Chapter 17
Chapter 17
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 17
Chapter Title: Chapter 5 K(1)
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Toma had lived his entire life in a quiet fishing village in the Philippines.
Tired of the repetitive daily grind of fishing, he had always dreamed of breaking free.
He wanted to head to the city and live a better life.
But about three months ago, Toma realized just how peaceful and happy his life had been up until then.
Toma let out a sigh as he quietly scrolled through the community.
‘Everyone’s so quiet.’
It had only been ten days since the three-month grace period ended and the game restarted.
Already, six people had died.
Everyone seemed terrified because of it.
No one had challenged a mission since, and the community—which had been buzzing with back-and-forth discussions—had gone completely silent.
Toma was just as scared.
‘Eight thousand…….’
Even with no one taking them on, there were so many missions you couldn’t even take them all in at a glance.
Every time he looked at that list, his breath caught in his throat.
The thought that some stranger down there had died made his stomach churn.
Suddenly recalling the tutorial, Toma shuddered.
He would never forget the sensation of a lion’s molars tearing through his gut and devouring his insides.
Before he knew it, his back was drenched in cold sweat.
He wiped his face with trembling hands and sighed.
Despite waking from nightmares every single day for the past three months, nothing had gotten any better.
‘Of course it’s quiet.’
Truth be told, it wasn’t strange that everyone had started ignoring the game like they’d made a pact.
‘Who’d want to die?’
Toma scrolled down the mission window with a complicated expression.
It didn’t mean anything special.
Just a habitual, unconscious motion.
“……Huh?”
He never imagined he’d spot something off at the end of that mindless scroll.
Toma froze mid-scroll and rubbed his eyes hard.
He figured he must’ve seen it wrong at first.
But no matter how many times he looked again, the number right there didn’t change.
「02-07(1/5)」
Just like two days ago, the mission number had gone bold.
Meaning someone had started it.
The shock hit him twice.
First, that someone was challenging a mission again.
Second, that it wasn’t a 01, but a 02.
‘A level 2 mission?’
The community consensus so far was that the leading number indicated difficulty.
And now, in that context, a 02 mission had gone bold.
Toma stared blankly at the mission window for a moment before frantically posting to the community.
「Title: Looks like someone just entered a level 2 mission.
Content: Exactly like the title. Didn’t see that wrong, right?」
Even in the tense mood, was everyone glued to the community?
Comments flooded in at a speed that made the prior silence unbelievable.
- Entered again?
- Attention whore.
- It’s real. Insane. Isn’t level 2 still locked?
- Suicidal? Why go in there?
- Solo this time?
- Let ’em. Seems dead set on dying. No reason to stop.
The community erupted in chaos instantly.
* * *
「Barrier activates.」
「Hole opens.」
「Entering mission area.」
「This location is not a player protection zone.」
First mission area in three months since the promotion exam.
I was a little tense, but not afraid.
I trusted the work I’d put in during that time.
I quickly skimmed the mission details.
MISSION
[02-07(1/5)]
Eliminate the enemies. (0/7)
[Rewards]
Choose one of the following.
• Mana 40
• Attribute Mana 20
‘Attribute Mana.’
I spotted the number in the mission window and my eyes gleamed.
If I snagged that 20 Attribute Mana this time, I might finally use the attribute stone.
If 50 really was the bare minimum to sense mana, it’d work for sure.
‘Assuming I clear this mission.’
Deep breath in, then I scanned the whole window.
Skipped the level 1s because of the mana threshold message.
Higher level meant it could be tougher.
But entry based on mana? This should be doable for me now.
Level 2’s setup wasn’t all that different, thankfully.
Same simple, straightforward game rule.
Kill monsters, absorb mana.
Even the white wall blotting out the sky matched the promotion exam.
Only terrain had changed.
‘Cliff…… canyon?’
Steep drop right beside me.
Leaned out a bit, peered down—rough river raging between deep gorges.
Nothing like the promotion exam terrain.
That one had enough trees and grass for “forest,” but slopes were mild.
Gentle inclines at worst.
‘Different map per mission?’
Quick scan of the surroundings, then I turned my back to the cliff.
‘Yeah.’
Hard to call it the same zone.
No straight-row trees like that in the promotion exam area.
Everything twisted, tangled, uneven heights. Real lush overgrowth.
Didn’t need botany expertise to know this was a whole different place.
Air wasn’t stifling hot either—just comfortably cool.
Glanced around a bit, then extended my hand forward.
‘Recon first.’
Red mana rose from my palm like smoke.
Focused on mana operation—the wobbly mana took shape.
“Hoo.”
Soon, a butterfly fluttered into being amid the pooled red mana, wings flapping.
「Mana detection begins.」
Bought this guy for 400 mana in the skill tab.
Shop voucher? Saving it.
Warning under it.
Free purchase limit with voucher: five times my mana holdings.
