I Raided the Demon’s Treasury

Chapter 45

– The ‘Rank of Pan.’ has been devoured.

– Absorbing its nutrients increases all stats by 10

– Absorbing the “Rank of the God of Livestock, Pan,” you have gained the “Stigma of the Satyr.”

What exactly is Stigma?

It is the power granted only to those chosen by the gods—the godly power itself.

Among apostles, it was a strength bestowed only to a very few who received absolute faith, trust, and love from their gods.

The moment it is engraved, it allows one to transcend beyond human limits and achieve transcendence.

Naturally, Se-woon had no such Stigma in his previous life.

After being mocked by Pan, Se-woon’s affection for the gods was completely extinguished, and the gods, in turn, showed little interest in Se-woon’s meager abilities, save for the “Guidepost of the Journey.”

In this life, even though he had garnered attention from two Demonic Gods, becoming an apostle or earning their trust was a separate matter, so he hadn’t expected to gain something like the Stigma.

Yet, the Stigma was now appearing on the back of Se-woon’s right hand.

‘The Power of Gluttony, it’s more cheat-like than I imagined.’

Of course, it’s not common for a player to be able to reduce a god’s rank.

No, for most players, even confronting the rank of a god would be nearly impossible.

But for Se-woon, it was possible. He knew not only Pan’s but many Constellations’ personalities and weaknesses.

If he could continue to absorb the ranks of other gods…

‘Perhaps.’

It might be possible for Se-woon to become a Constellation himself.

While thinking this, the Stigma of the Satyr on the back of his hand completely settled in.

The stigma, resembling the horns of a goat, emitted a sinister bluish-black light.

[ Stigma of the Satyr (Sealed) ]

Category: Stigma

Rank: ??

Description: A stigma imbued with the power of Pan, the God of Livestock, which contains dormant potential as a godly being.

Abilities:

1. (Sealed)

2. (Sealed)

3. (Sealed)

By focusing on the stigma, its abilities manifested as if it were an item.

The problem was that all abilities were sealed.

Wondering how the seals could be broken, the system quickly provided an answer.

– The absorption of the “Rank” is in progress.

– The Power of Gluttony enhances the absorption of the rank by consuming a large amount of nourishment or meeting specific conditions.

Time.

For Se-woon, who had just completed the second chapter of the tutorial, this was an exceedingly favorable condition.

Since he would continue to use the Power of Gluttony, the pace would surely accelerate.

Even if he didn’t know what the specific conditions were, they would eventually be resolved.

Pulling Pan down simply out of vengeance had led to the unexpected acquisition of a “Rank,” and a broad smile spread across Se-woon’s face.

“Well then, shall I head back?”

With the sound of the pan flute gone, the monsters would no longer be controlled, but they were already engaged in battle with the clan.

Just because the control was lifted didn’t mean the monsters would peacefully return to their territories.

Considering the sheer number of monsters Se-woon last saw, they would surely need assistance.

Hyah!

Se-woon leapt towards the clan, riding on Baekrang—no, the name Jeokrang (Red Wolf) suited the red skeleton now better.

* * *

“Graaah!”

“Krooo!”

Boom, crash!!

A wave of monsters crashed upon Se-woon’s clan.

It seemed like every monster they had seen on their way here had mobilized.

Thanks to sticking together around the wagon, they were somehow holding out, but the situation looked dire.

“Damn it, this is like the monster wave all over again!”

“Still, don’t you think we’ve gotten a lot stronger compared to then?”

“Absolutely!”

The first chapter of the tutorial: Adaptation.

Back then, aside from Se-woon, Kang Han-cheol, and Yoo Seo-ah, the clan wasn’t much of a fighting force.

But what about now? Everyone was now facing the monsters as proper players.

Of course, they still couldn’t keep up with Kang Han-cheol or Yoo Seo-ah.

Forming a formation, they were able to protect the wagon and fend off the monsters adequately.

Moreover, among them were players who had recently started to stand out significantly.

Crack!

Crrrack!

Boom!

Two skeletons rampaged through the enemy lines.

These were the skeletons summoned by Baek Hyun.

For some reason, he was already handling two skeletons, and their power was on another level compared to ordinary skeletons.

Typical skeletons lacked ligaments and muscles, making their defense and stability extremely poor.

But his skeletons moved with natural agility across the battlefield, effortlessly withstanding average attacks.

Although he hadn’t raised a manticore yet, his contribution was significant.

Next was Lee Ha-neul, the clan’s healer.

Following Se-woon’s advice, she had aligned herself with a Constellation and unlocked new abilities. Now, she could exert incredible power not just in healing but also in combat.

– Player Lee Ha-neul uses “Blood-Soaked Ward.”

Splat!

Blood began to gush furiously from the various wounds on the monsters.

The size of the wounds didn’t matter. As long as there was even the slightest cut, blood poured out relentlessly.

Some monsters with good regenerative abilities managed to suppress the bleeding to some extent, but they couldn’t heal their wounds as effectively as before.

Thanks to this, not just Yoo Seo-ah but everyone’s combat efficiency saw a tremendous boost.

-The Constellation “Blood-stained Lion” praises its contractor, saying it wasn’t bad for the first attempt.

“Thank you, Lord Marbas.”

-The Constellation “Blood-stained Lion” clears its throat and turns away, indicating that there’s no need for thanks and to concentrate on the battle.

“Yes!”

Still, there were far too many monsters.

