Chapter 5. Experience Points

Kim Do-Joon was about to impulsively copy the item effect onto himself when he paused. Considering he could only use the skill once a day per target, wouldn’t it be better to wait until he had reached the next safe room and check if it had an item with a better effect to copy-paste?

However, after some time, he shook his head. It was better to be safe than sorry.

I don't even know what might crop up on the way there...

If it turned out that the next safe room housed another useful item to copy from, he could simply stay the night.

However, whether or not the Hunting Falcon Potion was the best choice out of what he had on hand was another matter entirely. The Vision Boost it would grant, though useful for labyrinth exploration, would be redundant. After all, his newly upgraded cargo pants already boasted a similar forty-minute buff in combat.

What remained of his options were the Brown Bear Potion’s Stamina Boost, the Frost Wolf Potion’s Speed Boost, the Stone Turtle Potion’s Durability Boost, and, finally, the Healing Potions he had set aside for emergencies. Considering he had already integrated every pick into his equipment, his decision ultimately came down to which would be the most efficient on his person.

Hmm... I’ll just go with the Healing Potion.

Without the Hunting Falcon Potion’s Vision Boost, he simply had to be more cautious. However, the Healing Potion’s effects, when transferred onto his axe, lasted a mere thirty seconds while engaged in combat. Having some recourse outside of it could make all the difference.

[

Ding!

]

[The item effect has been successfully copied and pasted.]

[The Greater Healing Potion has been destroyed.]

[The transferred ability will be adjusted according to the recipient's classification.]

[Additional Effect]

- Skill: Gain the Greater Regeneration effect for 30 seconds. Cooldown of 300 seconds.

...!

Unexpectedly, the potion’s effect had changed upon transfer yet again. On Kim Do-Joon, it had become a buff skill.

It has a five-minute cooldown, but it’s still amazing...

Naturally, it would be even better without the cooldown, but it ultimately didn’t pose much of a problem. Unlike the effect copied onto the Young Kujika Tribesmen’s Broadaxe, which could only be activated in combat, his newly gained skill worked outside of it as well. If worse came to worst, he could simply find someplace to rest and wait out the cooldown, be it five minutes or ten.

Gear and skills settled, he packed up his belongings.

I'll skip breakfast...

Although he had plenty of Food Boxes left in his inventory, he knew better than to run through them carelessly. After all, he had no clue how long he would be stuck in here.

Tap Tap!

Kim Do-Joon lightly slapped his cheeks and stood up, taking a moment to fold up his blanket and store it away inside his inventory.

Then, he opened the door with a

click

and headed into the labyrinth.

***

They sure aren’t making things easy for me.

How long had it been since Kim Do-Joon had opened the door and gone in?

In the distance, he spotted Skeletons clattering about with rusted swords and rotten wooden shields.

Judging by their equipment, they’re probably E-rank...

Under normal circumstances, a Skeleton’s rank could be deduced by its equipment. The more magnificent, the grander their rank and prowess in their past lives. Unarmed Skeletons were mere F-ranks, while those with shabby equipment were E-rank.

With my current stats, I should be strong enough to deal with them.

Kim Do-joon had the attack power of the Young Kujika Tribesmen's Broadaxe, a slew of upgraded equipment, and his seven percent Compatibility. He had high enough stats and more than enough effects to handle three E-rank monsters. Still, he gulped with anxiety, refusing to let his guard down.

Being careless can cost me my life.

Back in the dungeon at Seorim-dong Park, it was his carelessness in running off alone that almost got him killed by the wild-dog-like beast. If he hadn’t chanced upon a treasure room, he might have very well ended up a dungeon refugee.

"

Phew...

" After taking a shallow breath, Kim Do-Joon seized a chance and charged at the Skeletons.

Clang. Clang.

The three Skeletons turned to him in unison, the red glow from their hollow eyes seemingly straight out of a horror movie. Kim Do-Joon swung his axe at the one standing closest to him.

Crack!

[You have gained the Greater Regeneration effect.]

Invigorated, he smashed past the Skeleton’s shield and shattered its arm.

Nice!

Kim Do-Joon’s eyes were alight; wounding an E-rank monster was a first for him! However, he had no time to bask in the feeling.

"

Argh!

"

The second Skeleton stabbed at him, almost managing to pierce through his head. Any slower, and he would have been a goner. The first Skeleton, too, swung its sword at him with its remaining arm.

Swish!

The Skeleton’s swordsmanship was fierce.

Clang!

Kim Do-Joon deflected the attack with the blade of his axe and stepped back.

[You have received a Minor Durability Boost.]

[You have received a Minor Vision Boost.]

[You have received a Minor Speed Boost.]

Kim Do-Joon’s eyes widened. The "when hit" conditions of his equipment could be met by blocking! Due to the buffs, he felt sturdy and light.

Swish!

Kim Do-Joon swiftly struck the skull of the one-armed Skeleton with the knife in his other hand. The knife’s Minor Stamina Boost was subsequently triggered.

