Chapter 18
Chapter 18
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 18
Chapter Title: Chapter 5 K(2)
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My body was forged with over a thousand mana.
Climbing the cliff was a piece of cake.
I didn’t even need to grab on with my hands—just step on the protruding rocks and leap upward.
“Caaak!”
As expected, once I started closing the distance, it flicked out its tongue.
Sensing it hurtling straight toward me.
With my senses expanded, I quickly jerked my head aside and seized the tongue.
“Hup!”
I gritted my teeth, tensed every muscle, and swung my arm.
There was some resistance, but nothing I couldn’t overcome.
My bulging muscles sent the monster on the cliff above flying into the air with a whoosh.
I planned to slam it straight into the ground.
“Ugh!”
But while it plummeted down the cliff, something unexpected happened.
Two more tongues shot out from its gaping maw.
The one from the promotion exam had a split tip but a single root.
This bastard had three roots from the base!
I let go of the cliff entirely and grabbed another tongue, and my body began to drop.
In that moment, the remaining tongue wrapped around my waist.
We were both falling, but I hit the ground first since I’d been lower.
I’d just drawn my longsword to slice the tongue around my waist when.
It swiftly released me and retracted its tongue.
‘Like a whip.’
Right after, it landed steadily beside the ravine.
Facing it head-on made the differences from the previous monster even clearer.
The one from the promotion exam had been around 170 or 180 cm tall—about my size or a bit shorter.
But this one towering before me was easily over two meters.
And the differences weren’t just in build.
Its bristly fur was patchy white in places, with sunken spots.
More of its claws on hands and feet were broken than intact.
Its limbs looked somehow gaunt.
On top of that, half its face was torn away, and one eye socket gaped empty.
Incredibly, it looked like a battered survivor of defeat.
Or maybe just aged and decrepit.
I was confused by how different it was from the monsters I knew, but that was it.
I gathered my mana, preparing for battle.
At the same time, it crooked a finger at me. As if to say, come at me.
‘This fucker.’
It was clearly mocking me.
I ground my teeth and charged forward.
The monster stepped in and swung its arm.
‘Spear arts first.’
I shook the spear tip in a small circle.
Its hand couldn’t block the blade and slid down the shaft.
My arm and spear gave me superior reach.
I thrust straight for its chest.
‘Kill it in one go!’
Then, with a soft thunk, the tip touched its torso—and silence fell.
‘What……?’
Not a squelch, but a thunk.
I stared wide-eyed at the scene before me.
I’d put my all into the thrust, yet the blade hadn’t pierced its hide.
“Heh heh.”
A sinister chuckle seemed to echo.
Right then, the monster gripped the spear shaft with both hands.
I hurriedly stored the spear in my inventory.
“Caaak!”
It closed the gap in an instant, jaws splitting wide.
From within, three writhing tentacles—its tongues—lashed out.
They were all different lengths. In a flash, one seized my throat.
“Hup!”
My body lifted into the air, then plummeted straight down.
I desperately swung my longsword, severing the tongue.
Black blood sprayed, and a howl followed.
I escaped its grasp, but I couldn’t avoid crashing into the ground.
“Keuk!”
Boom.
The impact roared unbelievably loud.
There was pain, but the shock wasn’t severe.
I’d coated my back with mana just in time.
Right away, I grabbed the nearest tongue and kicked out.
My heel smashed into the jaw of the monster bending to grab me.
“Gurk!”
Its head snapped back, and I ripped one tongue clean out.
All that ground fighting from MMA had paid off.
My body moved on instinct the moment danger hit, so I avoided being caught.
While it staggered from the shock, I rolled across the ground.
At the same time, I flung the ripped tongue aside.
“Ptoo.”
I spat, and it came out bloody.
‘Nothing like sparring with the gym coaches.’
Over the past three months, facing the gym’s head trainers had felt like playing with kids.
My body had long surpassed human limits.
‘Dodging bullets off a cliff in a few steps? Piece of cake.’
I hadn’t tried it, but with this reaction speed, I could probably dodge gunfire.
Just move out of the line of fire the instant the finger twitches.
The body remade with mana was that extraordinary.
Yet this monster matched my physical prowess.
That alone was enough to keep me tense, but those wildly flailing tongues in midair pissed me off a bit.
I couldn’t predict where they’d strike next, fraying my nerves.
‘Neutralize those tongues first to stop getting dragged around.’
To ease close-range pressure, I had to deal with them.
“Caaaak!”
The cocky bastard that had mocked me now roared.
But it didn’t charge first.
It seemed to be analyzing my strength, mulling its options.
‘Definitely because it’s level 2.’
I’d thought the entry limit was due to similar second digits but higher difficulty.
But the monsters inside were a notch different too.
This one was trickier than the promotion exam’s.
Couldn’t even pierce its hide with a blade.
But.
‘I can kill it.’
Annoying, but not impossible.
The standoff as we sized each other up didn’t last.
This time, it moved first.
I charged right back, refusing to yield.
First came the tongue, as expected.
I tilted my head to dodge the one spearing for me.
Then I grabbed the tongue that grazed my face and sliced it again.
Didn’t rip it out by the root, but shortened it.
At the same time, another whipped down like a lash from the side!
Then a hand whooshed in, menacingly targeting my gut.
