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After leaving Locks' tomb and parting ways with Kim Che-geon, what Seong did next was obvious.

Whenever a reward is obtained, the first thing to do is check the rewards, right?

This time, the rewards were substantial.

It was time to see what he had gotten.

Within the dungeon, there weren’t any particularly useful drop items.

Maybe the minor demon’s tail.

The first reward Seong checked was a title he hadn’t received in a long time.

It wasn’t exactly a new title, since it was an evolution of an existing one, but still...

Explorer
→ Epic
→ A title given to a user who finds a hidden door in a hidden dungeon.
→ Increases drop rate by 20% in hidden dungeons.
→ Increases hidden door detection rate by 20% in all dungeons.

‘Hmm.’

The title had evolved from Rare to Epic, and it now offered an increased detection rate for hidden doors.

While it wasn’t common to discover hidden dungeons, the added bonus to the detection rate for hidden doors in all dungeons was very useful.

Seong had been making good use of dungeons lately.

Now, on to the next reward.

Wait, before checking the rewards, there was something else to do.

[You have acquired the rare skill, Corpse Poison (屍毒)!]
[You have acquired the epic skill, Exploding Poison!]

Without hesitation, Seong immediately used the two skillbooks he had acquired.

Corpse Poison
→ Rare
→ [Lv 1][Growth-type]
[Persistent Effect][Active]
[Cooldown: 3 minutes]
[Poison Duration: 30 seconds]
→ Dark magic exclusive skill.
→ Injects poison into a corpse using magical power.
→ The poison spreads gradually and poisons enemies.

Exploding Poison
→ Epic
→ [Lv 1][Growth-type]
[Instant Effect][Active]
[Cooldown: 3 minutes]
→ Dark magic exclusive skill.
→ Explodes the poison, causing poison and explosion damage, and spreading the poison.

"Wow."

Seong’s mouth fell open in awe at these skills.

Corpse Poison was already incredibly useful. It only required a corpse, and the skill would work.

But what made Exploding Poison truly overpowered was its effect.

Epic-grade skills were already high level, but for them to be this good and still just epic? That was impressive.

‘The synergy between these poisons is amazing, huh?’

Corpse Poison alone would make poison spread from the body of a corpse.

The spread speed would likely be slow, though.

But if Exploding Poison was used?

The poison on the corpse would explode, rapidly spreading while dealing both poison and explosion damage.

And then, on enemies poisoned by it, he could use Corpse Explosion.

These were combo effects.

Corpse Explosion, Corpse Poison, Exploding Poison...

‘Everything works well together.’

After acquiring the skills, Seong thought about all the combos in his head.

Then, he pulled out the last reward—Locks' final masterpiece!

Dark Magic Refining Stone
→ Epic
→ A crystallized object made by refining dark magic to its extreme.
→ Can increase the grade of items related to dark magic.
→ However, it cannot exceed the Epic grade.

“Increase the grade?”

Seong’s eyes widened as he read the description of the stone.

While it couldn’t increase beyond Epic, it still seemed impressive.

He had an item that could be upgraded.

A special item for Seong.

‘I wonder if this can be upgraded?’

Seong took out a staff that he hadn’t used in a long time. It was the staff given to him by the village chief in Hindel Village.

Staff of the Forgotten One
→ Rare+
→ A staff that has been forgotten, its original owner unknown.
→ After many years, the only trace left is the faint power remaining, suggesting the previous user was a powerful dark mage.
→ Slightly increases mana regeneration after using dark magic skills.
→ Slightly increases the power of dark magic skills.

Could this be upgraded?

Seong was curious and held the Dark Magic Refining Stone, wondering if it could enhance the staff’s power.

As he considered it, a system message popped up.

[The Dark Magic Refining Stone can be used to enhance an item.]
[For some reason, the Staff of the Forgotten One is trembling.]
[There might be additional effects.]
[Would you like to use the Dark Magic Refining Stone on the Staff of the Forgotten One?]
[Yes / No]

‘Oh?’