‘What kinda free voucher is that.’
System didn’t get “free” at all.
Resentment bubbled up toward it today too, but no outlet.
Cursed it in my head, but didn’t touch the voucher.
Wasn’t for cheap stuff like mana detection.
More mana meant pricier skills, weapons down the line.
Quick peek at the voucher in storage, then status window.
Double-checked mana detection info.
[Mana Detection lv.1(5.89%)]
• Type: Permanent Skill
• Description: Detects mana within the medium’s activity range.
- Detection Range: 300m from medium
- Activity Range: 10m from caster
Skill showed level and proficiency—detected mana, plain and simple.
Butterfly’s view? Pure mana world.
Rippling smoke, shimmering glows everywhere.
Not seeing with eyes, just sensing.
Out of activity range, mana scatters—can’t hold. Guessed levels upped range.
‘Let’s move.’
Sent the butterfly ahead, followed it.
First time learning this skill? Felt worse than thought.
Knowledge jammed into brain like force-fed—nausea city, two days of headaches.
But now? That alien info owned space in my head.
Sucked at the time, but buying it gave me hope.
‘Skill tab’s still stocked.’
Most too pricey for now.
More mana gathered, more skills unlocked.
Endless potential.
Pondered must-buy skills post-mana grind as I advanced.
Butterfly picked up ambient mana everywhere.
Scattered dots, faint hues, tiny—plant mana.
‘Grab some monsters, then harvest these too.’
Brought all the essentials.
Curious how much I’d haul.
Five minutes of mana-focused trekking.
‘Too damn quiet.’
No monster shadows.
Butterfly’s mana reads? All small fry.
‘Deeper in?’
Walking cliff-top along the canyon now.
Sense said no beasts hugging cliffs.
Forest dive better for monsters?
Turned to redirect—
“Huh?”
Unconscious downward glance locked on.
Something weird amid bushes, moss, big rocks.
‘No way.’
Blinked, froze—then crouched low by cliff edge, scanned for descent.
No real path, so jumped.
Body upgrades? Tested plenty. Confident.
50-60 meter drop? Three, four steps to valley floor.
Right after, past the roaring muddy torrent—
Gulp.
Swallowed hard on instinct.
Cliff-top maybe? Down here, near certain.
No hesitation—into the water.
Splash splash.
Chest-deep, opposite bank in seconds.
Arrival spot: bushes blocking view, littered with splintered wood.
Crushed, rotting chunks dwarfed by looming boulders.
But not rocks or plants grabbing my eyes.
Shoved torso-sized rock aside one-handed.
“Holy shit!”
Exclamation half-curse slipped out.
No illusion.
“Gold!”
Rock-smashed, but gold for sure.
Face burned red with hype.
Scrambled to clear brush, rocks.
First nugget, plus glittering jewel necklaces, rings—out they came.
Piled ’em neat.
Midway, spotted real weird in dirt-gravel mix.
‘This…….’
Coin. Gold coin.
Triple a 500-won piece size.
One side: updone hair woman. Other: roaring beast crest.
Lion-ish? Bear-ish?
Stared silent at it awhile.
‘England? France? Western currency vibe…….’
Past nation with coins like this?
High school dropout walled off world history—no clue.
Knowledge gap aside, unease hit hard.
Inscriptions too damn refined.
That era’s tech this precise?
Excitement cooled, confusion crashed in.
Never-seen monsters, bizarre coins.
Muddied my brain.
Hands kept digging regardless.
Scored more: bars, baubles, coins—then fresh finds.
Rotten, cracked wood.
Shape screamed.
“Wheel?”
Crescent-broken, but wheel clear.
Wood-only half, no rubber.
Intact? Mid-size car tire scale.
Fiddled with it, deep in thought.
Random gold-jewel scatter.
Planks, wheels all around.
Switched gazes between, looked up.
Valley descent scout butterfly visible.
Flap flap.
Past light wings, cliff edge.
‘Fell from there……?’
Question sparked—body jolted.
Detection range: sudden mana blob.
Plant-comparable? No. Thick, huge.
Not haze-rise—blazing fireball.
Got it—leaped.
Snatched ground-dig spear.
Crunch, crrrunch—hair-raising sounds, heavy thuds.
Not drowned by water roar—closing in.
Head up quick—yep.
Black-furred head popped over cliff.
“Grrr.”
Fox-point ears, jutted muzzle, down-thrust fangs x4.
Promotion exam monster match.
‘Bigger size?’
That one immature, then. Monster stared down from cliff.
Chewed red gore lump in paw—crunch, breaks.
Beast gnawing bone prey?
Canceled detection, craned neck, locked eyes.
It wasn’t budging first.
Fine. My move.
Ranged patterns? Obvious.
‘Tongue whip tops, or leap.’
Blockable.
Unexpected? Wouldn’t fold easy.
Kicked ground, vaulted cliff.