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Chapter 33 - Day 7, 7th Floor Favour

My eyes opened. "Ah..." Except for a little headache, my body felt strangely refreshed. It felt like I had a shower after waking up. I confirmed that I was alive. Where was this place?

It was the dungeon. Perhaps it was still the seventh floor, but I was laid on a stone bed in a clean room. The blanket on the bed and clothes laid out looked like they came from the store on the fifth floor.

Yoon Ji-hee and Yang Su-jin?

The answers to my questions were soon revealed. Footsteps were heard on the other side of the door and Yang Su-jin entered with a plate of food.

"Oppa!" Yang Su-jin was so surprised that she almost dropped the plate.

I asked a question. "How long was I out?"

"Oh, a week or so." It was a time frame I hadn't imagined, so I was surprised.

"And is it right to express it as 'sleep'? Oppa wasn't a real person until a few hours ago."

"What?"

Yang Su-jin sighed. "You were constantly bleeding and a strange liquid kept flowing from you... There were also many sounds. In fact, I almost sent Oppa rolling down the stairs."

Immediately after I collapsed, Yang Su-jin tried to open the door to the next floor before the sun was fully up. But she had to wait a few hours because the locusts had already emerged.

"At first, Oppa's condition was really bad. Your ribs were even exposed. But as I watched, something strange happened. Your body collapsed but was recovering at the same time." Yang Su-jin made a decision at this point. She could drag him down the stairs at any time, so she just watched his status.

"Oppa, were you attacked or something? But that doesn't make sense does it? You don't have a recovery ability like me. After examining everything, there was nothing related to poison."

"You tested for ingredients?"

Yang Su-jin hesitated for a moment before shyly poking out her tongue. "That... I tasted some of Oppa's blood as well as the liquid."

"..."

"It was really very sharp." She was an abnormal person.

"Uh, anyway. So after taking a disinfectant potion, I took turns taking care of Oppa with Ji-hee unni. After the third day, your skin wasn't so bad and food passed down your throat." Yang Su-jin spoke while handing me the plate.

It contained a bowl of something that seemed like steaming hot porridge. It was bread sold on the fifth floor that was covered in hot water. From the fifth day onwards, I was moved to this room for better hygiene.

"Once every six hours, I would wipe your body with some vinegar water in order to calm down the sores... I-I learnt it while caring for my grandmother, so don't look at me with that expression."

"..." As Yang Su-jin said, my body smelt faintly of vinegar, but it was really clean.

"Thank you."

"Huh?"

One week. If Yang Su-jin had sent me down the stairs, then wouldn't my body be collapsed even outside the dungeon? Even if I survived, one week would have passed in reality. Although the stairs would appear in my room, I would be unconscious and unable to enter.

"Thank you. If you weren't there then I might have died." The success rate of 42% might have risen due to her actions. I beckoned to Yang Su-jin. After she came over, I stroked her head with my hand.

"Ah!" Yang Su-jin reacted like a cat having water poured on it. "Why do that all of a sudden? Don't do that! Do you think I am Ji-hee unni? I won't be twisted by praise."

"Ji-hee unni?" Speaking of which, the suffix had changed.

"While taking care of you, Unni was the only one I could speak with for a week. She isn't as stupid as I thought." I sat up on the bed.

[Muscle strength: 20] [Health: 18] [Reflexes: 18]

[Agility: 17] [Charisma: 15] [Concentration: 15]

[Willpower: 15] [Memory: 14] [Endurance: 14]

[Sense of Balance: 14] [Planning: 13] [Insight: 13]

[Emotional Control: 13] [Spatial perception: 13]

[Eloquence: 13] [Thinking Power: 13] [Karma: 13]

[Descriptive Ability: 12] [Logic: 12] [Charm: 12]

[Dexterity: 12]

My physical abilities were significantly higher, probably due to the Atlas talent. To be honest, I didn't get the feeling that I had changed just by the numbers alone. The first change I felt was my nose.

Allergic Rhinitis*. It was a chronic illness that I had been living with since I was a child. It wasn't really severe, but it was sometimes hard during dusty days.

(*Editor's note: Seasonal Allergies)

I closed my eyes and my mouth, then breathed in. Originally, it would feel very uncomfortable if I didn't breath with my mouth… Now there was the exhilarating feeling of something cool entering my nose! It was different from the air I had been breathing all this time.

The second change could be felt in my mouth. I had a molar removed. Due to my home life, I was too late to get the nerve treatment to stop the rotting. Due to the rotten root, the tooth had to be pulled out. I didn't get an implant, but the empty space now had a very strong tooth. It wasn't just that. As I ran my tongue around my mouth, I could feel a smooth texture.

"What's changed?"

"It seems like... many things." It felt like my eye level with Yang Su-jin had changed. Was I taller? It didn't seem like I grew that much. At most, three centimetres?

"Maybe it is more than Oppa thinks."

"Really?"

Yang Su-jin was staring blankly at my face. "Well, there is no mirror here... Come. You should eat." I accepted the bowl that Yang Su-jin handed me. The bowl containing the bread porridge was warm.

"How did you boil this?"

"Look out the window." I took a few steps. I almost spat the moment I looked out the window. The city had changed so much in just one week. Locusts couldn't be seen anywhere. The ruined buildings and most of the broken roads were neatly repaired. The golems could be seen working hard on the streets.

Rather than holding weapons, their hands were carrying various materials from the ruin.

"According to Ji-hee unni, they're not just guards. From the maintenance of the city, to the purification of the environment, they seemed to have done everything for the people living here." Yang Su-jin explained.

"... Great."

"The generator also supplies power to the whole city, not just the door. There is heating at night, a pump that pulls up water from underground, and even something similar to gas stoves. That's how I boiled this."

I left the building. Yoon Ji-hee was sitting on a street bench and reading a book. She looked up as my shadow moved over her. Her face stiffened for a moment, before tears formed in her eyes. Both hands covered her nose and mouth as she sniffled.

"I heard from Su-jin. It was really hard work." Unlike with Yang Su-jin, I felt a bit awkward. I hurriedly changed to another topic. "Before I collapsed, I asked the golem something..."

Kung!Kukung!

At the sound of something heavy falling, Yoon Ji-hee and I stared down the street with surprise. The golems were all laying their materials on the ground. Then their heads turned this way. Were they looking at me?

Soon, the golems headed this way. It wasn't just the golems near here. In an instant, more than 100 golems were flocking to my side. The confused Yoon Ji-hee shouted something to the golems but they didn't even pretend to listen.

"Go inside the building."

"Huh? But..."

"There is no need to be scared. If I'm right, they won't stop Ji-hee from moving. Go on." I was right. The golems showed no reaction to Yoon Ji-hee who moved past them. As more and more golems came from the streets in every direction, the wave of golems was the only thing that could be seen.

"If you want to check something, then do it quickly. Don't just stand there." At my words, all the golems simultaneously raised their right hand.

Kung!

It would be a lie if I said I wasn't afraid for a moment. I reflexively raised both fists to my chin, but their hands didn't move towards me. Their palms were touching their chests. It was like a salute. The following actions were in the same vein.

Kung!

They went down on one knee and bowed their heads towards me. It was a grand sight.

[The Small Sun Knights are paying their respects to the new monarch.]

It wasn't something I hadn't thought of. I could roughly guess this 'story.' This city was now mine because I had cleaned it up. It was like this. But was the dungeon system so flexible? After all, it was Yoon Ji-hee that had saved the city instead of me. It wasn't a complaint but...

"It was my judgement." Someone spoke. I turned around. A stone statue was standing before me. "It is a bit off from the principle, but it seemed right."

I had seen it before. The statue that sold the item to me on the fifth floor.

"Thank you..."

"Isn't this a beautiful city?" The statue spoke bluntly, but its voice was full of emotions. "Isaiah loved the followers here." I listened carefully to the words of the stone statue. "They were expelled from the empire, and every place above ground turned against them, forcing them down here. They didn't care about the danger of going down, since they had a god."

"... Is that the sun?"

"That's right." The artificial sun warmed up the large underground space and powered the golems and entire city. I didn't know the details, but it was something that modern science couldn't do.

"They were a proud people to Isaiah. Although they were dependent on the sun, they didn't settle for reality. Dozens of seeds were grown in suitable soil and they created sophisticated devices powered by the sun."

I once again looked at the golems.

"The gods are those who live off of the dreams of their believers. The citizens here were always dreaming as they continued to make progress. Thanks to them, Isaiah was able to become a god strong enough that he wasn't ashamed in front of other gods."

"Until they left here." I said. The stone statue gazed at me. If it had a facial expression, then I think it would look surprised. How did I know? "The city was simply ruined. If it was destroyed by an invasion, then the golems would be smashed and the damage would be worse."

"I see."

"So why did they leave here?" I asked the question that I had previously asked the golem.

"They didn't need it anymore. The city they built, the sun, their temples, their desires... Since the day that the gods were abandoned by their followers, they weren't called gods anymore."

Desires... Something was a little strange. It was like all desire had been wiped from the group. Still, I knew one thing. There was a god called Isaiah.

"I spoke for too long. Anyway, the important thing is that you are the new owner of this place."

[The territories and facilities of Talia belong to you.]

[You can amend the laws in Talia and have obtained citizenship rights.]

[The Small Sun Knights will place your commands as the top priority. You can modify the behavioural rules of the Small Sun Knights.]

[The spatial coordinates of City - Talia has been marked.]

"... I wanted to ask, this is the seventh floor right? If I go down the stairs, then I won't be able to come back here."

"That's right. It is usually the case." If so, what was the use? Of course, I didn't intend to say that to the statue. Still, it could read my mind.

"Just think of it as an example of my sincerity. It has been a really long time since I've seen the city look like this. I'd like to do much more, but this much is the extent of it..."

"I don't want to lose it... Actually, I was a bit thrilled when I became a monarch." The statue laughed.

[Isaiah the Sun God acknowledges you as the monarch of Talia.]

[Isiah the Sun God thanks you.]

"Is this really helpful?"

"Unfortunately, yes." Isaiah laughed at me.

The stone statue felt like a threat, but in that moment, I felt no nervousness at all.

I wanted to stay on the seventh floor for a longer time. I wanted to stay as long as possible to read books and raise my talents. But the unexpected obstacle was money.

I had consumed all my money when I visited the fifth floor. It was the same with Yoon Sang-min. He bought only enough food for a few days. Then he spent the rest of his silver on return tickets.

Yoon Ji-hee and Yang Su-jin spent the week living on what little money was remaining and bought supplies to help me.

"Originally, I wasn't planning to convey it directly, but it will be a few days before you enter the eight floor." Isaiah said before I went down the stairs. "It is a type of motivation. It is to take away the burden of going to this place everyday at midnight, and to give you time to realize the abilities you have obtained."

"Can't you tell me more?" I selfishly asked. In fact, he told a story but left the questions I wanted to ask without any explanations. Isaiah laughed once again.

"That's right." Then he disappeared from sight.

"What is that?" I grumbled while Yang Su-jin headed towards the stairs first. In fact, she and Yoon Ji-hee had ran out of food two days ago. The little bit of food was left for me, and I had eaten the last piece of bread.

"By the way Oppa, be sure to look in the mirror when you get back. Understand?"

"What?" Yang Su-jin had already disappeared down the stairs by the time I asked. Yoon Ji-hee nodded shyly towards me before also disappearing.

I didn't go down right away. Until I became hungry and thirsty, I checked how much my body had changed and practiced controlling my strength.

[7th floor cleared.]

I drank a glass of water as soon as I got up. I wanted a shower with hot water. I quickly took off my clothes and entered the bathroom. I was just about to walk through the door of the shower.

Chak.

Something gently hit one side of my thigh. I looked down.

"...?"

It was the culprit. What? You know… The male companion... I guess. Every male has that one friend below. It was swaying and hitting my thigh. There was nothing wrong with this itself. The problem was that it was in a non-combat state. No, in the first place... This was my friend, right?

"...? ...? ...?"

I checked my friend with trembling hands. No. However I looked, this wasn't my friend. It was a friend I was intimate with, so naturally I knew the dimensions better than anyone else. In a battle state... Even though it was this much larger… No, just the colour alone...

I couldn't keep my gaze from wandering below as I entered the shower. I was so busy worrying that I forgot about the boiler and cold water gushed out. I jumped forward with surprise.

Until then, I had no idea. Why had Yang Su-jin asked me to look in the mirror?

"..." I was so surprised that I forgot about the coolness of the cold water. I thought I had finished the investigation of my changed body on the seventh floor. That wasn't all of it.

I stared at the person in the mirror and muttered grimly. "Who are you?!"

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Chapter 34 - Day 8, Vacation

It was clearly my face in the mirror.

At least, the features were clearly mine. It was still my eyes, nose and mouth. The whole face was a familiar face that I'd seen thousands of times in the mirror.

But there were slight differences, and those subtle differences had huge results. The height of both eyes and their distance from my nose, the degree in which the corners of my mouth drooped, the slopes of my chin and face, all of them had changed. My face was perfectly symmetrical. No imbalances could be seen. Just that alone made me look completely different.

Furthermore, my skin… It had been hard to feel a big difference when just looking down at my body. But when I looked at my face, it was like taking out a piece of wood and replacing it with marble. The blackheads and acne scars that I had been troubled with since adolescence were gone.

I raised a hand to my cheek and felt the texture of hard boiled eggs. It was like peeling off the exterior to reveal the completely moist inside. There was a smooth elasticity.

My eyes moved down. This wasn't the first time that my muscles had swelled up and hardened. I was able to see my forearms and chest getting bigger as my muscle strength became higher. But now the shape had altered. My chest and abs were neatly symmetrical with my shoulders. Further down, my friend was still in a non-combat state...

I regained my spirit. I hurried and washed my body. I had been looking at myself for almost an hour! It couldn't be like this. I hadn't finished studying for the liberal arts exam that was tomorrow. There were also a few books that I needed to borrow from the library.

I took out a t-shirt and pants. Then...

Ssik!

There was a ripping sound as the t-shirt couldn't withstand the pressure. My clothes didn't fit; my shoulders were wider than the t-shirt, my pants were too tight at the waist and way too short, revealing my ankles. The coat was the worst. If it had fit, then I could somewhat use it to cover for everything else, but I couldn't get my shoulders into it either.

Did I have to buy new clothes? I ended up wearing stretchy sportswear as I checked the mirror. Fortunately, it didn't look too strange.

"Ah, d*mn." After drying my hair, it became completely like a chestnut burr. This couldn't be left alone.

Downtown, near the university.

Kim Sung-yi, the lead hairdresser of the 'Saint-Pierre Hair Shop' was drinking a cup of coffee at the counter next to the receptionist. Even though it was early on a weekday, females who finished their exams early would soon be looking for a hair salon to change their mood.

After lunch, she would probably be held hostage by customers for the rest of the day. 'Should I just have an early lunch? A sandwich...' Just as she was thinking that... The door opened.

A man entered the beauty salon. "Welcome..." Kim Sung-yi swallowed her breath. The man looked pretty messy at first sight. His shaggy hair reminded her of a prisoner from the Joseon period. The worn out sweatshirt and pants revealed his wrists and ankles.

However, his face ended the mess. It wasn't a completely handsome face, nor the western face that had become popular in the 21st century. It was more perfect than beautiful. Clean skin. Perfectly symmetrical facial features and body features that couldn't be hidden by the loose sports wear.

"A-Are you looking for the boss?"

"...? Nope." The man responded in a tremulous voice. "I'm here to get my hair cut."

"Eh... Do you have someone who is in charge of..."

"It's my first time here."

"So, you don't have a particular... person in mind?"

"No. Anyone will do. Anyone." The man speaking, Hee-chul, looked around the beauty salon. It was like he was evaluating the 'grade' of the beauty salon.

'... I am overreacting.' Kim Sung-yi thought. Either way, he was just a young man. He wouldn't worry too much about his appearance.

When Hee-chul came out to buy clothes, he saw the beauty salon. However, the atmosphere was too luxurious. He was also the only male. In addition, such a beggar like appearance... Hee-chul's heart beat quickly at the sight.

'I just went anywhere.' Hee-chul sighed deeply as he thought of the 7,000 won male specialty hairdressers that he normally went to.

The two females thought he was sighing for a different reason.

'Does he not like it here?' The boss looked at Kim Sung-yi. Kim Sung-yi looked back at her boss. Of course she knew... this was the only break she would be able to have today. In addition, there were two other hairdressers who were free.

But this was a matter that involved the shop's pride. 'Sung-yi. Please.' The boss conveyed these words to Kim Sung-yi using her eyes. Kim Sung-yi nodded with a determined face.

"Can you come this way?" She was certain as she led him to a seat. The feeling coming from this person wasn't just because of his face. Was it charisma? Aura? Kim Sung-yi had spent her apprenticeship in Apgujeong. It was a place where she had quite a few celebrity customers.

That's why Kim Sung-yi was sensitive to this feeling. When she saw famous actors, she could see the same halo surrounding them. It wasn't just because of his looks. In the entertainment industry, the successful ones had a similar aura. Her old boss called it 'class.'

'Uh, he might be a famous model.' He might have been taking a concept photo. The sports clothes might be a drastic attempt at trendy fashion.

"How do you wan... Omo." She felt a gentle softness flowing through her fingers as she raised her hand to the man's hair. It was like touching silk. Even though the man's hair was short, the texture was something that couldn't be felt just from a day or two of hair care.

'Scalp... look at the scalp.' Even a scalp that had just been washed wouldn't be so clean. Despite the mess, the man's hair wasn't matted. Obviously, this man was part of the 'industry.'

"Why are you looking like that?" The man asked.

"Ah, no. Do you have a style that you want?"

"Just make it neat."

"... Yes?"

"Give me a haircut that is as neat as possible. That's all."

"..."

This was... He seemed like someone who had never been to a beauty salon before.

While Kim Sung-yi was in turmoil, Hee-chul saw a discount guide on the side of the mirror. 'What? A 20% discount in winter... A cut is 40,000 won?!' It seemed like he had chosen the wrong store. The most expensive cut that Hee-chul had ever experienced was 25,000 won. The outside of this salon looked expensive, but he thought it would only be up to that amount.

It might have been different if he knew a while ago, but he couldn't get up now that he was already sitting down.

Huu. Hee-chul gave a deep sigh.

That sigh was misinterpreted and sharply pierced Kim Sung-yi's lungs. Was he laughing at her? 'O...Okay.' She wouldn't hesitate any longer. Yes. She was Kim Sung-yi. She had an interest in the beauty industry since her childhood. Her efforts paid off, and she became recognized as a top hairdresser by her mid-20s.

'Will I be intimidated by this atmosphere?' She gave a small snort. The hand holding her scissors was tense. She didn't know what this person wanted, but she would show him more than he could imagine. In the 30 minutes that followed, Kim Sung-yi poured out all the dreams, efforts and passion that she had accumulated for nearly a decade.

Later, this scene would be her most memorable memory in her entire career. A cut that was comparable to 400,000 won, not 40,000 won!

Hee-chul regretfully use his credit card for the first time before leaving. Exactly ten minutes later., the male clerk in the nearby outlet store was going through a situation not that much different from Kim Sung-yi.

I couldn't think about the money that I spent. My head... It didn't seem worth 40,000 won. I went to buy some clothes and was suddenly offered lots of things. Of course, I didn't go beyond the basics. I looked at the internet for seasonal outfits and just bought as much as I needed currently.

... Except for one cardigan.

"..."

"I can't stop looking. It's really amazing." Dong-wook hyung was joking around. I'd met up with him an hour later, and he was surprised at how much someone could change in one day. I came up with the ridiculous excuse that I had been secretly exercising and managing my body for the past few months.

I had been training my body steadily. I maintained a slouched posture with the people I knew. Really, it was such a tedious thing. However, there was no better explanation to explain my height increase and larger body. In fact, Dong-wook hyung didn't really understand the explanation.

"You... Really... Hey... You've been working out. I don't think you would make that up." He thought I cleansed my skin using BB cream, with the new clothes giving me a different atmosphere. In fact, what could he do even if he didn't believe it? The different hair style also helped to a certain extent.

"Anyway, you look good. You should keep doing that in the future."

"I'm going to try." I smiled and climbed up the stairs of the building. It was empty due to the exam period, although it was perfect for studying. However, I was going to meet a friend whose test finished early. Otherwise, I wouldn't have come here.

"Hiii!" My friend stiffened as he looked over here.

"You..."

"This is really Hee-chul. Or at least, he claims that he is Hee-chul." Dong-wook laughed at the sight before him. "But what are you doing? Your exam is over."

"Didn't you see? Jae-hak sunbae has come to play in one of the rooms. That's why there are many people right now."

"Jae-hak hyung?" Dong-wook was surprised. Ha Jae-hak was a computer engineering major and could be described as the idol of our university. He originally enrolled in the school's medical department, but it didn't fit his aptitude, so he switched to computer engineering.

Two years ago, he created a start-up with a group of friends from his academic circles. The smartphone market had explosively developed during the last few years, and he created a marketing intermediary platform called 'Green Web'... It hit the jackpot.

"How much was Green Web sold for?"

"Three billion won supposedly. JC Soft bought it. Jae-hak hyung... He ate 20% of that."

As Dong-wook hyung was talking, my friend took out his phone and looked at it. "Then I will be going now. Go there and say hi. There is a fun competition."

Fun competition?

My friend waved his hand as he walked away, and we entered the room. Like my friend said, a competition was waiting.

It wasn't fun.

There was a bustling atmosphere in the room. It was because of Ha Jae-hak.

"But are you really going to the UCPC (UZ Collegiate Programming Cup)? Hyung doesn't need to enter, do you?"

It was a programming competition for university students that was regularly hosted by UZ, a large company. Of course, there was no need for Ha Jae-hak to enter. He had created a business that was sold for three billion won.

Ha Jae-hak replied to the question. "Well. It's fun, even if I don't care about the prize money or specs. I just don't want to lose. Aren't you curious? If I compete in such a competition, how far would I go?"

"Ohh."

Ha Jae-hak was a 'born talent.' So he could do things he liked without much pressure or burden. It wasn't a bluff, but a sincerity that came from his mindset. The junior students were paying respect and admiration to Ha Jae-hak.

While listening to his words, they were looking over a 'problem.' It was a question that somebody had asked a few minutes ago just for fun. A junior student had asked about the fact that one team member still hadn't been selected for the UCPC.

As a result, a contest was held on the spot. They picked a problem from an overseas programming forum and all students, including Ha Jae-hak, participated to see who could solve it. If a student solved it faster than they 100% passed. Thus, people were busy thinking about how to solve it.

'Cute people.' Ha Jae-hak smiled quietly as he looked around at all his juniors. It was quite enjoyable to see. At that moment, the door opened.

"Jae-hak hyung!" Dong-wook, a junior he knew, entered as well as... It was a very charming male junior that he saw for the first time. Dong-wook came up and greeted Ha Jae-hak. The other junior just glanced at him once.

Then he heard some juniors whispering. "Eh? Hee-chul oppa?"

"Really... Originally, that..."

Ha Jae-hak stepped closer to Lee Sang-hoon. Lee Sang-hoon was a junior who admired him for a long time. "Who is that person? He has a force about him."

"He is Hee-chul hyung. He had the same student number."

"... That Hee-chul?"

"I've been busy lately. When did he start looking like that?"

After glancing disdainfully at Hee-chul and the girls giggling over him, Lee Sang-yoon glanced at Jae-hak again. "He isn't that much of a good guy. You should know. He studies a lot, so he gets good grades and the professors like him..."

Ha Jae-hak remembered and nodded. His memories of the school were generally consistent with Lee Sang-yoon's evaluation. Of course, Hee-chul didn't have a bad intelligence, but according to Ha Jae-hak's standards of extraordinary friends, he was nothing special. Although he was sincere, he wasn't outstanding. He didn't have enough talent to be Ha Jae-hak's friend.

"Hyung. Please show us the problem."

"Ahh. Yes." Two extra sheets of paper were pulled from the printer.

"Good!" With a motivated expression, Dong-wook approached the nearest desk and started to focus. And Hee-chul... He didn't seem to care about solving the problem. He casually sat down at a table and was looking at it with one hand in his pocket. As if an answer would emerge like that.

"I don't get it. I want to throw this paper away." Lee Sang-yoon grumbled and Ha Jae-hak focused on the problem again. Although he pretended not to be able to solve the problem, he actually hadn't been paying attention to it. It was certainly a tricky problem.

'Good.' Ha Jae-hak's mind shouted with delight. He had caught the clue to the problem. He was probably the first one.

Jakak.

At that moment, the sound of paper being folded was heard. Hee-chul had put the paper in his pocket. "Dong-wook hyung. I'm going now. There are too many people here."

"Now? Oh, you said you needed to study for the liberal arts exam. Still, let's solve the problem first."

"Ah, that." Hee-chul's voice wasn't loud. But as everyone was focusing, they could all hear Hee-chul's words. "I'm done. Well, it was difficult."

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Chapter 35 - Day 8, Fishing

I was mistaken about one thing. As soon as I entered the study room, I realized it immediately.

Immediately after Hee-chul's remark, the atmosphere froze. Surprised and suspicious gazes turned towards Hee-chul. "Did you solve it?"

"Ah... Yes."

"Can you please explain it?" Ha Jae-hak asked, causing Hee-chul to reply with a surprised expression.

"Um..." Hee-chul scratched his head and looked around the room before nodding. Unlike the attitude that hesitated before speaking, the voice that emerged for his explanation was soft and smooth. "When I first saw it, I thought it was a non-polynomial, time-consuming problem. If so, the number of test cases will exceed 10 and it would be impossible to solve them in time."

"Exactly." As Ha Jae-hak focused on him, Hee-chul went on to explain it to everyone.

"But the problem has unnecessary information that are traps."

"Condition two?"

"Yes. Except for that, there are exceptions that can solve the problem, for example..." The atmosphere changed as the exchange with Ha Jae-hak continued. Suspicion and doubts. Their mouths were wide open as their irritation gradually changed.

"...Wah... This..."

"Really..."

It wasn't because Hee-chul had solved a difficult problem that cries of admiration burst from their mouths. Actually, if it was just that, it would be annoying. This was the computer engineering department and someone had solved a problem that they had been thinking about for a while.

It might be because he was a genius, the problem was similar to one he already solved, or even just that he was in the best condition today. The main point was something else. It appeared to be a one-on-one conversation with Ha Jae-hak, but Hee-chul was actually explaining to everyone in the room.

It was never easy to understand everything through listening alone. Everyone should have experienced it in the past. They would get '??' while listening to the teacher and would have to review the lesson. Students wouldn't hear 100% of the lecture, even if the teacher had good technique.

But everyone in this place experienced it. The conversation between Hee-chul and Ha Jae-hak wasn't something that geniuses could interrupt. The process of solving the problem became engraved in their minds just from listening. It was far more impressive than someone solving the problem first.

Why? Was it due to Hee-chul's changed atmosphere? They couldn't say it, but was it because his voice and aura made them listen? Maybe even Hee-chul didn't know the reason.

It was often said that geniuses couldn't be good leaders. That saying wasn't 100% wrong. Those born with talent often wouldn't be able to understand the perspective of those born without it. Their ways of thinking were so different that they needed to put effort into understanding each other. A person who did it would be called a great educator or leader.

But regarding this point, Hee-chul didn't have to try. He wasn't a genius. Therefore, he knew the perspectives of those at a lower level. This was one of the most prestigious universities for computer engineering. Perhaps Hee-chul's original material was slightly below average before now. No, it might be lower.

"... So using a heuristic algorithm will allow you to pass through all the test cases. That is what I thought. To be honest, it was tough to get to this fact." Hee-chul ended his explanation.

Everyone's irritation had already disappeared. Only perfect understanding remained. It was a problem that had made them suffer for dozens of minutes. But after Hee-chul's explanation, it wasn't that 'hard.' They could sympathize with math teachers or geniuses who say 'isn't it easy?' and would then have to explain for 20 minutes.

Hee-chul's image also played a part. His head was excellent but he also worked hard.

'Hyung.' 'Oppa.'

The students all called him that in their heads. In fact, they understood the problem perfectly, but wasn't it solved due to Hee-chul? His efforts made it clear that they were duped by the traps. Everybody thought so. People were much fonder of a result that was due to effort rather than genius.

Clap clap.

Someone started applauding. Of course, it was half-hearted applause, but this brought fun into everyone's hearts, so they started clapping and whistling. "Hey, genius!"

"So cool!"

Ha Jae-hak knocked against Hee-chul's shoulder. "I heard it well. How is it? Would you like to try out this code?"

"Aish. It will be embarrassing if I am wrong, Sunbae-nim." But both Ha Jae-hak and Hee-chul knew. The thing that would emerge from the coding was the answer that Hee-chul said.

Dong-wook, who was sitting next to Hee-chul, slapped his butt. "Ya, this brat. You are always studying when you're actually a genius."

"What are you talking about, Hyung?" Hee-chul replied playfully. "I am originally a genius."

"Puhaha!" There was a burst of laughter in the room.

Hee-chul adjusted his bag and bowed towards Ha Jae-hak. "Then, I'll be going. Sunbae-nim. Tomorrow is an exam and there is still a book I haven't read."

"Ah, shall we go together? I need to go to the bathroom." All the people in the room had already opened their notebooks and were coding the solution explained by Hee-chul.

In the central hallway, Ha Jae-hak talked while walking along the path towards the bathroom and entrance. "Speaking of which, I still don't know how to contact Hee-chul. I've only seen you in that study room. Can you tell me?"

"Of course."

"Did you hear? There was a reason we were solving the problem in the first place."

"I heard it was to join the team."

"It is that, but there's more." Ha Jae-hak's face was serious. "I'm going to start a new business, and I'm looking for members to start it with. My old friends have gone to other places."

"Join your start-up? I haven't finished my undergraduate years yet..."

"Was I finished? Where are the people with degrees these days? If you have the ability, then you can just take a leave of absence."

Ha Jae-hak held up five fingers, then added the index finger of his other hand. "6%." He was indicating the percentage of shares. "I would like to give more, but I have already decided what to give to the people who will help me."

It was a big deal. Hee-chul roughly knew about this side of the industry. Founders usually paid around 3% to developers of start-ups. In addition, he already had a success, yet he was giving investors 6%?

"Although I've looked over many people, the most important thing for a developer is their sincerity and social nature. No matter how good a person is, they would be useless if they can't keep to a schedule or if ruin the atmosphere."

The 4D personality shown in manhwas absolutely wouldn't work in reality. Generally, geniuses were like that.

"..."

"To be honest, Hee-chul was a friend that never entered my head despite how hard you worked until now. Does that make you feel bad?"

"Nope."

"Not only did you fix the problem, the explanation behind it was really good. An area that developers should have is eloquence." In fact, Ha Jae-hak also admired this point. Hee-chul had the ability to make everyone understand. It was needed when selling IT products that didn't exist yet to the outside world. It was useful for customers, since those who couldn't understand the concept would refuse.

To be exact, it was the effect of having 13 eloquence, 15 charisma and 12 points in descriptive ability. However, there was no way for Ha Jae-hak to know that. "How is it? If you want, then we can go to the office today."

"Uh... I'm sorry. Sunbae-nim." His response was 180 degrees away from what Ha Jae-hak expected. Hee-chul bowed with a really sorry expression. "Of course, you are right about being able to take a leave of absence but there is still more for me to learn."

"... I see."

"I am really grateful for your praise. Thank you."

There was no displeasure in Ha Jae-hak's face when he looked at Hee-chul. Ha Jae-hak asked for a handshake with a pleasant smile. "If you mean that, then it can't be helped."

"I'm really sorry." The two shook hands.

"But, if you change your mind in the near future then please call me, it doesn't matter how late at night."

"Yes." Ha Jae-hak waved before going to the bathroom. He was conscious of Hee-chul watching him from behind.

On the other side of the hallway, someone was watching Hee-chul from the vending machine. The unaware Hee-chul headed down the stairs.

I ordered a cup of coffee from the school cafe, sipping it as I headed towards the mountain behind the school. The mountain trail behind the school was empty. It was easy to climb and there were many courses, but the hiking trails were generally quiet on weekdays.

I sometimes liked to read books while sitting on the benches.

So... I was mistaken about one thing. It was quite dangerous for someone to realize that I was going into the dungeon, just like the Yoon siblings did on the 6th day. Of course, I tried to hide it, but it became very difficult since this morning.

My appearance had changed due to Metamorphosis. Anyone who just slightly knew me would think there was a change. The people close to me were amazed, but had no choice but to accept my excuses. They didn't know about the dungeon.

But what if they knew me normally and knew about the existence of the dungeon? The excuses of exercising or using creams wouldn't work. They might think that I obtained something from the dungeon, even if they didn't know about Metamorphosis.

I realized it the moment I entered the room. A feeling that I had only felt in the dungeon. I had felt it for the first time on the fifth floor. It was the feeling I felt while playing the game for the woman's talents.

Was it a killing intent? I could feel it even as I cleared on the sixth and seventh floors. Perhaps my intuition had improved in the dungeon. I had felt it when entering the room: a vivid killing intent that I had never experienced before in reality. Was it because of Metamorphosis?

Someone knew I was in the dungeon. I didn't know why, but they were pouring hatred towards me. This wasn't the dungeon, but reality. Right now.

I had to confess that I was quite confused. That person couldn't do anything when there was a crowd. I hadn't thought about solving the problem when I first received it. But then I thought of something.

If I didn't resolve it as soon as possible, then I didn't know what would happen later. I realized that the problem in my hand was the answer.

There wasn't a single climber on the mountain. I threw my books and bags down and sat on the floor. I drank the coffee and waited. I had done everything. It was difficult.

I instantly felt the hatred towards me becoming more intense. I guess I was right. The person hated me because they were jealous. While everyone's mood had improved due to my explanation, their hatred had become thicker.

In fact, it was likely that they knew the answer. A person who entered the dungeon wouldn't have much difficulty with it. They had been conceited. Then I gobbled up the respect and recognition of the sunbaes, and that person couldn't stand it. The killing intent was enough to move them into action straight away.

"Still, I have to be honest." I muttered as I held the coffee cup. "Acting like that in front of everyone. Honestly, I felt really good." Maybe I felt more pleasure from showing off my talent than successfully provoking the target. I couldn't help feeling like this. I still had a long way to go.

"It is thanks to you."

"..."

I smiled at the person who showed up.

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Chapter 36 - Day 8, Poker

"That look isn't good on you, Lee Sang-yoon."

"..."

Until I specifically confirmed the killing intent, I hadn't thought that Lee Sang-yoon was the perpetrator. I disliked Lee Sang-yoon. Lee Sang-yoon also disliked me.

But this wasn't a matter of emotions. It was just a matter of humiliation. I could tell just by the sour expression on his face. Regardless of the truth, some people just felt hate. "In particular, those eyes aren't a joke."

"You are mistaken." Lee Sang-yoon wasn't an idiot. His father was the president of a venture company that led the IT boom in the 90s-00s. The son had inherited his father's brain and showed great talent. It was a wall that caused many people to feel frustrated, including me.

He had a lot of pride and couldn't easily deal with people, but he wasn't the type to be swept away by emotion and impulse. "If I looked like that, then I wouldn't have come to school right away. It is just advertising that you have entered the dungeon." He said.

He was holding a black cylinder in his hand. It was like he was holding a karaoke microphone. The distance between us was nearly three metres. It absolutely wasn't a simple weapon. It was probably a dart gun or a similar tool with a different effect.

"Hey. Don't even think about it. Don't be such an idiot!" I cried out.

"..."

"So... did you come to kill 'me'? Once you tried it, did you enjoy murdering people?"

"...?" A suspicion was forming in my mind, just from his expression. I could tell without asking. Surely, Lee Sang-yoon had already killed a person.

This wasn't the dungeon but reality. If he didn't have experience beforehand, then he wouldn't give off such an obvious killing intent.

Should I try a few more tricks? This guy was someone who could kill. I knew that Lee Sang-yoon was an explorer of the dungeon. I could also reach out and easily remember where he lived.

"But still, isn't this a little too daring?"

In my experience, the people I met on the fifth floor lived close to me in reality. The 5th floor I was on was probably the area where the explorers of my neighbourhood gathered.

Lee Sang-yoon lived in a pretty good area. 24 pyeong. It was a residential complex villa with more than 20 floors. It was several times bigger than the old building that I lived in. I didn't know for sure, but it was likely there were quite a few explorers there. "You killed someone from the same building. What if you get caught by the police?" I asked.

"...!" My bet was a success. Lee Sang-yoon had an expression of dismay on his face. It was due to my increased insight. I could now read a variety of clues from a person's face.

"How do I know this? What else do I know? Did you really completely conceal the evidence? Are you curious?" I was provoking him. "You killed a person. Does you father know?"

"Dog scum!" Lee Sang-yoon cursed and moved quickly. He lunged forward like a fencer, with his cylinder aiming towards me at the same time. It was a completely different move from what I anticipated.

Bang!

A short but clear sound. I sensed it and turned my body. A cool sensation swept across the side of my head. The cylinder was foldable. There were three rods at the end that looked like a car antenna.

At the same time as Lee Sang-yoon stretching out his hand, it unfolded and something sprang out. If I had moved after it was fired, then I wouldn't have been able to avoid it. A normal person would die without any exceptions.

Chwaruk!

Lee Sang-yoon stared at the folded up cylinder in his hand. "What...?" A confused expression formed on Lee Sang-yoon's face.It was his trump card. I had read the attack, but I wouldn't have known how to avoid it if I hadn't experienced a similar weapon before.

I immediately rushed forward. The confused Lee Sang-yoon extended the cylinder again. I didn't read the trajectory of the cylinder in his hand, but his body. I narrowed the distance using the fairly steep downhill decline. Originally, I wouldn't have been able to control the downward acceleration and would have fallen. However, now my lower body and ankles were stronger than before and my body was perfectly balanced.

I literally caught Lee Sang-yoon's wrist. A dagger was shining from his other hand, but I grabbed Lee Sang-yoon's neck without any hesitation. Once I applied strong pressure, his hands dropped the cylinder and dagger.

"Keok! Keook...!" He struggled to escape from my hand but it was useless. The difference in muscle strength was overwhelming. I threw Lee Sang-yoon's body upwards. The body of an adult male flew over four metres.

Tang!

Lee Sang-yoon made a sick sound and rolled across the ground. His body squirmed as he barely managed to raise his head. He was looking at me with shock and hostility. "Nonse... Nonsense, this is... How did a guy like you...?" Lee Sang-yoon was this type of person.

If I subtracted his pride and ego then he was just a body. He was the type to say sarcastic remarks when flirting with a girl. But what if someone provoked his pride first? Even if the other person was a sunbae, he wouldn't back down.

"Keep listening to my words." I collected the cylinder and dagger that fell to the ground and put them in my inventory. "Even if you aren't charged with murder, just being arrested as a suspect will cause a great deal of trouble. Especially for your family."

"...!!!" It was something from the past. Lee Sang-yoon and I were both rookies. I heard stories from our sunbaes at the drinking party. The son of a great father couldn't turn out mediocre. He wanted to succeed like his father.

Well, it probably wasn't as extreme as the families in the dramas. Many of my friends didn't care about things like this, but Lee Sang-yoon was a different case. He was very sensitive about the dignity of his father, almost to the point of it being an obsession. "Your father will be sad. Isn't that right? It will probably crack the reputation of the company."

I pulled out my cellphone and shook it lightly. I acted like there was something on it. Even if he was debating about whether I really had evidence or not, it was overwhelmingly disadvantageous towards him. Of course, it seemed like I had proof. The other person was focused on his own misfortune.