What was this about additional effects?

The Staff of the Forgotten One was suspected to be Helena’s staff.

Could the stone bring out the hidden power within it?

Seong, filled with anticipation, decided to use the stone right away, with no intention of using it anywhere else.

As soon as he did, dark mist-like energy began to pour out of the Dark Magic Refining Stone, and the power was absorbed by the Staff of the Forgotten One.

At first, it only began to absorb the energy, but soon, the staff greedily consumed the power, causing the stone to lose its glow and crack, disintegrating into dust in Seong’s hands.

And then, from the staff came a bright turquoise light, and a system message appeared before Seong’s eyes.

Congratulations! The Rare+ grade item, Staff of the Forgotten One, has awakened the energy hidden within it thanks to the Dark Magic Refining Stone!
After evolving, it surpasses the original effects of the Dark Magic Refining Stone.
The Rare+ grade item Staff of the Forgotten One has evolved into the Epic+ grade item Acolyte Lord’s Staff!

“Hah.”

A sigh escaped Seong.

It was supposed to be impossible to go beyond Epic, yet it had evolved into Epic+.

The name had changed to Acolyte Lord’s Staff.

As expected, it was Helena’s staff.

Seong quickly checked the item, without hesitation.

Acolyte Lord’s Staff
→ Epic+ (Growth-type)
→ Though many years have passed, the power within remains, suggesting this is a great lord's staff.
→ However, the original owner is lost to time, and the identity of the lord who used it cannot be inferred.
→ Increases mana regeneration by 5%.
→ Increases the power of dark magic skills by 5%.
→ The item will evolve if specific conditions are met.

‘Growth-type item?’

This was a new concept for Seong.

If it could grow, did that mean it could evolve into a Unique-grade item under special conditions?

He wasn’t sure, but he had a strong feeling that it might be true.

Seong couldn’t help but blink as he stared at the staff.

‘Wow.’

He had truly acquired something amazing.

Although the effects weren’t exceptional for an Epic+ item, the fact that it was a growth-type made it even more valuable.

Originally, Seong had planned to log out after checking the rewards.

But with this item in hand, he couldn’t resist.

New skill combos and a new item to try out.

Seong quickly stashed his swords and put the staff at his waist, eager to test it out.

Just like the village of Hindel, this was also a second village.

Since party hunting was mandatory here, Seong headed straight for the town square.

He could have gone to the cemetery, but that wasn’t his focus.

He needed to test out the staff’s power, along with Corpse Poison, Corpse Explosion, and Exploding Poison.

The cemetery wasn’t the best hunting ground.

‘I need to find a party.’

Before meeting Kim Che-geon, Seong had been reluctant to form parties.

He had planned to backstab people like Manhoo.

But that was a case of fearing the insects while preparing to preserve the meal.

After dealing with Uz and Kalak, he became less concerned.

‘Most of them were weak, anyway.’

It might have sounded absurd to Uz or Kalak, but they were weaker than Seong.

Seong wasn’t sure if he was that strong yet, but after playing the game for just two days, self-assessment was difficult.

While he could vaguely feel his strength compared to others, he hadn’t fully grasped it yet.

As Seong entered the central plaza, despite the late hour, he found that there were still quite a few users around, possibly due to the event’s aftermath.

‘Oh.’

He couldn’t help but quietly admire the sight as he scanned the crowd.

Many people were still looking for party members.

Most of them seemed to be in their 30s or 40s, though there were a few in their late 20s.

"Looking for people to go to the Red Goblin Village!!"

"Looking for users to go to the Sky Racoon Den!! We’ve already got three!"

"Looking for two people to go to the Giant Ant Nest! I’m a thief! I know the dungeon well!! Please!"

These users seemed to be after a quick game session after work.

Seong scanned a few of them, focusing on those who might be willing to go into a dungeon for skill experiments.

Among them, one user stood out.

