NoveLight ™
One hand cannot block ten hands. Likewise, a single skill cannot block ten skills.
If it’s not a defensive skill but an offensive one, the situation becomes even more unfavorable. When you are facing your opponent with weapons, you are almost defenseless.
‘The best situation is one where only I get to hit.’
The F-rank skill, Strike, has no cooldown and no mana consumption. As long as my health allows, I can use Strike indefinitely.
‘This means it’s advantageous in a one-sided situation.’
However, such a situation rarely exists. The opponent is not a fool.
If there are many opponents gathered, they will try to stab me simultaneously, no matter what.
My life force has its limits. It is practically impossible to endure all of the opponent’s skills.
‘That’s why just three opponents would make things extremely difficult.’
I recalled the time of crew making.
I found Eun Seoryeong and Baeksong surrounded by the Black Do warriors. I devised a plan to help the two who were in a desperate situation and form a team with them. My unconsciousness led me to think that the women were better than the grim-looking men.
Although the plan succeeded, in the process, I couldn’t help but realize my own instability.
‘If I rely solely on Strike without any skills, I might really end up dead before I know it.’
The reason I wanted to acquire at least one skill through Kim Min-seong. To create a means to respond to an unreasonable situation.
Then, a problem arose. Kim Min-seong expressed his anxiety, causing his efficiency to drop.
How could I take the admission tickets while dragging along this useless lump of a person? How could I safely land a Strike with such pathetic stats?
The solution was simple. I would reverse the opponent’s negligence toward Earthlings.
‘Why did the Red Dragon die?’
It was because I didn’t expect to unleash Hatchling Breath there. Negligence.
‘Why did so many players die?’
It was because they didn’t expect an Earthling’s skill to be so destructive. More negligence.
The operation was successful.
“W-We did it!”
Kim Min-seong, who had knelt before the Black Do warriors, approached me with a cheer. He frowned at the sight of the Black Do warriors' corpses but didn’t vomit.
He had somewhat adapted to the cruel situations after going through the tutorial and crew making.
“I didn’t think this would work…!”
The look in his eyes as he gazed at me was unusual. A gaze almost akin to worship had timidly stepped into the realm of discomfort.
“Let’s look for the admission ticket pieces.” “Yes!”
I gave a command that wasn’t really a command to Kim Min-seong. Without hesitation, he began picking up the admission ticket pieces. He seemed motivated, thinking of them as his own.
I gathered the weapons of the Black Do warriors instead of the admission ticket pieces. I checked to see if there was anything decent among them.
‘There’s nothing particularly good. They’re all tutorial weapons.’
They boasted ridiculous nicknames like Blood Shadow Sword and the Twin Demons of Yunnan. Yet the weapons wielded were purple-colored F-rank cheapies. It was absurd.
“These guys. As Error Player said, they really were garbage. There are four of them, and how many admission tickets do we have?”
The number of admission ticket pieces was more than expected. If we combine them, we could make three complete admission tickets.
That means they had been killing players quite a bit.
“How did you know?” “I think there are types of Murim people. White faction, Black faction, things like that.” “Is it similar to martial arts novels?”
Kim Min-seong mumbled. I glanced at him and asked.
“…Do you like martial arts novels?” “I’m not a huge fan or anything. I’ve just read the famous ones.” “What do you think? How do they compare to these guys?”
After a moment of thought, Kim Min-seong nodded and answered.
“They do have a similar image.”
I didn’t particularly like novels. The act of reading something itself was exhausting.
In that regard, my concentration wavered. To be honest, I wasn’t very good at studying.
So, I sought help from Kim Min-seong.
‘It would be good to know about it.’
In the tutorial on the 0th floor, I met a knight that seemed to come straight out of an animation. Predicting her tendencies based on the aura she blatantly exuded, I found a way to get through.
I might face a similar situation against Murim people. So, I wanted to know at least a little about them.
“I don’t know that much either. The most I’ve done is with the Return of the Six Elders…”
Kim Min-seong explained everything he knew to the best of his ability.
The righteous faction, the unorthodox faction. The White faction, the Black faction.
“Is there a faction called the Jeomchang faction?” “I know it’s one of the Nine Major Sects. I don’t know what martial arts they use, though.”
Eun Seoryeong from the Jeomchang faction, Baeksong from the Hwasan faction. Both were members of relatively well-known sects.
‘So that’s why they were able to hold out pretty well against those Black Do bastards.’