The talents and abilities that could be gained in a dungeon. I believed in my own abilities and made full use of it. The pace easily went my way.

Lee Sang-yoon had an expression that I had never seen from him before on his face. "No... Please."

I didn't even have to threaten Lee Sang-yoon's life or torture him. The hostility completely disappeared from Lee Sang-yoon's eyes and he was half sobbing.

"What?"

"...Pl... Please."

"Fix your pronunciation."

"Please. My family... Don't do any damage to my father. I'd rather..." Lee Sang-yoon closed his eyes. "If I have to die, then I would rather die innocently... You can have my talents if my family..."

Ah. Killing a person in reality really would absorb their talents. Well, apart from that… "This is a little weird." I chuckled. "Giving me your death. Sang-yoon. It sounds really weird to say. Don't tell me to kill you like it isn't a bad thing."

"..."

Getting caught for murder in reality was an ending several times more terrible than dying in the dungeon. I had killed over 20 people on the seventh floor. Playing in the dungeon had no penalty. Why would I challenge the 21st century police just to kill one person?

"Besides, it is pretty crazy. Your talents will be a mental burden thanks to the 'real' killing." Lee Sang-yoon's body shook with humiliation. "So... On the one hand, I am curious. What were you thinking when you committed a real murder?"

"You, are you saying that your hands are clean?"

"Although there is a little blood, I am not a legal killer." I leaned forward and stared into Lee Sang-yoon's eyes. "Therefore. From now on, keep your mouth shut unless it is to answer my questions. If you don't want to make your father into the father of a murderer, that is."

Father. The magic words caused Lee Sang-yoon to tremble. Perhaps this was Lee Sang-yoon's main point. The desire that opened the dungeon for him. An obsession that dominated a person's life. He wished to die to avoid impacting his father's reputation. As long as he thought I had a clue to drop his father into hell, Lee Sang-yoon couldn't resist me.

"Did you kill a person who was already out in the dungeon? Or was it in progress?"

"Already... He was dead."

"How great. You must not have received any good talents. So are you hungry?"

"W-What do you know?"

"Your voice is going up, Lee Sang-yoon." I growled and Lee Sang-yoon became silent. It was the first time he felt this type of fear. Appearance. Academics. Fighting skills as well. He realized that I had changed quite a bit from what he knew.

"Did you even feel sorry for crossing that line?"

"..."

"Answer it quietly. Who was it? The people who drove you to do this." If Lee Sang-yoon was in a good position in the dungeon like me, he wouldn't have to resort to murder. Maybe he was being controlled by someone.

"The 5th floor... I met them for the first time."

Lee Sang-yoon was on a separate 5th floor from me. But there was also the process of picking the people for the next floor. There, Lee Sang-yoon was 2nd rank. He made very stupid choices. 3rd rank. 4th rank. He made a suggestion up to 6th place.. He was greedy as a leader. He thought he could control the exceptional people.

But Lee Sang-yoon overlooked one thing. The rankings on the fifth floor didn't reflect the objective grade of people in the dungeons. The rankings would go up even if someone only had a good skill. It was just like the 2nd place person on my sixth floor.

It was also the case with Lee Sang-yoon. The other three were all better than Lee Sang-yoon in all aspects. Rather than being the leader, he was the dead weight during the entire battle. In the end, by the end of the sixth floor, Lee Sang-yoon had barely grown at all. He was treated as a low ranking person.

"On the seventh floor, there was nothing to see."

"..." The world was wide. His was flat. The prideful man discovered three people with talents that surpassed him. It was to the extent that he was subordinate to them. He felt deprivation and impatience. In addition, he felt utter humiliation.

His mental state was completely destroyed and he took excessive measures. He committed murder in reality because he was desperate to narrow the gap with other people. I picked up my bag that I had placed on the ground.

"Well, I've told you everything. So please erase everything on that phone..." Lee Sang-yoon spoke.

I threw my phone towards Lee Sang-yoon without speaking. Lee Sang-yoon's hands reacted immediately and grabbed the phone.

Bam!

I slammed a fist into Lee Sang-yoon's stomach. It wasn't a targeted attack. It was just a blow to give as much pain as possible. After grabbing my phone on the ground, I spoke to Lee Sang-yoon who was vomiting. "There are two options. Report to me at the end of each floor or turn yourself in."

He could still go to the dungeon inside prison, although I wasn't totally sure about that. "That is all I can give to a criminal."

I turned around.

"You think that you are different!?" Lee Sang-yoon yelled from behind me, sobbing. "Don't be cocky... You were just lucky... The people I met were just as good as me. If I had only made a few good choices..."

Being below other people. Lee Sang-yoon couldn't tolerate that. He suffered a bitter taste in the dungeon and lost everything. "You are nothing. If you meet them... Even if you know in advance, there won't be much difference between you and me. The world is wide. There are so many geniuses that are better than you..."

"I know." Yes. I knew very well. The sense of inferiority and defeat that he was now feeling. It was something I'd felt since I was a child. Why wasn't I born like them? Why was I lacking?

So... Life was a type of poker game. The ingredients were: Possessions and Talent. When everyone was born, his or her hand was drawn. It was sadly an area of luck.

Did I think there was no one better than me, just because they didn't show up right now? I'm sorry, but that wasn't the case. There were better people than me. But so what? Should I just give up due to what I was born with? Of course, I knew it very well. Even if I covered my face with an iron mask and bluffed, the probability of sweeping the pot was close to zero.

But should I forfeit early?

I had almost given up. Then an opportunity came. It was an opportunity to change the hand I was dealt into something better. I don't think that I'm the best explorer. I realized there would be someone who would beat the dungeon more efficiently than I could. Maybe even more. I might encounter them on the next floor.

But to me, it was natural. The experience so far was meaningful, and there was still a chance of succeeding. Even if I faced a person who was overwhelmingly stronger, I would bluff with an iron mask like I had done before.

I would do it until my winning percentage changed to 100%. Then, I would sweep away the pot on the table.

After completely breaking Lee Sang-yoon, I came down from the mountain. I headed to a certain spot in the library. I read the books I had borrowed over and over again.

When I woke up from concentrating, there was a text message.

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Chapter 37 - Day 8, Special Gift

"I-I'm sorry I'm late." She sat down in a hurry but Yoon Ji-hee's face colour didn't seem so bad.

"Your condition looks good." I said as I ate the chicken ribs on the metal plate. Ah. Of course, I had to eat first. Maybe because she was 20 minutes late to the meeting, Yoon Ji-hee couldn't meet my gaze.

"What happened was my grandfather..."

"Eat first." I pointed to the metal plate. "Let's finish the meal before talking."

"Yes." Like a young child being instructed by their parents, Yoon Ji-hee focused on eating straight away. She glanced at me occasionally, but didn't speak until I had filled my stomach.

Once the plates were empty… "Yes. You mentioned it before. Ji-hee's grandfather summoned everyone."

Yoon Ji-hee nodded. As soon as he woke up in the morning, Chairman Yoon Sang-gyu summoned all his grandchildren. Two of the five people gathered there… Yoon Sang-ah and Yoon Sang-min had expressions like they didn't know the situation.

"Your grandfather. What was his reaction?"

"There was a lot. He was very surprised. Grandfather was so shocked, something I've never seen before. He seemed a little angry and..." Of course, Yoon Ji-hee didn't say that she killed them on the seventh floor. "The first thing he did was look at me."

"He thought Ji-hee would be the first one eliminated."

"Yes... Not just me, but he asked everyone to give a brief explanation of what happened on the seventh floor." Yoon Sang-min and Yoon Sang-ah died while Yoon Ji-hee survived. For the people who couldn't believe it, Yoon Ji-hee briefly explained the core of what had happened: she learned the language and took advantage of that to control the golems.

"Did he praise you?"

"... No. He was more focused on the fact that two people had been eliminated rather than..." Yoon Ji-hee had a grouchy expression on her face. She had probably been expecting a little bit of praise. She was ignored by her family, but she thought they would acknowledge her survival.

Although the failure of two grandchildren was tragic, it seemed like he still had no hope towards Yoon Ji-hee. It was just good luck that the knowledge she learned fit perfectly with the task. He didn't think anything else. For me, it was a very good sign.

I wiped my hands and mouth with a napkin. Yoon Ji-hee raised her head. "People rely on their original impressions. It isn't easy to change a negative evaluation. That bias is scary."

"..."

I reached my hand over the table. My palm touched the back of Yoon Ji-hee's hand, but there was nothing sexual about it.

"But I know. I was the one who saw the most benefits from what Ji-hee did. Frankly, my first impression of Ji-hee is completely different my impression of you now. I won't protect Ji-hee. Ji-hee is a partner who maintains your own share, and you proved it perfectly on that floor."

"..." Yoon Ji-hee remained silent. She blushed and shook her head.

No. She thought I was giving her too much praise. She deserved it, but didn't seem to receive it from anyone other than me.

"Now. Tell me honestly."

"... Huh?"

"Your grandfather's surprised expression. Honestly, it didn't feel that bad did it? That surprised expression when he saw Ji-hee's face."

"..." Yoon Ji-hee's eyes moved upwards like she was recalling that scene. Then she nodded.

"How was it?"

"A little..."

"He was surprised because he underestimated Ji-hee. Isn't that right?"

"Yes."

"How about those two people? Yoon Sang-ah and Yoon Sang-min?" Yoon Ji-hee suddenly burst out laughing.

"I-I'm sorry." Yoon Ji-hee covered her mouth with a hand. "W-When they first entered the room... Grandfather asked Sang-min oppa about what happened last night. Sang-min oppa's confused face... He said he broke up with his girlfriend... Then Grandfather's expression..."

The effect of the joke was decreased due to the stutter, but I laughed like it was really funny. I didn't know what talent it was, but managing my expression seemed to be 10 times easier than before.

"It's just the beginning. You'll have many surprises for your grandfather in the future. Well, was it just your grandfather?" The family that ignored her. All the people around her. "Try to remember. Like your grandfather's expression, don't you want to make other people have that expression?"

"... Yes."

"Then create it. I will help you. Just follow my orders like you did yesterday." Cooperate only with me. It was to prevent her from going 'astray' in the future. All the rest, except for me, were marked as targets to be overcome. "Ji-hee can do it. You have the skills and qualifications."

"... Yes." Yoon Ji-hee nodded with an impressed expression. I released Yoon Ji-hee's hand.

"Now, there is this." Yoon Ji-hee spoke.

"Huh?"

Yoon Ji-hee pulled out a leather booklet. The 6th floor. It was the booklet with a handprint that the 2nd ranked boy dropped after dying. Despite my reading skills, I found it difficult to decipher, so I left it to Yoon Ji-hee. "I read it all. Then letters rose up... Look."

She handed me a note. I read the words that Yoon Ji-hee had written.

[Seal: Gale Book. A book item. Rank C.]

[A book containing the basics of how to handle wind. The scroll is imprinted with three magic spells, Wind Armour, Wind Bullet and 'Flap of Wings'. Anybody can learn it by touching their palm to the page.]

[Magic power will be forcibly awakened for those without it.]

[Learning Difficulty Level: With a magic aptitude of 11 or less, a 'schizophrenia' effect will always be applied. The penalty can be reduced according to the value of the 'willpower' and 'mental resistance' abilities.]

Indeed. It was now understandable to a certain extent why the 2nd ranked boy had acted like that. I had no 'magic aptitude' in my stats. In other words, this meant 10 or less. None of the talents I gained so far had raised this figure. Unless I had a magic aptitude of 11 or more, I couldn't help but suffer schizophrenia.

"I can't use this." It wouldn't hurt to have such a strong wind but it had no meaning if I became schizophrenic. My willpower was 15 points. My mental resistance increased with Pain Tolerance, but I hadn't received a message that it exceeded 10 points yet. The default value was quite low.

There was no need to take the risk. If I kept it, then one day I would be able to use it.

"What is it?" I asked.

Yoon Ji-hee was smiling quietly as I passed the note back. She seemed to be a little shy, like she was expecting something. Was there something else that I could praise her for?

"Like this..." Like a traditional choreographer, Yoon Ji-hee slowly moved her hands. At that moment...

"Eh? Is the door open?"

"Where is this wind blowing from?" In the restaurant with a closed door, a cool wind was blowing. I looked at Yoon Ji-hee with amazement.

"Did you learn it?"

"Yes, that... This is 'Flap of Wings.' I can arbitrarily adjust the wind intensity or range." No, wasn't there a penalty?

"Magic aptitude, I've had it for a while... I didn't know until the sixth floor... I thought it was somewhat useless..."

"How much?'

"13 points."

'Please compliment me.' Yoon Ji-hee smiled with such an expression. It was because I was so surprised that I stiffened for a moment.

[How come you only answer a phone call?]

"Should I have been replying?" As I spoke in a firm tone, Yang Su-jin was speechless for a moment. I had no intention of giving her the cold shoulder. Just...

Yang Su-jin: Oppa.What are you doing?

Yang Su-jin: I'm now in school ㅋㅋ ㅠㅠㅠㅠ

Yang Su-jin: Oppa.

Yang Su-jin: Oh.

Yang Su-jin: Pa!

Yang Su-jin: Pa!!

She bombarded me with Kakao talk messages every 30 minutes. (Kakao= Korean messaging app).

There was a limit to replying to each one. "Did you have nothing to do?"

[No, well... Call me if you don't have anything to do. Well...]

"I am exercising." I replied bluntly. I was at a closed sports park in the evening. I had sneaked over the fence.

I hadn't been able to confirm my physical specs in detail on the seventh floor. For example, how fast could I run at a certain speed? I checked the endurance of my body by seeing if it could withstand a barrage of Ravenous Wolf Fist. So far, I hadn't become Superman.

I was able to reach the top of the basketball goal with a high jump. The car navigator application that I downloaded from the app store told me that I ran 58km, the distance of the park, in an hour. After the run, I did 20 minutes of shadow boxing. Finally, I sat down to rest, but I had recovered within three minutes.

"If you don't have anything to report, then I'm going to sleep. Today there is no staircase, so I will rest well."

[No, I have something to report!]

I didn't think it was very important.

[I met a crazy woman.]

"What?"

[I was walking on the street when she spoke to me. She just suddenly asked if I went into the dungeon. She asked me that!]

I focused back on my cell phone. "Did you do anything that would make her say that?"

[I didn't do anything. I was just on the way home from karaoke with my friends. She suddenly spoke to me in the middle of downtown.]

"So, what did you do?"

[That... In fact, I should've followed her but she was gone. I'm going home now on the subway and bus.]

"Where?"

20 minutes later, I met up with Yang Su-jin. It was a street without any people. I couldn't sense anyone tailing her.

"This is a little exciting. It is the first time a man has walked me home."

Instead of responding, I asked her. "What did that woman do?"

"Don't you want to know what she said instead?"

"What did she say?" Yang Su-jin's expression became strange at this question.

"I said she was a crazy woman... She laughed and wanted to cooperate with me. If we combined our strengths, then we could break through the dungeon without dying. She said this."

"Bullsh*t."

"It is bullsh*t. I felt goosebumps and refused as soon as I heard it." How did she know that Yang Su-jin entered the dungeon? Did she have the ability to detect a person? Maybe it wasn't the ability to pick out who entered the dungeon, but rather, it identified the abilities of a person? "Then... It became really weird."

"Hrmm?"

"Nobody needs to be hurt. I tried to stop her talking such nonsense but... It was only for a moment, but it didn't sound like bullsh*t."

"Did you get hypnotized?"

"Eh?! I really don't know! Then what if I did?" I just threw out the word but Yang Su-jin had an anxious expression on her face. "I don't know if she looks bad, but it was strange. Her voice was very good. It was like... Like a mother, I felt that sense of peace? Honestly, if it wasn't for Oppa then I might have followed her."

Yang Su-jin shook as she spoke. "If it was hypnosis then a little jolt will solve it right? Can you go into an alley and beat me up?"

"... Don't say such strange things." If somebody heard then it would be a big deal. Once I saw Yang Su-jin's response, a possibility other than hypnosis emerged.

"She might have developed a persuasion related talent." I had changed people's reactions and even intimidated Lee Sang-yoon today, despite having no evidence.

I leaned more towards physical abilities, but what if I was the opposite? It wouldn't be impossible to manipulate people with words. "But even so, it should feel quite bad."

"Yes... It really was weird. If they survive by joining forces, they might be able to turn this reality into a better place... It would be like Jesus."

"... Certainly." It seemed stupid at first glance. In a world like this, people were more likely to live in a harsh manner. But that woman caused even Yang Su-jin, who wasn't a fool, to shake for a moment. She had enough eloquence to make a person change their minds. Or maybe she spoke sincerely... If so, she was a rare human being these days.

After leaving Yang Su-jin, I returned home and showered. Speaking of which, it had been seven days since I lay in my bed. While falling into the comfortable drowsiness, I felt a slight unrest. Was it due to the woman that Yang Su-jin met?

A woman with a great sense of purpose, who was gathering people to cooperate and change this reality. If she really existed, she was several times more dangerous than a liar who was a hypocrite. Either way, she was completely incompatible with me.

At least, inside the dungeon.

Well... It was unlikely she existed. There was 'no such thing' in reality.

I fell asleep.

It was a very sweet sleep.

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Chapter 38 - Day 11, Use

It was the morning of the 11th day when the letters popped up. I had just woken up after a comfortable night's sleep.

[Today at midnight. The dungeon will open.]

Those letters popped up. Well, I felt like this had been coming.

"Now." I lightly hit each cheek. I would live diligently today. The exams were all over. Even so, I was waiting for the final exams of the second semester.

I turned on the computer. There was a message from Ha Jae-hak in my messenger. Even though it happened three days ago, he had contacted me first and we frequently kept in touch.

Yesterday, I was introduced to some developers and the president of a start-up. All of them were in their late 20's and were well known people in the current industry. I shared a few words with them and there was some outsourcing for a fairly high price.

Apart from the profit, it was a chance to work deeply with developers and learn from them! This was probably my sunbae's gift. No, it was a bribe. He wanted to show me the full taste of his contacts.

Well, even so, I wouldn't be moved. I would just gratefully accept the things he gave me.

[Good morning. Hee-chul.]

"Yep." There was a video call meeting about the system and then I started to work on it. Their expectations towards me weren't high, so it felt more like they were using me as an assistant but...

[Ohu. Hee-chul is brighter than I thought. This isn't the image from yesterday.]

"Is that so?"

[You can just jump into the industry without needing to go to school. You will quickly adapt. Originally, bright people don't finish school.]

"It's because I'm afraid."

[Huhu. If I don't know anything, then I will contact you immediately. Anyway, I am bored because I am working at home.]

It was approximately 3 p.m. when I received a phone call in the middle of working. I checked the caller and immediately exited my apartment. Lee Sang-yoon was standing in front of my building.

"I asked for information, not for you to come here."

"..." There was frustration and desperation on his rotten face.

I reached out. "If you don't have anything to give me then get lost."

A car was parked behind Lee Sang-yoon. I didn't know much about cars, but I knew that it was a very expensive car that wasn't commonly seen on these streets. It wasn't a car that Lee Sang-yoon would come in.

"Don't worry. I'll end this quickly."

I heard a voice as the car door opened.

"Sang-yoon isn't good, but he did do a lot for us." The first one who stepped down was a person dressed like a wannabe hip-hop singer. He approached Lee Sang-yoon and placed an arm around his shoulder.

Lee Sang-yoon shivered.

"Isn't that right, Sang-yoon? It doesn't matter how scared you are. You won't try to sell information on your colleagues."

"..." Two more people emerged from the backseat. One male had a hairstyle using pomade and wore horn-rimmed glasses. The other person had a big physique, like a western male, and wore a t-shirt with the name of a foreign university.

It was the first time I had seen them, but it wasn't hard to guess who they were. They were the trio that Lee Sang-yoon tried to use only to fail.

"This time I met him directly, but his spirit wasn't in a proper state. I could tell that something was wrong. So we investigated the truth. You asked him to give you information about us?"

"I did."

"You did? Hah, truly. You're a scary one."

As the hip-hop person looked surprised, the macho man opened his mouth. His eyes were examining my building. "You live simply. Do you go to the same university as Lee Sang-yoon?"

"Yes."

The man with horn-rimmed glasses spoke in response to the macho man's question. "Kim Hee-chul. 23 years old. Lives at 42-3, Hyunan-dong, Seongtan-si, Gyeongi-do. Rents a room in an 18 pyeong house. His father is self-employed. His mother is a housewife."

"Kya. We're not stalkers. Isn't that right?" Hip-hop finished with an exclamation. When looking at the group of three, I felt like I was seeing cogs turning together.

Then Glasses opened his mouth again. "Lee Sang-yoon will be 'out' right at midnight today. This is a self-inflicted result. It is for trying to leak information."

Hip-hop giggled and put strength into his arm, which was wrapped around Lee Sang-yoon's neck. Lee Sang-yoon frowned like he was in pain. "I feel this is enough, but we came to warn you."

"Is there still more to the warning?"

"Of course." Glasses nodded. "On the 8th floor, there is a high probability that we will encounter each other."

What did that mean?

"I did a simple survey on the sixth and seventh floors. The area of the fifth floor you stayed in is V9? It's a place where all the explorers of your neighbourhood gathered. We were in V11." Glasses said.

They had reached a guess after dealing with the people on the sixth and seventh floors. On the sixth and seventh floors, there were people from V9, V10 and V11.

"It seems like people were mixed up on the sixth floor, but in fact, it is just the people from those three areas that were mixed up. It was the same on the seventh floor. In the end, we are in close proximity and will likely encounter each other."

There was a possibility that the number of people were reduced after the sixth and seventh floors. Thus, chances were high that the people from the three areas, who cleared the seventh floor, would meet up on the same eighth floor.

"You have until then to give an answer." This time, it was Macho who spoke in a heavy voice.

These scum, had they come up with the script in advance?

"You will replace the position of Lee Sang-yoon, or you'll end up like him. We know who you are. We can intervene in your reality. Remember this."

"..." I scratched my head. Were they finished?

"He is completely stiff."

Hip-hop laughed as he used his grip on Lee Sang-yoon's neck to turn him around. At that moment, I said to his back.

"Kim Su-han. 24 years old. On a leave of absence from G University. Your father is the president of a confectionery company and your mother is the famous daughter of a rich family in the Gyeonggi-do area. You have two older sisters. One is married, then divorced, and the other is single. Currently living apart from your family in XX-dong."

"... What?"

This time, I turned towards Glasses. "Hwang Jong-gyu. 25 years old. Graduated from S University. Your father is a lawyer and you are currently enrolled at the same law school. Your mother is a soldier. You are the only son. Due to your stingy father, the house you live in is a common apartment."

Finally, Macho was last. "Kwak Cheol-jin. You didn't want to do anything annoying and became a famous football player in Pasadena. You're currently working at your father's company."

My mouth dried up from talking too much. Hip-hop turned back towards me with wide eyes.

"What, do you think you were the only ones who could find out information?" I asked. Surprisingly, Yoon Ji-hee worked quite well. Her mother had ties with some companies. I didn't know how a chaebol got their information, but she accomplished a remarkable achievement only three days after I met Lee Sang-yoon.

"I haven't memorized all of it, but I have a bunch of papers with things written on them. I can show them to you if you want." I took a step forward.

"...!" Hip-hop removed his arm from Lee Sang-yoon and had a serious expression on his face. It didn't matter if they believed me or not. I was done with that part. I approached the front of the car that Hip-hop drove.

"Well, okay. You did a background check on us. But then what?"

"My life, will you be able to intervene in it now?" I asked.

"Why? Does it sound like a joke?" Macho asked with folded arms.

"Yes." I nodded and...

Bakak.

I pulled off the emblem on the front of the car.

"You crazy bastard!" Hip-hop instantly rushed over to me.

I didn't raise a fist. I opened both arms and welcomed him. It was like I was calling for him to hit me.

"...Ugh."

"Why?" Hip-hop didn't end up punching me.

"Try it. I already did one thing to you guys already." I rolled the emblem around in my hands. The people controlling Lee Sang-yoon weren't fools. They couldn't punch a person in broad daylight, or use an ability.

I looked back at Glasses and Macho. "Right now, you're so afraid of getting involved with the police that you can't even punch me. Can you really intervene in my life?"

Of course, I also couldn't hit these guys. But they had said it first. They would ruin my life. It was like putting a poisonous pill among prescriptions. The other party that received the poison would desperately try to fight back. If they wanted to declare that they would ruin somebody's life, they had to be prepared to play the game as well.

Sometimes, a socially weak person would be able to over a strong person with desperation. But that was different. These people had poured a lot of oil on the fire. They were going against me.

"Try it."

"We..."

"I wonder what you would try to do? Perhaps ruin my father's store? Will you be responsible for causing a deficit? Or maybe create a big debt like seen in dramas?"

Kwajik!

I put strength into the hand holding the emblem. The cool brand logo became dull aluminum foil in the blink of an eye. I threw it at Glasses. It hit him in the chest and gently fell to the ground.

"If your house truly has that much power, then give it a try. But I will also intervene in your lives in my own way. Yes?"

"..."

Of course, this could just be acting but what if it really was going to happen? They seemed to realize the answer. Thus, they didn't say anything. It wasn't just Hip-hop, but Glasses and Macho as well. They tried to intimidate me, only to receive a declaration of war that made it difficult to follow through.

Bakak.

I pulled off one of the side mirrors of the car as well. I heard the sound of grinding teeth coming from the mouth of Hip-hop, who seemed to be the owner of the car. But he looked at Glasses instead of attacking me.

"What you are doing now is obviously vandalism. You also have documents containing our personal information..."

"You can sue me." I nodded, but then said some additional words.

"But you know, if charges are brought against me... I will understand that you want to ruin my life and take it as a declaration of war."

"What...?"

"Then I will start."

Kwajik!

"I will also intervene in your lives." The completely flattened mirror fell to the ground. "Well. That's okay. It's like you said." In a while, we would meet up in the dungeon.

"I will make sure that all of you can't even remember this event. Both the good and bad memories. I will be relieved of my guilty conscience, so isn't it a win-win?"

I waved my hand and headed back to the entrance of my building. I would finish off these people in the dungeon.

"... I will look for you inside." Glasses spat out a final remark.

I said goodbye to Lee Sang-yoon who was almost crammed in the back seat. Maybe they would keep him with them until midnight in order to prevent any information from leaking. "The worst thing you are worried about isn't going to happen."

"..."

I didn't have any evidence. I didn't know how Lee Sang-yoon interpreted it, but his eyes looked a bit shaken as the door closed.

30 minutes until midnight. I finished my preparations to enter the dungeon.

I raised my hand to my mouth as I thought about the last three days. It would be a lie to say I wasn't amused. I was able to enjoy a much different world than before. The previous days had seemed like a dream.

... I was a little afraid. The person who gave us three days of rest was very familiar with humans. After not entering the dungeon for a few days, I felt that fear. If I was to die in the dungeon, all this effort to change myself would be a waste. I didn't want that to happen.

No matter what happened...

"...!"

My phone rang. The number was one that I saw for the first time, but I knew who the caller was.

"Yes."

[Yes... What...?]

As I picked up the phone, Lee Sang-yoon's was panting on the other end. He seemed to be in pain. "Did you run away?"

[T-That, although... It doesn't matter.]

It was now 25 minutes to midnight. Even if he held on in reality, Lee Sang-yoon was destined to be out in the dungeon.

[I... I hate you.]

"I know."

[But... You're the only one. That seems to be the case. So... I'm talking to you.]

What of it? He was talking because he was aware of the possibility of all this happening. Although he hated me, his hostility towards those three people was greater, so he gave me information about them.

In the end, I was used to get revenge. While inwardly thinking this...

I listened to Lee Sang-yoon's words.

[8th floor entry.]

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Chapter 39 - Day 11, 8th Floor Forest

The first thing I saw was the sky, then Yang Su-jin and Yoon Ji-hee.

"Hello... Ack?!" Yang Su-jin smiled widely before finally noticing. We were all floating in the air. A shiny bubble was surrounding each of us.

Instead of being shocked, I looked around as much as possible. The space itself seemed similar to Talia. However, the sun was nowhere to be found. Only the bubbles surrounding us and the lights shining from the ground could be seen.

I figured we were approximately 50 meters from the ground?

"Don't panic, and look over there." Yang Su-jin and Yoon Ji-hee looked in the direction that I indicated. There were dozens of sparkling bubbles at the same height as us. I couldn't see inside because of the distance, but there were definitely people inside it.

"We're probably going to fall."

"Yes?!"

"..." Yang Su-jin's eyes widened at my words, while Yoon Ji-hee didn't say anything.

We weren't simply heading downwards. If not, they wouldn't need to put us in the sky like this. "Do you remember the ticket I gave you? Tear it if there is an urgent situati..."

Paang.

I heard the scream of a woman. The fall took place in an instant. As the dizzying view moved around me,

Kung.

There was a heavy thud. I was rolling across the ground. I got up and looked around.

[Evella. Type: Plant Rank D.]

[A leafless plant found in Evella Forest, also called the 'barren forest.' It is only made up of stems and roots, not leaves. Unless there is a fire, removing this plant is very difficult. Since it grows faster than the burning rate, the creatures and inhabitants of Evella Forest can't resist them. They can only live in the spaces allowed by this plant.]

Indeed, these plants were everywhere, like a white fence. Not only was it around me, but the plants were also above me. There was only a hole left from the bubble that had surrounded me.

That hole was restored in almost seconds. There were two paths to my left and right. This was the space that 'Evella' allowed. I tried disobeying. I grabbed a Evella vine from among the wall-like fence and firmly pushed.

"Um..."

There was overwhelming pressure despite my muscle strength being 20 points. I could easily break it with my body, but it was instantly restored. I didn't know if the wall of vines was thin or not. It was unreasonable to go through the wall without knowing how thick it was.

Due to the fact that it was a forest without light, the limited field of view from the previous floors was back again. In the end, I could only explore the maze instead of going through the wall.

I started walking down a path. Rather than silencing my footsteps, I focused on exploring as quickly as possible. As I thought, I soon met a resident.

Swik.

There was the sound of metal rubbing against something. I stopped walking and raised my head. Surprise appeared on the face of the male hanging above me.

"Geik!"

The man fell from above. I took a step back and widened the distance. I honestly thought it was a goblin or something. I had seen the forest from the air. I thought that the bright lights among the vines came from a village of intelligent creatures, but he was a human.

"Moget." His skin color was light brown. At first glance, he looked like a mixture of an Asian and a western person. However, his nose was sharp like an arrow. His hair color was also gray, a natural color that didn't exist in my world.

"Why? I. Attack. Won't." I made my pronunciation of Tellan as clear as possible.

"Hah?" The other person looked surprised. Then he said, "Give me Moget."

[The level of a talent has risen.]

[Tellan (Conversation). Lv 2. Related abilities have increased.]

"Moget? What is that?" The person opened his mouth like he was going to explain, but then his eyes narrowed and he adjusted the daggers in both hands, like I was an enemy. Once I was killed, he could collect the items without any questions.

A corpse couldn't converse. The man moved immediately.

Fast!

Of course, it wasn't that hard to avoid.

Tak.

I grabbed his wrist and lightly pulled, as I immediately noticed that appearances were deceiving. This guy looked like an ordinary teenage boy. However, the impression of strength I received from grabbing his wrists far surpassed that of Lee Sang-yoon.

Was it the difference between species? Even though they looked similar, their physical abilities might be far superior to that of modern human beings. I put strength into the hands holding his wrist. It was very light.

"...!!" His hands dropped the two daggers and I blocked the scream that tried to emerge.

"Hey. Tellan." I didn't know what else to call him. "I am stronger than you. If you raise your voice then your neck will be broken. I hope you understand. Speak slowly. Evenly."

As I pulled my hand away from his mouth, the boy's frightened eyes turned to me.

"Our warriors will catch you soon." Unlike his bold words, his voice was as small as an ant. It was cute.

I asked again. "What is Moget?"

"T-The invitation of the gods..."

"Describe the function of it."

"If I rip it, I can go to the sanctuary."

Ah. I took out a ticket from my inventory. "Is this what you are referring to?"

"Moget." The boy's eyes shone like it was a treasure. Was it to buy goods they couldn't get from here? The daggers that the boy dropped and the clothes he wore seemed quite shabby. Although they seemed to be natives of the forest, the shabby nature showed how long they had been passed on.

"Do you have money?"

"... Money?"

"It is required to buy things there." The boy didn't seem to understand.

"We offer a tribute... The Gasava fruit that is carefully prepared..."

"Tribute?"

"Dear God, please forgive the incompetence of our ancestors. Please help us leave here and return to the civilization of our ancestors. We pray."

"There are no stairways here? They would go down."

"We... We are different from you. We can't cross the boundary. We were exiled here." In other words, they couldn't get out of this forest, so they stole the tickets from incoming explorers to pray to the statue.

Well, I knew very well that the prayer had no effect. That's why they were still here. There was one thing though.

They knew about the concept of tickets and explorers in advance. Were there explorers before this? Is it not just our world? I looked at the boy to ask another question.

At that time, a few sentences emerged in the air.

"..." I read the message twice. It took some time before I understood the meaning. Indeed. It wasn't entirely useless.

"Ah." The boy's eyes widened as he looked behind me. There was an expression of relief on his face. I looked back and saw four Tellans.

"Father!" The boy cried out to one of the four men. All of them looked much stronger than the boy. They were big and holding sharp weapons. They determined that I was an enemy just by looking.

Well, my questions were already roughly resolved just from the previous message that I popped up in the air. If one survived, I could kill them to get their talents. Were they treating me like a monster?

The Tellans rushed towards me.

I found a village five hours later. I was going to tear the ticket and go to the fifth floor after eight hours. Even if Yang Su-jin and Yoon Ji-hee tore their tickets, they would still be there for 12 hours.

There were Tellan villages all over the forest. That was the information I had squeezed from them. There were several villages that guarded the stairs leading down to different exits. They were stairs that the Tellans couldn't go down.

"Cough." As I breathed in smoke, I looked around the village that was already in shambles. It was approximately the size of a primary school playground. There had been dozens of Tellans living here. But now, all of them were dead and uninvited guests were resting in the village.

"Who is this? I really ran into you here." The one in charge was Hip-hop. There were at least 10 people around him. I looked around, but didn't see Glasses or Macho.

"It looks like you're alone. Were you lost in the forest?" He spoke casually, but his party was already spreading out, like he had given them unspoken directions. I saw one person block the road into the village behind me.

I looked at Hip-hop and said. "I discovered the path a few minutes ago and followed it. I'm alone."

Hip-hop laughed with satisfaction at my words. The shoes he was wearing seemed to be unusual.

Lee Sang-yoon said it was a 'B rank' equipment. The place they reached on the 7th floor was a 'factory.' Similar to me, instead of fighting the guards of the factory, they chose a smarter way.

They fixed the facilities of the factory using the Tellan language and received three B rank items as compensation. Right now, I only had C and D rank equipment.

Of course, they were weapons, but I couldn't couldn't ignore the skills of the people handling them. Even if they had the mysterious ability to shoot fire or freeze an opponent, I could get that much destructive power from other weapons.

But they were different. They had overwhelming firepower and talents. Lee Sang-yoon had said this.

"I will give you a chance to change your mind. How about it?" As Hip-hop stepped forward, his shoes started to glow. They were shoes that allowed for incredibly fast movement. Maybe it was the power of the shoes that allowed him to take over this village.

As proof, there was dust on some of the party members, while Hip-hop showed only a little bit of fatigue. He made a triumphant expression. "I'm not an intolerant person. Some of the ones here only joined me on this floor. Do you see this pretty girl here? I saved her directly."

Hip-hop winked at the girl next to him.

"Oppa is really cool." The girl laughed like she was shy. I wasn't sure if that face was pretty or not.

"Lee Sang-yoon, that jerk was too self-conscious. He makes me want to beat him up even when he is quiet."

"I feel the same way."

"Well, I don't want to hit you. But you did do something to my car. Even if you surrender, I have to pay that back." Of course, I wasn't fool enough to surrender and Hip-hop also knew that. He was waiting for me to say 'no' so he could strike.

I opened my mouth. "Have you ever read Romance of the Three Kingdoms?"

"... What?" The look on his face said he hadn't read it.

"Before he died, Zhuge Liang handed something in his pocket to Yang."

"What are you talking about?"

"Zhuge Liang believed that the guy called Wei Yan would betray him. So before he died, Zhuge Liang handed a pouch over to Yang. Yang opened the pouch. There was a piece of paper with writing on it."

"Who will kill me? If Wei Yan shouts this message three times. I will hand over all military rights to Wei Yan. Yang delivered the message to Wei Yan, who smiled and shouted it three times."

"Crazy bastard." Hip-hop thought I was talking nonsense to buy some time and lowered his upper body.

"You don't know what I mean, but you should at least look behind you."

"That...!" Someone who read Romance of the Three Kingdoms called out to Hip-hop, but it was too late.

Bam!

The body of Hip-hop, who was about to move, shook for a moment. Hip-hop stared blankly at the broken glass bottle that hit him and the liquid that soaked his head.

"'I will kill you.' Was that it?" The girl recited the line in the novel and shrugged as she turned towards me. "People should study these days. There are no kids reading Romance of the Three Kingdoms anymore."

"You?"

"I read it whenever I am bored." As I looked at Yang Su-jin, blood poured from Hip-hop's body.

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Chapter 40 - Day 11, 8th Floor 1/3

Hip-hop wasn't hit hard.

"This fuc...!!" A spin kick. There was a blue flash as Hip-hop's right leg left the ground and hit Yang Su-jin's abdomen. With a loud sound like a hammer banging into something, Yang Su-jin flew back two to three metres. What was this? Hip-hop grinned despite the pained expression.

"It hurts." He frowned as he glanced at Yang Su-jin who had flown away to the left. Yang Su-jin had a obvious hole in her abdomen.

"So why didn't you read Romance of the Three Kingdoms?" I asked.

"...Kuk..." Blood started emerging from Hip-hop's ears and eyes as he glared at Yang Su-jin and started dying. Actually, I had only read the manhwa of the Three Kingdoms, but I didn't need to tell him that.

I would feed Hip-hop to Yang Su-jin. I looked at the rest of the group. There were a total of 13 people.

"Heok..." Despite their leader Hip-hop being on the verge of death, they had the numerical advantage. Some of them were already running away. There were seven entrances into the village. If they spread out, then it was impossible for me to catch them all. I wasn't greedy and chased after the one with the best movements.

[Running. Lvl 4. 23/800]

After the massive killing on the seventh floor, I received Running Lvl 4. It was a talent that I didn't have before. When I tested the performance of my body on the seventh floor, it wasn't like this. The experience only went up when pursuing someone.

"Hiik!" I grabbed the collar of the man and he extended a fist. There was a flash from the ring on the man's hand. Lightning hit my body. At that moment, my body stiffened as an electric current spread throughout my body. The man smile of satisfaction but...

Pak.

My elbow struck the man's head. His body collapsed and I removed the ring. The ring emitted an electric current with the power to stun an adult male. Continuous exposure would lead to shock. That was the description attached to the ring.

But in the end, it was just a D rank item.

[Current Balance: 622/625]

It was the right answer to buy the Tellan book instead of the fire ring on the fourth floor. If the man's abilities were the same as mine, then this ring would surely be a considerable advantage. However, it couldn't cover the gap caused by overwhelming specs.

I ignored the rest of the 12 people running away and looked at Yang Su-jin who was crying out.

