Unbreakable Doosik
“Haah… ha… huugh.”__
KRRRACK! KRRRACK!
Hansik moved like a machine, but I couldn’t keep up.__
I had swung the pickaxe for exactly five minutes before my breathing turned ragged, then collapsed at the ten-minute mark.__
“Weakling. You’re just a weakling. Your stamina’s only this bad?”__
“What? HP isn’t even draining, so why does this hurt so much?”__
“HP is life force. It drains toward death, idiot. Still, no debuff has been applied, right? No exhaustion?”__
It hadn’t.__
“Hah… you’re making excuses. Exhaustion didn’t even trigger and you’re already acting like you’re about to keel over.”__
“I can’t help it! Don’t make me talk—I feel like I’m going to puke!”__
“You’re not even queasy, loser. Real exhaustion only hits when HP starts getting dotted by debuff damage.”__
“I can’t anymore. I’m finished.”__
Still, I had gained 25 experience.__
That meant I had to do this forty more times to level up…__
Could I even do that?__
Guess I really am built for the delivery-lord lifestyle?__
“Doesn’t it embarrass you to watch your own summons?”__
“Ugh, a summoner who’s weaker than their summons…”__
“My summons are insane.”__
Hansik never failed to cheer.__
“Want some motivation? I’ll give you a tip. I tried it myself and know: push exhaustion to the limit, keep training with one HP left, and the Constellation grants an overall stat boost.”__
“Really?”__
“Yeah. It’s a pretty famous hidden quest type. Plenty of people fail it, but I’ve never seen someone succeed and still not get the stat increase.”__
“Really?”__
One stat increase sounded huge.__
Olympic gold medalist weightlifters started at strength 10 right after awakening. Marathoners had endurance at 10. Anything over 10 in physical stats was superhuman territory. Intelligence and wisdom could hit 10 or more too, no problem.__
Anyway, here were my stats right now.__
+——+——+——Stats——+——+——+__
Strength (STR): 6__
Agility (AGI): 4__
Constitution (CON): 3__
Intelligence (INT): 17__
Wisdom (WIS): 25__
Luck (LUK): 3__
#Distributable Points: 0__
+——+——+——+——+——+——+——__
Physical stats were low—strength 6, agility 4, constitution 3.__
“Any more tips?”__
“There are a few more, but every Constellation has its own rules for rewards. It depends on who you are. Still, exhaustion leading to death and revival is officially listed in Huntred as a guaranteed tip. Have you seen it?”__
“Yeah.”__
“Basic hunter. You’re trying to be one but you haven’t even read the tip section?”__
“Tch…”__
Honestly, I hadn’t planned to dive into being a hunter.__
I was just planning to farm delivery money.__
But last night I had daydreamed about becoming the world’s strongest hunter, wiping out every gate on Earth, rising to global hero status, and marrying the Earth’s number-one beauty—my Bella…__
Hunter…__
It was a profession that stirred every guy’s heart.__
“So, no matter what you do, push yourself past your limits until you’re about to die, and overall stats increase?”__
“Yeah. But you can’t. Ever. Just grill some clams instead.”__
My pride burned.__
“You wanna make a bet?”__
“Ho? Sure. Let’s do it. Only a handful of people in Huntred have ever succeeded at this. It’s not just beating yourself—it’s for crazy people only.”__
“Tess-hyung did it.”__
“I’m naturally crazy and I wanted to die that day, so I did it.”__
“……”__
“But I didn’t die from exhaustion. HP only drops to 1, not 0.”__
So it’s not actually lethal?__
“You have to endure the pain of your body shattering. And there’s a chance your strength or constitution will rise during it, so it’s not a bad idea to try.”__
KRRRACK! KRRRACK!
Hansik kept digging without a break.__
The summon didn’t tire.__
I did.__
Shameful.__
“If I win the bet, what will you do?”__
“What will you do if I win?”__
“Grant a wish.”__
“Cute, but fine. Let’s go.”__
“Ready? No mercy.”__
“Yeah. Fight on!”__
For some reason a strange competitive feeling stirred inside me.__
It wasn’t just me. There was something undeniably annoying about him.__
I was going to crush that annoying streak and flatten his nose.__
I gripped the pickaxe.__
KRRRACK! KRRRACK!
