Episode 34.

When Jung Si-woo enveloped himself in calming silence, he sensed several mighty stars burning fiercely within him. He couldn’t see it with his naked eye, but he could perceive them vividly in his mind, and they were very much alive. The nature of the stars, how they connected to his body as well as their future possibilities – he could see all of it. Each gave off a unique glow to mark their presence. He counted five exactly, and two seemed to be missing from his passive skillset.

‘These two stars, the smallest among the five, they must be Poison Resistance and Burn Resistance.’

Whenever poison or flame tried to invade his body, these two stars radiated and acted on the threats. Right now, they were the simplest and weakest among all his skills, but if Jung Si-woo began cultivating them, they could radiate even brighter. Jung Si-woo quietly watched the two stars as he continued his introspection. Since these two only activated when the related threats invaded his body, their powers weren’t honed enough. After a while, he wandered off to the next little star in the set, the Heavy Weapon Battle, a passive skill he recently created that was very useful in combat. It could aid him in battles using heavy weapons, such as his trusted sledgehammer, Black Wolf’s Paw. He could also activate it with an ax, a club, a great sword, or any other heavy weapons he might hold in the future.

‘In other words, it will be handy in weighty battles.’

If he could accurately grasp the weapon’s weight and function, he could effortlessly control it and inflict critical damage on the enemy. This was the skill’s power. In his previous fights using his heavy hammer, he realized that his attacks were dull and sluggish. He wanted to eliminate this gap and maximize this weapon’s proficiency, so he supplemented his immense power with speed, and thus, the Heavy Weapon Battle skill was born. Being a new skill, its light was still flickering, but Jung Si-woo realized that the more he used his hammer in battle, the more advanced the skill would be; sooner or later, it would shine more remarkably than any other. Of course, this skill relied on his physical ability as much as it relied on the weapon type he would choose to use.

‘I think I’ve gotten the hang of it, and I have already adapted to it at this point. I can command the hammer with ease at any moment now.’

Jung Si-woo’s body had undergone a great change after his last fight. The break he took to check his body’s status had greatly helped him adapt. Now, he was convinced that he could use his skills effectively.

‘But it might also be helpful to check the rest of my skills as well.’

As he pondered over this, his gaze turned to the largest and brightest stars, shining distinctly from the rest. These stars were in an incomparable league when it came to size and brightness. The fact that these ones had unique properties greatly piqued Jung Si-woo’s interest. One of these stars was Living, a skill deeply rooted in the essence of his body, soul, and mana. As he sharpened and projected these powers, he had created a passive skill capable of conquering enemies with his momentum and power.

Naturally, one who dared to explore this skill would learn deeply about the binding of different forces and the collision of energies. But for now, it was a naïve and grand dream for Jung Si-woo, who was still lacking energy. It was an impossible task that he wouldn’t yet dare to take on. Jung Si-woo shook his head at the missed opportunity and proceeded in appraising the remaining skills. Next on the lineup was his very first passive skill, Courage of the Ignorant. It relied heavily on his ignorance of external stimuli. It shone brightly in circumstances where he couldn’t grasp the situation completely, drastically lowering the effect of surprise attacks and all kinds of traps.

‘Hmm. This is the most mysterious.’

He was right in thinking so, for it was a skill that had nothing to do with his body and mana abilities, even though it was supposed to. Since it was a skill that involved his perception, will, and external factors, it wasn’t easy to know how this skill worked with his abilities. Originally, it would’ve been impossible to create a skill that transcended perception with power, but the dungeon’s unique mana and its collective power had made such a feat possible.

‘Figuring out this skill’s mystery is as hard as figuring out life. It sucks! It’s time to end this session.’

In the end, Jung Si-woo only gained an appropriate understanding of his Heavy Weapon Battle skill. He opened his eyes and ended his introspection. Suddenly, the two passive skills that were only revealed when sought outwardly stood out. One was a hand tattoo, and the other was a lizard tail.

‘I have no clue how to deal with this soul power.’

Jung Si-woo thought as he stared at his hand where his Soul Collect skill was engraved. The skill had been stagnant right from the time he had acquired it. There weren’t many ghosts who presented their souls gently. It couldn’t be helped either, as it has been quite a while since he had met one. On the other hand, Chaos Tail made very little progress these days. Initially, Jung Si-woo thought that his tail only served as a key to enter a dungeon, so he left it alone. However, upgrading his resting place had changed his mind.

‘In the yard where the ant’s den dungeon’s entry conditions could be replaced with other ones, is it possible to use this tail?’

His attempt to understand the reality of this tail ended soon, bearing little realization. The tail stretched a little less than over a meter, but its thickness was just enough to be wrapped with both palms. He still had no idea whether it was the scales of a lizard or a crocodile, but he was sure they were harder than steel. Jung Si-woo could now move the tail at will, unlike the first few days after receiving it. He had managed to command it enough to pick up a nearby cup of water like it was grabbed by his hand. Ultimately, Jung Si-woo’s new goal was to cultivate a meticulous technique to perform different tasks with his tail when his hands were both occupied.