"Yah! My level really climbed a lot!" Yang Su-jin was delighted as she peeled the shoes off Hip-hop's body.

"It climbed a lot?"

"Yes, there wasn't much else. He was really good at Tellan. My reading is at level six and conversation is level three! This is a complete meal!"

I also heard it from Lee Sang-yoon. I picked up the book about Tellan that had fallen from Hip-hop's body. Lee Sang-yoon said that there was a subtle battle between the other three men. The three of them had their own specialties that kept the other in check.

Hip-hop's specialty was language. As could be seen by the level rise, he was very proud of his aptitude and used this as a weapon against the other two. In other words, the other two were illiterate. They wouldn't be able to speak Tellan unless they had other books and studied from them.

"Eh... But isn't that a disadvantage on this floor?" Yang Su-jin asked as she handed me the shoes.

She explained. "Originally he tried to talk to the residents. At first."

After overpowering the Tellans, Hip-hop had given a few tickets to the thrilled Tellans. He was quite smart. He would know from previous experience that violence wasn't the only answer. The Tellans were amiable after Hip-hop gave them a few tickets and revealed a lot of information.

"He pretended to be nice to get some answers..." Except for the villages, there was one more space in the forest that the Evella allowed. It was a space greater than all the villages combined and the only fertile land in the forest.

There, the Tellans grew something called 'Kasava.' It was the only thing that they ate in this forest.

I kicked a pile of burnt rubble. Not long after, plants similar to sweet potatoes poured out. I peeled the skin and bit one.

"Ah, me too! I'll eat it as well!" Yang Su-jin cried out.

I chewed on a Kasava.

Yang Su-jin looked at the food like it was trash after eating it. "The taste is really dirty! How do they live on this sort of food?"

However, the nutrients in it were phenomenal. Except for the monsters that lived among the bushes, there was no imbalance in the Tellans that ate it. They used the fertile soil to grow this miracle plant.

"There is a sacred altar."

"Eh? Oppa knows as well?"

"I don't know exactly what it is."

"I'm the same. The people here don't seem to know exactly what it is."

The Tellans I encountered had also given me that information. In fact, the Tellans had no choice. If they wanted to find out what it was, they would have to dig out the field that was their livelihood. It was impossible even if they had a lot of food stored up.

Of course, it also wasn't known to the explorers. In any case, it was clear that the sacred altar was the key to clearing this floor. In order to do that, we had to get rid of the method keeping the Tellans alive. Therefore, Hip-hop chose to kill all of the Tellans here. He used the shoes.

[Falen Boots - 204th Limited Edition. Equipment item. Rank B]

[Limited edition model boots created by the professional manufacturing studio, Falen. It boasts stability and a semi-permanent magic power source that makes it different from conventional booster boots. Due to the complexity of the creation process, only a few pairs were manufactured and it didn't reach the stage of mass production. These are only the boots, not the whole body equipment.]

[Gives an addition four points of 'muscle strength' to the wearer. For those with a default muscle strength of '20' or higher, it will only increase by two.]

[Increases agility by three points.]

[The electric current generated will be in proportion to the kicking impact.]

[Prevents damage to the joints/muscles in the area worn.]

The numbers were quite big. The kick that hit Yang Su-jin boasted tremendous power. The smell of barbecued meat was due to the electricity.

"Isn't this a surprisingly nice design? It suits Oppa very well." I didn't say anything as I put the boots on. It resembled roller-blades with small wheels. I loosened the locking mechanism as much as possible and put my foot in.

"..."

"..."

It didn't fit. It was too small.

"Um... Uh... Well, your feet are a little longer."

"... You wear it." Although it was a bit big for her, it wasn't a big inconvenience once Yang Su-jin tightened the locks. She jumped higher than usual and shrieked with delight.

"This is so cool!"

"I guess so."

With Yang Su-jin behind me, I explored the ruins. There might be one person whose breath wasn't completely stopped. Not long after, I heard little whimpers from a half-collapsed cabin. I kicked the rubble aside to see a dying man and a girl guarding him.

"F-Father..." The Tellan girl trembled as she saw me and embraced the man next to her. The man had already lost a lot of blood and only looked at me with blurry eyes.

"Eh... I'll finish it. Oppa?" Yang Su-jin asked from behind me.

I looked at her and she shrugged before speaking. "Um... This isn't... I thought about it. There isn't anything to gain from killing them. I mean, at least let them die quietly..."

"I didn't say that there was nothing to gain." I could practice my Punching, Grappling or Torture. If I was vicious enough, then I could eat them.

I approached the girl. Then I spoke in Tellan. "If you say 'Yes' then you will be able to live."

"I will do it!" The girl screamed and Yang Su-jin belatedly made a noise from behind me.

"Eh?" Yang Su-jin was moaning stupidly. I turned my head. Her expression looked just as stupid as her face.

"Leave it. This is good enough."

"Yep." Yang Su-jin replied positively with her hands behind her back.

I sighed as I looked at the words above the heads of the girl and man. The words were slightly different for each person. I looked at the ones above the girl's head.

[Waruda. Tellan. Sex- Female, 15 years old. Health Status - Good.]

[Citizenship can be granted with the command 'Grant Citizenship.']

[Citizenship can be removed with the command 'Remove Citizenship.']

[In the case of Tellans who have been granted citizenship, the coordinates of the territory belonging to the monarch will be communicated. They can move through the stairs to the corresponding area.]

The girl and man shivered as I granted citizenship to them. The words about whether to accept the citizenship or not appeared before them. The man seemed to understand the meaning. The girl agreed along with her father.

['Waruda' has become your citizen.]

['Kagon' has become your citizen.]

I took their hands and pulled them up. Unlike the man who completely entrusted himself to me, the frightened girl stumbled.

"Don't worry, Waruda." I whispered.

"...!" The girl calmed down at my words.

I headed for the stairs in the centre of the village. As soon as the two people were placed on the stairs, they disappeared.

"That, did they go to Talia? The seventh floor?"

"Yes." The ones who were there first would heal the man.

I had wondered when I first encountered the Tellans. Were they monsters of the dungeon? Or were they prey to be killed in order to eat their talents? None of that. They were a type of resource. I could take advantage of this floor.

"Those sent through the stairs didn't come back. It is probably a one-way path."

Shortly after I had noticed the message, I offered a deal to the Tellans. Granting them citizenship didn't mean they were puppets who would follow my words. But they wanted to get out of here. I told them the story of the City of the Sun, and they were totally captivated as some people disappeared through the stairs.

"There will be room in Talia for them to grow the Kasava. I told them I would grant them citizenship if they followed my instructions."

After sending away some useless seniors for free, it was quite spectacular as village after village fell to their knees before me. This was the solution to the eighth floor.

Maybe the Glasses, Macho and Hip-hop trio also had something similar to citizenship. Their stage on the seventh floor was a huge factory. No, maybe it was an industrial city?

But at the start, the three of them were scattered. Hip-hop might know the language but he obviously didn't have the right to grant citizenship. If not, there was no way he would make the village like this.

"Walk around the ruin and see if there is anyone else remaining."

"Yes!"

I started looking through the ruins with Yang Su-jin for Tellans who were in a critical state. It might have been a waste of time. The Tellans who couldn't go to Talia were no use to me. But I had nothing to do as I waited.

Wajik!

There was a furious sound as a punch was thrown and a hole was created in the Evella vine. Before the vines could recover again, Hwang Jong-gyu moved through them. Hwang Jong-gyu, who was also known as Glasses, looked at the party following him.

Kwak Cheol-jin. Macho was at the very rear. 'That gorilla bastard.' Even in the midst of moving quickly, he was looking out for himself.

But in the end, when it came to fighting, he was needed to kill the guy who took Hip-hop's talent. Glasses clenched his teeth. Somehow he had to reclaim Hip-hop's talent and the shoes that he was wearing.

The seventh floor. Factory City of Falen. The rewards were distributed to all three of them to reflect their struggle when clearing the city. Due to Glasses having the weakest combat power, he received the magic armour that wrapped around his whole body.

Hip-hop was the speaker and he claimed the shoes to aid in his evasion. The most powerful of the three, Macho, had to be satisfied with having the authority of the 'mayor'and could control the facilities of the factory city.

'It isn't just that.' It was strange that Macho had no complaints despite receiving the most useless reward on the seventh floor. There was clearly a hidden feature. So despite the fact that Glasses joined Macho early, he couldn't attack him first.

Glasses kept watching and it was clear that there was something more. In the village they found, Macho had watched the indigenous people they oppressed with something like anticipation.

The result was really eccentric. Macho said something in the other language and the indigenous people suddenly disappeared down the stairs. They didn't come back again. Glasses asked what had happened, but Macho just sent him a stern look. He couldn't ask the natives. Hip-hop wasn't here.

Still, Glasses believed that his armour would protect him from Macho. Then they encountered a party member who was breathing heavily. He announced the death of Hip-hop. It was at the hands of a man and woman.

The party started running. No matter what, Glasses had to reclaim Hip-hop's talent. The person who regained it would become the dominant one between the two.

Wajik!

The armored fist crushed the wall of vines. Glasses breathed out as he looked at the sight before him. A smashed village. Hip-hop's body covered with blood.

"That was faster than I thought."

"...!"

On the other side of the village, Hee-chul grinned at Glasses, Macho and their group.

"It was worth leaving 12 people alive." Hee-chul raised both palms to the sky. "Didn't I say it? I would see you inside the dungeon."

With an expression of relaxation and humour that was different from when they saw him in reality, Hee-chul beckoned with both hands.

"Come."

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Chapter 41 - Day 11, 8th Floor Renewal

Glasses and Macho were surprised as they saw me. They were looking at my feet. It wasn't there. Hip-hop's boots couldn't be seen. "Are my feet really the most important thing?"

"...!"

"...!"

I raised my index finger and knocked twice on my temple. "Here. The thing you want is in here. I studied really hard." Then I walked backwards. Right behind me was one of the entrances to the village. If they didn't chase after me, then I would disappear into the forest.

It was clearly a lure. I didn't want to fight against many people at once, so I would defeat them one by one in the forest. They had no choice. Whether I ate Hip-hop or not, they knew that I was strong. It was necessary to eat me in order to gain dominance over each other.

Pak!

Glasses was the first to rush towards me. Macho followed behind him. The two of them couldn't catch up with me due to my excellent stats, so the distance between us started to widen slightly.

I entered the road leading into the forest and waited at the first curve. I wasn't thinking about attacking here. It wasn't only a few steps from the entrance but it didn't make sense to drag them into the forest to defeat them one by one. I could hear Glasses and Macho step into the forest. The footsteps were a few seconds apart.

"W-What the?" Screams were heard just after the two of them left the village. Yang Su-jin, who was lurking near the entrance to the ruins, struck the remaining people. Their screams were the signal, so I rounded the corner to attack.

Glasses and Macho were looking back towards the village where the turmoil was taking place. Macho was in the rear. Glasses was ahead of him.

"This...!" Glasses discovered me and raised his guard. A few steps behind, Macho was getting ready to throw the iron ball in his hand. Did he think there was no way to attack him thanks to the on guard Glasses in front of him?

That wasn't the case. I turned using my right leg. In addition, I thrust forward with the cylinder in my right hand that I had taken out from my inventory. It was just like what Lee Sang-yoon had done a few days ago.

[Moray Spear. Equipment item. Rank D.]

[The total length is 5.5m, but once all the parts are folded, it becomes a thin cylindrical shape that is 25cm. Once a stabbing posture is used, it will receive the force and the folded part will instantly unfold. The instantaneous change in length can surprise an opponent, but it needs more power and accuracy than normal spears.]

[The power will increase in proportion to the user's strength, posture and timing.]

[If the spear strikes something when the unfolding isn't complete then the power will decrease.]

There was a sharp sound. The spear flew much faster than when Lee Sang-yoon, the original owner, used it. Once again, C and D rank weapons weren't that good. But it wasn't bad. It depended on the user's skill as well.

Puk.

There was an elastic texture as the pole extended several metres. The spear was reduced to its original size after completely penetrating Macho's neck.

Chak.

There was a noise as the spear formed a cylinder again.

Buuuong.

The sound of Glasses' fist was heard at almost the same time. As I leaned back and avoided the fist, I took out a vial with one of my hands. It hit Glasses exactly. I stepped back and waited for him to scream. It was Yang Su-jin's special mixture that she had used on Hip-hop.

"I don't know what this is."

However, I didn't see any bleeding. Glasses was covered in a full body armour, with the helmet exposing his face similar to a motorcycle helmet. There were no gaps for the potion to flow between.

"Sorry but this won't work." Glasses declared.

I heard a moan from behind him. Macho hadn't died yet. Blood was pouring from his pierced neck, but he was still alive and struggling painfully. If Glasses turned around then he could kill Macho.

He thought about it. I didn't miss the moment when Glasses' concentration was shaken for a while and threw a right hook.

Jing!

Along with the sound of hitting iron, Glasses only paused for a moment. However, I was the one who moaned. "Ugh!" I had tried hitting him as an experiment. I was prepared for some injuries, but the hardness was beyond imagination.

[Current Balance: 598/625. Decelerated state - Leg (50%).]

Deceleration? Legs?

At that moment, I felt a sticky texture on my feet. As I turned my head slightly, I could see a black liquid on the ground where I was standing. There were a few broken bottles on the ground. He had secretly dropped them.

"You aren't the only one with useful potions." My shoes were only covered with a little bit. My legs moved slowly like I was drunk. I couldn't avoid Glasses' next strike. I bent my arm back and a vibration spread through every corner of my body.

Bam!

Glasses didn't come that quickly. The power contained in his strike couldn't be seen. But it was solid. Although his fighting skills were worse than mine, it was like his whole body was made of steel.

Bam!Bam!Bam!

I maintained my guard as I continued to block the strikes. Eventually, my upper body bent over from the hits and I feel to my knees.

"Pant... Pant..." Glasses was breathing hard because his stamina was poor. However, the rough breathing soon stopped as he smiled faintly. "Your body is pretty solid."

He took out a knife from his inventory. His answer wasn't a hit. He intended to take care of it with one more blow. I managed to raise my hands and blocked the knife with a hand.

Indeed. It was difficult to get past the surface of the armour. It wasn't simply strength.

I took out another vial from my inventory with my spare hand. It wasn't a drug that I was throwing this time. It was the old, weak version of the poison I received from the sixth floor.

"What, don't you have the ability to learn?" Glasses turned his head and easily avoided it.

The vial flew towards Macho was screaming in the back. Glasses immediately looked behind him. Macho had pulled out potions from his inventory and had been drinking them.

"Thanks to that, it'll be easier for me to finish him off. It's too bad about the treatment medicines."

"... You lost." I stated.

"What?" Glasses asked with confusion. I replied to Glasses' question with a fist. I kept holding the knife with one hand while my other hands pounded his face.

Jing!

There was a tremendous sound as my fist hit Glasses' helmet. But the helmet was still fine. Blood burst from my hands.

"What are you doing..."

Jing!

One more hit.

Jing!

Yet again.

Jing!

Another one.

"Puak!" Glasses couldn't even think of attacking me with his spare arm.

"Well, maybe you can break it someday." Glasses started babbling.

Jing!

"But are you looking at your health bar? Do you know what is funny? I was doing this earlier but your fists are a lot faster."

Jing!

"Maybe seven years in the future..."

Jjejeok!

"...!"

Finally. There was a slightly different sound. I swung a fist again.

Jing!

Peeok!

This time, another sound could be heard at the same time. Glasses noticed it as well and frowned. Why, was he starting to feel impatience? But it didn't matter. His techniques were terrible. One hand was being held so he couldn't punch effectively.

Jing!

Peeok!

"W-What th..."

"Now."

Glasses felt something strange. No matter how bad my punches were, the rate of my health decreasing was somewhat slow.

[Current Balance: 248/625. Decelerated state - Leg (50%).]

[Current Balance: 251/625. Decelerated state - Leg (50%).]

"H... Health..."

It was going up with every punch.

Jing!

Jjejeok!

Akka. I was able to tell by the moans that Macho hadn't died. It was little by little, but my stamina was continuously recovering. Macho was bleeding from the neck. In other words, the damage I dealt him was coming back to me as health due to the Essence of the Leech.

Jing!

Jjejeok!

The vial I threw before? I thought I needed to recover more health so I threw it. Even if he died, I would receive a certain amount of talent. Even if he didn't die and drank potions, he would be a great source of health. Anyway, Macho was supplying me with health.

Jing!

Jjejejeok!

"Heok..."

At last. The helmet was broken and the face of the stricken Glasses appeared.

"I waited a long time." I stretched out my fist.

Jjak!

'Jjak?' Jjak? The sound wasn't due to my fist hitting something. It came from my wrist. The sound came from it being cut.

"Hah... Hah..." Glasses smiled with satisfaction as he looked at my wrist.

"Don't worry."

I turned my gaze towards his arm. He was still holding the knife firmly. It was a very good move. Now I had lost the function of one of my wrists.

Seuk.

There was no resistance as my wrist was neatly cut off. A smooth section remained in the place where my hand was.

"What?" Glasses thought I was crazy. His face showed that.

Glasses looked at me.

"When I think about it, this happened on the first floor." I muttered.

"...!?"

As Glasses made an expression like he didn't understand, I punched him in the face. I didn't use the smooth section.

First hit. Second hit. Third hit. On the fourth hit, Glasses stopped breathing.

"Huu."

As words rose up, I approached Macho who was writhing on the floor. "Thanks again for everything in the meantime." He was a great source of health. I raised a fist and finished him off. Similar words popped up. Among the words, there were some that stuck out.

[The monarch of Talia has killed the mayor of Falen.]

[All the territories of the mayor of Falen will return to neutral ground.]

[The main territory of Falen. Ownership of 'Industrial City - Falen' has transferred to the monarch of Talia. The coordinates have been registered.]

[Condition: Acquiring control over someone else's domain. Complete.]

[Condition: Register some residents. Complete.]

[Condition: Conquering a territory. Complete.]

['Challenge- Exploring' has ended.]

['Challenge - Conquest' begins.]

TL Note: I actually felt better a few days ago but being sick has made me fall really behind on my schoolwork. There is still a bit left, so the schedule for the rest of the week will be irregular. Basically, whenever I finish a chapter. The regular schedule will resume starting from next week.

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know report chapter so we can fix it as soon as possible.

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Chapter 42 - Day 11, Integration

I didn't gain as many levels as I thought. Every time my level went up, the required experience value doubled. The required experience from level one to level five was 1,500. The required experience to reach level eight from level seven was 3,200.

Even if I gained the experience of two people, it was hard to see a big effect unless I had already accumulated experience. I absorbed the talents from Glasses and Macho. Even so, I didn't see a remarkable climb in my talents, except for a few.

First, this was what I obtained from Glasses.

[Talent has been acquired.]

[Talent - Negotiation: The success rate of negotiation with other parties and the ability to gain more favourable conditions will increase according to the level. Eloquence has slightly increased.]

[Negotiation. Lv 4.]

Apart from that, the only other noteworthy thing was that 'Persuasion' and 'Compulsion' increased by one level. Unexpectedly, the experience of Punching went up quite a bit, but there wasn't a rise in level.

In the case of Macho,

[The level of a talent has risen.]

[Throwing Lv2 - Lv5. Related abilities have increased.]

[Talent: Throwing. Power and accuracy will increase when throwing something. Muscle strength and health have slightly increased.]

[The level of a talent has risen.]

[Leadership Lv4 - Lv5. Related abilities have increased.]

[Leadership Lv5. Benefits have opened.]

[Technique has been acquired.]

[Technique - Proper Conduct: Increases the abilities of subordinates when they follow your commands that place them or utilize them in the right places. Regardless of loyalty, the ability will rise depending on whether they submit to your instructions. Can't be applied to two user commands at the same time.]

[The rise in abilities will depend on the level of Leadership.]

[1 to the two highest stats.]

I liked that I obtained a technique, but the effect seemed to be useless to me personally. It would be much more helpful to Yang Su-jin and Yoon Ji-hee. I looked down at the body of Glasses. I attempted to peel off the armor from the crushed body, but it was useless. No matter how much strength I used, it wouldn't come off.

Jjejeok!

Jjik!

Finally, one section came off. It wasn't peeled off, but the part that gave it strength was broken. The inside of the removed piece was red. It was like flesh had fallen away.

"..."

I threw the piece on the floor.

"You were lucky to be able to take off the shoes." A familiar voice was heard from behind me. "The equipment made in Falen are designed according to the user's body from the beginning. There is no way to wear it other than reassembling it in the factory again."

I looked behind me, and the stone statue was there. Isaiah. According to him, the old god of the city of Talia. ... He was also a type of operator who managed this dungeon.

"Congratulations." Of course, he didn't come here just to tell me this. Or he could no longer bear to not see my face and came to see me directly.

"That isn't it. Please rest assured. Well, half of it is true." His neutral voice gave me goosebumps.

"Is this because I conquered something? You must feel obliged to come and pat me on the shoulder."

"Indeed. You have completed the exploration."

"I didn't know the last floor was here." At first, I thought there would be at least 20 floors.

I moved through the forest while talking. When I came back to the village, there were cold bodies all over the place. It seemed to have been a fairly intense battle, as Yang Su-jin's sweatshirt was also turned into a bikini. She was kneeling on the floor, hands folded together and eyes closed.

"What are you doing?"

"I'm waiting to change into a beauty. I have killed quite a lot of people. I thought I would suddenly transform like Oppa."

"... I don't think that will happen."

Yang Su-jin opened her eyes and was surprised to see Isaiah. "Why did he come again?"

"I don't know." Isaiah was still quietly following me. If my guess was correct, the answer lay with the fertile field. I started walking with Yang Su-jin.

"Wait a minute, don't move your arm." As we moved, Yang Su-jin poured medicine on my wound and took out gauze from the bag. The bleeding at my wrist stopped. However, my HP was still decreasing slowly. Yang Su-jin looked above my head a few times before asking.

"Are you poisoned?"

"Perhaps."

My fist had punched the poisoned soaked armor… "But blood isn't pouring from your eyes..."

"It's due to the change in my body." It wasn't enough to kill me, but I felt slight nausea.

"Take a rest! There is no antidote so you just have to wait. Moving around the forest in this state and persuading all the natives..."

"There's no need to worry." We were almost there. Once we almost arrived at the fertile field, I turned to Yang Su-jin. "Did you or Hip-hop arrive at the village first?"

"Uh... He arrived a few hours before me." Not much time had passed.

"I visited six." I declared as I stepped onto the fertile ground. The space was almost 10 times larger than a village.

"..."

Yang Su-jin couldn't close her mouth. It was because of the grand sight before her. Hundreds of Tellans were digging at the ground with hoes and shovels. Including the place where I encountered Yang Su-jin, I had directly stopped in six villages.

"Ah, Hee-chul! Su-jin...!" I entrusted the indirect actions to Yoon Ji-hee. The Tellans turned their head this way. As they saw me and then Isaiah, the Tellans all fell to their knees.

"Your Majesty!" The oldest man cried out.

"Your Majesty!" Loud voices rang through the area. They stopped working and waited.

"We have discovered something!" The thing that was revealed wasn't a staircase or an item. There was a square-shaped slab that five people could fit on. Two overlapping circles were drawn over it.

[Neutral Zone - Evella Forest.]

[A person with a ruling authority can occupy it as their territory.]

This... Occupying the land? "That's right." Isaiah answered my thoughts. "The start of... Sixth floor? No, it was from the fifth floor."

That reminded me of the difference before and after the fifth floor. I asked, "...Maybe the seventh floors are all 'cities.' Isn't that right? It is a structure that allows a person who completely clears the floor to obtain it."

"It isn't just the seventh floor. There will be many such neutral areas and cities in the future. However, there is a difference. Not everyone will become a conqueror like you. If you descend several stairs and visit various cities, you will eventually realize the essence."

The stone statue has said that the fifth floor was the 'last floor.' That was an obvious trick. It didn't matter how many floors I descended. In the end, it was enough if I didn't die. Furthermore, I could conquer new floors that I encountered. The expression 'occupying land' was perfect.

Whether it was 'monarch' or 'mayor.' Take over the cities and gain control of the people. An explorer who satisfied the three conditions would gain the power of a conqueror. I gained the right to occupy the neutral zones, not just cities. "Basically, there is nothing different from the exploration you have already been doing."

"... What about after the occupation?"

"Your people can freely move through your territories using the stairs. Other explorers can't enter your territory through the stairs." That wasn't what I was asking. He should be well aware of that.

"Will something change if I occupy the land here?"

"... No." Isaiah replied after a moment of silence. "Didn't I tell you? When you got the title of monarch on the seventh floor, I said there won't be any help. Of course, you can still get talents through the conquest process."

"..."

There was something strange. It was like dangling a carrot in front of a child. This was the first time it appeared. No matter if he was an explorer or conqueror, there was no practical help.

Let's think about it. My mind was better than this.

"... This. It is your purpose, isn't it?"

The Tellans said they couldn't go beyond the stairs into other areas. But was it possible if I took over a territory?

"You can't do it with your own strength. Repair the broken cities and gather the people scattered in these areas. So take them instead."

The Tellans here had nothing, but it was because there was nothing in this forest. Their intellectual level and old belongings showed that they were civilized people trapped in a forest, rather than primitive people. What if they went to Talia? The culture and environment was more hospitable, making them bloom.

"This whole place is as if you made it for us... Maybe the course was really decided on the fifth floor." In that sense, the fifth floor would be the last floor. "The places after the fifth floor... So... This dungeon is a world in itself. Gather the scattered places and people."

The purpose was obvious. The worlds of these people were completely broken. I was a tool that would sew the pieces together again. Their civilization would flourish in the world again.

Create more desires and dreams. "... Almost accurate... It is amazing." Isaiah marvelled.

"Don't praise me if you aren't going to give me anything." I stepped on the slab.

[The monarch of Talia has occupied the neutral zone - Evella Forest.]

[Currently holding three territories.]

[Spatial integration. Talia, Evella Forest, Falen.]

"... Ack?" My vision suddenly changed. Had I cleared this dungeon floor?

But the words weren't visible. The thing shown in front of my eyes... It was a sun that I had already seen once before. Talia's sun. I was floating in the air. Below my feet, there was a wide scene that couldn't be easily processed.

Talia. There were some people moving around and the golems seemed a big bigger. But that wasn't all. To the north, there were dark buildings that were different from Talia's stone buildings. Like Talia, the area was also occupied by civilians.

"That is the factory city, Falen." Isaiah suddenly appeared next to me and said.

"Is that Evella Forest?" In the west, there was a place that looked like a wad of cotton.

Isaiah nodded. It seemed like he just intended to show me the landscape, as we gradually descended and set foot on the ground. "If you conquer an area or kill another conqueror, it will automatically be added to your territory. The same thing will happen when you step on the stairs."

"Wait a minute, then I am now..."

"A conqueror can remain in his territory for as long as they want. But time will flow just like in your world. You will have to wait until midnight to go to a new floor."

If time passed as it did in reality then it would be morning right now.

"Does that mean I don't have to rule?"

"You can do that. Basically, the cities have their own rules and cultures. There will be some trial and error, but it won't be a problem if you neglect it. Of course, it doesn't change the fact that you are their master and saviour."

It was lucky. I didn't need to take over management of the territories. '

"You can just enjoy their submission."

"I'm not interested in that." Being a king was a act that would pledge time in reality as collateral. This wasn't a holiday, but a place to train my talents.

"Let's see. The more people there are, the more 'enjoyable' it will be. That's what I think." Isaiah said with a very sly smile. "In this way, the territories you have gathered will assemble into one piece."

"If I die?" I recalled the words that appeared when Macho died.

"The capital, Talia, is taken over by the one who killed you. The other areas will return to their original place. It will stay like that until someone makes it their territory."

"How great." I responded lightly, but an image was being drawn in my head. The dungeon wasn't just a 'set' to be cleared, but part of a real world. Of course, things for 'production' would remain intact.

"The things here. Do I have ownership over them?"

"There are no rules, but if you want it then you can take the item without paying the citizens. It is also up to you to deprive the people of their citizenship.' There were various precious metals and food. Looking at it broadly... I could get various high-ranking items from the factory city.

The wider the area was, the more materials that could be produced. This was also true of the Kasava grown in Evella Forest. Even without light, it was a crop that could be endlessly grown from fertile land. I was just a university student in reality so I couldn't realize the full benefits, but it was obviously a crop with great potential.

The scale was too big. It was a reward that was different from receiving talents.

Well, it wasn't bad. It made no difference in my need to break through the dungeon. Every day, I would discover a new area and fight with others. It was just that the unknown conditions had increased.

"Please."

"Huh?"

"I hope you will be the winner. It would be a great source of pride for me if this becomes the capital of the new empire."

Empire. "Is that the goal? Assembling everything into one piece?"

"I hope that the same destruction won't be repeated twice." The cause was people losing their dreams.

"'Desires' and 'wants' arise from relationships with other beings. That's why I think it is a privilege only for living creatures." Isaiah declared.

"It roughly sounds right."

"That's why a leader is needed. A figure that people will look up to, respect and obey, as well as stimulate their dreams." He looked at me while speaking. I felt quite a lot of pressure from his eyes.

"Not just as a symbol, but a being that is the ultimate existence. An existence that isn't satisfied with the status quo and is constantly advancing. Someone different from beasts. A being that can move freely without being dominated by their own desires."

If there was such a person then I would like to be introduced to them.

"Of course there isn't one. That's why I am trying to make it." The stone statue continued with a significant remark. "The 'Emperor' will be the ideal being."

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Chapter 43 - Day 12, Cooperation

Yang Su-jin and Yoon Ji-hee weren't here. After conquering the forest according to Isaiah's rules, the two people disappeared with the same effect as though the floor had been cleared.

I was still affected by the poison. My HP was still slowly reducing. Since my time limit wasn't infinite, it was impossible to relax until the poison had worn off. But there was still work to do.

I ordered some Tellans to carry a corpse out of the forest. They immediately followed my instructions and carried the body of Glasses to the factory city. The golems were waiting there. The 'Falen Guards' were stone statues that were much smaller than the Talia Knights.

Their rank was C and they were mostly dormant. Their language speaking ability wasn't very smooth. "Now. Workshop is in downtime. Remaining power source and raw materials are completely exhausted."

I wanted to lie down on a bed but I gave orders to the guards. I called the Talia golems. There were batteries that received energy from sunlight not just inside the golem, but throughout Talia's facilities as well. "Can you turn this factory on?"

"In the case of the guards, the power source can be replaced immediately. It will take some time to improve the workshop facilities."

I handed over Glasses' body. "The armor this brat is wearing, can you take it off and recycle it?"

"It is possible once the workshop is running. In the case of additional goods production, the raw materials are insufficient."

"Keep it." If I wanted to make something here, then I needed to obtain an iron mine or something similar. This was enough for now. My body was shaking more and more. My eyelids kept on wanting to close. I was too sick to do any more... Despite my enhanced body, this was the limit.

I used the golems to head to the stairs in the centre of Talia. Just as I was about to step on the stairs, "That, King..." An elderly person approached me and started talking. He was an elder of one of the villages in the forest. "Thank you again for the blessing you have given us. If you command us..."

"I know." Once again, I didn't want to play as a king. Even small villages had experienced leaders, so it would be good if I didn't need to touch it. "Just familiarize yourself with this city and how to use the facilities. Well, that is the end. Goodbye."

"We will keep that in mind. If King wants…"

"Huh?" The old man stepped aside to reveal some girls. They were women in their mid teens and early 20's. In the meantime, they had washed up and decorated themselves, revealing a gorgeous appearance.

"Once you get enough rest. These attendants..."

"Ah. No need. I don't need them." I raised my arm with the severed hand. Aside from whether I liked them or not, I couldn't do anything with a body like this. ... In addition, the Tellans were similar to humans, but I didn't know what would actually happen. I wasn't going to risk myself in the dungeon by indulging in carnal lust. I wouldn't accept any of them.

I stepped on the stairs without hesitation.

My eyes were currently at the limit. Blood gushed from my neck as I stepped on the stairs.

[Return.]

It was 3:00 p.m. I received a fifth call.

[Well done. Let's go eat with the other study group members.]

"Yes." The results for the exams of the major subjects came out a little faster than usual. Even if the name didn't appear, the identity could be roughly grasped using the student number. The people who saw my score immediately sent me a message or called me.

My rank for Systems Programming and Operating Systems was respectively a '3' then '4'. For the Electrical Circuits Test, I received the first rank.

Of course, I was glad. I had accomplished something I had never done before. It wasn't just the exams for this semester, but everything I could do in the future. It was also scary.

Chwaack.

I washed my face with cold water and looked in the mirror. The face still felt a little unfamiliar to me. I had changed. Starting with my appearance to the amount of time it took to understand something.

I was born again in just 11 days. No matter who thought about it, the tremendous growth was bound to be strange for those who knew about the dungeon.

Now I needed to be prepared. There was the possibility of a second or third Lee Sang-yoon appearing. At this point, it was meaningless to hide the abilities I had gained from the dungeon. There would be few survivors around here.

But what about the few who had survived? I might meet them someday. So far, I was a predator, but that was because the sea was wide and there were many prey to fill the area. Whenever a floor was cleared, dozens of prey would disappear. Only predators were left.

Furthermore, it was a bit different from nature. Predators in the natural world weren't willing to fight bigger opponents. A shark didn't choose the prey. But in the dungeon, the size of the prey and the taste of meat were proportional. Every shark was looking for a mass of food similar to themselves.

Yiing.

The phone on my desk vibrated. It was Yoon Ji-hee. She had already contacted me once in the morning. Yoon Ji-hee wouldn't call me for nothing. I took a deep breath before pressing the accept call button.

Then I picked up the call.

It was the first time I was riding a car with a driver, except for taxis of course. I looked at the scenery passing through the window. I was alone in the car. There was no Yoon Ji-hee. Chairman Yoon gave direct orders. 'I'll send a car to get you to the destination.'

Yoon Ji-hee was stuttering from panic but I understood immediately. "Well, it isn't a big deal."

It was serious. He was the chairman of a big company. It wasn't unusual for the old man to expect his words to be obeyed. So I took several deep breaths. Things could happen if I tried to hurt Yoon Sang-gyu. There was no other way.

In addition, the scenery passing by was the center of Seoul I had already looked at the destination on the navigator before the car started.

[You have arrived at your destination.]

UZ Convention Centre. It was a place that was always crowded with various events, including expos. I was guided to an indoor stage. It had approximately 300 seats, usually used for seminars.

I walked to the door. "Hrmm."

After a moment, The soundproofed door was opened very slowly. Numerous eyes could be felt from inside the room. To be specific, they were looking at any new people who entered. People were sparsely sat throughout the audience seats.

Nine? No, eight. Including me, it was nine. I could somehow feel it. There was a strange atmosphere even before I came in. This was an aquarium. It was a collection of sharks.

"..."

It felt like sticky tongues were licking my whole body. I ignored their gazes and memorized the faces of the eight people here. Then I picked a spot and sat down. A few minutes later, a person appeared on stage.

He was a man in his early 30s wearing a suit. He seemed like a worker who had spent a few nights away. "Nice to meet you." The man hit the mike a few times before talking. "Honestly, I was a bit worried. I'm glad that everyone showed up. Well, you are all great people and might have the same idea..."

I didn't know what he was talking about. The man continued speaking. "Ah... I should introduce myself. I'm sorry. I've been out of my mind for a few days... I am Kim Tae-hyun, the deputy manager. You can just call me Kim Tae-hyun. Deputy Manager Kim. Anything is fine."

The most important thing was that he didn't say 'where' he was the deputy manager. However, it wasn't a mistake. "This is a national affair." He briefly added at the end.

"How did you know about me?" I heard someone asking.

Kim Tae-hyun scratched his head and replied. "There are reports and data from many layers of society. It is clear if a person suddenly shows outstanding skill, exam results, performance reports etc. Once someone knows about the dungeon, there are many areas that can be investigated."

If so, the people were gathered here for a reason. "Is the country trying to control us?"

"Huh? No! That's not it. There is no reason for that, nor do I think we should do so. Are you doing anything that will harm society?" To be more precise, we couldn't harm society. It seemed correct.

"The purpose of this is to create some minimal rules. We hope to build a partnership with you." Kim Tae-hyun explained.

Killing a person in reality would allow the killer to receive their talent. There was at least one person here who was thinking about killing everyone else here.

"The growth in physical abilities far beyond ordinary people allows you to kill an unspecified number of people. That would be a bloodbath. I asked you here in order to prevent that." Kim Tae-hyun raised his index finger. "In the dungeon, please kill everyone else except for you."

"...!"

"...!?" Some groaned, some laughed.

I felt like laughing. It was because the words sounded psychotic. Who would be the ones likely to kill people in reality? The people gathered here? No. Those who attended here only wanted to kill each other, strictly limiting it to sharks.

But the ones like Lee Sang-yoon were different. Even though their self-esteem was strong, it was broken inside the dungeon. Those people would risk their lives to kill people in reality. We should kill those weak ones.

That's why they called us. If the strong minority gathered here handled it, at least reality would be clean. "Of course, it isn't for nothing. Some of you are enjoying the benefits of being a leader, so I won't ask you to kill your subordinates without any compensation."

Kim Tae-hyuk clapped and men in suits emerged from the back of the stage, pushing a few carts. "You will be able to come out of the dungeon with the body part of a person killed. If you bring a recognizable source of identity, such as a fingerprint, you will be paid a certain amount of points per person after some investigation in reality."

However, in reality, no one would die. Society would be calm without any problems. That's what they wanted. While Kim Tae-hyun pulled open the lid of a box, I paid more attention to Kim Tae-hyun. I wasn't in a position to speak. But I could feel assured about something. Kim Tae-hyun was a formidable psycho.

"I will be happy to swap this for points. They are just samples so if you have any questions then please ask." Once the boxes were opened, everyone let out a groan. "Everyone should have the default ability to take this into the dungeon."

They were guns painted in different colours, like toys. Placed together, they seemed like explosives.

"Ah, this isn't a very important question." Kim Tae-hyun said like he suddenly recalled something, drawing the attention back to him. He threw a surprise hook.

"If you are a 'king,' then please raise your hand."

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Chapter 44 - Day 12, Points

What was this?

It was the perfect response to the situation. In fact, the place became quiet. Kim Tae-hyun had casually asked this question. Naturally, there was no one who would raise their hand to say 'yes.'

"...?" Kim Tae-hyun's eyes widened. It was no wonder. Something happened that he didn't expect. He never thought that there would be someone who would raise their hand.

"If you are referring to a city, then I have one." I raised my hand. All eyes followed Kim Tae-hyun's gaze towards me.

Why had Kim Tae-hyun asked this? In the first place, it was a ridiculous question. Who was a 'king'?

"How surprising." I muttered once I confirmed that there was no one other than me. "But why did you ask?"

"It's nothing. I just wanted to verify the information." Kim Tae-hyun said slowly in a calm tone. Perhaps he assumed that this conversation wouldn't happen. Originally, I came here to figure out how many people I would have to get rid of. Sorry but it was a big bet for me just coming here. I didn't intend to watch passively.

"Then can I ask you a question?" I asked him.

"What is it?"

"After this is over, I would like to talk to you about being a 'king'. With just you." Kim Tae-hyun's expression became slightly animated. I didn't know if the other people here could read Kim Tae-hyun's expression, but I certainly could.

Why?

Due to the structure of the dungeon, it was only on the eighth floor that people would realize that being a 'king' was meaningful. Then how did Kim Tae-hyun know about it? Other than the people here, was he also a shark?

