Chapter 185
The battle against the monsters was fierce. Some players couldn’t face monsters 1-1 because the level of the dungeon had risen more than a few levels at once, but the rankers attacked them slowly from the outside, making it possible to deal with them relatively safely.
“Hey, the players are so weak. Look at the attack being clocked every millimeter.”
“It’s because there’s a big difference in level. On the other hand, even if the skill level is the same, you can damage it effectively if the level goes up by about 10. That’s why leveling players is important.”
The level was an indicator of the influence one being could have on another being and the world. Therefore, a low level reduced the effect no matter how strong and good the skill was, and a high level improved it even if it was simple or weak.
“I had no idea…”
“Don’t worry; it’ll probably have nothing to do with you in the future.”
Recalling what happened in front of the UN headquarters, Lee Seo-hee looked distant. Marina, still red-faced, carefully helped out by elaborating.
“But the rewards of defeating those who are so high are sweet, so after this dungeon is cleared, all the survivors will enter the rank…as long as Shu doesn’t deal with all of the monsters on his own”
“But it won’t work out if I don’t step up…And don’t call me that.”
Jung Si-woo confirmed the safety of his party and resumed the battle. Now the monster’s tidal wave was intensively dealing with the other players first, avoiding Jung Si-woo, and as he slowly flapped his wings, the monster crowd flinched away. It was like a high school student facing a report card that he was desperately trying to ignore.
“The black scale armor, wings, and tail make him look like a devil.”
“Now, It’ll be perfect if he had horns on his head.”
“Be quiet over there.”
Jung Si-woo breathed slowly and pulled the mana from his lungs and spread it around the area. He temporarily made it his territory. He couldn’t have done it before, but thanks to the dream he had and the newly gained mana of the Chaos Wing, he was able to fully use it!
“This is…Mr. Jung?”
“Oh, my God, how much mana is there?”
“You’re still far behind if you think that is a lot of Mana…”
Of course, if he were the dragon in his dream, he would have been able to secure a faster and more complete area than this, but now he had no choice but to limit his mana production at once. Anyway, he was done securing territory with this!
[Avoid him, he’s coming!]
[Irregular…we can’t deal with him on our own!]
[Kill the others! Kill the intruders!]
“Where?”
Once he gained control of Mana, it was fairly simple next. Spraying the mana itself wasn’t any specific skill, but in that state, the mana drain skill could be used to expand his territory by making the surrounding mana his own. Even more surprising, he could use the repeat skill there again to aim for a momentary surge in the territory! It was a combination of mana control that no one could imitate.
“All right, you can’t run away.”
[Ah!]
[Ah…is it a dra-dragon…!?]
As a result, the monsters trapped in his territory quickly become distressed by the difficulty of dealing with their mana. On the other hand, Jung Si-woo overcame the enemy without difficulty by moving faster in there. If he could handle magic, he could finish the game as soon as he secured the area, but Jung Si-woo wasn’t that versatile, so he had no choice.
“Ouch.”
[Argh!]
[It’s the power of the Hecto! Argh!]
Hundreds of monsters fell and turned into beads after only a few swings from his hammer. Jung Si-woo pulled all the beads into his inventory and moved forward. The clouds of mana surrounding him moved with him, absorbing or pushing the mana around him to regain its territory. It was quite awkward at first, but it showed a more natural flow. In other words, his ability was growing.
“…I think I’ve moved onto a different dimension.”
[That’s why the dragon is so legendary.]
“But we can’t just sit tight.”
Marina was completely discouraged by Jung Si-woo’s new way of fighting that killed the enemy and his allies, but Seria understood that his ability wasn’t absolute. He came to rescue them, so there should’ve been no more burden.
“Follow me, Marina. Let’s start with the monsters out of Si-woo’s reach.”
“Yes…okay.”
“I’ll help you.”
[Nice that you have the spirit. I’ll take the road ahead!]
“Wait, everyone should be blessed before you move! Whoo…strengthen those who move forward, give courage to their hands!”
Eventually, everyone went back to the battlefield. Soo Ah-rin usually supported only Jung Si-woo and Yong Se-ha, but she now assisted more than five players for the first time in a long while. She also expressed her blessing with a new feeling, recalling the days when she was an active player.
‘Although I’m not a player again…yes, I still like doing this.’
What was in her hands was the battlefield saint that gave every holy spell fighting power. The staff sprinkled a brilliant light with subtle rosy color, wrapping the party at once and giving them blessings. At that moment, Jung Si-woo increased his combat power by nearly 30 percent when everyone but him received her blessing. John Smith, who was about to rush into the battlefield, looked back in surprise.
“That’s a number one candidate for priesthood…!”
“She’s just full of items, so hurry up and fight!
