Chapter 10

How high could the growth potential of this new class go? At the very least, Do-Jin was certain it far surpassed the growth he could achieve as an ordinary mage. The thought spurred him to level up.

“One month... I’m getting past Level 50 in one month, no matter what.”

Top-tier players who had been grinding levels relentlessly since LOST launched—cutting down on meals, sleep, and even bathroom breaks—had only managed to reach the early to mid-50s. The ranking system hadn’t been implemented yet, so it was impossible to pinpoint the current number-one player. But the highest one seen on streams or broadcasts so far was only at Level 56. Thus, hitting Level 50 was no trivial task, but Do-Jin was confident he could do it in a month.

It might actually be impossible to do this in fifteen years or so... but right now, I can definitely do it.

In that time, the game would be divided among players, with the most lucrative opportunities either shared or monopolized. Right now, however, he could have the entire pot of honey to himself. Every hunting ground, every hidden piece of content, every sweet spot was his for the taking.

From now on, I’m claiming all the firsts in LOST for myself.

Do-Jin’s eyes gleamed with determination as he set out to prepare for the grind.

***

The first thing he did was sell the sword he had received from the gate instructor, pocketing some extra cash without a second thought. With his funds pooled together, he stocked up on supplies for his hunt.

His destination was the Wild Kobalt Cave to the north of Zeron.

While wild Kobalts were a dime a dozen, their settlement north of Zeron was special. Recently, a group of Kobalts had occupied a mana-rich cave, turning it into a dungeon. The Adventurers’ Guild had even issued a designated extermination quest for the site.

Quests like this offered more than just standard rewards. The extermination targets came with bonus experience points and additional loot.

[

Quest: A Strange Number of Kobalts

]

Grade: Normal (Party)

Objective: Eliminate as many Kobalts as possible.

Reward: 1 Gold and Bonus Experience for every ten Kobalts killed.

Kobalts once left lightly unchecked to toughen novices have multiplied, turning the cave into a dungeon. The Adventurers’ Guild aims to restore balance and offers bonuses for culling them.

The quest description made it clear that this dungeon wasn’t a walk in the park. It was difficult enough that players at the recommended level would need to party up.

A balanced three-person party consisting of a tank, a damage dealer, and a healer was considered the bare minimum for breaking even in this place. Ideally, a full five-person party would be best. Yet, as Do-Jin trudged toward the cave entrance, it was obvious he had no such plans.

As Do-Jin strolled casually through the cave entrance by himself, he looked around and reminisced,

This place should normally be crawling with people

...

It was a stark contrast from the overcrowded future fifteen years from now.

“Grrr!”

No sooner had he stepped inside than the guttural growls of Kobalts echoed, furious at the intrusion into their territory.

The sound of small feet pounding the ground accompanied their approach. Three Kobalts were closing in. For an unarmed mage standing alone, this was practically a death sentence. But even though Do-Jin had brought no weapons, he was far from defenseless.

This distance should do.

As the Kobalts closed in to what he judged as an appropriate range, Do-Jin calmly retrieved a small leather pouch from his inventory and, with a flick of Psychokinesis, sent it flying.

Poof!

“Keghh?!”

A strong smell of oil filled the air. The pouch, which had burst midair, had been filled with thick, sticky black oil that now sprayed all over the Kobalts. Startled by the unfamiliar stench, the creatures froze, hesitating for a split second. It was their last mistake.

𝙛𝒓𝓮𝒆𝔀𝒆𝙗𝓷𝒐𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝓶

Snap.

Do-Jin snapped his fingers, triggering the prepared Ignite.

“Aaaaagh!”

The flames, fueled by the oil, spread rapidly, engulfing all three Kobalts in moments. They rolled and flailed desperately, trying to smother the fire, but the sticky oil made it impossible. The burning Kobalts wheezed and gasped as the heat seared their lungs, until they finally collapsed, lifeless.

As quickly as the fight had started, he had disposed of three Kobalts with nothing more than a small amount of mana for Psychokinesis and Ignite, as well as a single pouch of oil.

“This is efficient as hell,” Do-Jin remarked.

The mana he used was less than a fifth of what even a basic elemental arrow spell would have consumed, and the oil pouch was over thirty times cheaper than a mana potion of similar volume. By any measure, what Do-Jin had just done was a brutally efficient method of killing.

Mages who rely purely on magic are rare for a reason.

The mage class was infamous for its weaknesses: mana that drained quickly after just a few powerful spells, the exorbitant cost of spellbooks and mana potions, sluggish movement, and frail bodies.

It was most apparent in the early stages, giving mages the reputation of being one of the weakest classes. But these drawbacks could be overcome by abandoning a reliance on pure magic. In fact, under certain conditions, a mage could even outperform other classes in terms of combat efficiency.

Leaning entirely on the miracles of pure magic... that’s a privilege only true mages can enjoy.

