Chapter 30. Moss Golem
By the time Kim Jeonghyeon and Philip arrived at the Eastern Field, word had already spread, drawing a crowd of hunters and porters buzzing with excitement.
"Where do you think they all heard about it?"
Not your average dungeon—this was a raid, so most of the hunters looked pretty well-off.
"Eh, everyone’s got their sources, right?"
Jeonghyeon had his own intel network, after all.
In truth, raids and dungeons spawned with clockwork regularity. Their difficulties were calibrated just right, almost like they were blatantly designed to nurture growth, Tower-style.
And the proof of that? None other than the Demon King himself.
‘I tossed you all that fodder to grow strong, and this is all you managed?’
Those were Malekith’s words during the dimensional invasion, spoken with what sounded like genuine disappointment as he massacred humans who couldn’t even take down one of his legion commanders.
In other words, raids and dungeons were essentially a training program to raise humans.
A wish for the humans coming to kill him to get at least a little stronger. A desire for those powerhouses to die by his hand and fill him with pleasure.
‘The problem is those insane rewards they dangle.’
Once patterns got analyzed and difficulties systematically mapped, hunters flocked to raids and cleared dungeons en masse. But their goal wasn’t getting stronger to slay tougher foes—it was just the loot. In a few years, raids would be treated like weekly events, free gift boxes stuffed with rewards for the taking.
"What a waste. Total waste."
A bitter smile tugged at Jeonghyeon’s lips as he repeated himself.
‘Even if they didn’t know the future, I can’t just blindly hate on them...’
The damn monsters were one thing, but humans left a bad taste too.
Jeonghyeon shook his head and pointed his harvesting knife at a hunting zone in the field.
"First off, let’s loosen up."
"Yes, sir!"
Philip responded with enthusiastic vigor.
The Eastern Field outclassed the Northern Field where Jeonghyeon had grown up, with much higher-grade monsters.
Most were C-rank, but the stronger bosses hit A-rank. That’s why the gathering hunters were top-tier and why famous guilds clustered here.
Later, it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say most top-ranked hunters hailed from the Eastern Field. That said it all.
Jeonghyeon scanned for a mid-tier monster.
"Ah, there we go."
Deep in the mountainous interior, after a long hike, they appeared.
B-rank—not too high, not too low, an awkward grade. No great rewards, tough to harvest mana stones from. Top of the avoidance list for hunters.
"A... moss golem?"
Philip eyed the creature warily. Covered head to toe in moss, about half the size of an adult man.
Tiny pebbles tangled in vines, the whole body shrouded in moss. This annoying little pest, the moss golem, was exactly what Jeonghyeon wanted.
"Why these guys? They’re hard to kill... and harvesting mana stones is a pain."
"You know your monsters pretty well, huh?"
"Ah... I’m from around here."
Philip scratched his head sheepishly.
Eastern Field native, huh? Same Seoul, acting all different—cheeky bastard.
"Right. That’s why we’re here to hunt ‘em. Training you ties into these things too."
"Huh? But..."
Philip had good reason to question it.
Unlike regular golems, moss golems were living golems.
Not magitech constructs with mana cores jammed into corpses, but a fusion of plants and rock, forged by mana into a half-life form.
Hunters avoided them for a reason. Slash with a blade? It gets tangled in moss and vines, jammed in the pebbles. Blunt force? Moss and vines absorb the shock, splatting flat before reforming in seconds.
Magic, total pulverization, or ultra-fast bladework were the only options. Plus, these pests hunted in packs.
B-rank on paper, A-rank difficulty in practice.
Luckily, not aggressive ambushers or breeders, so hunters just steered clear.
"Or, to put it simply, I’m the reason we’re here."
Jeonghyeon opened the Demon King Shop. Skipped stats he didn’t need yet, zeroed in on the key info.
Understanding Increase Rate Buff – 500 Demon King Points
Epic Weapon Liberation Limit Removal (For Dominators) – 500 Demon King Points (1 time)
Current Points: 488 Demon King Points
Understanding buff or Epic Weapon limit removal—one had to be bought here.
‘Understanding will build up the more we hunt anyway.’
Buff nixed. The goal was saving those last 12 points for the Epic limit removal.