Even as they fought and defeated them, new waves of monsters kept rushing in, leaving everyone gasping for breath.

Boooo—

From somewhere, a grand instrumental sound echoed.

It was an ethereal composition, like all the sounds of nature combined—wind blowing through a great forest, water crashing against rocks by a stream, and the chirping of insects filling the woods.

However, it had a different effect on the monsters.

– The monsters have heard the “Cry of Confusion.”

– Due to the excellent performance, a significant number of monsters fall into “Confusion.”

– Confused monsters, unable to distinguish friend from foe, unleashed attacks indiscriminately.

“What is going on…?”

The state of the monsters had changed.

Some wandered aimlessly as if forgetting what they were just doing, while others began attacking their own allies.

With about half of the monsters showing signs of confusion, the tide of the battle completely turned.

While most people were bewildered, a few, including Yoo Seo-ah and Kang Han-cheol, quickly realized who was responsible.

‘There’s only one person capable of this.’

Jung Se-woon.

He must have returned.

With that thought, Yoo Seo-ah shouted loudly.

“Now’s the time! Let’s drive them out while they’re confused!”

“Let’s clean them all up before Hyung arrives!”

“Yeah, we can’t rely on him for everything forever!”

Boom!!

Accompanied by the mystical melody of the pan flute, the people began to seize the opportunity for a comeback.

* * *

Just as he was about to reach the clan’s location, Se-woon had to rethink his initial plan upon seeing the people fiercely engaged in battle.

‘They’re fighting well.’

Given the massive number of monsters, he had expected them to struggle. But the speed at which the people had grown far exceeded Se-woon’s expectations.

His original plan was to bombard the monsters with magic as soon as he arrived to quickly clear them out, but it seemed there was no need for him to intervene now.

Instead…

‘Helping out a bit wouldn’t hurt.’

Se-woon took out the “Instrument Resembling a Fairy.”

Though this item was imbued with the power of a sacred relic, its effectiveness was null if the performance was subpar, making it less useful than a D-rank weapon.

Even as an adventurer in his previous life, Se-woon had little connection with instruments or music, but that wasn’t a problem.

– Opened the Treasury of Greed.

[ Score of the Rough Sea ]

– A war song played by the Naga, a half-human, half-snake race, to subdue enemies on the battlefield.

Se-woon had Mammon’s Treasury at his disposal.

Boooo—

The pan flute’s music began to play.

As a war song, the grand melody alone could invigorate the spirit.

However, it had a different effect on the enemy. A war song was meant to inspire allies and intimidate foes.

“Kroar?”

“Graaah!”

The monsters, thrown into confusion, started to rampage.

Some attacked their comrades, others collapsed to the ground, moving as if they had lost their minds.

Boom, crash!!

At the same time, the clan’s counterattack intensified.

With the monsters’ condition deteriorating amid the tense standoff, it was an inevitable outcome.

Led by Yoo Seo-ah, the group’s pace quickened, and soon enough, the waves of monsters were all lying on the ground, defeated.

There were so many monster corpses that it was a concern whether they could even move the wagon.

– Sudden Quest: Successfully thwarted the Revenge of the God of Livestock.

– All participants who defended against the ambush are awarded 5,000 points.

With this, they managed to thwart all of Pan’s schemes without incident.

Having finished his performance, Se-woon put away his pan flute and returned to the clan.

Upon arriving at the people tidying up, Yoo Seo-ah was the first to greet him.

“As expected, it was you, Se-woon.”

“Everyone was fighting well; I just helped out a bit.”

“Hurry and tell the others…”

“It’s alright. I just sped things up; you all would have managed without me.”

This was his genuine belief.

The battle was essentially over once Pan’s music stopped and the monster waves ceased.

“Hyung! We knew you’d come through!”

Se-woon pushed back Park Jung-pil, who was rushing toward him with an enthusiastic greeting.

Was this what they called a bond forged through trials?

Despite the lingering unease from memories of his past regression, seeing Park Jung-pil return Baekrang and clear the path by drawing the monsters away won him over a bit.

“Ah, thanks for that.”

“Oh, Baekrang! …Huh? The color?”

“Sorry, I pushed it a bit too hard…”

“Oh my, it’s red! Hyung, how did you know my taste so well? The car I drove on Earth was exactly this color! Kya!”

“…”

“From now on, your name is Jeokrang! Ah, so pretty! Hahaha!”

Since it was Se-woon who had empowered Baekrang and handed it to Park Jung-pil, he had some reservations. But it seemed there was no need to worry.

Even though the imbued power of the red stallion had strained its bones, caution was warranted.

“Amazing! The bone density has increased, and the joints are sturdier! However, there are many strained areas… May I make some adjustments?”

“Ah… Yes, of course.”

“Thank you! Since it lacks muscles, all the impact is absorbed by the bones, so…”

Baek Hyun hurried over as soon as he spotted the skeleton, now fully named Jeokrang. Given Baek Hyun was chosen by Gamigin, he could likely figure something out.

As Se-woon moved away from the noisy crowd, Yoo Seo-ah followed.

“Are we going to keep moving forward?”

“Of course. As you can see, the path is completely cleared.”

Se-woon looked broadly ahead.

Monsters had diligently guarded each area, but now, aside from the occasional tree and rock, nothing obstructed the path.

Thanks to Pan’s music, all the monsters were cleared out.

“Probably, we’ll reach our destination in a day.”

It was time to seriously prepare for the third chapter of the tutorial.