Somewhere in a remote corner of the [Ruined City]
"GnnGn..."
"Greuh... Do you smell that...?"
"Fresh flesh... Kheuhk-kr... krahah!"
"Meat, meat! Kreh!"
"Can't wait to bring this fresh meat to the boss!"
In the darkness of the ruins, blue eyes appeared—each one burning with an insatiable hunger.
—
"Hm!"
'Kshh!'
"Krah!"
[Information: You have killed a level 1 goblin!]
[You have gained experience.]
[You have leveled up!]
[Cooldown before reusing Dash: 5 seconds.]
Wiping away the small amount of blood left on my cheek, I glanced at the system notification, my lips curling into a satisfied smile.
'Finally… I leveled up after hours of hunting goblins and wolves…'
My doubts have been confirmed. I can level up outside the quest, and I can kill as many monsters as I want, but what also shocks me is that... I'm not the same as I was yesterday. The me who struggled against a simulated goblin can now defeat them with ease. It reminds me of a saying:
'Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, but today is a gift. That's why it's called the present.'
Yeah… that pretty much sums up my situation. Sort of?
.
.
It's already been two hours since we entered the first floor of the tower, and I've gained a lot of experience.
"System!"
The golden window appeared in front of me instantly, and…
[Level: 3]
[Race: Human]
[Titles: None]
[Character Description: A simple student—]
[Stats:
STR: Rank-F ★☆☆☆☆
INT: Rank-F ★☆☆☆☆
END: Rank-F ★★★☆☆
AGI: Rank-F ★★☆☆☆
CHA: Rank-F ★☆☆☆☆]
…That's what I gained.
Points in endurance and agility. No need to explain why I chose those instead of strength, intelligence, or even charisma.
But to put it simply, these two stats are crucial for using [Dash].
Endurance lets me use Dash multiple times without exhausting myself too quickly, and agility reduces its cooldown. Originally, the cooldown was 11 seconds—now it's down to 10.3 seconds. Not a massive change, but still progress.
And even if we forget about Dash, I personally think endurance and agility are the most important stats in any video game!
'I can't wait to see how consuming a [Total Fruit] will impact my progress…'
"Ah… Ah… M-Mr. Sugil..."
Closing the system window, I turned to Ho-Bong, who was leaning against some debris, barely keeping himself from collapsing from exhaustion.
"...Can we take… a break? And… are we going to keep wandering around here for much longer? You haven't even told me why we came here…"
He asked between heavy breaths.
I could only sigh.
"Alright, alright. We'll take a break, and I'll explain later."
.
.
.
"Gulp."
"Gulp."
"Ahh..."
"That feels good!"
I said after taking a refreshing sip of water.
"Thanks a lot, Mr. Ho-Bong."
I said, handing back the water flask he had given me.
"..."
"Huh? What is it?"
"Tell me, Mr. Sugil, you're a student at SERA, right?"
He asked, looking at me seriously.
"Hm? Yeah, why?"
"Well… Most students who graduate from there are often recruited by major hunter companies. And you… I'm sure you'll be contacted by one of them after seeing how quickly you're improving."
He turned toward me.
"So why… Why did you choose me when you could have found someone better?!"
There was a hint of desperation in his voice.
And… I knew that feeling all too well.
"You know, you're speaking to me so emotionally… Should I remind you that you're old enough to be my father?"
I said with a chuckle.
"Ah… H-Hem… O-Of course, I know that…"
"But more seriously, I chose you because—"
Before I could even finish my sentence, a thin but sharp blade embedded itself into the wall, just inches from Ho-Bong's face.
"HIIK!"
He collapsed to the ground in shock.
"We have company."
I summoned my short sword and took a combat stance.
'And I know exactly who they are…'
From the shadows, several figures emerged.
There were at least five of them. They all had features similar to goblins, but what set them apart was their red skin and their glowing blue eyes.
[Red Goblins]
"Keuhk—we found fresh meat!"
[Quest: Reach Level 5 during the entrance exam
Rewards: New card abilities of 1 or 2 stars, gain points in STR and END.
Failure to complete the quest within the time limit will result in penalties for the next 10 days. Quest difficulty: RANK F.]