Chapter 12. Let’s See Who Wins

[Your Compatibility has increased.]

[Your Compatibility has increased.]

...

[You will not receive any Experience Points (EXP) from defeating enemies weaker than yourself.]

[Yggdrasil System]

Compatibility

- 19%

"

Ha...

" Kim Do-Joon sighed. He took a deep breath and sat himself on a large rock.

He had spent the last three days hunting his way through the island and achieving the maximum Compatibility available. In the process, he discovered that the Elemental Island was divided into five main zones.

[The Skin of an Elemental Snake (Earth)]

[Additional Effect]

- Earth Resistance + 9.4%

The sandy area, where he first set foot and fought countless rockish snakes, was the first. From hunting the dangerous, burrowing monsters, he managed to raise his accumulated Earth Resistance to over nine percent.

[The Skin of an Elemental Snake (Water)]

[Additional Effect]

- Water Resistance + 8.6%

The second zone was a lake area filled with submerged ruins. Kim Do-Joon had to jump through the debris, using them like stepping stones, to catch leaping water snakes. Though the ground was unstable, it wasn’t all too bad an experience—the Water Elemental Snakes themselves were perfectly visible through the surface of the lake.

[The Skin of an Elemental Snake (Fire)]

[Additional Effect]

- Fire Resistance + 5.2%

Looking as if a wildfire had swept through it, the third zone was full of hills covered in ash. It was home to fiery red fire snakes with flaming tails. Due to their lesser agility in comparison to the other snake species, they were relatively easier to hunt. However, they were likewise fewer in number, and their drops subsequently rarer.

[The Skin of an Elemental Snake (Wind)]

[Additional Effect]

- Wind Resistance + 6.6%

Kim Do-Joon ventured through the fourth zone last. There, fierce winds howled through cliffs, and wind snakes resided within the crevices. Due to their fragile scales and less aggressive movements, they were the weakest of the four Elemental Snake species.

In fact, the Wind Elemental Snakes did not even bother to exit their crevices. The problem was the cliffs themselves. To reach the snakes, Kim Do-Joon had to navigate the overhang with grappling hooks and ropes and meticulously poke a spear through each hole.

The environment made it the most challenging zone of all.

But it wasn’t so bad, all things considered.

Through his three-day toil, Kim Do-Joon managed to raise all four of his elemental resistances by a minimum of five percent each. Considering that his ticket into the labyrinth was on a cooldown of seven days, he had achieved remarkable progress for a total of ten.

If only the cooldown counted the time I spent inside the labyrinth, too.

While hunting, he found that the cooldown to his labyrinth-entry skill saw no decrease. It would likely resume only once he returned to Earth.

No use crying over spilled milk. A five percent increase within ten days is incredible on its own.

Satisfied, Kim Do-Joon chuckled to himself. He had made fast progress by grinding, where other Hunters would be obligated to spend billions of won to build fifty percent resistance against a single attribute. Moreover, he was liable to lap them—at the rate he was going, the maximum limit of seventy-five percent looked to be achievable within six months.

I can’t complain, not with these results.

Kim Do-Joon stored away the four remaining snakeskins in his inventory, smirking all the while. He felt an immense sense of accomplishment.

It was about time he returned home.

Picking himself up from atop the rock, Kim Do-Joon glanced toward the towering mountain at the center of the island. There was the fifth zone that he had yet to explore; it was, by process of elimination, where the boss was likely to reside.

Now, how do I go about this...

[Additional Effect]

- Skill: Grants the user the ability to return to Earth, but it is only usable inside labyrinths. Cooldown of 168 hours.

Kim Do-Joon was of two minds. With the return skill he had copy-pasted onto himself using the Teleportation Stone, he could return home at will.

I’ve gotten all I need for now. I could head back.

His other option was to continue onward. However, the snowy mountains exuded an eerie atmosphere. Kim Do-Joon had, of course, once dared the trip—only, he promptly retreated due to their strange ambiance. He guessed that it was the fault of the boss monster.

Realizing where his thoughts led, Kim Do-Joon shook his head to dispel them.

And here I was, hoping to find myself a Golden Divine Elixir someday. What’s the point in chickening out in a place like this?

This surely wouldn’t be the only time he was overcome with anxiety and fear. If he ran away now, assuaging himself with the claim that he had done his due, it was bound to poison his behavior. Right then and there, it was unacceptable for him to give up.

Items of legendary rarity—including the Golden Divine Elixir—would not find themselves in the hands of somebody with half-hearted resolution. Taking a swig of cold water, Kim Do-Joon cleared his mind.

Firm and devout, he stepped towards the mountain.

***

Drip— Drip—

The sound of falling water droplets echoed throughout the cave. The noise was itself piercing like ice, cold and deep.

Hmm... This has to be where the boss is.

Kim Do-Joon had searched every nook and cranny of the snowy mountains to no avail. He could not find a single ant, let alone the boss.

All that remained to scour was the cave.

Two hours had elapsed since his entry into the cave’s depths, and he had already reached the end of it. Where the path stopped, he found himself at a small lake. The sound of dripping water had come from the stalactites hanging above it.

Kim Do-Joon approached the lake and peered into it, only to flinch at what he saw.

"Another snake?"

He could discern a larger snake, looking far different from the four species he had encountered prior. The snake was long and broad—broad, beyond the stretch of a human hand’s hold. Its scales were like glass, transparent enough to reveal its innards.

Kim Do-Joon saw its sturdy white bones, intricately intertwining veins, densely packed muscles, and serenely pulsating heart.