I ignored the tongue, twisted my waist to evade the hand.
Clamping its arm under mine, I expanded my senses.
「Sensory Expansion activated.」
In slowed time, I saw its movements.
Gritting my teeth, I reached out and seized the base of the tongue protruding from its maw with one hand.
Drew my longsword and slashed—black blood sprayed.
I’d closed too tight, but I could do this!
As it howled and swung down, I kicked the hand away and drew my dagger.
Our eyes met for a split second.
Red eye held dismay; my copper one, thrill.
Its other hand clamped my head like it’d crush it—right as my red-misted dagger pierced its jaw clean through.
So deep only the hilt showed.
“Kek……!”
A gurgling death rattle.
Not satisfied, I twisted the dagger in its jaw with all my might.
Crack.
The pierced hide split, jawbone popping out sideways.
Black blood gushed, body crumpling.
I drew my longsword again and drove it into its skull.
The red-misted blade punched through the cranium deep into the earth.
Our blows—hand strikes, kicks—flashed in blinks; the fight barely lasted a minute or two after clash.
“Uwaaaah!”
Right after it ended, a shout burst from me unbidden.
I’d done it—killed a bigger bastard than the promotion exam’s without major injury!
Months of effort rewarded—shivers ran through me.
But they vanished in an instant.
「Successfully eliminated the enemy.」
「Contaminated mana 16 collected.」
「Contaminated mana 65 absorbed.」
The familiar yet alien messages.
“Krgh!”
The long-forgotten pain forced my teeth to grind.
Experience kept me from collapsing, though.
Once absorption ended, I started Purification and opened the message window.
A curse rose to my throat.
「Contaminated mana 16 collected.」
No such message in beta.
Now it blared plain as day.
What did that mean?
The System couldn’t take mana from me during the promotion exam.
So it switched to skimming before absorption.
It stole the 16 that should’ve been mine.
“This……!”
Rage choked my words.
Total mana gained: 81 simple addition.
16 was a full 20% snatched.
Just 16 now, but more kills meant more theft.
“Uwaaak!”
Screaming beside the corpse didn’t help.
Contaminated mana’s effects restarting.
I panted raggedly for a while.
But I couldn’t dwell.
I swallowed fury, spun Purification.
Retrieved the dagger in its jaw and spear a few steps away.
Weapons secured, time for Mana Detection.
Range narrow now, but use builds proficiency.
Making butterflies again brought curses.
“Damn.”
Two massive mana clumps approaching.
Gripping my spear tight, teeth clenched.
‘I can do this.’
Last fight proved it.
Stronger body than promotion exam, plus three months grinding training.
I win, no question.
‘Six more to go.’
Kill the rest, get Attribute Mana.
That’s all I’d think now.
“Come on, you bastards.”
“Caaaak!”
My mutter barely ended when a new monster dropped from the cliff.
* * *
“Ugh…….”
After endless fights, I slumped beside the monster corpses.
Started with two charging, but another joined mid-kill; combat with them brought a fourth.
Ended up bagging five in the ravine.
A wild hit grazed my side—breathing felt like knife stabs.
One bit my calf mid-fight, tearing muscle slightly.
‘Thought it’d be easier.’
Couldn’t dodge every injury.
But instead of rest, I moved to check spoils.
Crawling over corpses to the gold bars and gems pile.
‘Before more come.’
Opening inventory for backpack, hands frantic.
‘I’ll take you no matter what.’
Even if I have to fight the System.
Shoving gold into empty slots, lips twitched.
Spoils gathered, I opened the shop.
Bought a bundle of 10 potions for 150 mana.
‘Let’s see the effect.’
Finger-sized clear vial held red liquid.
Uncapped, gulped a mouthful—innards heated up.
Warmth spread from heart through veins, body-wide.
Pain ebbed slowly but surely.
“Whew…….”
Leg wound clotting visibly reduced bleeding.
Poured another on it—flesh knit agonizingly slow.
No miracle cure, but solid as recovery item.
‘Mana recovers too.’
Not just flesh; mana regenerating faster than normal.
Bandaged leg wound tight with backpack gauze, then stood.
No hesitation climbing cliff back to forest.
Rocks everywhere slowed going.
Nonstop Purification dropped Chaos Value to 10%.
Seems productive.
Not quite.
‘Where are the last two?’
Wandered everywhere—no sign.
“Ha.”
Sighed, dropped the backpack I’d kept slung since inventory.
Plopped on nearby rock—fatigue crashed in.
Mission total: seven monsters.
No watch anymore, but felt like two-three hours passed.
‘Does it normally take this long?’
Or because I’m soloing a five-man mission?
Sighed repeatedly, rummaged backpack.
Violent action left me starving.
Good thing I packed food.
Otherwise, facing remnants hungry.
Pulled bread loaves, canned drinks.
Body changed, appetite ballooned—packed varieties.
Chewing, thoughts branched wild.
‘At this rate, plan for days.’
Level 3 missions jump to triple-digit monsters.
Might not wrap in a day or two.
“Tch.”
Munching bread, I clicked tongue.
‘Rest first.’
Stamina soared, but first fights too fierce—exhausted.
Not body; mind weary. Floated butterflies up, flopped back.
Never dreamed I’d spot a sharp blade to my right cheek then.
Damn System