章 9: Chapter 9: D-Tower 1st Floor (2)
Kang Sunhwa trembled like a leaf.
'I-It went through the ATM.'
The spear stuck out from the ATM. What would have happened if she had taken such a hit face-on?
'I-I would have been skewered.'
She might have died in an instant.
'How is he planning on catching such a monster?'
She was scared. She wanted to turn and flee, right now. She wanted to cry, but she resisted.
'I have to be helpful.'
Otherwise, she could be abandoned, and she didn't want that.
"I'll be back after just 100 days and nights. Promise. You'll be good, won't you, my daughter?"
Her mom abandoned her with those words. After 100 days passed, 200, even 300, her mom didn't come back. When Sunhwa turned ten, she realized then that she had been abandoned. She was abandoned by her mom and grew up in the orphanage. That feeling… She hated and feared it so much. Even more than the Goblin Soldier.
She reviewed each and every thing Kim Hyukjin had said, balling her fists.
'I can do this!'
Sunhwa jumped out from behind the ATM.
'Just like what oppa said.'
Like Kim Hyukjin said, the monsters in the vicinity had been revived.
"Taunt!"
[Using the skill Taunt.]
Sunhwa used her skill, 'Taunt', and '!!!' marks appeared over the heads of the City Foxes and Goblins that had been revived with the appearance of the miniboss monster. It was an indication that she had properly drawn their aggro.
'I have to do well.'
Some distance away, she saw a Goblin around 180 centimetres in size, far bigger and bulkier in appearance than regular Goblins.
'Because oppa is facing that monster.'
The monsters rushed in. But she wasn't scared. She already knew from experience that even if they bit, attacked, and struck her, it wouldn't hurt.
Putting as little force as possible in her fists, she hit the Goblins and City Foxes.
'That's enough. I have to stop here.'
The HP of the monsters had been reduced to around 10%. Keeping them at that level, Sunhwa waited, periodically using 'Taunt' to keep that '!!!' over their heads. Surrounded by monsters, Sunhwa stared at Kim Hyukjin. He was panting hard, looking exhausted to the point of collapsing at any moment.
'Please…!'
Sunhwa put her hands together and prayed. She prayed they would be able to survive.
* * *
Kim Hyukjin caught his breath, thinking, 'The feeling of pressure is insane.'
It was bigger than an average adult man. With a little exaggeration, even the muscles were like Hulk's. It was nothing compared to the monster on the 2nd Floor, but right now, it looked extremely imposing to him. He thought he had grown rather used to that existence called a 'monster', but this monster overturned those thoughts. It was getting a miniboss stat buff, but still, he was floored by the power of a level 13 monster. He couldn't even imagine how intimidating high level bosses would be.
'The thing I have to watch out for is that spear attack.'
It wasn't a high level monster. It was different from a regular level 13 because of the inherent boss mob stat buff, but it still had a very simple attack pattern. A stabbing attack, and a swing from top to bottom. Those were the only two attacks.
The 'Goblin Soldier' quickly closed in on Hyukjin.
'Here it comes!'
Hyukjin gripped the Rusted Iron Sword.
'Will he stab, or will he swing?' He raised his focus to the max. 'It's a swing.'
He saw it. He saw that the Goblin Soldier was preparing to swing its spear from top to bottom. He evaded slightly to the side, rushing towards the Goblin and swinging the Rusted Iron Sword at the same time.
He sliced at the Goblin Soldier's side. But because his attack power was too low, he wasn't able to deal an effective blow. It only served to enrage the Goblin Soldier.
Kikikikik!
Making a sound far louder than a regular Goblin, the miniboss swung its spear down on Hyukjin, at a speed that looked extremely fast in Hyukjin's eyes. It was fast, but not unexpected.
Kim Hyukjin swung his iron sword to deftly parry the Goblin Soldier's strike.
The half-transparent Senia focused on that scene. She could see the Guardians making a huge fuss.
[Anonymous Guardians are joining Channel #19207 in large numbers.]
Senia almost smiled for the first time ever. They didn't reveal their 'True Names', but the Guardians joined her channel all the same. Her boring, unpopular channel. However, she did not smile. Ever since she was a child, she had been taught that 'the act of showing one's emotions' was vulgar. She did become an Intermediate Administrator, but she jumped into this job determined not to become vulgar.
Various anonymous Guardians peppered her with questions.
–Are you sure he's really level 8?
–A level 8 Player is truly raiding the Tutorial Dungeon's miniboss?
Senia nodded to show her assent. It was true. He avoided the 'Initial Strike' that would cause certain death to a level 8 Player by cleverly using some cover and was fighting the Goblin Soldier. It was unbelievable, but that was the truth. She had never seen a Player like him in any dimension before, at least not in the Tutorial.
She wondered what kind of stats he must have to be able to execute such movements. The anonymous Guardians, aka the 'rabble', were clamoring in disbelief.
–Those aren't the movements of a level 8 though?
–How can a level 8 move in that manner?
–He didn't lie about his level?
The rabble fussed to their content, and the Guardians who had revealed their 'True Names' were keeping an eye on the situation, their eyes glued to the level 8 Player's incredible Playing. Senia was the same. At this point, even Senia was curious.
Yet another Player without much presence caught her eyes. Her name was Kang Sunhwa, an Awakened of the tanker class. She stood still, surrounded by monsters.
Just then, Kim Hyukjin yelled, looking so incredibly exhausted it seemed he could faint at any moment.
"Now! Kill them!"
Senia instantly realized what Kim Hyukjin was trying to do. Sunhwa killed the City Foxes.
[EXP acquired.]
[7 Coins acquired.]
As someone in the same party as Kang Sunhwa, Kim Hyukjin's level went up.
