Chapter 63
Chapter 63
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 63
Chapter Title: The Frost Mine (3)
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[Activating God's Emergency Production using 11 Cold Iron ores.]
[The amount of ore is excessive for crafting a sword.]
Hyun-soo's stomach churned. A whopping eleven pieces of Cold Iron were worth 660,000 won.
‘The more materials a consumable item burns through, the greater its effect will be. But if you exceed the appropriate amount, some of the ore will just go to waste.’
His blacksmithing knowledge stirred. Hyun-soo needed a single, powerful strike.
And a weapon came to mind. A greatsword.
Greatswords required two to three times more ore than a standard sword. And greatswords and longswords each had distinct advantages and disadvantages.
Greatswords were large and heavy, making them cumbersome to swing and restricting movement.
Longswords, on the other hand, were easier to handle, allowing for at least two swings in the time it took to swing a greatsword once.
But the greatsword’s destructive power was proportionally greater.
‘A normal longsword can’t cleave through anything in a single blow.’
However, a greatsword was thick, and its blade could be made exceptionally sharp. That gave it the power to slice an enemy in two instantly.
The weapon capable of wielding the most power. And a weapon that could contain all eleven pieces of Cold Iron.
The moment he grasped the completed greatsword, a notification appeared.
[Effect Application Rate: 86%.]
[Grade: Epic.]
In creating this greatsword, Hyun-soo had aimed for a single, powerful swing and high ice-property skill damage.
The eleven pieces of Cold Iron, imbued with chilling energy, held more than enough power.
Hyun-soo gripped it with both hands, drew it back, and swung.
[Storm of Frost.]
[Rapidly freezes all enemies within a 13m radius.]
[An additional 310% damage is applied, inducing the Supercooling effect.]
Clanggg—
Hundreds of shattered fragments of the greatsword fell to the ground.
[The Greatsword of Frost has been destroyed.]
The stone wolf that had been about to sink its teeth into his neck froze and dropped to the ground.
Crrraaaack—
Hyun-soo saw that the thirty or so monsters, stretching all the way to the entrance, had stopped moving.
Anyone else would have thought they were merely stunned.
Rek, realizing it was due to supercooling, was horrified.
“Y-You, what in the world…? Get back, now.”
This was the moment.
He had to escape while the creatures were frozen.
The monsters that had packed the entrance were now frozen solid.
Those outside the radius were struggling to push their way in from deeper inside.
But Hyun-soo took out the giant hammer from his inventory.
He knew about the supercooling phenomenon.
When the speed of water molecules can’t keep up with the rate of freezing, the water appears liquid but is actually frozen.
‘Even the slightest impact will make it freeze solid.’
Hyun-soo took a few steps. And with all his might, he lifted the hammer and slammed it onto the ground.
Boom—!
Krrrr-crack-crack-crack—!
The monsters that hadn't been frozen instantly turned to ice.
The creatures, now stone-like, cold ice statues…
Crrraaaack—
Cracks began to spread across their surfaces before they shattered completely, scattering across the floor.
Clatter, clatter, clatter—
Dozens of ice statues crumbled to the ground.
[2x Experience is currently applied.]
[You have acquired 23,513 EXP.]
[You have leveled up.]
[You have leveled up.]
[You have leveled up.]
He gained five levels at once. And right now, not only Hyun-soo’s EXP gain but also his drop rate was doubled.
[You have acquired 111 Gold.]
[You have acquired 36 Iron Ores.]
[You have acquired 7 Cold Iron ores.]
The bodies of the mine monsters had been embedded with Cold Iron and Iron Ore, which Hyun-soo acquired upon hunting them.
However, they didn't drop any other miscellaneous items.
“Kraaaaaaahk!”
“Grrrrrrrk!”
The frozen monsters in front of Entrance 11 had formed a shield wall, preventing the creatures behind them from pouring out.
But as they collapsed, the mob of monsters they had been holding back flooded forward.
There were roughly twenty of them.