[Lubra's Glass Snake]

- Compatibility: 30%

The monster’s Compatibility was head and shoulders above that of his previous encounters within the Elemental Island. Presuming it was the boss, he gulped and assessed its condition.

Is it asleep?

Kim Do-Joon made a somewhat optimistic hypothesis: snakes often hibernated throughout the colder seasons to maintain their body temperatures, and it was possible for the monster to be doing the same. Of course, he had no true basis for it—monsters were different from ordinary animals, after all.

No, considering how the snake’s soaking in cold water, hibernation is definitely out of the question.

He was fast to snap himself back into reality. Bending down, he picked a stone off the ground and rolled it around inside his palm. Hoping to briefly distract the monster, he mustered his strength and hurled the stone across the lake, opposite where he stood.

The snake did not comply—it opened its eyes and immediately lunged towards him.

"Kyaaa!"

Kim Do-Joon’s attempt at misdirection had failed. "Damn it...!"

He instinctively raised his left arm in defense. The glass snake, jaws wide and moving with surprising agility, latched onto it with a harsh bite. Fortunately, the gauntlet spared him some protection.

The situation quickly turned sour. Kim Do-Joon staggered backward with the relentless force and weight of the ominous creature.

"

Keugh!

"

Kim Do-Joon swung his axe down on the snake.

Clang—!

The blade bounced off its body with a jarring noise. Forced to retreat, Kim Do-Joon’s back collided with the cave’s wall.

The snake viciously swung its tail towards his face. Startled, he flinched and avoided the assault by twisting his body.

Crackle!

The tail sliced through the cave’s wall like butter. With the scales so tough that even a dagger could not pierce through them, the tail was practically a weapon itself.

What should I do?

Kim Do-Joon began to panic. The blade of his axe, the strongest weapon he had, was useless against the snake’s tough scales. He even considered the benefits of using a bludgeoning weapon instead.

Suddenly, the Glass Snake struck his knee.

"

Keugh...!

"

Thunk!

With the sound of something snapping, Kim Do-Joon lost some strength in his damaged leg. He swayed but grimly did his best to stay standing through the ache. The injury hurt, but his Greater Regeneration effect would allow his leg to heal with time.

"

Keughh...

!"

Kim Do-Joon gritted his teeth and grabbed at the monster’s neck with his right hand. The snake, however, did not release its hold on his arm—it bit down harder instead.

Crunch!

His gauntlet crumbled under the force and blood oozed out. With the dripping blood, Kim Do-Joon saw red.

He was primed to beat up the snake. All his strength was concentrated in his right hand, and veins bulged throughout his arm with the sheer force he was exerting. Kim Do-Joon squeezed, intent on crushing the creature's neck.

The glass snake thrashed wildly, striking Kim Do-Joon with its tail.

Thump— Thump!

Most of its blows hit the cave walls or the ground, but some landed on Kim Do-Joon directly. Each blow came upon him like the fall of a large rock, but he groaned it off and stubbornly held his grip. If anything, the pain only added to his force.

Of their standstill, ten minutes passed. With time, the clutch of the snake’s clamped jaws gradually loosened.

"

Squeak...

"

Seizing the opportunity, Kim Do-Joon quickly freed his left arm. With it, he firmly latched onto the handle of his knife and slammed downwards onto the snake’s head.

Thwack! Thwack!

Motion like a hammer, he smacked at the snake repeatedly. He made sure to stay cautious, lest the grip of his right hand wane.

Eventually, the glass snake expelled a white liquid from its mouth and slumped over. Kim Do-Joon continued his pummeling for a few more strikes, making sure of its death.

[You have defeated a monster. You have gained Experience Points(EXP).]

[Your Compatibility has increased.]

[Your Compatibility has increased.]

[Your Compatibility has increased.]

[Your Compatibility has increased.]

[Yggdrasil System]

Compatibility

- 23%

"

Ha...

"

A message from the Yggdrasil System filled his vision. Upon seeing it, he collapsed onto the cave floor, relieved.

Kim Do-Joon removed the shards of the gauntlet that had embedded themselves into his left arm. They fell away with a clatter.

Then, he inspected the wounds made from the snake’s fangs piercing through his defense. They were milder than he expected, thanks to the Greater Regeneration effect being constantly active during combat.

Overall, he was quite fortunate.

I can’t imagine I would’ve survived if it were venomous...

The Glass Snake lacked any venom—reasonably so, as venom was an evolutionary defense against natural predators. There were very few things the Glass Snake needed protection against.

[You have defeated Lubra's Glass Snake.]

[You have gained rewards for successfully clearing the labyrinth.]

[Rewards List]

1. Teleportation Stone

2. Tier 3 labyrinth key (Random)

3. Item Box (Random, Rare)

Another message, looking identical to that he saw in the Catacomb, appeared. Kim Do-Joon stored the large snake’s corpse inside his inventory.

Shortly after, he returned home and immediately collapsed onto the ground to rest. Past his arms, his entire body ached. His knee had among the worst of the pain, throbbing with what seemed to be a fracture from the tail’s blow.

A moment’s rest left him feeling much better, but he made his way to the hospital just in case. With his age and his parental duties, he was rather conscious of his health.

Thanks to his Greater Regeneration effect, or perhaps his level twenty Vitality, his injuries weren’t all that severe. Following treatment, he returned home only feeling a bit stiff.

He entered his underground workshop, which had been set up for potion-crafting. He spread a blue waterproof cloth on the workshop floor and retrieved the Glass Snake’s corpse. He aimed to confirm the presence of crafting items from it.

While thoroughly inspecting the corpse, Kim Do-Joon’s eyes began to sparkle with the pop of system messages.

What he had found was not simply one, but two items.