NOVEL WEB Chapter 21 - Leveling (5)
Chapter 21: Leveling (5)
Before heading to the dungeon, Yeonwol purchased cooking tools.
This was so he could cook for himself.
Unlike Tamers or Summoners, he didn’t need to prepare food for summoned creatures.
It was indeed a very convenient profession.
‘Wait. Even if they’re spirits, don’t they still have digestive systems? In that case, I could get stat bonuses from cooking.’
He considered it briefly, but he didn’t have enough wealth to feed his summoned creatures yet.
‘I’d like to acquire the Advanced Dungeon Exploration skill, but that’s a bit out of reach.’
Previously, he had easily obtained skills like Basic Alchemy or Basic Swordsmanship.
However, this wasn’t an easy feat by any means.
If everyone could acquire swordsmanship skills effortlessly, wouldn’t all production class players collapse helplessly without a single attack skill?
To gain combat hidden skills of A-rank or higher, like Yeonwol, one had to be extraordinarily lucky.
‘Without exploration skills, even the cost of supplies eats into my funds.’
Money was the ultimate truth, the credit of all things, the holy water of the soul, and the measure of happiness.
While having a lot of money doesn’t guarantee happiness, Yeonwol, lacking funds, felt unhappy.
Thus, money seemed to be the closest formula to happiness.
Yeonwol saved and scrimped as much as possible, purchasing only essential items, and bought a spatial expansion backpack, anticipating his inventory would fill up during hunting.
If he had party members, sharing the loot wouldn’t be an issue, but since he was alone, he had to carry all the dropped items himself.
Additionally, due to his profession, he had to butcher and store monster carcasses.
Since these needed to be kept frozen, hunting for long periods outdoors was inconvenient.
However, an unexpected solution to this problem was already in his hands.
‘Goblin Sage Hills. I could build a frozen storage there.’
Although storing monster corpses in such a beautiful alchemical paradise felt somewhat impure…
At its core, that place was essentially a giant bag.
The only downside was that the portal to Goblin Sage Hills wouldn’t close until the owner of the Silver Bell left.
This raised concerns about potential intruders.
Still, if used in a secure location, it could be maximally efficient.
Yeonwol traveled for quite a while on a large carriage, functioning like an intercity bus.
These carriages didn’t go into dangerous areas but significantly reduced travel time even if they didn’t reach exact destinations.
After disembarking midway and entering the forest path, he occasionally encountered level 60 beast-type monsters, but they posed no threat.
As he ventured deeper, he noticed level 100 players in armor roaming the area.
Their equipment bore the guild insignia of a red vortex, and they were clearly blocking the approach of other players.
“Why are you blocking the path? Who are you guys?”
“This area is controlled by the ‘Red Flow Pavilion’ clan. Take a detour.”
“Ah, okay. Honey, let’s go.”
“Y-Yeah. Let’s get out of here quickly.”
A couple of players, curious about the blockade, immediately turned around upon hearing the name Red Flow Pavilion.
‘Chinese guilds, huh.’
Due to their massive population, Chinese players had created an enormous Chinatown within the game, where they enjoyed it as if it were their own country.
Calling it a Chinatown was an understatement—it was essentially an entire nation styled in Chinese fashion.
While there weren’t many Chinese guilds in European regions yet, they would eventually expand worldwide.
Red Flow Pavilion was one of the massive Chinese guilds that had branched out globally.
They had probably discovered the dungeon Yeonwol was searching for and were in the process of controlling it.
Dungeon monopolization wasn’t necessarily bad.
Once guilds grew larger and gained power, they inevitably sought to monopolize things—this wasn’t unique to Chinese guilds.
‘It seems they haven’t started the raid yet.’
If they intended to raid, they would have deployed level 100 users.
Instead, they were guarding the area, likely to funnel rewards to their level 70 guild members.
‘It looks like they haven’t claimed the first-time rewards yet. Perfect timing.’
Instance dungeons isolated players into separate spaces upon entry.
If ten parties entered, ten separate spaces would be created.
Depending on the dungeon, up to 100 parties could enter simultaneously, which made guilds monopolizing instance dungeons a frequent target of complaints.
Without monopolization, numerous players could enter and hunt, but blocking access purely for exclusive gains was infuriating.
Of course, massive guilds rarely cared about such criticisms.
“Mad, come out.”
[Spirit Mirror: Mad]
A dreamy mirror, shimmering with violet and silver hues, appeared, and from it emerged a massive wolf cloaked in light purple aura.
Yeonwol climbed onto Mad’s back and covered himself with a black cloak and mask he had prepared in advance.
“From now on, we’ll bypass them and enter the dungeon. Go.”
-Awooooo!!
Mad howled fiercely, then leaped and landed on the side of a tree trunk.
Leap! With consecutive jumps from tree to tree, Mad displayed a feat no ordinary wolf could replicate.
Only the evolved boss-grade Freed Mad Wolf could perform such acrobatics.
“H-Huh?”
“What’s that?!”
