<Chapter 3. Level Up >
"It's a good view."
Lee Shin Woo carelessly muttered. Although he was underground, mana was everywhere, and harmoniously floated about. Lee Shin Woo stretched his bare hand, and the mana briefly remained at his fingertips, and then went somewhere else. It seemed it was because his Beginner Magic Affinity was still only level 1.
'Getting this skill early on was definitely a good call.'
He stayed there, playing with the mana a bit more, and then, withdrew his hand and nodded his head. After experiencing the mystery of mana, he finally felt like he was in a different world. He had felt, how should he say it, that it was just a survival game up until now.
'If the blue bone was this effective, then what would the red bone do? It feels like the red bone would've been really helpful. I can't ignore Perium anymore... oh.'
[A quest has occurred!]
He wasn't that surprised this time seeing the quest message. Before the message appeared, he saw the mana in front of him distort, and not only that, he had predicted that it would appear at around this timing.
[The Ability to Survive Here]
[Though you have safely infiltrated the Empire, you are still too weak. The Underground Empire is vast, and there are powerful undead who have lived a long time within. However, there are fortunately some who evaded the undead curse and continued to live. These living beings inhabit an isolated environment, the dungeon.]
[You must first build up your strength in the dungeon before you start your battle with the undead in earnest. Pick a dungeon nearby and get to level 2. When the sum of your stats reaches 200, the karma that you've gathered up to that point will determine your future appearance and potential.]
[However, be cautious. The dungeon itself is safe from the curse, but those who were cursed and entered into the dungeon are not.]
[Quest reward - Open Heroes' Chatting Channel]
"What!?"
After he read the entire quest, Lee Shin Woo's eyes glared. A chatting channel? It would've been nice if they'd opened the chatting channel earlier!
If not, is this karma too!? If that's also not it, is getting to level 2 the prerequisite to entering the chatting room!?
"Let's go now. Right now."
[The dungeon's location is being shown on the minimap.]
However, contrary to his massive complaining, he immediately nodded his head and accepted the quest. He had been lonely since he hadn't had anyone to talk to, but a channel where he could talk to the other heroes inside the Empire? He would be lying if he said he wasn't happy.
Furthermore, realistically speaking, this chatting channel would be helpful. The heroes agreed that their mission was to save the Empire. Then that meant they were on the same page. Lee Shin Woo hoped that the heroes deep within the Empire would each say a word or two to their junior.
'No wait, I might be thinking too optimistically since I've been starved of human contact, but... in any case, I'll know when the channel's open.'
As long as he behaved himself, Lee Shin Woo would be able to use this chatting channel effectively. He was extremely satisfied with the quest reward, nodded his head, and finally noticed the last phrase of the quest.
[However, be cautious. The dungeon itself is safe from the curse, but those who were cursed and entered into the dungeon are not.]
He tilted his head. The monsters inside the dungeon aren't affected by the curse, but the heroes who had entered the empire have already been affected by it, so be cautious if you don't want to die, is that it? He was an undead that was blessed with immortality, so he didn't really worry about it too much.
'...Alright, let's find a suitable dungeon nearby.'
Lee Shin Woo leaned against a nearby building's wall and concealed himself; then, he gently closed his eyes and saw the minimap.
Things like the monsters' locations didn't appear on the minimap, but aside from that, it showed the surrounding area in fair detail. Lee Shin Woo tended to not have a good sense of direction, so showing the surrounding area would give him a solid sense of direction.
'There are three shining points above the minimap... Their size is subtly different; does the difficulty correspond with the size?'
There were three dungeons in the immediate vicinity. Right now, he couldn't tell what kind of monsters were in a certain dungeon, nor could he tell their difficulty level. He wouldn't know until he personally entered the dungeon.
If that's the case, picking any of them should be fine. Lee Shin Woo started to walk towards the closest dungeon. First, he needed to get out of the ruined city; then he would need to go past the desert terrain, which was all he saw, to reach his destination.
'The surrounding area should be safe. Since those skeletons just stayed atop the castle wall.'
Of course, he couldn't afford to be careless. After all, a Treasure Eater had appeared in the external passageways, which could be considered the tutorial stage, just because a Lv2 item had appeared.
Lee Shin Woo still wasn't confident that he could beat a Treasure Eater one on one with ease. The wall called 'levels' was huge and sturdy. However, it would change soon. As long as he raised his stats by 9, that is.
'First, let's be cautious of our surroundings...'
He had been afraid of the Empire ever since he saw the quest alert window, and he had comparatively been recklessly charging forward until now. Even so, Lee Shin Woo had no choice but to be on his guard. He couldn't afford to be reckless, even when taking on level 1 skeletons as his opponents.
However, fortunately, his concerns were unfounded. He hadn't encountered a single zombie or skeleton before reaching the dungeon that hid on the outskirts of the ruined city.
'...It's strange though.'
Since he hadn't encountered anything, he was even more concerned. How could there be fewer skeletons within the Empire than the skeletons guarding the external passageways? To him, who had prepared for a much more dangerous fight with the Treasure Eater, he felt all his energy drain away.
'Perhaps it's a matter related to the dungeon.'
He didn't ignore this sense of disharmony. He returned his bow that he had taken out to intercept enemies from a far distance and tightly gripping the bone spear. Then, he cautiously moved forward, being watchful of his surroundings.
His level 4 Beginner Spearmanship would be better than his level 2 Beginner Archery against a strong opponent. More importantly, his bone spear was at level 2. He felt more reassured when he held the spear than the bow.
He recollected his faint experience in the army, and instinctively guarded in all directions poorly, and after a while of walking tactically, he finally arrived at the point that shimmered on his minimap.
The problem was that it kept shining.
'I arrived but... So where exactly is the dungeon? Do I have to dig into the ground or something?'
The dungeon entrance was so well hidden that if the dungeon's location hadn't appeared on the minimap, Lee Shin Woo wouldn't have been able to recognize it.
He couldn't find it by looking at the ground, and it was a structure where he would find the stairway that led underground only after digging for quite a while, but honestly, there was a secret that was hidden here. And before he went through the effort of digging, Lee Shin Woo, fortunately, realized that.
"What's this pattern?"
There was a pattern on the ground that faintly emitted light. Lee Shin Woo scrutinized it for a while and realized that the pattern didn't actually exist but was a trace of mana that had become fixed, albeit faintly.
'This does look like the dungeon's entrance. What do I have to do for the mana to, oooh.'
The moment Lee Shin Woo's bare bone came into contact with the trace of mana, the magic circle that blocked the dungeon's entrance responded to Lee Shin Woo and started to strongly surge up. Lee Shin Woo instinctually directed the mana that was gathered in his bone and touched it.
Then, it seemed as though a light more powerful than the pattern was emitted, and Lee Shin Woo absorbed it! At the same time, Lee Shin Woo saw a series of texts in front of him, like when he saw his status or quests.
[Level 1 dungeon - You have received a permit to enter the Rural Rat Nest. All of your stats increase by ten in the dungeon. Info on the dungeon is added to your minimap. All your actions in the dungeon are buffed.]
[Beginner Magic Affinity has become Lv2. Magic recovery rate increases.]
The pattern on the floor naturally shut off, and the stairway that led underground appeared. If he hadn't learned Beginner Magic Affinity, he probably would've had to dig into the ground until he found the stairs. He also wouldn't have known that the dungeon was level 1, that his stats would be increased in the dungeon, or that he'd be buffed inside the dungeon.
Lee Shin Woo suddenly self-praised his choice (though it was more like a gamble than a choice) and went down the stairs into the dungeon.
- Kwang
The surroundings gradually got darker, and while going down the top of the stairway, suddenly the ceiling made a sound as it closed, and pieces of rock fell down in a flurry. If he were still human, he would've said it was dirty and freaked out, but after becoming a skeleton, he didn't need to wash up. It was fine as long as he didn't take a lot of damage.
'I don't need to eat, don't need to bathe, and I don't even need to sleep. I might even have the greatest advantage in roaming around this undead nest.'
Just considering the fact that he was thinking so strategically about his undead situation meant that his thought process was already far different than when he was still human, but he wasn't self-aware of this. He was just curious when this stairway would end and busily moved his feet.
But in the midst of that, his tension and his wariness helped to keep him from foolishly losing his life.
[Keuhat!]
"Ugh!?"
The incident happened in a split second. Finally, at the end of the ladder, he saw a stone floor exposed underneath, and while he was going down the ladder two steps at a time due to his excitement, suddenly, a bright light attacked him from within the darkness.
It was extremely fast and at the same time, powerful. Lee Shin Woo instinctually used Sprint and tried avoiding it, but despite that, the elbow of his arm not holding the spear starting from the bottom was completely severed.
"Ggeuuuuhk...!"
Even though he had changed into an undead, he retained his sense of pain. The pain he received was naturally awfully huge.
Still, Lee Shin Woo suppressed his desire to roll on the floor and raised his spear. He couldn't even tell where his opponent was, so getting angry at his injury was just a luxury right now!
'I was careless. I thought that the dungeon entrance would be ok.'
No, that wasn't it. He had put up his guard. His opponent was just too fast, and he just couldn't evade it.
Even right now!
'Ugh!'
[Keuhaak!]
By the time he had seen a glimmering light in the darkness, it was already too late. Lee Shin Woo hunched down without thinking the instant he felt goosebumps on his entire body. Something passed over his head, possessing both destructive force and speed.
[Beginner Sprint has become Lv5.]
"Shit!"
