidently say that their statements would not differ from hers.
261
262‘All I did was explain what I experienced in person.’
263
264How the forest that man disappeared off to rang with screams of ice bears, or how that man was doing push-ups while everyone else was sleeping. She didn’t dare to include any hearsay from the other teammates, only what she had seen with her own two eyes.
265
266“Huh…”
267
268Ahn Sangmin made a strange noise with his mouth. Knocking out an A-rank Hunter in one hit. Freely using spatial magic. Wielding dozens of summons. Each one of them alone would be an unbelievable thing. And the man in question had done it all. But the most shocking fact was,
269
270“So he solo cleared a high-level Dungeon.”
271
272Baek Yoonho uttered after a long period of silence. It was because he was an S-ranker that he was able to say,
273
274“That is an incredible feat.”
275
276Although the man had fought with summons, those summons were not comrades but Hunter Sung Jinwoo’s skill. It was the same as solo clearing the Dungeon.
277
278“No matter how high one’s rank is, it is difficult for a Hunter to solo clear a high-level Dungeon.”
279
280A Red Gate on top of that.
281
282What if he himself was there? Could he solo clear a B-rank Red Gate? It was possible for Hunter Sung Jinwoo, who wielded not one or two but dozens of summons. Ahn Sangmin spoke with amazement,
283
284“With this, it is clear that he’s an Awakened Being with special powers.”
285
286Baek Yoonho agreed,
287
288“Among Hunters, those that can use summoning are rare. And to think that he’s a Hunter that can wield multiple summons…”
289
290Having worked as an S-rank Hunter, Baek Yoonho had met and conversed with many different Hunters. Not one of them ever spoke of a Hunter wielding that many summons.
291
292“An Awakened Being with a special power in a different dimension than the average special power…”
293
294Baek Yoonho was amazed. Ahn Sangmin thought of something and asked,
295
296“If you had to put a value on Sung Jinwoo-ssi’s abilities, how much do you think he’s worth right now?”
297
298“...”
299
300Baek Yoonho could not easily reply. But one thing was for sure, regardless of what the value of Sung Jinwoo was right now, it would multiply explosively once the man underwent the retest. They had to act before that happened. Baekho had just lost an A-rank Hunter and multiple B-rank Hunters. If they were not able to obtain the power known as Sung Jinwoo, their losses from this incident would be too great.
301
302“I trust you, Chief Ahn.”
303
304Baek Yoonho sent a look of faith towards the man. Ahn Sangmin replied with a determined expression. Suddenly, the two men turned toward Park Heejin. The woman was raising a hand.
305
306“Do you have something to ask?”
307
308Succeeding in grabbing the two men’s attentions, Park Heejin lowered her hand,
309
310“Please allow me to help.”
311
312“With what?”
313
314“Raid Lead- I mean, Hunter Sung Jinwoo-nim’s recruitment.”
315
316Baek Yoonho and Ahn Sangmin exchanged glances. The Recruitment Specialist Ahn Sangmin tilted his head,
317
318“Why would Hunter Park Heejin-nim be…?”
319
320“Of the members of our Guild, I’m the one who spent the most time with Hunter Sung Jinwoo-nim. I believe I can be of great assistance.”
321
3226 hours outside of the Gate. Nearly a week inside. Baek Yoonho and Ahn Sangmin thought Park Heejin’s words made sense. On top of that, the woman was a beauty. Her appearance wouldn't exactly be a hindrance in their efforts to obtain Sung Jinwoo. Realizing her suggestion was moving the minds of the Guildmaster and the chief, Park Heejin continued,
323
324“But I have one condition.”
325
326Baek Yoonho asked,
327
328“What is it?”
329
330“Once Hunter Sung Jinwoo-nim enters Baekho, please be sure to place me in his raiding party.”
331
332
333Translator’s Notes:
334[1]: “Baruka’s Tanto”: Tanto was covered before; it is a word for a japanese dagger/knife. Baruka (바루카): “ba” + “ru” + “ka”. Translating the “r” or “l” sound from east asian languages often is shortened to remove the vowel sound, but in this case, I kept the “ru” as it was. If it was “르” (reu) instead of “루” (roo), I might’ve shortened it to Balka.
335
336[2]: “missus” (형수님): I chose not to do the usual and put this in korean. I don’t think it’s a word that’ll come up that much throughout the story. The korean word here means “wife of older brother”. More commonly used in actual blood relative situations, but jokingly/friendly used by non-related people as well to their hyung’s wife/girlfriend.
337
338[3]: What the fuck.
339
340
341I Alone Level-up: Chapter 66
342
343Park Heejin had learned something in the last Raid: the terror of a high-level Dungeon and just how powerless she could become.
344
345‘In the end, I ended up learning the lesson Sung Jinwoo-ssi was trying to teach Hang Songyi...’
346
347It was embarrassing, but it was true. To stubbornly claim that something terrifying wasn’t scary was just foolishness. What happened in the Red Gate was certainly a terrifying experience. However, she did not want to give-up the benefits of working as a B-rank Hunter. A high salary! Multiple career choices! And the acknowledgment of society on top of that! If you put aside the danger involved in the job, being a Hunter was the perfect profession. If anything, it was because of the high risks involved that the rewards were just as high.
348
349However, Park Heejin had found a way to reduce that risk.
350
351‘It’s to raid with Raid Leader Sung Jinwoo-nim.’
352
353The person she was most jealous of in the Red Gate was in fact Han Songyi. The reason was simple. It was because of the promise Sung Jinwoo made to Han Songyi on their first day:
354
355“I brought you here, so I’ll be responsible for your protection.”
356
357In other words, Jinwoo had no responsibility to protect anyone except Han Songyi. Park Heejin and the two C-rank Hunters were just added baggage. The woman had always held a fear that they would be thrown aside. And on the 6th day, Sung Jinwoo cleared the Dungeon and protected Han Songyi until the end. The man had kept his promise. Watching all of this, Park Heejin obtained an assurance.
358
359If she raided under that man, she wouldn’t be in any danger. After she had realized this, her heart began to race. In fact, her heart was still beating vigorously right now.
360
361The ability to cooly make decisions. A powerful strength. And a sense of responsibility to boot.
362
363She wanted to be at Sung Jinwoo’s side in the next Raid. And that was her condition.
364
365‘Place me in Sung Jinwoo’s raiding party.’
366
367Baek Yoonho and Ahn Sangmin talked among themselves for a bit. Soon, they came back to Park Heejin,
368
369“Alright.”
370
371Baek Yoonho laughed excitedly,
372
373“Then Park Heejin-ssi will be acting together with Chief Ahn for a while.”
374
375“Thank you.”
376
377Of course, the recruitment would not be easy. Sung Jinwoo was someone who knew the value of his ability.
378
379‘He was so confident in the Red Gate too.’
380
381Convincing him would not be an easy task.
382
383‘Still…’
384
385She obtained the opportunity to see him again. Park Heejin smiled in her head.
386
387Meanwhile, after thinking about something, Baek Yoonho opened his mouth with difficulty,
388
389“Chief Ahn,”
390
391“Yes sir.”
392
393“I would like to know Sung Jinwoo-ssi’s contact information.”
394
395“Guildmaster, that’s…”
396
397Ahn Sangmin finally explained his experiences with Sung Jinwoo. How they had first met. Why he had hidden the man’s existence up until now. Listening to his story, Baek Yoonho nodded understandingly,
398
399“If he had that amount of power, it makes sense that he would want to hide it. After all, there are certainly people in this world who do not want the attention of society.”
400
401However, that man had shown his abilities in front of many people this time. Of course, it was during an emergency, but it also meant that the man was ready to show himself to the world.
402
403“I’m sure as long as it doesn’t get out of hand, Sung Jinwoo-ssi won’t blame Chief Ahn.”
404
405Ahn Sangmin nodded. Of course, there was no chance what they discussed here would be leaked to the outside. Sung Jinwoo had his reasons, but at the same time, Baekho had no intention of inviting unwanted competition by revealing the truth.
406
407“I understand that, but…”
408
409What Ahn Sangmin was worried about was something else. The chief was afraid that, not knowing Sung Jinwoo’s stern personality, the Guildmaster might mess things up with his impatient personality. He wanted to avoid that at all costs,
410
411“I think the Guildmaster contacting him directly is a bit…”
412
413Baek Yoonho understood what Ahn Sangmin was worried about,
414
415“Oh, I’m not trying to contact him about the recruitment.”
416
417“Oh? Then why…?”
418
419“It’s as Sung Jinwoo-ssi said last night.”
420
421Baek Yoonho realized it after listening to Park Heejin’s story; Sung Jinwoo was the savior of the Baekho Guild. The man had rescued three of the new recruits of the Guild; on top of that, he had prevented the Dungeon Break of a Red Gate in their area and saved their reputation as well. Even if it was the Association’s fault, how much would the Guild’s image fall if they lost all of their new recruits in this incident? Just imagining it made Baek Yoonho’s stomach sink.
422
423‘To think that I was being so hostile to that savior.’
424
425Baek Yoonho understood why Jinwoo was in a bad mood. Now knowing the full story, there was something the Guildmaster had to do,
426
427“As a representative of Baekho, I would like to give my gratitude to Sung Jinwoo-ssi. I also have to apologize for my behavior last night.”
428
429‘Oh, if it’s just that…’
430
431Ahn Sangmin fully agreed with his Guildmaster. Knowing the man’s personality, the chief knew the S-ranker would not do something as low as bringing up the idea of recruitment while thanking Jinwoo.
432
433“I understand.”
434
435Ahn Sangmin took his phone out and found Jinwoo’s number.
436
437“What’s his number?”
438
439Baek Yoonho also took his phone out.
440
441“It’s-”
442
443Ahn Sangmin was about to read off the number when he realized something weird. The chief raised his head,
444
445“Er, Hunter Park Heejin-nim, why do you have your phone out?”
446
447“Oh, er… haha…”
448
449Park Heejin smiled awkwardly and put away her phone.
450
451South Korea’s #1 Guild, Hunters Guild. [1]
452
453The Guildmaster and active S-rank Hunter Choi Jongin was going over an interesting report.
454
455“Is… this all true?”
456
457Well, would he have bothered the Guildmaster with a false report? The Head of Recruitment, Jo Myunggi, nodded.
458
459“Yes sir. It’s the information we’ve obtained from the Association today.”
460
461Every large Guild had a discrete line of contact in the Association, a spy of sorts. It was a little underhanded, but it was necessary to obtain information on new high-ranking Awakened Beings. And today, the Hunters Guild’s line of contact had leaked an interesting tale. After looking over the report, Jo Myunggi decided to bring it to the Guildmaster’s attention.
462
463‘The recently rising Baekho is one of the large Guilds after Hunters Guild’s position.’
464
465The man thought it was worthy enough to look into. As expected, Choi Jongin was greatly interested.
466
467“A C-rank Gate became a Red Gate? And the lone A-ranker and multiple B-rankers died, but two C-rankers came out alive? And they cleared the Dungeon? This is completely impossible.”
468
469Even if there was a single B-ranker among the survivors. Reading up and down the report, Choi Jongin shook his head,
470
471“There is someone, a helper, who was left off of this report.”
472
473Choi Jongin was completely sure. His extensive raiding experiences were telling him so. Jo Myunggi replied,
474
475“The Association had also suspected as much, but…”
476
477“But?”
478
479“Baekho closed their mouths on the incident.”
480
481“And the Association’s just going to let it go?”
482
483“Well, I heard that there was some fault on the Association’s end this time, so it looks like they don’t want to escalate the issue.”
484
485“Hmm…”
486
487Choi Jongin put a hand to his chin. It was the man’s habit whenever he fell into thought. If they had made a mistake, the Association’s attitude was understandable. But why was Baekho also maintaining a silence? There was one answer,
488
489“Looks like Baekho received help from someone that they don’t want to reveal.”
490
491“I also think that way.”
492
493The two men were in agreement. Choi Jongin’s head ran with quick calculations,
494
495‘A nameless helper that was able to save the low-rank Hunters in a difficult Dungeon where multiple high-rankers died…’
496
497The S-ranker became filled with curiosity,
498
499‘A new recruit that didn’t even receive a rank yet? Or a criminal that couldn’t reveal their identity?’
500
501It didn’t matter. If it was a newbie, they would be recruited by Hunters Guild. If it was a criminal, they would use it to besmirch the name of Baekho. Choi Jongin’s eyes sparkled,
502
503“We have to find out who that was.”
504
505“Do you have a plan?”
506
507“To smoke out a tiger, you set fire to his den.”
508
509Jo Myunggi could not hide his shock,
510
511“You want to set Baekho on fire?”
512
513“What?! No, I’m not crazy enough to light someone else’s company on fire.”
514
515“Ah, sorry. But you know you have a reputation for your magic…”
516
517There was a reason why Choi Jongin was called the “Strongest Soldier”[2]. If the Mage-class Hunter wanted, it was an easy feat for him to blow away a building or two. Anyways, Choi Jongin continued,
518
519“No, no, I meant that we’ll create a fire.”
520
521“Okay, you keep using that word, ‘fire’-”
522
523Jo Myunggi shut up when Choi Jongin’s eyes flared,
524
525“I mean. Let’s leak this to the press.”
526
527‘Oooooooh!’
528
529Jo Myunggi finally realized what his Guildmaster was saying,
530
531“Just imagine the headlines, ‘The Association’s Mistake, a Large Guild’s Misfortune, and the Mysterious Hunter behind it all.’ Isn’t this just what the press loves?”
532
533The head of recruitment nodded. Choi Jongin chuckled,
534
535“Once the media’s attentions fall on Baekho, they’ll have to eventually reveal the identity of their mysterious helper.”
536
537“That could work!”
538
539Jo Myunggi also laughed. This was the opportunity to strike at Baekho, who was steadily coming after Hunters Guild. The corner’s of Choi Jongin’s mouth rose,
540
541“Contact the reporters immediately.”
542
543You’ve entered the Dungeon.
544Jinwoo took in the Dungeon’s air when he entered.
545
546‘Whew-’
547
548Having being stuck in a field-type Dungeon for several days, the cave-type Dungeon’s air felt new to him. Yoo Jinho followed in after him,
549
550“What do you think the magic beasts this time will be?”
551
552“I wonder…”
553
554‘I definitely sense something nearby.’
555
556But he did not see anything. However, the moment he took a step, bodies started rising here and there from the floor of the cave.
557
558dudududududu
559
560dududududu
561
562The humanoid magic beasts made out of rocks. Yoo Jinho remembered their names,
563
564“Hyungnim, it’s the stonemen.”
565
566Jinwoo nodded. Of all the magic beasts that could be found in low-level Dungeons, the stonemen boasted the strongest defense. Basic logic called for magic to overcome the tough exteriors of the stonemen.
567
568“Here, hold this.”
569
570The man for whom basic logic did not apply handed the cylindrical object to Yoo Jinho.
571
572‘Holy!’
573
574Not knowing what was inside, Yoo Jinho flinched as he took the object from Jinwoo, but nothing happened.
575
576‘Is it not a weapon?’
577
578Meanwhile, Jinwoo stepped towards the stonemen and summoned Baruka’s Tanto and Knight Killer.
579
580slash!
581
582In an instant, a stoneman’s head fell to the floor. Jinwoo looked at Baruka’s Tanto with satisfaction,
583
584‘Not bad.’
585
586The smiling figure of Jinwoo moved faster than the eye could see.
587
588step
589
590The Hunter reappeared behind the group of stonemen. Ten magic beasts fell to the ground.
591
592collapse
593
594‘My body feels a lot lighter since the Red Gate.’
595
596Of course. The man was currently Level 60. Hunting the bears and White Walkers had raised his levels by 9 from Level 51. The magic beasts of the C-rank Dungeon now felt like the goblins from E-rank Dungeons.
597
598‘I don’t think I need take out a weapon if it’s only this much.’
599
600His warm-up was complete.
601
602‘Time to raise the speed.’
603
604It was time for them to mobilize. Right on cue, more stonemen appeared from further down the cave.
605
606‘Come forth.’
607
608As his order fell, the Shadow Soldiers waiting in his shadow all appeared behind him. A scream followed their appearance,
609
610“AHHHH!!!!!”
611
612Oh right. Jinwoo facepalmed.
613
614‘Forgot about him.’
615
616In his excitement, Jinwoo had forgotten about Yoo Jinho.
617
618“H-hyuuuungnim.”
619
620The young man was on his rear wagging a finger at the Shadow Soldiers,
621
622“W-what are those?”
623
624“It’s hard to explain… Just think of them as my skill.”
625
626“Y-you can make something like that with a skill?”
627
628Jinwoo nodded. Yoo Jinho could not close his mouth.
629
630“Ah…”
631
632This was his 11th Raid with hyungnim. The young man had thought that he had seen everything with Jinwoo. That was a grave mistake. As always, hyungnim was someone who surpassed all expectations.
633
634gulp
635
636Feeling a dangerous presence coming from the soldiers clad in pitch-black, Yoo Jinho gulped. Jinwoo turned back to the magic beasts. The lumbering stonemen had already arrived before them. Jinwoo raised a chin.
637
638“Go.”
639
640The Shadow Soldiers had been waiting for that order.
641
642STEP STEP STEP STEP
643
644When the soldiers that neared 40 in number[3] charged at the enemy, their combined movements shook the floors of the cave. As the army included Iron and the Shadow Beasts, the weight of the army had certainly become heavier.
645
646‘Feels like I’ve added a tank division in my army.’
647
648Jinwoo looked at the scene with satisfaction. Once his forces were mobilized, the Dungeon was cleared in a blink of an eye. All that remained were the destroyed corpses of the stonemen. The C-rank Dungeon was obliterated in an instant.
649
650Wow-
651
652Jinwoo was in awe.
653
654‘At this rate, we can finish the remaining Raids in no time.’
655
656It looked like the remaining eight Raids would be over soon.
657
658step, step, step
659
660After the battle, the Shadow Soldiers collected the magic cores and lined-up in front of Jinwoo. At their head was Iron and Ygritte[4]. The two knights stood at attention. When the Shadow Soldiers stopped their movements, Yoo Jinho was finally able to move. The young man nervously approached Jinwoo,
661
662“Hyungnim, here…”
663
664He returned the plastic bag with the cylindrical object back to Jinwoo. Jinwoo took out the tumbler and started drinking from it.
665
666“Hyungnim, what is that?”
667
668“Vegetable juice.”
669
670“Oh…”
671
672“It’s not bad.”
673
674sip siiiip
675
676When the tumbler was nearly empty, Jinwoo asked,
677
678“Jinho, how many Gates did we reserve today?”
679
680The young man was in the middle of reaching out to touch the fur of a Shadow Beast and froze,
681
682“Four, hyungnim.”
683
684Four today, then five after that. There was no need to delay it any longer.
685
686“Then let’s end it tomorrow. It doesn’t matter if we have to travel a bit.”
687
688“Tomorrow?”
689
690Yoo Jinho looked around. The traces of the massacred stonemen were all around them. The young man nodded,
691
692‘With this speed, it’s more than doable…’
693
694“Understood, hyungnim. But…”
695
696The young man hesitated then spoke with difficulty,
697
698“...Is it okay if I pick up the magic cores?”
699
700“Why?”
701
702“I feel like my job was taken away from me, hyungnim.”
703
704Jinwoo laughed.
705
706‘He’s really an amusing guy.’