[Level increased.]
[Current level: 9]
With the level up, his condition recovered. Hyukjin felt refreshed. Moments ago, he was gasping for breath and felt like he could drop dead from exhaustion, but now, he was fine. He purposely timed and planned his EXP like this, so he could level up when needed.
"Take the monsters and get some distance between us. The monsters will keep reviving, so kill as many as you can, until I give you the signal to stop."
After saying that, I engaged with the Goblin Soldier again. Now level 9, I was a little stronger, and a little more used to the Goblin Soldier. Our battle went on for a long thirty minutes. I stuck to the Goblin Soldier like a burr, avoiding critical injuries and occasionally attacking. Time and time again, I aimed for the nape, the common weakness of all Goblins.
[The Rusted Iron Sword's durability is decreasing.]
Meanwhile, Sunhwa continuously killed monsters.
[Goblin has been killed.]
[City Fox has been killed.]
[Goblin has been killed.]
[City Fox has been killed.]
We were in the same party, so my EXP continuously rose as well. I managed my stamina, constantly checking my EXP bar.
'Soon… I'll get another level up.'
Kikik! Kikikikikik!
Enraged by the annoyance before it, the Goblin Soldier once again swung its spear from top to bottom.
I finished my instantaneous calculation.
'I'll let that one hit me.'
I decided to sacrifice my left shoulder. I would use my shoulder to aim for the miniboss' throat, all for the chance of inflicting a deeper blow.
'Argh!'
The spear plunged into my shoulder. A shoulder-rending agony assailed me, but I held on.
'And strike.'
I timed it to the millisecond. For that moment, and that moment alone, I forgot I was someone judged to have [No Talent]. It felt as if everything were clear in my eyes, and my entire being was focused on this situation alone.
With exactly the right timing, I surged towards the Goblin Soldier. Right at the moment Sunhwa killed a City Fox.
[Level increased.]
[Current level: 10]
The pain disappeared, and my body returned to normal. I was aiming for this moment. Vigor circulated throughout my entire body as I jabbed the Rusted Iron Sword at the Goblin Soldier's neck before immediately getting behind it.
'I can see it!'
I saw the weak spot on the back of the neck, a black dot. That dot seemed large in my eyes.
"Ahhhhhh!"
I thrust the Rusted Iron Sword in with all my strength.
'Is it over?''
At that moment:
[The Rusted Iron Sword has been destroyed.]
It had reached the end of its durability. As the sword was destroyed, the Goblin Soldier's body began to tip forward.
'It's over.'
I finally killed it. The miniboss, the Goblin Soldier.
[You have killed the miniboss monster 'Goblin Soldier'.]
[Congratulations.]
[You are the first to have hunted a 'miniboss monster'.]
Countless notices flooded in.
[EXP acquired.]
[The level cap of the Tutorial Field is 10.]
[The minimum number of people required for the Tutorial Dungeon miniboss monster raid has been set to 5.]
[The system has recognized your raid as a Solo Play.]
[The Tutorial Field's level cap has been lifted.]
And then:
[Leveling up is possible.]
[Current level: 10]
[A Hidden Piece qualification condition has been fulfilled.]
I was instantly stunned into speechlessness.
'I can level up?'
The Tutorial Field was capped at level 10. But that level restriction was lifted, and I even fulfilled a 'Hidden Piece qualification condition'. I didn't know what was going on.
That wasn't all. Senia swiftly snagged the body of the Goblin Soldier, and a yellow light radiated from the Goblin Soldier's body before disappearing. Then, she approached me and handed something to me.
"This is the reward item for hunting the miniboss."
['Iron Sword' acquired as a reward.]
I was given an 'Iron Sword' to replace the 'Rusted Iron Sword'. It had twice the attack power.
A sound rang in my head.
[The Intermediate Administrator Senia has requested a private chat. Will you accept? Y/N]
Senia seemed rather surprised, too, seeing as she blatantly asked for a private chat. This conversation wouldn't be heard by the Guardians. Sunhwa wouldn't hear it, either. It was a conversation between Player and Intermediate Administrator, just the two of us.
'Accept.'
Senia asked me a question expressionlessly.
–Did you hunt the miniboss by timing the level up precisely? All while managing your stamina?
–I told you I would show you. I'd show you me killing the miniboss.
–It was not a Play that someone of your level could show. Do you have a True Name?
A True Name? What in the world was that? I certainly didn't have anything like that. All I knew was the strategy from the future. However, I didn't go out of my way to correct her misunderstanding. Even though I didn't know what a True Name was, there was no big need for me to correct her.
–Don't forget that you agreed to make a deal with me.
–…
Was it talent? Was it luck? Or was it something else? I thought I could hear Senia's voice, but then the private chat ended.
[The 'Nameless Observer' is awed by your shocking ability to concentrate.]
'The level 10 cap has been lifted from the Tutorial Field. I also got a new item and even drew admiration from a Guardian.'
Did… I really have [No Talent]? I realized while fighting the Goblin Soldier, but there was no way I was talentless. On the contrary, my talent was immense. I didn't know what my limits were, but for now, according to what I knew, I had a level of talent unprecedented in the history of the past. It was a bit embarrassing for me to say it, but I ended up wondering if this level of talent was close to 'transcendent'.
'I even got a sponsorship.'
I didn't notice it before, because I was focusing so intensely, but I had received a 'sponsorship.' It was probably an unprecedented record in the Tutorial Field.
It was a very, no, incredibly, smooth start. Under the assumption that I didn't go up to 'Floor 2', at least.
However, the notices didn't stop there.
[The 'Lady of the Scales' has begun to watch you with interest.]
What?
I flinched.
____
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