As if halfway doped up on a Superior Potion, he overflowed with power.

Incredible... I can see why Hunters always take potions.

Of course, it was thanks to the Hunters that Potion Crafters like him could make a living.

With his strength replenished, Kim Do-Joon swung his axe into the second Skeleton's skull.

The third put up a hopeless fight—what could it do alone against an opponent even the three of them couldn’t defeat?

Thwack—!

All three E-rank monsters were swiftly dealt with in a few exchanges. He watched them fade to dust, amazed by his newfound prowess.

Now I can hunt monsters, too.

Suddenly, he felt something trickling down his cheek. After lightly touching it, he looked at his finger. It was blood. He must have gotten hit in the middle of the fight. By the time he had wiped it off, his wounds had already healed.

Kim Do-Joon could clearly feel how different his body was today compared to yesterday.

I can do this.

With his Regeneration skill, he could return to Earth alive. His gaze steeled with determination, he vowed not to die no matter what.

After taking a moment to catch his breath and assess his condition, he continued his journey through the labyrinth.

***

Upon breaking, the dungeon in Seorim-dong Park expelled its boss monster—a wild-dog-like beast with a horn on its head—onto Earth. However, the Hunters waiting on the site made quick work of it. A couple of benches were broken, but they suffered no casualties.

Unfortunately, Kim Do-Joon did not return.

"Label him a dungeon refugee and go ahead with the procedure," Lee Ji-Ah’s superior said.

"... Okay," Lee Ji-Ah replied, looking unusually dejected.

The man scratched his head. Although Lee Ji-Ah had six years of experience on the job, this was probably her first time losing an Awakener that she was responsible for.

The superior was about to light a cigarette when a sleeky-dressed man approached, business card in hand. "Would you mind if I interrupted you two for a moment? I’m from the Karma Guild’s Legal Team."

"... What brings you here?" the superior asked.

The Karma Guild was the one that had assigned a raid team to the Seorim-dong Park dungeon. In other words, they were the ones who had failed to clear the dungeon properly.

"Well, you see, I’ve heard that some mistakes were made during the operation," the lawyer said with an awkward smile.

The lawyer’s callous phrasing made the superior grit his teeth. Regardless of whether or not the oversight was just an accident, the lawyer should not be speaking as if he had come to attend to some trivial matter, not a missing person case.

The Hunters lounging about in the waiting room were no different, laughing and chattering without care.

"I’m not sure if you’re aware, but we're currently expanding. It wouldn’t do any good for the unfortunate news to spread. Besides, I have contacted the higher-ups of the Association, and..." the lawyer rattled off, attempting to silence them with a threat.

"... That’s enough. I get it," said the superior.

"I’m glad we’re on the same page."

In this world made all the more perilous by the appearance of the World Tree and its gaggle of monsters, large Awakener guilds were no more than legalized crime syndicates warring for dungeon-made profits. Instead of punishing them, the government had founded the Awakener Association in an attempt to partner up with them for a share.

As a low-level bureaucrat of said Association, the team leader had little say on the matter—at least not without personal risk. After all, the people above him were connected to high-ranking guilds.

"Excuse me, sir," said Lee Ji-Ah, who had been quietly listening.

Her superior’s eyes widened, afraid of what she had to say.

"What is it?" the lawyer asked.

"Since you have admitted that it was your guild’s mistake... shouldn’t you also provide compensation for the victim’s family?" Lee Ji-Ah asked.

"Compensation? Well... no law requires it for individuals unaffiliated with our guild," the lawyer replied.

"But Mr. Do-Joon has a family to support—!"

"He’s not the only one, now is he? Do you think we can just pity every person with a story to tell?"

The lawyer abruptly walked away with a displeased expression, leaving Lee Ji-Ah devastated.

Her superior pulled out a cigarette. Situations like these were common in their line of work; one should not expect much from high-ranking guilds.

𝘧𝑟𝑒𝑒𝘸𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝓁.𝘤𝘰𝓂

He wanted to give Lee Ji-Ah any number of pointers between cautioning her against confrontation, emphasizing the potential for personal harm, and urging self-care. However, he chose to keep silent.

"Ms. Ji-Ah, once this matter is settled, go on a vacation or something," he advised, then left it at that.

"Thank you... " With a heavy heart, Lee Ji-Ah stepped back, hailed a taxi, and headed to the hospital.

***

Inside a sterile white hospital room, Nurse Jung Da-Jung went about her work as usual. She had been in charge of the young patient inside for several years, diligently monitoring her condition and keeping the space tidy.

"Unnie..." the patient called.

Jung Da-Jung approached her with a bright smile. "What is it, So-Eun?"

"When is Daddy coming...?"

"Hmm... It looks like your Daddy has been busy lately. Should I call him later?"

"Yes, please..." So-Eun closed her eyes, voice trailing off. Downcast by the child’s suffering, Jung Da-Jung used a towel to wipe away the sweat dripping down the child’s cute little face.