707
708And a day later, Jinwoo completed the 19 Raids he had promised to Yoo Jinho.
709
710
711Translator’s Notes:
712
713[1]: Okay, I wondered how I would distinguish “Hunters” (guild) from “Hunters” (profession). I’m just going to always make sure their name is followed by the world “Guild”. Please note that the guild’s name, “Hunters”, is straight up english written in korean. It is not possessive like “Hunter’s Guild”. “Hunters” is their name.
714
715[2]: Strongest Soldier (최종병기): Pretty literal. There is a little pun in Choi Jongin’s name. The “Strongest Soldier” is pronounced Choi-Jong-Byung-Gi. Btw, anyone remember a certain Hunter called the “Weakest Soldier”? Now we meet that Hunter’s opposite, hue hue hue…
716
717[3]: Okay, so the passages up until now haven’t gotten into detail, but it’s assumed that Jinwoo’s maximum storage limit had been increasing with either level-ups or intelligence increases. This has not been specifically clarified yet. Right after class advancement, the storage limit was 20. During ice bears part in the red gate, the storage limit was 30, and now, the storage limit is “nearly 40”.
718
719[4]: Not sure if people were joking or not, but best girl Ygritte is a man.
720
721
722
723I Alone Level-up: Chapter 67
724
725“Hyungnim! Now that we’re done, how about a celebratory dinner?”
726
727On the drive home, Yoo Jinho carefully brought up the subject.
728
729“Celebratory dinner? Just us two?”
730
731With the final Raid, their raiding party had been disbanded. Han Songyi had told them she had somewhere to be, so it was just Jinwoo and Yoo Jinho in the car. Yoo Jinho shyly continued,
732
733“Well… I’ve just been getting help from you left and right. I thought I’d treat you today.”
734
735Why was he so shy about just asking to eat together? Jinwoo grinned. The young man had offered to pay, so he didn’t have any reason to refuse.
736
737“Alright.”
738
739When Jinwoo casually agreed, Yoo Jinho’s face lit up noticeably.
740
741“Hyungnim! There’s a high class restaurant at a hotel that I know, how about it? Their steak is to die for.”
742
743“Nah, nothing like that.”
744
745Jinwoo wanted to eat with Yoo Jinho somewhere comfortable. A suitable restaurant came into view while driving.
746
747tap
748
749Jinwoo tapped the car window with his finger.
750
751“How about there?”
752
753“Ah, did you want some hanwoo beef?” [1]
754
755“No, next to it.”
756
757Yoo Jinho’s eyes narrowed. Next to it… There was only one other restaurant.
758
759[Flower Samgyupsal Day - Thin slice specialty] [2]
760
761“Are you talking about the thinly sliced samgyupsal place, hyungnim?”
762
763“Do you not like samgyupsal?”
764
765Yoo Jinho smiled brightly,
766
767“No, hyungmin. I like it too.”
768
769After parking the van, the duo entered the shop, only to find it bustling. It was 7 PM, just about time for most restaurants to be packed.
770
771“Welcome.”
772
773A waiter greeted them with a smile.
774
775“How many?”
776
777“Two.”
778
779“Please, this way.”
780
781The waiter led them to a spot in a corner. Suddenly,
782
783“Hold on.”
784
785Looking around the restaurant, Yoo Jinho gestured to an empty spot near the windows,
786
787“Can we sit there?”
788
789“Ah, I’m sorry. Those tables are reserved…”
790
791It appeared that a large group had reserved a section of the restaurant. Yoo Jinho looked at the wide open tables with disappointment then shook his head. And so, the two men ended up being seated at a corner deep into the restaurant. Yoo Jinho lowered his head,
792
793“I’m sorry, hyungnim.”
794
795“Hmm? What do you have to be sorry for, I was the one who wanted to come here.”
796
797“Still, I should’ve treated you to somewhere better.”
798
799Jinwoo smiled and tapped Yoo Jinho’s shoulder,
800
801“Don’t worry about that and just enjoy the food, ya punk.”
802
803In fact, Jinwoo was worried that this cheap establishment might not have been to Yoo Jinho’s expensive tastes.
804
805‘And I didn’t want to mention it, but...’
806
807Jinwoo looked around. The restaurant was packed with people. Because he had often spent time in a quiet solitude at home, a lively atmosphere like this wasn’t exactly bad.
808
809“Here is samgyupsal for three and two bottles of soju.” [3]
810
811Their order had arrived.
812
813sizzle-
814
815The meat cooked nicely over the pan. The two Hunters dug into the food. One by one, pieces of meat disappeared from the pan. Fortunately, it looked like the young master of a chaebol liked the food.
816
817“I often eat samgyupsal with my friends, hyungnim.”
818
819“Oh yeah? College friends?”
820
821“Yep. Compared to the rich kids from expensive and prestigious schools, I get along much better with my peers from a normal college.”
822
823Jinwoo smiled and nodded as Yoo Jinho spoke. It was rather fitting of the young man he had gotten to know.
824
825“Here, hyungnim.”
826
827Yoo Jinho poured Jinwoo a shot of soju.
828
829“You too.”
830
831Jinwoo returned the gesture.
832
833gulp gulp
834
835They filled each other’s glasses, clinked then drank the shot it one go.
836
837“Kyaaaah-”
838
839However, compared to Yoo Jinho who made a delicious expression, Jinwoo’s face scrunched up in annoyance and realization.
840
841“Huh? Hyungnim, is it not to your liking?”
842
843“No. It’s not that…”
844
845Jinwoo stared at his empty glass. Amidst the busy schedule he maintained, he had forgotten about this.
846
847ring~
848
849A harmful substance has been detected.
850The effects of the ‘Detoxification’ buff will be activated.
8513, 2, 1… Detoxification complete.
852‘Right. I can never get drunk again.’
853
854No matter how much he drank, the results were the same.
855
856ring~ ring~ ring~
857
858With the ‘Longevity’ buff in effect, all harmful effects were removed from Jinwoo. The soju he drank was nothing more than bitter water. Jinwoo cursed internally,
859
860‘Fuck.’
861
862Rather than putting down this useless, bitter liquid, he was better off drinking soda.
863
864“Excuse me,”
865
866Jinwoo flagged a server,
867
868“Could we get two more orders of samgyupsal and a bottle of soda?”
869
870“Of course.”
871
872When the server walked away, Yoo Jinho tilted his head,
873
874“Hyungnim, you’re not going to drink anymore?”
875
876“I’m not that good with alcohol.”
877
878Jinwoo had replied with an expressionless face, but as always, Yoo Jinho did not take the hint. His face was becoming red with drunkenness, and the young man smiled moronically,
879
880‘To think that even hyungnim has a human side like this…’
881
882Yoo Jinho sent a strange look at Jinwoo, but the man ignored it.
883
884‘Not like this is the only time the kid’s being weird.’
885
886There was something Jinwoo was curious about however,
887
888“So what’s your plan now?”
889
890When a serious question appeared, Yoo Jinho suddenly sat upright like an interviewee on his first job interview,
891
892“After a simple written test at the Association, I will obtain my Guildmaster license, hyungnim. With it, I will go and try to make a deal with my father.”
893
894The young man’s eyes were filled with determination. He had invested quite a bit of his own money into this plan; there was no room for backing out now.
895
896‘And I have my promise with hyungnim.’
897
898That building he promised to Jinwoo. He would only be able to keep that promise if he was able to convince his father to hand over the Guildmaster’s position. Meanwhile, Jinwoo was rather carefree about the entire affair.
899
900‘It’d be nice to get that 30 billion won building, but,’
901
902That was just the tip of the iceberg. His real goal was to level-up. And with the 20 C-rank Dungeons he had conquered with Yoo Jinho, he managed to fulfill that goal plenty of times. The results of that level-up? Kim Cheol was an A-ranker with contract fees probably in the billions, and Jinwoo knocked him out with a single hit.
903
904‘That means at the very least, I’ll be able to earn more than that shitbag.’
905
906Great income would naturally follow great abilities. There was no need for Jinwoo to worry about money. Because of that, Jinwoo’s face was filled with a carefree expression. As Jinwoo reminisced on the past few days with a smile, Yoo Jinho asked a question,
907
908“What about you, hyungnim? What’s your plan now?”
909
910“Me?”
911
912Was it something he shouldn’t have asked? Yoo Jinho panicked for a second but relaxed when Jinwoo softened his expression.
913
914“I’ll be out of contact for a while. There’s somewhere I have to go.”
915
916With that sentence, a noticeable frown appeared on Yoo Jinho’s face. The young man looked like a puppy abandoned on the road and drained his glass.
917
918tap
919
920Yoo Jinho’s placed his glass loudly down on the table. With help from the liquid courage, the young man opened his mouth,
921
922“Hyungnim, if I’m just a bother to you, please let me know. I won’t bother you anymore.” [4]
923
924‘This brat…’
925
926It seemed that Jinho had mistaken his words about being “out of contact” for something else. Jinwoo scratched his temple and spoke,
927
928“Jinho.”
929
930“Yes, hyungnim.”
931
932“What exactly am I to you?”
933
934“To me…”
935
936Unable to reply immediately, the young man’s eyes looked to the ceiling.
937
938“I have an older brother, about 10 years older than me, hyungnim.”
939
940Jinwoo had heard of it. Yoo Myunghan’s firstborn, Yoo Jinsung.
941
942“My hyung doesn’t like me that much. To be honest, I’ve probably spent more time with you in the past few days compared to my entire life with my hyung. Compared to that older brother, hyungnim saved my life, helped me with my plans…”
943
944Yoo Jinho looked at Jinwoo with a clear eyes,
945
946“To me, hyungnim feels more like my older brother than my real brother.” [5]
947
948Well, he was still scared of Jinwoo from time to time. Still, the memories he had made with Jinwoo in their days together were something he could never forget. The respect Yoo Jinho had for his hyungnim was far greater than any fear.
949
950“If you think of me as your older brother,”
951
952Jinwoo spoke with a smile,
953
954“I’ll think of you as my little brother.”
955
956“H-hyungnim…”
957
958With his nose turning red, Yoo Jinho began to cry. Well, Jinwoo could’ve tolerated just crying, but the young man suddenly pushed himself toward Jinwoo,
959
960“Hyungnim! I want to give you a hug!”
961
962“Hey, hey! You’re drunk, you punk!”
963
964“No, hyungnim! My head has never been clearer than now!”
965
966“At least keep your eyes open when you’re talking!”
967
968“Waaaaaaah!”
969
970Whether he was truly moved or was just drunk, Yoo Jinho put his head on the table and began to cry loudly. Jinwoo gently patted the young man on the shoulder. Soon, Yoo Jinho fell asleep.
971
972“Sigh… He’s really something else.”
973
974Jinwoo leaned back on his chair and bit his tongue.
975
976Yoo Jinho. In many ways, he was an annoyance, but Jinwoo did not dislike him.
977
978[-And here’s the next report.]
979
980Jinwoo turned his head towards the TV. The TV in the restaurant was turned to a news channel.
981
982‘Is it already 9?’
983
984Jinwoo absentmindedly stared at the screen when a familiar face appeared.
985
986‘Oh?’
987
988Jinwoo’s eyes widened. Leaving his Guild HQ, Baek Yoonho was assaulted with a barrage of questions from reporters surrounding him.
989
990[We’ve received a report saying there was a big accident with the new recruit training, is it true?]
991
992[We’ve heard that all the high-ranking Hunters died and only low-rank Hunters lived, do you have any comments?]
993
994[There were reports that an unknown helper rescued the survivors, what are your thoughts on this?]
995
996The S-ranker did his best to ignore the reporters but eventually relented,
997
998[The incident has already been investigated by the Association. It is true that there was an accident during the training, but there was no such thing as an outsider helper. Baekho’s members worked together to clear the Dungeon, but many Hunters fell during the process. That is the final story.]
999
1000A reporter asked,
1001
1002[Then why are you preventing an interview with the survivors?]
1003
1004[They’ve just barely escaped with their lives from the jaws of death. I would not let them be held to questioning after what they’ve been through. That will be all.]
1005
1006The TV showed Baek Yoonho quickly getting into a car and driving away. Jinwoo’s eyes were wide open.
1007
1008‘...Aren’t they talking about me?’
1009
1010Some time ago.
1011
1012Eastern Seaboard, United States.
1013
1014“AHHHHH!”
1015
1016James fell to the ground. With the strength in his legs gone, the man crawled on the floor to escape but realized he had come across a dead-end. All hope left the american.
1017
1018“Oh jesus!”
1019
1020The Dungeon this time was A-rank. A raiding party with the appropriate level of power was put together to clear the Dungeon, but the entire party was wiped out. To be accurate, they were knocked out.
1021
1022‘Impossible!’
1023
1024With his back against the wall, James collected his breath and shook his head repeatedly. It truly was an impossible occurrence. When they had first entered the Dungeon, the raiding party had discovered it was completely empty. Not a single magic beast was found.
1025
1026“A Dungeon with no magic beasts?”
1027
1028“Is that even possible?”
1029
1030“Then where did all the magic power measured outside come from?”
1031
1032The Hunters were confused in unison. However, past this strange issue, something even more surprising was found in the boss room. They found a lone magic beast there. A magic beast that looked exactly like a human. That single enemy knocked out the entire raiding party. Strong didn’t even begin to describe this thing. Only James was able to barely escape the boss room.
1033
1034‘Wait, was all the magic power measured outside coming from just that one magic beast?’
1035
1036The A-rank designation was given to the Dungeon after measuring the magic power seeping from the Gate outside. In an ordinary situation, that magic power would be the combined amount leaked by every magic beast in the Dungeon. This time, there was only one entity releasing said magic power. [6]
1037
1038‘Impossible.’
1039
1040But.
1041
1042“Sigh… Come on.” (In Korean)
1043
1044That magic beast had appeared in the distance. James screamed,
1045
1046“AHHHHHH!” (Screaming in English)
1047
1048“Ow, my ears” (In Korean)
1049
1050The magic beast, no, the asian man with overgrown hair and facial hair scratched his head.
1051
1052“Ah, ahh…”
1053
1054Jame’s screams turned into a groan. The mysterious man stood before the american and put his hands on his hips.
1055
1056“I mean, why’d you attack me like that? I told you, I’m not a magic beast. I’m human.” (In Korean)
1057
1058James could not understand the man. His face just turned whiter and whiter. The asian man stared at the panicking american, wondering what he should do. He sighed deeply.
1059
1060“Not like you yankees can understand me.” (In Korean)
1061
1062Still, the man attempted communication. He squatted down to sit at an eye level with James, then tried to speak as friendly as possible,
1063
1064“Hey, hey” (In broken English)
1065
1066The man tried to remember what little English he knew.
1067
1068“Aim Coreaun.” [I’m Korean]
1069
1070He did his best to speak as clearly as possible,
1071
1072“Ai wanteu to go hom.” [I want to go home]
1073
1074
1075Translator’s Notes:
1076
1077[1]: “Hanwoo beef” (한우): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hanwoo . Just a breed of cattle in Korea famous for their deliciousness.
1078
1079[2]: “Samgyupsal” (삼겹살): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samgyeopsal . staple of korean bbq; pork belly meat to be self grilled over a flame.
1080
1081[3]: “Soju” (소주): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soju . we are just going all over korean culture today. Traditional korean alcohol that often (often is an understatement) accompanies group meals.
1082
1083[4]: BEST LITTLE BROTHER
1084
1085[5]: BEST. LITTLE. BROTHER.
1086
1087[6]: Just a small reminder that as you go up in the rank of Dungeons, the difficulty rises exponentially (just like power level of Hunters). Logically speaking, multiple X-rankers are needed to conquer an X-rank Dungeon. If all the magic power of a dungeon came from a single entity in a X-rank Dungeon, that entity would be massively stronger than a single corresponding X-rank Hunter. On top of that, high-level Dungeons (B, A, S) require Hunters with higher rank than a given Dungeon’s rank. For example, Baek Yoonho implied that multiple A-rankers would be needed to clear a B-rank Dungeon (Chapter 59). A larger number of A-rankers and maybe even some S-rankers are needed to clear an A-rank Gate, and a shit ton of S-rankers are needed to even have a chance of clearing an S-rank Gate (Jinwoo notes in Chapter 28 that a team of only S-rankers would have 50% of clearing an S-rank Dungeon).
1088
1089
1090I Alone Level-up: Chapter 68
1091
1092It was an unprecedented news!
1093
1094A living human came out of a Dungeon!
1095
1096The Federal Bureau of Hunters (FBH) was called in an emergency. The Deputy Director of FBH arrived at the interrogation room. He was on one side of a one-way mirror, looking at an asian man in handcuffs on the other side.
1097
1098“Is that him?”
1099
1100“Yes, sir.”
1101
1102“Looks human to me.”
1103
1104“I agree, sir.”
1105
1106Indeed. If he cleaned up his messily grown hair and facial hair, he would’ve looked like an ordinary, middle-aged asian man.
1107
1108“Did he say anything about himself?”
1109
1110“He’s claiming that he’s a Hunter from South Korea.”
1111
1112“South Korea?”
1113
1114“Yes, sir.”
1115
1116“How the hell did a Hunter from South Korea come out of a Dungeon on the other side of the world?”
1117
1118“He says he was stranded in the Dungeon 10 years ago when the Gate closed before he could leave.”
1119
1120“And when he opened his eyes, he was in the states?”
1121
1122“That’s what he’s claiming.”
1123
1124The deputy director placed a hand on his forehead. How to explain all this to the director? He already felt a headache coming on.
1125
1126“So why are you just waiting out here? Shouldn’t someone be in there interrogating him?”
1127
1128Forget the director, this might make its way up high into the chain of command. They shouldn’t be wasting time like this. However, the head of interrogation had other thoughts,
1129
1130“It is one of our theories that that man is a magic beast that somehow obtained a human’s memories.”
1131
1132“So?”
1133
1134“If it reveals its true nature during interrogation, the entire capitol might be placed in danger.” [1]
1135
1136It certainly was a possibility. According to the report, even a raiding party with multiple A-rankers were taken down by this thing. They could not make any careless movements.
1137
1138“So we need a capable Hunter to perform the interrogation.”
1139
1140An S-ranker if possible. The head of interrogation nodded,
1141
1142“Fortunately, there is an S-rank Hunter nearby fluent in Korean.”
1143
1144The deputy director’s face brightened. He was the Deputy Director of the FBH; the man was familiar with every single S-rank Hunter working in the U.S.
1145
1146“Mr. Hwang! Is he on the way?”
1147
1148“Yes, sir.”
1149
1150One of the main Hunters of Scavenger, Hwang Dongsoo. Bringing him to the U.S. required quite an effort by the FBH.
1151
1152‘But if it’s him…’
1153
1154There shouldn’t be any problems. The deputy director smiled.
1155
1156“Oh right,”
1157
1158He had forgotten to ask. To report this to the higher-ups, he had to at least know the target’s name.
1159
1160“What did that man say his name was?”
1161
1162The head of interrogations had trouble pronouncing the name. He checked the report from his subordinates,
1163
1164“A Hunter from South Korea. His name is Sung Ilhwan.”
1165
1166Hwang Dongsoo was a merciless person. Especially to magic beasts. Because of a Dungeon Break, he had lost his parents and grew up under his older brother. And when he Awakened as an S-ranker, he considered it a blessing from the heavens.
1167
1168‘The chance to rip apart magic beasts without mercy!’