After he had barely dodged his enemy's attack, he grit his teeth and stabbed his spear forward. Until now, he had always thrust with the strength of both arms, but now, since he was gripping it with one arm, the force behind it wasn't like it was before.
[Kuwaak!]
"Ugh, damn it...!"
His enemy couldn't dodge his quick counterattack and his spear did indeed pierce its flesh, but he could tell that it wasn't a fatal blow from the blunt feeling that was relayed from the spear. He withdrew his spear, desperately retreated back and grit his teeth.
[Kuhaaaak!]
"Why you...!"
It was at that moment. He didn't know where exactly his enemy was, but after it yelled out a strange sound, the torches on the walls that no one knew about were lit in order and the whole area was slightly illuminated. Lee Shin Woo was finally able to see what his opponent looked like.
[Geu...Geuuaaaah...!]
It had rotting, decaying clothes, and similarly dressed down and dirty. There were cracks here and there on its body, and contrastingly, it wielded a long sword that gleamed silver... That was definitely a zombie.
'An undead...?'
Lee Shin Woo didn't think an undead would appear, yet one had appeared at the starting entrance. He didn't know what to think and momentarily stiffened. That was his mistake.
[Guaaah!]
His opponent’s rotten eyeballs rolled, and it advanced towards him, swinging its sword. Lee Shin Woo instantly lost his head. It was an absurdly nimble and sharp strike.
'You bastard...!'
Lee Shin Woo had been reduced to a head and rolled through the air. As he did so, the damn zombie that had killed him didn't stop looking at him until the end.
He had vowed to never die again, and it felt unfair that he had lost one of his lives so futilely. They said that undead wouldn't appear in this dungeon, but the fact that an undead had suddenly appeared from the start pissed him off.
At that time.
[Invisible Heart has become Lv3. All stats increase by 3.]
[97 levels remaining until the max level.]
At the same time as he saw the message, he was familiar with it since he had seen it once...
[Your total stat count is above 200. Would you like to receive level 2's karma? It is also possible to put it off briefly.]
[You have encountered an Undead Hero (Lv2). If you succeed in giving the Undead Hero peace, you will inherit the opponent's Perium that he gathered until his death, as well as a permit to God's secret shop.]
His eyes were filled with the appearances of strange messages.
'An Undead Hero... Damn it, that's what it was talking about.'
Only after reading the message did Lee Shin Woo barely understand the meaning behind the message when the quest occurred.
The message, 'The dungeon itself is safe from the curse, but those who were cursed and entered the dungeon are not.' wasn't talking about Lee Shin Woo, but of those who may have gone into the dungeon before him and had become undead!
'It's level two and it's a hero too. So, if the other heroes die, they really are mercilessly turned into the undead.'
Right now, he wasn't even concerned about the reward for taking down the undead hero. That's because he was instead thinking of how much Perium it had gathered before dying, and what he could buy with that money in the secret shop.
But if there was something that concerned him, it was that the effect of Invisible Heart had increased all his stats by three, and his total stats broke through the 200 mark; he wondered whether he should accept the level up or not.
'... I'm strangely torn.'
Common sense dictated that he should immediately nod his head and level up. Though the enemy who lopped off his head was a zombie, it was still a level 2 hero, and if he wanted to kill it easily, he should also be at level 2.
However, there was something that bothered him; it was the message stating that he could briefly postpone his decision.
Why? Why would they need to ask that now? If he was only allowed one choice, telling him that he shouldn't proceed with that choice had absolutely no meaning!
'If that's not the case, then... do you perhaps get something for postponing your level up?'
Lee Shin Woo violently rolled his head as he saw the zombie hero confirm his death, return his sword, and turn around. What could be the reason for postponing a level up? And what would change as a result?
[Keuhak... Keuhahat.]
While he pondered this, the zombie hero hobbled away, slowly returning back to where it came from.
When he looked at the zombie hero's body, he noticed that it was badly damaged. Its entire body had slash marks, as well as traces of bite marks; its neck was especially damaged, as more than half had been cut off and the neck bone was struggling to keep the shoulder and neck together.
'...Then...'
When he saw the wound, Lee Shin Woo was sure. He would postpone his level up to 2 and knew what he had to do, what he could do.
No, he didn't need any more excuses. That's just what he wanted to do right now. It was a desperate revenge.
[Your advancement to level 2 is briefly on hold.]
[Your body is reviving.]
For now, he steeled himself and quickly proceeded with his resurrection. Even his once lost arm was completely restored, and Lee Shin Woo lightly retrieved the Bone Spear that was rolling on the floor; and he silently, extremely silently stood up.
The zombie didn't think that the skeleton it had just taken down had a resurrection skill, so it kept walking slowly.
'Heup... Die!'
Lee Shin Woo only properly aimed for the zombie's neck, and forcefully took a step forward, simultaneously gripping his spear and strongly pierced forward. His stats were buffed by the dungeon, so his spear contained a force that he hadn't had just yesterday!
[Critical Hit!]
[You have learned the passive skill, Beginner Critical Hit Lv1! It will become easier to ascertain your opponent's weak points, and you can land a fatal blow.]
[Kyaaaaaaaahk!]
Its sharp scream screeched like a drill, and echoed throughout the clearing. His attack had definitely hit the mark, and he had succeeded in shattering more than half of the zombie's neck bone. As expected, he had a chance, even at level 1!
Plus, his attack just now had caused him to learn the Critical Hit skill, so it was like killing two birds with one stone.
[Kik, Kihaaaaahk!]
"How dare you! Kyaaaaahk!"
The zombie hero was extremely agitated, turned around, and attempted to slash him with its sword, but Lee Shin Woo pulled the spear lodged in its neck with all his might and cried out a shriek that wouldn't lose to the zombie’s. He had used his sole skill that utilized mana, the Shriek of the Dead!
[By using the Shriek of the Dead, the enemies in the entire area have momentarily fallen into a frenzied state.]
[Shriek of the Dead has become Lv2.]
The instant it heard his shriek, the trajectory of the zombie's sword stab greatly shook. Lee Shin Woo used that opportunity to safely pull out his spear and retreat. However, his (nonexistent) eyes were filled with unpleasant messages, compared to when he had swung his spear and slashed the zombie's neck.
[The enemy resists the status ailment. It was unable to completely resist the effects, but it has recovered its reduced accuracy rate.]
[Kuhwaaaak!]
"You piece of...!"
The zombie had immediately regained its form and its sword was approaching quickly! Before it was too late, Lee Shin Woo grasped its sword's trajectory, and raised his spear, using his Beginner Weapon Defense. However...
- Kwajik (breaking sound)
"Huh...?"
Its quickly approaching sword had broken his spear into pieces, the bone spear that was level 2 and had been reinforced three times (+3)! Its force truly felt akin to lightning.
However, despite the crazy situation, Lee Shin Woo frantically suppressed his unrest, and stabbed with a part of the split bone spear, shoving it into the zombie's neck. The zombie screamed and retreated.
"You piece of shit...!"
[Kuwaaaahk!]
He hurriedly picked up the remaining half of the splintered bone spear. However, because of the bone spear lodged in its neck, the zombie was worked up and attacked!
Fortunately, the force behind its sword swing was definitely weaker than before. The damage it had sustained was critical.
"Ugh...!"
The moment they clashed, Lee Shin Woo solely trusted in his instincts and used his Sprint skill, throwing his body at the zombie; and the zombie's sword dangerously grazed the small of his back. A savage breaking sound passed by him, and Lee Shin Woo nimbly uprighted his body, and before the zombie could take a stance, he thrust the remaining bone spear piece in his hand into its neck!
[Critical Hit!]
[Ugh.... Kuhaaak, Keueeek...!]
It had definitely hit the mark. Moreover, the unstable neck had two thick spears lodged into it, so the zombie couldn't even move, and merely floundered its hands around. The problem was that the sword within those floundering hands had a destructive power that couldn't be ignored and that it was cutting through the air.
No matter how he thought about it, the zombie's strength mostly came from its weapon, not its physical abilities. If not, there was no way that it would be able to easily cut through a level 2 weapon as if it were a straw!
"Hoo..."
Since he knew how frightening the zombie's sword was, Lee Shin Woo didn't hastily approach, and instead, stayed back safely, and took out his bow and some arrows from his inventory.
Although his Beginner Archery was only level 2, there was no way he'd miss at this distance. He notched an arrow on the bowstring, carefully aimed for its head, and fired.
[Gguaaaaahk!]
It hit the mark. Of course, even with a headshot, a level 1 weapon wasn't capable of inflicting a fatal wound. Though the kinetic energy from the arrow unleashed a force that violently shook the zombie's head, and as a result, it only received an intense shock, rather than damaging its unstable neck.
"Here, have some more!"
He shot another, and then one more. Its neck extended and sagged and was accompanied by the sound of flesh tearing.
Its sword, which continuously cut through the air, had momentarily stopped. Despite that, Lee Shin Woo didn't let down his guard, and once again notched an arrow, pulling the bowstring with all his strength, and... let go.
[Critical Hit!]
[The Beginner Critical Hit skill has become Lv2.]
[Kehk...]
The zombie muttered something, and the moment it took a step forward, its neck bone let out a horrifying breaking sound and broke. It couldn't bear its weight, so the head completely tore off, and rolled onto the floor.
Lee Shin Woo forcefully stepped on its head, which had rolled up to his foot, without hesitation. That was the moment his vengeance was complete, and simultaneously, the moment his level up began.