The level 100 players were startled by the sudden appearance of the wolf monster and drew their weapons, but it was too late.
Had they been in combat mode, they could have easily dealt with Mad Wolf. However, Yeonwol’s plan to use agility to escape to higher ground left them no chance to catch him.
“Stop him! Someone’s riding on top of it!”
“Damn it, where are the archers?!”
There were no archers.
Yeonwol had already assessed their professions during a brief reconnaissance.
Even if a ranged skill came his way, he was prepared to sacrifice Mad to dodge.
‘This is why scouting should always involve archers.’
After bypassing the players, Yeonwol arrived at a blue portal in front of a massive boulder pile and entered the dungeon.
“Catch that bastard…!”
The Chinese players shouted furiously, but it was already too late.
[You have entered the Instance Dungeon ‘The Tribe Banished to Eternal Winter.’]
[A raid party of 4 or more players at level 70 is recommended.]
[As the first discoverer, you receive a 1.5x experience bonus for one week.]
[You are the ‘First Great Challenger.’ The experience bonus increases by an additional 20%.]
[Reputation and stats have increased!]
Inside the dungeon, Yeonwol chuckled briefly.
Those players had wanted their guild members to receive the first discovery bonus, but they had no chance now.
“Well done, Mad.”
-Grrrr…
Yeonwol patted Mad’s head and activated the Spirit Mirror again.
“Come out, Eltis.”
[Spirit Mirror: Eltis]
A radiant silver mirror appeared, and from it emerged a 3-meter-tall knight.
However, he was completely naked.
Yeonwol hadn’t equipped him with any gear yet. But he had prepared something in advance.
Instead of the overly bulky armor from before, this was a streamlined full-body plate that fit snugly onto his skeleton frame.
As for weapons, Eltis was equipped with a shield and an axe.
The axe was classified as a large weapon, which complemented Eltis’s skills well. While he lacked shield skills, the shield was suitable for makeshift tanking.
-I offer infinite glory to my master’s sacred grace.
“Stop with the dramatics and get dressed.”
Yeonwol positioned the 3-meter-tall Eltis at the forefront and proceeded further into the dungeon.
Wooooosh!
Unlike outside, a snowstorm raged within the dungeon.
Although wearing metal armor incurred stat penalties in such an environment, Eltis was undead and unaffected.
[You feel the cold.]
[Over time, your HP will slowly decrease, and your movement and attack speed will be reduced.]
Yeonwol, however, was human and heavily affected. He equipped a fur coat he had prepared.
Though it was level 30 gear with mediocre defense, it was excellent at resisting the cold.
-Kulak! Kulak!
Soon, they encountered grotesque monsters standing 2 meters tall with white fur.
These creatures were called Kulaks.
They had exceptional physical abilities and wielded ice-based powers, but their simple attack patterns made them easy to hunt.
“You two charge in first, and I’ll follow behind. Attack.”
-Grrr!
-As you command, Master.
Seeing Eltis approaching, the Kulaks clutched their ice clubs warily. While Mad circled swiftly, Eltis charged head-on, leaving no blind spots.
‘Good. Eltis blocks the front while Mad harasses the flanks. I’ll finish them off.’
If he had ranged skills, the party composition would have been even more perfect…
‘I guess I’ll have to fight myself for now!’
Thwack!
Yeonwol, gripping the Blue Sea Blade, made a wide sidestep and found his opportunity.
Eltis’s precise strike had injured the Kulak’s right wrist!
The damage wasn’t severe, but since the Kulak wielded its club with both hands, its attack power would plummet.
‘Good. Its arm strength has weakened, so I can risk a contest of strength.’
He quickly considered how to utilize his skills.
The duration of Berserk Strength was 3 seconds.
It increased his strength by 1.5 times.
With his Spirit-enhanced strength of 180, it would temporarily surge to 270!
Even if the Kulak’s strength exceeded 300, it couldn’t fully utilize it with just one arm.
Yeonwol’s plan was to clash his sword against the Kulak’s club, disrupt its posture, and land a critical blow to its abdomen.
This entire strategy formed in just 0.01 seconds.
It wasn’t a deliberate calculation.
It was a plan instinctively engraved in Yeonwol’s mind after years of combat experience.
Just as he was about to charge forward to execute his plan…
He suddenly stopped.
‘What’s going on?’
Thud! Whack! Thump!
-Kulraaaagh!
Yeonwol hadn’t even intervened, yet the level 70 Kulak screamed in pain and staggered back.
Its HP was already reduced to about half. The Kulak couldn’t withstand Eltis’s onslaught.
“…Oh?”
Although Eltis’s level had dropped to 78, as a Yellow-ranked boss monster, he was far stronger than a typical level 78.
The Kulak could barely handle Eltis alone, and with Mad joining the fight, it stood no chance.
[The Kulak has been defeated!]
[Your Spirit has slain the monster, returning 80% of the experience to its master.]
[Your level has increased by 1.]
[The Spirit ‘Mad’ gains a small amount of experience.]
[The Spirit ‘Eltis’ gains a small amount of experience.]
