novelOnwards to Seorak Mountain Dungeon, Part I
| ← Ch.060 | Ch.062 → |
Translator - - Editor - -
Translator: HunterW
Editor: RED
Its actual name was Low-Grade Dungeon Number 83, but people called it The Seorak Mountain Dungeon.
It has also been abandoned.
I stopped by the hotel before I began my trip to Gangwon Province. I had checked to see that there was a sort of a Maginot Line going through Hwachun, Chuncheon, Hongcheon, and Wonju. It seemed that people did not cross over that line.
"Supposedly, griffons and the griffon boss have made the area between the Seorak Mountain and Odae Mountain their territory." I made my plan of attack while looking at a map of Gangwon Province. The normal griffons weren't a problem, but that twin-horned griffon boss was going to be a pain in the ass to deal with.
"I won't have problems with the twin-horned griffon if it sticks to the Odae Mountain. I'll just have to hope I don't run into it." I was confident that I could hide from it if I ran into it, but it would be nice if I didn't run into it at all.
"Perfect. I think I'm about ready to go now. I won't leave until I'm at least level 200. Before that, open Skill Menu!"
[Skill Menu
Unassigned Skill Points: 0
Passive skills: 2
Unrivaled (1/1) (First Unrivaled)
Selfish Prick (1/1) (Stupid Selfish Prick)
Active skills: None]
Back when I was a fire mage, I had at least ten skills. But even though I had only two skills now, it felt like I had more utility with these skills. These two skills almost made me seem more intimidating.
"Just looking at my Skill Menu makes me feel stronger. I can still get stronger. If the Selfish Prick skill actually gives me three Stat points a day..." I shivered at the thought. I wanted to confirm it as soon as possible. If I just got lucky that one time and landed on a 1% chance, or if my Luck Boost made it possible to get it every single time.
"It's been a while since I looked forward to tomorrow." I got up from my seat.
"I think I'll take a cab to Namyangju, since the area around the city has been well-maintained. Then I'll head to Gapyeong from there, then to Chuncheon. I'll monitor the situation before slowly crossing the line."
I took a cab and headed to Namyangju, which had been completely cleaned of monsters. I listened to the driver as he talked about how the Sunbin Guild recruited devas to repair the destroyed roads for 350 golden rings a head, and how he felt that the guild was best guild in the world.
Level 0-50 monsters only dropped 1-2 golden rings each. 350 golden rings were a lot for beginner devas! The Sunbin Guild hadn't done that in my past life...
I paid the driver 70 golden rings when we got to Namyangju. I had to walk from there.
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"Hey, aren't the monsters strong around here?"
"It's still a good place to hunt. We just need to stick together."
"I want to train at a dungeon, though."
"The Sunbin Guild isn't allowing anyone over level 150 into the Bukhan dungeon. What else can we do?"
"We could go to Oksunbong dungeon."
"That place is even worse. There are more devas than monsters there. There isn't a single corner that doesn't have a deva. This place is way better than there."
"There's no way we can attempt Jeju's mid-grade dungeon right now. Should I go to China? I heard that as long as you pay, they let you train in whatever dungeon you want. They always control the number of people that enter, so the dungeons shouldn't be crowded."
"I know someone that's hunting in China right now."
"Do you have enough money?"
"Of course I do. Besides, I can just earn it all back there. I might even be able to find a nice item, while I'm there."
"Your logic is as sound as thinking you can make money at a casino. You're going to end up with nothing if you keep it up."
"Tsk!"
"I am looking for a party! I even learned Fire Lord!"
"I know five healing skills. I can even do AOE healing. I'm willing to party if I can get ten percent more of the party's even split of loot."
"We're currently a party of five and even have a tank! We're looking for a ranged DPS. Archers, mages, and sorcerers can join!"
"Buying items at Rank 4 and up at high prices here! Looking for all types; armor, weapons and accessories. Faster than the auction house!"
"Repair your equipment here!"
"Selling potions here! No need to go all the way to Stores! Just 2% more expensive! Save time and buy here!"
"Buying wolf leather and claws. I'll pay more than Stores for blue wolf leather and claws!"
"Selling beef jerky here! Store bread and drink can't be enough for you! Selling beef jerky here!"
.....
Paju was quiet, but Namyanju was full of devas resting and chatting amongst themselves. There were others walking between them selling food and others off to the side bargaining with one another. I could also see Sunbin guild members going around, talking into their radios.
"Was Namyangju always like this?"
This place was an outpost. Devas followed the basic rule that there was strength in numbers. If they gathered like this they could prevent monsters from getting closer, and comfortably rest. But back then, I never knew of an outpost in Namyangju.
"I was asleep for four years. I need to stop thinking that nothing has changed."
I walked through the crowd and headed for a giant concrete wall with barbed wire on top.
"Stop right there! I need to see if you're a deva, please." There wasn't a border wall when I left Seoul for Namyangju, so this one must have been put in place to control people coming in.
I raised my left wrist for the guard to see.
"Are you out here to hunt alone?"
"Yes."
"It'll be hard to do it alone... I recommend you go out with a party if you're under level 450."
"It's fine. I'm over 450."
"Understood. Oh, before you go, don't go past Gapyeong. The griffon swarms have been inching closer to Gapyeong these days."