[You have defeated a Lv2 Zombie Hero. You have achieved a feat of defeating an enemy with a higher level than you. Agility and Magic permanently increase by 2.]
[You have acquired a permit to access god's secret shop. You have acquired 2,280 Perium.]
[You did not submit to defeat and succeeded in your revenge. Now, it is time for you to receive your karma.]
[Lv2 Feather Bone Boots (+1), Broken Lv2 Bone Spear (+3), and the Lv2 Zombie Hero's arm bones are absorbed through Bone Reinforcement. The Beginner Sprint skill has become Lv7. Strength has increases by 5, Agility by 10, Health by 5, and Magic by 15. Absorbing a portion of the Zombie Hero's memories and experiences.]
[You have learned the passive skill, Beginner Swordsmanship Lv1.]
[You have learned the passive skill, Low Rank Bursting Thunder. Beginner Spearmanship(Lv4), Beginner Swordsmanship(Lv1), Beginner Weapon Defense(Lv1), and Beginner Critical Hit(Lv2) have been absorbed into Bursting Thunder. You have acquired 17% proficiency in Low Rank Bursting Thunder.
[You have achieved a feat of acquiring a low rank skill. Magic increases by 5.]
[The Bone Reinforcement skill has become Lv3. The skill effectiveness increases.]
The instant his level increased, despite him not activating his Bone Reinforcement, the bones rolling around everywhere gleamed, and disappeared. The energy within the bones was absorbed into him. Even the Feather Bone Boots he was wearing! Fortunately, he was able to receive all the abilities within still intact.
'Ugh... my head hurts...!'
At the same time, memories were engraved in his head, overloading it. The Zombie Hero's memories had obviously increased his level, and its knowledge of this world instantly flowed into him!
Lee Shin Woo suppressed his desire to lose consciousness by gritting his teeth and organized and accepted the flowing knowledge as calmly as possible. His body made a dreary sound as well, and was changing in real time. However, because he had such a large headache, he didn't really feel the pain from the evolution of his physical body.
'Urgh...!'
His feeble bones became thicker, and the shape of his bones looked more suited for combat, as well as more durable. Compared to his body, his excessively large skull had reduced in size and became sturdier, while the skeleton which didn't have any dirt on it became slightly murky.
Meanwhile, a brand was engraved on his forehead, emitting a faint red light. Right now, Lee Shin Woo thought the word meant avenger, though he had no way of knowing. It was proof that his decision to defer his level up and prioritize taking down the zombie was the correct choice.
[You have become level 2. The effectiveness of your stats increases. Your inventory increases by 10 boxes.]
[Due to your achievement, you have gained the ability of an avenger. You have learned the passive skill, Beginner Avenger Lv1.]
How much time had passed since that message had appeared? He had frantically organized his brain and while he accumulated the knowledge, as well as the information, his front was filled with messages. For the first time, Lee Shin Woo realized that the pain that afflicted his body and mind had gone away.
"Hoo..."
He had gotten a hold of himself, surveyed his surroundings, and then took a sigh of relief. Despite the commotion, no monsters had appeared. Perhaps the Zombie Hero he had fought had killed all the living beings in the dungeon.
"Then, where?"
Too many things had changed all at once. He needed to more precisely understand the dungeon, if for no other reason than to explore the dungeon. Lee Shin Woo briefly took a deep breath and muttered status.
[Lee Shin Woo]
[Skeleton Avenger Blessed by God]
[Lv - 2(Status effectiveness 110%)]
[Strength - 73 + 10 Agility - 77 + 10 Health - 61 + 10 Magic - 43 + 10] (While the dungeon bonuses still apply)
[Passive skills - Invisible Heart Lv3, Acting Lv2, Beginner Avenger Lv1, Low Rank Bursting Thunder Lv1, Beginner Archery Lv2, Beginner Magic Affinity Lv2]
[Active skills - Bone Reinforcement Lv3, Beginner Sprint Lv7, Beginner Shriek of the Dead Lv2]
And then he suddenly realized that defeating the Treasure Eater or the Zombie Hero had been a miracle.
Lee Shin Woo checked his status and couldn't hide his astonishment at all.
'It's not just a simple increase in stats, but it increases the effectiveness of my stats by 10%?'
So that's why there's such an obvious, overwhelming divide between level 1 and level 2! If this kind of calculation is applied going forward, there'll be an even larger difference from level 2 to level 3, and level 3 to level 4.
His eyes looked dazed just imagining it. He realized that he still had a long way to go. If he had known this information beforehand, he wouldn't have even thought about fighting the Zombie Hero. The only reason he could even win against it was because the damage to its body had been so severe. He had been extremely lucky.
[Strength - 73 + 10 Agility - 77 + 10 Health - 61 + 10 Magic - 43 + 10] (While the dungeon bonuses still apply)
The power of the level itself was amazing, but his stats, which had absorbed the Bone Spear, the Feather Bone Boots, and the bones that the Zombie Hero had left behind, were also quite impressive. Due to his stat bonus from dying, as well as the effect of his achievement, Bone Reinforcement had resulted in an inflation of his stats.
Losing the Lv2 Bone Spear was regrettable, to the point of tears, but it had caused him to grow since it had been broken anyway.
'Then how about... I have two new skills, huh.'
When he leveled up, he had acquired the skill, 'Avenger', and a skill from the Zombie Hero's memory, 'Bursting Thunder'.
Because they had such grandiose names, Lee Shin Woo was concerned that they might be all looks and no substance, but it was just an absurd misunderstanding.
[Beginner Avenger Lv1 (Passive)]
[Once you harbor a grudge on someone, they cannot escape. You will be buffed if you run from the battlefield, and you can find the opponent who defeated you on the minimap. When you fight that opponent again, all your abilities will increase by 20%. Every time your revenge is successful, the skill grows.]
He gained the Avenger skill on the premise that he'll lose.
It was definitely a great skill. However, it seemed like a strange skill that wouldn't have much opportunity for growth, so he was slightly lost in disappointment, but when Lee Shin Woo understood the meaning behind 'You will be buffed if you run from the battlefield', he came to his senses.
'Does it mean that it's ok to run away for the purpose of revenge? If that's the case, then dying in battle isn't the only thing considered a defeat. ...It might not be such a simple skill as I had first thought.'
True, if defeat only came at the hands of a lost battle, then there would obviously be no point to this skill since not everyone has a resurrection skill.
The method of using the Avenger skill was different from the other skills he had gained thus far and was caused by the effect of his actions. The potential growth of this skill depended on how he used it. Of course, there was still stuff he didn't know about the skill, so recognizing that there was potential in the skill was the best he could do for now.
[Bursting Thunder Lv1(Passive)]
[A close combat fighting style that was created by a legendary hero; after it was enhanced by God's power, this skill was born. As the greatest fighting style that includes all close combat techniques and defensive techniques that originate from unarmed combat, its power and speed are akin to exploding lightning and fatal. In order to properly demonstrate that strength, the techniques are naturally clad in magic, but this is not possible at the current level.]
On the other hand, contrary to Avenger, Bursting Thunder was an incredibly intuitive ability. For some reason, he was able to naturally understand why Spearmanship, Swordsmanship, even Weapon Defense, and Critical Hit were absorbed in the process of gaining the skill.
It was a technique that included all close combat techniques! He didn't really need to say how amazing it was. It wasn't a technique that he could gain anywhere. By absorbing the bone that the Zombie Hero left behind, he had extracted the memories and experiences within. If it hadn't been for Bone Reinforcement...!
'For a legendary hero's ability to be enhanced by God's power. There's no way that a Lv2 hero could have created it himself, so he likely asked for this skill from God.'
When he thought about it like that, he felt like he'd scored. He'd be able to gain the abilities that God had given to the other heroes because of Bone Reinforcement! He had once again realized that that the Bone Reinforcement skill's potential was unlimited.
More importantly, it was amazing that the Bursting Thunder skill was at the low rank level. This was the first low rank skill he'd obtained, and considering his achievements, he was sure that it was a high-rank skill, rather than low rank.
'Then, lastly... let's take a look at the sword the zombie left behind.'
Honestly, when he defeated the Zombie Hero, he was most excited about acquiring its sword, not the level up, nor the acquisition of skills. Regardless of how experienced it was in Bursting Thunder, splitting a level 2 Bone Spear in a single strike was evidence that its weapon's ability was uncommon.
"It's over here."
Since the Zombie Hero had already disappeared and was gone, it was easy to find the sword that was rolling on the ground. The sword gleamed in a blue light within the darkness and looked truly mysterious, so his anticipation continued to rise.
However, the moment Lee Shin Woo excitedly grabbed the sword, something strange happened. The sword which had definitely been made of metal emitted a cracking sound and started to change!
[Through the power of Bone Reinforcement, all weapons that you gain change into bone.]
[Lv4 'Thunder Lasting' has changed into Lv3 'Bone of Thunder Lasting'.]
The weapon completely transformed the moment he touched it and it became really short. The bone blade radiated a delicate blue light, and the hilt became discolored, transforming into a black bone...
'...Bone?'
No, he ignored the impossibility of metal transforming into bone for now. How could a level 4 item instantly degrade into a level 3 item? What a waste!
He thought everything would be good, but he didn't know that Bone Reinforcement would have such a fatal flaw. Until now, all the items he had acquired were made of bone, so he hadn't been aware of it at all!
Lee Shin Woo was momentarily lost in a state of listlessness. If he was holding a level 4 weapon right now, he would've felt invincible...!
