[EP2. Vampire's Castle]
Jae-jun stared blankly at the system window for a moment.
Random Potion effect: Endurance +1
He never dreamed it would only increase by 1.
After shelling out a whopping 3,900 gold, this was far worse than buying gear with options.
But he still had two random potions left.
'No way the other two only go up by 1 each too, right?'
A creeping anxiety welled up in his chest.
Jae-jun pulled the next random potion from his inventory.
'Please, this time!'
Pop—
Gulp, gulp!
Random Potion consumed.
Stat increasing!
Random Potion effect: Stamina +1
'Ah.
We're screwed.'
This time, it was just another +1 to stamina.
Jae-jun clutched the last one tightly in his hand, staring at it desperately.
"Jae-jun-ssi, what are you doing?"
Yoon Mi-kyung asked cautiously.
Jae-jun looked a bit anxious.
He'd suddenly plopped down on the floor, waving his hands in the air, then chugged some unknown liquid he'd pulled from who-knows-where.
And with each bottle, his face fell more and more.
Even Maru stuck close by, worried about Jae-jun.
"...It's nothing."
Pop—
Jae-jun brought the final random potion to his lips.
Gulp, gulp!
'Please, this time!'
Random Potion consumed.
Stat increasing!
At that moment, Jae-jun's system window flashed like a dazzling neon sign.
'No way?'
Random Potion effect: Agility +1000
'...Jackpot!'
Jae-jun clenched his fist and jumped to his feet.
"Have you figured out the cause yet?"
"...Not yet."
Hunter Association President Jang Gil-san's expression was grim.
This morning, when two A-rank gates suddenly appeared in Busan, it hadn't seemed like a big deal.
He'd immediately convened a meeting with the leaders of the five major guilds, deciding they'd handle the Busan gates while the association took the rest.
The byproducts from A-rank gates were tempting, but the association didn't have the manpower to tackle two at once.
But then.
Shortly after the five guilds' teams entered the A-rank gates, disaster struck.
Something inexplicable happened at a department store right in the heart of Seoul.
A massive red barrier enveloped the entire building.
It happened before the mana detectors nationwide could even react.
They'd pulled every available hunter for investigation but still couldn't pinpoint the reason.
They'd even tried forcing their way through the red barrier, but it nullified every attack like it was a gate itself.
Knock knock.
Someone entered the president's office.
It was a middle-aged man with a thick beard.
"Jun-yong, you've arrived."
"Sorry I'm late.
Whew.
The boss mob was a real pain; it took some time."
Kang Jun-yong.
Another of Korea's seven S-rank hunters.
Known as the Jumper because his ability let him leap through space without cooldowns.
He'd just finished clearing a gate and rushed straight to the association.
"Then let's move out right away."
Kang Jun-yong placed his hands on Hwang Dong-su and Jang Gil-san's shoulders.
In the blink of an eye, they were in front of the department store.
Hmm.
Jang Gil-san let out a sigh at the energy emanating from the massive barrier.
At least A-rank.
On par with the gates in Busan.
The difference? This one was full of civilians, while Busan had the five guilds' elites.
"...Have we tallied how many people are trapped inside?"
"...We're estimating at least 2,000 to 3,000."
Jang Gil-san squeezed his eyes shut.
It was the worst-case scenario.
If this bizarre red barrier vanished and everyone inside turned up dead, the fallout would be unimaginable.
And that wasn't all—monsters bursting from gates were a problem too.
They could handle them one by one, but with hunters in short supply, civilian casualties were inevitable.
"Request support from the military and regional mid-tier guilds first."
Just maybe.
If someone inside took down the boss and cleared it...
Jang Gil-san shook his head, dismissing the impossible notion.
"President, take a look at this."
Hwang Dong-su held out his smartphone.
It was a video.
Filmed from the moment the ground shook before the red barrier engulfed the department store.
It was nothing like a normal dungeon spawn.
"Huh?"
Then, in the video, one wall on the first floor crumbled, and someone emerged.
Right after, the entire building was swallowed by the red barrier.
"Who was that person who got out?"
"Choi Hye-seon."
It was a name Jang Gil-san didn't recognize.
"They say she's the younger sister of Choi Jae-jun, who got his S-rank in the recent re-evaluation."
"So Choi Jae-jun's inside right now?"
"Yes.
Apparently, he got his sister out just before the barrier sealed it."
Korea's seventh undisclosed S-rank.
If by some miracle he took down the dungeon boss before the gate broke...
A tiny spark of hope ignited in Jang Gil-san's heart.
The moment the system chimed, Jae-jun opened his stat window.
Agility had shot up by a massive 1,000.
And its rank was a full S.
The first S-rank stat outside of mana—it hit even harder.
'How much faster am I now, I wonder.'
He wanted to test his body out right there.
A bizarre heat crawled through him like ants under his skin.
Nothing like when his strength had improved.
'Oh, right.'
He had 44 stat points available.
Split evenly between stamina and endurance, they'd exceed 150.
Jae-jun allocated them immediately.
'Stamina and endurance hit C-rank too!'
Just as Jae-jun thought.
Now he could upgrade all his D-rank skills.
Without pause, Jae-jun upgraded every skill.
Passive: Mana Force (S) / Counter Passive (D)
Active: Fire Lance (D) / Double Strike (D) / Shield (D) / Charge: Blink (D)
Passive: Mana Force (S) / Counter Passive (C)
Active: Inferno (C) / Slash (C) / Shield (C) / Charge: Blink (C)
It was a shame, but only Fire Lance and Double Strike got name changes; the rest just had reduced mana costs.
As he checked the upgraded skills, a new quest popped up.
Save the People in Crisis!
📍 People are suffering and dying at the hands of gargoyles on each floor of the department store.
🎁 Reward: 1 Random Box per 10 gargoyles killed
❌ Failure: None
Gargoyles Killed:0
'Perfect timing—my body's itching for action anyway.'
Jae-jun stood up.
"Mi-kyung-ssi, watch Maru for me."
"It's dangerous—what are you planning?"
Jae-jun grinned.
"Gonna go kill some gargoyles."
Whoosh!
Each step propelled his body forward in bursts.
The scenery whipped past on both sides in an instant.
Grrrrowl...
Not far from where Jae-jun had been, a gargoyle came into view.
It stood at the store entrance, slowly torturing humans one by one.
The people trembled in despair, having given up any hope of escape.
Jae-jun didn't slow down as he charged straight at the gargoyle.
'Slash!'
Slash cast.
Slash had evolved from Double Strike.
No separate channeling—the blade shot toward the gargoyle instantly.
Stab!
Three slashes dug into the gargoyle's thick neck in one breath.
Kraaaah!
Only then did the gargoyle notice Jae-jun and swing its arm.
But unlike before, its attack didn't feel threatening.
It even looked noticeably slower.
Jae-jun casually dodged and thrust his blade into the thrashing gargoyle's heart.
The exchange lasted mere seconds.
Kraaaah!
"Quit struggling."
'Blink!''Slash!'
The blade flashed through the darkness, carving up the gargoyle's body.
Mana consumption spiked with each extended strike combo, but Jae-jun didn't care.
Stab!
Slash!
Jae-jun's sword didn't stop until the gargoyle's massive body was shredded like rags.
Finally, it toppled backward, shaking the floor.
Thud!
"Is everyone alright?"
Jae-jun stepped over the fallen gargoyle, scanning the people inside the store.