Even though Hansik had higher strength, I hit harder because my pickaxe was heavier.__
But Hansik’s form was textbook perfect, so efficiency still went to him.__
KRRRACK!
I clenched my teeth and copied him.__
No overdoing it.__
This was like a marathon.__
I could do it.__
KRRRACK!
The ten-minute mark I had abandoned felt like it passed in a flash.__
Sweat poured from my whole body.__
Holding the pickaxe was getting painful.__
Breath choked me.__
My lungs felt like they were about to burst.__
Actually, they already felt inflated, crushing every organ.__
“Ugh…”__
Painful.__
KRRRACK!
But I didn’t stop.__
“Haa…”__
KRRRACK!
How long had passed?__
My thoughts started fading.__
I focused only on the dirt tumbling down.__
Only on breathing.__
I ignored the pain itself.__
Twitch.__
Then a muscle screamed.__
I had no choice.__
“Aaaaack!”__
KRRRACK!
I knew the position of every muscle.__
Each part screamed differently.__
Bones and joints were the same.__
It felt like I was drowning in boiling water.__
KRRRACK. KRRRACK.__
When I finally came to, I was still swinging the pickaxe.__
What? Did I faint?__
No. I was still standing.__
The dirt was steadily piling up.__
Hansik beside me was the same.__
Was this the mu-a-gyeong?__
“Haa… ugh…”__
The moment I realized it, nausea surged.__
Something rose, but I forced it down.__
It burned.__
If I knelt here and retched, I might not get back up.__
‘It’s a fight with myself.’__
Could I beat myself?__
Tess-hyung was right. I was a weakling.__
A pathetic, useless weakling.__
I had never thrown a punch at anyone since birth.__
Of course I had taken hits.__
I just never had the guts to hit back.__
If I couldn’t beat someone like that, I wasn’t a hunter.__
But why was winning so hard?__
KRRRACK! KRRRACK!
“Hooh…”__
After the exclamation came words I couldn’t hear.__
Tess-hyung’s voice was drowned out by the pounding in my veins.__
My eardrums felt stuffed like a plane taking off.__
How long had I been doing this?__
My arm started shaking as I tried to lift the fallen pickaxe.__
I couldn’t raise it above my head.__
It would snap like a rotten branch.__
It felt like my body was rotting.__
I was going to die.__
I was at death’s door.__
That was when—__
[Your body has reached its limit. Exhaustion debuff applied.]__
[All speed -50%]
[All stats -50%]
[Stamina recovery -50%]
[HP decreases by 1 every 5 seconds.]
[Rest to remove debuff.]
Was this what Tess-hyung meant?__
It didn’t feel like my body.__
My soul felt like it had already left.__
[Take a rest!]
A green fluorescent message flickered.__
Was resting allowed?__
But it was only after exhaustion that it was real.__
We were barely starting!__
“Aaaaack!”__
I lifted the pickaxe with all my strength.__
KRRRACK.__
I smashed the dirt off with the weight.__
Tremors ran through my fingers.__
My grip slipped.__
Should I stop?__
[Take a rest!]
A sweet whisper.__
If I lay down now, how wonderful it would feel.__
I wanted to take a big breath.__
Oxygen… oxygen…__
Coming.__
“Kyaaaaaah!”__
I lifted the pickaxe again and swung.__
KRRRACK!__
Too painful.__
Unbelievably painful.__
My eyelids fluttered.__
My insides felt like they were melting.__
Tremors.__
What if I damage my body and can’t walk again?__
What if I end up a cripple?__
Did Tess-hyung deceive me?__
Was he joking?__
Was I going to die?__
I didn’t know.__
No. I was going to die.__
How could I not die when it hurt this much?__
My whole body ached.__
Every part ached…__
It hurts… it hurts… I can’t anymore…__
[Take a rest!]