1169
1170And so, the S-ranker entered the interrogation with a cold attitude. A man from a Dungeon. They even said the wavelength of his magic power matched the pattern of magic beasts.
1171
1172‘If it’s a magic beast imitating a human…’
1173
1174He would kill it on the spot. He had accepted the request from the FBH with that in mind.
1175
1176Hwang Dongsoo met the eyes of the man.
1177
1178‘...’
1179
1180‘...’
1181
1182The pair exchanged looks. Hwang Dongsoo placed the man’s file on the table and leaned back on the chair,
1183
1184“I suggest you cooperate. My word will determine whether or not you’re a human or a magic beast.”
1185
1186“Alright.”
1187
1188Before starting the official interrogation, Hwang Dongsoo asked a personal question. They said his brother died in the Dungeon. Was there a chance he could come back? The S-ranker wanted to know,
1189
1190“Is it possible for other Hunters to come back like you?”
1191
1192The man shook his head. Hwang Dongsoo’s brows twitched,
1193
1194“How can you be sure?”
1195
1196“Because I know the reason why I was able to return.”
1197
1198“Reason? What reason?”
1199
1200“Before that, let me ask you something,”
1201
1202“...I’m the one asking the questions.”
1203
1204Hwang Dongsoo’s eyes narrowed[2]. However, the man ignored him and continued,
1205
1206“Gates, magic beasts, Dungeon Breaks. Just what do you know about all of that?”
1207
1208“...”
1209
1210If it was a boring question, Hwang Dongsoo would’ve used his strength to silence the man. But it was not a boring question. Since the Gates first started appearing 10 years ago, followed by the Awakened Beings, many had challenged that question but to no avail. This might be an opportunity to finally obtain some answers.
1211
1212“Deputy director…”
1213
1214“Shh.”
1215
1216The FBH employees across the one-way mirror gulped. Hwang Dongsoo asked,
1217
1218“Are you saying you know?”
1219
1220“Dungeons, Gates, magic beasts… They are all but a prelude to the real war that’s coming. And the existence that will become the greatest disaster of that war just opened its eyes.”
1221
1222“Then the reason you are here is?”
1223
1224“To prevent that disaster.”
1225
1226“What exactly is this “greatest disaster”?”
1227
1228“...That I cannot say.”
1229
1230Hwang Dongsoo sneered,
1231
1232“If you truly are a human who came here to prevent a disaster, why can’t you reveal any details? No matter what it is, wouldn’t it be better to work together?”
1233
1234The man shook his head,
1235
1236“Numbers mean nothing in front of its power. Weaklings grouping up will only become used by it.”
1237
1238“And only you can stop it?”
1239
1240The man nodded. Hwang Dongsoo clicked his tongue in his mind.
1241
1242‘He’s fucking crazy.’
1243
1244Well, it made sense if the man was stranded in a Dungeon for 10 years. Or, it could just be that a magic beast imitating a human made an error. Hwang Dongsoo decided to entertain the man’s delusions,
1245
1246“You must be quite confident in your abilities.”
1247
1248“I have a certain qualification other than abilities.”
1249
1250“Well, of course, of course.”
1251
1252What could they hope to learn from a crazy man? Hwang Dongsoo decided he was done asking questions. Instead, he opened the file given to him by the FBH. It was a list of information and questions to confirm the man’s identity.
1253
1254“Name, Sung Ilhwan…”
1255
1256The picture in the file was a perfect match.
1257
1258‘Instead of 10 years, it looks like only few weeks or months passed.’
1259
1260But Hwang Dongsoo did not pay it much mind. After all, they say high-ranking Hunters can even slow their aging.
1261
1262“Your accomplishments as a Hunter are rather impressive. You could earn quite a bit in today’s world.”
1263
1264Sung Ilhwan did not reply. At the time, the system of classifying Hunters did not exist. They were not even assigned rankings. Hwang Dongsoo continued through the document,
1265
1266“Wife, Park Gyunghae. Two kids, son’s name is…”
1267
1268Absentmindedly reading down the list, Hwang Dongsoo froze for the briefest of moments when he got to the son’s name,
1269
1270‘Sung Jinwoo?’
1271
1272Hwang Dongsoo continued without showing any indication,
1273
1274“...Sung Jinwoo. What is your daughter’s name?”
1275
1276“Sung Jinah.”
1277
1278“Okay, next.”
1279
1280Suddenly,
1281
1282“Hold on.”
1283
1284Hwang Dongsoo was about to flip to the next page when Sung Ilhwan stopped him. The S-ranker raised his head without much thought. Sung Ilhwan’s face had turned as cold as Hwang Dongsoo’s,
1285
1286“Why did I feel a killing intent when you read my son’s name?”
1287
1288“...”
1289
1290tak
1291
1292The file was tossed to the table. Hwang Dongsoo turned off the microphone connecting to the outside.
1293
1294“I thought I said I would be the one asking questions.”
1295
1296“I need to hear your answer.”
1297
1298“And if I refuse?”
1299
1300“I’ll have you talk with force.”
1301
1302Sung Ilhwan’s eyes flared. The man was not about to back off. With that, Hwang Dongsoo sneered widely,
1303
1304“Alright. You’re a magic beast.”
1305
1306How dare a mere magic beast threaten a Hunter? Feeling Sung Ilhwan emit a powerful hostility toward him, Hwang Dongsoo felt that it was enough evidence to claim the man was a magic beast.
1307
1308‘Perhaps the heavens have blessed me again.’
1309
1310Having made his conclusion without much thought, Hwang Dongsoo turned on the microphone again.
1311
1312beep
1313
1314“Deputy director, this man is a magic beast. He’s going to attack soon, please evacuate.”
1315
1316- “What? Hey, wait!”
1317
1318beep
1319
1320The presences he felt on the other side of the one-way mirror panicked then ran off. The a siren rang loudly throughout the building. Hwang Dongsoo’s fists began to glow with a silver light.
1321
1322“I will be visiting Korea soon.”
1323
1324Finishing his preparations, Hwang Dongsoo’s lips made an ugly smile towards Sung Ilhwan,
1325
1326“What should I tell your son his father’s last words were?”
1327
1328The TV continued to report on the Red Gate incident. Jinwoo scratched the back of his head.
1329
1330‘Things are about to get really loud.’
1331
1332However, he did not feel an annoyance. Just a strangeness. Strangers on the TV were reporting left and right trying to figure out Jinwoo’s identity. And if they succeeded? It did not matter.
1333
1334‘I’ve become strong enough.’
1335
1336The reason why he had hid his power up until now was to avoid being used by someone. But things were different.
1337
1338Baek Yoonho.
1339
1340Jinwoo was able to throw aside the grip of the S-rank Guildmaster of Baekho. That’s how strong he had become. It was an unthinkable action in the past.
1341
1342‘I would’ve probably pissed my pants if I saw those eyes in the past.’
1343
1344A light smile appeared on Jinwoo’s face. It was moments like this you had enjoy in drunkenness.
1345
1346ring~
1347
1348A harmful substance has been detected.
1349The effects of the ‘Detoxification’ buff will be activated.
13503, 2, 1… Detoxification complete.
1351Unfortunately, that much was not allowed for him. Jinwoo chuckled in defeat. Putting down the shot glass, his expression became serious again.
1352
1353‘Still, I’m not stopping here.’
1354
1355Jinwoo brought up the status screen.
1356
1357ring~
1358
1359Name: Sung Jinwoo
1360
1361Level: 61
1362
1363Class: Monarch of Shadows
1364
1365Title: One Who... (...1 more)
1366
1367HP: 13,001
1368
1369MP: 1,677
1370
1371Fatigue: 0
1372
1373Stats
1374
1375Strength: 142
1376
1377Constitution: 101
1378
1379Agility: 121
1380
1381Intelligence: 99 [3]
1382
1383Sense: 103
1384
1385(Available stat points: 0)
1386
1387Physical Damage Reduction: 46%
1388
1389Level 61.
1390
1391Having invested all the points from the daily quest, even his intelligence was nearing 100.
1392
1393‘I still have a long way to go…’
1394
1395Yes, a long way to go. To a higher place. Somewhere no one could dare to reach him.
1396
1397For a start, he would begin with the Demon Castle.
1398
1399‘The System definitely told me it’s something I want.’
1400
1401He recalled the description on the Blessed Random Box,
1402
1403Blessed Random Box
1404Will provide what the ‘Player’ wants.
1405And the Demon Castle Key came out of that box. High-leveled monsters and great rewards. He had already confirmed this with the Cerberus. No matter what was inside, Jinwoo was sure that it would be just as great. It was finally time to return to that place. In fact, he planned on staying there for a few days. He just had one issue,
1406
1407‘Once I’m inside, I won’t be able to make contact with the outside world.’
1408
1409What would he tell his little sister? He would have to think of an excuse. Jinwoo stood up.
1410
1411tap tap
1412
1413“Jinho.”
1414
1415tap tap
1416
1417“Yoo Jinho.”
1418
1419“Mm-what.”
1420
1421Jinwoo shook and lightly slapped the young man, but Yoo Jinho was completely out. What to do now?
1422
1423‘Didn’t this fool say he was going to take the test at the Association tomorrow?’
1424
1425Forget the test, Jinwoo had to get Yoo Jinho home somehow. He picked up Jinho’s phone.
1426
1427“Of course I can’t call Chairman Yoo Myunghan or Yoo Jinsung.”
1428
1429Was there anyone else he could call to pick up Yoo Jinho? Looking through the contact list, Jinwoo noted a name.
1430
1431‘Yoo Soohyun?’
1432
1433Unlike the heir’s father or brother, the young man had contacted this person quite a bit. It looked like a girl’s name… Considering calling her for a moment, Jinwoo put the phone down.
1434
1435‘What if,’
1436
1437Jinwoo looked through the shop and found what he was looking for.
1438
1439Status Recovery Potion
1440Rarity: E
1441
1442Type: Consumable
1443
1444Drink to recover your status.
1445
1446You may keep this item in your inventory.
1447
1448Untradeable.
1449
1450After confirming the transaction, a yellow bottle appeared on the table. It was different from the red healing potions or the blue mana potions. Jinwoo looked around, then quickly tilted Yoo Jinho’s head back and poured the potion down his throat.
1451
1452The effects took in an instant.
1453
1454Yoo Jinho’s eyes shot open.
1455
1456“Hyungnim?”
1457
1458“You awake now?”
1459
1460His head was tilted back. His hyungnim was standing over him, looking down.
1461
1462“Hyungnim, what are you doing?”
1463
1464“...”
1465
1466Jinwoo could not figure out how to explain all this. He decided to feign ignorance.
1467
1468“Let’s go.”
1469
1470“Yes, hyungnim!”
1471
1472Yoo Jinho quickly got up from his seat and was confused.
1473
1474‘Huh? Why does my body feel so light?’
1475
1476The young man stretched his body here and there, then ran after Jinwoo with a bright expression.
1477
1478As the pair left the restaurant, the news on the TV continued,
1479
1480[-Here’s the next report. The U.S. government remains silent on the explosion at the FBH headquarters few days ago…]
1481
1482
1483Translator’s Notes:
1484
1485[1]: It was noted in previous chapters, but the FBH HQ is in Washington, D.C.
1486
1487[2]: Found another mistake in the original text! In the original text, it says Hwang Dongseok (the dead older brother’s name) here, xD. Your welcome, author!
1488
1489[3]: Ok, I think I found another error here. The original text says his intelligence was 89, but that doesn’t make sense considering he gained 10 levels since the last time we saw his status screen (level 51, int was 80). So his int should be at least 90. Also, right next in the passage, he says he put in all of the daily quest points into int. It’s been 3 days since he left the red gate, that should be 9 points into int, so I think it should be 99.
1490
1491
1492I Alone Level-up: Chapter 69
1493
1494Next morning, Jinwoo went straight to Daesung Tower.
1495
1496‘Man, it’s still so tall.’
1497
1498A skyscraper with a hundred floors. Standing near it, you’d have to strain your neck to look up to the top.
1499
1500‘There are a lot of people here today.’
1501
1502Compared to the last time he had come here, there were a lot more people around. Guess that was the literal difference between night and day. Whether it was the lobby, entrance or the sidewalk, people came and went nonstop.
1503
1504‘Man, if I just disappeared into thin air like last time, it’ll cause quite a commotion.’
1505
1506There were already many eyes looking for him because of this so-called “unknown helper” incident. Was there a need for him to reveal himself and purposely attract attention?
1507
1508‘Of course not.’
1509
1510Jinwoo did not enjoy having attention focused on him. He walked over to a hidden corner and took out the Demon Castle Key. It was a slender, golden key. At a casual glance, it was clearly nonfunctional.
1511
1512‘No one’s looking, right?’
1513
1514Jinwoo looked around and nodded.
1515
1516‘Time to go.’
1517
1518The Hunter used the ‘Stealth’ skill.
1519
1520shooo-
1521
1522The invisible man came out of his hiding spot then made his way through the crowd to the building. Because of how packed the streets were, he couldn’t avoid bumping into few people here and there, but none of them paid any mind.
1523
1524‘Man, this skill can be used for some really bad things.’
1525
1526No wonder high-rankers with ‘Stealth’ were under a lot of surveillance.
1527
1528flaaaare!
1529
1530In the meantime, he passed through the invisible threshold into a completely different world.
1531
1532‘If I can hear the flames from here, just how hot is it?’
1533
1534Jinwoo looked up at the massive tower on fire. It stood where Daesung Tower was moments ago. The Demon Castle nearly filled his entire vision. Still, they say humans can get used to anything.
1535
1536‘Feels less oppressive than last time.’
1537
1538Indeed, Jinwoo’s anxiousness was practically nonexistent this time.
1539
1540Or perhaps,
1541
1542‘It’s because I’ve grown that much.’
1543
1544Jinwoo returned the golden Demon Castle Key to the inventory then took out a gray key.
1545
1546Castle Gate Key
1547Rarity: A-rank
1548
1549Type: Key
1550
1551It is the key to the Demon Castle’s gates.
1552
1553Obtained after killing the Gatekeeper.
1554
1555It was what he obtained after killing the watchdog, Cerberus. He was unable to use it in the past, having just barely defeated Cerberus. Now, he would finally enter the castle. Next, he took out his weapon. Baruka’s Tanto in his right hand, the gate key in his left, Jinwoo carefully walked towards the castle gate. Curiously, he did not see Cerberus.
1556
1557‘Do monsters not respawn in the Demon Castle Dungeon?’
1558
1559Might be just limited to the dog, but there was a strong possibility that it was a special rule of this place.
1560
1561‘If that’s the case…’
1562
1563The interiors might be a little different than the Instant Dungeons where monsters respawned. Jinwoo sharply focused his senses.
1564
1565BA DUM BA DUM BA DUM!
1566
1567Because of the sense stat that had reached over a hundred, focusing his senses made his own heartbeat sound like thunder.
1568
1569‘But I am not afraid.’
1570
1571Compared to the past, what he felt now was not fear but an overwhelming confidence resulting from his power. Maintaining a sharpness and being afraid were two completely different things.
1572
1573ring~
1574
1575A message appeared in front of the castle door.
1576
1577Would you like to use the Castle Gate Key and enter? (Y/N)
1578‘No, miss System, I’ll just turn back and go home.’
1579
1580Jinwoo laughed at the stupid question and selected “Yes”.
1581
1582creaaaak-
1583
1584He had not touched the door, but the giant gates swung open on their own.
1585
1586Clunk!
1587
1588‘Huh…?’
1589
1590Jinwoo was taken back. Even though his senses were focused, he did not sense any monsters past the doors.
1591
1592‘No monsters?’
1593
1594He had prepared for the exact opposite. His worst case scenario visioned a scene where a ton of monsters jumped him the moment he opened the door. It was this pessimistic thought that had carried him to the penalty zone for training.
1595
1596‘But…’
1597
1598Just what was this? It seemed like his efforts were in vain. The inside of the castle was almost pathetically devoid of any monsters’ presence.
1599
1600‘Huh… What now?’
1601
1602With a disappointed feeling, Jinwoo returned Baruka’s Tanto to the inventory and stepped into the Demon Castle. As these things usually go, that first step into the area triggered the response.
1603
1604ring~
1605
1606Jinwoo reflexively called his two daggers to his hands in a flash.
1607
1608‘What! What is it?!’
1609
1610A quest has arrived.
1611‘A quest?’
1612
1613And it’s not the daily quest? Well that would’ve been weird; he had already made sure to complete the daily quest before coming here. Then this must be… just a quest.
1614
1615This was the first time he had received “just” a quest.
1616
1617‘Every other quest up until now was hidden, emergency or something.’
1618
1619Jinwoo checked the quest with a tilted head.
1620
1621Ordinary Quest: Collect the Demon Souls! Part 1
1622The Demon Castle is full of demons. Please hunt them and collect their souls to earn a special reward. Normal demons contain only one soul, but the upper floors will have demons with multiple souls.
1623Quest Requirement: Enter the Demon Castle
1624Quest Goal: Demon Souls 0 / 10,000
1625Rewards:
1626
1627Pick one item from every item possible
1628
1629Stat points +20
1630
1631Unknown Reward
1632
163320 Stat points! As always, the first thing that grabbed Jinwoo’s attention was the stat point reward.
1634
1635‘I can raise my intelligence by 20!’
1636
1637He could not help but smile. The disadvantages of low mana could not be understated.
1638
1639‘I need a ton of mana to keep my soldiers regenerating.’
1640
1641And mana wasn’t the only benefit of the intelligence stat. Jinwoo was finally able to learn that as his intelligence increased, the number of shadows he could extract and store increased as well[1]. Because of all this, increasing his intelligence was urgent.
1642
1643‘There’s a limit with just level-ups and daily quests…’
1644
1645If he could earn 20 bonus stats through the quest, it would take care of a large problem.
1646
1647gulp
1648
1649‘And…’
1650
1651Jinwoo looked up from the stat reward.
1652
1653“Pick one item from every item possible”
1654
1655Just the bonus stats were an insane reward, then there was this.
1656
1657‘Really? Every item possible?’
1658
1659Jinwoo remembered the absolute highest-class equipments from the shop.
1660
1661‘There were even…’
1662
1663S-rank equipment that cost billions, some even tens of billions, of gold. Jinwoo looked at Knight Killer in his left hand. This powerful dagger cost nearly three million gold, and he was still using it.
1664
1665‘If a B-rank dagger costing nearly three million is this good, just how good are the S-rank daggers costing tens of billions?’
1666
1667He became curious. Looking at just the first and second rewards, even ignoring the unknown third reward, this was an incredible quest.
1668
1669‘Considering the rewards, taking down few monsters will be as easy as eating-’
1670
1671Because Jinwoo’s eyes fell on the quest rewards first, he had not taken a closer look at the quest goal. The man finally looked at the number of zeros and was shocked.
1672
1673“Ten… thousand?”
1674
1675Jinwoo could not help but exclaim loudly. This was not just “taking down few monsters”.
1676
1677‘It’s really, really not an ordinary quest.’
1678
1679No matter what kind of monsters these demons were, killing ten thousand of them would be an ordeal. However, the Hunter smiled widely.
1680
1681‘That is… if I was alone.’
1682
1683The current number of soldiers was 50. They each just had to take down 200 demons. Yes, with those soldiers, this quest would be doable.
1684
1685Would you like to accept the quest?
1686‘Of course.’
1687
1688There was no way he would refuse.
