Chapter 5 Experience Points

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Translator: Hiro02

Editor: Taochaidee

Proofreader: Bibliomanic Wyvern

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Do-joon, who was trying to copy it casually, paused.

Restriction on copying only once a day on the same target. Then wouldn’t it be better to copy when a better item comes out from the next shelter?

But soon shook his head.

‘I don’t know what’s coming up on my way to the next shelter right now…….’

This wasn’t the time for him to care. If there was a good item to copy in the next shelter, then he could spend another day there.

He had another concern.

‘Is the Hunting Hawk Potion really the best?’

Thinking about which potion option to copy.

The only potions he has currently was a Hunting Hawk Potion of visual rising, a Brown Bear Potion of strength rising, a Frost Wolf Potion of speed rising, and a Stone Turtle Potion with durability rising.

And lastly, there were the regular healing potions.

They were all embedded one by one into the equipment he has now. Which of these should be copied to his own body to get the most efficient result?

‘……Let’s use a healing potion.’

After a while of contemplation, Do-joon decided to use a healing potion.

The most useful effect for exploring the labyrinth would be increased visibility, but since he copied one to his cargo pants, he can use it for up to 40 minutes when he engages in a battle. However, without it, he just needs to move carefully and slowly.

But what about the healing potions?

The axe healing option only lasts 30 seconds. This effect will not be maintained at all after battle.

In a non-combat situation after the battle, having a potion or not really made a big difference. So Do-joon chose a healing potion.

[ Ring! ]

[ Copied successfully. ]

[ Material ‘Medium Healing Potion’ that was used has been destroyed. ]

[ Copied ability is adjusted to the item’s ‘classification’. ]

[ Additional Option ]

– Skill: Receives the effect of regeneration (medium) for 30 seconds. Cooldown 300s

‘……!’

Then, a little unexpected result came out.

The option of the potion, which had been a conditional invocation on the axe, had changed to a kind of skill-like form in Do-joon’s body. A buff skill.

‘Although the cooldown is 5 minutes.’

It was useful though. Anyway, in battle, it was subject to constant regeneration (medium) with the Kujika’s axe.

After all, this skill was prepared for non-combat situations.

It’s only during non-combat that he finally gets 5 or 10 minutes to sit still until he recovers, but then what does cooldown time have to do with any of this?

Naturally, it would be better if it wasn’t there, but there was no problem with it right away.

After finishing the work, he packed his things.

‘Breakfast is… … Let’s eat.’

He had brought plenty of food in his inventory. But he couldn’t eat without thinking. He didn’t know how long this labyrinth would be.

Clap clap!

Do-joon slapped his face and got up from his seat. The blanket was moderately folded and placed into the inventory.

Then.

Click.

He opened the door and headed to the labyrinth.

* * *

‘It’s not like I’m just comfortable.’

How long has it been since he opened the door? Do-joon found a monster.

Carrying rusty swords and rotten wooden shields, rattling bones.

It was a skeleton.

‘If it has equipment… I think it’ll be an E-class.’

Skeletons could be graded by the equipment they usually held. This was because the more colorful and excellent equipment it had, the higher it’s status and stronger it was in its lifetime.

Lowest F if he is not holding anything and E-class if the skeleton was equipped with poor equipment.

It was an E-class, but Do-joon gulped.

‘Three E-class monsters… My specs are good enough now.’

7% fit rate, a weapon with extra attack power, additional stats, and equipment with a variety of additional options copied from Potions.

To be honest, one or two E-class monsters were worth the cake.

Nevertheless, Do-joon remained vigilant.

‘Let’s guard up and go for the goal.’

In Seorim-dong Wild Dog Dungeon, the fact that he was attacked by a wild dog beast while traveling alone happened only because he was off guard and careless.

He lived because he found a treasure dungeon in disguise, but what if it wasn’t true?

Maybe he would have failed to return to reality and become a dungeon refugee.

“Whew….”

After a short breath, he rushed at the skeletons.

Thump. Thump.

The three skeletons turned their heads toward Do-joon at the same time. A red light emanates from their empty eyes. It was like a scene from a horror movie.

Do-joon swung his axe at the one closest to him first.

Thwack~!

[ The effect of regeneration (medium) is applied. ]

At the same time, he could feel a robust feeling similar to the feeling of drinking a potion.

The skeleton lifted its shield to block, but Do-joon’s axe smashed the shield along with his arm bone.

‘Good!’

The E-class monster was wounded by his attack. It was Do-joon’s first experience. His eyes began to shine.

“Wow!”

However, there was no room for sentimentality. The skeleton was not alone. A knife wielded by another skeleton passed through Do-joon’s head. If he had been spacing out, he would have gotten the knife stuck in his head.

In the meantime, the first one swung his sword with his remaining good arm.

Whoosh!

Unlike his slow footwork, the knife was fierce.

Clank~!

Do-joon blocked it with the axe blade and then stepped back.

[ The effect of durability rise (lower) is applied. ]

[ The effect of visual rise (lower) is applied. ]

[ The effect of speed increase (lower) is applied. ]

Do-joon’s eyes widened. All the options for ‘when hit’ embedded in clothes and shoes were activated. The current attack, which was blocked with an axe, seemed to be recognized as a hit.