As Jung Si-woo and his party entered the battle in earnest, the balance of the battlefield quickly shifted toward the players. All the monsters in the dungeon flew in to save themselves, but none of them were are to fulfill their goal. First, through Si-woo’s territory, the herd was crushed, the Rankers’ deadly skills were raging, and the elite monsters were effectively intercepted, so the number advantage rapidly vanished.
“Hey, it’s not a hummingbird paradise at this point; it’s hummingbird hell.”
[Stop making a fuss. Pruta…Pruta will not forgive.]
Was it impossible to leave Jung Si-woo alone because he was in a formidable state? While he was in the midst of a mole hunt, the largest and strongest elite monster on the battlefield approached, pushing his territory.
“I’m sorry, but I’m not scared at all.”
[You…! I’ll go back to his side and see if you can say such a cheeky thing even when you face the ruler of this dungeon!]
He was an elite who was at the heart of the inner core of the colony, but on the surface, he was only a small bird monster. The mana inside him was formidable. However, hinting, Pruta must have blessed him. However, at the moment of the destruction of the inner core, that dignity seemed to be dampened by Marina. Jung Si-woo grinned and spun his hammer round and round.
“You’re supposed to be the gatekeeper in front of the boss room, aren’t you? That’s right. You’re in such a miserable situation because you’re not in the right place right now. It would’ve been less embarrassing for you if you just stayed there.”
[Gatekeeper? Right place? That’s funny. The rules of the dungeon no longer bind us. They set at their disposal. The crescent moon has risen, and the beasts will shed their loose shackles to find their true selves.]
“That’s…do you mean that in the future, everyone will break the rules of the dungeon and make a mess of it as they please?”
[Uahh.]
He didn’t say yes or no, but he just smiled. Strangely, the laughter bothered Jung Si-woo. It was a big deal if that was true. The Sky Castle remained a safety device, which should help players train and grow.
[Don’t you know that? The fact that this humble safety fence cannot be maintained forever. Before we do, your people will betray them.]
“What…?”
[Look, haven’t you forgotten something?]
Jung Si-woo looked back obediently as he was told, but his group was fighting hard without getting hurt, and so were the other players. Jung Si-woo was looking through the battlefield and soon realized what he was trying to say.
“Are you talking about the humans who ate the mana stones? The ones who just disappeared from the battlefield?”
[That’s…that’s it!]
He had a long conversation with Jung Si-woo to create his gap somehow! The elite, who had been waiting only for the moment when Jung Si-woo’s mana was loosened, rushed to him in an instant and stretched his beak out sharply. An intense mana drill was formed at the end of the beak, readied to pierce his neck.
[Die!]
“But I’m sorry, I knew they were gone.”
[Gasp!]
However, his beak was helplessly captured by Jung Si-woo’s hand. His strength, which reached level 10, quickly twisted off the beak and smashed it. Blue-blood soared through the air.
[Aaaaaaaah!]
“More than that, how did they betray Sky Castle? If they eat the magic stone, that means that they betrayed the Sky Castle?”
[Kuck, kuck…]
The most durable part of his body, plus his lethal skill, was broken. The elite monster realized that Jung Si-woo was just playing with him from the beginning. If it had been the Jung Si-woo before, it would have been a better match than this. Perhaps if a little more time passed, he wouldn’t even be in Jung Si-woo’s sight.
The scariest thing about Jung Si-woo was that he accurately identified and adapted to his power and quickly found a way forward. There was no comparison with anyone in the rate at which the absolute amount of force was growing.
“Don’t be scared and tell me. Why is it betrayal?”
[This, Dungeon…made for humans. Those who aren’t human…just coming in here, dungeon…system…]
“Ah.”
The Elite Monster was under his skin and instinctively coughed up information. Hearing that, Jung Si-woo naturally realized the meaning and gave strength to his grasp. It wiped out the elite, which had neatly exhausted their vitality.
“Oh, I definitely should have overkilled you to get the bead.”
No, that wasn’t important.
“Players who eat magic stones, they break the system…”
The dungeon was for the player. However, a player with the monster’s mana entered the dungeon and overloaded the system. Moreover, if a player mutated in it, things would become more complicated.
“Isn’t it the same as the disappearance of the heavens in a world where God’s influence has grown stronger?”’
It wasn’t enough to ruin their situation but to harm the dungeon. Jung Si-woo grabbed his head at this annoying news. At that time, there was a new voice shouting from behind.
“Hey, that’s weird. I’m sure I didn’t see anyone retire…but look at how many players are missing!”
“Yes, yes, I see.”
Jung Si-woo turned helplessly and sighed. He didn’t like dungeon strategies with other people. He just wanted to escape from this shitty place and go to the Abyss.