1689
1690You’ve accepted the quest.
1691If he failed, the “penalty” would be just the wasted time.
1692
1693‘Compared the penalty of those other quests… bleh…’
1694
1695His life was on the line for the Class Advancement Quest and the Emergency Quests. Compared to those, this was truly a blessed quest. Jinwoo raised his head,
1696
1697‘So that’s going to keep track of my progress?’
1698
1699The moment he accepted the quest, a counter appeared in the air.
1700
1701Collected Demon Souls: 0 / 10,000
1702‘10,000… This’ll be a long road.’
1703
1704With the numbers he imagined in his head actually visualized, Jinwoo chuckled in disbelief. Suddenly, he discovered another counter to the left to the souls counter.
1705
1706‘Huh?’
1707
1708Exp. to Next Level: 60,000
1709The holographic letters clearly displayed a number, and it was telling him that he would level up once he filled that number.
1710
1711‘Am I finally able to see my experience?’
1712
1713But he was Level 61. 61 didn’t particularly seem like a milestone level for something like this to happen. Not only that, Jinwoo didn’t see such a counter before heading into the Demon Castle.
1714
1715‘Let’s see…’
1716
1717Jinwoo took a step back and exited the Demon Castle. With that, both the soul counter and the experience counter disappeared. When he went back in, the two counters returned as if they were always there.
1718
1719‘Looks like it’s only for the Demon Castle.’
1720
1721It was a shame he wouldn’t be able to see the experience counter on the outside, but it would surely be convenient while he was in here. On the other hand,
1722
1723‘Does that mean it’ll take that long to conquer this place?’
1724
1725That was certainly a possibility. Jinwoo pored over the details of the quest once more, then closed the message box.
1726
1727‘Think I got the details down.’
1728
1729Finally, it would be time to explore the interiors of the Demon Castle.
1730
1731‘Whoa!’
1732
1733wooooooooo-
1734
1735A ruined city lay before his eyes. Unexpectedly, it was another field-type Dungeon.
1736
1737‘Where is this? Is this Seoul?’
1738
1739Perhaps if everyone in Seoul died and a hundred years passed, it might look like this. A lifeless city faded to gray. Few street lights flickered on and off here and there.
1740
1741‘To think that it’d be another field-type Dungeon…’
1742
1743On top of that, it was using the great city of Seoul as its base. Next to the Instant Dungeons that used a subway station or a mall as their base, this was incomparable. Jinwoo’s eyes narrowed.
1744
1745‘Where do I go first?’
1746
1747Where was the goal? Jinwoo looked over here and there. Thankfully, he did not have to wonder for too long. From a distance, where Namsan Tower should’ve been, a giant pillar of light stood in its place.
1748
1749‘Let’s try over there.’
1750
1751Jinwoo started heading towards the direction. In case he got lost, he carefully remembered the area where the castle gate was. However, he did not go too far when he was interrupted,
1752
1753“Kik kik.”
1754
1755“Kikikik.”
1756
1757Small monsters crawled out from between the buildings here and there.
1758
1759‘Low-level Demon’
1760
1761Jinwoo read the dark red names above their heads and understood what they were.
1762
1763‘They look like…’
1764
1765If the gargoyle magic beasts had wings, it would look just like them. There were eight of them. Jinwoo smiled.
1766
1767‘Got eight souls.’
1768
1769Pierce!
1770
1771One of the demons sported Baruka’s Tanto out of its forehead.
1772
1773You’ve defeated a Low-level Demon.
1774You’ve earned 100 experience points.
1775You’ve earned 1 Demon Soul.
1776“Kiak?”
1777
1778“Kiek?”
1779
1780While they were distracted by their fallen comrade, Jinwoo quickly ran over and removed another’s head.
1781
1782slash!
1783
1784You’ve defeated a Low-level Demon.
1785You’ve earned 100 experience points.
1786You’ve earned 1 Demon Soul.
1787These things gave a hundred experience points each.
1788
1789‘And I need 60,000 experience points to level-up…’
1790
1791Defeating 600 of these low-level demons should level him up. The remaining demons fell quickly.
1792
1793“Kiiiiiiek!”
1794
1795“Kek!”
1796
1797Current souls at 8. Experienced gained was 800.
1798
1799‘Not a bad start.’
1800
1801A marathon starts with just a few steps. Jinwoo’s eyes sparkled, looking for the next prey.
1802
1803Baekho Guild. Guildmaster’s Office.
1804
1805After being busy for the past few days, Baek Yoonho was going through the documents and reports that he had been neglecting.
1806
1807Beep-
1808
1809He picked up the phone.
1810
1811- “Guildmaster, Hunter Min Byunggu-nim is calling. Would you like me to connect?”
1812
1813“Yes, please.”
1814
1815- “Alright.”
1816
1817A moment later, a familiar voice came from the receiver.
1818
1819- “Baek hyung, why is your cellphone off?”
1820
1821Baek Yoonho sighed deeply,
1822
1823“Because of those damn reporters. I’m going dark until this damn story dies down.”
1824
1825- “Oh, yeah, that! Red Gate! I saw the news from Japan. Hyung, you look pretty good on the TV.”
1826
1827“Don’t test me. I’m not in the mood to joke around. Once I find who leaked that story, I’m going to just…”
1828
1829- “Don’t worry about that too much, hyung. That story’s going to get pushed over by a big news soon.”
1830
1831“A big news? From Japan?”
1832
1833- “Yeah. The problem is worse than we thought. It’s going to make waves in Korea soon.”
1834
1835“Why? What happened?”
1836
1837A week ago, Japan secretly contacted the Korean Hunter Association and the large Guilds of South Korea. They were informed that Japan needed a consultation with Korea’s Hunters. And so, several Hunters representing Korea headed over to Japan for a meeting. Min Byunggu was one of those Hunters. Baek Yoonho had been curious about the matter,
1838
1839“Stop messing around and spill it. This is the first time those Japanese bastards asked for our advice on something. Just what’s going on over there that could rattle those arrogant fucks?” [2]
1840
1841- “Baek hyung, you remember the ants of Jeju Island, right?”
1842
1843An S-rank Gate underwent a Dungeon Break four years ago on Jeju Island. The Dungeon was populated by ant type magic beasts. South Korea had attempted to reclaim the island three times. They failed three times. Eventually, the government gave up on the jewel of Korea, and Jeju Island became the land of the magic beasts.
1844
1845“How could I forget? I almost died during one of the reclamation efforts.”
1846
1847- “There’s been a development in that area.”
1848
1849“Development? Who the hell cares. Let them kill and eat each other on that island.”
1850
1851- “That’s…”
1852
1853The voice on the phone became filled with worry and continued,
1854
1855- “They discovered a corpse of a winged ant on the coast of Japan.” [3]
1856
1857
1858Translator’s Notes:
1859
1860[1]: Oh, here it is. The actual confirmation that intelligence increased his maximum shadows.
1861
1862[2]: Err, in case anyone’s uncomfortable with the rather blatant racism, the relationship between Korean and Japan, especially for older folks, is not that good.
1863
1864[3]: In the next arc of SoloxLeveling, we’ll be visiting the Chimera Ant Island :P
1865
1866
1867I Alone Level-up: Chapter 70
1868
1869You’ve defeated a Low-level Demon.
1870You’ve earned 100 experience points.
1871You’ve earned 1 Demon Soul.
1872…
1873
1874…
1875
1876You’ve defeated a Low-level Demon.
1877You’ve earned 100 experience points.
1878You’ve earned 1 Demon Soul.
1879Jinwoo had been hunting the low-level demons for two hours now. He checked the current soul count.
1880
1881Collected Demon Souls: 309 / 10,000
1882The quest was 3% done. Additionally, at the current rate, he would level-up in about two more hours of hunting. His current level was 61. It took nine C-rank Dungeons to level-up from 60 to 61, and that was over two days. Compared to that, he would be able to gain one level after four hours of hunting here.
1883
1884‘That’s crazy.’
1885
1886A smile appeared on Jinwoo’s face. How long had it been since he enjoyed hunting this much?
1887
1888‘I think it’s the first time since that day.’
1889
1890He recalled his first Instant Dungeon with nostalgia. Jinwoo had alternated hunting between the first and second levels of the subway Dungeon nonstop until he stopped leveling up.
1891
1892“Kiek!”
1893
1894Everytime Jinwoo’s dagger flashed, a low-level demon fell.
1895
1896“Kiaaak!”
1897
1898“Kiek.”
1899
1900“Keh geck, kek!”
1901
1902Sometimes, more than one with a single swing. In no time, he took down 20 more low-level demons.
1903
1904‘This is amazing.’
1905
1906The experience points and soul counts increased appropriately with the fallen demons. On top of that were the drops. A smile bloomed on the face of the Hunter collecting items.
1907
1908‘Looks like the horns are a guaranteed drop.’
1909
1910Low-level Demon’s Horn
1911Rarity: None
1912
1913Type: Junk
1914
1915A horn from the low-level demon’s head. As a valuable magic reagent, a demon’s horn sells for quite an amount.
1916
1917The junk item, “Demon’s Horn”. Selling it at the shop earned him 200,000 gold.
1918
1919‘Even Cerberus’ teeth sold for 150,000 each… The monsters of the Demon Castle sure are generous.’
1920
1921Having tasted the value of the shop recently, the junk items were no longer just “junk” to Jinwoo. They were valuable gold would become his flesh and blood.
1922
1923‘There’s really nothing to throw away.’
1924
1925Jinwoo happily sold what needed to be sold and stored whatever he didn’t. While he was going through the corpses, he discovered something.
1926
1927‘What’s this?’
1928
1929He found an item he had not seen before.
1930
1931Entry Permit
1932Rarity: ???
1933
1934Type: ???
1935
1936It’s a permit to enter the 2nd Floor.
1937
1938Usable in the interfloor movement magic circle on the 1st Floor.
1939
1940It was a document rolled up like a scroll.
1941
1942‘Entry Permit?’
1943
1944Unfurling the scroll, Jinwoo found a bunch of letters and shapes he could not interpret. The only information he could find was in the item’s information box.
1945
1946‘An item that lets me go from the first floor to the second…’
1947
1948Could it be? Jinwoo looked around the area. While this was the interiors of the Demon Castle, in a way, its base was Daesung Tower. If the Demon Castle was divided up into floors like Daesung Tower, then this would be the 1st Floor.
1949
1950‘It never even occurred to me that a field-type Dungeon could have multiple floors…’
1951
1952Did that mean this place also had a hundred floors like Daesung Tower? Imagining the sheer scale of the Dungeon, Jinwoo stuck out a tongue.
1953
1954‘...It can’t actually be a hundred floors, right?’
1955
1956Only one way to find out. He had to find that magic circle.
1957
1958‘Only place that the interfloor movement magic circle could be is…’
1959
1960Jinwoo looked over to the pillar of light that reached to the sky.
1961
1962‘...That.’
1963
1964Well, it was his goal from the start, but he was distracted by hunting the low-level demons and ended up in the opposite direction.
1965
1966‘Guess I’ll head over there now.’
1967
1968He had hunted all the low-level demons in the area anyways. Jinwoo smiled.
1969
1970‘Come forth.’
1971
1972The Shadow Soldiers stored by Shadow Storage did not need any particular command to be summoned. All he had to do was call on them with intent.
1973
1974shooo-
1975
1976The Shadow Beast spawned from the alpha ice bear stood before Jinwoo.
1977
1978grrrrl
1979
1980The monstrous bear stood on its hind legs. It towered over a house. However, in front of Jinwoo, it was no different than a trained puppy.
1981
1982“Down.”
1983
1984whimper
1985
1986The Shadow Beast obediently lowered its body, and Jinwoo got on its back.
1987
1988“Hiyah!”
1989
1990Jinwoo kicked the side of the beast, and his ride shot forward towards the pillar of light with a terrifying speed.
1991
1992koong koong koong koong!
1993
1994Combined with the large strides of its giant body, doubled up with its unnaturally fast speed, the objective came closer with great haste. Well, there was an obstacle every once in a while.
1995
1996“Kirik!”
1997
1998“Kik kik!”
1999
2000ROOAR!
2001
2002The beast swiped its claws with a lightning speed, and the obstacles disappeared in an instant.
2003
2004Oh?
2005
2006Jinwoo nodded in satisfaction.
2007
2008‘I just got on for kicks and giggles, but he’s better than I thought.’
2009
2010Jinwoo decided he would use him as a mount in the future and even gave it a name.
2011
2012“From now on, your name is Tank.”
2013
2014“Guoooo!”
2015
2016The Shadow Beast, no, Tank raised its head and howled. Jinwoo wasn’t sure if it liked or disliked the name. Slowing down, Tank reached and stopped before the pillar of light.
2017
2018“Good boy.”
2019
2020Jinwoo dismounted, petted the Shadow Beast then returned him to his shadow. He turned around.
2021
2022ring~
2023
2024You’ve discovered the interfloor movement magic circle.
2025A circle magic seal was drawn on the floor. The light from the magic circle reached the sky. Jinwoo stepped in the light.
2026
2027‘...’
2028
2029Nothing happened. Confused, Jinwoo took few more steps and reached the center of the circle.
2030
2031There are no other open floors.
2032Which floor would you like to go to?
2033“How many floors are there?”
2034
2035There was no reply.
2036
2037‘To see the top, I just have to climb the tower, eh?’
2038
2039Jinwoo thought for a moment. He was almost leveled up. Should he level-up here or go up a floor?
2040
2041‘Compared to the other Instant Dungeons, monsters don’t respawn here. There’s no point in staying in one place.’
2042
2043On top of that, the quest told him that there would be demons with multiple souls in the upper floors. With regards to both experience points and souls, Jinwoo decided it would be better to go up to higher floors.
2044
2045‘Alright.’
2046
2047Let’s go up.
2048
2049Jinwoo spoked to the air,
2050
2051“2nd Floor.”
2052
2053An entry permit is required.
2054Following the instruction, Jinwoo took out the scroll from the inventory. The moment it left the inventory, the scroll disappeared with a flash of light.
2055
2056The 2nd Floor of the Demon Castle has been opened..
2057You will now go up to the 2nd Floor.
2058wooooong-
2059
2060The magic circle began to glow fiercely. At the same time, Jinwoo understood what was happening.
2061
2062‘Oh.. so this is…’
2063
2064Just an elevator.
2065
2066The moment he understood the pillar of light’s purpose, Jinwoo was sent to the 2nd Floor with a blinding flash.
2067
20682nd Floor, 3rd Floor, 4th Floor… And now, 27th Floor.
2069
2070This was Jinwoo’s progress in the past two days. He had told Jinah that he would be traveling for a week.
2071
2072‘I have five days remaining.’
2073
2074Considering the increasing speed at which he was clearing each floor, Jinwoo gained hope that it might be possible for him to reach the 100th Floor in the five days remaining. Jinwoo looked around area. It was a completely destroyed city.
2075
2076‘I can’t even tell what city this is based off of.’
2077
2078Every floor was a different city. Additionally, the destruction of the cities worsened as he went up the floors. On the 27th Floor, it started becoming harder to even call it a city anymore. Is this what a city would look like if it was carpet bombed? Jinwoo dismissed the thought and shook his head.
2079
2080‘Not the time for such thoughts.’
2081
2082He checked his watch; it was 11 PM. There was no night or day in this place. He had to rely on his watch to keep track of the time. If it was 11 o’clock, he should grab some rest. Proper sleep was necessary to continue the Raid. Before that,
2083
2084‘Let’s check the progress.’
2085
2086Collected Demon Souls: 2,116 / 10,000
2087‘2,100…’
2088
2089It was a rate of roughly a thousand demons a day. He had made good progress in the past two days. There was still a long way to go to ten thousand, but Jinwoo had great expectations on those demons with multiple souls on the upper floors.
2090
2091‘Looks like the most important thing is to keep going up.’
2092
2093After that would be leveling.
2094
2095“Wow!”
2096
2097Jinwoo opened his eyes wide.
2098
2099Level: 67
2100He had reached Level 67 in no time. Going from the low-level demons that gave 100 experience points to mid-level demons that gave 300, the progress he made towards leveling increased explosively.
2101
2102‘Man, I really am leveling up fast here.’
2103
2104Ton of monsters. Generous experience points. A proper difficulty.
2105
2106The Demon Castle was truly a heaven for leveling. And that was not all. Jinwoo had diligently worked on raising the proficiency of his kills. Even now, he was keeping Knight Killer hovering over his hand. The ‘Ruler’s Hands’. It was a skill that allowed him to move physical things without touching them.
2107
2108‘Thankfully, the “Ruler’s Hands” don’t cost any mana.’
2109
2110It was a bit tiring to keep his mind concentrated on maintaining the skill, but compared to the benefits of raising his proficiency, it was worth it. As if on cue, Jinwoo received the good news.
2111
2112‘Ruler’s Hands’ has leveled up!
2113‘Alright!’
2114
2115Jinwoo beamed in happiness and rested his back against the wall. Everytime he became stronger, his heart relaxed a bit. His eyelids began to droop.
2116
2117‘Hmm, he should’ve gotten his license by now.’
2118
2119Wonder if Yoo Jinho was well? It’s been a while since Jinwoo moved on his own. It made him think of the young man who had always clung to his back in Dungeons. The fight between the older brother who had already proven his worth in the financial world and the younger brother who was only a college student with a Guildmaster license. It would not be an easy battle.
2120
2121‘Stay strong, Yoo Jinho.’
2122
2123Cheering Yoo Jinho on in his heart, Jinwoo slowly fell into deep slumber.
2124
2125Yoo Jinho entered the high-end Korean restaurant with a determined face. He handpicked the location to accommodate his father’s tastes.
2126
2127“The chairman?”
2128
2129“He’s waiting inside.”
2130
2131Yoo Jinho gulped.
2132
2133“Please, this way.”
2134
2135Yoo Jinho was led to the room his father was in.
2136
2137slide-
2138
2139The sliding door opened, and the young man saw his father’s face across the room. His nervousness multiplied. The moment of weakness lasting only a moment, Yoo Jinho gathered his courage and sat down across his father.
2140
2141“So what is this all about? To think that you of all people would actually set-up a meeting with me.”
2142
2143“Father, before I say my piece, please take a look at this.”
2144
2145“This is…?”
2146
2147“It’s my Guildmaster license and my raiding records.”
2148
2149“A Guildmaster… licence? You?”
2150
2151When Yoo Myunghan looked at him with a suspicious gaze, Yoo Jinho nodded happily,
2152
2153“Yes, father.”
2154
2155Without a word, Yoo Myunghan took the documents Yoo Jinho took out and looked over them. As the chairman pored over the information, a light appeared in his eyes.
2156
2157“So,”
2158
2159Yoo Myunghan put down the documents on the table.
2160
2161“You’re telling me you want Yoojin Guild?”
2162
2163“Yes, sir.”
2164
2165“Hmm…”
2166
2167For a brief moment, traces of surprise and contemplation appeared in Yoo Myunghan’s face.
2168
2169‘To think that father actually has to take the time to choose between me and my brother.’
2170
2171Yoo Jinho was amazed. Even just that was a great result for the young man. If it was him in the past, he would’ve been satisfied with that. However, Yoo Jinho had changed. The young man did not want to back off after coming this far.
2172
2173“Father should know already, but leaving the Guildmaster’s position to an outsider gives too much power to someone not under-”
2174
2175“Enough.”
