The Second Unique Ability

I looked at Seo Ju-Hwan who had come back. There were four people in Seo Ju-Hwan’s group with him taking the lead.

He said to me, “You don’t seem very surprised?”

His tone had casually slipped into informal speech. I responded in kind, “I had a vague idea of what you’d be up to. But I didn’t think you’d actually go through with it.”

“Really?” Seo Ju-Hwan flashed a grin. “Then, there’s no need for a long talk.”

Seo Ju-Hwan drew his weapon, a ‘dagger.’ He had clearly come prepared.

“There are no CCTV cameras here, and no police to protect you. You know this, right?”

Of course, I knew. Inside the dungeon, countless cases occurred where bodies would go unnoticed. Murders were not uncommon. In the future, these acts would be mitigated by the establishment of a Players’ Association with unspoken rules and disciplines among players—but that was in the future.

“And what’s the reason for this?”

“You just really piss me off. Bad luck on your part.”

Seo Ju-Hwan gave me a disgusted look before adding another statement, “But if you hand over that girl to me, I’ll let it slide just this once.”

He proposed the same to Ma Sang-Hyun, “What do you say, Ma Sang-Hyun? Hand over the girl, and we can settle this cleanly.”

Seon-Hwa clutched my clothes tightly. I could feel how small her hands were. A child who had just turned 14, barely out of elementary school, so small.

I said, “I don’t understand why you want Seon-Hwa.”

No. In fact, I knew. His summary revealed it quite vividly.

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Summary: A brutal pedophile.

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In other words, a lunatic. I looked at Seo Ju-Hwan. The Seo Ju-Hwan in front of me didn’t seem that strong.

“You said it. There are no CCTV cameras here.”

That applies to you too, idiot. Seo Ju-Hwan chuckled smugly.

“What? You’re thinking of fighting us? Ma Sang-Hyun will remain neutral anyway. Do you think a little punk like you and that tiny girl can take on the four of us?”

I couldn’t help but laugh at the absurdity. Did he have a basis for assuming Ma Sang-Hyun would remain neutral? Ma Sang-Hyun spoke up.

“I’m on Hyung-nim’s side.”

The way he raised his fist looked like a bull ready to charge at Seo Ju-Hwan. Seo Ju-Hwan didn’t seem particularly flustered.

“Fine. I’ve sized up your abilities already.”

Seo Ju-Hwan’s expression darkened.

“This is your last chance to choose.”

I could feel it through my heightened senses. A tingling sensation. It felt as if a sharp blade was piercing my body. It was what I learned through those senses.

‘Killing intent.’

It was killing intent—the energy of wanting to kill someone. He was serious. Seo Ju-Hwan warned me menacingly.

“Our monster-hunting abilities are about even. But I…”

I already knew what he was about to say.

“You’re specialized in PVP, aren’t you?”

“……”

Seo Ju-Hwan seemed taken aback for a moment when I stole his words, but he quickly regained his composure.

“You’re well-informed.”

I asked, “Did you manage to learn Shadow Assault?”

“……”

Probably not. He hadn’t class-changed or chosen a class yet. Judging by his reaction, he hadn’t learned skills like ‘Shadow Assault.’ Not much of a threat, then.

“Let me ask one more time.”

“Anytime.”

“If I don’t hand Seon-Hwa over, are you really planning to kill us?”

Seo Ju-Hwan smirked.

“I told you, there are no cameras here. This really is your last chance. Decide whether you want to die, or just hand that girl over to me.”

This place has no law or police. It’s a dungeon.

‘That’s right. That’s the kind of place this is.’

I haven’t forgotten it. Although I never directly experienced it, the early days of the dungeons were lawless territories.

“So, have you made up your mind?”

“My answer is…”

This.

I charged at Seo Ju-Hwan first. I slightly crouched and executed a Take Down tackle.

‘He’ll dodge it.’

His movements were clear to me. I could see the trajectory. I could visualize how he would move.

“This crazy bastard!”

A ranged dealer aimed his bow at me. I caught that motion too. My Eyes of Sensing, which contained hyper-awareness, read all of his movements.

“Too slow.”

Seo Ju-Hwan wasn’t the target I was aiming for. It was the annoying ranged dealer—my real target.

‘I hoped to not use it.’

I twisted and directed the skill I had prepared in advance towards the ranged dealer.

* * *

Ma Sang-Hyun was taken by surprise.

‘Hmm?’

It was a surprise that Kim Hyuk-Jin had anticipated this situation, but even more so that his movements now differed greatly from before.

‘Was he hiding his strength?’

There was no other explanation. Kim Hyuk-Jin’s movements were impeccably executed. Ma Sang-Hyun, who had mastered various martial arts, recognized that Kim Hyuk-Jin’s actions resembled those of someone trained in wrestling for a long time.

‘He deliberately didn’t show his full power.’

Realizing this, Ma Sang-Hyun also decided to fight. It was do-or-die.

“You scumbags.”

He charged at one of the players. That’s when Kang Seon-Hwa intervened.

[Skill. Platinum Shield activated.]

Clang!

A loud sound burst forth. Kang Seon-Hwa blocked Seo Ju-Hwan’s dagger attack, saving Ma Sang-Hyun.

“Thanks.”

The fact that a mere 14-year-old, someone whose Talent Plate hadn’t fully opened yet, could read Seo Ju-Hwan’s moves was astonishing, especially since Seo Ju-Hwan’s specialty was ambushes.

[Skill. Powerful Punch activated.]

A white light enveloped Ma Sang-Hyun’s fist as he thrust it into a player’s abdomen.

“Kek!”

