Episode 42.

Jung Si-woo gave himself some time to relax upon reaching his base. When he was in battle, he didn’t get tired no matter how long the fight would take, but once the dust settled, all of the fight’s aftereffects afflicted his body like shockwaves. That was what he was feeling at the moment. He could feel the tension rising in his muscles until it reached its peak, and then it released itself in an instant.

“What is your body made of?”

“I don’t know the answer to that, myself. Before, it was just a little different from the average person, but now, it looks like it’s different from other players as well.”

Jung Si-woo responded while lying down as comfortably as possible. In his hand, he held the largest mana stone he had ever received in battle. It once belonged to an elite monster who assisted the lion-masked boss until the end.

“It feels different from other mana beads. In a way, it feels more active.”

“It’s also sharper than the rest!”

He examined the crystal closely. It emitted a brilliant blue light that never faded, and it felt like the mana was alive. Unlike other mana crystals, appearing lifeless, the one he was holding seemed to be refined for a special purpose like there was a life inside the mana stone.

“What is the purpose of this one? Can I try processing it with modern technology?”

“Well, if you took the fallen monster’s body, maybe you could try reproducing the artifacts that can be obtained from the dungeon’s altar. You can only do it through a monster’s corpse and its mana stone.”

“That’s one possibility, but…”

Of course, the purpose might be different, but Jung Si-woo had no way of knowing. Even if he did find out, there was nothing he could do. He had only recovered the mana crystal.

“It would be nice if I could get the mana in this. Maybe I can eat it…can I?”

“Your inherent mana and other being’s mana can never be mixed. If you try to combine them, your mana will be depleted; the consequences will be grave!”

Jung Si-woo sighed upon hearing Soo Ah-rin’s explanation. Of course, he knew that it wasn’t easy to deal with mana.

“That’s why it is processed externally and refined into artifacts.”

Then, mana beads weren’t very different from mana crystals, if she put it that way. He knew that the energy left by the monsters could be collected and traded for useful materials. He was grateful for that, for it became possible to obtain various equipment that would enhance the body’s ability. However, he thought that perhaps there was a different way to handle this crystal and learn its structure.

“Well, dungeons are certainly mysterious in many ways. For example, when I clear a dungeon, I level up as a result of what I have done and gone through. Then, my accomplishment was calculated and materialized into mana, which is then injected to me…wait, what?”

As he contemplated about dungeons, he suddenly realized something that he hadn’t paid attention to earlier. The level increment originated from the mana of the defeated monsters after the dungeon was cleared. It was then processed according to one’s work, as well as the awarded achievements.

“Maybe the dungeon itself was the only space where efficiently handing over a monster’s mana to a player can be processed!”

“That’s… that’s a very interesting theory! I haven’t thought about it that far.”

“Well, that’s right. The process gives mana worthy of our records and achievements in the dungeon because that’s the first law of the Sky Castle. I already know that leveling up can only be attained in the dungeon, but your case makes me question that process.”

“If that is so, maybe…”

Jung Si-woo opened a topic that he unconsciously dismissed earlier, for he was in the middle of battle. Now that he thought about it deeply, many questions formed in his mind.

“Why do our levels rise when we kill monsters?”

“Uhm…?”

If Jung Si-woo’s theory was correct, leveling up could never be achieved outside a dungeon, for a dungeon was the only place that could transfer a monster’s mana to other players. Other players, even Marina Bissett, didn’t show signs of leveling up at all, but why did Jung Si-woo’s level increase?

“Maybe I don’t need that process.”

“In your case, inside or outside the dungeon doesn’t matter, for both can process mana…”

“Okay, then…”

Jung Si-woo has already confirmed that he can level up based on the monsters’ mana inside and outside a dungeon. With that conclusion, his previous hesitation vanished without a trace. He immediately swallowed the mana stone in his hand.

“Yum! Hmm? Hmm…hmm.”

“Si-woo!”

“What did you do?!”

Soo Ah-rin and Yong Se-ha screamed as they were filled with worry upon witnessing what happened. Meanwhile, Jung Si-woo felt the mana stone slide down his throat, burning and expanding as it went deeper into his body, yet he didn’t experience any pain. The mana stone soon melted completely, and it naturally mixed with Jung Si-woo’s original mana as if it were innate from the beginning. Soon, the mana’s properties became the same, so much so that no distinction could no longer be made.

“Wow. Huh!”

“Can you explain it to us? What exactly happened?”

Soo Ah-rin and Yong Se-ha’s minds were blown at the crazy fact that Jung Si-woo completely absorbed a monster’s mana and made it his own. Jung Si-woo was also surprised, for he was expecting an explosion of some sorts once the two different types of mana collided, as Soo Ah-rin explained earlier. But now, it just felt natural. It was as if he was meant to absorb mana like this and make it his own. He initially thought others could do it as well.

[Mana Power has increased by 1.]

“So it’s true!”

“You felt nothing, really?”

“Yes! I think I was right.”

After confirming that it was safe to ingest the mana stone, Jung Si-woo swallowed the remaining crystals he collected. As a result, his mana power had increased by a total of seven. Even after recovering the mana consumed by the Heavy Weapon Battle before, his mana power was greater by two levels compared to before. The difference was enough to make a substantial impact on the battlefield.