2176
2177Yoo Myunghan held up a hand. At the same time, Yoo Jinho closed this mouth. In the Yoo clan, the word “enough” from Yoo Myunghan was an absolute order no one would dare refuse.
2178
2179“There is someone I want to introduce you to.”
2180
2181“Sir?”
2182
2183Yoo Jinho was caught off guard. The one who called for this meeting was him, so how could his father have someone to introduce him to? Who could it be? As the young man’s curiosity reached its peak, another entrance to the room opened.
2184
2185“Er… Hello.”
2186
2187A man in his 20~30s stood at the door and awkwardly greeted them.
2188
2189Who?
2190
2191Yoo Jinho did not recognize the man. Yoo Myunghan gestured with his chin, and the man sat down next to him.
2192
2193“This is Hunter Go Myunghwan.”
2194
2195‘Go Myunghwan?’
2196
2197Yoo Jinho was confused. It was a name he had never heard of. His father nodded understandingly then continued,
2198
2199“That Baekho Guild’s Red Gate news making its rounds lately, he’s one of the survivors of that incident.”
2200
2201
2202I Alone Level-up: Chapter 71
2203
2204Yoo Jinho was shocked.
2205
2206‘...Red Gate?’
2207
2208Why would that be brought up here? Because of how much attention it was getting in the media, Yoo Jinho was well aware of the incident. However, he was not sure why his father was bringing it up in this meeting.
2209
2210‘And that man…’
2211
2212The so-called survivor of the incident. The press was looking for anyone related to the incident with fervor. How was that man even called to this place? Questions piled up in Yoo Jinho’s mind. Watching him, Yoo Myunghan slowly opened his mouth,
2213
2214“It appears that you are not aware.”
2215
2216“Sir?”
2217
2218Putting aside the confused Yoo Jinho, the chairman turned to the nervous looking Go Myunghwan.
2219
2220“Hunter-nim.”
2221
2222“Yes?”
2223
2224“Please inform my son who was there on that day, other than the Baekho’s new recruits.”
2225
2226“Understood.”
2227
2228Go Myunghwan turned to Yoo Jinho. Looking at the man, Yoo Jinho still showed confusion on his face.
2229
2230“There was a young female Hunter, about the age of a highschooler, and-”
2231
2232‘A young female Hunter?’
2233
2234Up until that point, Yoo Jinho could not have dreamt of the name Go Myunghwan would say next,
2235
2236“Sung Jinwoo-ssi.”
2237
2238sink
2239
2240Yoo Jinho could almost hear his heart sinking to his stomach.
2241
2242‘H-hyungnim was at the Red Gate incident?’
2243
2244How could this have happened? Yoo Jinho’s mind fell into chaos. But then the young man remembered something,
2245
2246‘Wait, few days ago…’
2247
2248Han Songyi, who had completely ignored hyungnim in the past, was sharing a friendly conversation with the man.
2249
2250“What was the female Hunter’s name?”
2251
2252“It’s Ms. Han Songyi.”
2253
2254My god. Yoo Jinho’s mouth opened wide. To think that this was the secret of hyungnim and Han Songyi’s relationship.
2255
2256‘That means…’
2257
2258The “unknown helper” theorized all over the news is… As if finishing his thought, Go Myunghwan continued,
2259
2260“It was because of Sung Jinwoo-ssi that Ms. Han Songyi and our Baekho members were able to leave the Red Gate with our lives.”
2261
2262‘Oh my god…’
2263
2264Hyungnim, just what were you doing over there. Yoo Jinho was half surprised and half happy at hearing his hyungnim’s name. The young man forgot about his father in front of him and brazenly asked,
2265
2266“What happened in the Red Gate?”
2267
2268Go Myunghwan looked to his side for permission. Yoo Myunghan nodded. The Hunter was already itching to go off into details, so the man happily explained everything that had happened in the Red Gate,
2269
2270“Well, where to start…”
2271
2272Yoo Jinho listened with his eyes sparkling.
2273
2274“We were flustered at first, when we heard that two E-rank Hunters would be joining in our training. But…”
2275
2276Go Myunghwan began regaling the tales that happened like a child showing off his new toy to his friends. However, he was not the only one excited by the tale,
2277
2278“An A-rank Hunter?!”
2279
2280“I know, right! He just slapped him like pow! And Kim Cheol just went down like boom!”
2281
2282“Wow…”
2283
2284Everytime he heard a new accomplishment of hyungnim, Yoo Jinho’s heart beat faster.
2285
2286‘As expected of hyungnim.’
2287
2288Taking down the high-level magic beasts was nothing. But to think that he could knock out an A-rank Hunter in one blow. The fact that that man was his hyungnim filled Yoo Jinho with awe and pride. Go Myunghwan continued his story,
2289
2290“-Then dozens of ice elves appeared out of thin air. I really thought we were done for then, but-”
2291
2292Was it because they were so focused on the story? The time passed by quickly. The tale of the Red Gate was not a short story, but in no time, Go Myunghwan reached the end. The man spoke a little too excitedly,
2293
2294“It was something impossible. Sung Jinwoo-ssi was the savior of everyone there.”
2295
2296Yoo Jinho nodded along without realizing. He fully understood Go Myunghwan’s feelings. He himself was saved by hyungnim several times.
2297
2298“And to think that we couldn’t tell the story of our savior! It was hard for me to accept Baekho’s decision on this matter. Fortunately, the chairman contacted me and-”
2299
2300Yoo Myunghan cut off Go Myunghwan at the right time,
2301
2302“Hunter Go Myunghwan-nim.”
2303
2304“Sir?”
2305
2306“I think that’s good enough.”
2307
2308“Ah, I apologize. I got a little too excited.”
2309
2310Go Myunghwan slightly bowed his head in embarrassment. Yoo Myunghan turned back to his son,
2311
2312“And when I investigated Hunter Sung Jinwoo, an unexpected name appeared.”
2313
2314Yoo Myunghan pointed to a name on a document in front of him. The man’s finger was on Yoo Jinho’s name. The document was one of the raiding reports the young Hunter had handed to his father in the beginning. The finger slid over to a second name on the document, Sung Jinwoo.
2315
2316Raid Leader Yoo Jinho. Raid Member Sung Jinwoo.
2317
2318The evidence was clear.
2319
2320‘He got me…’
2321
2322The fact that he had borrowed a powerful Hunter’s abilities for his Guildmaster license plan was found out. Yoo Jinho’s expression hardened.
2323
2324“The fact that Hunter Sung Jinwoo’s help was great in your plans to obtain the Guildmaster license. Do you deny it?”
2325
2326“...No, sir.”
2327
2328“Do you have anything else to say?”
2329
2330“...”
2331
2332The road ahead looked bleak to the young man. The moment hyungnim’s involvement in the plan was revealed, it became impossible to convince his father that he was worthy of Yoojin Guild.
2333
2334‘...’
2335
2336His father continued to look at him with a fierce gaze. In the past, Yoo Jinho would’ve lost all strength before that gaze.
2337
2338‘But.’
2339
2340He could not back off like this. For the first time in his life, Yoo Jinho gathered the courage to stand up to his father. The young man bowed his head and raised his voice,
2341
2342“Could you please leave Yoojin Guild to me, father?”
2343
2344“Alright.”
2345
2346“Eh?”
2347
2348At the cool reply, Yoo Jinho raised his head.
2349
2350“I’ll leave Yoojin Guild to you.”
2351
2352“Huh…?”
2353
2354“You said it yourself. It’s too risky to leave the Guild to an outsider. With your existence, is there a need for us to take on unnecessary risk?”
2355
2356“B-but, I tried to deceive you, father-”
2357
2358“So what. Did you think I would scold you and chase you away?”
2359
2360Was he mistaken? His father’s face remained stern; his mouth closed in a straight line. But Yoo Jinho felt like his father was smiling.
2361
2362“If you had carelessly entered these Dungeons without a plan, perhaps I would’ve done so. I do not recall raising a fool for a son.”
2363
2364Yoo Jinho felt his face becoming hot.
2365
2366‘If I never met hyungnim, I would be yelled at and sent away by father right now.’
2367
2368Well, he would’ve probably died before that. Yoo Jinho sighed in relief in his mind.
2369
2370“However, I have a condition.”
2371
2372“Yes, sir.”
2373
2374“This Hunter Sung Jinwoo… Could you bring him to Yoojin Guild?”
2375
2376Yoo Jinho’s eyes opened wide,
2377
2378“Hyungnim to our Guild?”
2379
2380‘Did he just say hyungnim?’
2381
2382A light flashed across Yoo Myunghan’s eyes for a split second.
2383
2384“Yes.”
2385
2386Yoo Jinho could not reply easily,
2387
2388‘Argh…’
2389
2390The young man knew he had to appear confident before his father right now. However, the target in question was hyungnim. All he could do is ask and hope for the best. So, he spoke truthfully to his father,
2391
2392“I’m not sure.”
2393
2394“Good. There would’ve been no point to a condition if it was that easy.”
2395
2396Chairman Yoo Myunghan drank some water then wiped his mouth with a handkerchief.
2397
2398“If you fail, I will turn the Guild over to your brother. How about it, will you give it a go?”
2399
2400Yoo Jinho’s face filled with determination.
2401
2402‘I’ve worked hard for this opportunity…’
2403
2404If he walked away now, he would not be able to raise his head in front of hyungnim, who had helped him until the very end. Yoo Jinho spoke with a serious look in his eyes,
2405
2406“Yes, I will try.”
2407
2408“Good.”
2409
2410With his father’s last word, the deal between father and son was complete. Yoo Myunghan silently nodded to dismiss his son, and Yoo Jinho bid his goodbyes and left. Yoo Myunghan removed the handkerchief from his mouth; the man had difficulty hiding the smile on his face.
2411
2412‘That brat…’
2413
2414To think that he would ask for the Yoojin Guild. He had a rough idea of what Yoo Jinho wanted when his son asked for this meeting, but it was beyond Yoo Myunghan’s expectations that his son would come with such determination.
2415
2416‘As expected, the tiger’s son is a tiger.’
2417
2418The smile on Yoo Myunghan’s face slowly widened.
2419
2420‘Holy shit! THE Chairman Yoo Myunghan is smiling!’
2421
2422Go Myunghwan was beyond shocked. The chairman’s nickname was “Pokerface”. Whether something good or bad happened, the man was famous for maintaining his stern and fierce expression. Sensing Go Myunghwan’s awed stare, Yoo Myunghan turned to his side and asked,
2423
2424“Hunter-nim, do you have anything else to say?”
2425
2426At the sudden question, Go Myunghwan hastily shook his head,
2427
2428“N-no, sir.”
2429
2430...47, 48, 49, 50.
2431
2432Jinwoo climbed toward the upper floor with a terrifying speed.
2433
2434You’ve defeated a Mid-level Demon.
2435You’ve earned 300 experience points.
2436You’ve earned 1 Demon Soul.
2437…
2438
2439…
2440
2441You’ve defeated a Mid-level Demon...
2442You’ve defeated a Mid-level Demon...
2443However, looking at the piling up experience points and souls every time he defeated a demon, Jinwoo did not feel tired.
2444
2445Collected Demon Souls: 4,388/ 10,000
2446‘Not even halfway, huh?’
2447
2448He felt like he had hunted an endless horde of demons here, but the wall known as 10,000 was still very high. What about his level?
2449
2450Level: 69
2451He had gained two more levels after a day. It definitely had slowed down, but was still fast compared to the rate of soul collecting. Even now, he continued to gain experience points.
2452
2453“Kkieeeek!”
2454
2455...Mid-level Demon.
2456You’ve earned 300 experience points.
2457You’ve earned 1 Demon Soul.
2458“Whew-!”
2459
2460After taking down the last demon in front of him, Jinwoo stretched his back and looked around. Between the Shadow Soldiers standing at attention, countless corpses of mid-level demons were scattered about.
2461
2462clap
2463
2464Jinwoo smiled and put his hands together.
2465
2466“Good job, everyone.”
2467
2468The soldiers that fought hard returned to his shadow. While they could be used to collect magic cores in normal Dungeons, in here, only Jinwoo was able to collect the drops.
2469
2470Would you like to acquire it?
2471After all, only he could respond to the System’s messages.
2472
2473‘This part’s a bit inconvenient.’
2474
2475And so, if the number of demons was low, Jinwoo would take care of them on his own. Only against a larger group, were the soldiers summoned. After each battle, he went from corpse to corpse, stretching his hand toward the light and collecting drops.
2476
2477‘What was so fun about this that Jinho kept volunteering?’
2478
2479Remembering his dongsaeng, Jinwoo smiled as he continued to work.
2480
2481There was one more inconvenience here. In the Demon Castle, Shadow Extraction was impossible. The low-level and mid-level demons he fought did not give off the black smoke that indicated a soldier could be raised.
2482
2483‘Even when I stare at the corpses, all I get is-’
2484
2485The mana is contaminated.
2486It’s not a possible target for Shadow Extraction.
2487The message that told him extraction was impossible due to contaminated mana.
2488
2489‘Well, what could I do?’
2490
2491With a disappointed feeling, Jinwoo went from corpse to corpse and piled up the drop messages.
2492
2493ring~
2494
2495You’ve found 29 “Mid-level Demon’s Horns”
2496Would you like to acquire them all?
2497Jinwoo smiled widely,
2498
2499‘Of course!’
2500
2501Looking at the items that piled up on the ground out of thin air, Jinwoo forgot about the disappointment regarding Shadow Extraction.
2502
2503‘Nothing I could use.’
2504
2505Then everything has to go! The mass sale of junk items in the past few days had massively increased his hoard.
2506
2507Current Gold: 914,690,772
2508Damn! Looking at the amount of gold he had amassed, Jinwoo was satisfied once more. His funds for the System’s shop had risen above 900 million.
2509
2510‘Makes sense. A single demon’s horn is about 200,000, and I’ve hunted 4,000 of them.’
2511
2512And adding the other random items sold here and there, the gold piled up with terrifying speed.
2513
2514‘Should I purchase an S-rank weapon or an armor?’
2515
2516Jinwoo shook his head. He didn’t particularly feel the need right now and did not want to forcefully spend gold.
2517
2518‘I’m sure I’ll have a need for it someday.’
2519
2520Jinwoo closed the inventory and dusted off his hands. The area was roughly cleared. He had long since obtained the entry permit for the 51st Floor. All that was left to do is head over to the magic elevator…
2521
2522Jinwoo moved his gaze to the pillar of light. Guarding the magic circle was a single giant demon surrounded by multiple high-level demons. Jinwoo looked above the giant demon’s head. Its name was floating in the usual place, in black letters:
2523
2524‘Overlord of the Lower Floors, Volkhan of Avarice’ [1]
2525
2526The demon had a giant muscular body that looked like it weight several dozen, no, several hundred tons. In its hands was a terrifyingly large club. Still, Jinwoo smiled,
2527
2528‘So that’s the halfway boss?’
2529
2530Jinwoo had no bad memories when it came to the bosses of the Instant Dungeons. They had always given a large amount of experience points and dropped good items. Compared to the boss-level magic beasts that often gave little reward, boss-level monsters were practically gift boxes. The Hunter wondered just what this thing would drop.
2531
2532gulp
2533
2534Jinwoo smiled as he gulped in anticipation.
2535
2536
2537Translator’s Notes:
2538
2539[1]: “Overlord of the Lower Floors, Volkhan of Avarice” (하층의 지배자, 탐욕스런 볼칸): Wew, long name. “Lower level/floor” 하층 + “ruler/overlord/dominator” 지배자. “Greedy/Avarice” 탐욕스런 + proper name (ball 볼 + khan 칸). Note, the title for “overlord” 지배자, is the exact same word as “Ruler” from “Ruler’s Hands” skill (지배자의 손길), but I am purposely using a different word here. Don’t ask why.
2540
2541
2542I Alone Level-up: Chapter 72
2543
2544‘Shall we get started?’
2545
2546The Shadow Soldiers appeared behind Jinwoo’s back. His army was composed of infantry, mages, beasts and the two knights. At their head stood Jinwoo. The two knights stepped forward and took place at Jinwoo’s sides. Ygritte to his right, Iron to his left. Looking at the pair, Jinwoo beamed with pride.
2547
2548‘They’re rather dependable.’
2549
2550Even if it was his skill, they felt like comrades that protected his back. It gave Jinwoo a sense of security.
2551
2552However,
2553
2554‘Facing that thing head on is a bit…’
2555
2556Dangerous. Mainly because of the giant wooden club that Volkhan was holding.
2557
2558‘It’s amazing there’s a tree large enough to make that thing.’
2559
2560Taking Volkhan’s giant body and the size of the wooden club into account, a single swipe would wipe away his entire army.
2561
2562‘Well, being wiped away is fine.’
2563
2564The problem was the limited amount of mana he had to regenerate his entire army. Jinwoo knew his mana would plummet to the ground if he stupidly rushed at the demon with everyone at his disposal. That left one option,
2565
2566‘That musclehead is mine.’
2567
2568His army would take care of the trash mobs around Volkhan, while Jinwoo fought the giant demon on his own. He felt that that was the best way to approach this fight.
2569
2570‘I just have to not get hit.’
2571
2572Unlike his soldiers, Jinwoo was confident in his ability to dodge Volkhan’s attacks. The Hunter ordered the Shadow Mages to fire the opening shot.
2573
2574‘The ranged attacks will grab aggro from the trash mobs. When that slow looking thing lumbers behind the high-level demons, I’ll go fight it one-on-one.’
2575
2576It was a straight forward tactic.
2577
2578‘Now.’
2579
2580When he gave the signal, fireballs shot out from the Shadow Mages’ hands.
2581
2582wooosh-
2583
2584wooooooosh-
2585
2586BANG!
2587
2588The fireball exploded near the mobs around Volkhan and signaled the start of battle.
2589
2590ring~!
2591
2592The Overlord of the Lower Floors, Volkhan of Avarice has noticed an intruder!
2593Volkhan’s Bodyguard has noticed...
2594Volkhan’s Bodyguard has noticed...
2595ring, ring, ring!
2596
2597The warning tones came one after another repeatedly. With the warning, Volkhan and the bodyguards turned their gazes toward Jinwoo.
2598
2599‘Alright…’
2600
2601They succeeded in grabbing the enemy’s attention. Jinwoo activated ‘Stealth’; his plan was to flank around the trash mobs and get to Volkhan.
2602
2603shooo-
2604
2605Everything was going to plan.
2606
2607...Or so he thought.
2608
2609BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM-!
2610
2611‘...!!!’
2612
2613Contrary to Jinwoo’s expectations, Volkhan was the first to run towards the Shadow Army. If it wasn’t for the fact that they were about to engage in a difficult battle, it would’ve almost been comical sight. Instead of lumbering slowly, the giant demon was running at full sprint towards them, almost as if,
2614
2615‘What the hell?! What’s with its movement?! It’s like someone pressed fast forward on a video!’
2616
2617Indeed, Volkhan had reached them in a blink of an eye! Leaving behind his bodyguards, the giant demon stopped before the Shadow Soldiers.
2618
2619‘I fucked up!’
2620
2621Jinwoo’s eyes opened wide. The demon’s mountain-like body displayed a speed that betrayed all logic.
2622
2623“Mm!”
2624
2625Volkhan raised its club and brought it down. As the club fell down towards the exposed Shadow Mages, Iron appeared out nowhere and raised his pitch-black shield to block.
