Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Level 2 Player

Goblin Champion

Jin-su drew a shortsword. After using mana to enhance the shortsword and raise his physical abilities.

Hwiik!

He lightly threw the shortsword.

Puuk!

The shortsword Jin-su threw pierced the hobgoblin’s head.

Thud!

[You defeated a field boss monster in one blow.]

[Title The One Who Advances is granted.]

He obtained a title.

[Title The One Who Advances has been extinguished.]

It extinguished immediately though.

[Blessing of Hwangsin has grown.]

[Blessing of Hongsin has grown.]

However, the blessings grew.

‘What will rise this time?’

Jin-su thought the Strength and Stamina stats themselves would rise or the increase rate would widen. But he didn’t feel a particularly different width of change.

‘What?’

Jin-su opened the status window and checked the blessing options.

[Blessing of Hwangsin]

-Strength stat is fixed at 122.

-Agility stat is fixed at 122.

-Mana stat is fixed at 122.

-Increases Strength stat by 12.2%.

-Increases Agility stat by 12.2%.

-Increases Mana stat by 12.2%.

-Increases physical attack power by 2.2%.

[Blessing of Hongsin]

-Stamina stat is fixed at 122.

-Durability stat is fixed at 122.

-Mental Power stat is fixed at 122.

-Increases Stamina stat by 12.2%.

-Increases Durability stat by 12.2%.

-Increases Mental Power stat by 12.2%.

-Increases physical defense by 2.2%.

‘Attack power and defense increase.’

It was regrettable that the stats remained the same, but there was nothing bad about it.

‘Right now it’s only 2.2%.’

Because if it increases to 12.2%, it was certain to show tremendous efficiency.

‘Let’s finish the hunt first.’

Jin-su charged toward the goblin group that had lost its leader and fallen into confusion.

Seogeok!

Jin-su’s sword blew off the necks of 4 goblins in one blow.

“Kiiiik!”

“Kyaaaaak!”

The goblins that discovered Jin-su charged while screaming with bloodshot eyes, but.

Seogeok! Jwaak!

The two swords held in Jin-su’s hands each moved short and concise as if they possessed life, stealing the lives of the goblins.

Every time the swords were swung, the necks of three or four goblins flew off and their bodies were split in two. It was a sight closer to a one-sided massacre than hunting.

However, to Jin-su, the current hunting speed was not satisfying at all.

‘The body is too unripe.’

Although the stats had risen, Jin-su’s current body was that of an ordinary person who had never once swung a sword until being forcibly dragged to the Tower.

Thanks to the memories before the regression and the high stats, he was gripping and swinging the sword quite skillfully and cutting down monsters like rice straw, but from Jin-su’s own view, there were many gaps in the movements and it wasn’t efficient either.

‘Since what the head remembers and what the body remembers are different, is it unavoidable?’

If you repeat training and actual combat, even without the head giving instructions, the body reacts first according to the situation and fights with the most efficient movements. However, right now, not only was the body unable to properly follow the head’s instructions, but the path and movements of swinging the sword were also extremely inefficient.

‘The flow of mana isn’t smooth either.’

The mana circuits of a body that had never experienced mana were blocked tightly enough to be frustrating. Therefore, the amount of usable mana was small compared to the mana stat and the efficiency was low.

If he had properly utilized the stats raised by the blessings? If the body had perfectly carried out the head’s instructions? If the mana circuits had been wide open?

It wouldn’t have been at the level of blowing off the necks of three or four goblins when swinging the sword once, but dozens of necks.

‘They’re all dead.’

While fighting, he concentrated his mind in order to move the body a bit more efficiently and to open the mana circuits a bit more smoothly. But before the body got used to proper actual combat and mana circulated through the body a few times, the goblins all died.

‘Well, monsters keep coming out.’

Just in case, Jin-su searched the place where the hobgoblin died.

‘There’s another?’

But this one also possessed a treasure pouch. Jin-su grabbed the treasure pouch.

[Blessing of Hwangsin has grown.]

[Blessing of Hongsin has grown.]

At the same time, the blessings grew.

‘It means I obtained the same item twice.’

Jin-su smiled satisfactorily and checked the items inside the treasure pouch.

‘It’s a dud.’

Most were trash. The only things worth salvaging were four spears and two shortswords that seemed to have been obtained by killing players.

‘Did they run away?’

Jin-su looked downstream of the stream. The players who had been sitting closely together resting had all run away upon hearing the sound of Jin-su hunting the monsters.

Just in case, Jin-su took out two spears and gripped them in both hands. But the blessings did not grow.

‘Let’s just close my eyes for now. No need to go far.’

Jin-su climbed up a nearby tree, sat on a thick branch, and closed both eyes.

***

Early dawn.

Jin-su, who had closed his eyes moderately, woke from sleep. Because he maintained tension, he didn’t fall into deep sleep and only dozed. Still, the fatigue was relieved to some extent.

Ta-ak!

After a simple breakfast, Jin-su went down from the tree and moved toward the destination.

‘Why can’t I see them like this?’

While moving toward the place where the next hidden dungeon was, Jin-su furrowed his face. Because during the movement, not even the tip of a goblin’s nose was visible.

‘There’s no reason the ones I caught yesterday were all of them.’

The moment Jin-su thought that.

“Block them!”

“If they break through, we all die!”

“Aaaak!”

“Kiiiik!”

“Keruk!”

Clang! Puuk!