No.

Kim Tae-hyun had a person who was a 'king' and 'conqueror' on his side. The chances were high that it was Kim Tae-hyun. "We are done, but if you wait, I'm going to pass something out to all of you."

In fact, he had already delivered all his facts. Soon, the people in the black suits headed to the seats and handed out small handbooks. It was like a diary where additional papers could be added.

There was a total of three catalogues. There were familiar guns that I had only seen in games. The fingerprints from the dungeon gave a minimum of five points each. I could become the protagonist of a FPS game just by having four of them. There were a few bulletproof vests and grenades.

I used a ballpoint pen to check the price list of several things, including a high-performance radio or a heated suit made of a new material.

"Please exchange contact information with us so that you can call at any time. You don't have to worry about legally possessing these items, but please bear in mind that there might be some confusion if this is exposed to others or leaked to the private sector."

Kim Tae-hyun's main point was finished there. "In the future, I will contact you directly if there is something else. Of course, it is up to you if you want to attend or not. We can mutually benefit from each other. I hope there will be cooperation between us."

There was a sound as the back doors opened. I stood up. I headed straight to the back of the stage. Eight pairs of eyes followed me.

"Follow me." Kim Tae-hyun and I walked into the hallway behind the stage.

As we headed down the emergency stairs and appeared in a quiet place, Kim Tae-hyun turned towards me. "Frankly, I was surprised. I didn't think that someone would actively come out like this."

"There was no reason to hide it." Among the eight people here, there were two faces that I knew. Yoon Chan-hee and Yoon Da-hee. Yoon Ji-hee's cousins who were siblings. I hadn't met them directly, but had received photos from Yoon Ji-hee.

Let's think about it. For the children of a chaebol, they had more to lose than gain from attending this meeting. Of course, if a grenade exploded in front of me right now, then I would surely die. But wouldn't it just cost them some money to obtain guns that could be brought into the dungeon? So why did Chairman Yoon Sang-gyu instruct me to go to this place? If it was simply for reconnaissance purposes, was he planning to use me through Yoon Ji-hee?

"The position of 'king.' Honestly, I didn't come here to talk about that." I said. This place was safe, and I had something to gain. Even the chairman changed his policy about interfering and directed his grandchildren to attend. I looked through the handbook.

"Besides what's listed here, can I use the points to purchase other requested things?"

"That's right." Kim Tae-hyun replied. It meant I could order weapons not listed in the catalogue.

"What exactly is this? I would like to ask you."

This was South Korea. More than the gun itself, the right to own a gun was hundreds of times more expensive. It was like that even if I wanted an air gun for hunting. No matter how rich and powerful a person was, did they have the right to hand out weapons? It was easy for the UZ family to obtain a gun, but if it was seen outside the dungeon then it would cause an uproar.

Yet this person said a blind eye would be turned. The country's rules were ignored to give individual rights. Was that the only thing that could be bought with points?

"Is it possible to get other legal benefits? Things like tax evasion or immunity for big and small crimes?" Kim Tae-hyun was silent for a moment. He didn't seem confused. He looked at the floor for a moment before saying.

"The ordinary people woke up after dying, with no knowledge of the dungeon."

"...?"

"The number of people who can tell someone about the existence of the dungeon is reduced. In other words, the dungeon is a place that ordinary people don't know exists. I have absolutely faith in that." Kim Tae-hyun grinned. "But no matter what, the dungeon actually exists. Points are the same, in that they already exist. The department that I work in manages that."

My speculation was right. Points were something that existed before the dungeon.

"Of course, it isn't unrealistic like the dungeon. The rules are simple. Sometimes, the country can't afford to pay a performance based compensation to an individual. If the country doesn't have what the individual wants, or can't give it, the person will be angry."

"Then getting paid in points..."

"Points are for the sake of convenience. It works so that order doesn't collapse in society as a whole." So... It was a type of reserve fund for corporations to gain immunity. Then I had another question. What was the credit for the reserves?

What could I gain if I saved the points for later instead of changing it for a gun straight away? "You don't have to use the points earned straight away. You can rest assured about that part. Hee-chul can contact us at any time."

"..."

Kim Tae-hyun said my name for the first time. "It's a system that has existed much longer than you think. Anyone can use the points. The way to use it depends on the person."

"..." Applying it to things like stealing or killing. I didn't know how many people used points, but no one could use points for such a purpose. Starting with taxes, there were a number of laws people would have to deal with as their social status increased.

"If I didn't ask..."

"There is no obligation to tell you. You have to speak clearly. If you want additional items added to the catalogue then contact us later." If I didn't know the truth about points, then I would be wasting it on something else. Who among the eight people outside would be in a position to know about the points? I could presume that Yoon Chan-hee and Yoon Da-hee came for this purpose.

"I don't think there is any problem. If you don't have the status to know about it at first, then you will soon be out in the dungeon."Kim Tae-hyun replied.

"... I think that is a very poor criteria for judgement."

"Let's see? Society is already in transition. The bloodlines have already been filtered to a certain extent. I'm a little old fashioned." Kim Tae-hyun gaze swept over my whole body. "Well, I suppose there are some exceptions."

"..."

"If I hadn't told you about points right now, I think you would have discovered it eventually." Sometimes the first impression could be wrong. Just like this time. I was often mistaken for an office worker due to my dark circles and clothes, but I wasn't one.

"Hrmm. Then are you questions over? Even though you raised your hand about being a king, I don't think there is anything else to say about it." I nodded. "Good. Well, I enjoyed it."

As we walked, a door to the stage opened wide. A person wearing a suit hurried out. Kim Tae-hyun watched him with a confused expression before saying to me, "Well, I was nice enough to answer some questions. Now I have a little question. Did you have to take the risk of revealing yourself as a king for that?"

"You might think so." The suited person came this way. My sensitive senses could smell the faint scent of blood.

"What do you mean?"

"Yes. The other eight people. Will they really leave without any conflicts?"

"... Why..."

Kim Tae-hyun frowned and realized a tempo too late. He had good insight but it was still too late. The suited person was able to successfully approach this side.

Peng!

There was a small explosion that was approximately one meter in diameter. "Keuk!" Despite quickly defending with his arms, Kim Tae-hyun coughed blood and was thrown back.

Five to six metres? Kim Tae-hyun slipped and hit the ground. I had already pulled my body back.

"You..." Kim Tae-hyun looked up at me with a puzzled expression. The front of Kim Tae-hyun's body was severely burnt. Although his life wasn't at risk, it was obvious that he wouldn't be able to act right now.

"I'll tell you in advance, but I'm not involved in this." I said to Kim Tae-hyun. I shrugged as I looked at the suited man. If he had the talent then he was welcome to try and kill me. I didn't know his abilities, but I definitely felt his killing intent. From the first time I saw the eight people, I was aiming at every one of them.

There was nothing to lose, especially if they turned out to be kings. Every one of them might be kings and pretending not to be. I just put it out there in the beginning. It didn't even matter if they were kings. A wild beast would just ignore public authority. The person in front of me, one of the eight people, looked like delicious prey.

"If you're not on the same side..."

"I will either fight or run away. But it is likely that one of you will die." The suited man took one person by surprise but I was confident about facing him. It was enough to finish him off before others could come.

"But can you really kill someone? It isn't something that can be overlooked." The suited man said.

"...!" I had already stepped back while raising my guard. I could run away at any time.

"If the punishment for murder was lighter, then I wouldn't flee..." I said to Kim Tae-hyun.

He replied. "I-I will take responsibility. No matter what happens here... I promise I have the authority..." Kim Tae-hyun was bleeding from a severe wound on his neck.

The suited person lowered his upper body towards us. There was no time left. How long was left until he would rush? 10 seconds? "... I promise." Kim Tae-hyun declared.

"Is that the end?" I asked.

"What?"

"Shouldn't there be an agreement before I kill someone?" I looked at Kim Tae-hyun as I spoke. It was bait.

Hwakak!

The suited person didn't miss the gap and rushed forward. A hand quickly stretched out towards me. It was only for a brief moment, but I saw a pattern engraved on the back of his palm.

Peng!

There was an explosion behind me. The hand of the suited man passed over my shoulder. I gripped his elbow firmly and pushing his other arm as far away from me as possible. At first glance, it seemed like a tense power struggle. The suited person looked like he didn't know what to think.

I turned my head again, looking down at Kim Tae-hyun. "Back to what I was saying." I met Kim Tae-hyun's eyes.

"Points, how much will you give me?"

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Chapter 45 - Day 12, Flame

"..." A groan emerged from Kim Tae-hyun's mouth instead of words. I understood enough. It seemed like he was still making calculations.

Seuk.

I felt the suited man's arm stiffen from where I was holding it by the elbow. It was very light, but the weight of the arm had changed. He had taken something out from his inventory and was holding it in his hand.

I put strength into both arms and pushed. The suited man wobbled and I used the gap to kick him in the abdomen.

Kung.

The suited man was thrown backwards and the dagger in his hand fell down. I looked at Kim Tae-hyun again.

"...72."

"72?" It was a pretty vague and small number.

Kim Tae-hyun held a machine in his trembling hands. It was like a smartphone PDA device. "This machine keeps me from giving out points too recklessly... No. There is a clear quota for every point..."

"Kuok!" A moan came from the suited man. There was pain and anger on his face. I hadn't controlled my strength when kicking him. He was definitely a worthy opponent.

I didn't think that 72 points were all I could get, but I shouldn't be too greedy here. The suited man stretched out his palm again.

Tang!

There was a noise like a cannon being fired. As fire emerged from the palm of his hand, I turned my body to the side. The source of the explosion swept past my chest. The shape of the ball was one metre in diametre. As it crossed the distance, it became thinner and longer.

It seemed like he could freely change its shape and size. The suited man extended his other hand. A second flame emerged and I barely managed to avoid it. At the same time, he pulled out a spear.

Syuok!

Peng!

There was a third explosion. Then the tip of the spear crossed the gap between us, but it failed to hit its target. The only thing I felt was a pain in my left side as I backed up. It wasn't a direct hit, but the explosion had slightly struck me.

"...!" I realized that I had failed to avoid the fourth explosion. The suited person stepped backwards. He was trying to run away, but he was at a disadvantage. My reaction speed was higher. In addition, the narrow corridor and difficulty in firing ranged weapons meant I could easily catch up with him.

I closed in on him. I didn't want to expose all my secrets to the guy behind me. Still, it couldn't be helped. I triggered Darkness Cloud.

"What the!?" The suited man cried out with confusion. He randomly fired his explosions. Although the length and thickness of the explosive balls were smaller, a large number of them crossed the darkness.

Face. Torso. Arm. Legs. I ignored the explosions hitting my body and ran forward.

"Eek!"

I was only a few steps away. The man gathered his two palms together. I moved forward even faster than before. Some hits were expected due to the close proximity, but I took advantage of the width and length of the corridor as much as possible.

I would see how long he could sustain that firepower. I took a deep breath.

My vision was filled with flames.

'Dammit.' Kim Tae-hyun was able to take out a potion just before Hee-chul spread out the darkness.

It was a potion that temporarily maximized the regeneration power and immunity of the whole body. He didn't know how he could consume such a valuable bottle that was the size of a milk bottle here, but it couldn't be helped.

The medicine was amazing. It would take a considerable amount of time for his wounds to be healed, but that was better. Otherwise, he might become involved in the explosions.

Peeng!

"Ack!" Flames filled the narrow corridor. He guarded his body with his arms, but he couldn't stop his hair and skin from screaming silently.

Swaahh.

The sprinklers turned on and the fire alarms sounded loudly. The explosions disappeared but smoke filled the entire corridor. The smell of burned flesh hung thickly in the air. Kim Tae-hyun clearly smelt it. It wasn't simply the smell of hair or skin burning. It was the gross smell of fat burning.

'They've both died.' It wasn't the worst thing he faced, but it was right up there near the top. For Kim Tae-hyun, explorers were resources. Killing them to gain their abilities wasn't the only solution. He had the benefit of being a spokesperson for the country, as well as acquiring talents as an explorer. His plan was to climb to the top using these two things.

This could become a reality through the dungeon.

In the history of mankind, the leaders had never been a flawless ironman. A sole willpower that reigned over the ignorant majority. Still, his perspective was different after the dungeon. While some people dismissed the dungeon as nonsense, he was quick to understand.

'I have no interest in being king of the world.' He would be the hand behind the world's king. Kim Tae-hyun took a step into the smoke.

"...!" There was a shape inside the smoke. The person turned towards him. It was Hee-chul.

"You're alive." As he moved further and the smoke cleared, Kim Tae-hyun involuntarily cried out. Hee-chul had no clothes left on his body. No, to be precise, he had no skin or anything else. It was more appropriate to call it the charcoal silhouette of a person.

Red muscles were exposed between the blue and dark area. The suited man was lying collapsed at Hee-chul's feet. Tae-hyun assumed that he was caught up in the power of the explosion that he himself created.

"Hey." Hee-chul didn't answer. There was no movement. "Hey." Kim Tae-hyun pulled out a gun. Keeping Hee-chul alive wasn't bad, but an opportunity like this was rare. There were explosions so he had pretty sound justifications for the deaths.

Although he didn't design this situation, he had caught the perfect prey on his fishing line. If the suited person hadn't blown up the hallway, then Kim Tae-hyun wouldn't have received this chance.

"..."

... It was really for that reason. It absolutely wasn't because of the fear that he couldn't control this person. Kim Tae-hyun whispered to himself.

The moment he lifted his gun,

Chobeok.

Hee-chul turned around.

"..." He had confidence in his skills. He was an excellent shooter. Since he was always carrying a gun, Tae-hyun was able to bring the gun with him from the first floor. Of course, his shooting and firearms talent had a high level. There was probably no one better at shooting in Korea than him. But he couldn't pull the trigger.

"That thing in your hand..." The distance between him and Hee-chul was enough. It was obvious that Hee-chul couldn't move properly with his burnt muscles. "I'm not sure how to interpret it." A steady voice came out as the mouth of the charred human body opened.

'Pull.' The voice in his head said. But his body didn't listen. Was it because he was overwhelmed by Hee-chul's grotesque appearance? Those eyes? The nonchalant voice that seemed to see through him?

"If you don't answer, then it can't be helped." Hee-chul declared. There was only one thing that Kim Tae-hyun could do. "I'll be forced to defend myself."

"No, I wasn't aiming at you." The muzzle went down. With a calm expression, Kim Tae-hyun raised his hand and pointed to the body of the suited person. "I thought he might have survived. Sorry. Your visual was so severe that..."

"..."

Kim Tae-hyun trembled. 'You can't kill me.' Kim Tae-hyun had the means to legally cover up this incident. Kim Tae-hyun guessed that Hee-chul wasn't crazy enough to dismiss society's rules. He was the type to handle things reasonably.

Chobeok.

Hee-chul approached him. No. Was his guess right? Those eyes. Why was he looking at Kim Tae-hyun with those eyes? "If you come too close..." Ignoring Kim Tae-hyun's words, Hee-chul reached towards him.

"Ack!" Kim Tae-hyun reflexively raised his gun.

Teob.

Hee-chul read it perfectly. The palm of his hand completely covered the muzzle of the gun and stopped its movement. Despite the charred hand, Tae-hyun felt a strength that he couldn't cope with through the barrel of the gun.

Hee-chul extended his other hand. Kim Tae-hyun unconsciously gritted his teeth. "... I would appreciate it if you gave that to me."

What? Kim Tae-hyun stared at the hand that stopped right in front of his face. The palm of his hand was facing up. "It looks like you have good medicine. Your wound is completely healed. If there is anything left then I would appreciate it." Hee-chul seized the gun from Kim Tae-hyun's left hand. "Please."

Tell him that there was no medicine. Instead, Tae-hyun would give him the best first aid possible. While Kim Tae-hyun's head was talking, his hand was taking out a bottle. He couldn't pass this bottle over just like that. Just open the lid and give him a few drops. Kim Tae-hyun made this decision when...

Kung!

There was the sound of banging on one door in the corridor. Tae-hyun paused briefly. Hee-chul's hand eased the bottle away. "Ah..."

"Thank you." Tae-hyuk involuntarily let go.

"Deputy Manager-nim!" A door on the other side of the corridor opened and a group of people in black suits poured out. Among them were the remaining seven explorers, not including Hee-chul and the suited man. They happened to hear the sound of the explosions and came running.

"Okay... You..." The people in suits swallowed as they saw Hee-chul.

"Can you bring me something to wear?" Hee-chul said in a polite voice. Of course, the rest of his things had disappeared into his inventory. The men in suits looked at Kim Tae-hyun, who nodded. Some people quickly left to get clothes for Hee-chul.

"A lot... have gathered." Hee-chul looked at the rest of the people after putting on his clothes.

"Sorry if I scared you... Instead of saying anything... I have something to tell all of you. For those who were aiming at me because I am a king..." New skin was covering the burn skin. Hee-chul's appearance was really grotesque. "If you encounter me on the next floor then you should look elsewhere."

Just like a demon from manhwa, Hee-chul spoke with a face that was half healed. "I will recommend you to go straight down the nearest stairs instead of giving into your vain greed." The sharks didn't panic at his words. Hee-chul didn't mean to scare them.

Hee-chul said one more thing. "Of course, at the end of the day, I will also be the one going down the stairs."

Most of the larger sharks took it as a declaration of interest. "If you keep repeating this step and going straight down the stairs, then you'll be able to stay safe until the end."

Hee-chul took the initiative.

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Chapter 46 - Day 12, Theft

I thought they would bring me a blanket at most, but Kim Tae-hyun's brought me pants, a t-shirt, jacket and sneakers. After changing clothes and looking in the bathroom mirror, I examined something I learned today: Essences could also be absorbed.

[Essence - Elder Salamander]

[The 'Fire Lizard's Mark' will be inscribed on both hands. It is possible to switch it from an active/inactive state through a command.]

[Fire and heat resistance have increased by 10%. This won't turn off as long as your HP doesn't fall below one.]

[The average body temperature will rise by one degree. There is no physical deterioration caused by high body temperature.]

[You have become 5% more vulnerable to cold air.]

[Technique - Fire Lizard's Mark: A technique that controls the energy of a salamander through the inscriptions on both hands. You can shoot out flames of various sizes and shapes, as well as in the form of explosions. They are magical flames, but consume the user's 'Hunger' and 'HP' instead of magic power. If either of these numbers aren't high enough, then it can't be used.]

[The maximum firepower will rise in proportion to the level. Precision has increased.]

[Once active/inactive is used, it requires five minutes for the next inactive/active.]

[Become 50% more vulnerable to the cold when active.]

[Current level: Lv 1. 1/100]

It was certainly a pleasure to gain the technique that almost killed me, but my resistance against the cold had further weakened. It was already weak due to the leech essence. Moreover, the suited man wasn't a king. I hadn't seen a message about gaining a city. He might not have tried this if he had such a position.

The Fire Lizard's Mark. Active.

The same pattern as the suited man appeared on the palm of my hands. I imagined a flame. I imagined the explosion that attacked me earlier.

Hwakak.

At that moment, a very delicate flame rose from the palm of my hand. Of course, it was an intentionally small fire. Was it due to my imagination being enhanced in the dungeon? I was able to create a much cleaner flame compared to what the suited man blew from his hands.

As I heard footsteps coming into the men's bathroom, I formed a fist. Then I turned towards the entrance of the bathroom. "Have the rest of the people been sent back?" I asked Kim Tae-hyun, who had just entered the bathroom.

Of course, I didn't order it, but Kim Tae-hyun was bound to do so. It was the most obvious action after explosions had occurred. I had done such a widespread provocation that it was unknown what type of conflict would have occurred if Kim Tae-hyun left it alone.

"Take this." Kim Tae-hyun threw a piece of paper at me. It was laser printed paper like a bank sheet. The ID of a virtual account to handle electronic money and the password were written. The account contained '72' points, the number I earned today.

I asked a question in a blunt manner. "How many points to cover up murder?"

"It varies." The answer came back straight away. "It's because the value of human life isn't the same."

I personally disagreed with that, but it wasn't the place to discuss the value of human life.

"In addition, it will be different depending on how they are killed and the situation going on around them. We look at the convenience of covering up the murder. For example, if there were thousands of witnesses in the middle of a city then it would cost thousands of points." Kim Tae-hyun continued. "But... Let's see... If there are no witnesses and the victim doesn't have a nuisance job like a journalist or lawyer... It will be around 50 points."

He seemed like a salesperson describing a product in the catalogue. I could understand the meaning in his eyes. If there was a mysterious and sudden death, the police would turn away if the victim didn't have a special background.

Yes. That was exactly what I wanted to know. For example, even if I was stronger than Yoon Sang-gyu's grandchildren, I couldn't attack them first. Their status wasn't a joke. But they didn't have to worry about that. I had a weaker status. They might try and use their points to bury me with no hesitation.

"Is this an unfair game? The man who attacked us before is in a lower bracket than you. Maybe he noticed this unfairness and acted."

I bent down and tied my shoelaces. Then I asked. "What about theft?"

"... Theft?"

"For example, if I steal someone's wallet, then is there a difference between stealing from an ordinary person and high class person?" Kim Tae-hyun narrowed his eyes.

"There isnt' a single person who would use points on such a 'wasteful' thing. At least, I've found that throughout my career."

"But it isn't certain."

Kim Tae-hyun was silent for a moment. "... It depends on the material worth. It depends on how much capacity the victim has to punish you. If it is a simple pickpocket then it should be around two points."

"Hrmm."

"I roughly know what you are thinking." Oh really?

"If you try to hack in order to gain more points, then it's useless. Points are a distinct credit asset that this country deals in. A person with a mere background shouldn't make a fuss."

"..."

Kim Tae-hyun had almost growled out the words.

"If I think about a pickpocket..."

I got up. As soon as I got up, I moved closer to Kim Tae-hyun.

"Uh!" Kim Tae-hyun gave a short moan but didn't pull his body back. He thought I was trying to scare him.

"I asked because of this." I pulled out a gun from the waistband of my pants. It was the gun that I had taken away from Kim Tae-hyun. "I'm quite greedy so I took this without knowing." I put the gun back in the holster revealed by my open coat. I continued keeping an eye on Kim Tae-hyun.

"Now. Haven't I given it back?"

"..."

"You seem to keep on misunderstanding me. Why are you so scared?"

"... Today, you keep trying to eat." He suddenly stopped talking in honorifics. Kim Tae-hyun shot me a blazing look. "There is nothing to worry about. This is my job so I can push aside my personal feelings. But you should keep something in mind. You're just a brat."

"What?"

"You're just a struggling 23 year old university student. Did I warn you about hacking? I must have been crazy."

"Whoa." I withdrew from Kim Tae-hyuk. Kim Tae-hyun finished talking. He took a deep breath. Then he suddenly spoke in honorifics again.

"Well then, this is the end of our business here."

"Indeed. I hope you're not angry anymore."

"... Please go safely." After those meaningful words, Kim Tae-hyun left the bathroom first. I followed behind him. In the corridor, I headed the opposite way from Kim Tae-hyun. As I headed down the emergency exit, I recalled my talk with Kim Tae-hyun.

Hacking. "Hah." I sneered.

Hacking a virtual account? What did he think the computer engineering department taught? I honestly hadn't thought about it until Kim Tae-hyun said it.

Well, there were the doors, and I pulled one open. I left the convention hall and pulled out the phone that I kept hidden in my sleeves as soon as I mixed in with the crowd. It was Kim Tae-hyun's phone. I got his attention by pretending to return the gun, then I stole his phone.

Instead of trying to break the pattern lock, I looked at the side of the phone to see if there was an external memory.

"Bingo." After pulling it out, I squeezed the phone with my hand. I put it in my pocket and continued destroying it.

Ujik.

In an instant, a ping pong ball sized piece of plastic was left in the palm of my hand. It literally went down the drain. I didn't know if this phone was for business or personal use. If I picked well, then there would be a list of clients in the contacts that the department was responsible for.

Obviously, there would be information about the other explorers gathered at the convention centre. Who they were. What they did and where they lived. As Kim Tae-hyun said, it was an unfair game.

But so what? I had made a declaration of war. I didn't expect everyone to be scared of me. I had to fulfill those expectations with strength.

"What happened?" Yoon Sang-gyu asked as soon as he heard the door open. Many things were omitted but the answer came back straight away.

"Ji-hee will survive for some time." Yoon Chan-hee, Chairman Yoon Sang-gyu's first grandchild, said. "As long as she isn't abandoned by him."

"Longer than you?"

"... I think it isn't likely." The old man turned in his chair and looked at his eldest grandchild.

"I want to hear more." Yoon Chan-hee gave a short, concise explanation of what happened today. He spoke about what he observed from Hee-chul and what he saw in his gaze. "I see. Then how would you rate that young man?"

It was an interesting story, but he was more interested in the expressions on his grandchild's face. "Impressive."

"Really?"

"He is extremely capable of hiding what he is thinking. Although he hardly expresses any emotions, I get the feeling that every emotion shown is calculated." Yoon Sang-gyu nodded silently.

"But..."

"But?"

"Despite being fully conscious of the risks, he dives in without any fear. I think that is a disadvantage." A questioning expression appeared on Yoon Chan-hee's face because Yoon Sang-gyu was laughing.

"What..."

"Since you were a child, I've heard a lot of people say the same thing about you. It is your biggest advantage. But is this the first time? You turned it into a shortcoming when evaluating someone else."

"..." Yoon Chan-hee had nothing to say at his grandfather's analysis.

"Besides, somehow I don't think it is a disadvantage."

"..."

"As a matter of fact, don't you think so as well?" He couldn't answer. He couldn't say that it wasn't the case. Was the man called Hee-chul much better than he thought? Since Hee-chul was backing his cousin Yoon Ji-hee from behind, did he really have to consider her a competitor to take control of UZ?

Or was it due to his grotesque appearance? No, that wasn't the main reason. Yoon Chan-hee used his analytical power to come up with an answer. "... He is a little different."

Up until now, Yoon Chan-hee had met many people. He was superior to all of them. They either respected him or were jealous of him. When he looked at it, the quality of Hee-chul's gaze was similar to theirs. Hee-chul was a dog barking at a tree that he could never climb.

But one thing was different. Yoon Chan-hee had assumed that Hee-chul's personality was a disadvantage. Yet Hee-chul revealed his sharp teeth. Yoon Chan-hee could feel the coolness of his fangs, despite being on the tree.

"I could tell his quality from a brief phone call."

"You talked to him?"

"He is an interesting type. Isn't it? If you face him and survive, then you will have learnt a lot." Yoon Sang-gyu looked at the clock. 11:37 p.m. It would soon be time.

"Then. I'll see you tomorrow morning."

"Yes. Grandfather." Yoon Chan-hee bowed and left, then he waited in his room for the dungeon. As the stairs appeared, he suddenly felt a sense of curiosity. Besides him, did the remaining six people have the same impression? The damp coolness that touched their necks?

Maybe they did. They might be confused and hesitate before stepping on the stairs. Yoon Chan-hee didn't pray.

Maybe that was why... He encountered Hee-chul on the ninth floor.

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Chapter 47 - Day 12, 9th Floor Anglerfish

I was falling.

It felt like going down a waterslide without any water. I slipped through the stone passage for a while before falling into a room.

Tak.

The distance between the ceiling and the ground was three metres. As soon as I felt like I was floating in the air, I quickly turned and landed on the ground with my feet.

My first impression of the 9th floor was the smell. It was a smell that I knew, but wasn't familiar with. It was the smell of a zoo, or a house that raised a lot of dogs or cats. However, the smell was 10 times stronger than that.

I could see that the walls were made of bricks. The floor... Reeds? It seemed as if something like straw was rolled up on the ground. I see. This place,

"Hihyat!" It was a kennel.

I turned straight away and avoided the attack. The owner of the cry literally slammed against the wall.

Kung!

There was a heavy sound and shaking as the heavy weight collided with the wall.

[Splatter Ape. Type: Primate-based. Variant. Rank C. ]

[Created by the druids of the Empire, these chimeras are for the purpose of being a weapon. It has the intelligence and strength of a primate, mixed with the violence of a reptile. They desire killing more than anything else, and they relieve their desire for violence and murder on weak prey.]

In short, it was a gorilla covered in scales. The other features were the eyes and nails. It had the yellow eyes of a reptile rather than that of a gorilla. The hands also transitioned into knife-sized fingernails.

"Hiyaya..." The gorilla shook its head before preparing to jump in again. I formed a fist. Rank C. It was the same rank as the lizardman on the sixth floor that almost wiped out a large number of my group. Fortunately, I was lucky enough to win at that time using an item I had obtained. And now?

"Hyat!" It jumped towards me. It boldly aimed to overwhelm me with its size. The height was 2.5m. I slammed my fist into the smooth abdomen.

Bam!

It was like punching a rubber tire, but I didn't get the feeling of my fist sinking in.

The gorilla shrieked and pulled away from me. The sharp nails pierced through the clothes of my back and cut my skin slightly. "Are you angry?"

"Hyaaat!" I had seen a TV documentary about the momentary speed of reptiles. The gorilla swung its long arms at a high speed. I narrowly avoided the nails. More and more red lines appeared on my body.

It seemed like the limiting factor was the gorilla's endurance. The speed of the swinging arms slowed down and it gradually became less accurate. I immediately took advantage of it. I moved close and continuously struck the abdomen.

Bam!

After the second punch, I felt something solid breaking. The gorilla stepped back, but its stamina had already fallen so I narrowed the distance again. After repeating this two more times, the gorilla's knee was broken. There was fear and horror on the face that looked up at me. My fist struck that face.

"... Hah." After the gorilla collapsed, I place a hand on my waist and restored my breathing. I took short breaths.

[Current Balance: 722/741]

This was the result of evading as much as possible with Limiter Release off. It would be been much quicker if I took a few risks and dived in. Although it would be more complicated if I needed to handle more than two.

"Hyaah..." As soon as I thought that, two big ones showed up in the darkness. Although my wounds weren't deep, they licked their lips like I was tasty.

"I'm sorry." One of them was impatient and rushed in first. "The tough experiment is over." There was only a simple test left. I pulled back slightly and pushed my palms forward. Then I imagined the biggest explosion possible.

There was a loud roar and a flash. I couldn't determine the exact appearance but I was certain that the gorilla had died instantly.

"..."

[Current Balance: 552/741]

I didn't even think of lowering my palms as I looked in front of me. The straw strewn on the ground and the first corpse were on fire. In front of me were broken iron bars. The corpse of a gorilla had crossed through the iron bar and was caught in another one down the corridor. Almost half of its torso had disappeared.

Suuk.

I turned my head at the sound of footsteps. What was that expression on the remaining gorilla's face? It was like it had seen a ghost. Maybe its instincts were saying something.

"I was surprised as well..." I muttered and raised my palms again.

"Hya... Hyaiiiik!" The gorilla turned around and ran away.

Once again, I imagined an explosion. Unlike earlier, it was a specific explosion. It wasn't unnecessarily long and thick, but there was sufficient destructive power compressed within it.

Launch.

Tang!

There was a sound similar to an exaggerated gunshot. The gorilla collapsed. I wasn't thrown back by the explosion because I had aimed for the legs.

[Current Balance: 541/741]

I approached the gorilla. The length was lacking so the explosion hadn't penetrated its thigh.

I received some damage, decreasing my health by 10 points. However, that was restored due to my blood-sucking ability. Since the first explosion had consumed 170 HP, it was a costly power that consumed a lot of my health.

"Hi... Hi... Hiii..." I brought my hand directly over its head. Since it was an instant attack that killed the gorilla, my HP rose slightly instead of decreasing. I exited through the iron bars and stepped into the corridor. The corridor was quite long. There were many rooms with iron bars on both sides, and I was in one of them. As soon as I took one step, I raised my right hand.

Tang!

A long thin blast burst out and hit the thigh of a female in the darkness.

"Kyak!"

The female screamed and fell to the ground. Based on her clothing, she wasn't a Tellan. "Take your hands off the ticket."

"..."

"Your hands need to tear it quickly. Or I will shoot this out one last time and see who is faster." The woman's hands left her ticket. I stepped on her torso and picked up the ticket.

"Spare me. I'll do whatever you want." The woman begged.

"Food."

"..." The woman stared at me before pulling a bag from her inventory. A calorie bar and water emerged. I accepted and chewed on it. I was able to recover HP with my blood-sucking ability, but it didn't apply to hunger.

"If you spare me..."

"Treat your injury. If I see something resembling a ticket in your hand then I will shoot your head." I observed the woman. She was tall with good skin. The gym clothes she was dressed in seemed quite pricey. Judging by the shape of her body, she exercised for health purposes.

The woman poured a potion onto her leg. "I will submit to you if you spare me. There is also information that I know and..."

"Lead the way." I interrupted a second time. The woman stared at my face for a moment before pulling a lantern out of her bag. Then she started walking down the corridor. I stared at the light from the lantern as I moved after her.

"Your party?"

"Party...?" The friends I ran around with broke up on the eighth floor... I'm not sure but we fell separately... That's why I reflexively attacked you..."

I was prepared to a certain extent. On the eighth floor, Yang Su-jin and Yoon Ji-hee didn't descend normally through the stairs. They were automatically bounced after I occupied the area.

Then were they sent to the forest staircases? But after the forest was integrated into Talia, all the stairs had faded away. I was forced to use the staircase in the centre of Talia. Maybe both of them were on this floor but I hadn't met them yet, or maybe they had gone to another floor. They might not be able to reach the next floor unharmed.

"You... What is your name? I... I am Jang Yoon-mi."

"You don't need to know." After leaving the corridor, there were railings and paths leading to the left and right. Before I picked the way, I turned and carefully examined the walls on both sides of the entrance to the corridor.

Rather than a pigpen, it seemed to be a fully-equipped facility. A type of facility like this would always have a map at each intersection.

"Ah! Map..." Jang Yoon-mi cried out. I looked in the direct that Jang Yoon-mi indicated and studied the map.

The kennel was here. Breeding Room and 1~3 Research Centres. There were personal offices and housing for people of various positions. A dining room. There was also a Cryopreservation and Incubation Room.

"You can read the words... Incredible."

"What do you think?"

"Huh?" I could see Jang Yoon-mi's surprised face due to the lantern light. She didn't know what I was asking.

"Where do you think we should go to?"

"... Ah. I-I guess... There is the place called the Cryopreservation and Incubation Room..."

"Indeed."

"There might be something like an egg that can be raised as a pet... Hoho. Is that too much like a game?'

"No. It sounds reasonable." I nodded. A slightly touched expression appeared on Jang Yoon-mi at my words.

"My name is Kim Hee-chul. Use it comfortably."

"Ah. Hee-chul... I see. Then will we go to that place?"

"Exactly."

"I'm looking forward to it! If eggs are found there..." I glanced over her shoulder as she spoke.

"What is that?!" As I raised my voice, Jang Yoon-mi stopped with surprised and turned around. But she also stopped in her tracks.

"Eh?"

It might be because there was nobody behind her. Or maybe it was due to my palms touching her back.

"I will eat well." I said. Anyway, I triggered… No, there was an explosion.

I gained one more piece of information. If I fired an explosion in close proximity, there wouldn't be a noise. I immediately searched the body.

Excluding the potions, Jang Yoon-mi's equipment were just C and D rank garbage. I took all her tickets. I didn't have any money left so I collected all of hers. The contents of her bag were food, water and a small English textbook. There were also a dozen fluorescent rods used for structural changes. In addition, one radio set to a certain frequency.

Yes. She separated from her group upstairs? Her belongings didn't seem to say that. This woman belonged to someone else, and the leader was a pretty smart person. I turned on the radio. I waited a bit but I didn't hear anything.

Even though a radio was handy, it wouldn't be comfortable to use it carelessly in the dungeon environment. In addition, there was likely to be a password so the possibility of being caught was high.

I picked up the lantern. It was a pretty good item. Of course, I would normally never use something like this. Even if it allowed a clear view, carrying it around in the dungeon was like advertising my position. It would be a different story if I was asking for rescue or actively looking for enemies.

I cut off Jang Yoon-mi's finger and turned on the lantern. I had grasped the path while Jang Yoon-mi was using the lantern. I had listened attentively while she was making a fuss. I waved the bait as I headed to the Cryopreservation and Incubation Room.

I was like an anglerfish waving its lantern in the deep ocean.

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Chapter 48 - Day 12, 9th Floor Egg

"This... Jackpot. We seem to have found it!"

Their current location was the research centre. It was a personal work and office space for the senior researchers of this facility, the druids.

"I look forward to seeing what it looks like. Leader-nim." Yoon Chan-hee's right hand man, Chang Ga-ram said in an excited voice. They found the clue much faster than expected.

"..." Instead of expressing joy, Yoon Chan-hee read the parchment once more. He wasn't specifically pleased. He just wanted to confirm the existence of an item.

"Check to see if any additional people have joined."

"Yes!"

Yoon Chan-hee looked at a map of the facility on one side of the laboratory. Manual creation was his forte. His followers weren't just trained in the dungeon, but also in reality. It was thanks to that training that he was able to grasp this floor easily.

In a situation where their field of view was limited, the first thing to do was use the luminous stick to display their location. In this way, those who followed Yoon Chan-hee could easily meet up again. The teamwork enabled them to avoid the gorillas, overthrow other explorers and join up with Yoon Chan-hee's team.

With the people who joined Yoon Chan-hee, he was able to grasp most of the stairs in a few hours. There seemed to be no one strong, including 'kings', on the ninth floor. At best, there were those who alternated between using the tickets and running towards the stairs on the seventh and eighth floors.

As more subordinates joined and reported the place where they started, Yoon Chan-hee was able to grasp half of the dungeon. There were no other large forces apart from his group. This conclusion led him to a slow, stable search instead of a drastic exploration. The result was the item in his hands. It contained the work that the researchers of this facility were pursuing. It was a report on the finished product.

"There seems to be no additional members." Chang Ga-ram said as he returned to the laboratory.

"It has been quite a long time... Something must have happened to the six people."

"Jang Yoon-mi. Lee Tae-hoon. Kwak Chang-sung. Yeom Chang-jin. Oh Jin-soo..." Their dead bodies hadn't been found yet. Maybe they were in the part of the map that Yoon Chan-hee hadn't explored yet. It was the passage leading to the hatchery and third feeding room in the west.

"Even so... Do you think there is something more risky in the core of this facility? Certainly, the monsters on this floor are different from the previous ones." Chang Ga-ram glanced at his left arm that was still recovering. If it wasn't for the potions, then his arm wouldn't be healing after a one-on-one fight against a gorilla near the starting point.

He was someone who trained to fight against four people, so he was able to suppress one gorilla. Of course, that had happened when Yoon Chan-hee wasn't around. "In addition, Leader-nim wasn't with them..."

Yoon Chan-hee had met three subordinates immediately near the start. They were subordinates who didn't excel in combat. He used them to hunt an equal number of gorillas.

"We're ready, so we'll go when you give the word."

"Do it." Chang Ga-ram left and Yoon Chan-hee looked at the map again. Chang Ga-ram's hypothesis made sense. The hatching facilities were at the core of this facility. Something there might have killed the six people.

'But would such a key area be set as the starting point for explorers?'

That wasn't the dungeon that he knew. If he didn't have a key then he couldn't hatch 'it', and he wouldn't have received the clue if he started there.

"Let's go."

"Yes!" The 19 people in his group moved in unison at his instructions. They followed Yoon Chan-hee's instructions with no complaints or hesitation.

"They appeared!"

"11 o'clock!"

A group of five gorillas attacked them in the central hall. His subordinates carried out the tasks assigned to them with amazing organizational power.