'No wait... Damn it, get a hold of yourself. I should've expected this kind of demerit.'
Moreover, it would've always been a demerit. Since Bone reinforcement would change all the weapons he acquired, he'd be able to use the weapons he wouldn't otherwise be able to use.
However, if he looked at the long-term, it would definitely be an advantage. He had no choice but to think that way for now. Tears flowed from his eyes (though they really didn't) and he checked the status of the weapon that changed to bone.
[Bone of Thunder Lasting]
[Lv3]
[Durability: 750/750]
[Attack Power: 100 - 120]
[Options: Strength + 5, Agility + 5, Increases Effectiveness of Bursting Thunder + 10%)
"Ugh, he probably got this from God, too."
The abilities of the hero he had just defeated were lousy, whereas the latent potential of the Bursting Thunder skill was ridiculous; not only that, its weapon was also closely related to the skill.
In other words, it was likely that the hero, in exchange for being dispatched to this world, asked God to give it a skill and a weapon. When he compared them to the abilities he'd gained, they seemed inferior, and aside from Bursting Thunder, there was a high possibility that the hero had gained other abilities, but he could care less since he didn't gain those abilities.
'It's definitely advantageous to have a high level weapon at the start but... this is the result.'
That was the only thing worth complimenting; that the hero had given to his junior. But he'd probably forget about it soon.
Despite the weapon degrading to level 3, the Bone of Thunder Lasting boasted strength that completely outstripped the Bone Spear. He tried swinging it around, and finally sighed, ridding himself of the regret of not obtaining a level 4 weapon.
It was at that moment.
[Quest complete. The chatting channel is opening.]
[Mr. Lee Shin Woo is entering.]
[Lloyd H.K: Hey, what's this? A newbie came in?]
[Seira Von Retadane: Hello, Mr. Lee Shin Woo. It should've been a hard decision to become a hero, so thank you for your bravery. Let's work hard in the future.]
[Prince Altania: Anyway, what level are you newbie? 5? 4? You're not level 3, are you? Please tell me you're not.]
[Lloyd H.K: He could start at level 3 and grow. Why are you discouraging someone who just came in?]
[Prince Altania: Damn it. That's because if you finish the start at level 3, even if you desperately try to earn Perium, the limit’s level 5. Do you know how many I've seen die like that?]
[Lloyd H.K: But I started at level 3 and now I'm level 6.]
[Prince Altania: You're... you're talented.]
As soon as the chatting channel was opened, a few people hectically chattered away. It was called a chatting channel, but it was more like a group chat, so it was noisy hearing so many voices in his ear simultaneously.
Despite that, he was so happy that he could hear other people talk that tears threatened to flow. To the point that he somewhat regretted that he didn't have eyes from which tears could flow.
[Lee Shin Woo: It's nice to meet you, seniors. Please take care of me.]
The moment the chatting channel opened, he instinctively understood how to use the channel, and gently bent his left pinky finger and spoke. He spoke both reasonably and calmly, to the point where it was difficult to believe that he had become a skeleton. No wait, a skeleton talking was strange from the start.
[Lloyd H.K: Considering how courteous the newbie is... he'd get along well with Retadane.]
[Seira Von Retadane: It's really nice to meet you. You're still in the outer area, right? If you find something troublesome, please tell me at any time.]
[Lloyd H.K: See?]
[Shino Rendu[1]: So what level are you? ...Should I give you some Perium?]
[Lee Shin Woo: I'm sorry, but why does my level or Perium matter?]
Lee Shin Woo decided to ask what he was most curious about first. He thought that by diligently killing monsters, and stockpiling stats through Bone Reinforcement he would get karma.
However, his senior heroes were synonymous regarding Perium and levels, so he couldn't help but be curious.
[Shino Rendu: What? Are you kidding me?]
[Lloyd H.K: Shino, if he came out of the secret shop only buying equipment, he might not know yet.]
[Shino Rendu: Ah... is that possible? True, that's the time when you're most clueless. Sorry, newbie. I lost a comrade just a little while ago, so I'm a bit touchy.]
[Lee Shin Woo: That's alright, I understand, senior. I was shortsighted. It seems that there are items in the secret shop that correspond to level.]
As Lee Shin Woo talked through the chatting channel, he felt a strange feeling. His personality was calmer than before, and he spoke respectfully; it felt like he had two personalities. It felt like he was wearing a mask... ah, he was using his Acting skill!
[Shino Rendu: Fortunately, your brain's not bad. Yeah, that's it.]
[Seira Von Retadane: That's the significance of the secret shop. You hunt the undead flooding from within the empire, acquire Perium, and then, go to the secret shop to purchase a medicine that increases your stats. Through that, we surpass our limits and are then able to do a more difficult area. At the same time, the purification of the empire progresses. It's fine, even if your level is a bit low. Since God's secret shop makes it possible for 'infinite growth potential'.]
[Lloyd H.K: The higher your level, the more expensive the medicine costs... Do you know how much it costs to buy a single health drug? 300,000 Perium, damn it. It'd probably be faster to achieve a feat and increase my stats that way.]
[Shino Rendu: But achieving a feat ain't easy. Alfy wanted to do that and overtaxed himself... Ha.]
Lee Shin Woo was moved once he heard a senior hero lament. He was suddenly sure that his request to God wasn't wrong.
Of course, he knew that they all didn't have a special characteristic like Bone Reinforcement, but he didn't know that they had to go through so much trouble just to level up. If they had to go through this much trouble, then it was worthwhile becoming bald and impotent! Probably! Please!
[Prince Altania: While we're on the topic, what level are you right now, Retadane?]
[Seira Von Retadane: Isn't Mr. Lee Shin Woo more important than me right now?]
[Prince Altania: You're avoiding it again. So, newbie, what's your level?]
Lee Shin Woo was briefly silent. He had just learned new information and suddenly realized how amazing his ability was, so his mind had become busy.
However, if he was sure of one thing, it was that he didn't really need to tell them that he was level 2 and cause them to despair. There was the difference between the level they would accept, and the level he would accept, and in their eyes, his growth rate would seem excessively fast in the future.
[Lee Shin Woo: I'm level 4.]
[Lloyd H.K: Nice. If you're level 4, then there's still hope in this world.]
[Seira Von Retadane: That's a relief. Then it seems like you won't hopelessly die in the outskirts.]
[Shino Rendu: Not bad. Hey, after you've properly armed yourself, make sure you get the medicine. Increasing your level should be your priority over everything else, your level. You already know, right?]
Since he knew they would respond like this, he exaggerated quite a lot. He didn't even know how much he had to raise his stats to get to level 4, but he went with it for now. They had responded in the way he had expected.
[Prince Altania: Still, you're not very strong, so you probably received a special feature based on your characteristics. What did you get? You didn't ask for something like increasing your level, shooting fire, or asking for a sword, right? Please tell me you didn't.]
The abilities one receives when they cross over to Heguroa depends on how strong they were originally.
Normally, in a fantasy world, a strong person would comparatively get weaker abilities, while a normal civilian from Earth like Lee Shin Woo would receive the greatest of abilities. That bastard Prince was asking about that right now.
[Lee Shin Woo: I got a skill.]
[Prince Altania: Good job! Seriously, good job!]
[Lloyd H.K: Your base is good. If he does well, he should become strong.]
[Seira Von Retadane: You did well. None of the skills that God grants are normal. Yes... how can we help Mr. Lee Shin Woo right now?]
[Lloyd H.K: Newbie, tell us about your current situation. Since we'll do what we can to help you.]
Fortunately, his seniors seemed mostly amicable. He didn't know how many of his senior heroes were in the empire, but... he was slightly relieved and replied.
[Lee Shin Woo: I'm alright for now. If I get into a tough situation, could I please count on your advice then?]
[Lloyd H.K: Hey, you can speak a bit more comfortably...]
[Yasunori Akira: Hm, it's been a while seen we've seen a guy with some common sense. If you can safely get to the capital, I'll put you in my party then.]
[Lloyd H.K: Akira, you're still not dead?]
[Yasunori Akira: You idiot, don't call me by my name.]
Even by his standards, he was extremely polite to the point he felt goosebumps! However, Lee Shin Woo was definitely weaker than his seniors right now, so he decided that he needed to thoroughly bow his head for now. Plus, he's a skeleton right now! There was nothing wrong with always being careful, regardless of who he was dealing with.
[Prince Altania: Yeah, when the time comes, I'll give you some advice. Think of it as an honor.]
[Seira Von Retadane: If you always keep the chatting channel open, you won't be able to focus on the current situation, Mr. Lee Shin Woo. Please keep that in mind. I'll be praying for you to safely arrive at the capital.]
[Lee Shin Woo: Thank you for the advice. Then, I'll see you later.]
Lee Shin Woo politely said his goodbyes and closed the chatting channel.
He could no longer hear the voices that had pounded in his ears, and it felt lonely, but still, he had found a place where he could chatter whenever he wanted, so he was delighted. From now on, he felt sure that he'd be able to cope with this world.
"Anyway, since a quest isn't coming up... it's telling me to do as I please for now."
It worked out well. Since he decided to clear the dungeon to adapt to his body, which had advanced to level 2, as well as his new skill, and weapon. Of course, gaining Perium and bones was his highest priority.
"Hoo, then... shall we go?"
He sighed satisfyingly and took a step forward into the dungeon.
In order to completely adapt to this world, he moved his skeleton body.
[1] T/N: He's a man.
