Chapter 18
Chapter 18
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 18
Chapter Title: Forgotten Hero's Training Ground
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"I can't believe there's a dungeon in the first chapter of the tutorial."
Hidden Dungeon, 'Forgotten Hero's Training Ground'.
Even for Se-woon, this was a situation he hadn't anticipated at all.
What was a dungeon?
A place teeming with monsters that granted far more experience points than those in normal fields, and upon successful conquest, it offered rewards on an entirely different level from the fields.
Especially, the first one to conquer a dungeon received rewards several times greater than usual.
Because of this, about half of all dungeons were known to vanish completely upon their first conquest.
And now, Se-woon had discovered one such dungeon.
Step, step.
There was no reason to hesitate now that he had come this far.
Even if he returned to camp, only Se-woon could climb back to the top of the rocky mountain, and there were no other items worth picking up along the way. So, he boldly stepped into the darkness.
'No lighting provided, huh.'
He had assumed it would be an artificial place given the name "Training Ground," but the moment he crossed the entrance, he realized it wasn't.
It was literally just a cave.
The ground was uneven, and the walls and ceiling were rough and irregular.
Stalactites and stalagmites jutted out sharply from the floor and ceiling in places.
However, he could only confirm that much right there at the entrance.
A few more steps in, and the light from the entrance faded away, swallowed by pitch-black darkness that eroded his vision.
Flap, flap!
Screeech-
As his sight vanished, his heightened hearing picked up various sounds.
The flapping of wings and sharp cries.
A normal person would have already felt terror and backed away by now.
Because sight was one of the senses humans relied on most, its loss equated to fear.
Without even a small torch, progress would be impossible.
But Se-woon possessed a tool far superior to any torch.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ Treasure Vault of Greed has been opened. [Night Owl's Eye] The eye of an owl, a nocturnal bird of prey known as the night predator in the wild. It gathers even faint light in pitch darkness to illuminate your vision. In the pitch-black darkness, Se-woon's eyes gleamed.
Not figuratively—his pupils glowed a brilliant yellow, collecting the faint light scattered throughout the cave.
'Pretty amazing.'
The cave, where he couldn't see an inch ahead, now came into sharp focus.
The only downside was that it was like a black-and-white photo—no colors.
But since this was a cave anyway, there was no need to observe colors.
This was far more efficient than holding a torch and tying up one hand.
'If I'd pushed forward without a plan, I might've gotten skewered by monsters before even encountering them.'
The stalactites and stalagmites occasionally visible near the entrance.
As he ventured deeper, they began targeting the intruder like traps everywhere.
Not just on the floor and ceiling—sharp protrusions stabbed out from the walls too, and sudden pits hid more deadly spikes.
There were no signs of artificial construction, but like the rocky mountain outside, it seemed to be a natural fortress.
Fortunately, there was no worry of getting lost. The cave was a single straight path.
How long had he walked?
Finally, the source of the incessant eerie cries revealed itself.
"Screee!"
Flap, flap!
Bats clinging to the stalactites covering the ceiling unfurled their wings.
What started as faint sounds soon grew deafening.
Through the Night Owl's Eye, he saw at least dozens of them.
And these weren't ordinary bats.
'Vampire Bats.'
The monsters commonly known as bloodsucking bats.
As if proving they weren't mere animals, their wingspans reached a full meter.
The widening cave passage filled with them.
'This is nothing.'
They weren't particularly strong monsters.
In terms of raw power, they were on par with the wolves from the first wave.
Their strength lay solely in the darkness.
They exploited every blind spot with precision strikes when their prey couldn't see.
Even with a torch, getting caught in their attacks would quickly disarm you, extinguishing the flame.
Of course, none of that applied to Se-woon.
Whoosh!
As Se-woon extended his hand, a ball of flame flickered to life.
It grew until just before the bat swarm charged, then, at his command, illuminated the cave, expanding until it touched the ceiling.
Rumble!
"Kieeeek!"
It surged forward, devouring the bats.
No matter how agile they were, dodging such a massive blaze in the confined cave was impossible.
The bats that had filled his vision burned black and plummeted to the ground in an instant.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ 'Vampire Bat' has been devoured. Nutrients absorbed. Agility increased by 2. ... ⭐ CONSTELLATION ALERT ⭐ Constellation 'Hungry Prince' cheers, saying the well-roasted wings are a delight! A more perfect result than expected.
But there was one major side effect.
Rustle-
"Not as sturdy as I thought."
Just one spell, and the cave shook unsteadily, with stalactites raining down from above like a shower.
The tremors continued for a good five minutes, dust trickling down steadily.
Using magic like this would not only impale him with stalactites but likely collapse the entire cave.
And moreover.
'Ventilation's poor too.'