2626
2627SMASH!
2628
2629
2630CRACK!
2631
2632It was a valiant effort… While the giant knight managed to blocked the attack, Iron’s two arms were completely destroyed. The Shadow Soldier with the highest defense was rendered useless after a single attack.
2633
2634thud
2635
2636Pieces of Iron’s two broken arms fell onto the ground.
2637
2638“Mm? Mm?”
2639
2640As if disappointed by its last attack, Volkhan tilted his head and squinted at his club. Well, the demon’s confusion only lasted for a split second. The wooden club was brought down once more.
2641
2642“Mm!”
2643
2644CRACK!
2645
2646With no way to defend anymore, Iron and the Shadow Mages behind him were crushed without resistance.
2647
2648snap
2649
2650Watching this scene, something snapped inside of Jinwoo.
2651
2652‘You fucking…’
2653
2654The Hunter bit his lower lip. His body moved before his mind could give the order.
2655
2656jump!
2657
2658Before he realized, Jinwoo was already in the air, flying towards Volkhan. His target was clear. Compared to its mountain-like body, the demon’s head was tiny. Jinwoo twisted his hips midair, pulling his right arm back. The muscles on the Hunter’s right arm and shoulder flexed. As he focused every ounce of his strength into his clenched fist, ‘Stealth’ was released.
2659
2660“Mm?”
2661
2662Volkhan discovered Jinwoo too late. Jinwoo was not about to miss a target at this range.
2663
2664WOOSH-!
2665
2666The man’s fist shot forth like a bullet into the side of Volkhan’s face.
2667
2668BAM!
2669
2670The body of the giant demon was thrown back. The demon rolled on the ground for some time, finally stopping when it struck a building with only frames remaining.
2671
2672Collapse!
2673
2674What remained of the building collapsed when the giant demon crashed into it.
2675
2676step
2677
2678Jinwoo nimbly landed on the ground but was surprised.
2679
2680‘Why did he fly so far?’
2681
2682He looked down at his fist with disbelief. There was not a scratch on the fist that blew away giant demon. Then he realized,
2683
2684‘Oh right…’
2685
2686Jinwoo looked up. The stat screen was pulled up.
2687
2688Stats
2689
2690Strength: 150
2691
2692Constitution: 109
2693
2694Agility: 139
2695
2696Intelligence: 109
2697
2698Sense: 111
2699
2700(Available stat points: 0)
2701
2702Physical Damage Reduction: 46%
2703
2704‘...I forgot.’
2705
2706Because he had mostly received Assassin-class skills and obtained a Mage-class as his class, Jinwoo had forgotten about something:
2707
2708Strength: 150
2709‘...’
2710
2711Even though he had invested every point into intelligence lately, his strength was still nearly 50% higher than intelligence.
2712
2713‘I really invested a stupid amount of points into that, huh.’
2714
2715On top of that, he had explosively raised his levels in the past few days. Looking at the stats, he was able to feel his growth.
2716
2717And the results of that growth was… that. Jinwoo looked at Volkhan’s body in the rubbles of the building in disbelief. It was hard to tell when he fought the low-level and mid-level demons. But using his powers against the boss-level monster gave him assurance,
2718
2719‘I… have become strong.’
2720
2721clench
2722
2723Strength filled Jinwoo’s fist and spread throughout his entire body. Suddenly, the familiar electronic tone rang,
2724
2725ring~
2726
2727‘What is it?’
2728
2729Jinwoo raised his head.
2730
2731“Mm? Mm?”
2732
2733Volkhan used its club as a support and rose from the ground.
2734
2735‘Is it warning me that a monster is getting up?’
2736
2737Had the System ever been that friendly? With a tilted head, Jinwoo realized the true meaning of the System’s warning tone.
2738
2739The Overlord of the Lower Floors, Volkhan of Avarice has used ‘Rage’.
2740‘Huh?’
2741
2742ring, ring, ring
2743
2744The warning tones continued.
2745
2746It will permanently enter a state of rage.
2747Volkhan’s all attributes are increased by 50%.
2748Volkhan cannot feel any pain.
2749‘That skill is…?’
2750
2751Before even Jinwoo could recall the memories of Cerberus, Volkhan charged at him with blood-red eyes.
2752
2753BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM-!
2754
2755The ground shook with each deafening footstep. Jinwoo took a quick glance back; his Shadow Soldiers and Volkhan’s minions were in a fierce battle.
2756
2757“Guoooo!”
2758
2759“Kiiek!”
2760
2761Amidst the chaotic battle, Jinwoo found Iron. As a testament to Volkhan’s destructive power, the giant knight was still in the middle of regenerating.
2762
2763“Iron!”
2764
2765Jinwoo shouted. His knight immediately understood his liege’s order. Iron threw his shield with strength towards Jinwoo. The Hunter quickly snatched it out of the air. When he turned his gaze forward again, Volkhan was already before him.
2766
2767‘If I dodge, my soldiers will be hit.’
2768
2769It would be impossible to take down Volkhan and his minions without his army. And so, Jinwoo selected the best method to protect his soldiers. He raised his shield and focused strength into his arms.
2770
2771“Mm!”
2772
2773Volkhan’s club fell.
2774
2775BANG!
2776
2777BANG!
2778
2779BANG!
2780
2781The brutal attacks that made the earth cry rained down mercilessly on Jinwoo, but the Hunter held his ground. It was only made possible due to his high physical damage reduction and constitution stats.
2782
2783“Mm? Mm?”
2784
2785Enraged that his attacks were ineffective, Volkhan started swinging his club with fury.
2786
2787BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG!
2788
2789However, Jinwoo’s knees did not buckle.
2790
2791‘Still…’
2792
2793Just blocking like this would never bring down that mountain. Jinwoo’s brows furrowed. Unlike Cerberus, Volkhan’s ‘Rage’, while it was less effective than the dog’s, did not have a time limit. He could not wait for it to time out like last time.
2794
2795BANG! BANG!
2796
2797Jinwoo clenched his teeth.
2798
2799‘Not really my style to be a Tanker anyways…’
2800
2801BANG!
2802
2803The moment Volkhan’s club retracted for the next blow, Jinwoo leaped towards demon’s head again. However, Jinwoo wasn’t the only one looking for an opportunity.
2804
2805“Mm!”
2806
2807Timing its movements, Volkhan stepped back as Jinwoo flew towards him.
2808
2809‘What?’
2810
2811Jinwoo saw the club swinging towards him horizontally.
2812
2813‘...He got me.’
2814
2815If he was on the ground, it would’ve been a different story. But there was no way to dodge midair. Even if he blocked, he would be smashed into something.
2816
2817woooooooosh-!
2818
2819In a world of slowed time, Jinwoo saw the club making its way to him in slow motion.
2820
2821‘Is there anything I could do?!’
2822
2823If only he could move his body somehow. Suddenly, a thought flashed across his mind,
2824
2825‘If I could only move my body?’
2826
2827There was no time to think. Jinwoo quickly used ‘Ruler’s Hands’ to try and push Volkhan.
2828
2829“Mm?”
2830
2831Of course, moving that mountainous body with his current level of proficiency was impossible. However, the rebounding force instead pushed Jinwoo’s body back.
2832
2833woooosh-!
2834
2835The tip of the club passed before his eyes.
2836
2837‘Thank you Newton ahjussi!’
2838
2839Because of the erratic movement, Jinwoo lost his balance and rolled on the ground for a bit, but it was nothing compared to the damage he would’ve received if he was struck by the attack.
2840
2841“Phew-!”
2842
2843Jinwoo collected himself and sighed in relief.
2844
2845“Mm?”
2846
2847On the other hand, Volkhan’s face scrunched hideously in anger. Missing its planned attack made every inch of its body tremble in rage.
2848
2849“Mm, Mm!”
2850
2851Looking at the demon’s face turning red, Jinwoo scratched the side of his head.
2852
2853‘Now what?’
2854
2855It just displayed the ability to dodge when he jumped at its head. Additionally, it did not feel like Jinwoo could do much damage to the rest of its body considering its size.
2856
2857‘Is there anyway I can prevent it from dodging?’
2858
2859Jinwoo thought of an idea. The corners of his mouth rose. The Hunter turned around and ran. Mistaking it for Jinwoo trying to escape, Volkhan rapidly chased after him.
2860
2861BOOM BOOM BOOM-!
2862
2863Jinwoo controlled his pace so Volkhan could follow right behind him. His eyes lit up when he found a suitable building.
2864
2865‘That should work.’
2866
2867Meanwhile,
2868
2869“MM!”
2870
2871As the distance between it and Jinwoo closed, the demon swung his club.
2872
2873This insectile existence!
2874
2875The chance to crush this annoyance was here. A disgusting smile appeared on Volkhan’s face. But as his club fell down towards the ground, the insect suddenly sped up and ran up the side of a crumbling building.
2876
2877“Mm?”
2878
2879Something felt off, but it was too late to slow down.
2880
2881“Mm, mm?”
2882
2883The insect on the building reached the demon’s eye level, then kicked off the building with all his might.
2884
2885CRACK!
2886
2887The wall he kicked off of cracked like a spider’s web, and something flew toward Volkhan’s face faster than it could react. It was the insect.
2888
2889“Mm!”
2890
2891Volkhan’s eyes widened. Jinwoo met its eyes with a smile. Wielding Baruka’s Tanto in his right hand, Jinwoo sliced the bulging artery on demon’s neck.
2892
2893Slash!
2894
2895As fitting of its large body, blood spilled out like a fountain from the wound.
2896
2897splash!
2898
2899“Mm? Mm!”
2900
2901Volkhan threw away its club and quickly put a hand over the wound.
2902
2903“Mm!”
2904
2905However, it was not enough to stop the bleeding. The giant demon’s eyes began to tremble.
2906
2907“M-mm?”
2908
2909Jinwoo had already climbed behind its back and used his two daggers to stab the demon’s neck.
2910
2911‘Is once not enough?’
2912
2913With a tilted head, Jinwoo used the skill again.
2914
2915‘Vital Stab!’
2916
2917The two daggers dug into Volkhan’s neck again.
2918
2919stab!
2920
2921stab!
2922
2923And finally, the victorious message appeared.
2924
2925ring~
2926
2927You’ve defeated the Overlord of the Lower Floors, Volkhan of Avarice.
2928You’ve earned 150,000 experience points.
2929Volkhan has thrown up the Demon Souls in his stomach.
2930You’ve earned 72 Demon Souls.
2931You’ve leveled up!
2932You’ve leveled up!
2933
2934I Alone Level-up: Chapter 73
2935
2936BOOM!
2937
2938Volkhan fell. From the dust blown up by its giant body, Jinwoo stepped out. He looked around. He was about to go to the aid of his army, but it looked like they were finishing up as well.
2939
2940“Kiiiiek!”
2941
2942“Kekek!”
2943
2944“Keeeek!”
2945
2946With the combined might of the Shadow Army, Volkhan’s minions rapidly fell left and right.
2947
2948‘Status screen.’
2949
2950Jinwoo looked over his status. Because he had just leveled up, he had recovered all of his health, mana and stamina.
2951
2952‘With my mana refreshed, I don’t need to help them.’
2953
2954As long as there was mana, the Shadow Soldiers were immortal. That was the power of the undead army. Deciding to leave the trash mobs to the soldiers, Jinwoo turned back to Volkhan’s corpse to collect the drops.
2955
2956“Hmm.”
2957
2958It felt like he was about to open his Christmas gifts. Jinwoo could not help but smile while looking at Volkhan’s body.
2959
2960‘Wonder what I’ll get?’
2961
2962There were multiple lights coming from the corpse. As always, Jinwoo stretched a hand towards the light. The item message appeared.
2963
2964ring~!
2965
2966You’ve found the “Monarch of Demons’ Earrings”
2967Would you like to acquire it?
2968You’ve found the “Marble of Avarice”
2969Would you like to acquire it?
2970You’ve found 2 “Volkhan’s Horns”
2971Would you like to acquire it?
2972You’ve found a crafting ingredient, “Fragment of the World Tree”
2973Would you like to acquire it?
2974[1]
2975
2976Jinwoo had a good feeling while fighting Volkhan. As expected, multiple items dropped from the boss’s corpse. A joy filled the Hunter’s face as he looked over the drops.
2977
2978‘Of course, Volkhan’s Horns are probably junk items.’
2979
2980Just looking at the name and the amount acquired, Jinwoo was sure Volkhan’s Horns were the same as the horns dropped by the other demons: just junk items to be sold. That left the other three items… One of them grabbed Jinwoo’s attention.
2981
2982You’ve found a crafting ingredient, “Fragment of the World Tree”
2983Would you like to acquire it?
2984‘Crafting ingredient?’
2985
2986What could he craft with it? Or was it part of the quest? His curiosity peaked at the new type of item he had found. In order to read the item’s information, he had to first solidify the item from the light. And so, Jinwoo decided to pick up all the items.
2987
2988“Acquire all.”
2989
2990The multiple lights disappeared from Volkhan’s corpse, and an equal amount of physical objects appeared in front of Jinwoo out of thin air. Two earrings, a red marble…
2991
2992...And a giant piece of wood the size of a grown man.
2993
2994Jinwoo instantly knew which one of these was the Fragment of the World Tree. He stared at the giant piece of lumber, and the corresponding information popped up.
2995
2996Fragment of the World Tree
2997Rarity: ??
2998
2999Type: Ingredient
3000
3001Volkhan’s Club was made out of wood from the World Tree. This piece of wood remained after the contaminated parts were removed from the club. The wood obtained from the World Tree contains a strong magic power and is the highest-class material for crafting magic items.
3002
3003‘The ingredient for the highest-class magic items.’
3004
3005Jinwoo wanted to know just what he could make with this thing. Unfortunately, that information was nowhere to be found. Still, it was certain this was not an ordinary item. Standing close to it, he was able to feel a powerful energy emanating from the piece of wood.
3006
3007‘I have a feeling… this wood will be useful somehow.’
3008
3009Instead of selling it, Jinwoo put the Fragment of the World Tree into his inventory. He pored over the other items’ information.
3010
3011The Monarch of Demons’ Earrings
3012Rarity: S
3013
3014Type: Accessory
3015
3016Strength +20, Constitution +20
3017
3018Set: The Crown Jewels of the Monarch of Demons[2]
3019
30201. The Monarch of Demons’ Earrings
3021
30222. The Monarch of Demons’ Necklace
3023
30243. The Monarch of Demons’ Ring
3025
3026Set Bonus:
3027
30281. ??? (2 Items)
3029
30302. ??? (3 Items)
3031
3032‘A set item?’
3033
3034While the base effects were similar to the A-rank Gatekeeper’s Necklace, the Monarch of Demons’ Earrings had an unknown set effect. Even without knowing the set effects, it was an amazing item, increasing both strength and constitution by 20 points.
3035
3036‘Since one level-up is equivalent to five stat points.’
3037
3038In that line of thought, this was the same as leveling up eight times. With a happy heart, Jinwoo picked up the earrings.
3039
3040Would you like to equip the “Monarch of Demons’ Earrings”?
3041‘Equip.’
3042
3043Like always, the earrings disappeared and its effects were applied to Jinwoo. He smiled in satisfaction at his increased stats.
3044
3045The Crown Jewels of the Monarch of Demons.
3046
3047‘I’m sure the other pieces will drop here.’
3048
3049With a name that included the word “Demon”, it was to easy to understand that the full set would drop from a place called Demon Castle. Just what would the set effects be? Even though he had obtained only one part, Jinwoo’s expectations were great. However, his smile would soon disappear.
3050
3051‘This is…?’
3052
3053Marble of Avarice
3054Rarity: A
3055
3056Type: Magic Tool
3057
3058Effect ‘Desire for Destruction’: Your magic damage is doubled.
3059
3060It’s a marble made from the blood of the archdemon Volkhan. The marble will empower the wielder’s magic and increase the destruction caused.
3061
3062It was a red ball the size of a billiard ball. Jinwoo held the Marble of Avarice in his hand. There was no change to his stats. He pulled up the skill information on the only thing he had that might qualify as magic, his class-specific shadow skills, but there were no changes. The limits on the number of shadows remained the same.
3063
3064‘Is it not something I could benefit from?’
3065
3066Jinwoo tilted his head.
3067
3068Doubling the magic damage. Its effects were incredible.
3069
3070Out in the real world, magic tools that empowered the user’s magic were prohibitively expensive. Because of that, they were only used by a handful of the Mage-class Hunters. However, Jinwoo had never heard of an artifact that increased your offensive power by a 100%. If something like this was found, it would’ve made waves across the entire world. There was no way someone had kept something like that hidden.
3071
3072And here he was, holding an item that doubled one’s magic damage.
3073
3074‘Still, it’s useless to me.’
3075
3076An item that simply increased magic damage did nothing for him. After all, the shadow skills technically did not do damage on their own. His offensive skills weren’t even magic. If only an item that increased intelligence appeared.
3077
3078‘Tsk.’
3079
3080While he tossed the marble up and down disappointedly, the Shadow Soldiers had finished the trash mobs and gathered before him. The fastest among them was Ygritte.
3081
3082Three in his right hand. Three in his left hand.
3083
3084The knight walked up to Jinwoo and placed six demons’ heads in front of the Hunter.
3085
3086“...”
3087
3088Jinwoo scratched his temple while looking at the kneeling knight.
3089
3090“Could you please stop doing that?”
3091
3092Of course, the respectfully bowed head of the knight did not reply.
3093
3094“Because when you do that…”
3095
3096Jinwoo was not sure when the other knight managed to do it, but Iron had cut off Volkhan’s head and dragged it over to his master as well.
3097
3098“...He also does it.”
3099
3100‘I mean, I’m the one who took it down, right?’
3101
3102Jinwoo fixed his gaze on Iron and sighed deeply. Looking at the kneeling giant knight, an interesting idea occurred to him.
3103
3104‘What if I can give the Marble of Avarice to one of them like how I was able to use Iron’s shield?’
3105
3106Right on cue, the Shadow Mages were slowly approaching Jinwoo behind the infantry. Compared to the knights or even the infantry, the mages were rather slow. Jinwoo called over the nearest one to him. When he gestured with his hand, the indicated mage slowly walked over to his master.
3107
3108‘...Maybe I should go to him.’
3109
3110Jinwoo shook his head then quickly walked over to the mage. He placed the Marble of Avarice onto the mage’s hand, then pointed to the building he had used to jump towards Volkhan. As the Shadow Soldiers moved according to his will, he did not particularly need to explain the details.
3111
3112Jinwoo gave the signal,
3113
3114“Fire.”
3115
3116With it, a fireball twice the size of what he was used to seeing appeared in the mage’s hands.
3117
3118‘Whoa!’
3119
3120Jinwoo’s eyes widened. Ignoring his shock, the fireball flew from the mage’s hands.
3121
3122WOOOOOSH-!
3123
3124BAAAAAANG!
3125
3126“Wha-!”
3127
3128Jinwoo’s mouth opened wide. The building was swallowed by the explosion and blew apart like a toy house. The fire consuming the building did not look like it could be put out easily.
3129
3130Flaaaare!
3131
3132Watching the fireworks caused by the mage’s spell, Jinwoo quickly took back the Marble of Avarice. He pored over the item information, looking for a specific phrase,
3133
3134‘It’s not there. It’s really not there.’
3135
3136No matter how much he looked up and down on the description, the item did not say that it was untradable. Did that mean he could sell this?