The player’s body bent like a shrimp. At that moment, Kim Hyuk-Jin approached and splashed something sweet-smelling. Kim Hyuk-Jin was confident.

‘I can overpower them.’

They had greatly underestimated our strength.

‘No. We’re overpowering them.’

Ma Sang-Hyun moved much better and faster than expected. Seon-Hwa’s sense was unparalleled. Different than before when she had been scared and subdued.

‘Seon-Hwa has changed completely since the battle started.’

She blocked Seo Ju-Hwan’s tricky attacks three times in a row. Despite having used ‘Platinum Shield’ repeatedly, which left her breathing heavily and her body trembling, she was undeterred.

Just like with the ranged dealer, he pelted Seo Ju-Hwan with diluted honey water—an elixir made from the honey given by his sister.

“What the hell is this crap!?”

Seo Ju-Hwan sensed things weren’t going as planned. Ma Sang-Hyun and Kang Seon-Hwa were much stronger than expected. It seemed like they would be overwhelmed, but in truth, it was they who were being overwhelmed.

‘No. Ma Sang-Hyun and Kang Seon-Hwa aren’t the problem.’

It wasn’t Ma Sang-Hyun and Kang Seon-Hwa causing this situation; it was entirely due to Kim Hyuk-Jin. His movements were hard to follow. Whether he was using a special step or not, he evaded skillfully while attacking them.

‘How high is this dude’s Agility!’

Considering himself as someone who had heavily invested in Agility, it unnerved Seo Ju-Hwan that Kim Hyuk-Jin appeared to outpace him. Kim Hyuk-Jin moved here and there, throwing off their center of gravity, while Ma Sang-Hyun’s powerful blows added pressure. At times, Seon-Hwa managed to deflect their few attacks.

‘Dammit!’

It was that bastard. They had to target Kim Hyuk-Jin. He had believed Ma Sang-Hyun would be the main problem, but it turned out that Kim Hyuk-Jin was the real issue. His entire body was sticky—sweat mixed with the honey water.

‘Is he mocking us?’

Despite being able to land a fatal blow, Kim Hyuk-Jin chose not to use any weapon and just sprayed honey water instead.

Bwoo-Bwoo-Bwoo!

From inside a fork in the road, a loud booming noise began to approach.

“Get down!”

Kim Hyuk-Jin’s shout prompted Ma Sang-Hyun and Kang Seon-Hwa to hit the ground instantly. When they first entered this place, he had warned them:

[In any situation that arises, if I shout to get down, you do so, regardless of what’s happening. Got it?]

Ma Sang-Hyun and Kang Seon-Hwa complied immediately, as did Kim Hyuk-Jin. A swarm of bees flew over them—much larger than ordinary bees, even bigger than the ones usually referred to as scary, like the Japanese giant hornets.

[The Attack of the Boong Boong Bees has begun.]

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Boong Boong Bee -LV 18

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Each bee’s level wasn’t particularly high. However, Boong Boong Bees travel in swarms of thousands. Without a fire-type mage, it’s typically better not to even think about confronting these monsters.

“Shit, what the hell is this!!!”

Screams echoed. Boong Boong Bees are sensitive to sweet scents.

“Ugh, aaahhh!”

“Save, save me!”

“Ple-please, save me!”

Boong Boong Bees have a habit of sucking players’ blood.

“Please…”

“Save me…”

“No…”

The sounds of the four players drenched in honey water being surrounded by thousands of Boong Boong Bees diminished.

[The Attack of the Boong Boong Bees has ended.]

Hundreds of the bees, swollen from filling themselves with blood, lay on the ground. And four players were now lying there, having turned into mummies.

‘It’s over.’

Through my Eyes of Sensing, I could detect nothing. No signs of life. They could no longer be called living creatures.

‘People have died.’

Kim Hyuk-Jin had killed them.

‘It doesn’t feel as bad as I thought.’

I was surprisingly indifferent. I had committed murder, but I didn’t feel much guilt or remorse. Viewing the mummified corpses, I wasn’t particularly disgusted or frightened. It was unsettling how unfazed I was.

Mummified corpses. I looked at Seo Ju-Hwan one more time.

‘You brought this upon yourself.’

If you’re prepared to kill others, you should be ready to die as well. That was what Kim Hyuk-Jin thought.

Bodies drained of all blood. Boong Boong Bees, fattened and round like balloons, scattered around. Kim Hyuk-Jin had orchestrated this situation like a conductor leading an orchestra.

The guardians’ reactions varied.

[‘Lady of the Scales’ is greatly disappointed in you.]

[‘Nameless Observer’ maintains silence.]

[‘Whispering Demon’ claps hands in glee.]

Ma Sang-Hyun and Kang Seon-Hwa stood silently behind Kim Hyuk-Jin for a moment. Such events weren’t something they were accustomed to in their everyday lives. In this place, the most composed person was not the future King of Authority, Ma Sang-Hyun, but rather Kim Hyuk-Jin, who once received a [No Talent] rating.

A notification reached Kim Hyuk-Jin.

[You have been exposed to a special situation.]

[The system recognizes the event as a PK (Player Kill).]

[Through your first PK, a dormant unique ability has been forcibly unlocked.]

I had received a similar notification before, during the escape from the magic troll. That time, I had learned the unique ability ‘Hyper Senses,’ which now integrated into my ‘Eyes of Sensing.’

‘I had another unique ability?’

Typically, a player possesses one unique ability, generally granted around level 60, level 40 for the quick ones. And here I was with two already.

[Unique ability is being unlocked.]

A new unique ability had unlocked.

‘Hmm?’

This unique ability. I was thoroughly familiar with it.