A thief, looking for a two-person party and claiming to know the Jirina Dungeon well.

‘Thieves are said to be at a disadvantage in the beginning, right?’

It was an awkward position, a class with traps, stealth, daggers, and mobility, but with many shortcomings compared to other classes.

Traps were better handled by rangers, and finding paths was similarly better suited for other classes.

Their mobility could be outrun by fast warriors or knights.

At first, thieves were said to be quite weak.

But later, they became one of the strongest when they learned stealth.

‘It looks like a good chance to find someone useful.’

As Seong approached the thief user, he asked.

"Would you like to party?"

"Eh? Me, with you?"

"???"

The thief user, seeing Seong approach, seemed confused and asked why he wanted to party with him.

Was it better to party with someone else?

Seong wasn’t sure, but he responded anyway.

"Oh, it’s just that you said you knew the area well, and I’m new here."

"Eh? Oh! Haha, sure! I’ve cleared the Giant Ant Nest ten times! Let’s party up!"

"Alright."

The thief user, Nanjiro, grinned excitedly, clearly eager to share his knowledge of the game with Seong.

Seong was a bit suspicious, though. Was this another villain?

Nanjiro seemed unusually cheerful for a thief, and it gave off a suspicious vibe.

Given that they were going into a two-person dungeon, the environment seemed perfect for setting up something.

But Seong wasn’t overly concerned.

If he was attacked, he could just defeat them.

So, he joined the party.

『Seong-Lv.37-(????)』
『Nanjiro-Lv.35-(Thief)』

"??????"

Nanjiro’s face was filled with question marks.

Didn’t he say this was his first time in the second village?

Why was Seong’s level higher than his?

Nanjiro blinked and looked at Seong, thinking about this.

Seong, noticing Nanjiro’s confusion, looked back at him as if asking, "Is there a problem?"

"Uh? Is something wrong?"

"Uh... Seong-nim, you said this is your first time in the second village..."

"Ah, no, I was in another second village before, but I just came to Oren village recently."

"Ah..."

Nanjiro’s face turned red with embarrassment, and his posture became much more respectful. Seong tilted his head in confusion.

Why is he acting like this?

"Ah... I thought you were a beginner who just came to the second village..."

"Ah! That makes sense."

"Yes, yes! Then, let's go! I’ll guide you!"

Nanjiro, now very polite, began leading Seong down the path, though inside, he thought to himself.

‘I shouldn’t have spoken up, how embarrassing...’

Still, as he glanced at Seong, he noticed that Seong was wearing some pretty expensive items.

‘Must be a student with some money.’

That was his first impression.

People who tend to spend real money early on.

Usually, such players aren’t that strong.

Nanjiro assumed that Seong was one of those.

Perhaps lacking in skill, but playing as a mage, which was currently a popular choice.

‘Well, I guess I’ll have to step up and lead the way.’

Even though Nanjiro’s level was lower, he would prove his worth through excellent thief control and change the negative perception of his class!

Nanjiro, confident in his abilities, led Seong toward the Giant Ant Nest.

True to its name, the entrance to the cave was massive enough to fit five people.

That indicated the ants themselves were quite large.

Nanjiro continued with his explanation.

"Since this is your first time here, I’ll explain. The big ants in here travel in groups, but there will always be at least two of them, so they’re easy monsters to deal with."

"Oooh."

"They have decent defense, but their weak point is clear. Aim for their neck, and you can take them down quickly. Haha! I’ll take the front and block them all!"

Seong, hearing Nanjiro’s explanation, thought to himself that this would be a good place to experiment.

The defense was strong, but there were many ants.

It was the perfect opportunity to test his explosive skills.

But before acting, Seong carefully spoke up.

"Would it be alright if I use my skills first, in case they cause any explosion damage?"

"Eh?"

"Ah, I’ve just gained some new skills, and I don’t want them to accidentally affect you."

"Ah, I see! Yeah, it’s fine. Using your explosive skills first would be great!"