‘There must be a lot more inside.’
[Number of living miners: 96.]
[The reward will vary based on the number of surviving miners.]
[Please save the miners.]
“Get in there!”
“Swing those pickaxes faster!”
“Bern, are you in there!? Just hang on a little longer!”
Hyun-soo understood how the miners felt. Their loved ones were trapped, and they thought they might be able to save them.
Just as Hyun-soo himself had rushed into the smithy, knowing he could die.
‘I want to save them.’
He wanted every single one of them to live, for not a single one to die.
He wanted this mine to be bustling with life again.
Watching the monsters pour out of the dungeon entrance, Hyun-soo began to run.
‘I know how to do it.’
A way to ensure not a single miner died.
As Hyun-soo sprinted, the hammer at his side was swapped for the Damascus Longsword.
[Cutting Power against stone increased by 170%.]
[Durability loss against stone reduced by 70%.]
Hyun-soo’s eyes glinted as he charged toward the monsters.
‘The way is to kill every single monster.’
For the first time, a skill activated from the charging Hyun-soo.
The ultimate swordsmanship, taught to him by Sword King Barad himself.
[Aura of the Beast.]
[For 1 minute, Physical Attack Power increases by 22%, Cutting Power by 25%, and Piercing Power by 30%.]
The stone mine orc warrior leading the charge to kill Hyun-soo smirked.
It was laughable that he was charging in all alone.
With intelligence comparable to a normal orc, he instinctively knew the gap between himself and Hyun-soo.
It was a difference in level, which the orc warrior perceived as a difference in strength.
And yet this weakling dared to block them by himself?
He was almost upon him. It was time to take the fool’s head…
[Killing Intent is applied.]
The orc warrior couldn’t move. The moment he met the sharp gaze of the man he’d considered a mere fledgling…
His legs trembled, and a cold sweat ran down his back.
[The status effect, Killing Intent, is applied even if you are more than 50 levels higher.]
[Some enemies lose their will to fight and tremble in fear.]
The man who had charged in swung his sword to cut him down.
The orc warrior trusted in his hard, stone body.
He was made of stone harder than that of ordinary orc warriors, so he wouldn’t be cut so easi—
Sliiiice—
Thud—
The orc warrior looked down at his arm, which had fallen to the ground with pathetic ease.
What?
And when he looked to the side…
Shwwwiiing, slice, shwick, shlack!
All the stone monsters were being cut down.
It was a bizarre sight that defied common sense.
The man, single-handedly holding back the flood of monsters at the entrance, locked eyes with a giant troll approaching him.
The troll was one of the stronger ones in this mob.
Although it was made of stone and couldn't regenerate, its level was high, around 110, and it possessed immense strength and high HP.
And yet…
“Sword of Raging Waves.”
His sword pierced the troll’s heart with perfect accuracy.
[Sword of Raging Waves]
[Deals 100% additional damage on attack. Successful critical spot attacks deal 140% additional damage.]
[3% chance to apply 200% damage.]
[The 3% chance has been triggered.]
Fwoooosh—!
The thrust of his sword completely obliterated the troll’s chest.
What did I just see?
Still frozen by the killing intent, the one-armed orc could only watch the man’s back.
It was strange.
The orc warrior was a warrior. He understood skill. Humans, at best, displayed swordsmanship only slightly better than his own kind.
But this was different.
Watching the swordsmanship he displayed, the orc warrior’s feet, which had been about to move to attack, froze in place.
Ten monsters attempted a simultaneous pincer attack.
Viiiiing—
Just then, an unknown sound echoed through the mine.
The sound was clear and pure.
Would tapping the flat of a masterwork blade with a finger produce such a sound?
[Sword's Cry]
[All senses of those identified as enemies within a 20m radius are paralyzed for 3 seconds.]
For a moment, the orc warrior’s soul was captivated by that beautiful sound.
The other monsters were the same.
The ones that had been roaring, the ones that had been charging with all their might, all stopped to listen, mesmerized.