Is he really that busy?

Jung Da-Jung was suddenly overcome with a sense of terrible foreboding. Throughout her years as a nurse, she had witnessed the plight of many children hospitalized long-term. Grieving their sick child, the parents tirelessly visited their children every day at first. However, eventually, their visits grew more and more sparse. Unable to bear the sorrow any longer, many stopped dropping by completely after a while.

She wasn’t a parent herself, so she hardly felt qualified to judge them. Nevertheless, her heart ached for the children who ended up being neglected.

She shook her head vigorously, chasing the gloom away.

No way... So-Eun's father wouldn’t do that!

Kim Do-Joon had never missed a single day’s visit, granted that his schedule allowed it. He cherished his daughter the most of any parent Jung Da-Jung had met, so she was certain that he simply had a lot on his plate.

Unfortunately, horrible news reached the hospital only thirty minutes later, Lee Ji-Ah the unfortunate messenger.

"What... what did you just say?" Jung Da-Jung asked with a devastated look.

***

Thunk!

Kim Do-Joon smashed through a Skeleton's skull with his fist. At the same time, a volley of arrows and fireballs came from behind it, all aimed at him.

Whoosh! Fwoosh!

Unflinching, he ducked and pushed forward, letting the projectiles fly over his head.

Refusing to give the monsters a chance to prepare a second volley, Kim Do-Joon swiftly closed the distance and shattered their spines.

Clang—!

Even though he was facing over ten Skeleton Archers and Mages, he prowled among them like a wolf picking off sheep. They could not do anything but helplessly succumb to his onslaught.

The system promptly tallied the EXP and Compatibility that he had gained from finishing off the Skeletons.

[You have defeated multiple monsters. You have gained Experience Points(EXP).]

[Your Compatibility has increased.]

"

Phew...

" Kim Do-Joon sighed in relief. Thanks to his Regeneration skill, any wounds he had incurred in combat gradually healed up on their own. He pulled up his status window.

[Yggdrasil System]

Name

- Kim Do-Joon

Age

- 35

Compatibility

- 10%

Stat Runes

- Strength Level 10, Agility Level 12 (10+2), Vitality Level 10, Mana Level 10, Perception Level 11 (10+1)

Skill Runes

- Potion Crafting

[Additional Effect]

- Attack Power + 20-40

- Agility Level + 2

- Perception Level + 1

- Skill: Gain the Greater Regeneration effect. Cooldown of 300 seconds.

- Skill: Gain the Minor Stamina Boost effect. Cooldown of 1 hour.

- Skill: Gain the Minor Speed Boost effect. Cooldown of 1 hour.

- Skill: Gain the Minor Durability Boost effect. Cooldown of 1 hour.

- Skill: Gain the Minor Vision Boost effect. Cooldown of 1 hour.

A week had already passed since Kim Do-Joon started exploring the labyrinth. In that time, he had found four safe rooms and raised his Compatibility to ten percent. Between his potion stores and the items he picked up along the way, his selection of effects had grown rather abundant.

Most of his discoveries, much like the Young Kujika Tribesmen’s Broadaxe, were common items. Hence, he foddered them all except for the gauntlet he now wore on his left hand.

[Delros's Left Gauntlet]

Description

- Originally a pair of lightweight and sturdy gauntlets favored by Delros, a moderately renowned mercenary. Now, only the left gauntlet remains. Rarity

Rarity

- Common

Classification

- Armor

Effect

- Defense Power + 10

- Physical Resistance + 3%

[Additional Effect]

- When hit, the user gains a Greater Regeneration effect for 30 seconds.

Although the gauntlet felt light, it had an outstanding enough defense power to substitute for a shield.

"Looks like I’ve looted all the safe rooms," Kim Do-Joon muttered, then clicked his tongue.

During the past week, Kim Do-Joon had devoted all his time awake to exploring the labyrinth, drawing himself a map along the way. Now that he had searched every nook and cranny, all but one rock remained unturned.

I've already found the boss room.

Kim Do-Joon had already discovered the door that he assumed led to the boss long ago, but he had refrained from challenging it. Since he could not gauge how strong the boss would be, he wanted to prepare as best he could beforehand.

Hence, he slayed every Skeleton he could find to raise his Compatibility. He also sought and looted safe rooms, then used the items he found as copy-paste fodder.

However, all journeys had to come to an end.

Kim Do-Joon marked the last corner of his map with an "X.". With no safe rooms left to find or items left to loot, he no longer had any reason to stay in this labyrinth.

Clank—

Kim Do-Joon smirked when he heard the sound. Although he had completely tidied up the path earlier, it seemed some Skeletons had begun creeping about once more.

Unlike typical dungeons where monsters would stay dead when slain, this labyrinth seemed to have a unique respawn timer.

In the past, Kim Do-Joon would have paled in concern, but now, he simply chuckled.

"Here comes another set of Experience Points."