<Chapter 3. Level Up >
"It's a good view."
Lee Shin Woo carelessly muttered. Although he was underground, mana was everywhere, and harmoniously floated about. Lee Shin Woo stretched his bare hand, and the mana briefly remained at his fingertips, and then went somewhere else. It seemed it was because his Beginner Magic Affinity was still only level 1.
'Getting this skill early on was definitely a good call.'
He stayed there, playing with the mana a bit more, and then, withdrew his hand and nodded his head. After experiencing the mystery of mana, he finally felt like he was in a different world. He had felt, how should he say it, that it was just a survival game up until now.
'If the blue bone was this effective, then what would the red bone do? It feels like the red bone would've been really helpful. I can't ignore Perium anymore... oh.'
[A quest has occurred!]
He wasn't that surprised this time seeing the quest message. Before the message appeared, he saw the mana in front of him distort, and not only that, he had predicted that it would appear at around this timing.
[The Ability to Survive Here]
[Though you have safely infiltrated the Empire, you are still too weak. The Underground Empire is vast, and there are powerful undead who have lived a long time within. However, there are fortunately some who evaded the undead curse and continued to live. These living beings inhabit an isolated environment, the dungeon.]
[You must first build up your strength in the dungeon before you start your battle with the undead in earnest. Pick a dungeon nearby and get to level 2. When the sum of your stats reaches 200, the karma that you've gathered up to that point will determine your future appearance and potential.]
[However, be cautious. The dungeon itself is safe from the curse, but those who were cursed and entered into the dungeon are not.]
[Quest reward - Open Heroes' Chatting Channel]
"What!?"
After he read the entire quest, Lee Shin Woo's eyes glared. A chatting channel? It would've been nice if they'd opened the chatting channel earlier!
If not, is this karma too!? If that's also not it, is getting to level 2 the prerequisite to entering the chatting room!?
"Let's go now. Right now."
[The dungeon's location is being shown on the minimap.]
However, contrary to his massive complaining, he immediately nodded his head and accepted the quest. He had been lonely since he hadn't had anyone to talk to, but a channel where he could talk to the other heroes inside the Empire? He would be lying if he said he wasn't happy.
Furthermore, realistically speaking, this chatting channel would be helpful. The heroes agreed that their mission was to save the Empire. Then that meant they were on the same page. Lee Shin Woo hoped that the heroes deep within the Empire would each say a word or two to their junior.
'No wait, I might be thinking too optimistically since I've been starved of human contact, but... in any case, I'll know when the channel's open.'
As long as he behaved himself, Lee Shin Woo would be able to use this chatting channel effectively. He was extremely satisfied with the quest reward, nodded his head, and finally noticed the last phrase of the quest.
[However, be cautious. The dungeon itself is safe from the curse, but those who were cursed and entered into the dungeon are not.]
He tilted his head. The monsters inside the dungeon aren't affected by the curse, but the heroes who had entered the empire have already been affected by it, so be cautious if you don't want to die, is that it? He was an undead that was blessed with immortality, so he didn't really worry about it too much.
'...Alright, let's find a suitable dungeon nearby.'
Lee Shin Woo leaned against a nearby building's wall and concealed himself; then, he gently closed his eyes and saw the minimap.
Things like the monsters' locations didn't appear on the minimap, but aside from that, it showed the surrounding area in fair detail. Lee Shin Woo tended to not have a good sense of direction, so showing the surrounding area would give him a solid sense of direction.
'There are three shining points above the minimap... Their size is subtly different; does the difficulty correspond with the size?'
There were three dungeons in the immediate vicinity. Right now, he couldn't tell what kind of monsters were in a certain dungeon, nor could he tell their difficulty level. He wouldn't know until he personally entered the dungeon.
If that's the case, picking any of them should be fine. Lee Shin Woo started to walk towards the closest dungeon. First, he needed to get out of the ruined city; then he would need to go past the desert terrain, which was all he saw, to reach his destination.
'The surrounding area should be safe. Since those skeletons just stayed atop the castle wall.'
Of course, he couldn't afford to be careless. After all, a Treasure Eater had appeared in the external passageways, which could be considered the tutorial stage, just because a Lv2 item had appeared.
Lee Shin Woo still wasn't confident that he could beat a Treasure Eater one on one with ease. The wall called 'levels' was huge and sturdy. However, it would change soon. As long as he raised his stats by 9, that is.
'First, let's be cautious of our surroundings...'
He had been afraid of the Empire ever since he saw the quest alert window, and he had comparatively been recklessly charging forward until now. Even so, Lee Shin Woo had no choice but to be on his guard. He couldn't afford to be reckless, even when taking on level 1 skeletons as his opponents.
However, fortunately, his concerns were unfounded. He hadn't encountered a single zombie or skeleton before reaching the dungeon that hid on the outskirts of the ruined city.
'...It's strange though.'
Since he hadn't encountered anything, he was even more concerned. How could there be fewer skeletons within the Empire than the skeletons guarding the external passageways? To him, who had prepared for a much more dangerous fight with the Treasure Eater, he felt all his energy drain away.
'Perhaps it's a matter related to the dungeon.'
He didn't ignore this sense of disharmony. He returned his bow that he had taken out to intercept enemies from a far distance and tightly gripping the bone spear. Then, he cautiously moved forward, being watchful of his surroundings.
His level 4 Beginner Spearmanship would be better than his level 2 Beginner Archery against a strong opponent. More importantly, his bone spear was at level 2. He felt more reassured when he held the spear than the bow.
He recollected his faint experience in the army, and instinctively guarded in all directions poorly, and after a while of walking tactically, he finally arrived at the point that shimmered on his minimap.
The problem was that it kept shining.
'I arrived but... So where exactly is the dungeon? Do I have to dig into the ground or something?'
The dungeon entrance was so well hidden that if the dungeon's location hadn't appeared on the minimap, Lee Shin Woo wouldn't have been able to recognize it.
He couldn't find it by looking at the ground, and it was a structure where he would find the stairway that led underground only after digging for quite a while, but honestly, there was a secret that was hidden here. And before he went through the effort of digging, Lee Shin Woo, fortunately, realized that.
"What's this pattern?"
There was a pattern on the ground that faintly emitted light. Lee Shin Woo scrutinized it for a while and realized that the pattern didn't actually exist but was a trace of mana that had become fixed, albeit faintly.
'This does look like the dungeon's entrance. What do I have to do for the mana to, oooh.'
The moment Lee Shin Woo's bare bone came into contact with the trace of mana, the magic circle that blocked the dungeon's entrance responded to Lee Shin Woo and started to strongly surge up. Lee Shin Woo instinctually directed the mana that was gathered in his bone and touched it.
Then, it seemed as though a light more powerful than the pattern was emitted, and Lee Shin Woo absorbed it! At the same time, Lee Shin Woo saw a series of texts in front of him, like when he saw his status or quests.
[Level 1 dungeon - You have received a permit to enter the Rural Rat Nest. All of your stats increase by ten in the dungeon. Info on the dungeon is added to your minimap. All your actions in the dungeon are buffed.]
[Beginner Magic Affinity has become Lv2. Magic recovery rate increases.]
The pattern on the floor naturally shut off, and the stairway that led underground appeared. If he hadn't learned Beginner Magic Affinity, he probably would've had to dig into the ground until he found the stairs. He also wouldn't have known that the dungeon was level 1, that his stats would be increased in the dungeon, or that he'd be buffed inside the dungeon.
Lee Shin Woo suddenly self-praised his choice (though it was more like a gamble than a choice) and went down the stairs into the dungeon.
- Kwang
The surroundings gradually got darker, and while going down the top of the stairway, suddenly the ceiling made a sound as it closed, and pieces of rock fell down in a flurry. If he were still human, he would've said it was dirty and freaked out, but after becoming a skeleton, he didn't need to wash up. It was fine as long as he didn't take a lot of damage.
'I don't need to eat, don't need to bathe, and I don't even need to sleep. I might even have the greatest advantage in roaming around this undead nest.'
Just considering the fact that he was thinking so strategically about his undead situation meant that his thought process was already far different than when he was still human, but he wasn't self-aware of this. He was just curious when this stairway would end and busily moved his feet.
But in the midst of that, his tension and his wariness helped to keep him from foolishly losing his life.
[Keuhat!]
"Ugh!?"
The incident happened in a split second. Finally, at the end of the ladder, he saw a stone floor exposed underneath, and while he was going down the ladder two steps at a time due to his excitement, suddenly, a bright light attacked him from within the darkness.
It was extremely fast and at the same time, powerful. Lee Shin Woo instinctually used Sprint and tried avoiding it, but despite that, the elbow of his arm not holding the spear starting from the bottom was completely severed.
"Ggeuuuuhk...!"
Even though he had changed into an undead, he retained his sense of pain. The pain he received was naturally awfully huge.
Still, Lee Shin Woo suppressed his desire to roll on the floor and raised his spear. He couldn't even tell where his opponent was, so getting angry at his injury was just a luxury right now!
'I was careless. I thought that the dungeon entrance would be ok.'
No, that wasn't it. He had put up his guard. His opponent was just too fast, and he just couldn't evade it.
Even right now!
'Ugh!'
[Keuhaak!]
By the time he had seen a glimmering light in the darkness, it was already too late. Lee Shin Woo hunched down without thinking the instant he felt goosebumps on his entire body. Something passed over his head, possessing both destructive force and speed.
[Beginner Sprint has become Lv5.]
"Shit!"