Yeonwol received a massive amount of experience and leveled up, but his spirits gained only a small portion.
If a summoned creature’s level far exceeded its master’s, it couldn’t gain much experience, ensuring that it would eventually be overtaken.
In other words, relying solely on a powerful summoned creature for hunting wouldn’t last forever.
Yeonwol understood this, but for now, it was incredibly convenient, and he was pleased.
Hunting felt far too easy for his level.
‘At my current strength, this level of hunting seems natural.’
Over the past three months, he had scraped together stats and skills through grueling effort.
He had died, and died again, repeating death endlessly, all to obtain his class and the skills he had painstakingly developed over a week.
If he had grown through conventional methods over three months, he would’ve reached only about level 50.
Even with his knowledge of future hunting routes, achieving level 70 in three months would have been a stretch, and hunting in the Kulak’s settlement would have been unthinkable.
This dungeon was recommended for level 70 parties of four players.
But by taking the long route and not rushing his level-up, Yeonwol had gained the strength to solo a level 70 dungeon.
‘I was right to focus on building a solid foundation and taking the long road. At this rate, leveling up will be easy.’
With such fast hunting speed, there was no need to pick off monsters one by one.
-Master, the enemy has been neutralized.
Eltis returned, kneeling after finishing the hunt.
His loyal demeanor was admirable, but Yeonwol didn’t plan to let him indulge in appearances forever.
“Well done. I’m going to teach you a skill now.”
-Oh, a new skill from Master! I eagerly await it.
Yeonwol pulled out a butcher’s knife.
“Watch closely. This is how you skin without damaging the hide.”
-Master, such a menial skill does not suit me. Please teach it to a subordinate instead.
“What, then should I teach it to that mutt over there wagging its tail like crazy?”
-Heh heh heh.
-…
“And what’s so menial about this skill? Butchery is an essential craft that has improved humanity’s quality of life. Without butchers, you’d be gnawing on scraps of fat your whole life. Now, stop complaining and follow me.”
Eltis’s expression soured.
“From now on, we’ll hunt three at a time.”
After repeatedly drilling butchery into Eltis, Yeonwol moved to the next location.
“However, if we draw the aggro of more than four, retreat immediately without looking back.
While we could fight them, it’s more efficient to avoid unnecessary injuries that delay hunting.”
-Understood, Master.
In instance dungeons, once monsters were hunted, they wouldn’t respawn until the dungeon was re-entered.
In large parties, players often hunted in bulk, but Yeonwol planned to methodically thin out the Kulak’s numbers.
Thwack!
-Kulraaaagh!
[Your level has increased by 1.]
The hunt progressed far more smoothly than Yeonwol had anticipated.
Despite the dungeon being for level 70, it felt almost anticlimactic.
By the time Yeonwol reached the dungeon’s final area, it had only taken half a day.
Only the final boss remained.
[Lv. 88 Kulbriak, the Fearful of Winter]
Thud!
Sssshhh…!!
Kulbriak landed with a grand thud, scattering icy winds as its massive 3-meter frame loomed menacingly over Yeonwol.
“A creature living in the snow fears winter? How ironic.”
To Yeonwol, who knew it wasn’t particularly strong, it seemed laughable.
“Let’s go. Time to claim the first rewards.”
Meanwhile, at the dungeon entrance, a commotion arose among the Red Flow Pavilion members.
As a prestigious Chinese guild, their pride was hurt upon learning that a lone player had claimed the dungeon’s first discovery rewards.
“It’s only a level 70 dungeon, not something like a level 200 dungeon.”
“Still, daring to interfere with a dungeon owned by a Chinese guild must not go unpunished.”
The Chinese players used the term “clan” instead of “guild.”
They often adopted martial arts-inspired attire and mannerisms, as if they were characters from a wuxia novel.
“The Red Flow Pavilion’s reputation might be tarnished.”
“This might actually be an opportunity. That player is unaffiliated with any guild. We can crush him as an example and solidify our dominance in European territories.”
Like many PvP-enabled RPGs, this game had a system of kill orders.
The method was simple.
Players would harass the target during hunts or kill them repeatedly upon resurrection.
At its mildest, it involved disrupting hunts, and in extreme cases, the player would be killed every time they appeared in the field.
Although killing within towns was almost entirely restricted, if a guild controlled the city, escaping would be impossible.
“…Did we confirm the player’s alias?”
“They’ll be surrounded by our members as soon as they exit the dungeon. Their face and alias will be revealed.”
“Make sure the dungeon entrance is tightly guarded. Whoever they are, we cannot forgive anyone who disgraces the Red Flow Pavilion’s name.”
The Red Flow Pavilion leadership was confident they could capture the mysterious player.
After all, the dungeon only had one entrance.
A level 70 dungeon?
That was insignificant.
They only sought to use this incident as an excuse to crush the player and showcase their strength.
Since the dungeon was for level 70, the player’s strength likely wasn’t much higher, so they weren’t concerned.
‘We’ll make it clear just how ruthless the Red Flow Pavilion can be.’