3137
3138gulp
3139
3140Jinwoo looked back at the burning building.
3141
3142flaaare!
3143
3144Even few parts of the building that remained standing fell eventually with a crashing sound. Jinwoo smiled at the destruction.
3145
3146‘This thing…’
3147
3148It’ll drive the Mage-class Hunters crazy. His disappointment was nowhere to be seen, replaced by an anticipation.
3149
3150A bright afternoon.
3151
3152“The young man in 902?”
3153
3154A middle-aged woman thought for a moment then replied,
3155
3156“Hmm, I’m not sure. Haven’t seen him around lately.”
3157
3158“Ah, okay. Thank you.”
3159
3160Hyun Gicheol bowed his head. It had been four days since the deputy had been waiting for Jinwoo near his house, but the man had not ran into the Hunter. He had been making vegetable juice nonstop. With a sigh, he took out his phone.
3161
3162ring~ ring~
3163
3164Someone picked up.
3165
3166- “Oy, Gicheol.”
3167
3168“Chief.”
3169
3170It was Chief Ahn Sangmin.
3171
3172“I haven’t seen Hunter Sung Jinwoo-nim. The neighbors also said they haven’t seen him recently.”
3173
3174- “Really?”
3175
3176“Yes, sir.”
3177
3178- “Well, can’t be helped. Start coming to the office tomorrow, then.”
3179
3180“Yes, sir. Understood.”
3181
3182click
3183
3184Ahn Sangmin hung up and tilted his head. Where did Hunter Sung Jinwoo go? The man fell off the grid few days ago. Thinking that he might be purposely avoiding their calls, Hyun Gicheol was sent to the Hunter’s residence but could not find him. The Second Management Division Chief began to worry if something had gone wrong.
3185
3186‘Well, not sure who’s worrying about whom.’
3187
3188Still, the man felt restless.
3189
3190tap tap
3191
3192Someone tapped him on the shoulder. Turning around, he saw Hunter Park Heejin behind to him.
3193
3194“According to his little sister, he’s gone on a trip with a friend for about a week.”
3195
3196“Hunter Sung Jinwoo-nim?”
3197
3198“Yes.”
3199
3200“If that’s the case… I don’t think the destination is on Earth.”
3201
3202“Huh?”
3203
3204Park Heejin was taken aback. Ahn Sangmin quickly explained,
3205
3206“There’s no record of him leaving the country. And there are also no records of him pulling funds or using his card from the bank.”
3207
3208“You can obtain that kind of information?”
3209
3210“Well, it’s our job to keep an eye on Hunters.”
3211
3212“Oh my.”
3213
3214“On top of that, according to the Association’s tracking records, the last place he was noted in was in the middle of the city, five days ago. Isn’t it all too mysterious?”
3215
3216“Do you think he got kidnapped?”
3217
3218The moment the words left her mouth, she realized how stupid they sounded. The pair met each other’s eyes and laughed.
3219
3220Just who was Sung Jinwoo? He was the man who solo cleared a high-level Dungeon, a Red Gate at that. Ahn Sangmin scratched his cheek and spoke,
3221
3222“If you want to nab Hunter Sung Jinwoo-nim, you’ll need to call in that Chinese special forces unit. The one solely comprised of Hunters.”
3223
3224Park Heejin nodded in agreement. Stifling his laughter, Ahn Sangmin became curious and asked a question,
3225
3226“By the way, how did you find out that he was going on a trip?”
3227
3228“Oh, it was Han Songyi. We still keep in touch. She goes to the same school as Sung Jinwoo-ssi’s little sister, so I asked her to find out.”
3229
3230“Aha…”
3231
3232With that, the pair’s conversation was over. But they were thinking the same thing,
3233
3234‘Just where did the man go?’
3235
3236
3237Translator’s Notes:
3238
3239[1]: Lots of item names
3240
32411. “Monarch of Demons’ Earrings” (악마 군주의 귀고리): Pretty literal. The word used for “monarch” is the same words as “Monarch of Shadows”. “Demon” 악마 + “monarch/king/lord” 군주 + “earrings” 귀고리. One thing to note here, just like “Shadow Monarch vs. Monarch of Shadows”, 악마군주 is more closely read “Demon Monarch or Demonic Monarch”. I am making a purposeful style choice to flip the words.
3242
32432. “Marble of Avarice” (탐욕의 구슬): Pretty literal. Same word “Avarice” as Volkhan’s title. “greed/avarice” 탐욕 + “marble” 구슬
3244
32453. “Fragment of the World Tree” (세계수의 파편): Also literal. “world tree” 세계수 + “fragment” 파편. “World tree” can also refer to Yggdrasil from nordic mythology, but I don’t know if it fit the context of the story.
3246
3247[2]: Original korean says the “Accessory Series of the Monarch of Demons” (악마 군주 장신구 시리즈). I styled it up a bit.
3248
3249
3250I Alone Level-up: Chapter 74
3251
3252‘The upper floors are a different level.’
3253
3254Jinwoo recalled the first and only boss of the Demon Castle he had fought, the Overlord of the Lower Floors, Volkhan of Avarice. The bastard’s title was the “Overlord of the Lower Floors”. After going above the 50th Floor where the demon was, the difficulty of each floor increased rapidly. Before, he was able to climb 10 floors a day, 20 on a good one. Now, he was barely able to clear 7~8 floors a day.
3255
3256Jinwoo was currently on the 74th Floor. The normal mobs here were the top-level demons and occasionally archdemons. They were in a different class than the demons from the lower floors.
3257
3258stab!
3259
3260A top-level demon size of a two story building fell with a tanto sticking out of its chest.
3261
3262Koong!
3263
3264You’ve defeated a Top-level Demon.
3265You’ve earned 1,700 experience points.
3266You’ve earned 1 Demon Soul.
3267Jinwoo removed Baruka’s Tanto from the fallen demon’s chest. It was the last enemy of the latest group. Another battle was won. The victorious Shadow Soldiers all gathered before Jinwoo. He looked over his army. It was impossible for the undead army, but Jinwoo swore his soldiers actually looked tired. That was how tough the monsters were on the upper floors. Thankfully, an archdemon was not involved in the battle just now, so it was relatively easier than the others.
3268
3269‘Each of those damned things are boss-class.’
3270
3271This was not a conclusion made idly. The description of the Marble of Avarice indicated that Volkhan himself was an archdemon. While Volkhan may have been the boss of the lower floors, the archdemons were just normal monsters on the upper floors. After the 70th Floor, they started appearing more and more commonly.
3272
3273‘If it was just the monsters getting stronger, I can manage it…’
3274
3275But there was a bigger problem. It was the change in the environment in the upper floors. Starting with the 51st Floor, the city was on fire. The fires became stronger with each floor. After the 70th Floor, the heat became strong enough to shave away at his health. Just moving his body a little bit increased his fatigue greatly.
3276
3277Not a “Demon Castle” but a “Tower on Fire”. That feeling he had before entering the place was on the mark.
3278
3279‘...Let’s leave.’
3280
3281He would end his Raid here. He needed a way to deal with the heat of the flames.
3282
3283‘I need to obtain an artifact that can increase my resistance against fire-type magic.’
3284
3285The equipment used by high-ranking Hunters were incredibly expensive. On top of that, if they were enchanted with protective magic, it would be doubly so. He recalled seeing on the news that the some of the more expensive items cost tens of billions of won. While he had earned quite a bit of real money while raiding with Yoo Jinho, Jinwoo wasn’t sure if it would be enough to buy the artifacts he needed. So he needed an insurance,
3286
3287‘This should be good enough.’
3288
3289Jinwoo looked at the Marble of Avarice in his inventory and smiled. Any Mage-class Hunter would drool at the sight of such an item. What would happen if he put the marble up for auction? If its effects were proven, the high-ranking Mage-Class Hunters would line-up at the door. Jinwoo closed the inventory.
3290
3291His goal in this Dungeon was to level-up. He had achieved that goal wonderfully. He did not feel any shame in putting off the Raid for the future. However, one thing lingered in his mind. He raised his head.
3292
3293Collected Demon Souls: 9,624 / 10,000
3294‘Only 400 souls go to.’
3295
3296Just a little more, and he could finish the quest. Today was the 6th day. One more day would be more than enough to collect the remaining souls. A silver lining of the upper floors was the existence of demons that gave multiple souls. 400 could be collected in a flash.
3297
3298‘Let’s leave after finishing the quest.’
3299
3300With that determination, Jinwoo headed forward. Because he had a solid goal in mind, there was more strength in his steps.
3301
3302Floors 1 through 74 are open.
3303Which floor would you like to go to?
3304In the middle of the magic circle, Jinwoo spoke,
3305
3306“75th Floor.”
3307
3308What was this unexpected boon?
3309
3310Jinwoo stared at the monster guarding the interfloor movement magic circle in the distance.
3311
3312‘The Guide of Souls, Metus’ [1]
3313
3314Looking at the name, it was clear that it was a boss-class monster. The monster was clad in a black robe, wearing a silver necklace.
3315
3316‘And that must be the Monarch of Demons’ Necklace.’
3317
3318In his path to just complete the quest and leave, he had unexpectedly come across the next piece of the set items. However, the reason why Jinwoo was smiling was not because of the item. No matter how good the drops were, you couldn’t obtain them if you couldn’t kill the monster. Jinwoo smiled as he realized there was something critically different about this monster that would help him kill it. The Hunter held his two daggers in his hands and ran forward. The skeleton mage clad in black robes discovered him.
3319
3320ring~
3321
3322The Guide of Souls, Metus has noticed an intruder!
3323As expected of a boss-class monster, Metus completed its spell in an instant. A blood-red magic circle appeared at its feet and a gloomy energy gathered around it.
3324
3325The Guide of Souls, Metus has used ‘Cursed Voice’.
3326Receiving Metus’s calling, an undead army rose from the ground.
3327
3328Their numbers were in the thousands!
3329
3330A normal person would’ve suffocated just looking at this terrifying army, but Jinwoo was not phased in any capacity.
3331
3332‘As I thought…’
3333
3334He had predicted this. Out of the entire Demon Castle, this was the first place he saw that familiar black smoke rising from the ground. Looking at the strange phenomenon, it was easy for Jinwoo to tell what kind of a monster Metus was.
3335
3336‘The Guide of Souls.’
3337
3338The boss’s title only added onto his suspicions.
3339
3340And as expected, Metus had called forth a powerful undead army. However, in that area of expertise, Jinwoo had the strongest class.
3341
3342“ARISE!!!”
3343
3344UWAAAAAH-!
3345
3346With a piercing scream of pain, soldiers rose from the shadows of Metus’s undead army.
3347
3348Their numbers were in the hundreds! [2]
3349
3350It was a greatly lacking to Metus’ army, but it was more than enough. The ones doing the job would be his real army.
3351
3352“Make me a path!”
3353
3354And here was the real army. The pitch-black soldiers rising out of Jinwoo’s shadow. The hundreds of soldiers made from Shadow Extraction distracted Metus’s army. Meanwhile, the members of Jinwoo’s real army, having leveled up together with their master while clearing the Demon Castle, cleared a path for Jinwoo.
3355
3356There was only one target!
3357
3358Ygritte and Iron took the vanguard and cut down the undead with an incredible speed. The distance between Jinwoo and Metus had shortened in an instant.
3359
3360‘This is good enough.’
3361
3362Jinwoo ran ahead of his knights.
3363
3364‘Sprint!’
3365
3366‘Sprint’ has leveled up!
3367Having used it to run all over the Demon Castle, ‘Sprint’ leveled up.
3368
3369‘Good.’
3370
3371Jinwoo smiled widely. Having escaped the encirclement of the undead army in a flash, Jinwoo stood before Metus. The two commanders of the undead met each other’s gazes.
3372
3373‘Didn’t expect this, did you?’
3374
3375While the light of victory filled Jinwoo’s eyes, Metus’s shoulders jumped at the sight of Jinwoo. At least, that’s what it looked like.
3376
3377‘Do monsters feel fear?’
3378
3379Well, this was not a moment to think of such things. The flashing daggers moved with such speed that they created dozens of afterimages.
3380
3381thud
3382
3383The boss-class monster fell without a fight. Jinwoo knew through his experiences that mage-class monsters that commanded minions were incredibly weak at one-on-one combat. He knew this from the moment he laid eyes on Metus. The Hunter returned his weapons to the inventory.
3384
3385ring~
3386
3387You’ve defeated the Guide of Souls, Metus.
3388You’ve earned 200,000 experience points.
3389The Demon Souls sealed in Metus’ pendant were released.
3390You’ve earned 220 Demon Souls.
3391You’ve leveled up!
3392You’ve leveled up!
3393Jinwoo pumped his fist in victory. He had earned 220 souls in one go. It was truly an unexpected boon.
3394
3395Collected Demon Souls: 9,971 / 10,000
3396A smile bloomed on Jinwoo’s face.
3397
3398‘Not many left now.’
3399
3400Just 29 souls to go. He just needed to kill a few more demons. Jinwoo quickly grabbed the items off of the boss’s corpse and moved to the magic circle.
3401
3402Which floor would you like to go to?
3403“76th Floor.”
3404
3405Eastern Seaboard, United States.
3406
3407A sleeping man struggled like he was in a nightmare, then awoke with a start. It was Hwang Dongsoo.
3408
3409‘...?’
3410
3411The first thing he saw was the white ceiling. In an unfamiliar environment, the man looked left and right.
3412
3413“A… hospital?”
3414
3415Dream.
3416
3417Was it not a dream?
3418
3419When Hwang Dongsoo wiped away a streak of sweat beneath his chin with the back of his hand, he discovered something. On top of the hospital gown, an IV needle was stuck to his hand. The man’s face hardened. A cold voice came out of his mouth,
3420
3421“Just say what you’re here for and go.”
3422
3423The Deputy Director of the Federal Bureau of Hunters (FBH) stood across the room. He was a middle-aged american with more whites in his hair than black. The man slowly approached Hwang Dongsoo.
3424
3425“I had something I wanted to ask you, so I was waiting here.”
3426
3427What did he want to ask? Hwang Dongsoo raised his head. The deputy director met his gaze and spoke,
3428
3429“That man, Sung Ilhwan… Are you really sure he’s a magic beast?”
3430
3431“Do you think I attacked an ordinary person?”
3432
3433“It’s not that I don’t believe you. I just wanted to confirm what I saw with my eyes.”
3434
3435The deputy director handed the Hunter his phone. A video was playing.
3436
3437“What is this…?”
3438
3439“It’s a security footage from that day.”
3440
3441In the video, an asian man was rescuing FBH employees from the collapsing building. Hwang Dongsoo did not need to ask who the man was. How could he forget? It was the last face he saw before losing consciousness, Sung Ilhwan. The deputy director continued with a darkened expression,
3442
3443“I’ve… never heard of a magic beast that helped humans. Are you still certain that that man is a magic beast?”
3444
3445“...He’s most certainly a magic beast.”
3446
3447“Is that so.”
3448
3449The deputy director put away his phone,
3450
3451“Once you’re discharged, come to the FBH, there are few things we need to put on record.”
3452
3453As the deputy director turned around to leave, Hwang Dongsoo asked,
3454
3455“What happened to that man?”
3456
3457“He disappeared after fighting you. While the bureau’s working hard to track him down, we’re not sure if we can get someone who was able to defeat you…”
3458
3459Before leaving, the deputy director asked one more question with difficulty,
3460
3461“Do you… by any chance know of a place he might go to?”
3462
3463“...”
3464
3465Watching the Hunter close his mouth with a finality, the deputy director headed out of the hospital room. The moment the man left, Hwang Dongsoo ripped out the IV needle from his arm.
3466
3467“Fuck!”
3468
3469Hwang Dongsoo combed through his memories.
3470
3471It was a humiliating defeat.
3472
3473Before he realized what was happening, Sung Ilhwan’s foot was on his neck. He was sprawled out on the floor like a weakling. While he was coughing, Sung Ilhwan spoke to him,
3474
3475“Do not take a step into Korea. This is for your benefit, not my son’s. If you do, you will not be able to rest even in death.”
3476
3477And he couldn’t remember anything after that. When he had opened his eyes, he was here.
3478
3479‘I won’t be able to rest even in death?’
3480
3481What did that mean? Was it a threat that he would be viciously killed?
3482
3483‘You dare… threaten me?’
3484
3485Hwang Dongsoo’s fists trembled. It was humiliating enough that he lost to a magic beast, but to think that he would be further disgraced by a threat.
3486
3487‘I know where he’s going.’
3488
3489He will kill that thing.
3490
3491But how? Whether or not he truly was a magic beast, Sung Ilhwan was undeniably strong.
3492
3493‘I need a proper gear to take him down.’
3494
3495Fortunately, it would be easy to obtain such gear.
3496
3497‘I’ll call the Guild.’
3498
3499The Guild Hwang Dongsoo belonged to, Scavenger, was one of the top Guilds across the entire world. Just the value of the artifacts owned by Scavenger was greater than a small country’s budget.
3500
3501‘It won’t be a problem as long as I can borrow few artifacts.’ [3]
3502
3503Hwang Dongsoo’s eyes flickered with a powerful light.
3504
3505To Korea.
3506
3507The man decided on his next objective.
3508
3509You’ve defeated an Archdemon.
3510You’ve earned 2,200 experience points.
3511You’ve earned 1 Demon Soul.
3512You’ve earned 3 Demon Souls from the Archdemon’s slaves.
3513‘I’M ALL DONE!’
3514
3515Jinwoo could not hide his joy. Luckily, the last monster he took down gave him four souls, just the amount needed to complete the quest.
3516
3517Collected Demon Souls: 10,001
3518ring~
3519
3520You’ve completed the ‘Ordinary Quest: Collect the Demon Souls! Part 1’
3521The reward for completing the quest has arrived.
3522Would you like to verify? (Y/N)
3523‘Of course!’
3524
3525With his mental reply, the rewards appeared.
3526
3527You’ve received the below rewards.
3528Reward 1. Pick one item from every item possible
3529Reward 2. Stat points +20
3530Reward 3. Unknown Reward
3531Accept all?
3532Of course, every reward was amazing, but Jinwoo was most interested in the first reward. It would’ve been worth it to complete the quest just for that reward.
3533
3534‘Accept Reward 1.’
3535
3536ring~!
3537
3538You may pick one item from every item possible.
3539Which item do you want?
3540An item I want.
3541
3542There was one.
3543
3544It was an item Jinwoo had thought about ever since he saw the quest. He took his memories back to the day he had to make a similar decision. What would’ve happened if he picked the other item? The possibility had plagued his mind ever since that time. He wasn’t sure if that item was even a possibility here but decided to try.
3545
3546You may pick one item from every item possible.
3547Which item do you want?
3548As if pressuring him, the System asked again. Jinwoo spoke after some thought,
3549
3550“Cursed Random Box.”
3551
3552
3553Translator’s Notes:
3554
3555[1]: “Guide of Souls, Metus” (망령의 인도자 메투스): pretty straightforward. “souls/spirits” 망령 + “guide” 인도자 + proper name (meh 메 too 투 ss 스).