[Indiscriminately slashes all identified enemies with 190% additional damage.]
[Even without a direct strike, any enemy within a 20m radius will be cut, and all defense is ignored.]
As he was entranced by the sword’s cry, the orc warrior snapped back to his senses.
Krrrr-crack-crack-crack—!
Dozens of his comrades were being indiscriminately slashed by an unknown force.
The monsters, cut into multiple pieces, were falling to the ground with a clatter.
And then he realized.
He, too, was one of them.
The orc warrior’s vision faded to black.
Through his darkening sight, he saw the back of the man heading deeper inside.
Before he died, the orc warrior had a final thought.
‘That swordsmanship and that sword are truly incredible. Or is it… is the man himself just that incredible?’
And then he met his end.
***
[You have cleared the Mine Dungeon.]
Hyun-soo had overcome several near-death situations to kill every monster inside Mine 11.
Fortunately, the mine dungeon had no boss monster, and Hyun-soo had potions.
‘I would’ve died long ago without potions. They said one hour, right?’
The miners had said they could be rescued if they got to them within an hour.
That some kind of magic was imbued in the area, so even if the ceiling collapsed, they could be saved within that time frame.
Soon, a notification popped up.
[Sudden Quest: Save the Miners - Complete]
[All 96 miners have survived.]
[You have completed a new episode with a Wondrous Achievement.]
[You can receive a reward for your Wondrous Achievement from Mine Foreman Rek.]
‘Everyone was rescued safely.’
Because Hyun-soo had exterminated all the monsters, there wasn't a single casualty.
‘Should I head out?’
Hyun-soo started walking toward the dungeon exit. Thanks to his natural healing and potions, his HP was almost fully restored.
Then, seeing a light at the end of the dungeon, Hyun-soo had a good idea.
‘What will the miners give me?’
Since they were miners, they would obviously give him ore.
Hyun-soo had just thought of a way to maximize that reward.
‘This should be fine, right?’
Hyun-soo knew this method would stir their hearts.
It was possible because of the game’s high degree of freedom.
Hyun-soo decided he was justified in doing this.
He had saved all of them and was more than deserving of a greater reward.
Instead of leaving the mine, he waited for the miners.
***
Rek and the miners cheered.
“We saved every last one! Not a single person died!”
“Everyone did great! You were all amazing!”
They were overcome with the joy of having rescued their colleagues. Rek hugged them in celebration, then looked around.
‘Where is he…?’
Hyun-soo. He was nowhere to be seen. Then Rek remembered him heading into Mine 11.
“This is no time to celebrate. We have to see if he’s safe.”
Rek, along with about ninety-five miners, started to enter Mine 11.
As they walked, Rek explained.
“Do you know why none of us died? He went in here alone. It must have been to stop the monsters from attacking us.”
“N-No way…”
“Is that why we all survived?”
The miners and Rek quickened their pace. Then, Rek’s heart sank.
Hyun-soo was leaning against a wall, covered in blood.
All the miners rushed toward him, who looked so frail he might stop breathing at any moment.
“Haa… haa…”
Hearing his faint breaths, Rek’s chest tightened.
Hyun-soo looked like he would die if someone so much as tapped him.
Rek knelt down.
“…Why did you do something so reckless? Why did you go this far?”
He seemed not to hear his voice, his expression vacant.
When Rek gripped his shoulder and shook him, focus returned to Hyun-soo’s eyes.
He smiled faintly and spoke in a voice that sounded like he was dying.
“I wanted every miner to live.”
“……!”
The miners were at a loss for words.
Just as they were thinking how foolishly noble this faintly smiling young man was…
The smile on his lips slowly faded.
Thump—
His hand dropped limply, and he passed out.
Rek knew, thankfully, that he wasn't dead.
He pulled him into a tight embrace and cried with all his might.
“…I will never forget your kindness. Hyun-soo the blacksmith! I will never forget you for the rest of my life!”
[Mine Foreman Rek and the 95 miners will never forget you.]