Muy Bondrei’s words weren’t just plain criticism, but specifically targeted at those who diluted the essence of magic: “You’re nothing but frauds pretending to be mages.”

Harsh as it sounded, there was no denying the truth in it. Until Do-Jin reached the level where he could command every situation with his magic alone, he’d milk every resource and exploit every opportunity he had.

“Looks like the next batch is already coming,” he muttered.

His thoughts were interrupted by a pungent stench, like that of an unwashed dog. Then came the sounds. The cave was alive with the unmistakable chaos of Kobalts. If he simply stayed by the entrance, they would continue to swarm out. However, he had decided to venture deeper into the cave, where the stronger monsters were.

With his fire-and-oil strategy, he could handle even the strongest of them without much trouble. There was no reason to waste time dealing with low-level Kobalts at the entrance. Even a small difference in levels added up, and with it, the rewards would grow significantly.

“Grrraaagh!”

Another all-too-familiar snarl echoed through the cave, followed by silence. The only things left behind were the charred remains of Kobalts and the sound of Do-Jin’s steady footsteps.

***

His inventory had been stocked to the brim with oil pouches, so much so that he had more than enough to spare. The shopkeeper had looked at him like he was insane when he bought them in bulk, but it was proving to be worth every coin. The obscene amount of oil Do-Jin had stockpiled had been converted into an even more obscene amount of Kobalt blood.

After killing and killing again, reaping experience and loot in place of spent oil, Do-Jin ventured deeper into the cave. When he felt the monsters’ levels were finally high enough to make the grind worthwhile, he found an open clearing. This area, home to Kobalts about three levels higher than those near the entrance, was perfect for setting up shop.

As soon as Do-Jin plopped down to rest after clearing the space, he couldn’t help but complain. “Ugh, this oil smell is driving me nuts.”

Not to speak ill of the dead, but the stench of cheap oil mixed with burning Kobalt flesh was an assault on the senses. His nose burned, and even his eyes stung. Still, the rewards were too sweet to quit over a little discomfort.

Solo hunting definitely is faster.

About three hours had passed since Do-Jin started hunting Kobalts. Getting to Level 10 had been a breeze, but climbing to the next level had taken him nearly two hours.

For most people, though, gaining even one or two levels per day past Level 10 was considered lucky, so his progress was nothing short of extraordinary. Not only was he hogging all the experience points instead of sharing them with a party, but his solo hunting speed outpaced what most parties could achieve.

At this rate, I can finish up here today and move on to a new spot tomorrow.

Satisfied with his progress, Do-Jin opened his inventory and pulled out some cheap mana grass powder and paper, more supplies he’d prepared for hunting.

He carefully rolled the mana grass powder into a cigarette-like form using the paper, then lit it with a flick of his fingers. This was what players had to resort to when they couldn’t afford the fancy magical cigarettes sold at magic shops.

“Phew...”

The smoke and scent helped neutralize the cloying stench of oil and burned Kobalt flesh. Of course, that wasn’t the real reason he was smoking it. Even if it looked like nothing more than a joint, mana cigarettes grown in a mana-rich environment contained traces of mana itself. Smoking allowed it to spread through his body, stabilizing his Magic Circuits and accelerating mana recovery. And that wasn’t all.

Here we go. It’s about time they started showing up.

The smoke from the mana cigarette was a perfect lure for creatures sensitive to both scent and mana. As familiar presences approached, Do-Jin loosened another pouch of oil, the footfalls growing louder.

The scene played out the same as before. The monsters—part man, part beast—charged mindlessly, and Do-Jin burned them to death. This repeated over and over. Eventually, the flow of monsters stopped. Do-Jin had slaughtered them so quickly that the area was temporarily cleared of enemies.

Guess I should take this chance to rest properly.

With the temporary lull, Do-Jin eased into a proper rest. Whenever he had the opportunity, Do-Jin would settle down to calm his breathing and give his Magic Circuits a break. He avoided lighting another mana cigarette, as he didn’t want to accidentally attract distant monsters without being fully recovered.

After a few minutes of resting, when his fatigue had just about turned to drowsiness, he heard some voices nearby.

“This place is pretty empty, huh?”

“Maybe it’s like a resting spot? With all these winding paths and so many Kobalts, there should be at least one place like this.”

“Ugh, can’t we just go back and hunt near the entrance? Coming this far in is such a hassle.”

“Yeah, but the entrance is crowded. You can’t enjoy the freedom of hunting like this in a packed area.”

The sound of murmured conversation drew closer. It sounded like a party that had ventured deep into the cave for hunting and was now looking for a place to rest.

“How irritating.” Do-Jin’s quiet scowl turned toward the source of the noise.

The first to step into the clearing was a stocky tank, who immediately let out a dumbfounded exclamation. “Oh? There’s someone here!”

Yes, I’m a person. What, you’ve never seen one before?

