Chapter 28
Chapter 28
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 28
Chapter Title: Stolen Mana
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[Kagagagagak―――!!!]
[Kagak――!!!]
"Khan!!!"
Irurin's shout rang out.
"Don't come closer! Not yet!!"
Woojin swung his sword at the corpses surging toward him like a tidal wave and yelled.
'Just a little more……! Just a little more……!!'
Ratan still had his back turned, showing no interest in him.
It wasn't enough yet.
If Irurin's magic went off now, there was a high chance he'd go after her instead.
Kwajik―!!
A charging corpse bit into his arm.
"Kraaaah!!!"
Unbearable agony surged through him, but Woojin gritted his teeth and endured.
'I can't die from something like this……!!'
Chijijijik……!!
Faint lightning erupted from his blade.
The sparks scattering along the edge lit up the dark lab for a split second.
[……Krurk!!!]
The corpses touching his blade convulsed as if electrocuted and were flung back.
"Huk…… Huk……!"
His heart felt ready to burst at any moment.
'Was it always this tough?'
Ptui―.
Woojin spat out the blood pooling in his mouth and caught his breath.
"Games were nice. Fuck. This shitty reality……."
What was so bad about making it a little easier?
He already knew it wasn't like the game.
Just…….
The curses kept spilling from his lips.
Even activating Dragon Heaven once made the sword feel as heavy as a thousand pounds.
Sleepy.
He could nod off right there.
"Crazy."
This was only the second time.
Who knew how many more trips it'd take.
'And with this pathetic level, I'm gonna conquer the Labyrinth Tower?'
No one could fix his weakening resolve.
He had to protect it himself.
"Uwaaaaaah―――!!"
As Woojin roared to shake off his fear, a faint light flowed from the armor he wore.
Mysterious.
Was it the [Bravery] effect of the Mana-Infused Ancient Leather Armor?
His trembling heart somehow settled into calm.
His vision cleared.
And surprisingly, everything came to mind.
All the skills he knew.
And how to use them too.
Kwaaaang―――!!
Woojin's body blurred into afterimages and vanished.
Activating the warrior skill [Dash] alongside the title effect [Acceleration], he burst through the corpse encirclement straight at Ratan.
'I can do this.'
His whole body screamed it.
"Hraaaaaah!!!!"
He drove his sword with all his might into the back of the one still facing away.
Jjeok……!
"……!!"
In that instant, Ratan's back split open, and a massive fist burst out from within.
Peueok―!!!
The hammer-like swing bent Woojin's body into a ㅋ shape and slammed him to the floor.
"……Keuruk!!"
A gush of dark red blood poured up his throat and out his mouth.
[Kkl―.]
Ratan clicked his tongue down at the fallen Woojin.
His split back slowly sealed, the protruding fist vanishing, and Ratan slowly rose.
[Drunk on the armor's power, are you? Foolish human.]
"……Monster bastard. How much have you eaten? Your complexion's looking damn good."
No joke.
It might sound ridiculous said to a corpse, but Ratan looked far more vibrant than before.
Even his sluggish speech had smoothed out.
Like seeing him in life.
[I've seen plenty like you. Weaklings relying on artifacts they can't even handle.]
Jeobuk― Jeobuk―.
Ratan took his first steps.
[They came to catch us, but ended up just like that one by one.]
Seueek―.
He grinned at Woojin.
[Consider yourself lucky. You won't end up as a corpse.]
Jjeok……! Jjeojeok……!!
This time, Ratan's chest split vertically.
Chuiiiik―――!!
Long tentacles burst from the gaping wound like a mouth.
[I'll eat you now.]
Kang―! Kang――!!!
Woojin slashed away the extending tentacles and charged at Ratan.
"Crazy fuck. Can't eat the living, right?"
Swishaaaak―――!!
Ducking low to narrowly dodge the tentacles, Woojin dove into Ratan's embrace.
Puuk―!!
His sword plunged into Ratan's waist.
"……Got it!!"
Go-eun cried out unwittingly at the sight.
'Damn.'
But despite the successful hit, Woojin's expression was grim.
Something was off.
All those tentacles attacking him, and not a single hit landed.
Did his skills grow in the meantime?
No way.
'He let me hit him on purpose.'
[Kkl…….]
Chwaaaak―――!!
In that moment, the tentacles from Ratan's chest wrapped around him like an embrace, as if waiting.
[I never said I'd eat you alive.]
"……Keuk!!!!"
Sharp barbs shot from the tentacles, piercing Woojin's body all over.
They punched right through his armor into his flesh.
"Kraaaaaah!!!"
The pain dwarfed anything before.
Every writhe of the barbs in his body felt like his blood was being sucked out.
Pain whitened his mind.
Consciousness fading.
Was he really…… going to die?
[……?]
That was when.
Just before blacking out, Woojin's body was engulfed in black mist and vanished.
Kwajik―!!
With Woojin gone, the barbs that held him tangled into each other, losing their prey.
[Kruk?]
Ratan tilted his monstrous head, baffled.
[Rat bastard……!!]
Ratan scanned around for Woojin.
"Haa…… Haa……."