At that moment, his body became firm and light.

Woosh!

He pulled out a knife with his other hand and hit the skull of the one-armed skeleton with that knife in hand. At the same time, the knife’s “strength increase (lower)” option was invoked.

‘That’s a lot.’

Do-joon was amazed. As of now, he was partially fully-doped with a ‘high-end’-grade potion. The power overflowing from his body was significantly different from before.

‘That’s why hunters can’t stop taking drugs.’

Thanks to this, potioners like him made a living.

With stronger strength, he put the axe into the skull of the second skeleton. The third one didn’t stand still, but what could it do when even the two of them couldn’t do a thing?

Thwack~!

In just a few attacks and defensive moves, all three E-class monsters were dealt with.

Watching the skeleton disappearing into pulverized powder as they were undead monsters, Do-joon was touched.

‘I can slay monsters too.’

Suddenly he felt something flowing from my cheeks. He wiped it off and saw that it was a drop of blood. Looks like he must have gotten hit during the fight.

But by the time he looked, the wounds were already healed.

Do-joon realized how different he was now from yesterday.

‘I can do it.’

He could do it with this. He could go back to reality without dying. His eyes sank determinedly.

Do-joon was firmly determined again.

That he must never die, no matter what.

After a brief moment to catch his breath and pull himself together, he set off further into the labyrinth.

* * *

The dungeon was closed.

But Do-joon did not return.

The dungeon was closed.

The dungeon in Seorim-dong Park was dissolved and the boss monster that had not been killed yet was vomited out. It was a wild dog beast with a horn on his head.

The boss was subjugated in an instant by the hunters who were waiting in advance. Other than a couple of benches being broken, there were no casualties.

But Do-joon did not return.

“Classified as a Dungeon Refugee…… Go ahead with the basic procedures.”

“…… Yeah.”

The team leader scratched his head looking at Lee Ji-ah, who was unusually drooping. Lee Ji-ah’s experience is 6 years. As the team leader knows, this was probably the first time she has lost an Awakened person.

“Can I talk to you for a bit?”

At that moment, a sleek-looking man dressed in a suit approached the two.

The team leader, who had taken out a cigarette and yielded it, re-inserted it into his pocket. The suit guy handed him a business card.

“I’m with the Karma Guild legal team.”

“……What can we do for you?”

Karma was the guild in charge of hunting this dungeon.

In other words, there were still monsters left, but he is the one who said that they killed them all.

“Yeah, well. I heard there was a little mistake in this attack.”

The lawyer spoke with a depressing grin.

The team leader gritted his teeth secretly. They call the case of a missing person a simple mistake. Yeah, that would be a mistake. They wouldn’t have messed it up on purpose.

However,

‘You can’t talk like that!’

The lawyer was really languid as if he had gone on a trifle of business.

The same goes for Karma’s Hunters, who were resting in the waiting room after finishing Boss Monster. I could hear giggles all the way here about something funny.

“I don’t know if you know, but we’re in the middle of an expansion. It’s not good to talk about something unsavory at times like this. Anyway, I contacted the upper ranks of the association and…….”

“……Stop it. I got it.”

“I’m glad the conversation went well.”

He was not doing it implicitly, he was threatening them to keep their mouth shut.

The team leader, who was only a low-level civil servant, could not resist.

The upper ranks of the association were closely tied to high-ranking guilds from the beginning.

In this world where people’s lives have become slightly less precious due to the advent of the World Tree and monsters, guilds with large numbers of awakeners were no different than the mafias in daylight.

They fight day and night over the incredible concession of dungeons. Rather than taking action to punish them, the South Korean government has been chuckling and snooping at the straw.

The fact that an organization called the Awakened Society was originally established for this straw was known to all who knew.

“Excuse me.”

Lee Ji-ah, who was listening at the time, opened her mouth.

The team leader’s eyes widened. What the hell was she going to say?!

“What is it?”

“If you admit it was your mistake…… Do you pay compensation to the bereaved family?”

“Reward? I don’t-…. I don’t know if that person belongs to our guild, but there’s no rule like that, right?”

“But for Do-joon, the family he needs to support……!”

“Who in the world doesn’t have a story. We can’t look at each of those things.”

The lawyer grimaced openly and left.

Lee Ji-ah looked devastated at the indisputable answer. Looking at it, the team leader took out a cigarette and thought of a saying.

Originally, this kind of thing is common when you’re working here. You shouldn’t expect anything from high-ranking guilds, take care of yourself as you’ll only get hurt if you make a fuss, etc.

There was a lot to say.

But he didn’t.

“Jia, if you have taken care of your business here, then go on a vacation.”

In the end, the only words that came out were this.

“Thank you…….”

With a deep face, Lee Ji-ah retreated.

Soon, she took a taxi and headed to the hospital.

* * *

A white hospital room.

Jeong Da-jeong is a nurse who has been taking care of patients in this ward of the hospital for several years. Even today, she was busy examining the patient’s condition and organizing the hospital room.