Do-Jin almost laughed at the absurdity of the comment but settled for a slight nod. As much as he wanted to be left alone, common courtesy among fellow adventurers was a thing. After all, they were all Regenian, summoned to this world to fight monsters.

“What? There’s another party this deep?”

As Do-Jin entertained these idle thoughts, a scrawny mage emerged from behind the tank, mumbling with unease.

“No, he’s alone,” the mage corrected.

Something felt off. Neither the stocky tank nor the scrawny one responded to Do-Jin’s polite nod. Their eyes and body language were strange to say the least. When the scrawny man had asked about another party, Do-Jin had caught a hint of unease in his voice. And now, after confirming Do-Jin was alone, his gaze shifted to a more hungry and calculating stare.

He’s relieved I’m by myself? And now he’s sizing me up?

Do-Jin sighed inwardly.

They were practically textbook examples of troublemakers. People with that kind of attitude, nine times out of ten, were the kind of idiots who got their kicks from hunting other players.

***

Do-Jin prepared himself for a fight. He half expected them to rush in like some cliché villains screaming, “Hah! You dare wander alone in a place like THIS? Let’s gut him and make stew!”

But to his surprise, the scrawny mage approached him with a friendly smile and said, “Oh dear, did you get separated from your party and end up all alone?”

The unsettling gaze from earlier was now replaced with an expression dripping with pity.

If you’re going to act, at least commit from the start...

Do-Jin didn’t waste a second considering the possibility they might be decent people. Someone who could switch expressions like flipping a light switch wasn’t trustworthy in the slightest. He would sooner believe a politician genuinely cared about their country and its citizens.

Two warriors, one rogue, one healer.

As more members entered the clearing, Do-Jin identified all four fools as potential enemies and began assessing their party composition. It wasn’t the most balanced group, with three melee fighters and no proper ranged damage dealers, but their numbers were the problem.

If there were only two of them, Do-Jin would have attacked first and figured things out later. With these odds, however, fighting head-on wasn’t wise. Escape was usually the best move in such a situation, but these guys weren’t idiots either. The two warriors had subtly positioned themselves to block his retreat.

If you’re going to fake it, at least do it right. No one would grip their weapons like that if they weren't about to throw down...

Realizing a fight was inevitable, Do-Jin readied his stance.

“If you don’t mind, why don’t you join our party?” the scrawny man suggested with a disarming smile. “Actually, we’re short a ranged DPS since our archer had to leave. And you look like a mage. It’d be great to team up.”

It was a tempting offer, the kind someone truly stranded might consider. The scrawny man’s steps were slow and deliberate, designed to avoid triggering any suspicion.

What’s the point of being subtle with your feet when your hands give you away?

His right shoulder and hand stiffened ever so slightly, just enough to give him away. It was the kind of subtle awkwardness only someone paying close attention might catch. To Do-Jin, it was as clear as day, a rookie mistake.

Do-Jin measured the distance between himself and the scrawny mage. In just three steps, the man would reach the ideal range for an ambush. With his high agility as a rogue, a sudden strike at that range would be almost impossible to counter. Therefore, Do-Jin decided to throw off the timing entirely.

“Really? Wow, that’s such a relief. I thought I was going to die out here, all alone after my party was wiped out,” he said, feigning a sigh of relief and dropping his head as if he was overwhelmed with gratitude.

He let his hand rest on his chest and bowed his head slightly, exposing the smooth, white nape of his neck, to show a tempting target.

Of course, a novice killer like the rogue wouldn’t be able to resist such an opportunity. A sly grin spread across the mage’s lips as he brought his blade down.

Thwack.

“Huh?!”

The rogue was momentarily stunned by the unexpectedly dull sound it had made, then looked down to see that it had been caught by Do-Jin’s left hand.

“Shit!”

That wasn’t the end of his problems. Before he could regain his balance from his botched attack, Do-Jin’s right hand grabbed the collar of his shirt and yanked him forward.

The scrawny man had approached his prey as a predator, never once considering the possibility of a counterattack. He had no time to react before his face was slammed into the ground.

His companions were just as stunned, unable to process what had happened in that split second.

While they hesitated, their companion’s head had already been cracked against the cave floor.

“Urgh...”

The low-level rogue, unlikely to have invested much in stamina, was clearly in no shape to get back up. Without resistance to status effects, the head injury left him completely knocked out.

“You bastard—”

His companions finally snapped out of their stupor, drawing their weapons with shouts of anger. Before they could move, Do-Jin yanked out a flask, dumped oil over the scrawny man’s head, and snapped his fingers. As the flames erupted and his robes went up in a rush of heat and light, the mage let out an absolutely guttural scream.

Nori: This is a public service announcement. Smoking mana grass cigarettes increases the risk of chronic spell fatigue, irreversible wand tremors, and elemental bronchitis. Consult your local herbalist before lighting up.