'Feels like I'm underwater. Did one tentacle hit take half my HP?'
Woojin grimaced, recalling Black Guardian's activation condition.
Through his blurry, rippling vision, he watched Ratan flailing tentacles everywhere and caught his breath.
[Where are you!! Where'd you hide!!!]
'Can't just sit here recovering.'
If he couldn't find Woojin, he'd go after the others.
Woojin focused his mind.
Unlike the first time when he didn't even know how, now all skills came to mind—but that didn't mean he could use them right away.
Knowing with your head and doing with your body were different; unlike games, reality needed long practice for skills.
'No time for practice…… fail and you die, Kim Woojin!'
Of course, no time for that either.
Jjiing――!!
A sharp metallic ring echoed in his head.
Chijik pain twitched his cheek.
Kkaduk―!!
Woojin clenched his teeth harder and concentrated more.
In that instant, even with eyes closed, his dark vision brightened.
The moment his obscured sight locked on the target and Ratan's face appeared,
Hwaruruk―――!!!
Black smoke rose from Ratan's forehead like an earthquake of fire.
It was Hungry Mark.
[Kuk?!]
'Got it.'
While Ratan panicked, the smoke rising from him seeped into Woojin's body.
'……What is this?'
A power he'd never felt.
A tingling sensation wrapped around his entire body.
'This……?'
When the power roamed every corner then surged through his veins to his head, Woojin realized what it was.
Mana.
Maybe it made sense.
Undead or not, Ratan had been a grand mage in life.
He still held immense mana.
'How is this…….'
That was when.
"Everyone has mana. It's just the vessel's capacity that differs. Feel the mana, and anyone can use magic."
Irurin's words came back to him.
'I can feel the mana. No way?'
Maybe using Hungry Mark on Sig Elric first was the trigger.
He couldn't do anything without mana then, but it was his first awakening to mana.
And this was the second time.
Now it was different.
Maybe possible because it was reality.
[There you are!!]
Ratan, sensing the mana flow, thrust sharp tentacles at Woojin behind the black mist.
"Kuwk!!"
The attack dispersed the mist.
He barely deflected the tentacle with his sword, but the recoil shook his body back.
'Wish it'd stolen stamina instead.'
Feeling mana was great.
But what good was it?
He had mana but no spells he knew.
'Not even read a single spellbook…….'
Then, a memory flashed in his head, and Woojin's face hardened unwittingly.
'I have.'
The 3rd-grade spellbook in Sig Elric's room.
No conveniences like in games where one skill took full effort here.
But no job or level limits either.
'……Will it work?'
Better to try than think.
Kkwak―.
Woojin stretched his hand with all his might.
'The incantation was…….'
Suwuk.
In that instant, something felt sucked out from below his dantian.
And amazingly, complex formulas etched densely into his mind.
'As expected…….'
A normal mage might not pull it off.
But the mana he stole was from a grand mage once called the continent's strongest.
Dead or not, its purity cleared his mind endlessly.
And that mana…….
"……!!!"
Produced tremendous results.
Kwagagagagaga―――!!!!!
Pure white light filled the lab.
"Keuruk…… Keuruk……."
As the light faded, acrid smoke of burning flesh stung his nose.
"No doing that twice……."
Awesome power, but the backlash left Woojin in shattering agony, struggling to rise.
'Well, no mana left for seconds anyway.'
The mana that filled him was instantly depleted, leaving an empty vessel sensation.
Oddly, he could feel the space inside him meant for mana.
"W-what was that just now?"
Irurin asked Woojin, her face charred black.
"What else? Magic. No one in the world can't use magic. Your words, right?"
Woojin chuckled at her.
"No way. Even so, who casts 3rd-grade magic on their first try?"
[Kr…… Kruk…… You…… Bast……!!]
Ratan clutched his half-burnt face, glaring murderously at Woojin.
"Damn. Not even this works."
Of course—a monster that survived a master skill secret arrow.
"At least I got solid aggro."
[S-stay there!!!! I'll kill you!!!]
Woojin flipped him off casually and bolted without looking back.
"Can't hold out long."
Passing Luen, he nodded at her.
Kwaaaang―――!!!
An explosion rocked the dungeon entrance.
Woojin's body, caught in the blast, flew up and crashed to the ground.
"……Keuruk!!"
He rolled across the floor, vomiting blood, and sprawled out spread-eagled.
[Your rat-like fleeing ends here.]
Ratan growled at Woojin as he stepped out of the lake.
"Boss mob coming outside the dungeon…… Unthinkable in games."
[What nonsense?]
Woojin gave a self-mocking smile at Ratan's baffled look—he wouldn't get it.
"Nothing. Just glad it's reality. Let me escape like this."
Thanks to him coming out, he bought time for Luen to heal.
Huu―.
Woojin wiped the blood from his mouth and gripped his sword.
[One question. What of Zéon Müllenga?]
"That black mage? Dead, obviously."
[Kkl…… Good news. The traitor…….]
But Woojin sneered incredulously at Ratan.
"Split up. He's been dead ages."
Kwajik―!!!
And with all his strength, he shattered the [Sage's Stone].