“How is that possible? …Nope, I decided to stop questioning everything that has happened after I fell from the Sky Castle.”

Soo Ah-rin quickly realized that her question would probably not be answered like all her previous questions.

“There are only two benefits we get from dungeons — a bead of refined mana crystals and mana processed according to the achievements made in the dungeon. But you acquire mana in two ways, even outside dungeons. How could you get it so easily?”

Of course, this feat was only possible for Jung Si-woo, who secretly became an Underground Player. Leaders from all over the world were having a difficult time unearthing mana stones’ mystery, but it easily revealed itself to Jung Si-woo.

“Then, this means that catching monsters that appear on the ground is as important as clearing dungeons.”

It may be even more important in some ways, especially for Jung Si-woo, who was still lacking mana powers compared to other players. It was fantastic to imagine the synergy he could achieve between his mana and physical powers, he thought.

“I think I can easily beat Marina Bissett once I reach level 100. To do that, I have to collect mana stones at once.”

Jung Si-woo confidently declared his intent.

“To defeat Marina Bissett, one of the world’s strongest players, it’s not enough to be level 100…maybe it will be possible if you grow older!”

“Didn’t I display that level of combat power even when I just passed level 50? Don’t you think I can do even more when I’m level 100?”

“Well, if you say so…”

Soo Ah-rin resigned herself and focused on her admiration. Jung Si-woo smirked and slumped on his bed.

“Once I have rested and got used to my level and mana, we’ll continue our adventure.”

“I’m glad you didn’t say that you would go find another dungeon again. You were so busy moving, jumping from one place to another that you didn’t even have time to organize your body.”

Jung Si-woo grinned at Soo Ah-rin, but she just looked at him, confused about what he was trying to convey.

“Reorganize…Reorganize? I told you, I never waste my time.”

“I respect your decision!”

He was kidding, of course. Jung Si-woo knew he needed to organize his body again and check all the skills he had grown. Most of all, he needed to master the skills he hadn’t used, such as Chaos Tail. Its status was stagnant because he tried to hide it to mask his identity, but he had more serious matters to tackle.

“It seems like the Seoraksan incident might frequently happen in the future, so I’ll have to deal with that before this.”

“You can’t save the whole world! There are other players out there, so don’t overdo it.”

“The other players…”

Jung Si-woo recalled the face of Marina Bissett. She was a strong and great player. Perhaps she was fulfilling the request of higher authority such as the government, but she was certainly brave enough to take on the task. Her life was at risk, as it wasn’t easy to face the monsters alone, but she did it anyway. Jung Si-woo didn’t praise Marina openly, but he could tell she was a good person. He thought it was pleasant meeting her.

“She was definitely a good girl.”

“Ha! But she’s a foreigner!”

Soo Ah-rin suddenly became anxious and was shocked to see herself shouting jealously. She never imagined herself feeling this before. If Kim Ha-ryong had seen it, it wouldn’t end well.

“Yes, she’s a foreigner. I admire that about her.”

“Well, I thought you didn’t like her? You’re surprisingly softer now.”

Yong Se-ha only realized that the two’s words were out of focus. But if he had to choose the stranger one, it would be Soo Ah-rin’s. Was this the Iron Fortress, who was famous for rejecting any man who came her way? If anyone who knew Soo Ah-rin as a player saw her now, they would be surprised in many ways, and perhaps not just because of her size.

“Because there is no such player in Korea, or at least I haven’t met one.”

“Yeah? Ahhh! That’s it! Yes, she is!”

Soo Ah-rin was late to pick up what Jung Si-woo meant. It was then that she realized it was because he was attracted to Marina. She felt stupid, for she had felt weirdly conscious for no reason.

“Why is that?”

“Nothing…”

“Honestly, when I fought that battle, I thought it was obvious. I don’t know who he is as a human being or as a guild master, but as a human, he is not qualified.”

Both Marina Bissett and Jung Si-woo knew that Kim Ha-ryong, the master of Soaring Tempest Guild, didn’t come close to Daecheongbong on purpose. He deliberately neglected the monsters, for he feared that his guild might lose some powerful players. But Kim Ha-ryong was a high-level and skilled player. What could be so difficult and scary for him?

“No, that’s…yes, he’s a coward.”

Yong Se-ha also agreed while trembling. He had dutifully followed the guild master’s orders when he was a member of the guild. He was also aware of all the horrible things that Kim Ha-ryong did to him and the guild.

“I don’t know what the Korean government is doing. The elite monsters appeared here in Korea, and we have many Korean players, but they are going to let someone from the United States get rid of it?”

“It seems obvious that at least they couldn’t effectively convince the Soaring Tempest Guild to do it.”

The three sighed. Of course, Jung Si-woo didn’t plan to get caught up in the country after his battle, but the world itself was rapidly changing.

“I do not know. Let’s get some sleep.”

“Good night.”

“Sleep time!”

Yong Se-ha didn’t even go to the military, so why was he so excited? Could it be a side effect of being alive after almost dying in a dungeon? Jung Si-woo thought about these things for a moment, then closed his eyes.

Soon, the drowsiness of a thousand years’ labor struck him.