“Hup… huuuugh…”__
I couldn’t take it anymore.__
I wanted to drop the pickaxe and just lie down.__
I wanted to sleep deeply.__
Why did I even start this?__
Why was I being so stubborn?__
That was when a shout that would burst my eardrums echoed.__
“Hold on!”__
Tess-hyung’s voice was right next to my ear.__
“Wake up!”__
My body felt like it would break.__
“The laziness inside you!”__
I wanted to rest.__
“Fear!”__
I was going to die.__
“The limit you set yourself! Defeatism! Break it with that pickaxe in your hands!!”__
“AAAAAAA!”__
KRRRACK!
He kept shouting.__
“If you stop here you’re nothing! Don’t stop!”__
“Aaaaah!”__
KRRRACK!
The vibration traveled from the pickaxe to my fingertips and pierced my body.__
All my nerves felt severed.__
“The pain you feel is fake! Real pain is! When I was too weak and lost someone precious! When I couldn’t do anything!”__
I was too weak.__
I was worthless.__
I lost someone precious.__
“Break it!”__
“Kyahhh!!”__
KRRRACK!__
The hammer blow on the pickaxe pulverized the dirt, and my body felt like it was shattering too.__
Bones cracked.__
Muscles tore and melted.__
But Tess-hyung’s shout covered my pain and strengthened my will.__
“Your limit isn’t something you set! Break your limits!”__
His voice roared right against my ear like thunder.__
The laziness.__
Fear.__
Defeatism.__
All negative emotions exploded.__
The pickaxe sounded like the line I drew for myself was crumbling.__
“You’re not someone who ends here! You’re not a failure! Prove it!”__
“Haa… haa…”__
But I couldn’t muster any more.__
At that moment—__
[HP at 10%! Take rest immediately!]
Wait, 10%?__
10% was still left?__
I should be dead right now.__
“You’re strong! Believe in yourself! You’re the being chosen by the Constellation!”__
Yeah. I was strong.__
“AAAAAAAA!”__
KRRRACK!
I swung again.__
My fingertips trembled.__
Salty blood dripped from my bitten lip.__
I was alive.__
I wasn’t dying.__
I wasn’t dying.__
“Break the egg blocking you and come out!”__
Break the egg.__
I.__
Yolk?__
“AAAAAAAA!”__
KRRRACK!
The limit was mine.__
And I was going to break it with my own hands.__
I believed in myself.__
I was the being chosen by the Constellation.__
But…__
Our mom.__
Suddenly I missed my mom.__
“Mommaaaaa!”__
KRRRACK!
CRACK…__
For a split second, the dirt pile collapsed like an iceberg falling.__
It wasn’t over yet.__
I was still alive.__
“AAAAAAAA!”__
But my arm wouldn’t rise.__
In the end, the pickaxe slipped from my hand and clattered to the ground.__
“No. Not yet. Not… not yet!!”__
But the powerless arm couldn’t hold on.__
All senses vanished.__
The blurry world flashed.__
[Warning: HP at 1! Take rest immediately!]
The usual green glow turned blood-red.__
[Warning: HP at 1! Take rest immediately!]
“Haa.”__
My lips curled.__
“I… I won, huh?”__
“Haha, crazy bastard. What are you doing?”__
Tess-hyung’s voice came from beside me.__
At that moment warmth spread through my body.__
Like after a cold winter, the spring sun wrapped around me.__
All pain began to fade.__
[Constitution at limit. Constitution +1!]
[Strength at limit. Strength +1!]
[『Skeleton Star』 acknowledged your will. All stats +1!]
[『Skeleton Star』 was moved and granted the 『Fortitude』 trait!]
[『Fortitude』 When HP is at 10% or below, all stats rise by Luck amount]__
This… was a lot.__
“Drink.”__
Tess-hyung brought a water bottle to my lips.__
Like watering dry earth, I gulped it down.__
“The Doosik I knew a little while ago is dead.”__
Tess-hyung said meaningfully.__
“You were reborn after breaking your limits. You didn’t know you could. Congratulations, loser.”__
“You’re still rubbing it in, but I won the bet.”__
“Yeah, accepted.”__
[Rest complete. Exhaustion debuff removed.]