After he had barely dodged his enemy's attack, he grit his teeth and stabbed his spear forward. Until now, he had always thrust with the strength of both arms, but now, since he was gripping it with one arm, the force behind it wasn't like it was before.
[Kuwaak!]
"Ugh, damn it...!"
His enemy couldn't dodge his quick counterattack and his spear did indeed pierce its flesh, but he could tell that it wasn't a fatal blow from the blunt feeling that was relayed from the spear. He withdrew his spear, desperately retreated back and grit his teeth.
[Kuhaaaak!]
"Why you...!"
It was at that moment. He didn't know where exactly his enemy was, but after it yelled out a strange sound, the torches on the walls that no one knew about were lit in order and the whole area was slightly illuminated. Lee Shin Woo was finally able to see what his opponent looked like.
[Geu...Geuuaaaah...!]
It had rotting, decaying clothes, and similarly dressed down and dirty. There were cracks here and there on its body, and contrastingly, it wielded a long sword that gleamed silver... That was definitely a zombie.
'An undead...?'
Lee Shin Woo didn't think an undead would appear, yet one had appeared at the starting entrance. He didn't know what to think and momentarily stiffened. That was his mistake.
[Guaaah!]
His opponent’s rotten eyeballs rolled, and it advanced towards him, swinging its sword. Lee Shin Woo instantly lost his head. It was an absurdly nimble and sharp strike.
'You bastard...!'
Lee Shin Woo had been reduced to a head and rolled through the air. As he did so, the damn zombie that had killed him didn't stop looking at him until the end.
He had vowed to never die again, and it felt unfair that he had lost one of his lives so futilely. They said that undead wouldn't appear in this dungeon, but the fact that an undead had suddenly appeared from the start pissed him off.
At that time.
[Invisible Heart has become Lv3. All stats increase by 3.]
[97 levels remaining until the max level.]
At the same time as he saw the message, he was familiar with it since he had seen it once...
[Your total stat count is above 200. Would you like to receive level 2's karma? It is also possible to put it off briefly.]
[You have encountered an Undead Hero (Lv2). If you succeed in giving the Undead Hero peace, you will inherit the opponent's Perium that he gathered until his death, as well as a permit to God's secret shop.]
His eyes were filled with the appearances of strange messages.
'An Undead Hero... Damn it, that's what it was talking about.'
Only after reading the message did Lee Shin Woo barely understand the meaning behind the message when the quest occurred.
The message, 'The dungeon itself is safe from the curse, but those who were cursed and entered the dungeon are not.' wasn't talking about Lee Shin Woo, but of those who may have gone into the dungeon before him and had become undead!
'It's level two and it's a hero too. So, if the other heroes die, they really are mercilessly turned into the undead.'
Right now, he wasn't even concerned about the reward for taking down the undead hero. That's because he was instead thinking of how much Perium it had gathered before dying, and what he could buy with that money in the secret shop.
But if there was something that concerned him, it was that the effect of Invisible Heart had increased all his stats by three, and his total stats broke through the 200 mark; he wondered whether he should accept the level up or not.
'... I'm strangely torn.'
Common sense dictated that he should immediately nod his head and level up. Though the enemy who lopped off his head was a zombie, it was still a level 2 hero, and if he wanted to kill it easily, he should also be at level 2.
However, there was something that bothered him; it was the message stating that he could briefly postpone his decision.
Why? Why would they need to ask that now? If he was only allowed one choice, telling him that he shouldn't proceed with that choice had absolutely no meaning!
'If that's not the case, then... do you perhaps get something for postponing your level up?'
Lee Shin Woo violently rolled his head as he saw the zombie hero confirm his death, return his sword, and turn around. What could be the reason for postponing a level up? And what would change as a result?
[Keuhak... Keuhahat.]
While he pondered this, the zombie hero hobbled away, slowly returning back to where it came from.
When he looked at the zombie hero's body, he noticed that it was badly damaged. Its entire body had slash marks, as well as traces of bite marks; its neck was especially damaged, as more than half had been cut off and the neck bone was struggling to keep the shoulder and neck together.
'...Then...'
When he saw the wound, Lee Shin Woo was sure. He would postpone his level up to 2 and knew what he had to do, what he could do.
No, he didn't need any more excuses. That's just what he wanted to do right now. It was a desperate revenge.
[Your advancement to level 2 is briefly on hold.]
[Your body is reviving.]
For now, he steeled himself and quickly proceeded with his resurrection. Even his once lost arm was completely restored, and Lee Shin Woo lightly retrieved the Bone Spear that was rolling on the floor; and he silently, extremely silently stood up.
The zombie didn't think that the skeleton it had just taken down had a resurrection skill, so it kept walking slowly.
'Heup... Die!'
Lee Shin Woo only properly aimed for the zombie's neck, and forcefully took a step forward, simultaneously gripping his spear and strongly pierced forward. His stats were buffed by the dungeon, so his spear contained a force that he hadn't had just yesterday!
[Critical Hit!]
[You have learned the passive skill, Beginner Critical Hit Lv1! It will become easier to ascertain your opponent's weak points, and you can land a fatal blow.]
[Kyaaaaaaaahk!]
Its sharp scream screeched like a drill, and echoed throughout the clearing. His attack had definitely hit the mark, and he had succeeded in shattering more than half of the zombie's neck bone. As expected, he had a chance, even at level 1!
Plus, his attack just now had caused him to learn the Critical Hit skill, so it was like killing two birds with one stone.
[Kik, Kihaaaaahk!]
"How dare you! Kyaaaaahk!"
The zombie hero was extremely agitated, turned around, and attempted to slash him with its sword, but Lee Shin Woo pulled the spear lodged in its neck with all his might and cried out a shriek that wouldn't lose to the zombie’s. He had used his sole skill that utilized mana, the Shriek of the Dead!
[By using the Shriek of the Dead, the enemies in the entire area have momentarily fallen into a frenzied state.]
[Shriek of the Dead has become Lv2.]
The instant it heard his shriek, the trajectory of the zombie's sword stab greatly shook. Lee Shin Woo used that opportunity to safely pull out his spear and retreat. However, his (nonexistent) eyes were filled with unpleasant messages, compared to when he had swung his spear and slashed the zombie's neck.
[The enemy resists the status ailment. It was unable to completely resist the effects, but it has recovered its reduced accuracy rate.]
[Kuhwaaaak!]
"You piece of...!"
The zombie had immediately regained its form and its sword was approaching quickly! Before it was too late, Lee Shin Woo grasped its sword's trajectory, and raised his spear, using his Beginner Weapon Defense. However...
- Kwajik (breaking sound)
"Huh...?"
Its quickly approaching sword had broken his spear into pieces, the bone spear that was level 2 and had been reinforced three times (+3)! Its force truly felt akin to lightning.
However, despite the crazy situation, Lee Shin Woo frantically suppressed his unrest, and stabbed with a part of the split bone spear, shoving it into the zombie's neck. The zombie screamed and retreated.
"You piece of shit...!"
[Kuwaaaahk!]
He hurriedly picked up the remaining half of the splintered bone spear. However, because of the bone spear lodged in its neck, the zombie was worked up and attacked!
Fortunately, the force behind its sword swing was definitely weaker than before. The damage it had sustained was critical.
"Ugh...!"
The moment they clashed, Lee Shin Woo solely trusted in his instincts and used his Sprint skill, throwing his body at the zombie; and the zombie's sword dangerously grazed the small of his back. A savage breaking sound passed by him, and Lee Shin Woo nimbly uprighted his body, and before the zombie could take a stance, he thrust the remaining bone spear piece in his hand into its neck!
[Critical Hit!]
[Ugh.... Kuhaaak, Keueeek...!]
It had definitely hit the mark. Moreover, the unstable neck had two thick spears lodged into it, so the zombie couldn't even move, and merely floundered its hands around. The problem was that the sword within those floundering hands had a destructive power that couldn't be ignored and that it was cutting through the air.
No matter how he thought about it, the zombie's strength mostly came from its weapon, not its physical abilities. If not, there was no way that it would be able to easily cut through a level 2 weapon as if it were a straw!
"Hoo..."
Since he knew how frightening the zombie's sword was, Lee Shin Woo didn't hastily approach, and instead, stayed back safely, and took out his bow and some arrows from his inventory.
Although his Beginner Archery was only level 2, there was no way he'd miss at this distance. He notched an arrow on the bowstring, carefully aimed for its head, and fired.
[Gguaaaaahk!]
It hit the mark. Of course, even with a headshot, a level 1 weapon wasn't capable of inflicting a fatal wound. Though the kinetic energy from the arrow unleashed a force that violently shook the zombie's head, and as a result, it only received an intense shock, rather than damaging its unstable neck.
"Here, have some more!"
He shot another, and then one more. Its neck extended and sagged and was accompanied by the sound of flesh tearing.
Its sword, which continuously cut through the air, had momentarily stopped. Despite that, Lee Shin Woo didn't let down his guard, and once again notched an arrow, pulling the bowstring with all his strength, and... let go.
[Critical Hit!]
[The Beginner Critical Hit skill has become Lv2.]
[Kehk...]
The zombie muttered something, and the moment it took a step forward, its neck bone let out a horrifying breaking sound and broke. It couldn't bear its weight, so the head completely tore off, and rolled onto the floor.
Lee Shin Woo forcefully stepped on its head, which had rolled up to his foot, without hesitation. That was the moment his vengeance was complete, and simultaneously, the moment his level up began.
