Chapter 61
Chapter 61
As expected,
[Training Dungeon Clear Condition Fulfilled.]
[Boss Monster Appears.]
The moment the notification sounded, Myunghoon quickly stepped aside. Yeonsu moved to protect Pyeonghwa and Minseo, while Seyoung immediately pulled the aggro of the miniature Giant Turtle.
[Penalty Applied — Stat Levels Exceed Normal Mode Parameters.]
[Boss Monster’s Special Attack Restriction Lifted.]
The reason Hong Seyoung drew aggro as soon as the battle began was simple—
The Giant Turtle’s acid spray was a wide-area attack.
Keeping as much distance as possible from Yeonsu, Seyoung split the monster’s attention and lured its attacks toward herself, ensuring Minseo and Pyeonghwa’s safety. Just in case, Jongwon accompanied her.
Since his Strength stat had surpassed 100, as long as there was no direct contact with his skin, the Giant Turtle’s acid wasn’t much of a threat. His role was to shield Seyoung from any unexpected danger.
And during that opening, Hyunseok would unleash a concentrated assault.
It was a formation they had executed several times already, and thanks to that, they managed to slay the Giant Turtle without taking any real damage.
[Training Dungeon Cleared.]
[Recognized as a Low-Difficulty Achievement.]
A bonus of +3 stat points was awarded.
However, because of his penalty, Hyunseok only received half.
As the reward, 100 Yellow Stones dropped. Eighty of them were automatically added to Hyunseok’s inventory.
Pyeonghwa spoke up.
“But… how come we’ve never gotten any items other than Yellow Stones?”
Jongwon tilted his head.
“Yeah, seriously. There’s no party that slays more boss monsters than us, and yet, how’s that possible? Maybe it’s because of your penalty, Hyunseok?”
Hyunseok thought it was plausible, but not entirely true.
“I used to get items in Easy Mode, though.”
Jongwon shrugged.
“Then maybe the penalty only applies in Normal Mode. Did you get any system notifications about it?”
“No. None.”
“Whatever. Who cares about items anyway? Whoa! I didn’t even do much this time, and I got two Yellow Stones!”
Jongwon grinned from ear to ear and threw his arms up.
“I’m rich, baby!”
For reference, Hyunseok received eighty.
❋ ❋ ❋
When Hyunseok exited the Training Dungeon, he saw several missed calls from Sunghyung.
Normally, clearing a Training Dungeon took a long time, at least twelve days, often more lately. The fact that he had taken Minseo with him meant that Hyunseok had largely shaken off his former negativity toward slaying.
Sunghyung told him something interesting.
In the past few days, Werewolf Slaying had become active again, and significant progress was being made.
New hunting methods had been developed, casualties were rare, and no civilian deaths had occurred in the last ten days.
The once-feared Werewolves were now considered “troublesome opponents” or “not worth the effort.”
But tomorrow, was the full moon.
“You’re saying we can lure the monsters?”
“Yeah. Werewolves get much stronger under a full moon. And apparently... they go into heat.”
The Korean Union had discovered this within just a few days, finding a way to lure them effectively.
According to their findings, female Werewolves rarely moved around.
It was the males who roamed, and when they caught the scent of a female, they went berserk trying to reach her.
While the Inha Guild had been busy inside the Training Dungeon, progress outside had been remarkable.
“We got lucky and managed to slay a female Werewolf. Its hide dropped, a special item labeled ‘Female Werewolf Hide.’ We analyzed it and confirmed it works. The effect’s impressive, especially during a full moon when the males are in heat. We’re even planning to release machines that amplify the scent.”
Sunghyung was a major shareholder of Sori Tech, so it was clear what he intended, to commercialize the device for luring Werewolves.
Currently, Werewolves had only appeared in Korea, but soon, they would likely appear elsewhere.
The real threat of Werewolves was their speed, agility, and stealth.
Their physical power was considerable, but once contained within a perimeter and attacked with modern weaponry, they could be finished off by Slayers easily.
“Still, it’s not quite ready for field deployment. That’s why… I want you to step in.”
Hyunseok smirked.
“Then I’ll bring the whole Inha Guild.”
He thought back to Jongwon’s triumphant shout of “I’m rich!” and chuckled.
If they could lure the Werewolves, there would be at least seven of them, possibly ten. Since tomorrow was the full moon, statistically, they could expect to earn five to seven Yellow Stones.
Plus, the experience gains would be substantial. It’d be great training for the Inha Guild members.
And if they cleared it within a set time, the achievement would probably count.
After all, Werewolves drop Yellow Stones.
News soon broke that the Platinum Slayer would personally join the Full Moon Werewolf Slaying Operation.
Recently, the name Platinum Slayer had become the most frequently mentioned in the country.
He had slain the Cyclops, blocked the Monster Wave, and was the first to discover and hunt a Werewolf.