They might be more impressive warriors than I had thought.
“This way.”
Kim Min-seong’s steps became noticeably lighter.
When there’s a bounty, the heart warms. As soon as his pockets filled with admission ticket pieces, his motivation returned. He began searching on his own without me urging him.
‘His efficiency has improved.’
The effects of skills are fixed, after all.
‘…It all depends on a person’s personality.’
Some people become more focused when they are at ease. Others unleash their potential when they are cornered.
Kim Min-seong was closer to the former.
“Here it is. A box.”
He showed results. He had found a random box.
The admission ticket piece we obtained this time was Beta. What we lacked the most was Beta, so we focused on finding it.
“This is a skill.”
Inside the box, there was something else.
A round crystal. A crystal the size of a fist emanated a mysterious light.
I received the crystal from Kim Min-seong and checked the contents.
[철포삼공鐵布衫功][E] Concentrating your mind hardens your body, increasing your durability by 1,070 for 20 seconds. Cooldown: 1 minute Mana cost: 20 《Racial Specialization》
I read through the skill information. Then I covered my mouth.
‘…This is insane!’
To increase durability by 1, I need to increase health by 1. One point of health translates to one point of durability.
However, 철포삼공 increases that durability by about 1,000. Though it only lasts for 20 seconds.
‘During those 20 seconds, I’m practically invincible!’
Thank goodness. I was fortunate to acquire a skill that made my Healing Rune not feel wasted.
Without hesitation, I learned the skill. Thanks to the phantom’s ancient book, my wisdom stat had skyrocketed, allowing me to easily master 철포삼공.
“…How long until the next detection?” “1 minute.” “Let’s move quickly.”
I was itching to try out 철포삼공.
At that moment. A group appeared from beyond the bushes.
“S-Sueeen!?”
Kim Min-seong, surprised, stepped back. His muttering voice was tinged with disappointment.
“Are you calling me a Sueeen, human?”
The opponent, not missing that small voice, roared with fury.
It wasn’t a metaphorical growl. Showing sharp fangs, it growled as if ready to bite at any moment. Like a wolf.
‘I knew this would happen.’
Fluffy puppy ears and a tail. The hallmark of beastmen.
‘…The reality is far more brutal.’
The beastman that appeared before me was closer to a beast than a human. Though it walked on two legs like a human, the head on its shoulders was not human.
That’s why Kim Min-seong sighed.
Grrr— “O, Error Player!”
It didn’t take long for that disappointment to turn into fear.
Awoooooo—! “Yikes!”
Scared by the howling of the beastmen, Kim Min-seong quickly dove behind me.
“How dare you confuse me with a filthy creature like the warriors of the Lunacolis clan, Zarl Fel.”
The furious beastman glared at Kim Min-seong with its bright yellow eyes. Then it opened its mouth wide and roared ferociously.
“No matter how much of a different dimension human you are, I cannot forgive you!” “You won’t die peacefully! Human!”
It was enormous. I’m not small myself, but it was at least two heads taller than me. At least 2 meters 30 centimeters.
With long arms, it was hard to close the distance, and its thighs were so bulging that they were intimidating. There were five of them like that.
‘Kim Min-seong would have been killed without even being able to resist.’
Would it be just Kim Min-seong? The vast majority of Earthlings wouldn’t even be able to stand before Zarl Fel.
‘But I am different.’
I waited for Zarl Fel and his group to make the first move.
‘No.’
I didn’t need to wait.
“What if I’m not a beastman? You stupid bastards?”
The first weapon Earthlings could use. Provocation.
Second.
“What, what did you say? Stupid bastard?”
Provocation.
‘Nothing is more satisfying than a little bastard trying to act tough.’
Grrr! They roar. Earlier it was a roar aimed at Kim Min-seong, but now it was directed at me.
Area provocation. Without even using a separate skill, the aggro of the five beastmen was directed toward me.
“I’ll kill you!”
Zarl Fel stretched out his arm first. His claws flashed like lightning.
I didn’t even think to dodge and immediately used 철포삼공.
Swoosh—!
Zarl Fel’s claws grazed my chest.
Only my clothes were torn. My body didn’t even get a scratch.
“Hmm. Did a mosquito bite me?”
What about my reduced life force?
【149】
Just 1.
‘I don’t know how much the opponent’s attack power is….’
Unless it’s someone extraordinary, it would be hard to see a drop of my blood in the admission ticket scramble.
I grinned as I launched my Strike.