[You have defeated a Lv2 Zombie Hero. You have achieved a feat of defeating an enemy with a higher level than you. Agility and Magic permanently increase by 2.]
[You have acquired a permit to access god's secret shop. You have acquired 2,280 Perium.]
[You did not submit to defeat and succeeded in your revenge. Now, it is time for you to receive your karma.]
[Lv2 Feather Bone Boots (+1), Broken Lv2 Bone Spear (+3), and the Lv2 Zombie Hero's arm bones are absorbed through Bone Reinforcement. The Beginner Sprint skill has become Lv7. Strength has increases by 5, Agility by 10, Health by 5, and Magic by 15. Absorbing a portion of the Zombie Hero's memories and experiences.]
[You have learned the passive skill, Beginner Swordsmanship Lv1.]
[You have learned the passive skill, Low Rank Bursting Thunder. Beginner Spearmanship(Lv4), Beginner Swordsmanship(Lv1), Beginner Weapon Defense(Lv1), and Beginner Critical Hit(Lv2) have been absorbed into Bursting Thunder. You have acquired 17% proficiency in Low Rank Bursting Thunder.
[You have achieved a feat of acquiring a low rank skill. Magic increases by 5.]
[The Bone Reinforcement skill has become Lv3. The skill effectiveness increases.]
The instant his level increased, despite him not activating his Bone Reinforcement, the bones rolling around everywhere gleamed, and disappeared. The energy within the bones was absorbed into him. Even the Feather Bone Boots he was wearing! Fortunately, he was able to receive all the abilities within still intact.
'Ugh... my head hurts...!'
At the same time, memories were engraved in his head, overloading it. The Zombie Hero's memories had obviously increased his level, and its knowledge of this world instantly flowed into him!
Lee Shin Woo suppressed his desire to lose consciousness by gritting his teeth and organized and accepted the flowing knowledge as calmly as possible. His body made a dreary sound as well, and was changing in real time. However, because he had such a large headache, he didn't really feel the pain from the evolution of his physical body.
'Urgh...!'
His feeble bones became thicker, and the shape of his bones looked more suited for combat, as well as more durable. Compared to his body, his excessively large skull had reduced in size and became sturdier, while the skeleton which didn't have any dirt on it became slightly murky.
Meanwhile, a brand was engraved on his forehead, emitting a faint red light. Right now, Lee Shin Woo thought the word meant avenger, though he had no way of knowing. It was proof that his decision to defer his level up and prioritize taking down the zombie was the correct choice.
[You have become level 2. The effectiveness of your stats increases. Your inventory increases by 10 boxes.]
[Due to your achievement, you have gained the ability of an avenger. You have learned the passive skill, Beginner Avenger Lv1.]
How much time had passed since that message had appeared? He had frantically organized his brain and while he accumulated the knowledge, as well as the information, his front was filled with messages. For the first time, Lee Shin Woo realized that the pain that afflicted his body and mind had gone away.
"Hoo..."
He had gotten a hold of himself, surveyed his surroundings, and then took a sigh of relief. Despite the commotion, no monsters had appeared. Perhaps the Zombie Hero he had fought had killed all the living beings in the dungeon.
"Then, where?"
Too many things had changed all at once. He needed to more precisely understand the dungeon, if for no other reason than to explore the dungeon. Lee Shin Woo briefly took a deep breath and muttered status.
[Lee Shin Woo]
[Skeleton Avenger Blessed by God]
[Lv - 2(Status effectiveness 110%)]
[Strength - 73 + 10 Agility - 77 + 10 Health - 61 + 10 Magic - 43 + 10] (While the dungeon bonuses still apply)
[Passive skills - Invisible Heart Lv3, Acting Lv2, Beginner Avenger Lv1, Low Rank Bursting Thunder Lv1, Beginner Archery Lv2, Beginner Magic Affinity Lv2]
[Active skills - Bone Reinforcement Lv3, Beginner Sprint Lv7, Beginner Shriek of the Dead Lv2]
And then he suddenly realized that defeating the Treasure Eater or the Zombie Hero had been a miracle.
Lee Shin Woo checked his status and couldn't hide his astonishment at all.
'It's not just a simple increase in stats, but it increases the effectiveness of my stats by 10%?'
So that's why there's such an obvious, overwhelming divide between level 1 and level 2! If this kind of calculation is applied going forward, there'll be an even larger difference from level 2 to level 3, and level 3 to level 4.
His eyes looked dazed just imagining it. He realized that he still had a long way to go. If he had known this information beforehand, he wouldn't have even thought about fighting the Zombie Hero. The only reason he could even win against it was because the damage to its body had been so severe. He had been extremely lucky.
[Strength - 73 + 10 Agility - 77 + 10 Health - 61 + 10 Magic - 43 + 10] (While the dungeon bonuses still apply)
The power of the level itself was amazing, but his stats, which had absorbed the Bone Spear, the Feather Bone Boots, and the bones that the Zombie Hero had left behind, were also quite impressive. Due to his stat bonus from dying, as well as the effect of his achievement, Bone Reinforcement had resulted in an inflation of his stats.
Losing the Lv2 Bone Spear was regrettable, to the point of tears, but it had caused him to grow since it had been broken anyway.
'Then how about... I have two new skills, huh.'
When he leveled up, he had acquired the skill, 'Avenger', and a skill from the Zombie Hero's memory, 'Bursting Thunder'.
Because they had such grandiose names, Lee Shin Woo was concerned that they might be all looks and no substance, but it was just an absurd misunderstanding.
[Beginner Avenger Lv1 (Passive)]
[Once you harbor a grudge on someone, they cannot escape. You will be buffed if you run from the battlefield, and you can find the opponent who defeated you on the minimap. When you fight that opponent again, all your abilities will increase by 20%. Every time your revenge is successful, the skill grows.]
He gained the Avenger skill on the premise that he'll lose.
It was definitely a great skill. However, it seemed like a strange skill that wouldn't have much opportunity for growth, so he was slightly lost in disappointment, but when Lee Shin Woo understood the meaning behind 'You will be buffed if you run from the battlefield', he came to his senses.
'Does it mean that it's ok to run away for the purpose of revenge? If that's the case, then dying in battle isn't the only thing considered a defeat. ...It might not be such a simple skill as I had first thought.'
True, if defeat only came at the hands of a lost battle, then there would obviously be no point to this skill since not everyone has a resurrection skill.
The method of using the Avenger skill was different from the other skills he had gained thus far and was caused by the effect of his actions. The potential growth of this skill depended on how he used it. Of course, there was still stuff he didn't know about the skill, so recognizing that there was potential in the skill was the best he could do for now.
[Bursting Thunder Lv1(Passive)]
[A close combat fighting style that was created by a legendary hero; after it was enhanced by God's power, this skill was born. As the greatest fighting style that includes all close combat techniques and defensive techniques that originate from unarmed combat, its power and speed are akin to exploding lightning and fatal. In order to properly demonstrate that strength, the techniques are naturally clad in magic, but this is not possible at the current level.]
On the other hand, contrary to Avenger, Bursting Thunder was an incredibly intuitive ability. For some reason, he was able to naturally understand why Spearmanship, Swordsmanship, even Weapon Defense, and Critical Hit were absorbed in the process of gaining the skill.
It was a technique that included all close combat techniques! He didn't really need to say how amazing it was. It wasn't a technique that he could gain anywhere. By absorbing the bone that the Zombie Hero left behind, he had extracted the memories and experiences within. If it hadn't been for Bone Reinforcement...!
'For a legendary hero's ability to be enhanced by God's power. There's no way that a Lv2 hero could have created it himself, so he likely asked for this skill from God.'
When he thought about it like that, he felt like he'd scored. He'd be able to gain the abilities that God had given to the other heroes because of Bone Reinforcement! He had once again realized that that the Bone Reinforcement skill's potential was unlimited.
More importantly, it was amazing that the Bursting Thunder skill was at the low rank level. This was the first low rank skill he'd obtained, and considering his achievements, he was sure that it was a high-rank skill, rather than low rank.
'Then, lastly... let's take a look at the sword the zombie left behind.'
Honestly, when he defeated the Zombie Hero, he was most excited about acquiring its sword, not the level up, nor the acquisition of skills. Regardless of how experienced it was in Bursting Thunder, splitting a level 2 Bone Spear in a single strike was evidence that its weapon's ability was uncommon.
"It's over here."
Since the Zombie Hero had already disappeared and was gone, it was easy to find the sword that was rolling on the ground. The sword gleamed in a blue light within the darkness and looked truly mysterious, so his anticipation continued to rise.
However, the moment Lee Shin Woo excitedly grabbed the sword, something strange happened. The sword which had definitely been made of metal emitted a cracking sound and started to change!
[Through the power of Bone Reinforcement, all weapons that you gain change into bone.]
[Lv4 'Thunder Lasting' has changed into Lv3 'Bone of Thunder Lasting'.]
The weapon completely transformed the moment he touched it and it became really short. The bone blade radiated a delicate blue light, and the hilt became discolored, transforming into a black bone...
'...Bone?'
No, he ignored the impossibility of metal transforming into bone for now. How could a level 4 item instantly degrade into a level 3 item? What a waste!
He thought everything would be good, but he didn't know that Bone Reinforcement would have such a fatal flaw. Until now, all the items he had acquired were made of bone, so he hadn't been aware of it at all!
Lee Shin Woo was momentarily lost in a state of listlessness. If he was holding a level 4 weapon right now, he would've felt invincible...!
