NOVEL WEB Chapter 37
Chapter 37 5th Floor b 3}
There was 1,090 LP left after the purchase of the Sun Sword. Considering the number of challengers who struggled to buy initialization tickets due to insufficient LP, it was a luxury purchase. But it wasn’t over yet. Although he’d achieved remarkable growth in terms of equipment and capabilities in that short time, there was still one important thing left: his preparation for the next duel.
*Arch Hunter’s Hunting Gloves – Gloves of a legendary hunter received as a gift from the beast people.
-Agility +1 when dealing with non-human or beast people enemies. Strength +3 against larger creatures.
-Protects user once from unknown dangers. Re-use available after 168 hours.
-Price: 590LP
No one could afford it due to insufficient LPs, but it was the most recommended item by Warrior A. If he used this, Yoon-seok would gain +1 agility and +3 strength. With his current C-rank muscle strength and +2 agility from {Heavenly Body}, he would reach a strength of rank B…
If it costs about 400,000 APs to upgrade to B-rank, it meant the effect of the gloves would cost at least 1 million AP. Of course, the downside was that the effects would be inapplicable when he matched against a human or the beast people…
‘Well, it’s not completely useless.’
In the Tower, there were also elves whom he had yet to meet and Orcs, among many other magical species. If they dueled, his agility would increase. Plus, Yoon-seok didn’t hesitate to buy it because he had a hunch that more monsters would appear on Earth.
‘I hope this is enough for the match.’
If it were an average Challenger, they wouldn’t even get close to B even if they used up all their AP. No matter how strict and difficult the evaluation was, it might be possible to crush the monsters with his physical stats alone.
‘Let’s save some LP just in case.’
As much as the items in the achievement store were appealing and unique, the value of LP was also endless. Unlike AP, where its advantage lay in spending it all on stats, it was right to save for what-ifs.
‘I’m all set.’
Yoon-seok started swinging his sword in the air. He couldn’t adapt to the new weapon through meditation alone. He left the chat room to see if there was any helpful information, but he eventually stopped checking. He swung his sword constantly as if to suppress the growing urge to fight.
As usual, time flew by.
「Get ready. The duel will begin soon.」
「3.」
He was suddenly in an extensive wetland like the middle of the jungle. Lotus-like plants floated on the swamp, opening and closing their petals while emitting strange noises.
「2.」
He’d already heard about this, but it was still awkward because it wasn’t the arena he was familiar with. Instead of panicking, Yoon-seok observed his surroundings and tried to find what his opponent looked like.
‘Does it show up when it starts?’
Although Yoon-seok couldn’t see even the tip of the monster’s nose nor know where it was hiding, he didn’t think much of it. This was because he knew which of the three monsters he was against. In addition to the background of the swamp, the biggest characteristics of one of the three were obvious.
「I fall into silence due to the song of the dead.」
「All active skills are sealed.」
Yoon-seok smiled. It was the Giant Hydra. Luckily, he was matched with the one out of the three monsters he was most compatible against.
「1.」
「START!」
After the countdown, the restraint disappeared. However, the Giant Hydra had yet to appear. Maybe it was being considerate and giving him some time to adjust. Firstly, Yoon-seok checked the silence around him.
‘Blood Pact can be used.’
b Blood Pact} wasn’t a command skill, so it seemed to have dodged the influence of silence. However, all skills that require activation through command, such as b Weapon Enhancement} and b Flash} were sealed.
But it wasn’t a problem at all because he had powerful stats. The effects of Sword Mastery or b Heavenly Body} also didn’t get sealed.
‘And Aura too.’
Yoon-seok put vigor into the swords he held. All preparations were done. Standing quietly and glancing around, it wasn’t long before bubbles began to boil in the center of the swamp, right before the Giant Hydra appeared.
“Screeeecccchhhhhhh!”
The head of the snake sprouted in six directions, a huge body with four legs supporting it. A creature tore straight from myth, the Hydra roared once and marched forward with lumbering steps. Despite marching on the soft, muddy ground that sunk a little every time he walked, it somehow looked unbothered.
Yoon-seok swallowed.
‘It’s no joke…’
He didn’t need to lift his head to know it was over six meters long. It didn’t seem like much if you only looked at its height, but it felt like a whole building was moving toward him. But, ironically, he wasn’t afraid. He was sure it was…
It was thanks to the overflowing and tremendous power he felt. The moment he made eye contact with Hydra, the effect of the Arch Hunter’s hunting gloves was triggered. That was only the beginning of the rise in his power.
「You have encountered evil.」
「Increases all stats by one until the trial is completed.」
There was divine energy coming from the red edge of the Sun Sword. It was a phenomenon he hadn’t expected. His definition of evil is those who enjoy hurting others. Yoon-seok thought it would be rare to meet a target who met this condition. He certainly didn’t expect it to be triggered right away in a duel against a monster.
‘Does it automatically apply as long as you have the characteristics?’
If that were the case, it would be a great help whenever he fought monsters. Most of the beasts on Earth had fun playing with their prey, especially the ferocious ones. While lost in thought…
Boom! Boom!
Hydra’s footsteps echoed off the ground. Saliva dripped from its mouth and created a hiss! Smoke surfaced from wherever it touched. Yoon-seok didn’t back down. Rather, he stepped forward with confidence and narrowed the distance. As if to snatch their prey first, one of the six heads quickly snaked toward Yoon-seok.