The stench of charred bats lingered for a while.
A faint breeze on his skin indicated air circulation, but it was extremely weak.
Using fire magic again might consume all the oxygen.
"A fork in the path."
The path split for the first time.
Identical tunnels—so much so that closing his eyes and spinning would make him confuse the way he came.
In such cases, the standard method was to follow one wall.
Sticking to a wall ensured you'd reach the end, no matter how long or treacherous, and find your way back without issue.
But who was Se-woon?
Even with the aid of his Unique Skill Journey's Compass, he had explored countless fields and dungeons up to the 92nd floor of the tower.
He had the characteristics and clearing methods of most dungeons perfectly memorized.
"Hoo..."
The first thing he did was close his eyes.
Abandoning the vision granted by the Night Owl's Eye.
Next, he mobilized all his other senses to grasp the cave's flow.
Whoosh-
A breeze so faint it barely rustled his fine hairs.
Screee-
A sharper, higher-pitched monster cry than the Vampire Bats.
Humm-
The subtle direction of mana entering through his breath. Everything pointed to one path.
"This way."
No need to pull out a new treasure—Se-woon was certain.
He stepped forward without hesitation.
A bit further, and the source of the cries from the fork came into view.
⭐ CONSTELLATION ALERT ⭐ Constellation 'Hungry Prince' licks its lips, saying those wings look chewy. Blade Bats.
A bat freely flying through the now corridor-wide cave interior, its wings sharp as blades—hence the name.
Each flap seemed to slice the air with a whoosh.
Such monsters.
"Kiek-"
Like the Vampire Bats, they clustered densely on the ceiling.
They soon spotted Se-woon and unleashed their signature cries, revealing their razor wings.
Whoosh!
Se-woon conjured another fireball.
Carefully adjusting its power to avoid shaking the cave, he launched it at the bats.
But the result differed slightly from before.
Slash-
"A monster that slashes magic in the first chapter of the tutorial."
Their sharp wings cleaved the flames, charging straight at Se-woon.
Upon closer inspection, faint mana permeated their wings.
Even so, slicing magic shouldn't be feasible at that level, but dozens of Blade Bats swinging blades overwhelmed his spell.
Clang!
Kashing!
Dozens of blades clashed against Se-woon's sword.
Each strike wasn't strong, but their sheer number made blocking or dodging impossible.
The silver lining: their defense was as pitiful as they looked.
Stab!
A casual sword thrust was enough to hunt a Blade Bat.
However.
'Too many.'
At this rate, his stamina would hit zero before he cleared them all.
The Gray Wolf Cloak admirably blocked the blades, but they relentlessly targeted the gaps it couldn't cover.
Swish-
Finally, one Blade Bat pierced the cloak, drawing blood from Se-woon's skin.
A long, sharp gash like a knife cut, red blood beading up.
Grimacing, Se-woon activated his Authority without hesitation.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ Treasure Vault of Greed has been opened. [Lizardman's Scales] Scales of the Lizardmen, a beastkin race inheriting reptilian power. They perfectly block average attacks, and with mana comprehension, even magic. No need to skimp on the Authority and struggle against mere Blade Bats.
It didn't wear out with use, so even against weak foes, there was no reason to hold back.
Ting!
"Kiek-?"
Another Blade Bat diving into his guard paused at the solid resistance from its wing.
The moment the Authority activated, glossy reptilian scales sprouted over the exposed skin not covered by the cloak.
Not a physical form, but a mana-constructed barrier-like effect.
At 1st Circle, Se-woon couldn't cover a wide area.
But he only needed to protect the gaps left by the cloak.
The instant cloak and scales armored him fully, victory was sealed.
Stab, crunch!
"Kieee-!"
A one-sided massacre.
They thrashed futilely but couldn't even scratch him before perishing.
Hitting the nimble fliers with his sword wasn't easy, but with mastery of Hamel Family Longsword Technique and the intricacies of Blood Wolf Sword Technique, it was no issue for Se-woon.
⭐ CONSTELLATION ALERT ⭐ Constellation 'Hungry Prince' chews on Blade Bat wings with a crunch. Using the Authority of Gluttony to dispose of the corpses, he pressed on.
Minor traps and monster attacks followed, but with Night Owl's Eye and Lizardman's Scales, none posed a threat to Se-woon.
He navigated forks effortlessly using his pre-regression knowledge.
How much further did he go?
Whoosh-
Unlike the faint air flows before, a refreshingly cool breeze opened his lungs.
The subtle mana surged strong enough to make his circle vibrate.
"So this really is the training ground."
The cave ended, opening into a vast cavern.
Even without the Night Owl's Eye, faint light filtered through cracks in the ceiling, softly illuminating the space.
Forgotten Hero's Training Ground. He had reached its end.