[Unique Talent - No.55 Management.]

It was the ability to detect the abilities of others as well as situations where those abilities could be used properly, dramatically improving the talents and abilities of those in his group. Yoon Chan-hee didn't care about the battle.

It was a policy that he created himself. He knew there would be no losses as long as they followed his orders correctly. He just stared down at the parchment as his subordinates got into a formation. It was the journal of the senior researcher who once managed this place.

[The sowing stage had no difficulties. Lowering intelligence and forming obedience to humans has succeeded. It seems like the desire to tame the sacred beast will come true.]

[An unexpected problem occurred. Even though digestive organs were formed, its nutrition is done solely through an energy transfer from the divinity. All other nutritional supplements have failed. All specimens have died of starvation.]

[A Malon priest came up with the idea. What if we directly supply the energy that is the basis of divine power, not actual divine power? Human desire.]

[No 115. has showed improvement. A parasitic object in the host has been created. There is just one problem. Only one person can be a host. With the desires of just one individual as a driving force, it will be difficult to extract the full performance of the sacred creature. At best, it will just be a common beast... It seems necessary to improve it even further.]

[The improvement of No. 175 has failed. There has been no progress in the last 15 attempts. The sacred creature doesn't follow any instructions except for those that come from the one who has become the host. It is impossible to even control who will become the host. The larvae instinctively detects the best host around it. Once the host has been chosen, the parasite will begin synchronization and will take a form that reflects the host.]

[The plan is terminated. All of this was an impossible experiment... Fortunately, the Emperor seems interested. He thinks of it as a special pet. I've decided to prepare one fertilized egg as a present. If I am lucky then I might be able to recoup my budget. I will prepare one with the best traits...]

The journal ended there. The egg in the incubation room was probably the sacred creature. His personality wasn't the type to go crazy over something like this. But this time, Yoon Chan-hee's heart beat a little faster. It was for a practical reason rather than emotional.

It was a sacred creature for someone called the Emperor, so he could see the advantage of becoming the master of a creature like that. "The suppression has been completed. There are no injuries." Yoon Chan-hee nodded as he heard Chang Ga-ram's report.

The gorillas had already disappeared from his interests. He wanted to get his hands on the sacred creature. At this moment, it was the only thing that attracted his attention.

I knew why gorillas weren't seen here. It was cold. Really f*cking cold.

[Current Balance: 722/741. A cold state. Health will be reduced by three points per second.]

[Current Balance: 719/741. A cold state. Health will be reduced by three points per second.]

Disable. After getting rid of the patterns on my hands, the 'cold state' disappeared. Due to the penalty of the inscribed patterns, I was weaker to the cold when it was activated. Apart from that, I also had the cold penalty from the Salamander and Lizardman Essence.

My body was weak to the cold, but the place itself was some type of frozen storehouse. Display cabinets filled the space. Beyond the frosted and translucent glass, 'eggs' of various sizes and shapes were frozen. Sometimes instead of the eggs, there was a green liquid with a fetal life-form floating around.

Every time I looked at one, an explanation of the creature popped up. Perhaps it would take me a whole two days to see all of them in here.

Maybe this was the 'reward' of the stairs. Just like the Kasava in the forest, some of the frozen creatures could be used as livestock or resources in my city.

I looked at the floor and the ceiling. There were pipes stretching from the cabinets and along the walls. The longer I followed it, the warmer it became. As I entered a space at the end of the incubation room, it was so warm that I didn't need a hot pack.

Instead of a wall of shelves, it contained something else. The pipes were gathering towards a device. It was a rectangular device, similar to Talia's generator. The letters on the device said it was a machine that used geothermal heat.

I moved away from the generator and stopped in front of a device that reached my waist. It looked like the World Cup trophy. The shape was a pedestal that supported a sphere. The sphere was the size of a soccer ball and seemed like it was made out of amber. There was something inside it. The fuel...

Duguen!

"...!" It sounded like a big drum was ringing through the space. I stepped back. I could clearly feel it. I felt the vibration on my skin. The ringing sound came from that little ball.

['s Egg. Type: Pending Rank ???.]

[The egg of an artificially synthesized beast. It was an object to be presented to the Emperor of the Bondi Empire, but ultimately didn't meet its scheduled master. It still doesn't have a form or any abilities. In order to break it out of the shell, it is necessary to remove the pressure that is maintaining the surface of the egg.]

Duong.

The surface of the egg ran unceasingly while I was reading the words. A dim shape seemed to be swimming inside it.

Duong!

"Hey... Wait a minute." It felt like the egg would crack at any moment, but the surface still seemed fine. The pedestal of the egg was connected to the generator through a pipe. On one side of the generator was a control panel with levers and buttons. I focused on deciphering the structure.

There was no liquid crystal, but there were stones piled up on one side like an abacus.

Perhaps... The incubation room was basically in a cold state. There was the word 'heat' next to the numbers, so it seemed like the generator could be used to get rid of the cold.

Right now, almost all that heat energy was concentrated on the egg. I got a sense of the operation but trying to move the levers.

[Key: 'Master Druid's Master Key' is required.]

I immediately imagined the office area that I saw on the map of the facility.

Get the key from there.

Operate the generator here to awaken the egg.

This would power up the rest of the facility.

An image of the ninth floor was immediately drawn. Unfortunately, I couldn't leisurely take the time to do this process.

Chobeok.

Footsteps were heard from far away. It wasn't just one. There were at least ten. Those guys.

Apart from the very first woman I killed, I encountered a total of six people who brought lanterns. After killing and checking their belongings, they had the same configuration of items as the woman. Even though I moved across a fairly large area, six of the seven people I encountered were all under the same leader. The meaning was clear.

That leader would be the only obstacle on this floor. It was likely that he had gathered all his companions together and come here. This meant he also found some clues.

The rules were simple. Attack and defend. Those people had found the key and were searching for answers here. I had to stop them.

"...Here..." A person's voice was heard. I had memorized the location of the nearest staircase just in case of an emergency, so I immediately acted.

Darkness Cloud. Activate.

"What is this...?" I didn't fear the number of footsteps and boldly ran forward.

If they didn't have an item similar to my pendant of magnification, then they would see me when I was within one metre. In other words, if I attacked with Darkness Cloud activated then they wouldn't be able to see me.

I could see the people at the front on the edge of my vision. I activated the patterns on my hands, causing the cold air to hurt my skin. I raised my palms and caused a long range explosion.

Tatang!

"Ack!" The first one was down. I was confident after receiving a small amount of experience.

The same was true of their colleagues that I had already killed, but these people didn't have good specs. The experience I received wasn't properly distributed and was basically trash. I aimed another explosion at them. Within seconds, a second person was screaming.

Deadly attacks coming from darkness would deal a mental blow. This alone would cause their morale to fall significantly. They weren't trained soldiers, so it was a natural response from a human.

But… "5 o'clock. Lantern." I heard a loud voice outside of my field of view. And at that moment...

Pahat!

The reaction could be described as almost simultaneous. All the lantern lights aimed for this side and completely removed the darkness. The dozen or so lights didn't overlap at all. It took away all the darkness around me.

Of course, the lanterns couldn't lift the Darkness Cloud but… "T-There is a strange lump!" A black chunk in the bright space would definitely be the most obvious target.

"C. Flare." The voice was heard again. Some of the lantern lights diminished, then several flares burst in unison from different directions.

Soon, almost all the lanterns were turned off but half of the cooling room was lit by the red lights of the flares. I lifted Darkness Cloud and looked at the owner of the voice who had given brief instructions.

At that moment, I could finally see him well.

"Kim Hee-chul."

"Yoon Chan-hee." I reached out. It was a blast that precisely targeted Yoon Chan-hee.

Tang!

But the explosion stopped a little ahead of the target point. A big man stood in front of Yoon Chan-hee.

"Ohh!"

He raised his arms in a X shape and blocked the explosion, letting out a loud groan of pain as he did so. But even though there were burns, the man's arms were fine.

Was it a body hardening technique? I had seen something similar on the sixth floor... Was it strong enough to stop my explosion?

It wasn't just him. In the meantime, two other people had positioned themselves in front of Yoon Chan-hee. One was holding a shield. The other one was wearing thin metal armor. Although they had different characteristics, they took the same action in unison.

Tang!Tang!

I fired two explosions as a test. Although it felt overwhelming, the two explosions didn't pierce through. There was also no noticeable reduction in the HP Bar above their heads.

"You said it during the day." A voice was heard from behind the wall of three people. "It would be safer to go down the stairs."

"I can say it again if you want to hear it once more." I responded casually while searching for an appropriate answer.

Instantly turn to the side and aim at the people behind the wall.

Using a maximum output explosion at the wall in front.

"No. I think you will be the one to listen this time."

"..."

I made a decision. Number two. No matter how solid they were, I had even managed to blow a hole through the gorillas. I put forward one hand and imagined an explosion that was as large as possible...

Jjeok.

A sharp sensation struck my left thigh.

[Current Balance: 432/741. Frostbite. Health will be reduced by 12 points per second.]

Frost was stuck to the entire left side of my body. Icicles the size of a child's hand were stuck to my left thigh and side.

Jjejeok!

I destroyed the next icicles coming from the same direction.

It was coming from a direction that wasn't brightened by the flares. The direction was from the entrance to the incubator. The flares were in the 9 o'clock and 10 o'clock direction from me, causing a very narrow gap that the light from the flares couldn't reach.

I knew this but... I hadn't thought about it. It meant that part was deliberately darkened. I wasn't the only one who used the technique of having a conversation to buy time and earn attention.

"I've heard a lot of rumours about you." A man in his mid-20s walked out of the darkness.

He had been walking slightly behind the party from the beginning. "Nice to meet you, I am Chang Ga-ram." The man waved his hands and pieces of ice were created in the air and flew towards me. Was it magic that deal with ice, similar to Yoon Ji-hee's wind magic?

[Current Balance: 362/741. Frostbite. Health will be reduced by 12 points per second.]

"...!" A ridiculous amount of my health was reduced. I needed to somehow supplement my health with blood-sucking. I leapt through the ice and aimed my palm towards the crowd around Yoon Chan-hee.

Tang!

"Ugh!" Although my health was reduced by more than half, that health was almost instantly restored. The distance was much wider compared to when I was facing the gorilla, so the damage was smaller, but the person I hit had lower health than the gorillas.

As a result, there was damage. Various arrows were fired from behind the shield and the projectiles hit my body.

[Current Balance: 329/741. Frostbite. Poison. Health will decrease by 17 points per second.]

Very good. I avoided the barrage of ice and arrows and threw my body behind the nearest shelf.

[Current Balance: 262/741. Frostbite. Health will decrease by 21 points per second.]

Once again, a large amount of health was reduced, probably due to my weak cold resistance. However, if I turned off the patterns then it was as good as being unarmed. My fist had less power than the explosion and I wouldn't even be able to hit anyone.

I took out the potion received from Kim Tae-hyun. But it just changed the 21 decrease in health to zero. The amount and type of recovery depended on how much was drunk.

I couldn't help laughing. Properly. These guys acted really properly. I imagined that it would be difficult to deal with an organized group, but to think my first opponents turned out like this. If I wasn't alone then things might be different. Even just one more person could distract or attack from the other side.

I wanted to see her. Su-jin. Really.

"There is a staircase near the entrance to the hatchery." Yoon Chan-hee's voice was heard from beyond the shelf. "If you somehow make it down there, then you won't die." There wasn't any sarcasm in his voice.

Yet it was clear. "It wouldn't be so bad to give it a try. Isn't your specialty carrying out risks?"

... Did this bastard have bad feelings towards me? I could definitely feel those emotions. It was a declaration of war.

"I've received orders to keep you alive until he gets back from the work." Chang Ga-ram said as there was the sound of walking. Yoon Chan-hee was going inside the incubation room.

Of course, it wasn't that he didn't care about me. He knew that the explosions from my hand were powerful. He would just maintain the state of confrontation without taking any risks. It was until Yoon Chan-hee came back from the incubation room.

Jjejeok.

As the temperature around me fell, frost started to form. It was due to Chang Ga-ram doing something.

[Current Balance: 276/741. Frostbite. Poison will decrease health by 3 points per second.]

"...Dammit." Despite the effect of the medicine, my health was being reduced again. My eyes gradually closed as I became drowsy.

"Honestly, it is the first time I have seen you myself. Based on the stories, you seemed really great." Chang Ga-ram's voice came closer. "But not anymore. No matter how good a person is... The height that you can climb is fixed. Someday, you will meet a rock and will surely break."

A taunt. If I left this place then there would be projectiles and icicles that would turn me into a beehive. It couldn't be solved using Darkness Cloud since they would just aim at the darkness.

"No matter how hard you try, an egg can't break a rock." Chang Ga-ram continued.

"I see." I answered in order to try and maintain consciousness.

"Indeed. But honestly, you already know that. You must have felt like this all along, before briefly living a happy dream inside this dungeon."

[Current Balance: 193/741. Frostbite. Poison will decrease health by 6 points per second.]

It was becoming cold. My eyes closed. I wasn't sleepy, but it felt like I was. he helplessness I felt before entering the dungeon. The feeling of not being able to do anything further due to the circumstances...

"Just go back to that life..."

... Close my eyes as the cold,

"... See."

"Huh? What?"

"Ah. You jerk." I raised my nails to my forehead.

I scratched down using all my strength. The half-frozen skin was torn. Now I regained some consciousness. I opened my eyes. I no longer felt sleepy. Come to think of it.

"That bastard is a bit younger than I am..."

"Yes. People are prideful about age. Aren't you?"

"... Well, it doesn't matter as long as I can eat you." I knew I didn't have much time. I couldn't see the answer. The only thing I had done was stop myself from falling asleep.

So... Somehow. In order to win. I moved my feet.

It was starving. Originally, it should have emerged from the egg a long time ago. The egg shell was the best environment where it could live almost semi-permanently...

The hunger didn't just come from hunger. It wanted to taste. The sweetness that it had never experienced before.

Duong!

The tiny body shook as it heard sounds nearby. How long had it been? There were things to eat nearby! If only there wasn't this eggshell suppressing it. It wanted to taste straight away. There were more than a dozen delicious tastes, but there was a special flavour among them.

It wanted to eat. It was an instinct even before the ego was formed. And it waited. The shell broke.

[The conditions are met.]

[Talent Awareness.]

[Unique Talent - No.99 Underdog.]

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Chapter 49 - Day 12, 9th Floor Sacred Creature

It was like before the birth of a wolf. Let's look at the situation a few minutes before the Underdog Talent was fully realized.

A cold that caused the body to freeze.

The fear of death and losing everything.

Chang Ga-ram's taunt that scratched at the nerves.

The waking of the beast that had been sleeping.

It was none of the above causes.

"Hah." My exhaled breath froze in the air.

It couldn't be helped. I had to give this up. I cancelled the inscriptions.

[Current Balance: 166/741. A cold state. Poisoned.]

[Current Balance: 192/741. A cold state. Poisoned.]

As soon as I gave up the patterns on both hands, 'frostbite' turned into 'cold.' My health stopped being reduced and started to gradually go up due to the potion. The 60% effect of weakening in the cold stopped having an impact on my health. The weight on my eyelids was also much lighter.

[Current Balance: 216/741. A cold state. Poisoned.]

But the problem was still the same.

"You have nothing left to say. Are your hands and feet paralyzed?" Chang Ga-ram asked.

I wasn't paralyzed. I was still feeling fine, but I was stiff. My fingers and toes, elbows and knee joints, shoulders and waist. Every time I moved, it felt like I was frozen. It was similar to the state when I first attacked Yoon Chan-hee's party with the explosions. In the meantime, Chang Ga-ram was decreasing the temperature in here.

It was unreasonable to move out from behind the shelf in this state. Although I didn't know about the projectiles, the speed of the icicles wasn't slow. I wouldn't be able to completely avoid them. Furthermore, I was bound to suffer even more after giving up the inscriptions and moving to a close combat situation.

I checked the essences.

[Essence - Rock Lizardman. As long as the owner 'grips' it, muscle strength 2. Increases HP regeneration by 100%. The rate of restoration will dramatically increased against injuries such as burns. There is a slight decrease in the basal metabolic rate of the body.]

[Immune against various heat sensing abilities.]

[Body's resistance to cold is decreased. You have become 50% more vulnerable to cold air.]

[Essence - Elder Salamander. The 'Fire Lizard's Mark' will be inscribed on both hands. It is possible to switch it from an active/inactive state through a command. Fire and heat resistance increase by 25%. This won't turn off as long as your HP doesn't fall below one.]

[The average body temperature will rise by one degree. There is no physical deterioration caused by high body temperature.]

[You have become 15% more vulnerable to cold air.]

I could remove the lizardman and salamander essences to reduce the cold resistance penalties that they gave me. However... Maybe that wasn't the answer. Rather than 100 points, I thought about something that would give 50~60 points.

I pulled out a bag from my inventory. There were tin cans that I brought in order to help with the cold. Of course, it was an item I purchased in reality for a wood fire. I never thought they would be used for this purpose.

Slide.

I opened the lid of the can.

Jeurereuk.

Then I poured the kerosene over my head. The smell of a gas station caused my nose to ache.

"What is this smell...?"

I didn't have time to prepare.

[Current Balance: 356/741. A cold state. Poisoned.]

Half of my health had recovered. After waiting for my strength to come back, I placed a hand on my chest.

Slide.

I slide my finger against the lighter and a flame touched my skin.

Hwakak!

The flames instantly skyrocketed.

[Current Balance: 364/741. Burning. Poisoned.]

[Current Balance: 366/741. Burning. Poisoned.]

[Current Balance: 369/741. Burning. Poisoned.]

My HP was increasing rather than decreasing.

[Increases HP regeneration by 100%. The rate of restoration will dramatically increased against injuries such as burns.]

[Fire and heat resistance have increased by 25%. This won't turn off as long as your HP doesn't fall below one.]

The effect of the potion and regeneration synergized with each other, causing my skin to repeatedly recover from the burns. It wasn't just my skin that was repeatedly being burnt and restored. A huge amount of heat penetrated my skin and entered my nervous system.

[Pain Tolerance Lv9. 36799/51200]

It wasn't just my skin being regenerated. My nervous system was screaming out from the abuse that continued without the possibility of death.

Yes. Scream. I screamed so that people could hear me.

"It looks like a fire but how long can you las..."

I jumped over the shelf.

"...!" The eyes that confirmed the identity of the burning 'wood' were astonished. The distance between me and Chang Ga-ram was around five meters. He turned his way and extended both palms. Surprisingly, his reaction speed was still fast.

Jjejeok.

Icicles flew along the trajectory of his hand and flew towards me. The moment I landed on the ground, I spun one foot in order to avoid the attack. Victory was possible if I was in this state. I could certainly avoid the icicles.

Chang Ga-ram also moved, dodging back diagonally as he shot the icicles. They flew in a straight line. Instead of chasing after him using the shortest distance, I slipped sideways.

"...Ugh." Even though none of them had hit yet, a groan emerged from Chang Ga-ram's mouth. He had finally realized it.

When the first icicle hit... Yoon Chan-hee and Chang Ga-ram had maintained an angle of 60 degrees around my position. But it was a little different now. In order to freeze me as I hid behind the shelf, Chang Ga-ram's position was in a line between the shelf and the group behind him.

As long as I avoided the icicles, I could approach while maintaining this positioning, even if it was slow. His companions were right behind him. As I moved closer, the more icicles that Chang Ga-ram fired at random. They scratched against my sides and forearms.

But it was different from earlier. The frost wasn't established at all. They were more like thick needles than icicles.

"E-Everybody spread out!" The stuttering cry popped out as the distance between us narrowed. It was different. The followers of the orders were the same, but there was no one with a extremely fast and sober mind like Yoon Chan-hee.

The distance was too narrow for people to completely follow Chang Ga-ram's order. I triggered Darkness Cloud. There was a mass of darkness that was a few meters in diameter. However, Chang Ga-ram had already seen this technique once and was aware of its weakness. He aimed for the center of the darkness where my head and chest were, shooting five large icicles.

The Darkness Cloud moved around me. Aiming for the middle was right, but the height was wrong. It went straight through the air. The moment I activated the Darkness Cloud, I had slid to the ground. As I narrowed the distance, I took actions to avoid falling while stooping down. I aimed from below.

I felt something cold passing over my head. After the sliding tackle, I firmly pushed against the ground with my hand. My body rose up and I threw a kick.

Jjejeok!

Thick walls of ice were covering Chang Ga-ram's face and body. I didn't know if I could penetrate through them, but that wasn't my aim from the beginning.

Bakak!

My kick successfully hit his right shoulder. Chang Ga-ram's upper right torso was pushed back.

[Current Balance: 439/741. Burning. Poisoned.]

Around 35 health was returned due to blood-sucking. The subsequent kick hit his left hand, that he had subconsciously raised to block to body. This time, 27 HP was received. Chang Ga-ram's body couldn't overcome the impact of the kick and jerked to the right. I didn't kill him, but now Chang Ga-ram couldn't completely use his two hands.

Teong!

Chang Ga-ram's body rolled several times on the floor, and was still completely covered in ice. However, it wasn't a form of armor. Inside the mass of ice, Chang Ga-ram with disabled arms could be seen. It was like a type of airbag. I flew straight towards the mass of ice. It was to use it rather than break it.

Tang!

Teteng!

The various arrows aimed at me hit the lump of ice instead. The other people kept attacking despite hitting Chang Ga-ram. They knew his strength. In fact, despite the numerous attacks striking against the surface, the ice showed no signs of damage. I tested out how hard the ice was.

Tong!

Jjeok. A fist-shaped mark appeared, but it was only on the surface of the thick ice. The ice also affected my hand.

If I swung my fist constantly then I would be able to break it, but... The problem was the lack of time. It had already been a few minutes since Yoon Chan-hee left the party. I needed to clean up this situation as quickly as possible and then stop Yoon Chan-hee.

If I couldn't... At the very least, I could eliminate his weapons.

Not all the people over there would have the same defensive skills as this chunk of ice. I took out another can from my inventory. My body, where the flames had almost subsided, once again became covered with oil.

Hwakak!

I was now familiar with this sensation as I walked towards the ice cube.

"Let's finish this quickly." I declared.

A BBQ party.

It could clearly feel it. The pressure on the eggshell was gradually weakening.

Duong.Duong.Duong.

It was finally going to be able to get out. Its beating became more vigorous than before. The larva, trapped in the egg, pulsed.

"Yes. Wait a bit more." Yoon Chan-hee was surprised at the vibrations coming from the small egg as he manipulated the levers of the generator. It took a little time to learn, but he quickly recognized the levers that controlled the egg.

Buuuuong.

The generator quickly recovered its power. The pressure on the egg lifted, revealing a light green colour instead of the amber.

Duong!

There was one last beating.

Rattle.

Fluid emerged through a crack in the egg. It extended its head. It took its first breath. The thing that emerged from the egg looked like a caterpillar.

"..." Yoon Chan-hee stood in front of it. At first glance, it looked disgusting, but it would eventually take a form suited for its master.

"Come." Yoon Chan-hee opened his arms to it.

Saeeek!

It jumped like a bullet from the egg and into Yoon Chan-hee's body. This person had been hoping for a partner, it could clearly feel his emotions from a distance. Above all, he was a master with a solid and stable desire.

Like a cub held by its mother, the larva melted into Yoon Chan-hee's skin. Yes, to the sacred creature, Yoon Chan-hee was... "I am your master."

He was the best prey.

Duong!

"...Uh?" The ringing sound spread from his chest to his head. A stupid moan emerged from Yoon Chan-hee's mouth. "Ah... U..."

The sacred creature was to be delivered to the emperor. The journal cut off there. There was one egg in the hatchery. Yoon Chan-hee wasn't rash. Hee-chul had probably made the same judgement. It was clear that the egg was to be delivered to the emperor.

But that was the end of the journal. Still, it was 'before completion.'

The researchers wanted to create a sacred creature suitable for the emperor. It would contain superior traits that would be qualitatively different from the previous experiments. The result was a failure.

The nature of livestock was to be dependent on humans and submit to them. The work of erasing the realization that there were beings higher than humans didn't succeed. It recognized that the human wasn't its master, but its food supply. They were just food itself.

"Ah... Ahhhhh!" Yoon Chan-hee's image of the world was devastated.

His desires and willpower were being sucked out by the sacred creature. The feelings that it had never once experienced in its life. The feelings of defeat, despair, humiliation and inferiority inside Yoon Chan-hee's head.

Of course it was irresistible. However, this was his mind. Yoon Chan-hee focused his mind. 'You. Get out of my head right now.' But the sacred creature didn't listen.

'Shut up.'

"... Euh."

It wasn't a matter of mental power. Even if the world was different, Yoon Chan-hee was a human. His opponent was the fragment of a god. It was also a monster that had superior traits combined with magic.

The larva, who had already tasted desires, didn't stop eating. Yoon Chan-hee put up a good fight. But just as a child succumbed to their parents, he lost control of his legs. He sank to the ground and urinated.

Within a short time, the sacred creature had completely made Yoon Chan-hee's mind its perfect meal. It wasn't enough. It wasn't a problem of quantity. It had been starving for too long. It wanted to absorb more diverse foods.

Suuuuoh.

The sacred creature left Yoon Chan-hee's body. 'That' had already succumbed to the sacred creature. But it wasn't the end of the delicious food. There was one food nearby that seemed absolutely tasty...

Chobeok.

The sacred creature was attracted by the desires it felt, not the footsteps.

"What is this?" He breathed out. Hee-chul, whose body was in a mess due to the fire, stared at the bug in front of him.

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Chapter 50 - Day 12, 9th Floor Dog

"Really... A creepy bug."

The human who came in a while ago. The sacred created had a taste. It was a type of flavour? It felt perky from devouring Yoon Chan-hee just a moment ago. No, it was more than that.

This person tasted 'rough.' An unrefined, raw material. A tree that had a stem but hadn't yet found the direction to grow in. Well, the sacred creature didn't dwell on the details of the delicious meal. It had just eaten the most delicious thing and now the second tastiest had come to it.

Hee-chul took a fighting stance. The sacred creature that devoured Yoon Chan-hee was the size of three adult men. He judged it to be a physical opponent and was ready to fight.

The sacred creature rushed straight forward. Hee-chul raised his fist and shouted. "...!" However, the sacred creature didn't have a solid form and Hee-chul's fist hit the air. Soon the sacred creature penetrated him.

There was an image of another world as hell began.

"...Heok! Heok!" Chang Ga-ram sighed with relief as the ice fell down. "Heok..."

His arms were a mess from just two kicks. He endured the pain and looked around. The life span of the flares scattered around was almost over. It wasn't hard to see the devastation. Other than him, everyone else was dead.

"Nonsense... No..." Chang Ga-ram was in a panicked state as he headed towards the hatchery. Hee-chul had clearly headed to the place where Yoon Chan-hee was. 'Leader-nim... If he is caught...'

It wasn't just the loss of lives. It was all the possibilities that Yoon Chan-hee had.

He greatly improved the amount of experienced gained by guiding a person's propensities and talents. Research had already been done on the differences in experience gain according to the 'quality' of the individuals. Yoon Chan-hee was the conductor who moved his subordinates.

Now this bastard had driven Chang Ga-ram to the edge of death. Yoon Chan-hee clearly believed that Chang Ga-ram's power alone could solve the problem. Chang Ga-ram didn't fulfill his responsibilities.

It was over. Close to 20 potentials had disappeared.

He didn't seem to realize that both arms were broken as he moved his feet. Somehow, he needed to help Yoon Chan-hee. He wanted to apologize. "...Leader-nim?"

At that moment, he saw Yoon Chan-hee on the opposite side of him. For a moment, Chang Ga-ram didn't think it was Yoon Chan-hee. The person in front of Chang Ga-ram was strange. There was no focus in his eyes and saliva was dripping from his mouth.

"I-I'm really sorry. Leader-nim! I..."

"Go."

"...Huh?"

Yoon Chan-hee staggered but Chang Ga-ram barely kept him upright with his injured arms. The generator could be seen over Yoon Chan-hee's shoulder.

"...!" Kim Hee-chul had collapsed in front of the generator and was experiencing spasms. He was still alive. "L-Leader-nim. This..."

He didn't understand what was happening on the other side, but his body shook like he had wandered into a nightmare. However, the certain thing was that Yoon Chan-hee was in front of him while Kim Hee-chul was acting like that. They would be able to kill him. If Yoon Chan-hee could kill him then he would recover from the damage he suffered...

"L-Let's go!"

"...!?"

Yoon Chan-hee shivered. Once again, Chang Ga-ram was forced to doubt that the person in front of him was truly Yoon Chan-hee. He was always a calm and cool guy. A strong person who wasn't confused no matter what he encountered and always found the best solution.

"What... I know what you are thinking..."

There was only fear. Just like a dog in a fight, Yoon Chan-hee's only choice was to succumb to it.

"B-But he... Kill..." Yoon Chan-hee looked back. The fear in his eyes was enhanced as he saw Hee-chul.

"Something will come out."

"If we..."

"No, you can't... I refuse. It is impossible. So... We have to go. Go. Go. Huh? Let's go. Please."

Chang Ga-ram got goose bumps. He would dismiss it as nonsense, but Yoon Chan-hee was like an idol to him. That idol was now looking like this. It seemed like he had completely lost the thing that made him shine. Chang Ga-ram didn't know what the enemy was, but he couldn't afford to handle it.

"...I understand." Chang Ga-ram lifted Yoon Chan-hee. He turned around in order to leave the incubation room.

"..." However, he looked back at Kim Hee-chul one last time. Yoon Chan-hee must have experienced something like this. The spasms on the ground looked really painful.

It wasn't a situation for Chang Ga-ram to worry about Hee-chul, let alone feel sympathy.

I held my neck. "Keo…" A moan emerged from my mouth but the pain wasn't physical. My real body was lying on the ground.

Was this a dream? Or was it my imagination? I was back in my original body. It wasn't the strong body from the dungeon, but a weak desk-bound body. The reason why I couldn't move my body was the worm clinging to my neck.

-It is easier if you give up.

-It will happen regardless of what you do.

-I want more.

It wasn't my words that were constantly echoing, but the worm's. The worm kept talking to me. The voice imitated me, causing an irritating sensation. It was just like what I felt just before freezing to death due to Chang Ga-ram. That helplessness that bothered me all my life until I entered here.

I closed my eyes tightly.

It was a dream mouth, but I bit my lip so hard that it bled. Somehow, I needed to do something to get this worm off me. Although the pain was effective, the pressure only weakened for a short while.

Bam!

Strong hands grabbed my head and slammed it into the ground. Images of several people protruded from the head of the worm. They were people who I knew. The shape that suppressed my head was my father's.

-I told you to stop.

-People should know when to give up.

My father's voice sounded normal, but all the power drained from my body. I was a child again. In my childhood, I was a child who had to follow the voice of my parents, who had absolute power over me.

-You can't get everything you want in life.

-Isn't this selfish?

This time, it was my mother's voice. Another hand touched my neck.

-Hey.Is anyone out there?Everyone is preparing for private tutoring.Do you have money to prepare for the contest?

-I know you worked hard, but these are the results.

There were my teachers from middle school, high school and university. In addition, some school sunbaes and employers. In my life, there were always voices and hands pushing me down from above. Finally, I heard the last voice.

-Give up and submit to me.

It was the first time I've heard this voice. A mysterious voice. It contained more authority than my father in my childhood. Softer than my mother. The voice made it feel like the owner had everything.

-You are weak.

-Stay still and just listen to me.

I started struggling. But my body didn't move. Numerous hands were holding me down and their voices were speaking in unison. Follow their commands. Say yes. Relax. No, I couldn't relax. I knew how easy it was to entrust my will to the people above me. But, it wasn't an important issue.

...

...

My elementary school years.

The lessons I had after school. I didn't remember much save the musical instruments. At that time, it was the most interesting and fun thing that I had done. After going a few times, I had to quit the lessons after school. My parents thought it was an 'expensive hobby' and useless.

That wasn't the only thing I remembered. It was just the oldest memory in my head.

'This isn't something that just anyone could do. If you don't have talent then you'll regret it later. It's better not to look at it.'

That was what my parents said. There was no regret in their words. It wasn't something that could be done as a career, and they doubted that I had the talent. But it wasn't because of my parent's cold evaluation that I spent the next few nights sniffling. It was because I couldn't touch the instrument that had given me so much fun. They just dismissed it, despite the fact that it wasn't what I wanted to do.

-Why are you fighting so hard?

-You won't be able to resist anyway.

Why?

I had been asking myself that same question on the road I had been walking so far. In fact, I answered it several times. Why fight, when it wouldn't make a difference? In my position, what more could I gain?

It didn't matter. Even if I had nothing to gain... I might flop to the ground because I had failed miserably.

But this was all through my will. Only my will. My choice. I didn't want my will to be crushed by someone else. No matter how strong they were, their relationship with me or the rights they had, I would ignore the disgusted gazes from above me. That was it.

I just wanted to climb up.

[The conditions are met.]

[Talent has fully awakened.]

My body twisted.

-...?

The voice sounded confused. This unlucky bastard.

In the end, it was just a worm. I didn't know what its identity was, but I wouldn't be adversely influenced by it.

My body started to change. Anyway, this place wasn't real. It was just an illusion. I peeled off the weak flesh. My body grew longer. Rough hairs grew all over my body and claw like nails emerged on both hands and feet.

-What?Why, just...

I turned my head. My snout became longer and sharp teeth bit at the thing around me. The worm shrieked. More hands appeared on my body and tightened the pressure, but I didn't care. My teeth had already reached it.

I just bit. I tore at it with my claws and bit in.

-It hurts!Hurts!

The voice sounded like a little child. This unlucky bastard. The worm was already caught. I bit it as it cried painfully and struggled. I didn't remove my teeth, I just continued biting.

Continue. Continue. Continue...

"...Ah."

My eyes opened. I was looking at the ceiling of the incubation room. It was the feeling of returning to my body. I had regained consciousness. Of course, my body wasn't in the form of a beast either.

It was reset.

[Unique Talent - No.099 Underdog: The conscious overcoming of challenges that are higher than yourself. Even though you know you can never get it, you are a dog constantly barking at the sun.]

[A correction value is applied when fighting against an enemy whose total sum of abilities is more than twice your own.]

[Complete immunity to all types of mental interference including morale, brainwashing, oppression etc.]

As I raised my body, I found something wriggling near my feet. It was the worm. It had shrunk quite a lot compared to its previous size. I could hold it in one hand. At first glance, I could see that its life was about to end. It wriggled like a bug that had been sprayed with insecticide.

"..."

Without hesitation, I reached out for it. Unlike before, this time I could touch it.

"Son of a bitch." Even though I overcame the situation, I still felt angry about it. I prepared to use strength to crush the worm.

"Don't hate it too much."

"..."

"It was just ignorant. In fact, it's a pitiful existence. Even though it's a sacred creature, it wasn't born in the arms of a god."

A Tellan woman suddenly appeared in front of me. She wore clothing that made her look almost naked. She was shining with a gentle halo that illuminated the surroundings.

"... You."

I smiled slightly and relaxed. The woman was an existence that I knew. I just couldn't believe it.

"You've had some plastic surgery done."

"Thanks."

The sun god... No, the goddess smiled at me.

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Chapter 51 - Day 13, Upset

In fact, the gender of the statues wasn't clear. However, considering the neutral voice, their forms were closer to men than women.

"Is this what you look like?"

"Rather than that, I wanted to have this appearance."

Isaiah lifted her hand and touched the air. "I don't have an identity, but I like the human body the best as an avatar. It's something that I created with my restored power."

"Congratulations."

"You shouldn't be congratulating me. You put the people in my city so I can have these luxuries."

The slender fingers fluttered through the air. Isaiah smiled like she enjoyed the pleasure of touching. It wasn't just a free smile. She looked like a child who had managed to touch her dream. "This child. Can you give it to me for a moment?"

"I don't think I will let it go." Once again, I became angry as I thought about what the worm did to me.

"I understand that you're mad, but I think I can use that child in a better way for you. I would like to ask for mercy on behalf of that child."

"... That isn't an apology."

I turned over the worm and Isaiah clasped it with both hands. "Originally, the sacred creatures existed as subordinates to the gods but..."

"Does that mean the sacred creatures have a type of divinity? They aren't aliens?"

"Aliens?"

I waved my hands.

"Well... This child was made to be dependent on humans. It's good, but the problem is that humans are nothing without their roots."

Isaiah brought both hands to her mouth and whispered something. The vibration of the worm, that was shaking in Isaiah's hands, became silent. Once the top hand was removed, the worm rolled into a ball and didn't move.

"Here." In the blink of an eye, Isaiah's hand was touching my chest. The worm disappeared into my chest.

"...Hey. What...?"

"That child is afraid of you. It won't oppose you again. Right now it is asleep, but you can try it out when it wakes up."

"..."

I didn't know if that would be helpful or not. I touched my chest where it was placed but didn't receive an answer. Then I walked towards the generator. A piece of metal was embedded in the control panel.

The master key. Yoon Chan-hee had plugged it in. All the power that had been poured into maintaining the egg shell was recovered and the extra power was still full. I manipulated the levers. Soon, vibrations started to spread out from the generator. The ceiling and wall lighting devices were now working.

[The incubation room is activated.]

[Neutral Zone - Imperial Research Facility 042: Druid's Workshop]

I didn't power up the entire facility. Perhaps... As soon as I fully powered up this facility, it might be cleared and 'integrated.' I left the generator for a while and moved outside of the incubation room. The corpses of Yoon Chan-hee's people were still there. However, I didn't see the mass of ice that was Chang Ga-ram. Only pieces of the melted ice were visible in his place.

I missed him. He probably wasn't on this floor anymore. The situation didn't seem that bad. Yoon Chan-hee's ability seemed to be one where he could train and operate a large number of people. Yet his people, except for Chang Ga-ram, had been annihilated. As this point, the number of explorers was shrinking, so it would be difficult to regain all those people.

Plus... Yoon Chan-hee had experienced the same thing I had with the sacred creature. Although there was no room for cockiness, he might no longer be a risk.

After acquiring the fingerprints from the bodies and exploring every corner of the facility, I returned to the generator. As I powered up the rest of the facility, I told Isaiah. "I won't go to the city today."

"Isn't everybody looking forward to it? They now have a king."

"It isn't a location I have to return to."

In addition, time there passed like it did in reality. There was no time to act as a good-for-nothing leader. I had to check on reality.

"... Aha." Isaiah smiled with understanding. "Indeed. I guess so."

"How about you tell me what happened to them?" I asked.

"Unfortunately I can't. It isn't happening in my area."

"You can't break the rules."

"I guess you understand." I laughed bitterly.

"I'm sorry." Isaiah said. It didn't matter. I hadn't expected a lot. I immediately manipulated the generator.

"See you next time."

"Yes. I am looking forward to it."

As power spread throughout the facility, words appeared.

[Talia's monarch has occupied the Neutral Zone- Imperial Research Facility 042.]

[Currently merging territory: 3rd area.]

[Monarch privilege - Merger rights: One-time acquisition.]

"You too."

Just before my view shifted. She didn't make any sound but Isaiah mouthed the words. "You can expect something good."

I picked up my phone as soon as I got up, then made two phone calls. It was to Yang Su-jin and Yoon Ji-hee. People spent different amounts of time in the dungeon, but they woke up at almost the same time.

[ ... The customer can't receive the all at this time.]

The tone kept ringing but they didn't answer the phone. It was the same for both of them.