'No wait... Damn it, get a hold of yourself. I should've expected this kind of demerit.'
Moreover, it would've always been a demerit. Since Bone reinforcement would change all the weapons he acquired, he'd be able to use the weapons he wouldn't otherwise be able to use.
However, if he looked at the long-term, it would definitely be an advantage. He had no choice but to think that way for now. Tears flowed from his eyes (though they really didn't) and he checked the status of the weapon that changed to bone.
[Bone of Thunder Lasting]
[Lv3]
[Durability: 750/750]
[Attack Power: 100 - 120]
[Options: Strength + 5, Agility + 5, Increases Effectiveness of Bursting Thunder + 10%)
"Ugh, he probably got this from God, too."
The abilities of the hero he had just defeated were lousy, whereas the latent potential of the Bursting Thunder skill was ridiculous; not only that, its weapon was also closely related to the skill.
In other words, it was likely that the hero, in exchange for being dispatched to this world, asked God to give it a skill and a weapon. When he compared them to the abilities he'd gained, they seemed inferior, and aside from Bursting Thunder, there was a high possibility that the hero had gained other abilities, but he could care less since he didn't gain those abilities.
'It's definitely advantageous to have a high level weapon at the start but... this is the result.'
That was the only thing worth complimenting; that the hero had given to his junior. But he'd probably forget about it soon.
Despite the weapon degrading to level 3, the Bone of Thunder Lasting boasted strength that completely outstripped the Bone Spear. He tried swinging it around, and finally sighed, ridding himself of the regret of not obtaining a level 4 weapon.
It was at that moment.
[Quest complete. The chatting channel is opening.]
[Mr. Lee Shin Woo is entering.]
[Lloyd H.K: Hey, what's this? A newbie came in?]
[Seira Von Retadane: Hello, Mr. Lee Shin Woo. It should've been a hard decision to become a hero, so thank you for your bravery. Let's work hard in the future.]
[Prince Altania: Anyway, what level are you newbie? 5? 4? You're not level 3, are you? Please tell me you're not.]
[Lloyd H.K: He could start at level 3 and grow. Why are you discouraging someone who just came in?]
[Prince Altania: Damn it. That's because if you finish the start at level 3, even if you desperately try to earn Perium, the limit’s level 5. Do you know how many I've seen die like that?]
[Lloyd H.K: But I started at level 3 and now I'm level 6.]
[Prince Altania: You're... you're talented.]
As soon as the chatting channel was opened, a few people hectically chattered away. It was called a chatting channel, but it was more like a group chat, so it was noisy hearing so many voices in his ear simultaneously.
Despite that, he was so happy that he could hear other people talk that tears threatened to flow. To the point that he somewhat regretted that he didn't have eyes from which tears could flow.
[Lee Shin Woo: It's nice to meet you, seniors. Please take care of me.]
The moment the chatting channel opened, he instinctively understood how to use the channel, and gently bent his left pinky finger and spoke. He spoke both reasonably and calmly, to the point where it was difficult to believe that he had become a skeleton. No wait, a skeleton talking was strange from the start.
[Lloyd H.K: Considering how courteous the newbie is... he'd get along well with Retadane.]
[Seira Von Retadane: It's really nice to meet you. You're still in the outer area, right? If you find something troublesome, please tell me at any time.]
[Lloyd H.K: See?]
[Shino Rendu[1]: So what level are you? ...Should I give you some Perium?]
[Lee Shin Woo: I'm sorry, but why does my level or Perium matter?]
Lee Shin Woo decided to ask what he was most curious about first. He thought that by diligently killing monsters, and stockpiling stats through Bone Reinforcement he would get karma.
However, his senior heroes were synonymous regarding Perium and levels, so he couldn't help but be curious.
[Shino Rendu: What? Are you kidding me?]
[Lloyd H.K: Shino, if he came out of the secret shop only buying equipment, he might not know yet.]
[Shino Rendu: Ah... is that possible? True, that's the time when you're most clueless. Sorry, newbie. I lost a comrade just a little while ago, so I'm a bit touchy.]
[Lee Shin Woo: That's alright, I understand, senior. I was shortsighted. It seems that there are items in the secret shop that correspond to level.]
As Lee Shin Woo talked through the chatting channel, he felt a strange feeling. His personality was calmer than before, and he spoke respectfully; it felt like he had two personalities. It felt like he was wearing a mask... ah, he was using his Acting skill!
[Shino Rendu: Fortunately, your brain's not bad. Yeah, that's it.]
[Seira Von Retadane: That's the significance of the secret shop. You hunt the undead flooding from within the empire, acquire Perium, and then, go to the secret shop to purchase a medicine that increases your stats. Through that, we surpass our limits and are then able to do a more difficult area. At the same time, the purification of the empire progresses. It's fine, even if your level is a bit low. Since God's secret shop makes it possible for 'infinite growth potential'.]
[Lloyd H.K: The higher your level, the more expensive the medicine costs... Do you know how much it costs to buy a single health drug? 300,000 Perium, damn it. It'd probably be faster to achieve a feat and increase my stats that way.]
[Shino Rendu: But achieving a feat ain't easy. Alfy wanted to do that and overtaxed himself... Ha.]
Lee Shin Woo was moved once he heard a senior hero lament. He was suddenly sure that his request to God wasn't wrong.
Of course, he knew that they all didn't have a special characteristic like Bone Reinforcement, but he didn't know that they had to go through so much trouble just to level up. If they had to go through this much trouble, then it was worthwhile becoming bald and impotent! Probably! Please!
[Prince Altania: While we're on the topic, what level are you right now, Retadane?]
[Seira Von Retadane: Isn't Mr. Lee Shin Woo more important than me right now?]
[Prince Altania: You're avoiding it again. So, newbie, what's your level?]
Lee Shin Woo was briefly silent. He had just learned new information and suddenly realized how amazing his ability was, so his mind had become busy.
However, if he was sure of one thing, it was that he didn't really need to tell them that he was level 2 and cause them to despair. There was the difference between the level they would accept, and the level he would accept, and in their eyes, his growth rate would seem excessively fast in the future.
[Lee Shin Woo: I'm level 4.]
[Lloyd H.K: Nice. If you're level 4, then there's still hope in this world.]
[Seira Von Retadane: That's a relief. Then it seems like you won't hopelessly die in the outskirts.]
[Shino Rendu: Not bad. Hey, after you've properly armed yourself, make sure you get the medicine. Increasing your level should be your priority over everything else, your level. You already know, right?]
Since he knew they would respond like this, he exaggerated quite a lot. He didn't even know how much he had to raise his stats to get to level 4, but he went with it for now. They had responded in the way he had expected.
[Prince Altania: Still, you're not very strong, so you probably received a special feature based on your characteristics. What did you get? You didn't ask for something like increasing your level, shooting fire, or asking for a sword, right? Please tell me you didn't.]
The abilities one receives when they cross over to Heguroa depends on how strong they were originally.
Normally, in a fantasy world, a strong person would comparatively get weaker abilities, while a normal civilian from Earth like Lee Shin Woo would receive the greatest of abilities. That bastard Prince was asking about that right now.
[Lee Shin Woo: I got a skill.]
[Prince Altania: Good job! Seriously, good job!]
[Lloyd H.K: Your base is good. If he does well, he should become strong.]
[Seira Von Retadane: You did well. None of the skills that God grants are normal. Yes... how can we help Mr. Lee Shin Woo right now?]
[Lloyd H.K: Newbie, tell us about your current situation. Since we'll do what we can to help you.]
Fortunately, his seniors seemed mostly amicable. He didn't know how many of his senior heroes were in the empire, but... he was slightly relieved and replied.
[Lee Shin Woo: I'm alright for now. If I get into a tough situation, could I please count on your advice then?]
[Lloyd H.K: Hey, you can speak a bit more comfortably...]
[Yasunori Akira: Hm, it's been a while seen we've seen a guy with some common sense. If you can safely get to the capital, I'll put you in my party then.]
[Lloyd H.K: Akira, you're still not dead?]
[Yasunori Akira: You idiot, don't call me by my name.]
Even by his standards, he was extremely polite to the point he felt goosebumps! However, Lee Shin Woo was definitely weaker than his seniors right now, so he decided that he needed to thoroughly bow his head for now. Plus, he's a skeleton right now! There was nothing wrong with always being careful, regardless of who he was dealing with.
[Prince Altania: Yeah, when the time comes, I'll give you some advice. Think of it as an honor.]
[Seira Von Retadane: If you always keep the chatting channel open, you won't be able to focus on the current situation, Mr. Lee Shin Woo. Please keep that in mind. I'll be praying for you to safely arrive at the capital.]
[Lee Shin Woo: Thank you for the advice. Then, I'll see you later.]
Lee Shin Woo politely said his goodbyes and closed the chatting channel.
He could no longer hear the voices that had pounded in his ears, and it felt lonely, but still, he had found a place where he could chatter whenever he wanted, so he was delighted. From now on, he felt sure that he'd be able to cope with this world.
"Anyway, since a quest isn't coming up... it's telling me to do as I please for now."
It worked out well. Since he decided to clear the dungeon to adapt to his body, which had advanced to level 2, as well as his new skill, and weapon. Of course, gaining Perium and bones was his highest priority.
"Hoo, then... shall we go?"
He sighed satisfyingly and took a step forward into the dungeon.
In order to completely adapt to this world, he moved his skeleton body.
[1] T/N: He's a man.
