Chapter 11
Chapter 11
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 11
Chapter Title: Level Up!
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✨ LEVEL UP! ✨ ‘Fuckin’ indecisive bastards. This is taking forever. Should I just warp in and kill them all?’
While I quietly debated killing them in my head, Cheol-su finished their discussion and walked over to me.
“Alright. We’ll stick together until we find your bag. But don’t become a burden.”
“Thank you! Thank you so much!”
I flashed a wide grin and joined the party.
‘You lucky sons of bitches.’
And with that, we began hunting goblins together. I kept up my act of flailing around with my level 1 stats.
“Ugh! Ah, missed again!”
My dagger swings kept whiffing, and I rolled around dodging goblin attacks.
Truth be told, it wasn’t entirely an act.
‘Fuck my mom! This feels like I reincarnated in some primordial village.’
That was when it happened.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ [Level up!] Suddenly, yellow text floated above my head.
I put on the most surprised face I could muster. I was a little genuinely startled, too.
“Huh? Wh-what’s this?”
At my exaggerated reaction, Cheol-su and Yeong-su visibly relaxed.
“It’s a level up. First time for you?”
“Yeah! I’ve never seen anything like this…”
“Makes sense. It’d be tough hunting monsters solo. For reference, I’m level 4, and Yeong-su’s level 3.”
Cheol-su bragged. Apparently, Im Ji-hye was still level 1.
‘They gained that much from just a few goblins?’
Listening to their levels, I pondered the Tower’s system again. It seemed to distribute experience based on contribution to monster kills.
The funny part? Points were a dirty last-hit monopoly, separate from experience.
Goblins dropped just 1-3 points each. Fight your ass off in a group, but no finishing blow? Zero points.
The Tower cleverly encouraged competition and betrayal among summoners this way.
‘So killing people gives more points, but no other real perks?’
Playing the naive newbie, I asked them.
“What do you get from leveling up? Do you assign stats or something?”
“Obviously. I dumped everything into strength. Real men need power.”
“Agility for me. Gotta be fast to survive.”
Cheol-su strength, Yeong-su agility. Good info.
I decided to hold onto my points without assigning stats. I’d seen consumables like ‘Low-Grade Strength Elixir’ going for 10,000 points in the shop.
Better to buy multiple pieces of stat-boosting gear with that.
‘Plus, stats can rise through training sometimes.’
The catch was they rarely budged without insane effort, but with this badass level-up system, training held promise.
Continuing the hunt, I deliberately looked out for Im Ji-hye.
“Ji-hye, you okay? Don’t be scared. We’ve got you.”
“...Yeah.”
Her short reply came with slightly eased wariness.
From chatting, I learned they were all business majors from the same university.
‘No wonder they suck at combat.’
Time passed, night deepened. We set up camp in a forest clearing—basically just a campfire and crashing on the dirt.
Time to fill today’s quota.
For reference, watch order: Yeong-su, Cheol-su, me, then Im Ji-hye last.
‘They stuck me right before the girl? These fuckers?’
Decision made. Process these conscienceless pricks tonight. I never planned to spare them anyway.
Yeong-su, first watch, sat blankly by the fire. I sidled up casually.
“Yeong-su, you smoke?”
“Smoke? How’d you get cigarettes here?”
“Got lucky and looted a few.”
I pulled a convenience store cig from my inventory and handed it over.
Yeong-su’s eyes bulged. In this world, smokes were luxury beyond food. Shops didn’t sell them, no substitutes either.
‘Hook, line, and sinker with bait like this.’
“Whoa, fuck… for real? Thanks!”
“Got a light?”
“Nah…”
“Light it off the fire. Let’s smoke over there. Don’t wanna bother Ji-hye.”
I smoothly lured him to the dark shadows beyond the firelight.
Yeong-su followed without suspicion.
He stuck the cig in his mouth, lit a twig, and brought it to the tip.
As he inhaled deeply on his first drag—
I drew my dagger from my waist.
And plunged it deep into his throat without hesitation.