"..."

Should I wait a little longer? I was prepared to a certain extent. Even if they picked up the call, they could ask who I was. It was likely, very likely.

Whether or not the two people fell into the same space, they might have died on the ninth floor. There were two of them. However, it depended on their luck and the type of trials they would face. Maybe they met an opponent they couldn't win against, but they could have also escaped safely down the stairs. That was what I ordered before entering the ninth floor.

[ ... The customer can't receive the all at this time.]

"...Dammit."

There were dozens of calls and the clock showed that it was past the normal waking time. I changed my clothes and immediately left home.

I knew Yoon Ji-hee and Yang Su-jin's addresses. The two people might have been killed in the dungeon. There was also the chance that if they were tortured, their identities in reality would be revealed. The more dangerous of the two was Yang Su-jin. Being the granddaughter of a chaebol protected Yoon Ji-hee to a certain extent.

I stepped out of the building and took a few steps in an empty alley.

Chobeok.

I felt someone approaching from behind me. In addition, they were careful footsteps, so it couldn't be a passerby. This was just a guess but it absolutely wasn't an ordinary person. I pretended to be unaware as I took three steps. During the fourth step, I unexpectedly turned around.

Kwack!

I grabbed the neck of a man in a suit and immediately pushed him against the wall. I already knew that there was no CCTV in this alley.

"Keuk!" The man against the wall groaned. He pulled at the hand squeezing his throat, but the difference in strength between him and me was quite large.

"Good morning." In a voice that was close to a growl, I said hello to Kim Tae-hyun.

"I... I... Cough...!"

I held Kim Tae-hyun with one hand. Then I searched through his coat, suit and pants. Kim Tae-hyun was unarmed. I released some of my strength around his neck.

"Pant... I... Not... Attacking you... "

"I know."

He wasn't at the level of being a threat to me. At least, not alone. "But we don't have a relationship where you can come every morning to say hello. Please be aware of this."

I watched Kim Tae-hyun and the whole alley. I heard the sound of a car that hadn't turned off its engine. A somewhat older male sighed.

"This is just a personal problem. You have the right to leave immediately."

"..."

The man who walked closer wasn't an explorer. He was a tired looking man in his 50s. He pulled out an electronic cigarette from his coat and started smoking. At that point, I had already released my hand from Kim Tae-hyun's neck. He leaned against the wall and I brushed the dust from his collar.

"Your boss?"

"...Y-yes."

I turned Kim Tae-hyun's body towards the middle-aged man and hit his back. Kim Tae-hyun staggered in front of the man. "That friend is a meal. Isn't that right?"

"...That..."

The middle-aged man looked at Kim Tae-hyun like he was pathetic and said. "So a person shouldn't be in a hurry. My world is like that. What do you think normal people would think if they saw this?"

"..."

Kim Tae-hyun's ears turned red. "Get into the car."

"D-Director..."

"Go in. I don't think I can talk to this friend if you're here. It's better if I tell the story. At the very least, I wouldn't be so disrespectful."

It was easy to understand that the middle-aged man wasn't normal just be looking at Kim Tae-hyuk's embarrassment.

The middle-aged man started talking. "On the third day, he came and gave me a direct report. It was about the dungeon."

The middle-aged man pointed to where Kim Tae-hyun had disappeared before taking a step closer to me. "Every morning. I decided to check the status of his abilities through various physical tests and intelligence tests. I called his bluff. I had to make certain that his skills definitely improved in the dungeon."

"I think that is a smart method."

If they were aware of it, a person could survive in the dungeon simply by going down the stairs, even if they didn't grow. "Well. Although he is like this, it seems like he was doing fairly well. At least, until last night." The director sighed.

"But he was tearful as soon as he woke up this morning. He didn't obtain anything in the dungeon."

"He ran away?"

"He said he met a good opponent. In his own words."

The director trusted Kim Tae-hyun, so it must be right. If he ran away, with his pride, then it meant he met a really strong opponent. "There is a problem. The information about the opponent isn't in our data."

"That is strange but can't there be some gaps in your data? The big data has only been accumulated for 11 days." The director looked up at me.

"Nine, including you. Yesterday, you ate one of them, making it eight. That is how many people we figured had the 'excellent survival gene.'"

Things started to slowly make sense.

"How many of those people are out?"

"If I include you... There is one more person who survived, but he isn't in a mentally stable condition."

"..."

Nine people had gathered yesterday under the government's call. Of course, I didn't think all the people would be gathered. But even I thought at least 80%, more than half, were gathered there.

"There are at least five monsters I don't know about about. Furthermore, in the future, they will become stronger and smarter. I don't know if I can find them in the future but... Kim Tae-hyun said they would be impossible to control. Especially since yesterday's actions."

At that time, my phone rang. The director motioned for me to pick up the phone.

"Yes."

[Oppa!]

It was Yang Su-jin.

[Your absence was truly awful!! Where are you now?]

To be honest, it was a really welcome voice. But instead of laughing, I controlled my facial expressions and spoke calmly. "I'll call you later." Yang Su-jin noticed quickly.

[I understand.]

She immediately lessened the volume of her voice and whispered.

[Ji-hee unni is with me.]

"Yes."

[I have a city now.]

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Chapter 52 - Day 13, What to Eat?

After hearing her words over the phone, the public official in front of me wasn't my main concern.

[Monarch privilege: Merger Rights (1 time).]

[It is possible to submit it to a conqueror who owns a territory and if the conqueror agrees, it is possible to merge territories. Once the submission is completed, all territories, citizens and vassals will be integrated into the territory of the monarch.]

[A vassal is basically a citizen and this right can be deprived at any time by the monarch. As long as a person has citizenship, they can stay in the monarch's territory.]

[The Merger Rights can only be presented to those who own more than one city.]

It was a compensation I had obtained from clearing the ninth floor. If I used this then territories can be integrated and we could enter by the same stairs. We would surely meet again! But I didn't know for sure what happened to Yoon Ji-hee. The only thing I knew was that the city was in Yang Su-jin's hands. If so, what would happen to Yoon Ji-hee if we merged?

First...

"Are you listening?"

"...Ah."

Director Oh Chang-shik, the middle-aged man who introduced himself with that name, sighed. Well. My actions weren't very polite. Despite hanging up the phone, I was still thinking about that conversation. However, the information hadn't passed by me.

Beyond imagination. Out of control. These words summarized the problem that Director Oh had.

Kim Tae-hyun was weak. He wasn't my rival. Rather, he was only in the 'explorer' department and was therefore appointed as the administrator. Kim Tae-hyun's assessment abilities were excellent. His bloodline allowed him a senior position and his ambitions matched with national interest.

"The situation was already a little shaky due to what happened yesterday."

Director Oh said in a pitiful voice. Yesterday's ambush and explosion. Kim Tae-hyun used his authority to settle the situation, but his bosses couldn't help questioning him.

"Although he might be able to handle a large number of people with his gun..."

The means by which Tae-hyuk controlled the explorers was authority, not force. Even so, the explorers might cause extraordinary outbursts, so he must have the power to control them. Although I had lured the one who attacked yesterday, it was quite possible that another person with such aggression would have attacked Kim Tae-hyun. In the end, Kim Tae-hyun had shown his incompetence yesterday.

"If there wasn't enough, there was what happened last night.' Apart from me, only one out of the seven remaining people gathered had survived. The one who survived had gone insane.

"The person who isn't sane, is it Yoon Chan-hee?"

"... Do you know something?"

"We were on the same floor."

"..."

Director Oh paused for a moment. "If you were on the same floor, then the unknown risk factor has reduced by one... I am glad."

Yoon Chan-hee and I were probably the only 'kings' placed on the same floor. In other words, there were five people who killed the ones chosen by the government. At first glance it wasn't that different, but it was a pretty huge difference. First of all, nothing was known about them. Age, gender, profession and their values and thoughts.

Furthermore, they were strong. Not only did they managed to overwhelm the existing five people, they had gained strength by eating those five people. I couldn't imagine the abilities they would have right now. I thought that all the strong people were gathered yesterday, but there were those who I couldn't grasp.

To make matters worse, Kim Tae-hyun was left behind on the ninth floor. He was weaker in strength. There was no way to overcome it with social means. If one of those unknown threats committed a brutal murder, then the government would have no answers.

Let's look at an example. I had gained manhwa like strength, it wasn't that strong in the 21st century. Probably around a tank? If there was infantry platoon armed with advanced equipment and the conditions were right then I could be hunted down. But I was a human. Seemingly ordinary.

A human-sized weapon that held the compressed force of a tank and superior intelligence, plus random superpowers. This wasn't an 'open' battlefield. It was a city crowded with people. I was a lurking being that was different from other humans. Frankly, the thought still gave me goosebumps.

"Besides, things have becoming complicated since yesterday."

"Because of the explosion?"

Director Oh nodded. "Yes. I collected the CCTV of the fight in the hallway, but people are still suspicious. They don't want such terrorist attacks to be overlooked." The fact that I could cause explosions with both hands was better off being hidden in the future.

"I think it is time that you get to the point."

"It's simple. You do this work instead of Deputy Manager Kim."

"What's the price?"

"Freedom."

I pretended that I didn't understand. "I am a slave now?"

"I'm not talking about human rights." Ah. It was just as I thought.

"I believe that you are well aware of the work that my department is doing. In addition, what you can get from us." Of course, I knew it very well. It was inevitable that a reward would be given.

"Shouldn't you present your side first?" I continued speaking before there was a response. "If you have a subject that needs to be controlled then I will run straight away to help you."

"...Hrmm?" Director Oh raised one eyebrow with surprise.

Instead. "I will eat that target."

"...!"

I wanted the right to eat the target that I defeated, not just subdue or capture them. In addition, any damages or legal problems that occurred would be covered. Director Oh frowned as he thought about my words. "It is difficult."

"Of course it is. But isn't that normal?"

It was obvious what the government would do with a captured explorer. In the first place, they were a person who had already caused trouble. Even if they were confined, they could enter the dungeon at midnight and become stronger. In the end, they would be fed to Kim Tae-hyun. It was because Kim Tae-hyun was their safest card.

continued. "I should take a few points as well. In the first place, aren't I being a good citizen by catching these people? It shouldn't be for free."

"... You are mistaken if you think we will offer such rewards. Furthermore, you aren't the only person I can ask."

"Then this is simple." I raised my palm and extended it to Director Oh. "It was a short meeting, but I enjoyed it."

Of course, there was one more person. If the crazy Yoon Chan-hee was added then there were two people.

But they came to me. If I looked closer, then I could understand why they ran to me. I didn't have a name or organization behind me. I was the cleanest. I had already completed a census once. They were already aware of everything. My profile wasn't unknown.

I was the only child of an average low income family. There were zero relatives with power and money. I was also predictable and could be cooked whenever they felt like eating.

I didn't know who the other person was. However, it was likely that they would be a few social classes above me, like Kim Tae-hyun. The conditions I presented were childish mischief. On top of that, only Director Oh's department would be familiar with the ridiculous conditions.

Director Oh started speaking, "Your own position..."

"I know very well. I've always lived thinking about my position."

It was obvious what he was saying. He could try to bury me as much as he liked.

"I know very well."

In order to ruin a human, there were many weapons that could be used. Just the CCTV from yesterday would show me doing a crime. The danger was that the person in front of me couldn't get away. Even if I was willing to follow suit, I would be in a weaker position where they could control me.

Rather, there was no reason to be afraid. A weakness that couldn't be overcome wasn't a weakness. That was my basic framework.

"I am just a 23 year old going to school. So even a single red line means a life as a servant."

"Your standards are too low."

"I have a habit of wanting to live perfectly. So if that happens, you might end up losing everything." I declared.

"..."

I felt something. Director Oh stepped backwards.

Ruin me? It sounded ridiculous. In the first place, these people wouldn't have come to me without safeguards to control me. If I got eaten... There would be great consequences.

"If that happens."

I grinned at his expression and placed a palm on my chest. "I would appreciate it if it stays like that for the rest of my life. I don't want to become a nuisance to society."

"... Is that a threat?"

"Did you hear me correctly?" I released some killing intent.

A sound emerged from Director Oh's lips. It was a sigh. This person was quite great. He had heard beforehand from Kim Tae-hyun but it was different seeing it in person.

"It is appealing." I pointed to the back of the alley. Kim Tae-hyun was watching from the car with his phone out... That's right, I had destroyed his phone. Anyway, Kim Tae-hyun was looking in this direction. "If I eat him, then I won't be able to gain that much. In the first place, he was left behind yesterday."

"...So... Do you want me to give you a ride?"

"At least one of us will keep growing bigger. That is the structure of the dungeon."

Don't bet on a helpless guy like that, bet on the big one in front of you. Anyway, I was a simple person. Without any background, I was just a person who existed alone. They could paint the background. I think I had given them enough hints.

"Well, I don't think we have any more to talk about here. If you don't have any more to tell me then I'll be going now."

I gave Director Oh a few minutes. He had nothing to say. I also needed more time to think. I was going to eat lunch with Yang Su-jin. I should also listen to Yoon Ji-hee's story. I looked at my phone as I started walking away. It was because I didn't think that Director Oh had anything more to say.

"... Do you mind giving me some of your time if you are free right now?"

"What for?"

"It is a completely different matter from what I've said so far. Think of it as a personal favor."

What was this? I brought my phone to my mouth. Director Oh didn't seem to want to say anything else.

"What do you want?"

"Get in the car and go somewhere with me. Or you can go back."

I glanced between my phone that showed Yang Su-jin's number and Director Oh. It was intuition rather than logic. I didn't trust Director Oh, but he didn't seem like the type to use a trick in such a short period of time.

"Okay."

Kim Tae-hyun saw this as he leaned against the car. He looked at my face with surprise and said.

"Director. This..."

"Get in. We are going to the bomb shelter."

"...!"

Kim Tae-hyun stared at my face like he wanted to say something. However, Director Oh just turned his head away and got on the passenger seat of the car. Between the front seat and back seat, a sliding plate was installed. As soon as the car started, Director Oh closed this up and made the backseats soundproof.

"As I said earlier. This isn't official. There is no conditions for you But... I don't think I can talk about the compensation at the moment."

"I think you've succeeded." Right now, everything was unknown. He had successfully stimulated my curiosity.

But it made no sense to go this far if it was a deception. The car headed to the outskirts of Seoul. It was only a few minutes outside of the city but the surroundings were green. At that bottom of a mountain, there was a tunnel that headed into a bomb shelter.

"I am going to show you an explorer."

"... One more in addition to Kim Tae-hyun?"

"They aren't a public servant... we aren't even in a position to touch them."

A person that couldn't be touched. I soon realized that it had quite a few meanings.

"I want you to see her and tell me your opinion."

A few minutes later, I faced a monster. In addition, another unique talent.

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Chapter 53 - Day 13 Natural Enemy

Reality in the movies was a lot different from the real world. For example, the CIA wasn't an adventurous group that took missions like Mission Impossible everyday. It was just a government organization that had a lot of tedious paperwork.

Of course, this was just a passage that I read in a book, but it was something that I unconsciously accepted. Actual reality was far less than virtual reality. Funnily enough, I still thought like this despite the existence of the dungeon.

"..."

I couldn't help feeling surprised. Although this might be slightly exaggerated, it seemed like the whole mountain had been hollowed out to become this facility. It felt like a military base from a movie. There were armoured cars and tanks scattered throughout the wide space.

"Wait in the car for a moment."

Once the car parked inside the tunnel, Director Oh got out of the car. The facility was very wide, but the figures of people could rarely be seen. It looked like there was only a maintenance crew.

"...Sheesh." Kim Tae-hyuk clicked his tongue from the front seat. It seemed like the sound wasn't directed towards me.

"I guess this is something that you can't resolve."

"...!"

Kim Tae-hyun blushed at my words. Now his reaction was clearly visible. It seemed like Director Oh's request was something that incited jealousy in Kim Tae-hyun. Was it due to an enormous reward? No, Director Oh hadn't said anything specific about a reward. Then… Maybe it was something not connected to Director Oh. There might be someone else involved.

"Do you have some advice as a person who failed? I would really appreciate it."

"...I could succeed. I just encountered a natural enemy..."

"Natural enemy?"

Kim Tae-hyun didn't say anything else. He just looked irritated.

-A delicious smell.

"What?"

"...What?"

Kim Tae-hyun turned around at my question. The voice I heard wasn't his.

-A delicious smell.

It was a voice I had heard before. And it wasn't a sound from the 'outside.'

"I'm sorry. I have a habit of talking to myself."

After that, I closed the soundproof barrier. Then I once again started 'talking to myself'.

"What is with this bastard?"

The voice was coming from the divine creature. Isaiah had planted the bug in me and said it would soon wake up. Instead of answering, a shape popped out from my chest. It fell onto my thigh and then the backseat before wriggling its four legs.

"...Dog?"

It wasn't a curse. It didn't look like an alien creature from the movies. Instead, it was like a puppy that wasn't even one month old yet. The breed... Siberian Husky? No. That wasn't the important thing. The tail that hadn't fully grown wagged excitedly as he approached the nearest window. He lifted his legs and somehow raised his head to the window.

-Delicious!Delicious...

Deopsseok.

I grabbed the back of the dog's neck. There was a whining sound as the puppy's eyes met mine.

-It hurts!

I had no idea he could look so pitiful and cute but I ignored him. It was just like looking at a child throwing a tantrum.

"What are you doing?"

-I was wrong!I won't do it again.I won't.There is a delicious smell coming from there...

I had footsteps stop outside the car. I growled at the sacred creature.

"Whatever it is, enter my body again. If you look out then you will die."

Of course, I didn't really intend to kill it. The body of the small dog trembled with terror. It was shaking so much that I felt like I was holding an electric massage machine.

"Come along." I followed Director Oh.

I could see hatches placed at regular intervals on the walls. Finally, there was a steel door with locks that could be turned, like a bank vault. Maybe the real bomb shelter was beyond that door. It was a place where someone could survive a nuclear weapon.

Director Oh didn't take me through straight away, but instead moved to a control room where people were watching the situation. They had communication equipment and monitors on their desks. Just like a CCTV system, different areas were being shown on the monitors.

"Has anything been caught?"

"No. Perhaps they are asleep. The sleep cycle is becoming noticeably irregular..."

Director Oh clicked his tongue. Then he looked at me and said.

"My request is simple. You would've seen the door as we passed. There is someone I want you to restrain beyond that door."

"Restrain? Not kill?"

Director Oh nodded. "You absolutely can't kill or create a serious injury. If you think that you can't win then just give up and go. After the suppression is over, we should be able to put restraints on the person without any problems."

"I understand. I still haven't heard about the compensation."

"If this is completed successfully, I won't ask you to 'restrain' someone again in the future."

The meaning, "Does that mean you will accept the offer from me?" I asked.

"I will permit it."

Director Oh nodded and we left the control room. Outside, armed soldiers were waiting. Their uniform wasn't that of simply soldiers. Although they were armed with tasers instead of normal guns, there was clearly tension on their faces.

"Based on the premise that you successfully subdue the person inside... I will accept all your requirements."

"Okay."

We crossed the bomb shelter. As we moved, I asked Director Oh. "Is there anything else I should know?"

"Not really. But is there anything that you want to ask?"

There were many things. "Who is inside?"

"I'm not in a position to say."

But the candidates had already been narrowed a lot. A human who could use this shelter at their own discretion.

"In the first place, they aren't 'confined' in there are they?"

"..." I understood the director's silence as agreement.

I had looked at the CCTV. It looked like a comfortable living space. It was a place suitable for 'refuge' rather than 'confinement.' Even if this was a bomb shelter, there were various places more suitable to confining someone.

Therefore, I guessed that the person wasn't trapped because they couldn't be controlled. A person might abuse the secure air base for dungeon exploration. In addition, the location of this place was confidential. There was virtually no threat to reality.

Ching.

The door to the bomb shelter was opened. The soldiers aimed their tasers at the entrance. Director Oh's body was shaking.

"Close the door as soon as I enter." I stated.

"Then..."

"I won't even think about running away." I asserted before taking a step inside.

"Rather, it stops a path of retreat."

"You look confident." Director Oh laughed bitterly. "Good luck."

"Thank you."

Ching.

The door closed and I looked at the open space before me. It was the living space that I had seen on the CCTV. It looked like a VIP room from a luxury hotel. Of course, that wasn't what I was looking at.

"...Well."

I took a few steps and saw the bodies. They wore suits instead of soldier uniforms. The bodies of unarmed men. Next to the couch, there were the bodies of two men in uniform, like the ones outside. I now knew for certain. The extent of the corruption was confirmed. The men in the suits died much earlier.

-Delicious...The smell...

The voice sounded a little depressed. Just like when I opened my stats window, I asked a question in my mind.

'What is the delicious smell?'

-Just my food...At that time, I ate a food that smelt good.Master as well...

Then he added in a trembling voice.

-Ah...I...I will never eat Master.I won't eat.Don't bite me.

At that moment, the sound of footsteps overlapped with the voice. I turned around.

"..."

A woman with disheveled hair stood in front of me. The shadows under her eyes seemed to be due to extreme stress, not just lack of sleep. She hadn't washed in a few days, so a foul odor spread from her. Blood dripped from the thumb she was biting.

"...You."

"What?" I knew what the girl was saying but I pretended not to so that I could step closer.

-A delicious smell!

"...Don't..."

"Fix your pronunciation. I can't understand."

"Get away from me! You son of a bitch!"

"...!"

Despite how prepared I was, I still felt surprise. The women's atmosphere changed so dramatically. She was now foaming at the mouth and her bloodshot eyes were shaking. At the same time, a dark killing intent could be felt from her!

Of course, I heard her words but hadn't really understood the meaning. There was a shocking amount of hatred directed not at me, but at the world.

"Kihi!" She made a noise like a goblin and rushed towards me.

Fast!

Nevertheless, it was at a level that I could cope with. I stepped back and extended my fist. It was a punch at the abdomen with my strength restrained. I thought it would be enough to overpower her. It was a miscalculation.

Tak!

As she grabbed my fist with her arms, she raised her legs and wrapped them around my arms and shoulders. In the blink of an eye, one arm was broken.

"Hihihi!" She spat crazily as she looked at me and didn't move. The firmness and flexibility of my newly formed muscles and bones were good. I took a deep breath and grasped the hem of the woman's clothes with my locked arms. Then I swung the woman hanging onto my arm down towards the ground.

Teong! A groaned flowed from the woman's mouth. I wasn't aiming to hurt her but she was injured. I could tell from the force around my arm. As the force squeezing my arm weakened, I lifted her up and swung a second time. Her limbs were completely detached from my arms and I let go of her clothes. Her body flew to the other side.

Kung!

Jjeolgurong!

The place that she crashed into was a small bar/kitchen so there was a loud noise as the glass broken and household utensils fell. As expected, she immediately got up. Even though she experienced a tremendous force, she wasn't that hurt. The killing intent just thickened even further.

Syuok!

A frying pan hit my cheek and I fell back over the sofa. It wasn't just that. She threw all types of pots and utensils before rushing over to me. One hand was holding a knife used for meat.

"Hiit!" As she threw the knife at me, I slid down. Before the action was over, the knife she threw passed over my head in a breathtaking way. I rolled to avoid it and got up.

I triggered Darkness Cloud. But surprising, apart from a momentary stiffness, she avoided my outstretched hand in the darkness. She backed away a few steps and stared for a moment, before continuing with her throwing attacks like she had spotted the core of the darkness.

She seemed to have something that improved reflexes. I wasn't sure whether it was a talent or technique, but her movements couldn't be explained with simple agility. Furthermore, just looking at the physical abilities, she was the most outstanding among the individuals I had met so far in the dungeon. If I encountered her after just finishing the seventh floor, then I would probably be covered in blood by now.

"Hihi! Hi! Hihihihi!"

But my patience had already reached its limit. I lifted Darkness Cloud.

"Hihit!" She grasped a frying pan and knife and rushed at me once again. The frying pan was aimed at my head while the knife headed towards my body.

Puok!

A cold blade was stabbed in my abdomen.

"I got you." I grabbed her wrists and growled. She seemed to want to use the same move as before but I wouldn't fall for the same trick twice.

Hwik!

As I held her wrists, I swung her entire body towards the ground. Despite not using my maximum strength, the impact from hitting the ground was no joke. I pulled out the knife stuck in my abdomen and slammed the blunt end down. Indeed, her face flattened like a pancake. A groan emerged from her mouth as her crushed nose started bleeding. I got on top of her.

And I waited.

"Hey!"

Shortly afterwards, the soldiers arrived with Director Oh.

"...Didn't I tell you not to hurt her?"

"It is just a broken nose, not a serious injury."

My words were irrefutable. Director Oh gave a command to the soldiers. Soon the soldiers approached and placed her in a straitjacket.

"That will have no meaning. Perhaps after entering the dungeon and becoming stronger, she will just tear out of it." If it was put on me, then I would be able to tear out of it straight away.

"I know. But... A mother wants to talk to her daughter for a little bit. She hasn't been able to be knocked out for a few days."

I nodded as I looked at the people clearing the bodies in the room. "Anyway, I have fulfilled your request?"

"...Yes. In the future, I will leave the explorers to you... If you can't control them then I give you the right to kill them. I can give you this position if you want."

This was a lot easier than I thought.

"Soo-young!" Shortly afterwards, a woman in her 50s entered the bomb shelter. She held the cheek of the woman called 'Soo-young' in the cleaned room and cried while saying something. No matter what she did, Soo-young was still out of her mind. She even bit the woman's hand touching her cheek.

"...In the end, the most important thing in this world is power." Director Oh said while smoking his electronic cigarette.

"In other words, you have to kill general explorers with your own hands." He was standing at the threshold of the bomb shelter with me. He looked at the painful reunion of the middle-aged woman. Then he started explaining.

"The signs started on the third day. On the third day that she left the dungeon, she sliced apart one of her friends."

"Did you settle it?"

"I still think about that day." Even though he had done many dirty work behind the scenes, he still reacted to that horror.

"The next day... I thought about gathering people like you together. There was a bitter taste in my mouth."

Although it might be sensitive information, there was a reason why the director told me this. A few days had passed so there was no evidence remaining and... First of all, he thought that I already knew the identity of the middle-aged woman. It was natural. Anybody with common sense would know that face.

"Anyway, thank you for the trouble. The additional compensation for this work... To be honest, I can't do it right now. Since that person is crying like that... But I'll submit the report later. I will surely keep my promise."

"I believe you." I replied and took a few steps. It was towards the inside of the bomb shelter. Towards the middle-aged woman and Soo-young.

"...Hey."

Director Oh knew where I was heading and grabbed my arm. "I told you. You don't need to do anything with that girl anymore. I will keep my promise."

"Yes. I also told you that I believe you. But..."

I touched my abdomen. My natural recovery had grown to such a degree that an injury like this was easily healed. But I had still been stabbed by a knife.

"There is something I need to get."

With those words, I gently pulled my arm away from Director Oh. I immediately headed to the sofa where Soo-young was.

"You..." The woman, who was crying as she watched her daughter try to bite her, looked over at me.

"I think it is terrible." I lowered myself to my knees and faced Soo-young. "If there was a way to get your daughter back, what would you do?"

"...!"

Even if a person she didn't know was saying this, it was putting words into the ears of a desperate person. It was why cancer patients were deceived by scams and bought panaceas. This woman had confined her daughter, who had become a serial killer, instead of subjecting her to the laws of the country, so I knew her mindset.

"I-If you can, anything..."

"Think about your words carefully. Although this is a fairly important story." I smiled as I looked at the First Lady.

"Why don't you try talking about it with your husband?"

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Chapter 54 - Day 13 Princess and Dog (1)

"...!" Director Oh, walking urgently after me, stopped in his place. I turned and looked at him.

"What... T-There is a way you can fix Soo-young?" He asked.

"I'm not sure. There is one way that might work."

That alone was enough for someone who had fallen into despair. The mother suddenly took hold of my wrist. She was crying so badly that I could barely understand what she was saying.

"...Child... Her father is the president of this country. I-I mean..."

"Madam." Once Director Oh realized the unusual state of the First Lady, he gestured for the room to be cleared. "Please calm down before talking again."

Director Oh took me to a corner of the room. "What are you up to? Can you really fix her? What is the method?"

"I told you that I'm not sure. I received a clue after seeing her."

"If there was such a thing, then you should've told me first."

Of course, this situation who would've then ended much more quietly. But I had spoken to the First Lady who didn't know much about this. Director Oh wasn't an explorer like Kim Tae-hyun, who was aware of the dungeon and how amazing it was, so he might not believe me.

However, if there was even a 'possibility' of restoring Soo-young to normal, then he would have to try it. He would ask me about the method and then write it up in a report. It would go to her father, the president, who would give permission or not. I changed things by going directly to his wife.

"I-I'm okay now! So let me talk!" It was the First Lady who had calmed herself down. As far as I knew, the First Lady was an ordinary housewife who only got a university education. She didn't know much about the dungeon and the public affairs, but she was the president's wife.

"...I guess you've made some calculations. I'm tired of talking to you." I said to Director Oh.

"Shouldn't you personally explain it?"

"I think that Kim Tae-hyun should be fine. It has already become like this."

I said bluntly and Kim Tae-hyun walked over to the First Lady to explain. I inwardly spoke.

'The delicious smell is coming from the female right?'

-Yes.

The worm, no the dog answered.

'What is that smell exactly? Apart from me, do the rest of the people here have it?'

-Other prey.They don't smell delicious.There won't be much to gain if I eat them.I don't want to eat.

I thought about his words.

'You said you could smell it, but I smell differently from the one you ate in the dungeon.'

-Huh?Dungeon...?What is that?

'...?

-I-I'm sorry but I don't know.Don't bite me.Don't scratch me.

The sacred creature seemed a bit stupid. I felt like there was nothing wrong with his head, but he didn't know anything about the basics. It was natural since he was just born. After repeating a few questions, I was able to get the answers that I wanted. On the ninth floor, there was no prey that smelled delicious other than Yoon Chan-hee and me.

I walked over to Soo-young. "#%@#%@#%%%." She cursed in Korean. But due to the emotional and urgent tone, it sounded like an alien language. I felt it before, but it contained an obvious hatred.

Of course, I had never met this woman. In addition, her hated wasn't only directed towards me. She didn't care even when looking at her mother.

'You are able to get rid of people's desires.'

-...What is desire...?

'I mean, is it possible eat that power?'

-Yes!I can do it!I want to eat!

He noticed quickly. A puppy jumped out of her chest and ran straight towards her.

'Hey. Don't eat yet...'

Kung.

But he couldn't penetrate her skin. The puppy raised his paws to his head and started crying. He looked at me like he was seeking answers.

-I can't go in.

I remembered what Isaiah said. He was a creature that had to depend on humans. Now he would call me Master. If so, could he only feed on my desires? The puppy's face looked at me very carefully.

'What?'

-Touch the food.Then I might be able to.

I put my hand on Soo-young's head. The dog jumped back into my chest and a change suddenly appeared.

"@#[email protected]#%%..." Soo-young's eyes shook, but I couldn't feel anything directly.

'Hey, stop. Stop eating.'

It was encouraging that he could do this, but it was too soon to tell if this would cure her. I lifted my hand from Soo-young's head. But…

"This...#%@%@#%"

What? Within a few seconds, Soo-young's eyes were restored to their original state.

I see. This guy's 'meal' was the desires that were constantly springing up. It seemed correct when thinking about what desire was. Then what about Yoon Chan-hee? I asked but Isaiah never helped me directly.

-Digging up the roots won't create something delicious.

If it kept eating, then it would run out of food. In other words, Yoon Chan-hee had been eaten to the 'roots' and couldn't recover immediately, while the sacred creature only had a light taste from Soo-young. If so, it was impossible for his madness to be cured.

"Yes. Do you think the method will work?"

Director Oh's voice was heard. I got up.

This was it. The best conditions. "Of course."

"Just now... I tried to contact the president but he is busy with matters of state and I wasn't able to talk to him."

Ah. Of course. Director Oh's voice sounded slightly nervous. He knew that whatever I wanted, it would be impossible to give it to me with just the authority of the wife. Therefore, I wouldn't heal this woman even if I knew the way. That was what he thought.

"Ah. It doesn't matter."

I looked behind me. I saw Director Oh and the First Lady.

"I think I can improve her aggressive state. Don't worry about the compensation, and I will do what I can for now. In the end, isn't the person the most important thing?"

"...!"

"That, I am really grateful... Please, I am begging you My Soo-young..." The First Lady grabbed my hand while Director Oh was asking 'What are you planning?' with his eyes. I just grinned at him before turning back to Soo-young.

"$%#$$%#."

"...Speak up."

I whispered so that no one could hear and raised a hand to her face and shoulder. 'Eat. Until I say to stop.'

The meal began.

"#%@#%!!!!"

A reaction appeared as soon as her desire started to be eaten. It was the breaking of the will that Yoon Chan-hee and I experienced.

"$이$······ This... #[email protected]$...Stop...! $%!!

"Soo-young!"

"Don't interrupt."

I grabbed the shaking body. The woman's killing intent gradually faded until fear and horror appeared on her face.

That's it. I pulled away my hands.

"...Ah..."

Soo-young swayed for a moment. She raised her head. There was no more killing intent in her eyes. There was just a strong feeling of fatigue.

"Mama..."

"Soo-young!"

I stepped away from the melodramatic scene. The cleanup inside the bomb shelter was over. There was only me, the mother and Director Oh.

"...How surprising."

"Let's see. Did you think I was just running my mouth?"

In fact, there was no chance of that. I was running my mouth, but there was no need to hurry if Soo-young was cured. The value of the reward presented to me would be much weaker than what it could be.

Of course. IF she was healed.

"I don't know how many hours it will take, but her madness will come back."

"What?! You purposely..."

"In the first place, curing her is impossible. Of course, if she goes crazy again then I can make her sane again. But it's just temporary."

The sacred creature said it was possible if the root was destroyed, but then it wouldn't be much different from dying in the dungeon. Whether it was the will of the First Lady or the president, her parents didn't want anything to happen to their daughter.

That was a very good sign for me. Once the madness returns, I was the only one who could 'temporarily' restore their daughter.

"You are a more thorough type than I thought..."

"That doesn't sound like a compliment.

Even though I made a promise with Director Oh, there is no obligation for both parties to observe the promise. They might find that I was easier to eat, or Kim Tae-hyun might suddenly become stronger on the next floor. I could be abandoned at any time.

But now things had changed.

"Please explain it to the First Lady as well. She will be quite heartbroken once she knows that there is no cure." Now the only way for the president's daughter to lead a good life was me. It was an advantage that only I could have.

"...Why don't you explain it?"

"I don't want to lose my image. In addition, I should look at the condition of the patient a bit more... Oh, I also have a request that I would like you to listen to."

I want to the bathroom and cleaned my body. The knife stab wound was almost better now. I opened the emergency first aid box, sterilized the wound and attached a bandage. I left the bathroom and looked around the kitchen, which was a mess. There were many food and drinks in the refrigerator for Soo-young. I took out a bottle of juice and approached Soo-young, who had removed the straitjacket.

Although it was still unsure if her condition had truly improved, her mother had taken off the straitjacket.

"How are you feeling?" Soo-young was the daughter of President Jin Su-cheol. Jin Soo-young looked at me.

"..." She received the juice without talking and turned her gaze to my face. I was well aware that my looks were good in a superficial society.

She asked me, "How...? Did you?"

"I'm sorry. It is like the basics of a business empire so I can't tell you." I smiled and changed the topic. "Is it a unique talent? The talent that Soo-young got on the third day."

"...!"

It was a combination of information received from Director Oh and my own speculations. Of course, I didn't explain my process of reasoning.

"Yes... That's right."

"Call this a reward for me. If you don't mind, can you tell me exactly what that talent is?"

"..."

Jin Soo-young seemed unwilling to answer. She saw me as a potential enemy so she didn't want to disclose the information. It was a unique talent that caused her to lose her temper and kill people. There wouldn't be a proper explanation for that.

'If the answer is difficult then don't say it.' I could say that. However, I decided to go with a bold route.

"I am Soo-young's doctor. I will continue to be next to you and help you live a normal life. I won't do anything harmful to Soo-young."

To be precise, I wouldn't do anything 'for the moment.' Depending on the variables in the future, I might eat and possess her talent. Therefore, I wanted to know the details.

"..."

Jin Soo-young hesitated for a bit before reaching for the table next to the sofa. Paper and a pen were placed there. I accepted the paper that Jin Soo-young handed over.

[Unique Talent No. 044 Butcher: You are constantly filled with the desire to kill others. The more dignified and noble the blood on your hands, the greater the urge to spill more. The instinct for killing is not necessarily the most fundamental, but it is certainly the most essential instinct. It is the most recognized instinct.]

[When dealing with 'creatures', you will receive a real-time awareness of the best way to kill the enemy using all the means you possess.]

[When dealing with 'creatures', you will always get the 'enhanced' status.]

[You won't become tired when dealing with 'creatures'.]

I read it then looked at Jin Soo-young's face.

She explained, "From the moment I got it... I couldn't control myself. So..."

"..."

It was something to think about. This woman...

"Hey." I turned my head. Director Oh had a grim expression on his face. He handed his phone to me.

"Your request. To bring someone... I sent Kim Tae-hyun. I was sure he would do his best to bring them here safely."

"Then?"

"...Take it and see."

I took the phone. The caller ID on the screen showed Kim Tae-hyun's name. Kim Tae-hyun's voice was heard before I brought the phone to my ear. However, he didn't seem to be speaking into the phone. His voice echoed like he was a little distance away.

"Yes. I received the call.'

[Why did you ask me to bring this person? What...?]

He sounded angry but concern and anxiety was behind it.

[...Win...]

His voice became muffled.

[Oppa?]

"It's me." Once I spoke, Yang Su-jin's voice became clear.

[Oppa sent this pushover?!]

"Pushover?"

[I already met him.]

I could hear Kim Tae-hyun groaning.

[On the 9th floor.]

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Chapter 55 - Day 13 Princess and Dog (2)

After finishing the conversation, I handed the phone to Director Oh.

"It isn't a big deal. The deputy manager will come back safely."

"..."

"Well, it looks like something did happen. I think it's the result of something he did." I explained.

I thought about it again. I looked at Jin Soo-young.

"..." As if she was suddenly burdened by my gaze, Jin Soo-young blushed and turned her head away.

I wasn't looking at her in that sense. This woman.

I had two unique talents: Atlas and Underdog.

I realized that unique talents were different from ordinary talents and techniques that could be gained in the dungeon. Very different.

The first time I had some questions was on the fifth floor. At the time of the mini-game, I chose a brutal way to reduce the number of challengers. Even those who were watching were bothered by my cruel torture. Of course, it was a reasonable method, but somewhere in my mind, I felt a sense of discomfort. Thinking about a rational method and putting it into practice were entirely separate matters.

On the sixth floor, it turned into a certain conviction. Even if the situation was unavoidable, I solved the problem with violence. I killed everyone except for Yang Su-jin and Yoon Ji-hee.

Atlas: 'Your body will become stronger, leading to a desire to oppress others through violence.' It had a huge impact on my actions.

Underdog was the same as well. Unlike Atlas that I gained from others, this unique talent was something I already had. I was convinced as soon as I saw the description. The driving force in my life so far had been based on this unique talent. After fully awakening Underdog, my values changed one more time. Unlike with Atlas, this time I was conscious and it was easy to notice the change.

I was different from yesterday. If it was the me from yesterday, I likely would have been overwhelmed by the scale of the situation involving the president and retreated. The point of a unique talent wasn't just a few paragraphs to improve my stats. It affected the formation of human values.

