Shocking Level 31
"Ah, 31."
"What? You did it right at open too?"
"No."
"Then?"
"It's been one month."
"What kind of nonsense...?"
"Got lucky. Found two dungeons."
"......"
"And got a title too."
"Ch, title...?"
"Yeah. Boosted all stats by 1 each. Oh, and the dungeon rewards were insane. Strength, agility, vitality, knowledge, wisdom—up by 2 each. Thanks to that, I can take down an orc great warrior solo now. Even two's no problem."
Mu-hyuk said it with a puzzled look.
"So that's why you're leveling so fast?"
He sounded genuinely clueless.
"......"
Heo Young-chan's eyes widened impossibly further.
They even shook wildly.
"So... you're saying..."
"Right. Hit 31 in two months."
Mu-hyuk summed it up simply.
"Lies!"
"You're seeing it yourself."
"B-but this doesn't make sense! I've been grinding for half a year and I'm only at 46. 31 in just two months? Even with dungeons, no way. You use some bug or something? Yeah, Illusion's supposed to be bug-free, but who knows. That's gotta be it. Otherwise, it doesn't add up."
They'd gathered as friends for a casual meetup and to enjoy the game.
But seeing someone level faster despite less time invested sparked jealousy, leading to this nonsense?
Just as expected.
"You can have high levels, but I can't?"
"No, it's not that—it's just, no matter how I think about it..."
Mu-hyuk closed the distance with Heo Young-chan.
He whispered low in his ear.
"What else could it be? You think I bugged it? Better watch your mouth. My mood's getting foul."
"What bullshit...?"
"Level 31 in two months. Can you imagine?"
"......"
"Three more months, and I'll catch you. No, two months tops. Half a year, and I'll be a ranker. Think you can stop me? You don't even know where I'll be. Hide out for a few months, grind like hell, and I could join a top guild. Imagine my influence then. Got a picture?"
Heo Young-chan's face twisted again—half grimace, half forced smile.
"Ah, haha. Bug? Just kidding, obviously."
"Yeah?"
"Y-yeah."
Mu-hyuk let out a smirk.
A blatant sneer.
Yet Heo Young-chan couldn't retort.
"What? What's up?"
"Oh, nothing. Just... impressive."
"Yeah?"
Since they'd whispered, the other friends hadn't heard.
Watching them fumble excuses, Mu-hyuk realized anew.
Yeah, this life's different from before.
He didn't want to relive that pathetic existence of impotence.
Manipulated by others, crushed by money and power, yielding to strength.
What was that but the same as full-body paralysis?
Once was enough. No more hesitation.
Mu-hyuk turned to the group. Only one was a true friend among them.
"Let's call it here. Just remembered something urgent."
So not today.
Not with them, even for hunting.
That day still haunted him.
During his paralysis.
While Sung Min-woo stepped out briefly during a visit, they'd had a brutally frank chat.
Words like daggers, devoid of tact.
Expressions like torture, flaying flesh from bone.
And gazes like he was already a corpse.
Those images were etched in his mind, unerasable.
Not now, of course.
It hadn't happened yet—might never.
But that didn't erase the resentment.
Why suppress it?
He'd tried at first, but logging into the game, seeing Heo Young-chan's reaction—it hit him.
No need to force what didn't feel right.
Do what he wanted.
Wasn't that this life's goal?
"Min-woo, catch you later."
"Huh? Oh, sure."
Everyone but Sung Min-woo was no longer a friend. Decision made, his mind eased.
Should've done this sooner.
With that, he logged out.
*
Life post-reunion stayed the same for Mu-hyuk.
Up early for the gym, grabbed breakfast on the way home.
Logged into Illusion, hunted ogres.
Smirking at his near-full EXP, the five PK users he'd killed earlier appeared.
They shuffled closer hesitantly.
Mu-hyuk positioned between his Bone Swords and Bone Bows, just in case.
"Uh, hey..."
"What?"
One guy struggled to speak.
"Well, you see..."
"......"
"Any chance... items...?"