He didn’t avoid it. He held the Sun Sword up and waited.
Crash!
The Hydra opened its mouth wide, and its fangs collided with the sword. Then, a roar echoed throughout the swamp. It was a roar where even blind people could tell how big a collision it was by hearing the sound from afar.
In the middle of it, Yoon-seok wore an indulgent smile.
“…”
It was a huge shock that made his bones cry out. His shoulder that was holding the Sun Sword was dislocated. If it weren’t for the healing ability of b Blood Pact}, which he could now use with ease, his entire arm might’ve been torn off. However, he wasn’t pushed back at all, though his feet dug deep into the soft ground.
Still, Yoon-seok was standing in the same place.
‘Is this the strength of the A-rank…?’
Power grew exponentially as the state increased. Therefore, the +1 effect on all his stats because of the Sun Sword also meant something else to Yoon-seok. His B rank muscle strength was now amplified to A rank. The implication of the change was great.
“Please think that your opponent wasn’t good enough.”
It wasn’t that he couldn’t use active skills, just that Yoon-seok didn’t rely on them. Instead, he focused on the passive side by using his techniques and stats. In that aspect alone, the Hydra had the best compatibility out of the three monsters with him.
Slash!
Yoon-seok pushed the sword against the fangs and pulled Hydra’s head up. Then, using the Moonlight Sword covered in Aura, he slit its exposed neck mercilessly. Dark red blood poured out like a fountain, and Yoon-seok calmly avoided it in case it stained his clothes.
‘It was said that it’d take 5 minutes for his head to recover, right?’
To kill Hydra, all six of its necks must be cut off before it could regenerate. Therefore, those preparing to fight Hydra were told to adjust with equipment that exacerbated wounds to slow down its recovery process.
‘30% out of five minutes…that’s about ninety more seconds.’
6 minutes and 30 seconds. For some, it was a short time, but for others, it was a long time. Yoon-seok was among the latter. What if Hydra pushed him back with force? Unless that were the case, he would have to suppress it by force, which would be fine.
“Kiyo-o-o-o-o-o-o!”
This time, two Hydra heads struck Yoon-seok at the same time. He blocked each attack with his swords and hauled himself upward using his strength like just before. His next move was no different than before.
Slashhh!
Dark red blood spilled down like rain just as the Hydra’s head was slit. Maybe because there were only three heads left, he was feeling particularly energetic.
‘Second phase already?’
Funnily enough, even though it wasn’t a game, the monsters in this match had a clear distinction in their behavior. For example, the Hydra started using a long-range attack after three heads were cut off.
Like right now.
“Cooooooo-!”
Green poison ejected from the Hydra’s head that was located in the middle. He’d heard of the poison in the chat window, but he decided to test it once before avoiding it.
“Light of Purification.”
It had been a while since he’d memorized a spell because he could use {Non-verbal Magic}. Maybe because the skill was contained within the weapon itself, it wasn’t affected by silence. Soon, the Sun Sword’s red blade burned hotter as it radiated dazzling light. It was said to exorcise all negative energy, but the power was exceptional. Not just the poison that flew toward Yoon-seok, but the light that exploded like a flash purified the entirety of the swamp. At some point, the gloomy melody created by the bizarre-looking lotus flower could no longer be heard.
Was that why?
「Silence has been lifted.」
He could now use his skills again. It was already easy, but it was even easier now. Yoon-seok smiled and swung his two swords.
“Flash.”
It would be better if he could use Aura on top of Flash, but it was impossible. Still, the transparent energy of b Flash} itself sliced the two necks down one by one, but it took more than one swing to cleave through.
‘Is it because of the low magic stats?’
Since his strength was already high, it had become more efficient to wield his swords directly without magic. Well, it could also be the presence of Aura. It was time to use b Flash} one more time to cut off the half-sliced neck.
“Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrr….”
The Hydra stepped back and tried to retreat into the swamp. This was the third phase of fighting, where it defensively used the swamp.
‘I heard it happens after the fifth head is cut off…’
Yoon-seok immediately ran forward without hesitation and fired b Flash} off one more time.
Slashhh!
Thud!!
The half-cut neck was completely removed. It was at that point the Hydra disappeared completely under the swamp. Perhaps because it was dense with high viscosity, the Hydra wasn’t visible at all even though he just submerged.
‘Should I just follow you in?’
While he was considering what to do, he suddenly remembered a skill he’d completely forgotten about.
‘Tracking.’
The skill he had bought because of Lee Chang-hoon. Due to the skill’s effect, all objects within a twenty-five-meter radius were registered in his head. Yoon-seok fired {Flash} off again and again after the Hydra.
Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!
Every time he threw one, water splashed up in the air as if a grenade exploded. Maybe because its powers were reduced by the stagnant water, it took a moment for the ragged Hydra’s neck to finally tear apart.
‘Is that enough?’
Tuk.
Floating in the air for some time, a phrase popped up in front of Yoon-seok after setting down.
「Victory.」
He won.
「512,000 AP will be paid as a reward.」
「Unique Skill {Predation} is activated.」
Only then did Yoon-seok realize something unexpected.
If b Predation} looted this huge monster’s skills, equipment, and capabilities…
What would he get?