"Soo-young, do you have a city?"

"Huh?"

"If you have a city then you can accompany me in the dungeon."

"...!"

"Was there such a thing?" It was Director Oh who asked. I immediately explained the Merger Rights.

"Soo-young will lose a city, but I will be next to her and can give her constant protection." It was essentially the same offer I made to Yoon Ji-hee.

"Then... Look, isn't it obvious? It isn't something I can talk about with my status. I need to report the problem. Her father..." Director Oh raised a fuss instead of Soo-young.

"Then report it, but please also consider Soo-young."

I looked at Soo-young. "It isn't bad for everyone." I walked away from the mother and daughter and headed outside to wait for Kim Tae-hyun. Not long after, his vehicle arrived.

"Oppa!"

"Hee-chul."

Yang Su-jin and Yoon Ji-hee came running as they saw me. Their reaction was more than I expected, so I was pleased. I never imagined that they would be able to capture a city.

"What happened?"

"It wasn't a big deal. Whether we were lucky or not, the only one we encountered on that floor was the pushover."

Yang Su-jin nodded towards the car. Kim Tae-hyun was on the passenger side.

"As soon as he saw us, he started firing his machine gun."

"So?"

"I charged him."

Indeed. Kim Tae-hyun's main weapon, that Yang Su-jin experienced yesterday, was a gun. He had the ability to fire a shotgun with the same accuracy as a pistol. Unfortunately for him, Yang Su-jin wouldn't die unless her head was completely destroyed. "I used the boots from the eighth floor to avoid any tricky shots."

"Still, wouldn't it be hard to deal with him alone?"

"What? Aren't you neglecting Ji-hee unni?"

"...Ji-hee?"

"Ji-hee unni used the wind to deflect the bullets. Thanks to Unni, he was more likely to hit himself with the bullets." Yang Su-jin boasted proudly and Yoon Ji-hee just laughed shyly.

"I see." I thought about Chang Ga-ram. Chang Ga-ram was able to use his icicles to incapacitate me. If someone learned magic and accumulated the skill, would the power gradually rise?

After hearing their story, I explained about the Merger Rights. Then I told them that it would be used by Jin Soo-young.

"What? Are you going to leave us?"

"Eh?"

Yang Su-jin's eyes narrowed. "You know. I heard that the president had a daughter... You don't need us anymore after getting such a great girl ~ it is like this."

"What is that...?"

"... A joke." Yang Su-jin poked out her tongue.

"Jeez, this woman..."

Yang Su-jin's expression suddenly froze. It was the same for me.

"..."

"..."

We both gazed towards Yoon Ji-hee. Yoon Ji-hee's face was pale enough to be painted white. Her eyes were huge and were shaking like there was an earthquake with a magnitude of 7 or higher. They looked like the eyes of a dead fish.

"...Kuk...no..."

"Ji-hee unni?"

"Ji-hee?"

"...Don't..." Suddenly, in the bomb shelter, a strong wind blew. "Please don't throw me away..."

There were hiccups at the end as Yoon Ji-hee burst into tears. The wind became stronger.

"What the!?" The people still remaining in the bomb shelter were confused. The parked car shook slightly.

"Unni! It isn't like that!" Yang Su-jin grasped the situation and hugged Yoon Ji-hee.

"It is a joke! I... No, we won't get rid of Unni!"

Then she glanced at me. No, why did she joke like this in the first place?

"It is true. The both of you... You have value and aren't worthless."

The wind stopped, but Yoon Ji-hee's eyes were still wide open. The tears stopped flowing but she looked like she could burst out crying again at any moment.

"Think about it. What would happen to Ji-hee if I integrate with Su-jin's city? Will Ji-hee be able to come along with Su-jin?"

It wouldn't change even if she could come along. Frankly speaking, there was no sense that Yoon Ji-hee would be profitable in reality. But I had experienced it on the ninth floor; Having sure companions in this dungeon would be a tremendous advantage.

"If so, I would rather you continue to be by Su-jin's side."

Yang Su-jin was strong enough to clear the ninth floor. In addition, her brain wasn't too bad either. Like I just saw... Yoon Ji-hee's abilities had reached this level so the two of them would be able to survive by working as a team.

"Of course, it's dangerous. But after listening to your story about the ninth floor... I believe that both of you will grow and I can join you at a later time."

"..."

"I trust in Ji-hee's abilities... This is something that is possible."

The wind stopped blowing completely. Behind Yoon Ji-hee, Yang Su-jin was making an 'O' shape with her fingers.

"I called both of you to check your safety in reality and to help with support before entering the dungeon. Absolutely never... I'm not talking about breaking apart this group."

"... Yes."

Yoon Ji-hee wiped away her tears. She seemed convinced.

I glared at Yang Su-jin.

"..."

As I patted Yoon Ji-hee's shoulder, Yang Su-jin mouthed some words. 'So why are you using that woman?'

I replied. 'I don't know yet.'

In the first place, this story only applied if Jin Soo-young accepted. After telling both of them to wait, I approached Director Oh again. The director spoke with an expression that was brighter than before.

"I told her father. It was a short call but the response was good."

"..."

"Honestly, I feel less worried... Of course, if you think of taking advantage of Soo-young by using her as a hostage..."

Director Oh was serious. His age meant he had a lot of experience and was guarded, but there was one disadvantage. This man didn't know everything about the dungeon. So he didn't understand Jin Soo-young.

"Did Soo-young agree?"

"Huh?" He was surprised that I asked such a question. He thought she would surely accept the offer.

"You haven't heard from her yet?"

"That's right. Right now, Madam is having a conversation with her."

She was a woman who became mad due to some 'misfortune she suffered in the dungeon, only to kill a friend in reality and be trapped in a bomb shelter.' What would Jin Soo-young be thinking? Until an hour ago, she hadn't even be able to think clearly.

"This living space in the bomb shelter. Assign it to both of my people as well."

"This isn't a space that you can use easily."

"But don't I have to cure Soo-young's mind? You can think of them as my 'resources.' It you want to continue working with me in the future then it is necessary."

"..."

As we talked, the First Lady left the room with Jin Soo-young. "I have an official ceremony to attend... I'm really grateful. Student, thanks to you, I have Soo-young..."

"It isn't a big deal. Rather, do you mind if I ask you something?"

"What is it?"

"I wanted to ask your permission, but I have some people with me. For the time being, I would like to be housed with Soo-young alone. "

Director Oh and the First Lady's expressions hardened.

"It sounds strange but it can't be helped. I said that it can't be cured, but the signs can be monitored. Can't we look for a cure while watching what happens?"

There were CCTVs in the bomb shelter. If I did anything strange to Jin Soo-young, then they would know.

"I... If Soo-young can regain her spirit..."

"I will do so."

"First of all, treating Soo-young is the most important thing. Of course, if she ends up hurt..." She spoke with the face of a mother protecting her daughter. "Don't worry. I will personally persuade my husband." She continued.

"Then... But if Soo-young says no then you don't need to ask your husband. Anyway, it will be better if she can be treated in less time."

They didn't exactly understand the dungeon, but it was certain that minimizing damage caused by Soo-young would no longer be a problem. I passed Director Oh, who was smiling bitterly and entered the room with Jin Soo-young.

Jin Soo-young stood up.

I asked her, "Yes, have you thought about it?"

"...Yes." She nodded with a determined face.

"Ah, let me tell you ahead of time." I scratched my head. "In the end, the answer is fixed. It doesn't matter even if Soo-young replies with a no."

"...!!" Jin Soo-young looked at me with shock.

"If you raise your voice, then I will forcefully shut your mouth."

"You..."

"I have a good excuse anyway. After explaining that you were crazy, I will drain your head until it is completely empty. Haven't you experienced it once? What do you think will happen if I continue without stopping?"

As I was draining her, I felt a killing intent shooting from her. The killing intent wasn't from her talent. It was because she saw me as an enemy. It was the same as the killing intent she sent from the beginning.

"If I think about it, there is something strange. You have a city when you were like that."

Could a person who couldn't control herself really be able to gain a city? It might be possible to take a floor. But in order to gain a city in the dungeon, a minimum of reasoning power was needed. The reason was that clues needed to be gathered and a method reasoned out.

"That... There were no people..."

"I know because I have a unique talent. It changes the way that people think, but that is the end of it."

I was still me. Having Atlas didn't mean that I beat up everyone I encountered in my daily life. After getting Underdog, I didn't run back and forth challenging people irresponsibly. Of course, what I was doing right now was a challenge.

"Having a strong impulse and following to that impulse are separate issues. Isn't that right?"

"...Are you saying that I couldn't endure what I did? Did you view it from my position?"

"I wondered if there was a 'need' to endure it in the first place."

At that moment, her right hand shot forward. There was a sharp sound. The speed was so fast that I wouldn't have noticed the movement. Of course, that was if I hadn't already been paying attention.

Tak.

"This...!"

"Once again, didn't I say that raising your voice was a big deal?"

I whistled softly as I held her wrist. "Indeed. This is the best means to find the root of the murder. I was really disturbed by the description of your unique talent. There was nothing about your mind going away as a side effect."

There was nothing about the side effects anywhere in the description of the talent.

I continued. "I've been thinking ever since. You were originally such a girl."

"D-Do you know who my father is? You..."

"He is someone with a beautiful daughter, but she has such tastes. Did you kill someone in the dungeon and realize the real taste? You got a unique talent and sliced people in real life on the third and fourth days. Maybe they were people you met in the dungeon?"

Even if she settled things on the third day, she grew too much on the fourth day. Director Oh and her parents used their power to cover up her mistakes, making it feel like a terrible tragedy was nothing. Therefore, she started thinking. While other people might know about her exact talent, no one knew exactly what she went through in the dungeon.

"If you pretend it was something to do with the dungeon, no one will know that you are such a girl."

In fact, her parents had wandered exactly into her trap. It was easier to understand that something supernatural happened, then to think their child was born a murderer.

She muttered, "...You don't have the evidence. It is all just guesses. You don't know what I did to get here."

"There should be CCTV evidence. Everybody is fooled so far, but what if I told them it was an act? They might think it is ridiculous, but if they look at the CCTV recordings, will they continue being fooled by your dirty actions?"

I was holding Jin Soo-young's wrists.

The fact that she returned to her senses after the sacred creature ate her was because her consciousness scattered and she couldn't concentrate on acting. In addition, she had puppy eyes because she had heard the conversation between me and Director Oh. If I thought about it differently, this girl wasn't crazy.

"..."

Jin Soo-young bit her lip. Her eyes rolling nervously indicated her shaken mental state.

"Therefore, you can't refuse my offer of merger even if you want to. Everyone thinks you are such a poor girl, so why wouldn't you want a white knight?"

"...Son of a bitch."

"You are the one who will be the dog."

Of course, I had no intention of killing her for the time being. If I didn't take her city here, then she would continue carrying out her gimmick and safely clear the dungeon. I would use her father's power to put myself in an appropriate position until I gained enough strength. My plan was something like that.

"Now, take this." It was the merger ticket. I offered it to her. "Do you still have hope? In the end, you are the princess I have to attend to. If you do your best, then I might be tamed."

"I will kill you."

"Uh huh. You will see blood if you try to bite a dog." Well, on the contrary, it wouldn't be bad if the dog tamed the princess.

Jin Soo-young looked into the air. The letter of merger appeared before her eyes.

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Chapter 56 - Day 13, 10th Floor Demon

Jin Soo-young didn't immediately accept after receiving the request, but she didn't refuse.

Seuk.

Instead, she walked towards the door of the room and pushed the steel door with her hand.

Tang.

Once it closed, she locked it and headed to a corner of the room. I soon realized that it was a blind spot in the CCTV system. A lighter and cigarette emerged from a cabinet attached to the wall.

"Your parents gave you cigarettes?"

"...There are occasionally smokers among the people I killed."

Of course, she had to act crazy so she couldn't be seen smoking peacefully. She took the cigarettes from the dead bodies. "Hoo."

As expected for a dungeon exploration, her lung capacity meant that half the cigarette was gone with one suck. There was no tragic image in the appearance of Jin Soo-young who closed her eyes and belched out smoke. I had no prejudices towards smoking women. Yang Su-jin also smoked in front of me.

But Jin Soo-young was quite different. A decadent aura emerged as soon as she shook off her acting.

"Will you serve as my bodyguard while sucking out the honey?"

Jin Soo-young was a shield. While she survived, I could almost completely shake off any legal or physical problems in the real world. She asked, "Aren't you being too greedy? Do you really think you can afford me?"

Jin Soo-young gazed at me with a provocative look and smiled. "I admit that you are good for recognizing that I'm not suffering, but can you really handle me? I'm telling you ahead of time, but as soon as my act reappears, I am going to kill you. As soon as we enter the dungeon, I will go after you and try to kill you."

"..."

"Don't take on something that you can't handle. You should just accept the reward for treating me just now. But thanks to that, it made my act more natural."

Chobeok.

I took a few steps. Then I extended my palms towards Jin Soo-young.

"What?"

"Doesn't this apply to me as well? The CCTV blind spot?"

"Why..."

Pahat!

A light emerged from my palms and struck right next to Jin Soo-young's head. This was a bomb shelter. Although the metal layer underneath couldn't be pierced, the concrete surface behind Jin Soo-young completed caved in. Was it because she already had the thought? Jin Soo-young didn't even react.

Tok.

The cigarette butt she was biting fell to the ground.

I smiled and said, "It won't be that easy to catch me with your bare hands. Humans are still creatures who use tools. Isn't that right?"

"...You can't kill me." Jin Soo-young muttered.

"I can't. However, the second best thing is burning your limbs so that you are quiet for the rest of the day. Of course, it will be a different story if you cooperate."

"..."

"There is a way to communicate with every person."

I immediately approached her. I picked up the cigarette butt and threw it in the bin.

"A threatened dog will bite. You can't get rid of it."

[The merger request has been accepted.]

[The queen of 'Vermouth' has been annexed by the monarch of 'Talia.']

['City-Vermouth' has been integrated in Talia's territory.]

[The location coordinates have become synchronized with the monarch.]

The location coordinates were synchronized. It meant she wasn't moved to the city. That seemed to be the case.

If she could attack, then attack. However, there was no attack as I walked to the closed door.

Ching.

The door was opened to reveal a confused Director Oh. Despite the door being closed, had the sound of the explosion leaked?

"What's going on?"

"It's not a big deal. There were some symptoms so I took care of it."

I turned and looked at Jin Soo-young. Then I briefly winked.

Please take care.

The reconstruction was done quickly. The area where Yang Su-jin and Yoon Ji-hee were staying was supposed to be a laboratory. There were glass bottles filled with chemicals and simple experiments set up on the newly installed tables.

"Wah... This sort of thing... I never thought I would see it. No, frankly, I thought about it, but it was unrealistic. Even Ji-hee unni won't be able to get these type of things..."

But it actually happened. Some of the chemicals and experiments could be brought into the dungeon by Yang Su-jin. She also had more drugs to combine, and could increase her talent experience.

"If you need anything then tell me."

"...Aren't we strong now?"

"Then."

This bomb shelter was an invincible space. It wasn't because of Yang Su-jin and Yoon Ji-hee, but because of the tough security to protect the VIP Jin Soo-young. In addition, even though points existed in the past, the points couldn't be used on these chemicals for fear of them being noticed by the private sector. Therefore, it felt like 'renting' the chemicals.

Of course, points weren't required either. Originally, I had planned on spending my points for all three people, but now it was on Jin Soo-young's book.

Once it neared midnight, Yang Su-jin told me before heading off into different rooms. "There are surveillance cameras, but please still be careful. You don't know what might happen when a man and woman are in the same place."

"You shouldn't be saying that to me."

I laughed but Yang Su-jin just looked at me. Ah. Yang Su-jin looked at Yoon Ji-hee.

"..." Although it wasn't as much as before, there was a dark shadow on her face.

Su-jin cried out, "T-Then have strength. Oppa! Fighting!"

"..."

"Unni should do it too! Fighting!"

"...Please be careful." I said and started to leave.

Yoon Ji-hee spat out briefly just before I closed the steel door. "...Fighting."

I waved my hand and headed for our room once the door closed. There was a bit of time left, so I headed to my private bedroom. I was carefully choosing the books I would carry into the dungeon. Then I heard the sound of footsteps heading towards me.

Jin Soo-young was standing on the threshold. She was in a bathrobe and water vapour was still rising from her skin.

"Is there something you wanted?"

"Didn't you say it?" She pulled the towel covering her head away, revealing still wet hair. "Everybody has a different approach at communication."

Like the towel covering her head, her bathrobe fell down. "I thought about it before. What is the right approach?"

To be honest, it wasn't hard to resist her charm. I hadn't seen many naked bodies in my life, but I could see it through the media or the Internet rather than reality. The expression on her face also wasn't good enough to 'seduce' me. The slightly narrowed eyes were looking this way confidently.

"Let's do it."

"..." It was nothing new but I was a little surprised at her honesty.

"The dungeon will open soon."

"There is still an hour. Isn't that enough time?"

"Do you think there will be a significant change in that hour?"

Jin Soo-young shrugged. She didn't care that the action shook her upper body as she moved towards me.

"Some things can happen in an hour."

I made a calculation error. Jin Soo-young was far bolder than the sheltered girl I thought she was.

"It is necessary to worry? Even one hour can allow us to move together more smoothly. Or..."

Her eyes narrowed further. She boldly stated. "Are you scared? Do you think I will kill you while it is happening? Or are you afraid that something meaningful will happen in that hour?"

This was why I refused to have relationships. At the same time, there were two reasons for Jin Soo-young to try this.

I closed my book. As I got up from the bed, Jin Soo-young sighed with ridicule and raised a hand to poke my chest. "No courage..."

My mouth covered Jin Soo-young's.

"...!"

A rough breath emerged as my tongue stimulated her mouth. She was at a loss. Her gazed dropped down to my mouth and she looked at me with embarrassment. I said, "I won't deny what you are giving me."

I didn't care if she really tried to kill me during it or if something changed. I wouldn't allow both situations. Then wasn't the conclusion obvious? Late at night. I was a man. I also have an overly healthy body. There was no reason to resist an opportunity like this.

I wrapped my hands around Jin Soo-young's waist and hips to lift her and laid her on the bed. The smell of a familiar brand of body wash swept over me. As Jin Soo-young said, one hour was enough.

...Was it enough?

The 10th floor was an open space and the wind blowing was quite chilly. I had entered soon after I took a shower. I thought about wiping away the water.

It wasn't a floor but a dirt ground. There were sand, stones and sparse plants scattered around. An outdoor area. I saw a light from far away. Mountain? Or maybe a tower. I couldn't guess the shape because the distance was quite far, but it was lit up and quite high.

"Let's go over there." I looked behind me.

"..."

"Hey."

"...Uh!" Jin Soo-young jumped at my voice.

"Let's go over there. Or run away like you said before."

"...U-Understood."

Jin Soo-young moved next to me as I walked. She touched her head. She had laid down before the water dried properly, so her hair was a mess.

"There was plenty of time to wash. Isn't that uncomfortable?"

"...I don't know."

"Well, you are free to do what you like."

As I got closer to where the light was coming from, the shape started to become slightly clearer. It was a mountain. A castle that resembled the castled of old Europe was surrounded by towering icicle shaped mountains. The lights were distributed evenly between the mountains and the plains. It meant people were residing there. The scale indicated that there were more people than the Tellans living in the forest.

"If you know they are Tellans, don't attack first as I want to talk to them."

"..." Jin Soo-young didn't agree or deny my words but I didn't care.

She suddenly asked me, "...Aren't you acting really casual?"

"What?"

"You really do feel nothing. Maybe I am just conscious but..."

I tapped a finger.

Clack!

Jin Soo-young's eyes widened at the sound. "What...?"

"Think about where we are now." I gazed at Jin Soo-young with narrowed eyes. "It is you who offered yourself. You were the one who made the calculations, so don't be so annoying about it."

"A-Am I annoying?"

"Then what? Unfortunately, but I think that was the last chance for you to get me in your bed."

Killing intent emerged from Jin Soo-young. Her face was flushed.

"You... Even if you want to, I won't..."

"This is getting annoying." I waved my hands and started walking again.

"Strike my back. Or follow. Just pick one of them." Whether Jin Soo-young followed me or not, I headed towards the nearest light.

-I smell something.

As I thought, the sacred creature was a good detector. As soon as I entered the 10th floor, the sacred creature told me that it could smell desires.

-Several tasteless things...And there is one that is less tasteless.

It meant there was one strong person and several weak ones. If they were Tellans, then they weren't opponents that could harm me. I moved in the direction that the sacred creature pointed as quickly as possible. If the Tellans lived in the castle then I would reach out and offer them citizenship.

While running quickly, one man entered my sight. It was an explorer. His eyes were wide open. Blood was pouring from the explorer's mouth. A spear was protruding through his chest.

"What?"

"Another person!"

Tellans were behind him. I could tell that there were more than 20 of them just by looking. Unlike those seen in the forest, these Tellans were armed with a spear and metal armor. I didn't hesitate to offer them citizenship. Words simultaneously appeared in front of their eyes.

But... "Demon!"

"Kill! Be sure to kill it!"

Their reaction was different than I anticipated.

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Chapter 57 - Day 13, 10th Floor Big Picture (1)

A little while ago. "You should know that joining hands has a lot of meaning."

Four hours before entering the dungeon. In one section of the bomb shelter, I was having dinner with Director Oh. It was to coordinate things like minor discipline and requirements in the future.

"I'm aware of that."

"Really?" He wasn't asking because he thought I didn't know. It was because it was an issue that was bound to make him worried.

"Up until the fourth and fifth days, our thoughts about the situation were focused on fatalities. Due to an unspecified number of people becoming stronger than ordinary people, there was an indiscriminate number of murders."

I was reminded of that a few times. Of course, it was the biggest problem of having the dungeon tied to society. But that wasn't the biggest problem that would be faced in the future.

Director Oh continued, "The growth of the explorers... The degree of growth is far beyond what we had originally expected. Just the growth between the seventh and eighth days... Kim Tae-hyun's physical abilities were already beyond the Olympic level. The video of you in the hallway yesterday... If your speed was converted to 100 metres, it is almost twice as fast as the current world record."

It was similar to the problem of purchasing the latest computer or phone. The gap could also be seen as the difference between how well people cleared the floors.

"Some people are already starting to show impatience. People like you can go anywhere."

To me, the three most excellent stats were muscle strength, stamina and reflexes. At 23, 21 and 21 respectively, the upward momentum was slower, but it didn't stop. What about the spirit, rather than the body? I could fully comprehend a book of programming in less than 20 seconds.

"Is Director one of those people?"

"To be honest, I have been skeptical a few times. I was also curious. Let's say the problem of safety is completely solved and people like you are reborn under the strict protection of the dungeon."

Director Oh swallowed his saliva. "Then what will you become in the end? Even if you don't kill people blindly, what impact will you have on the world?"

Director Oh spoke with a heavy expression. I faintly realized it. At least in this country, a handful of people like Director Oh had thought about this.

Of course, the default policy was to strictly control us. But there were limits to how much we could be controlled. Once the ability of an explorer exceeded a critical point, they might not be controlled, but become the person in control. Once that realization was reached, a person would end up with one of two options.

Director Oh explained. "This is just a hypothesis, it isn't certain. Judging from my personal experience, I can guess in advance how different countries will behave. Let me tell you what I think... Countries like China and Japan will have identified the situation better than us. It isn't this type of informal cooperation between you and I, but support from a national level..."

"They will eliminate problems at national level."

"Exactly."

Those countries would give full support. Or, if there was a immeasurable threat, get rid of it altogether.

When I thought about it, I wouldn't have been particularly positive to those two approaches. It was because they hadn't yet grasped the full situation. Kim Tae-hyun's visit and my presence at this place was due to Director Oh's discretion.

Director Oh spoke. "Jin Soo-young's father..."

"You still won't call him the president?"

"It is burdensome. In some ways, it feels like a jinx."

Director Oh pushed the lunch wrappers to the side and placed both hands on the table.

"In any case, her father is expecting something similar. His wife just seems worried. However, he might be delighted that his daughter is an explorer."

"Is his daughter going to be a super secret murder weapon?"

Director Oh frowned at the joke. "She is a powerful individual. If he uses political propaganda, then she would be called the perfect superhuman."

"..."

"If a country supports the explorers, they are probably doing it due to this thought."

Maybe, unlike his wife, the president might be aware that his daughter was acting differently. It wasn't just to prevent the public from criticizing his daughter, but a personal project. It might be awkward, but I didn't think all of this security was to protect her. Furthermore, the daughter who later became a superhero could be used for himself. Well, this was just a guess.

"So do you want me for something like that?"

"I thought about it when I saw you. In the end, it is something that you will have to face."

Of course. But it hadn't reached that point yet. I was just a university student in my early 20s. Even if the heads recognized me as a problem, using large scale national power on me wasn't realistic.

Eventually though, it would happen. I disliked having someone standing above me. I would live as I wanted without being bound to anyone. This was my driving force.

10 days ago, it would have been naive if I wanted to go against authority. I wasn't a graduate student, the parents of the students I privated tutored hadn't paid my fees for a few months and I didn't have a strong reputation among the seniors.

But now? I didn't need to worry about those things. It was natural that I would finish this semester with top grades. Money problems? Before entering the dungeon, I was inexperienced, but I had outsourced work as an amateur developer. Now I could tap the keyboard and get the job done 10 times faster.

Then was the conflict around me over? No. There was even more at the top. Even I didn't know that I would climb so fast.

"I don't know if Soo-young can go to the end, but personally, I don't think she has that ability."

I asked, "Uh. Isn't this conversation a bit dangerous?"

"Are you going to tell?"

Director Oh laughed. I naturally had no intention of doing that.

"You see, this is what my department is. Twisting my body for national interests. Kim Tae-hyun is still alive, so there isn't a problem with intelligence right now, but after a few days, everyone will make a fuss over the fact that we have no explorer."

"I'm not going to be Director-nim's portfolio."

"I don't want that. However, I think you are safer as a blank slate than a serial killer whose father is the president."

In other words, I was brought here through Director Oh's own decision.

When I first met Director Oh, he realized that I can be used advantageously. I didn't have any social connections. Thus, there was nothing to lose. There was also no ambition. Of course, there was greed, but my background and experience meant it wouldn't lead me to a large scale ambitions. My father wasn't the president or a chaebol.

"After tonight, once you come out... There will be verification."

"Verification?"

"It is a simple test of your body's abilities, brain, personality and aptitude. You see it as numbers right?"

"That's right."

"But we have no way of knowing this... You could lie as needed. Hide or inflate things. Due to this, we need to verify your figures."

Director Oh once again pulled out his electronic cigarette, but the cartridge was empty.

"Of course, this is one-sided information, so you don't need to answer if you don't want to. We still have Soo-young so we can offer her the necessary supplies in her current situation." Director Oh rose from his chair. "But think about it. You haven't fully grown, and your mind isn't good enough yet."

Then he held out a hand for me to shake. "It was a hectic day."

"But thanks to that, things became faster."

"I look forward to the future. Of course, the best thing for me will be for Kim Tae-hyun to become even stronger than you tonight."

It was hard to say that there was no chance of that happening.

Director Oh asked me, "I heard that the purpose of the dungeon is to make an emperor."

"Yes."

"Maybe it is an accurate word, but it isn't always possible in a world like this. There is no way someone can become an emperor here."

Since childhood, I wasn't the delusional type. I didn't want to become an popular celebrity, sports star or the president.

Anyway, Director Oh headed to the bomb shelter. From there, the process leading up to midnight had already been described. Yang Su-jin and Yoon Ji-hee gave me encouragement and that incident happened with Jin Soo-young...

Now, I was thinking about the word 'Emperor.'

Chaeng!Chaeng!Chaeng!

It sounded like cymbals being hit. One of the Tellans was tapping a thin sheet of metal.

Then in the darkness, noises were heard and more people with spears appeared.

"Kill!"

There were no questions asked as they aimed the spears at me. This place was different from the forest.

Perhaps there was a leader or it was a more advanced society. The Tellans already knew that the letters represented an offer of citizenship. They intuitively understood the phrases. Therefore, just knowing Tellan made it easy to recruit the people in the forest.

But now, they called me a demon, so it was hard to understand this drastic reaction. No, it was a reaction that only came out once the words appeared.

Hwik!

I spread back and raised my palm while narrowly avoiding a spear aimed at my head.

Tang!

A light flashed and one person in the front collapsed. The reaction was encouraging. Rather than pouncing at me in unison, they stared at me with a mixture of fear and confusion. I didn't miss that gap. An explosion occurred in the space where the man fell down. Although clearly trained, the Tellans couldn't respond immediately to unexpected situations.

I firmly shoved at the chest of someone on my left with both palms. Then I aimed a fly kick at the one on my right. They were attacks that demonstrated power rather than practicality, but I realized how to deal with large groups based on previous experience: Kill some and the solidarity between the others would weaken.

"...Uh..."

The fear from the first explosion gradually spread as I raised my palm at an angle. I didn't aim at anyone but shot out the biggest and loudest explosion possible.

Peng!

With that, the situation was over. There were cries and noises heard as they escaped. Soon they disappeared from my sight and the voices gradually faded.

"Aren't you going to slice me?' I asked Jin Soo-young who was a small distance behind me. The process of contacting and fighting the Tellans was also a method of provoking her to attack me. Looking back, I could see a deadly weapon in her hand, She had an expression of a child wanting to eat the sweets put in front of them. The ingredient that caused conflict wasn't appetite and self-restraint, but desire and fear.

I continued, "Well, you are better at suppressing yourself than I thought."

"...S...Shut up."

If she rushed over, I was going to show her an overwhelming defeat. I wouldn't kill her, but would make her hesitant to repeat the same behaviour. It was already much better than I thought.

"Can you speak Tellan?" I asked.

"Yes."

"What do you think?" I pointed to the Tellans on the ground and to the castle on the mountain.

"Kill. Everyone." As I narrowed my eyes, she added a few more words. "You offered them citizenship, right? That's why you were called a 'demon.' So there is an 'education' that makes people who offer citizenship 'demons'? It is based on a religion?"

"Go on."

"Already in my... Now it is your city, but there are people living there. If you add these people here, then wouldn't a cult obviously form? It would be lucky if it wasn't called hell."

She covered her head and pulled out a cigarette and lighter. She covered it so the light of the cigarette wouldn't be seen in the darkness. As she blew out smoke, Jin Soo-young finished her words.

"Religion isn't the answer. If you are going to occupy this place, then it would be best to clean it up before eating." Jin Soo-young's eyes flashed as she said this. "If you do that, then I can help you."

I could understand. The reason why Director Oh said 'no' despite Jin Soo-young's background.

I also agreed.

TL Note: Please read this announcement post.

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Chapter 58 - Day 13, 10th Floor Big Picture (2)

-I smell something in front.

Even if I didn't study him very much, the use of the sacred creature was obvious. The sacred creature recognize anyone with desires as food. In a nutshell, he could detect enemies in the darkness.

"..."

"If you have a complaint then say it immediately."

I said while looking back to see Jin Soo-young making a dour expression. We were getting closer to the castle, but the feast of blood and flesh that she wanted didn't happen. After the first encounter, I used the sacred creature's sense of smell to approach the castle without meeting any Tellans.

Jaaeng.Jaaeng.Jaaeng.

I could hear the sound of banging coming from every direction. The people who escaped probably weren't looking for me with reinforcements, but rather dealing with other 'demons.' Perhaps we weren't the only explorers on this floor.

As I reached the mountain, I looked up. The slope wasn't gentle. There might be a separate uphill path to the entrance, but the one in front of me was a cliff that was almost at a right angle. I could see light from the wall above me.

"Surely you aren't going to climb up?" Jin Soo-young asked with an expression of disgust.

"I seem to be repeating this three times, but I don't intend to force you. If you want to kill something then go on alone."

"Oh, I don't feel like it."

I started to climb. I concentrated my power on my fingers and toes and moved using the cliff protrusions. The height was approximately five floors and I checked my stamina. It was the first time I tried rock climbing and it was the height of a high rise apartment. Once I was at a height of one floor up, Jin Soo-young looked up at me and called out.

"Is there really a need to kill the boss?"

I climbed the cliff without answering. The surface of the cliff was gradually changing to bricks.

"You are trying to fight a religion. Even if the command system collapses, there is a possibility that it will actually have an adverse effect on the lower ranks."

I continued steadily without answering. Iek. A sound was heard. It was the sound of stones crumbling as Jin Soo-young started climbing.

"...Don't ignore people who you slept with."

"It is fairly creative that you found a reason not to be ignored."

"Is there any other reason?"

"I don't know what type of experience you had, but there are many reasons to ignore people that I've slept with. Their character. Or their character."

"What...!?"

Before an answer came back, I jumped in a window that the light was coming from. It was a corridor without any people. There was nothing different from a movie based on old Europe. I just felt like this place was more damp and older than the movies.

There wasn't a clear route, so I let the sacred creature smell again. Only this time, I had it find the target with the strongest smell within its range.

-A delicious smell!Two of them!

If this guy said 'delicious smell' then it only meant one thing. There had to be an explorer.

'The same as me?'

-Yes. There are two.

They were on the move right now. They weren't close to me, but I got a sense of the direction they were heading. I slightly changed my order.

Chose the best smell among those that don't have a delicious aroma of a unique talent.

There was one above me. It exactly matched the direction that the two with unique talents were heading.

"In the end, people think the same."

I muttered as I turned my head to one side of the corridor. A Tellan had walked around the corner and was looking at me with astonishment. The suppression was instant.

"I am a demon."

"...!"

Indescribable terror filled the man's eyes. His reaction to my joke was huge.

"Now I will remove my palm from your mouth. If you make a small noise then I will kill your family and drink all of your blood."

"Crazy bastard." Jin Soo-young said from behind me.

I ignored her and asked a question. The presence of the 'stairs' here and what people ate. Specifically, the number of resources that could be harvested. He was afraid but due to that, the answer emerged quite smoothly. And at that moment...

"... Really useless. This place." Although it wasn't exact, Jin Soo-young's words expressed everything.

The resources were moss that grew without light and groundwater. Specifically, this place didn't have any resources. According to the lord of the castle, approximately 2,000 people lived here. That was all.

There were no treasures in the castle or secret places. Except for the warehouse where simple armor and weapons were stored, the moss was what they ate as fuel. It was obviously inferior compared to the Kasava of the forest.

I was able to see clearly due to the light from the hallway. The equipment and hygiene were better here, but the development and resources of the forest were much better. It was enough to say that the people here were malnourished.

"A barren wasteland and 2,000 religious fanatics... Well, there is even a lord. I don't think there is anything to gain from here." Jin Soo-young nodded as she talked. "There aren't even treasures or secret places. I will... What, you aren't killing them?"

"Yes."

Jin Soo-young stared with outrage as I knocked out the man in the corridor. "Just throw him out the window. If you get caught later, then it will be annoying. Can't you just kill him?"

"No."

"...Why?"

"I don't need to touch his life."

"Ha!" Hrmm. Jin Soo-young laughed before leaning her head out the window.

"How funny."

Below the window, lights were running around. There were the sounds of gongs like fierce battles were occurring elsewhere.

"I thought you were a broken sociopath, but you're human after all? Pretending to have principles but changing that behaviour every time..."

I stared at Jin Soo-young. Jin Soo-young jumped at my gaze.

"W-What? Am I lying?"

"I'm going. Don't follow if you don't want to."

I walked down the corridor and stunned any Tellans that I met. As I lay them down in a corner, she repeated. "It really doesn't make any sense."

Jin Soo-young was confused but she kept following after me. We crossed the hall and climbed the spiral staircase. Once we got close to the top floor that was my goal, I didn't need to hear Jin Soo-young's whining anymore. It was because the Tellans were already dead.

"This..."

I ignored the surprised Jin Soo-young and kept walking along the blood trail. There were vague screams from afar. The rooms where the lord of the castle stayed had their doors and ceilings beautifully decorated. But now they were just covered in blood. The screams were coming from a door that was cracked open.

They were the screams of a 'child' and a woman.

Before opening the door, I looked at Jin Soo-young. "From now on, follow my lead."

"..."

"Or just run away now."

I half opened the door. There were two explorers in the middle of working. The spacious room was filled with the bodies and blood of the Tellans. There were two people alive. One woman was strapped to a chair and was in a severe condition. One eye was swollen, her teeth were pulled out and her mouth was filled with blood.

Yet, it seemed like the people torturing her couldn't get the answers they wanted. The two explorers were now working on a boy in his mid teens. He looked clean compared to the woman, but one arm was hanging limply. The other arm was being held by a hulking man. The woman was his sister or his mother. She screamed as the boy was tortured.

"Are there any results?"

When asked, "#%@@%."

There was an answer in a language I couldn't speak. Chinese. Mandarin? The number of explorers had been reduced, so it seemed like the dungeon matching system now connected it to overseas explorers.

I worried about it for a moment. Should I speak in English? But... there was one language that everyone in this room would certainly know.

"Release those two." I spoke in Tellan. The answer came back quickly. It was from a scrawny man beside the woman, rather than the big man holding the boy's arm. If his hair grew just a little bit longer then he might be mistaken as a woman.

"...North? Or is it the south?"

"Of course, it's the north."

"..." The little guy beckoned. Then the big person dropped the boy he was holding. If this was a manhwa, they were like Vegeta and Nappa from Dragon Ball Z. Unfortunately, these guys weren't from a manhwa. The two people gradually took positions around me.

I said, "They don't speak no matter how you torture them, yet you don't leave this floor. There must be treasure here."

The first impression was that the little one was a little stronger, but it was confusing since the big guy rarely opened his mouth. The little one continued speaking in English.

"I killed one South Korean person on this floor. His ability was manure in front of China." He was obviously trying to provoke me. I knew what he was doing already, so I didn't get angry.

"Do you know who this is?" I glanced backwards. Jin Soo-young, who was looking at me from a distance, responded to my words by flinching. "She is the daughter of the president of South Korea. Even if you are supported by the country, she is in a different class."

"Hey. What..."

Jin Soo-young's eyes became bigger. The eyes of the two Chinese men also widened.

As Director Oh said, they received support from the Chinese government. Furthermore, they were talented enough to have unique talents, so it was almost certain that their country was supporting them.

"There is no need to fight. Will it be fun for you if you mess with us? If you don't want diplomatic issues, then let's settle this through conversation!"

I thought about it. It was normal to know the face of the president of a neighbouring country, but would they know his daughter's face? That's why I asked Director Oh to give me simple profile pictures of domestic chaebols and high ranking officials tomorrow. I had already proven that I could make social connections in the dungeon.

"...%$%%@."

They said that they met Koreans already.

"[email protected]#$."

"%5."

I didn't know I would meet with the Chinese, but if they knew there was the possibility of meeting Koreans, wouldn't they know the faces of high-ranking Korean people?

"This is crazy! What just..." As soon as Jin Soo-young was about to come this way,

Pahat!

The two people moved.

"Young Lady! Run!" I cried out like a loyal bodyguard and blocked the path of the two men. Of course, I heard the sound of Jin Soo-young escaping. The two Chinese also heard the sound.

The small one held a sword. The big one held an axe.

They played like Chinese people. The combination attack was almost perfect. The big one swung his axe at a tremendous speed. I avoided it a few times then let a shallow strike hit my side.

"Keuk!" The little guy stabbed his sword at me and used the gap where I avoided it to break through.

Bam!