"Oh, the ones you dropped?"
The guy nodded frantically.
"You still have them...?"
"Sold 'em already."
"Ah..."
His face crumpled.
Millions in cash value.
Had to sting.
"You fucking...!"
The guy lunged, unable to hold back. Mu-hyuk smiled.
Drop another good one.
But the archer beside him restrained him.
"Hey, stop."
"Let go!"
"Attack first and die again, might drop more."
The guy froze.
Grind.
Teeth clenched hard enough to screech.
"You'll regret this."
"Whatever."
Mu-hyuk's nonchalance flushed the guy's face red. But he turned away with his crew, leaving the hunting ground.
Hmm, too bad.
No regrets.
They started it.
He itched to kill them again, but who knew their tricks? Better not.
PK wasn't ideal anyway.
Some bystander might upload footage, headaches later.
Unless they picked the fight.
Mu-hyuk cleared his mind, turned back to ogres.
*
Finally 33.
Nice!
He kept hunting.
Kroooaaar!
Leveled again, six more hours—EXP filled.
At this rate, one level every three days.
Maintain it, 40 before month's end.
After that...
Mid-planning—
◈ +15 Magic Attack Power
◈ +1% Casting Speed
289 Gold acquired.
Ah, set it for 72 hours.
Magic attack +15, 1% cast speed bracelet.
Hoped for 350 gold, but 289—still decent for free.
Wrapped up, back to hunting.
Eyed a lounging ogre afar, issued orders.
Bone Archer 1, rapid fire.
Bone arrows flew.
One hit the chest; ogre raged, charged.
Slowed by paralysis poison.
Bone Archers followed up—bleed, weakness debuffs.
As distance closed, hallucination poison too.
Krr...?
Dazed ogre surrounded by Bone Swords.
Bone Swords, all attack.
10% HP gone, ogre snapped to—real fight began.
*
Days blurred.
Snapped to: two weeks gone.
"Whew..."
Today's hunt as usual.
Now level 37.
Even faint threats gone.
Why?
Morning: Skeleton Summon leveled.
Skeleton Mastery 3Lv (15%) — Skeleton attack/defense +3%.
Skeleton Warrior Summon 4Lv (0.1%) — Summon 8 sword-proficient skeletons. Higher level increases count/MP cost (10s: 3 MP each).
Skeleton Archer Summon 4Lv (0.1%) — Summon 4 bow-proficient skeletons. Higher level increases count/MP cost (10s: 3 MP each).
Mental Link 2Lv (87%) — Command via thought. Higher level enables complex orders.
Field of View 2Lv (35%) — Overview summons' positions/situations. Higher level expands range/count.
Corpse Dissection — Extract materials (skin, bones) from near-dead monsters.
Bone Assembly — Manually assemble skeleton bones.
Overall growth.
Especially: 12 skeletons now—power surged.
MP drain same per 10s till summon Lv10. Still burdensome.
Anyway, one ogre doable without Mu-hyuk.
Bone Swords, all attack.
Bone Archers, rapid fire.
He just watched.
8 Bone Swords circled, slashing.
Ogre hit back, but max 4 at once.
Vertical swing: one. Horizontal: four flew back.
Meantime, other four stabbed steadily.
Endless bone arrows sealed it.
Kroooaaar!
Rage futile.
No counter.
Kroo...
Ogre collapsed.
Step.
Approached, activated skill.
Corpse Dissection
Assembled with ogre bones.
'Bone Archer 2' Strength decreased. Dexterity influence: -0.07.
'Bone Archer 2' Strength increased. Dexterity influence: +0.22.
More hunts, stronger Mu-hyuk and summons.
Little by little, but surely.
*
Mu-hyuk knew a special dungeon at 40.
Three more levels.
37 at 95% EXP. One week grind.
Then enter, snag items/rewards, hunt beyond ogres stronger.
"Hey, hear about it?"
"What?"
Unexpected words.
"Dungeon nearby."
"Yeah? What level?"
"38, I think?"
A level 38 dungeon nearby.