“I’m envious because you have an extra hand.”

“If you’re so envious, would you like to replace it with your wings?”

Jung Si-woo asked teasingly.

“Oh, I changed my mind. I still prefer my wings.”

Soo Ah-rin answered quickly. He wondered why he didn’t pay attention to his tail earlier when he thought about it. Players used their wings to fly freely anywhere, so they had excellent mobility! In Jung Si-woo’s case, he should’ve considered using his tail in battle! His tail was hard and heavy, so it was understandable to treat it as some weapon.

Wooosh!

Jung Si-woo charged up some strength in the tail and swung it freely in the air, creating a threatening, slashing sound. Because of the tail’s length, it was impossible to face the enemy upfront, but if he could handle the tail more proficiently, it wouldn’t be difficult to confront an attack from the rear. He could also block enemy attacks by using his hard scales as a shield. The possibilities for this were endless! However, Jung Si-woo’s excitement was quickly interrupted by his anxiety at the idea his tail might be damaged. He immediately checked with Soo Ah-rin to calm his mind.

“Hmm…maybe your tail has a function that isn’t so different from our wings, as we don’t lose our wings no matter what! If our wings are attacked, the impact goes straight to the body, but the shock can be recovered by potions or healing magic. However, if it’s a severe shock that cannot be recovered with…”

“Then you’ll die…”

“Yeah…if we run out of stamina, we can no longer fly with our wings, and that’s the moment when we retire and fall to the ground.”

Soo Ah-rin glumly replied as she remembered the moment she retired. Jung Si-woo nodded as he felt satisfied with Ah-rin’s response. He didn’t have to worry about getting his tail cut off in battle, at least not before he would die. With renewed spirit, he continued to practice handling his tail. It had been three days since he finished shopping and returned to his resting place. He had experimented with his tail’s abilities during his rest period and had gained renewed confidence in the process.

“Okay, let’s go fight now!”

Jung Si-woo stood up and checked his tail. He felt the overflowing energy throughout his whole body. His body, prepared like a sharply honed sword, exuded such destructive momentum that even the armored orc he faced before would tremble. Even while taking a break, Jung Si-woo was looking forward to the moment when his body’s muscles would see usage.

“We’re going to fight! I can finally help you!”

Yong Se-ha, who practiced stabbing a spear in the air with his tiny form, was also in a heightened mood. However, Jung Si-woo was quick to damage his spirits.

“If you play an active part and end up hurting me rather than helping me, we’ll be in trouble, so stay calm.”

“There’s no way I’ll do that!”

Yong Se-ha wailed, defending himself. The overall atmosphere of the Soaring Tempest guild was chaotic following the disappearance of Yong Se-ha and Soo Ah-rin’s names from the guardian stone. Of course, Jung Si-woo knew that Yong Se-ha only desired to repay the hero who saved his life. He smiled bitterly and comforted him.

“Maybe there’s a nearby dungeon. Let’s test your skills in there, shall we?”

“Alright, let’s go!”

Yong Se-ha immediately beamed upon hearing Si-woo’s offer and raised his fist in the air to celebrate.

“You two seem very close.”

Soo Ah-rin commented. Watching the two from the sidelines, she felt a little stuffy inside. She disliked that feeling, of course, so she made sure not to express it overtly. However, Jung Si-woo caught the implied bitterness in her tone. He wondered if he really was more welcoming to Yong Se-ha, who had shown him nothing but pure respect. Perhaps, it was because they were both were men, he thought. Still, he wanted to be considerate of Soo Ah-rin’s feelings.

“Well, it’s just that this guy may be a bit over-excited. Remember, you have to stay alert, especially when you’re alone. If you get caught, you might have to hang out with a guy who thinks like Kim Ha-ryong.”

No matter how much Jung Si-woo was recognized for his tremendous strength, he knew it would still be impossible to defeat the top player, Ha-ryong. More than that, it disgusted him to imagine what would happen if he got entangled with the guy who identified himself as Soo Ah-rin’s fiancé.

“Because the brain doesn’t want to get involved with the things on the lower body…”

“It sounds like you’ve hooked up before.”

“I mean… isn’t it inevitable?”

Soo Ah-rin’s eyebrows wriggled, but Jung Si-woo didn’t notice. He just shrugged and opened the door to the outside.

“Anyway, let’s go to Mt. Seorak! Should I buy potatoes and corn on my way home?”

“It’s regionally recognized! …But yes, the potato cake there is delicious!”

Just like that, the three’s lunch was tentatively decided. For the time being, they remained blissfully unaware of what was happening in Mt. Seoraksan.