The truth was far less dramatic, but to the public, Hyunseok had become the symbol of hope through his fierce duels and supposed self-sacrifice.
<The Self-Sacrificing Superhero — Platinum Slayer’s Full Moon Challenge!>
<Platinum Slayer Draws His Blade for the Public Good!>
In reality, he never used a blade. Hyunseok fought with his fists.
And he definitely wasn’t acting out of noble self-sacrifice.
He simply understood the system now, how to exploit it.
If we handle a certain number within a certain time, it’ll count as an achievement. Plus, Yellow Stones drop. The others will gain experience too.
Still, he couldn’t just take the Inha Guild into danger unprepared.
Hyunseok contacted the Union.
“We’ll hunt Werewolves, but... I have something in mind. I’ll need your help setting it up.”
It was a safety measure, a method Hyunseok had devised to hunt Werewolves strong enough to drop Yellow Stones.
❋ ❋ ❋
Among the roughly 10,000 Slayers in Korea, about one percent, roughly a hundred, were Gold Rank under the Union’s internal grading system.
They were the elite among elites.
And among them were guilds composed entirely of Gold-ranked Slayers.
The best-known example: Gangnam Style.
It was nearly impossible to form a guild made solely of such top-tier members. The income distribution would be impossible to balance. Those Slayers were all capable of earning far more elsewhere.
For example, if clearing a dungeon yielded 100 Green Stones, in Gangnam Style, each might get only 5. In other guilds with mixed ranks, they could easily earn 10, since the loot was distributed based on contribution.
To compensate, Gangnam Style (like Hanjin’s I’UET) adopted a multi-guild system, allowing members to form temporary raid parties outside their main guild.
Even so, Gangnam Style remained Korea’s strongest single guild in terms of raw power, just behind the Platinum Slayer himself.
Its guild master, Kim Sangho, spoke.
“Sunghyung, I need to talk.”
Kim Sangho was an offensive-type Slayer, a balanced warrior with high Strength and Agility. He’d known Sunghyung since the Five Great Guilds era, back when Sunghyung was vice-leader of I’UET and Sangho was its guild master.
“Can we join the operation too?”
“You mean… the Werewolf Slaying?”
“Yeah. Even if they’ve gotten stronger, Gangnam Style can handle it. Seven Werewolves shouldn’t be a problem…”
He paused, then continued.
“No, honestly, maybe not just us. But if we gather enough Gold Slayers, we can ensure a safe slay.”
Typically, around seven Werewolves appeared in one region.
Sangho’s logic was that a hundred Gold Slayers together could handle them easily.
The Korean Union agreed, and the media went wild.
<Platinum Slayer vs. 100 Gold Slayers!>
<Mt. Bukhan vs. Mt. Yeogang — A Clash of Titans!>
<Stronger Werewolves, Greater Yellow Stone Rewards!>
Jongwon snorted.
“Pfft, what a joke. Even if a hundred Gold Slayers gather, they’re no match for us!”
Then he made eye contact with Myunghoon, who spat mockingly at the ground (well, almost).
“Fine, fine! Not us, okay? Hyunseok. They’re no match for Hyunseok!”
Myunghoon nodded, satisfied. Jongwon grumbled.
“Man, can’t even brag for once. Let me have my moment!”
Myunghoon replied firmly.
“Brag when it’s earned. Hyunseok’s the real deal. He’s the cheat code here.”
❋ ❋ ❋
Night fell.
Only the Inha Guild was present. For safety, the area was completely restricted, with engineers setting up floodlights to ensure visibility.
Minseo and Pyeonghwa stood in front of a seven-meter wall charged with high voltage, a barrier Hyunseok had personally requested from the Union to prevent rear attacks.
Yeonsu stood guard in front of them. Myunghoon looked like he wanted to take her spot, but Jongwon dragged him away.
Myunghoon whined dramatically.
“Minseo! You’re a buffer, right? You should practice your Barrier skill! Maybe if you yell ‘Barrier! Barrier!’ enough times, it’ll work!”
“That’s ridiculous!”
“Nothing’s impossible! Just shout it a thousand times a day! When the Barrier finally forms, I’m hiding behind you. I’m too scared. I deserve protection.”
Jongwon smacked him on the head.
“Quit your nonsense. We’re starting the lure.”
Hyunseok looked around once more and activated the device.
After about twenty minutes, howls began echoing from the forest.
The machine was working perfectly.
“They’re Yellow Stone droppers. Stay sharp.”
Jongwon and Myunghoon dropped their jokes immediately. It was time.
The Werewolves had once caused numerous deaths during full moons.
They were the only field monsters known to drop Yellow Stones.
No one knew just how powerful these ones would be, but one thing was certain:
Even if they were weaker than Hyunseok, they would still be dangerous.
(End of Chapter 61)
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— Translated by Prime Works —