“Sister…”

At that time, a patient lying in bed talked to her.

Jeong Da-jeong approached the bed with a bright face.

“Yes? What’s wrong, my So-eun?”

“When is Daddy coming……?”

“Well. I guess daddy is busy these days. Shall we call him later?”

“Ok….”

After saying those words, So-eun closed her eyes. It must have been very difficult for her to say, and sweat was dripping down her cute little face.

Jeong Da-jung took out a towel with a sad face and wiped her sweat.

‘Are you really busy?’

Suddenly, she had a bad feeling.

She has seen many sick children in long-term hospitalization. Most of their parents come to the hospital day after day, grieving and regretting their child’s illness.

But what if those days lasted for years instead of months?

There were also parents who gradually stopped coming.

It was so painful to see a sick child, that they turned their eyes away without realizing it.

It’s not that they’re bad. As a childless woman, she could not arbitrarily judge the feelings of parents with sick children.

She just felt sorry for the child.

‘Not So-eun’s father!’

Being depressed, she soon shook her head vigorously and shook off her thoughts. So-eun’s father, Do-joon, cared and loved So-eun so much that she could count on her fingers among the parents she had seen.

Except when he was really busy, there wasn’t a single day he didn’t come to the hospital room.

So it’s probably just a busy thing right now.

But after 30 minutes.

“……What? What did you say?”

She heard the news of a bolt out of the blue from Lee Ji-ah, who visited the hospital room.

* * *

Whoosh!

Do-joon’s fist pierced the skeleton’s skull. At the same time, arrows and fireballs flew from behind.

Whoosh-! Crackle!

With the sound of the air slicing, it rushed to Do-joon.

At first glance, he was frightened and tried to retreat, but Do-joon moved forward.

He lowered his posture as much as he could and ran as fast as he could. Arrows and fireballs all passed overhead.

Skeleton archers and wizards started preparing for the second strike.

In the blink of an eye, Do-joon’s axe, which narrowed the distance in an instant, smashed their spines.

Clank!

More than 10 skeleton archers and wizards. Do-joon wandered among them like a wolf in a flock. They were helpless against Do-joon, who approached them closely.

【You have defeated the monster. Experience (EXP) increases.】

【Fit rate has increased.】

“Whew….”

When all the skeletons were killed, a message stating that fit rate had increased rang. There were wounds all over him, but slowly healed due to the effect of regeneration (medium).

Do-joon opened the status window.

【Yggdrasil System】

Name

– Kim Do-joon

Age

– 35

Fit Rate

– 10%

Imprinted Runes

– Destruction Lv10, Agility Lv12 (10+2), Vitality Lv10, Magic Lv10, Sense Lv11 (10+1)

Skill Rune

– Potion Production

[ Additional Options ]

– Additional Attack 20~40

– Agility +2 Lv

– Sense +1Lv

– Skill: Regeneration (medium) cooldown 300s

– Skill: Strength Increase (lower) cooldown 1h

– Skill: Speed Increase (lower) cooldown 1h

– Skill: Durability Increase (lower) cooldown 1h

– Skill: Visual Rise (lower) cooldown 1h

It’s been a week since he entered the labyrinth.

Even before he knew it, the fit rate was 10%, and the Additional Options became quite rich.

Options copied from the potion he had and items obtained from the four shelters during this week.

All of the items obtained from the shelter were regular items similar to that of the Kujika’s axe, leaving only one of them as a copy material.

【Left Gauntlet of Delos】

Rank

– Uncommon

Classification

– Armor

Effect

– The gauntlet used by the well-known mercenary Delos. Light and firm. There is only one side left.

– Additional Defense +10

– Physical resistance +3%

[ Additional Option ]

– When attacked, you receive the effect of Regeneration (Medium) for 30 seconds.

The only one gauntlet that remained behind was the one that Do-joon was wearing on his left hand right now.

It could be used as a substitute for a shield because the defense option was far superior compared to the feeling of light-weightness of this armor.

“There seems to be no more shelters.”

Mmcht.

Do-joon smacked his lips.

For the past week, Do-joon has devoted his life and soul to exploring the labyrinth, except for sleeping time. As a result, he was able to almost explore the whole labyrinth and where he was now was the last area.

‘I’ve already found the boss room.’

The door to the boss room seems to have been found.

But he didn’t go in. He didn’t know how difficult the boss would be, so he thought of doing everything he could.

He was looking for more shelters (because there were items in the shelters), and he was steadily using the copying ability with the items he has, and also increasing his fit rate by slaying the skeletons.

But there seems to be no more shelter.

Do-joon marked the last corner of the map he drew himself with an X.

There was no shelter and no more items to copy. Quite a pale reason to be in the labyrinth.

But

Approach. Clatter.

Do-joon grinned.

Apparently, skeletons began to reappear in the passageways that had been cleared up.

This labyrinth was truly unique. Usually the monsters of dungeons are dead when they die. They do not reappear or anything.

However, here, after every certain period of time, monsters appeared endlessly.

At first, Do-joon had a blue face, but now…….

“Another set of experiences has appeared.”

It was just a smile.