Puuk-!
“Guhk…!?”
Yeong-su’s eyes widened in disbelief.
“Smoking causes erectile dysfunction. Quit.”
“...!”
He tried to speak, but only gurgles came out.
I didn’t stop. Twisted the blade sideways, severing his carotid and windpipe completely.
Blood foam bubbled from his mouth. I clamped my hand over it, silencing him.
Moments later, Yeong-su’s body went limp.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ Day 1 daily quota achieved. Quest reward: Acquired points +50% buff maintained until midnight. Summoner ‘Yeong-su’ eliminated. 120pt acquired. Eliminated summoner with 10+ stat difference. Random stat +1. Agility +1. ◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ After handling Yeong-su, I dumped his body in the bushes.
Next, sleeping Cheol-su. Oblivious, mouth agape.
‘Bye.’
No hesitation—I stabbed my dagger into his heart.
Puuk.
Cheol-su convulsed briefly, then stilled. Clean kill, no scream.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ Summoner ‘Cheol-su’ eliminated. 180pt acquired. Eliminated summoner with 10+ stat difference. Random stat +1. Strength +1. As expected.
I opened my profile immediately.
⚔ STATUS ⚔ ⚡ Strength: 2 💨 Agility: 2 ✨ Magic Power: 1 💪 Stamina: 1 🍀 Luck: 1 🛡️ Endurance: 1 Level: 2 | Remaining Stats: 3 | Points: 6,150pt Name: Kim Joo-hyuk | Gender: Male ‘Strength and agility at 2 now.’
My hypothesis solidified halfway to fact.
‘Kill someone with 10+ total stat difference, steal 1 from their highest stat.’
Yeong-su agility all-in, Cheol-su strength all-in. Spot on.
What if the gap’s 20, 30, or more?
Might snag more than 1 stat point.
‘Faster stat gains than expected.’
Smiling in satisfaction, I sought my final target: Im Ji-hye.
Being a girl, she’d curled up in a small nook formed by giant tree roots, away from the others.
I bought 1pt water from the shop and rinsed the blood off my hands and dagger. Not spotless, but dark night hid it well.
Prepped, I slipped silently into the nook.
And gently shook sleeping Im Ji-hye’s shoulder awake.
“Mm…”
She blinked sleepily awake, saw me, thought it was her watch, started rising—then recognized me and jolted.
“J-Joo-hyuk? What’s wrong…?”
Her voice trembled with unease.
I pressed a finger to my lips—shh.
Then whispered as kindly as possible.
“Snuck a triangle kimbap just for you.”
“Huh? Tr-triangle kimbap?”
Her eyes widened. But she shook her head, refusing.
“N-no. If Cheol-su or Yeong-su find out…”
“Hmm, can’t be helped then.”
I shrugged regretfully, then tore open the packaging right there.
And took a big bite.
Crunch crunch.
Mm. Perfect salty bite with savory mayo. Just like the convenience store stuff I knew.
Im Ji-hye stared blankly, not expecting me to actually eat it, flustered.
I ignored her gaze and demolished the whole thing in seconds.
That instant—
Grrroooowl—
In the quiet forest, thunder rumbled from Im Ji-hye’s stomach.
Her face flushed beet red.
I feigned sudden realization.
“Oh, you’re hungry. Should’ve said so.”
I opened my tablet, bought 1pt bread and water from the shop, handed them over.
“Eat this at least.”
Im Ji-hye hesitated, then took them.
The bread in her hands was pitch black and rock-hard. Far from modern fluffy white loaves.
She struggled to break the tough bread in half with both hands. Put a small piece in her mouth, softened it with saliva, chewed slowly. Pitiful sight.
“Hm, one’s not enough, huh.”
I sat right beside her, opened inventory from my pocket, pulled another triangle kimbap. Jeonju bibim flavor this time.
“...!”
Im Ji-hye froze at the sight.
Her pupils shook violently.
Plop.
The black bread crumb slipped from her mouth, dropping limply to the ground.