The big man struck me with the side of the axe and I was thrown to one wall.

"$#@%%$%!!" The little man shouted and the big one nodded. Then the little one ran out the door.

Perhaps he said 'I will chase the woman and you finish the one here.' The level of movements I showed was easily dealt with by one person.

"A shame."

"...You speak Korean?"

"I'm not good." The opponent gazed at me with serious eyes and grabbed his axe with both hands. He continued, "You are strong."

"You too. Don't feel resentment. You have come this far alone. You will soon realize that it is enough."

The big man said while attacking. The heavy axe was fast and accurate. The lion was using all its power to catch a rabbit. My body was exactly in the middle of the axe's path. I didn't even bother to avoid it.

To be precise, I didn't need to.

Tak!

"...!?"

It wasn't as easy as I thought. Even if I grabbed the bottom correctly, it was difficult to take the weight of a fully swung axe with one hand.

"How...?"

"The only thing that was real is the fact that she's the president's daughter."

If I didn't show any weaknesses, these guys would have handled me 2:1. I didn't want to fight against two people whose power I was unsure about. In addition, even if it was possible, Jin Soo-young might try to stab me in the back. This was killing two birds with one stone.

"Don't feel resentment."

I repeated what he said before. I pushed the axe with my hand. I hesitated for a moment before gritting my teeth.

Since he was considerate towards me, I would do my best to return the favor.

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Chapter 59 - Day 13, 10th Floor Big Picture (3)

It was the last move of the fight.

"Kuk...!" I kicked the big man in the abdomen, causing him to kneel down. Blood flowed from his open mouth towards the ground. His internal organs were destroyed, so the damage was much higher than the bleeding showed.

"Strong." A look of pure admiration crossed my face.

There was a diagonal cut across my face. It wasn't very deep, but I couldn't use one eye right now.

To be honest, I had to admit that I looked down on him. He was strong in this fight. The big guy using his axe had almost reversed who was strong and who was weak. I was augmented using the techniques of Ravenous Wolf Fist, but the big guy definitely had a technique that enhanced his power and speed.

It might have been dangerous if I didn't have the leech's bloodsucking ability. If I hadn't avoided it with my superior reflexes, the wound on my face might be 2 cm deeper.

"Great... How resourceful." It might be due to his Korean being poor, but the big man sounded like the main character from a Chinese historical drama.

"...Kill me."

In fact, I wanted to end it neatly. "I'm sorry, but wait a little bit."

"...?!"

After kicking his arms, I raised my hand to his head. Then I said to the sacred creature. "Eat."

Even though it wasn't until the 'root' of the desire, I wanted the sacred creature to eat until the big guy couldn't even think for a few hours.

"[email protected]#%[email protected]%!!!" A scream in Chinese emerged from the big one's mouth. I pulled my hand away from his head.

'Have you figured out the delicious part of this person?'

-Swinging the axe.

'...And?'

-Axe.Keep swinging.He wants to swing it.

One policy I set was to find out the unique talent before eating a person. Atlas alone certainly helped me a lot, but it had a colossal impact on my values and decision making. It was also one of the numerous reasons why I didn't eat Jin Soo-young. Even though I could tolerate it, I didn't want the basic thought of 'I want to kill a person' attached to me. So the sacred creature would have a 'taste' and measure what the person's strongest desire was.

'It is just wielding the axe?'

-Uh...And, moving strangely...

The problem was that the sacred creature had the expressiveness of an infant. I studied the big guy's face for a while. It was completely blank now, but that guy had been very serious when fighting. Even though he was weaker than me, he enjoyed everything about it.

"I believe you." After praising him, I ended it.

[Axe Technique. Lv 9. 23567/25600]

Just killing the one with the axe greatly increased my experience from Lv 4. When considering that 2400 was the sum of the experience at Lv 3, it was a tremendous amount of experience that was more than 10 times larger. Even my Punching talent was only at Lv8.

[Unique talent has been acquired.]

'Crazy bastard! I'll kill him!' Jin Soo-young cursed Kim Hee-chul as she kept running. 'But... It was quite loud before.'

When she first ran away, she looked back because there was a thud. She saw Kim Hee-chul get thrown by something and hit the wall. 'Is he dead now?'

Jin Soo-young thought it was possible. If the enemies didn't think it was possible then one wouldn't be chasing her in the first place. As Jin Soo-young realized what she was feeling, she stopped moving for a moment.

'Crazy! Why at this time?' However, her stamina was already near the bottom. She restored her breathing as she looked around the corridor. There was a door on the right side. 'Please don't have anyone in it.' Jin Soo-young prayed as she opened the door and slipped in.

"Kyaaak!" The Tellan woman hiding inside shrieked. Dammit. Jin Soo-young cursed under her breath.

But there was no point in murdering her.

"...Such a bother."

The small Chinese man opened the door after hearing the woman scream. Then Jin Soo-young realized that there was a window in the corner of the room. However, the Chinese man also realized it as he stepped sidewards to block her access to the window.

"Hah."

Now she had to fight. She felt resigned and took out her weapon.

Clang.

It was a chain. She hadn't taken it out during her fight with Hee-chul because she had to seem crazy, but this weapon made Jin Soo-young's fights go much more smoothly

It was the Chinese man who moved first. His sword seemed to dance as he stabbed at her belly.

'Eh?'

She avoided it and threw the weight at one end of the chain sickle. Jin Soo-young soon realized that something was strange. 'What the, he isn't a big deal!'

To be precise, she could easily see his strikes. In this state, he was much weaker than her. Then why had Hee-chul been struggling? Was the big Chinese man much stronger than this one?

"Ugh!" As Jin Soo-young thought this, the Chinese man groaned. His swordsmanship was good, but Jin Soo-young's chain sickle was flamboyant enough to overwhelm it. In addition, it wasn't just Jin Soo-young's weapon.

Chaeng!

She swung the end and hit the sword, while the sickle pierced straight through the gap. This ended it.

As the Chinese man was conscious of the sickle heading for his head, he allowed her to kick his body twice. This was the result of her talent that showed her the best route to subdue the opponent. She was able to instinctively move in a complex manner during the fight, something that was mostly possible for experienced fighters.

"Sheesh." Although she missed a critical strike, Jin Soo-young swung his chain sickle again. It was a design from a few centuries ago, but if it had been a little larger then she would've stabbed him in the neck. Jin Soo-young being taller than the small Chinese man helped a lot.

"Little bastard." Jin Soo-young spat out the phlegm caused by smoking and said. That was her mistake. Even if the language was different, it was obvious that he had picked up some parts.

"..."

"Do you understand? This kid's face is turning red."

"...Damn bitch." The Chinese man rushed at her and the attacks that Jin Soo-young received were different from before.

Chaeng!

"Ack!" The chain that pulled tightly to block the blade vibrated many times. The skin of her palm was peeled away by the vibration of the chain. He had suddenly become stronger. His power and speed had doubled from what they previously were.

"%%@%!!!"

The bloodshot eyes reminded her of when she had been acting crazy. However, the sophistication of the sword that split through the air didn't decrease even a little bit.

"W-What the?"

Even Hee-chul wouldn't be able to avoid it easily. However, her nerves were tight and she somehow managed to avoid the sword... The real problem wasn't Jin Soo-young's strength but her stamina. If there hadn't been the unnecessary chase, she might have been able to cope with this suddenly changing situation.

But that hadn't happened. Her stamina was less developed than her reflexes, meaning she was already breathing heavily. It wasn't just the enemy in front of her, but anxiety that Hee-chul could join and kill her at any time. Being cool-headed in this type of emergency wasn't a common skill. It was the big advantage that Hee-chul had over Jin Soo-young.

Finally, the blade swiped past and cut her knee. At the same time, numerous people popped up in her head.

Their images revolved around her like a kaleidoscope.

'I will die.' In the end, the genius murderer was still a mere creature. Her whole body and eyes spasmed with fear. As the Chinese man kicked her belly a few times, she just wanted him to end it quickly.

Jin Soo-young closed her eyes.

"Mother." She muttered as she felt the small wind caused by the blade.

Tang!

There was a sound resembling a gunshot. "You came too far down."

Hee-chul's voice was heard from the window. After having the sacred creature smell her position, he had climbed down the cliff.

Duk.

As Hee-chul entered the room through the window, he frowned as he stared at the short Chinese man. "Why are your eyes like that?"

"...You killed Yan?"

"I guess? Am I not right here in front of you?" Hee-chul shook his head and glanced at Jin Soo-young. "Hold on for a moment."

"..."

Jin Soo-young understood the reason Hee-chul had been thrown to one side when she ran away. Now Hee-chul could overwhelm the little man who had been weakened. Hee-chul was killing two birds with one stone.

"Dog... The same... Bastard..."

It was uncomfortable. But at the same time, she was relieved. She didn't feel any pangs in her stomach.

Was it the joy from surviving? Perhaps.

The man watched Hee-chul as he picked up his sword from the floor. The sword had been what was hit by the explosion, so the Chinese man had no injuries at all. Hee-chul didn't attack until he had picked up the sword and lowered his posture again.

"You... Are you looking down on me?" The Chinese man asked.

"Huh?"

There was a sound. "Aha." Hee-chul narrowed his eyes like he realized something. He said, "Of course. You look soft and easy."

"...!!"

He shouldn't do that. Jin Soo-young tried to say. Every time the Chinese man was mocked, he unleashed a tremendous power.

"%#@%@!!!" Hee-chul wasn't able to understand the words as the little man swung his sword. Just like what happened in Jin Soo-young's case, his power and speed had doubled. However, the sword still didn't lose its sophistication.

"It's great, but..." Hee-chul's eyes calmly read the trajectory of the real sword among the myriad of fakes.

Neither the Chinese man or Jin Soo-young wouldn't have thought that Hee-chul would dare to stick his finger in the blade of the sword.

"Indeed, your talent is likely to be damaging if I eat it."

"...!!!"

Hee-chul's hand held the blade. Just a few minutes ago, he had caught a big axe, but there was a difference in the speed and movement of an axe and a sword...

[Unique Talent - No.008. Warrior]

[Through a constant desire to become stronger, constantly develop your techniques and reach a higher place. In a rationally advanced civilization, it would be natural for martial artists to lost their status. But what should you do? This type of romance is an instinct for you.]

[Comprehension of body/ weapon related martial arts has increased to the maximum. The same applies to the techniques of others.]

[Self-improvement of body/weapon related martial arts is possible.]

"Your friend was kind enough to give this to me."

It was how Hee-chul could predict such a dazzling trajectory so easily. The Chinese man tried to act, but it was impossible. Maybe it was a lesson learned or his new talent impacting his senses, but Hee-chul didn't give the man a second chance.

Wooduk!

A neat hand grabbed the Chinese man's neck lightly enough to prevent death. It was a bold yet amazingly accurate adjustment of his strength. "It was too much for you to deal with this one." As the Chinese man started foaming at the mouth, Hee-chul stood in front of Jin Soo-young.

"Ohu... Hey."

"...Bas...bastard."

"Blood is dripping down... Is it possible to stand up with that knee? It would be good if you have some regeneration abilities." Hee-chul talked to Jin Soo-young as he pulled her up.

"Let go... This..."

"If you say it one more time then I really will do it."

"..."

"Now let's see what it looks like."

Hee-chul left the collapsed Chinese man on the floor and headed up the stairs. He planned to go back to the top. The Chinese hadn't noticed, but the treasure of this floor was there.

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Chapter 60 - Day 13, 10th Floor Big Picture (4)

The two people on the top floor were in the same state as they were before. Perhaps these two were the owners of the castle. Outside the window, the noisy sounds of fighting were still continuing. It might be because the Chinese had wiped out most of the people in the castle, but it seemed like the tragedy inside wasn't known yet. It was better to get this done before it became louder.

"Si... Sister Sis..."

"Oh, she is your sister?"

The boy groaned and stood up as I untied him. After all, it was only one arm that was broken. His legs trembled due to fear.

"B... B... Bad people..."

"Not demons?" The boy looked at me with an expression like he didn't understand my words.

"What is your name?"

"..."

I pulled out a bottle from my inventory. It was the potion taken from Kim Tae-hyun that I hadn't used much of. Now there wasn't much left. I poured a small drop on my finger, forced the boy's mouth opened and shoved it in.

"Ugh... Kek... Keok..."

Did he think that he was eating poison? Then the boy felt something and he touched his broken arm. i asked, "Has the pain gone away? The bones should be recovering."

The boy took one step back and stood in front of his sister. She was hidden but I could hear constant groaning.

"If you give me a good answer then I will drop the same thing into your sister's mouth."

"Crazy. Dog scum..." It wasn't a good answer, but then Jin Soo-young spoke.

"You had such a thing... Give me a little..."

I ignored her and looked at the boy, who shrugged his shoulders.

"I am… Kino." Even though he was crying a lot, he quickly grasped the situation. The boy, Kino, continued speaking. "W-We have no treasure. I told those people earlier several times. We just inherited this castle and the residents..."

"Ah. I don't care about that."

"...?"

I interrupted and checked that the woman hadn't stopped breathing before continuing. "To the people below, you taught them that we are 'demons'."

The offer of citizenship appeared in front of Kino. Even though he was startled, Kino didn't show much amazement on his face. I couldn't find any signs of religious fear or horror.

"Did the rule of rejecting people like us first begin in your generation?"

"Nope... No. I heard that..."

"Oh, you don't need to explain in detail. What I really want to ask is the reason for such an education."

Sometimes the ruling class themselves were brainwashed by the myths and propaganda that they created, but I couldn't find any signs of that in the child in front of me. It was evidence that there was a purpose for that rule being created and taught.

Kino explained. "The words in front of me... If I respond to this 'revelation' then I know that our land will be merged with yours. I learned that from my father and so on."

"So?"

"But... I learned that the result of such a unification has always been hopeless."

Through my experience in the jungle, I knew that several explorers had visited the dungeon before 'our world.' So it was natural for some areas to have experience with integration in the past.

"A 'king' integrated this territory a few times, but there were always disputes with the residents. We weren't the only people living there."

Currently in Talia, two forces existed. The inhabitants of the forest and the residents from Jin Soo-young's city. Even if they were 'Tellans', it was clear that they would have cultural differences. It would be strange if there were no disputes. Maybe they were still fighting now.

"My ancestors constantly brought the matter before the king to mediate the strife, but the king... He didn't solve the problem at all. According to the rules of the gods..."

"We haven't been here long." Well, it wouldn't be much different from explorers of other worlds. I couldn't afford to act as king if it meant giving up time in the real world.

"In the end, the king constantly brought in new forces without resolving the conflicts, creating more... In the end, the kingdom was destroyed and the territories split apart again. There was no meaning and the fallout was just disorder and disputes..."

"I see. It's okay. That is sufficient." I waved my hands.

"Once again, we really have no treasure. So please spare my sister."

"Well... Unlike you, your sister will need a lot of potions. To be honest, I really don't want to use such a precious thing."

Kino's face distorted at my words. Of course, I had already made a decision from the beginning. I poured the last few drops of the potion into Kino's sister's mouth.

"T-Thank you!"

I looked around the room. It was clearly a place where the lord resided, but there was a scruffy feeling that was no different from the rest of the castle. The wall decorations and furniture were definitely old-fashioned and showed the signs of age. However, they must be well managed to maintain the original antiquity after such a long time.

"Do the people here listen to you?"

"Huh?"

"Despite having no treasures and your sister only being a few years older than you, the both of you have managed to make the people outside listen. That makes me wonder."

He didn't have a clear answer. I changed the question. "What do you or your sister do as the lord?"

Kino saw that his sister was being healed and answered with a more relaxed atmosphere than before. "I, I just help out my sister... We are responsible for conducting the planting of the moss and the funerals for the old... If a new baby is born then we officiate the ceremony. Everything in the castle, such as management and..."

"Indeed." Kino's sister started coughing. "Bring the water."

Kino quickly obeyed. As he poured water into her mouth from the kettle, she started coughing out blood.

I poured the rest of the water on her face. A face that wasn't that much older than Kino was revealed. If Kino looked like he was in the 2nd year of high school, then she would be around a 3rd year university student?

"...Ah." Eyes with deep double eyelids stared at the ceiling. Then she became astonished as she saw me.

As her eyes flashed, I quickly stepped back. Then I gave Kino instructions. "Calm her down. Do it until we can have a conversation."

Kino ran into his sister's arms. He touched his sister's cheeks, that were neatly restored, and whispered a few words while sobbing.

"You are a saint." In the meantime, Jin Soo-young was sitting down to alleviate her pain. Her voice was quite clear.

"Yes. Doesn't the sight fill you with pride?"

"Not at all." Jin Soo-young frowned. I looked down at her.

"I thought your mind wasn't bad."

"What?"

"Still. You should study more, like your father. Your mind will improve if you read a few history books."

Leaving the speechless Jin Soo-young behind me, I walked forward again. Kino had told his sister that I had saved them. However, her eyes didn't seem friendly as she gazed at me while hugging her brother.

"... Thank you for sparing the life of me and my brother, King."

"It's nothing."

"But we... We won't follow you."

"Shouldn't you listen before deciding?" Obviously, there was a place somewhere in this castle where integration was possible.

"Of course, it is possible but you should've seen it. Even if you bring the people of this land to your territory... Only chaos will occur. You won't be able to keep it."

"... Aha." I was impressed. "Is that why you developed the rules of the religion?"

"...I just finished what Father planned."

At first, it was just a rule to reject the offer of citizenship. However, wouldn't a third party frown at the thought of a religion? In fact, Jin Soo-young had already described the residents of this place as fanatics.

"Great." To an outsider, this was just a barren territory with fanatics. The idea of integration would be dropped instantly. Even if they killed the lord for the sake of treasure, the territory would just be ignored instead of integrated.

But rather, I needed to integrate this land. "You know the integration place, right? Please guide me."

"...!" The woman's eyes shook.

"What... Didn't I tell you? This place..."

"Yes. I still want to do it."

"If you are looking for treasures, of course there was a time when my family had relics. But after several integrations..."

"One remains." I pointed my finger and declared. "You." Kino's sister.

"Aren't you at the top of this religion? Despite the religion only have a short history, you only need to say a few words and the residents will follow you."

"I will never..."

"I will give you the right to rule."

I heard Jin Soo-young take a sharp breath from behind me. It was the same for the woman.

"What...?"

"It is like I said. I will give you the right to rule my territory and all the people living in it."

So far, I hadn't paid much attention to the governance of my city. When I thought about it, the city was definitely part of the dungeon. Even Isaiah would get more power the more the city was active. Instead of neglecting the inhabitants, was there a way to organize them into one community?

"I think your skills are sufficient."

In history, the means that the ruling class used to justify their rights varied. They could monopolize information only they knew, promote social discipline or lead ceremonies. Of course, that alone didn't make them a ruler. Sometimes it was necessary to borrow the power of armed forces or wealth, but that wasn't the case in this castle. It was the planting of moss, management of goods and various ceremonies. It felt like they had squeezed everything possible from this land. The difference was more prominent compared to the forest. A culture and rules were maintained here under a unified leader, compared to the forest where the population was scattered.

"My city has a sun. There are no metals to be used as raw material yet, but there is a blacksmith for quality goods and breeding grounds for livestock. I will leave it to you."

Their ancestors had been tired of the chaos. But, that was when their ancestors were one of the many neglected. They didn't have a position as the ruler.

"But by what authority..."

"Authority? Why worry about it? It is my authority."

I could still wield ultimate power in the city. I could give and take citizenship away at will. I just couldn't pour my effects into the city due to time being the same as reality.

"I can give you as much authority as you like. I will support you... Well, a more reliable guarantee should be given when thinking about the people who would come in the future. I want you to be my empress."

"...!!!"

I just threw a word that I thought of. It seemed they needed to discuss it.

I moved away and gave a signal to Kino. The boy had distanced himself from his sister without knowing it while listening to the conversation. I approached his sister's chair and bowed. After lowering myself to my knees so that we were eye level, I placed my hand on her thigh and asked.

"What is your name?"

"...Mino..."

"Yes. Mino. I need a companion. Someone who will rule my city when I'm not there. Don't you also want your people to live in a better environment? These are people who followed you and your family faithfully. They deserve to see the sun."

Eye contact was always effective. "And once again, I think you are well qualified."

"..."

"Let's go together."

At that time, I heard yelling from outside the door. The news of intruders had spread and the people outside were coming up.

Tang!

There was the sound of the door opening and the desperate expressions of the residents calling their lord. "Lord!"

As the agitated residents tried to storm the room, "Stand down." Mino raised her palm and stopped them.

"This person, he came to save us."

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Chapter 61 - Day 13, 10th Floor Big Picture (5)

I was shocked.

"..."

It was for another reason. Over 2,000 people were prostrating themselves before me on the ground. They were also wailing.

"King!"

"Savior!!"

They said those words. King and saviour. It was my new packaging. The main entrance of the castle had a very gentle and wide slope. After gathering the residents there, Mino addressed them. It had only taken 30 minutes.

"The king has decided to take me as his wife."

In those 30 minutes, I became a saviour that would restore the glory of the past, which was different from the 'demons.' It was the second time I felt admiration today, after the big guy's use of the axe. I felt like my choice was right. I only memorized the vocabulary words and combined them to use in conversation. The pronunciation and nuances of my Tellan wasn't that good.

Although I couldn't completely feel how brilliant her speech was due to the language barrier, I couldn't help being impressed with Mino. An incredible voice and pressure came out from a girl of around 20 years old.

"How great." I unknowingly exclaimed once her speech was over.

Mino looked at me with surprise before laughing. "Now they are Your Majesty's as well."

It was like she said. Even though the harsh words 'your lives belong to him' came out in the speech, the inhabitants seemed to respond to that even more.

"Then let's go."

"Yes."

I walked through the castle with her guidance. It was the opposite of the castle's top floor. There was a room in the basement where the treasures were originally stored. Now it was empty and an altar was the only thing there.

I stepped up to it.

[Neutral Zone - Castle: Lewin. Integrated.]

My view changed. Just like the other day, I was up in the sky. Every time an integration was taking place, it was possible to observe the newly added territories from the sky.

Talia. Forest. The factory. The newly added 'Lewin Castle' was attached to the south of Talia. Originally, it was the most remote place in my area, but not anymore. There was an area to the south of Lewin Castle.

[City: Vermouth]

[Neutral Zone - Campi Reservoir]

Lewin was located between two cities. I narrowed my eyes. There were people around the perimeter of Lewin. All the inhabitants had been instructed to enter Lewin Castle, so they must be from the cities.

They were the inhabitants of the forest and Jin Soo-young's 'Vermouth.'

I went down to Talia. The inhabitants of the forest saw me coming down from the sky and ran over.

"What's going on?"

"King! They..."

After hearing Kino's explanation, it wasn't difficult to predict the situation. Jin Soo-young's Vermouth was a city where the buildings and culture remained intact. The value of the relics were high, but the Tellans living there suffered from a lack of food and water. This didn't change after Jin Soo-young occupied the city, but then it was integrated with Talia. Although it wasn't tasty, there was no need to worry about starvation. We had the Kasava.

"They want to distribute the food but... The guards didn't listen to us when we tried to stop them."

All of the Tellans here were now my citizens. The golems wouldn't kill any citizens.

"Stop." I waved my hand towards the elder explaining the situation.

"K-King."

"Don't panic, I don't plan to neglect you."

I headed straight to Lewin Castle. I was greeted with cheers at Lewin Castle. They didn't know about the fighting outside, but they could see a new world before them.

"Your Majesty." Even Mino, who remained calm in front of the residents, was flushed with excitement.

"I have something for you to do."

"...Yes!"

"There is a conflict outside. It's between residents who know me already and those who don't." I briefly described the situation to Mino.

"Can you do it? If it is too difficult then I will..."

"No, it's fine." Mino looked at me with a determined expression.

"I will scold them harshly for making trouble for Your Majesty. Everything belongs to Your Majesty, and me as well."

There was a slight anxiety in her last words. Maybe it was because she could actually see Talia now. It was a heavenly scene that she witnessed for the first time in her life. She couldn't believe that she really was the owner of this place.

"Yes."

She needed to be convinced again of 'who she was' in this place. I laid a hand on Mino's shoulder.

"You are my queen." After that, I walked behind Mino. Mino left to instruct the residents in a solemn voice.

"You. My. Queen." Jin Soo-young, who was leaning against a wall, imitated my tone and ridiculed me.

"You have played the king. Are you a king now? Your Majesty?"

"How can that be? Princess-nim?"

The conversation seemed to be an exchange of compliments, but there was a degree of sarcasm if one listened closely.

"I'll carry you."

"...I don't want to."

"Don't be stubborn. Really." I put a hand under her legs and on her back.

"Euh..."

"I've met a lot of crazy girls lately, but you are probably at the top of the tower."

Did Japan call this a princess embrace? No matter how busy, there was no way eyes wouldn't gaze at me as I walked down the castle.

Jin Soo-young complained, "C-Change your posture. Just uphill..."

"Didn't I tell you? Don't be stubborn."

"..."

"Remember this next time you are injured."

I headed down from the castle towards Talia. After entering the city, the army of Lewin Castle was already moving in unison to successfully control the two forces with no blood loss.

"...Great."

"What?"

"...It is great." Jin Soo-young said in a reluctantly approving tone.

"Honestly don't think about it. There is an insurmountable gap between you and I. What is this?"

"This crazy bastard!"

Jin Soo-young jerked away with a shout, then she flinched as it agitated her injury. Then I dropped her to the ground. I sat on a bench while Jin Soo-young recovered her breathing. Her HP had almost reached the limit so I pulled out a medicine from my inventory.

"...

She looked at it with surprised eyes. "...Tha...nk you." Jin Soo-young accepted it.

"It doesn't really matter to me. You should watch your mouth a little bit. There are two things that you have to put up with. Being weaker than me and being a small dog that barks at the strong."

"...Are you strong?"

"Then am I weak?"

I got up again, this time intending to go back to business. I helped Jin Soo-young up.

"In addition, this isn't a little world... It is really bad for a woman to swear like this."

"...A real jerk."

Jin Soo-young didn't show any resistance as I assisted her towards the central stairway. She opened her mouth once we were in front of the stairs.

"Now you should be vigilant. You don't know when I will kill you."

"Indeed, a girl with a dirty mouth will have a dirty mind." I put Jin Soo-young down by the stairs.

There were many things to worry about on this floor. Maybe the biggest purpose was to show my abilities to Jin Soo-young. As I said, Jin Soo-young wasn't an idiot. It wasn't enough to imprint 'you can't kill me' into her. I didn't know what was going to happen, but if she noticed a gap, then she was going to try and kill me.

"I will become the emperor." I told Jin Soo-young in a serious voice.

"...He. The ruler of this world?"

"Let's see? I think my opinion has changed recently, but if I become the emperor of this world, it won't be different from becoming the emperor in reality.

"..."

She couldn't kill me, rather than don't kill me.

I was far above Jin Soo-young. I wanted to instill the fact in her mind that there wasn't much value in stabbing me in the back compared to following me.

"Go down the stairs first."

"...You?"

"I have a lot of work to do here today." I also wanted to check the result of the experiment.

"When you see Director Oh, tell him that we met some Chinese explorers." I was going to roll Jin Soo-young down the stairs.

"W-Wait a minute."

"What?"

"I have one thing to ask."

I raised an eyebrow. Jin Soo-young spoke with a serious expression. "Will you sleep? With that woman?"

"..."

"What? I..." I pushed Jin Soo-young down the stairs.

The contents of my experiment weren't much.

The Chinese swordsman. I didn't kill him. Once his body was in a critical state, the roots of his desires were extracted.

-He wants to kill.Those taller than himself.Also a big body.All the good-looking people...

It was a review of the 'tasty part' that the sacred creature ate. Complex. I had expected a little bit, but it was very precise. Perhaps he changed his physical inferiority complex into combat power? Of course, there was a risk, but obtaining a unique talent would have a food effect.

However, I had no intention of taking it. Unique talents weren't the only sweet parts. The root of his desire was a desire based on an inferiority complex related to the body. If he obtained a better body, then the sense of inferiority would lessen... Wasn't it similar to a mental state?

That's why he fed the sacred creature. He instructed the sacred creature to eat the desire itself.

"Hey. Still nothing?"

I asked the sacred creature but there wasn't a reply. The sacred creature almost screamed as it devoured the Chinese man's desire. Shortly after that, the sacred creature fell asleep straight away. Well, I just guessed that he was asleep. It was probably due to a sudden sense of satiety.

Anyway, I did an experiment with the Chinese man in that state. I placed a ticket in his hand and tore it.

My 'servant', Jin Soo-young came to me after I occupied the area. But generally, others would be forced out as soon as I took over an area.

But what about this? What if a ticket to the 5th floor was used? It was an item that would automatically return a person to the place it was torn after 12 hours.

The Chinese man was already half dead. Once he returned to reality, he wouldn't have a significant influence due to his desires being eaten. However, he might be able to stay in the occupied area using this method. It was a loophole that I could use.

The remaining time was about 10 hours. I wouldn't be able to do anything until that time was over.

I turned around and looked at something, then threw my tired body on the bed.

I was currently in the upper level accommodation. It was a pretty luxurious room. I didn't know what the material was, but the sheets and cushions covering the bed were smooth without feeling old.

There was a mild scent. I closed my eyes.

"Your Majesty."

"..."

I opened my eyes, sat up and saw Mino. She reported with both hands clasped in front of her.

"Everybody has obeyed Your Majesty's authority without any problems. No one was hurt or killed except for two people who clashed before the first suppression occurred."

"...Well done."

I rubbed the sleep from my face and removed my feet from the ground, placing them back on the bed.

"I'll be sleeping now. Then..."

There was no meaning. There was still a lot of time left, and I didn't need to intervene in anything.

"Now... Is that what you are saying?"

"Yes. Now."

Recently, I didn't have a lot of time to lie down like this. I'm going to take a nap, so take care of everything.

"Please." I lay down and closed my eyes. As I felt a weight on the other side of the bed, I realized two things.

My skills in Tellan were still poor. I used simple words and often didn't understand the meaning of idioms. For example, 'sleep.' I opened my eyes.

"..."

"..."

The second thing was that I just thought of this as a good place to stay. As king of the castle, it was natural to take the best room in the castle. The best room in the castle. Then whose room was it? You stupid bastard.

"So... If you look..."

I hadn't thought of it. But I needed to say something now. She was trembling in front of me right now. Ah, she had mistaken my words and had taken off her clothes right away. She didn't need to do that.

I had to admit my mistake and take responsibility. As the coffee coloured skin neared my nose, the identity of the scent coming from the bed became clear. Suddenly, I remembered what Jin Soo-young said before she descended.

"Pff."

Mino's nervous face became grouchy because she thought I was laughing at her. "Why... Do you...?"

"No. I'm sorry."

I solemnly apologized. I tried my best to keep my manners.

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Chapter 62 - Day 13, 10th Floor Price-Performance Ratio

The moss from Lewin Castle was able to be dried and drank as a tea. According to Mino, the drink used to be exchanged with other regions. Now that the other areas were gone, they ate it to gain as much nutrients as possible.

Anyhow, it wasn't bad when I drank it. It was like a herbal tea with a slight sweetness. I didn't like hot drinks like coffee, but it was a taste that I would buy at a cafe.

"..."

I drank it and the sweat on my body dried.

I suddenly felt like it was a waste.

"Your Majesty."

I turned my head and saw Mino. This was her office. She was standing next to the desk while holding a kettle.

"Would you like some more?"

"...Yes."

Unlike me, Mino had already washed. However, her skin was still damp and I could smell the scent of her body. As I became aware of the smell, I felt something rising inside me again. I hurriedly drank the cup again.

"Ahh, it is too hot..."

Yes. So please drink up."

I looked at her mouth and neck before suppressing the boiling feeling inside me.

What was this? It felt like something was crying out in my heart.

A little bit more. A little bit more.

It seemed like the body and mind had become one.

It was a natural physiological reason. I could have just explained it as a lot of stress accumulating in the meantime. I was a man and it wasn't strange for a man to like a woman. But I had Jin Soo-young a few hours ago. It was a few times. Now I couldn't stop thinking about correcting the mistake that I made before in rejecting Mino. Therefore, I ended up drinking as much tea as possible.

"..."

"..."

Mino looked down with a red face like she knew what I was thinking. Fortunately, it seemed like she wasn't offended. Anyway, I would investigate this strange feeling after I finished my task. The thing that I was working on...

Pak.

"...!"

Mino retreated with a look of surprise.

[There is an invasion from outsides.]

[You can expel them using the command - Expel.]

The Chinese man had returned on one side of the office. It was the same place that I tore his ticket 12 hours ago.

"Can you go outside? It is dangerous."

Mino immediately followed my instructions. The Chinese man had recovered to some extent. His HP was 2/3 restored and he was holding a ticket in his hand, as if in preparation to flee. I appeared in front of him and kicked out.

"Ack!"

The ticket fell to the ground. I grabbed the groaning man and placed him on a chair.

"#%······. @#%[email protected]······."

The Chinese man spat out curses. Even though the sacred creature had eaten his unique talent, he was almost completely recovered as he glared at me.

"It is fun to have a conversation in a language we both know."

I spoke in English.

"My... My unique talent, how..."

"I ate it."

I made the gestures of eating something.

"Yum yum yum."

"Bullshit."

He said with an expression that asked me not to joke around.

"That isn't possible."

"Isn't it reality? You can check with your own eyes."

If he wanted to get it back then he needed to answer my questions. Then I would be able to extract the information I wanted.

"You... I know you killed Yan. Then you don't have my talent."

"..."

"Your eyes... Why...?"

I felt something strange. I changed my words.

"I don't know what you are talking about. I have both your talent and Yan's. I also have two more unique talents."

In fact, one of them had become the dog's food.

"That is crazy!"

It was the same reaction. He really didn't believe it. I had to pay attention to the nuances in his words. It wasn't the fact that his talent was taken away, but denial that 'I' had it.

"Why, are you so envious that you can't stand? Do you feel envy that I have four unique talents?"

There was something obvious.

China might be different from South Korea. If they made a system that collected explorers quickly like Director Oh guessed, they might have a lot more information than me. And there was a discrepancy between that information and what I knew.

"People... Fool... I know."

Let's do a little bit more. Just as I was opening my mouth,

Duguen.

My heart started to beat very quickly.

"...!!"

What?

I took one step back and touched my chest. It wasn't just my heart running wild.

More violence. Don't let anyone command you. Become stronger. Train harder.

My own voice was ringing in my head. I was burning with familiar feelings. But there were also some feelings that weren't boiling over.

Impatience. The emotion that emerged when I was started something and waiting for it to pay off. Regret that the future would be over if things didn't improve right away. What had I done so far? I had to do something right now.

Right now.

Right now.

Right now.

"Ek..."

The desires for things that couldn't be done right away constantly rose inside me. It felt like someone who could control my emotions had artificially manipulated me. Now I got it. These impulses were the reason why I kept on thinking about sleeping with those two women over and over. Now it was a dozen times worse than before.

Tak.

I staggered back. The countless impulses were creating errors in my body's computer, meaning it couldn't follow any simple orders.

"That... It was true."

I looked forward.

The Chinese man was looking at me with a disbelieving expression. A new ticket was in his hand. But he didn't tear it.

"I don't know why you said those things just now."

"..."

The Chinese man said, "Heart demons. It is a natural symptom. Yan's talent and my talent. It is too much for you to take possession of those treasures."

He brought out a new sword from his inventory.

"Heart demons...?"

"Did you really not know? Hah. So you conversation about the four talents was just nonsense."

Retreat. I desperately tried to command my body.

He thought I was already caught so the Chinese man walked forward slowly at a leisurely pace. The sword handle turned in his hands.

"If there were four, no three, you wouldn't even be able to stand like that. Unique talent? It is a special desire that only a small number of those who come in here can have. A human can never keep several of them in a bowl. Let alone... It is hard to suppress just one unique talent."

Let's say that his words were true. Why did it only show up now...

"Let alone four..."

Ah. Sacred creature. By the time I realized Underdog, my second talent, the sacred creature had started living in me. Did he take the role of eating my desires?

Now he was sleeping and couldn't answer. When I thought about it, touching Jin Soo-young... It wasn't a unique talent but I fed on Jin Soo-young's desires. Shortly after that, I joined my body with Jin Soo-young. It was my intention to sleep with her, but my thoughts were more severe.

Now that the sacred creature wasn't eating it, the desires overwhelming me were boiling over.

"Either way, this is a good opportunity."

The Chinese man stood in front of me.

"I had always wondered. Whether I am a vessel who can endure two unique talents. Each person will have a different tolerance."

"...Kuk."

I was curious about his words. There was no doubt that I was such a vessel. I faced him.

"Yen can feel relieved."

He swung the sword. I bit my lip.

Jaaeng!

"Uh?!"

The Chinese man took a few steps back. My fist had hit his sword. I bit my lip harder. Dammit. Get moving.

"...You still have the ability to move that much with two desires."

I had three, motherfucker.

I raised my fist in a fighting pose.

It was painful but... I forced out every last bit of strength. I was able to move my body somehow as I got used to the pain. It was necessary to concentrate on just the simplest movements but it was getting better.

"Yen will be vexed!"

He rushed forward again.

Jaaeng!Jaaeng!Jaaeng!

It was clear. I saw where the attacks were coming from. The move to stop it. If my body was fine then I could easily knock him out. But despite such obvious attacks, I couldn't overwhelm him. Was this the feeling of playing on a lagging computer? My body reacted slower than my instructions.

But that was fine. I wouldn't act hastily.

"Hiyah! Hiiyah Ick!"

Sounds emerged from the Chinese's mans mouth. There was a difference in strength so I wasn't the only one feeling impatient. He was impatient to break my defense. As time passed, his breath was becoming heavy with exhaustion.

Me? Unfortunately, I was just frustrated at my movements. The stamina expenditure was zero.

"...Wah... Look..."

I set up my defenses. He never tore his ticket. His ego didn't allow him to miss making up for his loss. The game was over once he became tired and moved slower than me.

Snap.

But there was a variable.

"Your Majesty!"

The door opened and Mino entered. She might have heard the sound of the sword or noticed something unusual. Mino was looking at me with a deep expression of worry. I managed to control my expression but it was apparent to the Chinese man.

Tak!

The Chinese man jumped towards Mino.

I followed him as well. But these damn legs!

Get moving. Kill that guy. Kill him!

My heart cried out. It wasn't a direct instruction to anyone.

-Yes.

There was an answer. Something popped out of my chest and cross my vision in an instant. In fact, there was one more thing. I couldn't connect it. The sacred creature I knew was just a small dog.

Kwajik.

Even though he was short, he was firmly biting the neck of an adult man.

"Ack!"

He swung his head and shook the Chinese man like a doll.

Peeok!

The creature on the ground was far from the appearance of a fearsome beast.

"Ah... Ahh..."

Mino sat down with fright. The origin of her fear didn't care about Mino. He just looked at the Chinese man who almost stopped breathing and headed towards me with a wagging tail.

-Master!

The dog had a body length of three metres and painted as it saw me.

['Sacred Creature: ⦋ ⦌' materialization complete.]

[The species is unable to be identified.]

[The name is unable to be identified.]

-Me, give me a name.

I didn't know if the Chinese man's unique talent would ultimately affect me. But one thing was for sure.

The price-performance ratio of the dog was very good.

[TL Note: This chapter hasn't been edited so sorry about any mistakes. In addition, please read this announcement post regarding ATD. It is very important

Update: Sorry but ATD has been dropped. Please read this announcement post regarding the reason why.

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