Nanjiro nodded with a somewhat amused expression.

Everyone wants to test out new skills, but Seong was unusually confident about using explosion skills.

At this level, explosive skills aren’t the most powerful, but they can deal massive area damage.

He seemed unaware of that, which made Nanjiro feel like Seong was a bit of an inexperienced player.

‘He’s definitely a naïve rookie.’

Nanjiro had almost confirmed it.

‘I hope he doesn’t disappoint me.’

Nanjiro was somewhat concerned.

He’d been through the same thing before.

Seong’s level was higher, but Nanjiro was certain he knew more about the game.

After all, Seong had only been playing for two days.

They entered the dungeon.

Nanjiro, being the thief, was supposed to lead, but he hesitated and didn’t immediately rush ahead, as per Seong’s request.

Soon enough, a large group of giant ants, living up to the name of the Giant Ant Nest, appeared.

There were six of them, which was quite a lot.

Surprised, Nanjiro quickly shouted to Seong.

"Aim for their necks!"

Seong nodded and raised his staff, summoning a Bone Arrow.

Before he could even be surprised at how little mana it took, the Bone Arrow flew and pierced the neck of the giant ant in the center of the group.

Thud!

[Critical Hit!]
[The effect of One Strike! is activated!]

The giant ant staggered in surprise, clearly shocked by the damage.

"Whoa!?"

Nanjiro, shocked by how quickly Seong hit, stared in disbelief.

But Seong wasn’t paying attention to him. He quickly dismissed the message blocking his view and immediately cast another spell.

The Bone Arrow had a cooldown, and Seong’s next skill was Wandering Spirits.

As he held his staff, turquoise light gathered in the air and formed into the shape of a spear.

The turquoise spear shot out like lightning when Seong pointed at it, piercing the neck of another giant ant before it even had a chance to react.

[Critical Hit!]
[You have gained experience.]

‘Huh? It died already?’

Seeing the giant ant fall after just two hits, Nanjiro felt something was off.

Even weak ants shouldn’t have gone down in just two attacks.

Curious, he looked at Seong.

Seong seemed pleased with his performance.

‘The damage is higher than usual.’

The mana usage was low, and the damage was stronger than before.

It was a small difference, but the effects of the evolved Acolyte Lord’s Staff were clear.

After using the skills, Seong immediately cast Corpse Poison as soon as the ant in the middle fell.

Pssss.

A greenish gas rose from the corpse, spreading slowly but surely.

The poison was definitely working, and the giant ants, feeling the poison as they approached, quickly scattered from the center.

As the poison touched their bodies, the ants screeched in pain.

Chiiiiiiiiii!

The strong acidic poison dissolved their tough exoskeletons.

"Kieeeee!"

"Kiik!"

The poison spread from the area that touched the ants’ bodies, melting them away with its horrific strength. The ants writhed in agony, trying to escape.

But suddenly, tiny lights began to flicker within the green gas, and Seong, seeing this, used another skill.

As the green gas enveloped the ants, the tiny lights ignited.

BAM!

The green gas exploded, consuming all the giant ants.

The explosion sent a shockwave through the area, spreading the poison everywhere.

The explosion didn’t just scatter the gas—it spread outwards, covering more ground.

The explosion from the two ants’ corpses also triggered another burst of light.

As the lights ignited, another massive explosion occurred.

*[Boom!]
[The ground trembles.]

The entire cave shook with the intensity of the blast.

Seong could tell how powerful the explosion had been.

As the shockwave spread, a dark cloud of smoke filled the air, only to disperse as the wind blew it away.

Where the smoke had been, the earth was left in ruins, torn apart by the explosions.

"???"

Nanjiro, who had been watching this spectacle, blinked in shock and turned to Seong.

Then, with a deep bow, Nanjiro spoke in a tone much more respectful than before.

"Please... spare me."

"Excuse me???"

It seemed that Nanjiro had misinterpreted the situation.