3556
3557[2]: “Their numbers were in the hundreds!”: I know he gained a ton of levels (and intelligence points correspondingly), but I didn’t expect his Shadow Extraction limit to increase by this much… Nothing else in the passage indicates that this is some special occurrence. Not sure if it’s plot-hole or rule-of-cool, but Jinwoo apparently can raise hundreds of soldiers through Shadow Extraction now. Shrug. OR, since all the other stats are weighted (i.e. gaining 1 point from 100 to 101 strength gives far more benefit than going from 10 to 11), maybe intelligence is the same (i.e. gaining 1 point from 109 to 110 gives far more Shadow limits than going from 50 to 51).
3558
3559[3]: Just a small reminder all the way back from the first arc, but “artifacts” are what people call magic items (tools/equipment/gear) from Dungeons.
3560
3561
3562I Alone Level-up: Chapter 75
3563
3564On that crossroad in the past, Jinwoo had selected the Blessed Random Box over the Cursed Random Box. It was from that Blessed Random Box that he had obtained the Demon Castle Key. Through that key, he had earned many things. Level-ups, new items, and… so much gold that he was starting to worry if he had to start spending it.
3565
3566‘Even if the same choice was presented to me, I would pick the Blessed Random Box.’
3567
3568However, that didn’t mean that he was not curious about what the other choice would have resulted in. The blessed box that would give him what he “wanted”, and the cursed box that would give him what he “needed”. Just what was the thing that he “needed” from the cursed box?
3569
3570‘The Blessed Random Box certainly had what I wanted.’
3571
3572And now, Jinwoo had the opportunity to finally satisfy his curiosity.
3573
3574‘...’
3575
3576Jinwoo waited for the System’s reply with an anxious heart. For some reason, the System appeared to be more delayed in its response than usual.
3577
3578ring~!
3579
3580Abating his worries, the System’s reply came a moment later,
3581
3582You’ve chosen the “Cursed Random Box”.
3583The chosen item will now be provided.
3584shooo-
3585
3586A small box appeared in front of his feet.
3587
3588‘Alright!’
3589
3590With a shaking heart, Jinwoo picked up the box. He was shocked when he picked it up; its weight was very familiar to him.
3591
3592Could it be?
3593
3594Jinwoo quickly opened the box. His eyes were widened.
3595
3596“...This is?”
3597
3598After leaving the Demon Castle, Jinwoo quickly headed home. The first thing he wanted to do was wash-up. It was a luxury not afforded while being in the Dungeon for a week. Although he could obtain water from the System’s shop, he had neither the time nor the place to clean his body.
3599
3600‘After all, showering while being in a place packed with monsters is a bit…’
3601
3602splash-
3603
3604Feeling the heat of the water wash over his body, the Hunter finally felt like he had left the Dungeon.
3605
3606‘This is why home is the best.’
3607
3608After showering, Jinwoo had changed into a fresh set of clothes and sat on the bed with a wet towel draped over his head. It was time to review some things. First, he pulled up the status screen.
3609
3610‘Status screen.’
3611
3612ring~
3613
3614Screens filled with enough words to spin one’s eyes appeared. Jinwoo’s gaze stopped at the stat screen.
3615
3616Available stat points: 20
3617The bonus stat points from the quest was neatly waiting for his decision. Of course, Jinwoo put it all into intelligence.
3618
3619ring~
3620
3621Stats
3622
3623Strength: 178
3624
3625Constitution: 137
3626
3627Agility: 147
3628
3629Intelligence: 149
3630
3631Sense: 119
3632
3633Finally, intelligence began to overtake the other stats. It was not quite at the strength stat’s level, but compared to the past, it had made an amazing progress.
3634
3635Strength, Constitution, Agility, Intelligence, Sense.
3636
3637A balance was forming across the attributes.
3638
3639‘There are no wasted stats.’
3640
3641Before he knew it, he underwent periods where he had solely invested into a single attribute. Periods where he had solely invested into strength, periods where he had solely invested into agility, and lately, the period where he had solely invested into intelligence. Now, he fully understood that each stat had its own benefits and uses.
3642
3643‘You know…’
3644
3645Now that he had reached this point, what if he just distributed his points evenly across the board from now on?
3646
3647An All-Stat Player.
3648
3649A desire for something like that appeared in Jinwoo’s mind. It was a rather happy quandary, born out of knowing that not a single attribute was useless.
3650
3651‘Once intelligence reaches the level of strength, let’s raise the other stats accordingly.’
3652
3653Having made his decision, Jinwoo turned to the skill screen. The third reward was in that space.
3654
3655Reward 3. Unknown Reward
3656Because of just how great the first and second rewards were, Jinwoo had not paid much attention to this unknown third reward, having looked at it with a passing curiosity. Still, he was not a man to ignore any reward given to him.
3657
3658Reward 3 will now be provided.
3659What appeared in his hand with the message was a scroll, similar to the Entry Permits from the Demon Castle.
3660
3661‘What’s this?’
3662
3663Surprised at the reward giving him an unexpected item, Jinwoo unfurled the scroll.
3664
3665Recipe: Holy Water of Life [1]
3666Learn how to craft the “Holy Water of Life”.
3667Jinwoo’s eyes widened.
3668
3669‘I can make an item myself?’
3670
3671Only the Mage-class Awakened Beings could make weapons with magic power… Oh wait, he was technically a Mage-class now.
3672
3673‘Still, to think that I can make an item if I just have the recipe…’
3674
3675Jinwoo heart began to race. At the same time, a question appeared in his mind. Just what exactly could he make?
3676
3677‘What’s a Holy Water of Life?’
3678
3679Jinwoo read over the item information of Holy Water of Life on the recipe scroll.
3680
3681Holy Water of Life
3682Rarity: S
3683
3684Type: Consumable
3685
3686Heal any and every illness.
3687
3688Effects will only be shown after a full bottle is used.
3689
3690It is a divine potion filled with a powerful magic to cure every sickness.
3691
3692‘Cure… every sickness?’
3693
3694The moment he read the words, Jinwoo thought of his mother in the hospital. Through his experiments with Yoo Jinho, Jinwoo knew that potions can be used on other people. If he could truly obtain this Holy Water of Life, it meant that he could save his mother. The hands that held the scroll trembled in excitement. The ingredients were simple.
3695
3696‘Fragment of the World Tree.’
3697
3698Was obtained after killing Volkhan on the 50th Floor.
3699
3700‘The Spring Water from the Echoing Forest’ [2]
3701
3702Was obtained after killing Metus on the 75th Floor.
3703
3704And the last ingredient.
3705
3706‘...The Purified Blood of the Demon King.’ [3]
3707
3708This was the only item he had not obtained yet. However, looking at the floors he had gotten the two ingredients, it was clear to him where the last would come from.
3709
3710The top of the tower.
3711
3712‘It’ll probably come from the final boss of the Demon Castle on the 100th Floor.’
3713
3714As such, clearing the Demon Castle Dungeon would net him all the ingredients to craft the Holy Water of Life.
3715
3716It was in this moment Jinwoo realized,
3717
3718“Ah.”
3719
3720He uttered without thinking. The shock of his realization was that great.
3721
3722What if… the thing that he “wanted” from the Blessed Random Box was this Holy Water of Life?
3723
3724‘Mother…’
3725
3726His eyes glistened with tears at the thought of seeing his mother healthy again.
3727
3728ring~
3729
3730You may learn a crafting skill through Recipe: Holy Water of Life
3731Would you like to learn the crafting skill?
3732At the electronic tone, Jinwoo snapped back to reality. To craft the Holy Water of Life, he had to succeed in conquering the Demon Castle. In order to accomplish that, he had to quickly obtain the proper raiding gear and return. There was no time to be lost in his feelings.
3733
3734“...Teach me.”
3735
3736You’ve learned how to make Holy Water of Life
3737‘This is not a dream, is it?’
3738
3739As if reminding him, the skill screen now showed a section for crafting skills.
3740
3741Crafting Skills
3742
3743-Consumable: Holy Water of Life (2/3)
3744
3745The numbers at the end probably referred to the number of ingredients he had on hand.
3746
3747‘Oh right. Forgot about this.’
3748
3749Jinwoo took out an item next to the Spring Water in the inventory. It was a necklace made out of skulls of small animals.
3750
3751The Monarch of Demons’ Necklace
3752Rarity: S
3753
3754Type: Accessory
3755
3756Agility +20, Intelligence +20
3757
3758Set: The Crown Jewels of the Monarch of Demons
3759
37601. The Monarch of Demons’ Earrings
3761
37622. The Monarch of Demons’ Necklace
3763
37643. The Monarch of Demons’ Ring
3765
3766Set Bonus:
3767
37681. ??? (2 Items)
3769
37702. ??? (3 Items)
3771
3772The Spring Water from the Echoing Forest wasn’t the only thing he had earned from the Guide of Souls. He had also obtained this rather distasteful looking necklace filled with bad vibes.
3773
3774‘Why are all these necklaces like this…’
3775
3776Jinwoo’s face scrunched at thinking about the dog collar he was “wearing” right now. He held the Monarch of Demons’ Necklace to his neck.
3777
3778ring~
3779
3780Would you like to replace the “Gatekeeper’s Necklace” with the “Monarch of Demons’ Necklace”?
3781The boost from the two items were pretty similar. Both of them increased two stats by 20. However, the new item had a set effect.
3782
3783‘Exchange’
3784
3785shooo-
3786
3787The “Monarch of Demons’ Necklace” has been equipped.
3788The skull necklace disappeared and was replaced with a dog collar in Jinwoo’s hand. He put away the dog collar into his inventory and checked the set bonus of the Crown Jewels of the Monarch of Demons.
3789
3790The Monarch of Demons’ Necklace
3791...
3792
3793Set Bonus:
3794
37951. All Stats +5 (2 Items)
3796
37972. ??? (3 Items)
3798
3799‘All stats increased by five.’
3800
3801Just a single set bonus was equivalent to increasing his levels by five, and there was still one set bonus remaining.
3802
3803‘The Monarch of Demons’ Ring…’
3804
3805Usually in video games, the set bonuses became better and better as you equipped more items in the set. In that line of thinking, the unrevealed set bonus should be something crazy.
3806
3807Still, the S-rank equipments he had earned were but the side benefits of his time spent in the Demon Castle.
3808
3809The true benefit was the great leap he had made in his levels. Jinwoo looked at the progress he made while climbing 77 floors and smiled.
3810
3811‘I went up 16 levels in one week.’
3812
3813It was a speed unthinkable in the C-rank Dungeons. This was the result of his efforts spent in the wild(?) for seven days. Of course, he still had business left in the place, but the Demon Castle Raid was an incredible success.
3814
3815‘But there’s this…’
3816
3817One thing he could not understand. Jinwoo held the item from the Cursed Random Box under the light from a lamp.
3818
3819‘What is this?’
3820
3821It was a black key that seemed to absorb all light. No information box popped when he stared at it.
3822
3823‘I’ve never had the information box not pop up from an item from the System…’
3824
3825Just Instant Dungeon Keys were rare enough from normal Random Boxes, but he had never seen something like this before.
3826
3827‘Where do I even use this?’
3828
3829Because it was an item from a “cursed” box, he did feel a little anxious holding it. Still, it was something that had been earned with effort, so he couldn’t just throw it away.
3830
3831‘I’m sure I’ll find a use for it someday.’
3832
3833After all, the Cursed Random Box did say it’ll give him something he needed.
3834
3835Returning the key back to the inventory, Jinwoo stood up. Now, he had to focus on obtaining artifacts to help clear the Demon Castle.
3836
3837‘And there’s something I want to sell.’
3838
3839However, the problem was that an E-rank Hunter could not easily buy or sell high-level artifacts. If a low-ranking Hunter (and Jinwoo was known to be the weakest) put up an item for auction (an item that even high-rankers would be pressed to obtain), who wouldn’t be suspicious of him? Same goes for buying. With the title of “E-rank Hunter” attached to him, it was hard for Jinwoo use the funds he had amassed.
3840
3841‘It’ll be hard to explain where I want to use the artifacts too.’
3842
3843And so, he had to overcome this awkward situation.
3844
3845“Is it time…”
3846
3847Time to cast aside the facade of the E-rank.
3848
3849Ranking Retest.
3850
3851It was time for him to earn his true ranking.
3852
3853The Hunter’s expression became serious.
3854
3855‘At my current level, I probably won’t be used by others against my will.’
3856
3857From the start, that was one of the objectives of leveling up. To prevent a stronger power from forcing him under their control, Jinwoo had masqueraded as an E-ranker.
3858
3859But now? He was able to stand face to face against Baekho’s Guildmaster Baek Yoonho. No, even if it wasn’t Baek Yoonho, he was confident that he could remain strong in front of anyone. There was no longer any reason to hide his powers.
3860
3861ba dum, ba dum, ba dum
3862
3863Thinking about throwing away that annoying title of “E-rank” that plagued his past, Jinwoo’s heart began to beat faster.
3864
3865‘Before that,’
3866
3867There was one thing he had to check. Jinwoo turned on his Hunter phone. After a week of no contact, his phone was filled with missed calls and messages. Most of them were unknown numbers. He felt sorry, but he did not particularly want to check who they were.
3868
3869‘If it’s urgent, I’m sure they’ll call again.’
3870
3871With a cool mind, he kept going down the call history and found the number he wanted. Jinwoo called the number.
3872
3873[Follow me~]
3874
3875Before the song even finished a verse, the person on the other end picked up the phone with an incredible speed.
3876
3877- “Hyungnim!”
3878
3879Was he in the Dungeon for that long? To think that this brat’s voice would sound so welcoming. Jinwoo smiled and opened his mouth,
3880
3881“Did the talk with your father go well?”
3882
3883- “Yes! It went well, hyungnim!”
3884
3885‘Oh yeah?’
3886
3887That was good to hear. Jinwoo did not want to take the retest while Yoo Jinho and his father’s deal was not completed. And if their side was all good, he had no problems anymore. He had guessed that Yoo Jinho’s happy greeting meant good news, but hearing it from the young man’s mouth gave him the assurance he needed.
3888
3889- “Hyungnim! I was actually going to go see you about-”
3890
3891click.
3892
3893‘Huh?’
3894
3895The call was suddenly ended. Jinwoo checked his phone; it had died because the battery ran out.
3896
3897‘Well… I did forget to charge it before going into the Demon Castle.’
3898
3899Still, it was good that he was able to confirm Yoo Jinho had succeeded. Jinwoo changed his clothes. The Association HQ was not far from here. He could finish the retest in an instant.
3900
3901“Oh right.”
3902
3903Jinwoo was half way out of the door and quickly came back in. He forgot about his little sister. She would probably worry if her brother, who said he’d be home after a week, left the house again without a word. He left a brief note on the kitchen table.
3904
3905[Oppa came home and left.]
3906
3907With a satisfied smile, Jinwoo left the house.
3908
3909It had been a long time since Jinwoo had stood before the Awakened Being Ranking Test Office.
3910
3911‘Has it been four years?’
3912
3913Maybe five? With a nostalgic face, Jinwoo walked up to the employee at the reception desk. The employee didn’t even look up,
3914
3915“Your proof of identity and contact information please.”
3916
3917Remembering how the proceedings went last time, Jinwoo put down the documents he had already prepared.
3918
3919‘Hmm?’
3920
3921The employee looked at Jinwoo’s proof of identity and tilted his head,
3922
3923“This is a Hunter’s License.”
3924
3925“Yep.”
3926
3927The employee looked confused,
3928
3929“If you have any complaints about the results of your rank, that’s for a different office.”
3930
3931“No, I’m here for a retest.”
3932
3933“Huh?”
3934
3935The employee looked back and forth between Jinwoo’s face and the license then put up a finger,
3936
3937“O-one moment.”
3938
3939The employee stood up and went behind him to a middle-aged man who looked like he had a temper.
3940
3941“Deputy, some Hunter came here for a retest, what should I do?”
3942
3943“Retest? What’s his current rank?”
3944
3945“E-rank, sir.”
3946
3947The deputy looked behind the employee at Jinwoo.
3948
3949“It happens from time to time. Deluded Hunters who come here, unable to accept their reality.”
3950
3951“So you think that man is?”
3952
3953The deputy nodded,
3954
3955“Reawakened my ass… He’s just unable to accept the fact that other Hunters earn a ton and are more famous than him.”
3956
3957“Ah.”
3958
3959“People like that become a headache if you entertain them for too long. Just tell him that he’ll have to pay the retest fee and send him to the testing building.”
3960
3961“Yes, sir.”
3962
3963Having rid of his worries, the employee returned to the reception desk. The deputy stared at the employee and Jinwoo and clicked his tongue, then returned his gaze to his computer. Suddenly, the deputy’s fingers stopped. That Hunter’s name… He felt like he had heard it before.
3964
3965‘Where was it?’
3966
3967After the man disappeared off to the testing building, he quietly went up to the employee.
3968
3969“That E-rank Hunter just now, what was his name?”
3970
3971“It was Sung Jinwoo. Do you know him?”
3972
3973“No, I don’t think so.”
3974
3975But the deputy couldn’t shake the feeling he had heard of the name before. Combing over his memories, he suddenly realized and widened his eyes.
3976
3977‘Ah!’
3978
3979That man had asked him! To let him know if a Hunter named Sung Jinwoo came to the testing office. Why didn’t he remember?! The deputy disappeared to a corner and quickly called someone.
3980
3981ring, ring
3982
3983- “Hello, this is Baek Yoonho.” [4]
3984
3985“Ah, Guildmaster Baek. It’s about that Hunter you asked about before. That Hunter Sung Jinwoo. He really came here. I mean, how did you know he would come?”
3986
3987- “Sung Jinwoo-ssi came to the testing office?”
3988
3989“Yes, he just requested a retest just now.”
3990
3991- “...”
3992
3993The deputy thought the call was ended, but a moment later, an urgent voice continued across the phone,
3994
3995- “Could you please delay his testing, even for a little bit? I’ll be right there.”
3996
3997The deputy tilted his head.
3998
3999Was he mistaken? That Baekho’s Guildmaster’s voice sounded anxious.
4000
4001‘What a strange day.’
4002
4003Unfortunately, the matter was already out of his hands. The deputy scratched his temple and replied,
4004
4005“Er… He already left for the testing building.”
4006
4007
4008Translator’s Notes:
4009
4010[1]: “Recipe: Holy Water of Life” (도안: 생명의 신수): two parts here to go over,
4011
40121. “Recipe” (도안): lit. “design”. “Design” is probably more appropriate in context of learning new crafting items, but I went with “recipe” since the crafting item in question is a consumable.
4013
40142. “Holy Water of Life” (생명의 신수): “life” 생명 + “god” 신 + “water” 수. Closest cultural approximation of “god water” (신수) is the ceremonial water used in certain east asian religious rites, so I decided to go with “holy water”.
4015
4016[2]: “Spring Water from the Echoing Forest” (메아리 숲의 샘물): quite literal. “Echo” 메아리 + “forest” 숲 + “spring water” 샘물
4017
4018[3]: “Purified Blood of the Demon King” (정화된 악마왕의 피): quite literal. “Purified” 정화된 + “demon king” 악마왕 + “blood” 피. Please note that this is one of the reasons why I translated 군주 as “Monarch” and not “King”. It’s because the word 왕 (“King”) exists, and that word can only be really used for “King”.
4019
4020[4]: corrected a mistake on the original. Baek Yoonho’s name is written as Baek Yoonhob. :P
4021
4022
4023PrivateBin - Because ignorance is bliss1.2.1 PrivateBin is a minimalist, open source online pastebin where the server has zero knowledge of pasted data. Data is encrypted/decrypted in the browser using 256 bits AES. More information on the project page.