The sound of humans and goblins fighting was heard.

‘They were all gathered over there.’

Since Jin-su is alone, less aggro is drawn. On the other hand, the player group he saw yesterday has all the survivors except Jin-su gathered. So naturally, the goblins’ aggro had no choice but to concentrate.

Ta-ak!

Jin-su flew his body toward the place where the sound was heard.

‘They prepared better than I thought.’

In front of the cave that seemed to be the place where the player group had slept, a crude barrier made of trees and stones was made.

A goblin group that looked to be over at least 300 was charging to enter inside the barrier, and the players inside the barrier were blocking the goblins using spears and swords.

‘The number of people fighting is too small.’

The number of players is about 80. But those fighting at the front were only about 20.

‘It’s not even that the cave entrance is narrow.’

There was space for at least 30 or more to come out and fight.

‘They became a burden that drew aggro and lured the goblins.’

Since not even a day has passed, it might be that they haven’t adapted to the Tower. But the Tower is cold. Those who cannot adapt have no choice but to die.

Ta-ak!

Jin-su flew his body. Over 300 goblins he hadn’t even seen the tip of the nose of until now were gathered. It was regrettable that there was no hobgoblin which is a boss monster, but even that much was the same as a well-prepared feast from Jin-su’s position.

Seogeok!

The moment Jin-su, who suddenly revealed himself from the rear, swung his sword, 4–5 goblins died.

“Kiiiik!”

The goblins screamed and charged toward Jin-su, but.

Jwaak! Seogeok!

They only died instantly in front of the two swords Jin-su swung. The goblin group couldn’t even run away. Because the front was blocked by the barrier and Jin-su was at the back.

[You hunted 1,000 monsters within one day of entering the Tower.]

[Title Monster Slayer is granted.]

‘Obtained.’

When he had almost cleaned up the goblins, he added one achievement that can only be obtained on Floor 1.

‘A big help.’

Because the players gathered into one properly drew the goblins’ aggro, he could easily achieve the achievement and obtain the title.

That wasn’t the end.

[You saved other players from crisis multiple times.]

[Title Savior of Floor 1 is granted.]

A title that even Jin-su didn’t know the existence of was additionally granted.

‘There was something like this too?’

He moved aiming for the Monster Slayer title, but accidentally achieved one more achievement.

[Titles Monster Slayer and Savior of Floor 1 have been extinguished.]

Well, as soon as they appeared, the blessings absorbed them and they disappeared in an instant. This was also familiar now.

Jwaaaak!

Chal-kak!

When the goblin group was annihilated, Jin-su shook the blood off the sword and put it into the sheath. Those inside the barrier looked at Jin-su with vacant faces as if their souls had left.

“Hieek!”

Thud!

When Jin-su’s gaze turned, some of the people who had been fighting goblins in front of the barrier sat down on the floor with frightened expressions.

‘Let’s go.’

He had to sweep up all the titles and hidden dungeons obtainable on Floor 1 today and climb to Floor 2.

The moment Jin-su turned his body.

“Thank you for helping.”

One man bowed his head and shouted to Jin-su.

“Actually, last night I saw you fighting the goblins. I’m sorry for running away without even thinking of helping.”

Upon hearing the man’s words, a forgotten memory floated up in Jin-su’s mind. A scene where the man thanked someone and Jin-su scolded him asking if there was a need for that.

‘He was a person who could acknowledge his own mistakes.’

Jin-su burst into a slight smile.

“It’s fine, so no need to mind it.”

Leaving a short word, Jin-su left the place.

***

‘It’s over.’

He cleared all the achievements and hidden dungeons obtainable on Floor 1.

‘There were bonuses too.’

Simply while moving, the blessings grew two more times. At first he didn’t know the reason, but when he checked, it was absurd beyond measure.

‘It rose because 22 hours had passed since coming to the Tower, and it rose because it became the second day since entering the Tower.’

Following item acquisition, monster hunting, mission clear, and title acquisition, even the time since coming to the Tower, if related to 2, the blessings grew. So expectations were high.

What kind of reward it would give if he climbed to Floor 2 within 2 days of entering the Tower.

Jin-su headed toward the center of Tower Floor 1.

‘The clear of Tower Floor 1 isn’t that tricky.’

If you pass through the gate located at the center of Tower Floor 1 within 10 days, that’s it. Only, there was an obstacle.

‘It’s that guy right there.’

A monster armed with a height large enough to doubt if it was a goblin, a magnificent build, and thick muscles.

‘Goblin Champion.’

A higher entity of the hobgoblin.

‘It’s not a monster placed to be hunted.’

Even the hobgoblin alone is more than enough on Tower Floor 1. It’s not for nothing that the hobgoblin, which is treated as a mob once you go beyond Floor 50, receives boss monster judgment on Floor 1. In the case of the even stronger Goblin Champion, it was a completely unhuntable out-of-spec monster.

‘A monster made to be avoided.’

The method used most was to lure it elsewhere or sneak past while it was sleeping. Even if discovered, as long as you somehow dodge the attacks this way and that and just pass the gate, that’s it.

‘The gatekeeper of Floor 1, the Goblin Champion, has never been hunted even once until now.’

If he hunted such a Goblin Champion?

‘It will surely give a fitting reward.’

Because the Tower was that kind of place.

Shrrring!

Jin-su, who drew the two swords, moved his footsteps toward the Goblin Champion.