Even if it was chump change to his past life self, a raid boss was still a raid boss.
Full prep was non-negotiable.
‘Given Malekith’s personality, better if Philip fights instead of me.’
Jeonghyeon stared at the blankly watching Philip. King versus king—that’s what Malekith craved.
With a resigned chuckle, Jeonghyeon poured mana into his Demon King's Eye.
"Attribute Domination."
Jet-black mana erupted from his right eye, flowing straight into Philip.
"...!"
Philip’s left eye flushed red. His breathing deepened, gaze sharpening fiercely.
"I get it now."
Understanding dawned. Philip gripped his mace, Soul of the Mountain, tighter.
Skills could transfer during Attribute Domination. Philip could wield them as freely as Jeonghyeon’s level allowed.
"Got it? Then go kill ‘em."
"Yes, sir!"
Like a loyal subordinate, Philip rocketed toward the moss golem.
The golem warily eyeing them didn’t even register the attack before Philip’s mace smashed it dead-on.
Thwack—! Bam!
Dull wind-whipping roar, moss-clad body slammed into the dirt by sheer mass.
Thud!!
The ground quaked with a brutal crash, more car wreck than human strike.
"Oof. That’s gotta hurt."
Jeonghyeon muttered softly.
"Flankers incoming. Watch it."
"Yes, sir!"
Mana-toughened pebbles shattered to dust. Hidden golems emerged one by one.
Dozens at once.
All the mossy rocks nearby were golems. Way more than expected, surrounding Philip.
"Kreeek! Kiririk!"
Eerie scrapes—not vocal, but pebbles grinding on themselves.
"Hah!"
Philip swung at a charging golem.
Crack—!
Crisp boom echoed. The golem flew far, shattering only after hitting another.
But not what Jeonghyeon wanted.
How long would growth take like this?
"Wrong. Dumbass. Forgot your Tower lessons already?"
Jeonghyeon scolded, arms crossed like a teacher.
"Ah!"
Philip caught on, slamming his mace down.
Thud!!
Vibrations rippled as golems faltered.
"Hup!"
Philip inhaled deep. Uldran’s mana seeped into his lungs.
Philip’s left eye—and Jeonghyeon’s right—glowed red. Skill transfer activated.
"Kneel!!"
Philip bellowed, not a mere shout but an S-rank Shout, amplified by Attribute Domination.
"That’s more like it."
Jeonghyeon smiled, pleased.
"Kigeek—!!"
The roar shattered vines and moss like goblin veins bursting.
Pop! Pop-pop!
All golems around Philip exploded, splattering the ground.
Monster understanding greatly increased.
Current Monster Understanding Rank: Perfect Understanding
Golem-type monster understanding increased.
Past life memories awakened.
Magitech engineering understanding increased.
Base understanding of golem-type monsters unlocked.
Just as expected.
If Jeonghyeon hunted solo, understanding wouldn’t have budged even after wiping them.
"Whoa! EXP up! Man, status window’s been a while!"
Oh, music to his ears.
A faint smile crossed Jeonghyeon’s face.
"What’s it say?"
"Attribute Domination effect... massively boosts EXP gain. Mace proficiency up too!"
Nice. Philip grows, I get stronger, and he gets buffed too?
One’s growth levels two. Demon King structure made sense now.
‘No wonder that bastard was so OP.’
Jeonghyeon nodded as a new window unfurled before him.
Acquired additional Demon King Shop points from subordinate's hunt.
Gained: 55 Demon King Points
Special Achievement: Idle RPG Unlocked.
Reward: Acquired skills ‘EXP Share’, ‘EXP Transfer’.
"Oh ho?"
Great omen. Right direction, and rewards poured in.
Under 30 kills, yet 55 points? Added to 488 made 543.
Enough for the 500-point Epic limit removal.
But something bigger too.
Achievement name screamed potential. Idle RPGs were once huge in Korea.
Buy characters, let them auto-hunt and grow. Leave it running at work or school, return to piles of EXP and resources for reinvestment. Auto-next hunt.
Jeonghyeon’s situation exactly.
‘Demon King’s an otaku? For humans?’
Jeonghyeon barely gamed himself—how’d Malekith know this?
Still, he checked the new skills.