"I see. Thank you." The guard was nice enough, so I replied politely. All devas wanted to get strong by training in fields or dungeons, but this guard seemed to take pride in his job and stood in the face of danger for others. It seemed he was proud to be a part of the Sunbin Guild!
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I left Namyangju's outer barricade and sprinted towards Gangwon Province. On my way there, I could see the occasional group of devas hunting. I also saw beast-like monsters, such as werewolves, brown wolves, and blue wolves. I even saw a few Tyros, massive monsters that are twice the size of elephants and extremely slow. Their slow speed made them easy hunts, their attacks were easy to avoid. They also yielded the highest experience out of all field monsters.
It must be because of the Tyros that Namyangju became an outpost.
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"Focus your fire on one monster. It's dangerous if you keep switching targets. You know that Tyros can regenerate their already high health, right? We need to take down one after another."
"Roger!"
"Understood!"
"Do you all see the Tyro at three o'clock? We'll take him down first. Attack when I bind him with my attack. Earthy Swamp!" At the leader's shout, the ground under the Tyro turned into a thick liquid, the Tyro sinking down to its knees. The other party members focused their attacks at once.
"Water Ball!"
"Storm Shot!"
"Air Explosion!"
"Spatial Thorns!"
"Lightning Bolt!"
"Fire Daemon's Strike!"
"Don't stop! Attack once your cooldowns are up!" Fifteen party members that were grouped to one side continued their attacks.
Ten seconds after the attacks connected, the Tyro managed to escape the Earthy Swamp, but it disappeared before it could move even seven meters.
"Well done, everyone! That's all we need to do! We'll split the loot evenly. Make sure your MP doesn't drop too low!"
I saw myself among the fifteen party members. I had to hunt like them in the past. I did occasionally take some bread and drinks and after paying an entrance fee, spent about a month inside a dungeon, but I hunted with parties in the fields more. It was safer.
"But that's not me anymore." I continued along past the party that was hunting Tyros.
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Not long after, I ran into a rather persistent smilodon.
"You're really annoying, " I said, as I blocked its bite with the blade of my sword.
There were far fewer devas out hunting the closer I got to Gapyeong. The monsters also got stronger. Twice as big and fast as normal tigers, smilodons were vicious monsters that were largely avoided. If you weren't careful, you could get bitten by their 15 cm long fangs and take considerable damage.
The smilodon shook its body, as if it was trying to rip through my sword. I placed my foot on its head and pushed. The smilodon spat out my blade and jumped back. I charged right back in and stabbed at it. The smilodon jumped to the side to avoid the attack, but I expected it would. I quickly changed the arc of my sword and swung to the right.
The smilodon tried to kick away at the blade as it dodged, but ended up slicing its own paw. It started to bleed profusely.
"Heh. I'm not like I used to be. I'll get you back for doing me in back when I was a fire mage!" I had the misfortune to fall prey to a smilodon once in my past life.
The smilodon roared, as if enraged from cutting its own foot.
"Pfft. You think I'll be scared from your purring?" I'll admit that roar would have scared me back then. But now? It was almost laughable.
The smilodon circled around me at a fast pace. Its foot continued to bleed, but it kept its pace, looking for the right timing to attack, as if to tell me that an attack like that didn't faze it.
The pacing was part of an attack smilodons used when they went up against an opponent that was far stronger than them.
I raised my sword in front of me and took a defensive position. The smilodon's AGI was very high; it wasn't a good idea to charge right in. I could easily take it down if it charged at me, but I wasn't about to blindly chase it like an idiot. It was better to take some time to make sure I didn't take any needless damage.
I kept my sword raised in front of me and followed the smilodon's movements, careful to not let it out of my sight. All of a sudden, it charged around to my backside like a bolt of lightning. However, I saw it coming and quickly turned around, raised my sword over my head, and sliced down.
I spun around faster than the tiger could lunge, and before it could sink its fangs in me, my blade sliced into its head. The smilodon was thrown backwards three meters from the attack, and collapsed to the ground.
I rushed in to finish it off. I jumped high into the air and brought my sword crashing down. The blade sliced through the tiger's abdomen and deep into the dirt below. The beast's stomach made a sound like air escaping a sliced balloon, and the beast roared out in pain.
"I know it wasn't you back then, but that was how I felt when I got bit in the stomach. Remember it well!" I wasn't really trying to take revenge on the smilodon that punctured my stomach; it was just that slicing its stomach was the best way to kill it off.
I left my blade impaled in it and started to stomp on its head. Every time I stomped down, the beast trembled and tried to get away, but couldn't with the sword still in its gut. The deep cut on its head it received from my sword opened wider and wider, and after about three hard kicks, its head split in two, completely killing it off.
[You have gained a level. ]
"Damn, smilodons give a lot of experience points!" If smilodons travelled in packs, they would be just about impossible to kill. It was a good thing that they were solitary creatures. I could probably take on ten at a time, but it would take way too long and it would be a really messy fight.
"Oh. Isn't that smilodon leather? Nice." Smilodons were formidable monsters and their fangs and leather sold at high prices. I picked up the leather and fangs and the 41 golden rings that had dropped.
Seorak Mountain was still a ways off...
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