Giant Bears and Endless Thrill
Summons 1 skeleton. As the skill level increases, the number of summons possible and MP consumption per 10 seconds will rise.
MP consumption per 10 seconds: 1 per entity
Summons 1 zombie. As the skill level increases, the number of summons possible and MP consumption per 10 seconds will rise.
MP consumption per 10 seconds: 1 per entity
The moment he saw the MP consumption per 10 seconds, Mu-hyuk's brow furrowed.
He'd known it already, but facing it in reality drew a heavy sigh from his lips.
Even summoning just ten would drain 10 mana every 10 seconds.
No, it would cost even more by then.
Assuming 10 mana per 10 seconds, even with a total mana pool of 2,000, he could only maintain them for about 33 minutes.
No wonder the sigh escaped him.
It's fine. It'll ease up once I become a Gangster Necromancer.
And there are other ways to cover it.
Just keep using hidden info like now to boost stats steadily.
If that's too tough, crank up the MP recovery rate per minute with items—that's an option too.
"I'll be off."
"Yeah, good luck."
Mu-hyuk exchanged farewells with the skill vendor and left the black mage guild.
What time was it now?
9:20.
Hmm, take a short break?
He checked his status first.
Knowledge and Wisdom both at 9.
Phew, not bad.
Knowledge boosted magic attack power and total MP.
But pumping magic attack didn't make his skeletons stronger.
Skeletons drew from his own stats, so he needed Strength, Agility, and Vitality.
That said, he couldn't neglect Knowledge.
After advancing to Gangster Necromancer, he'd summon Skeleton Mages, whose damage scaled with his Knowledge.
Plus, higher Knowledge meant more total MP—no way he could skip that stat.
What about dumping Wisdom then?
That wasn't ideal either.
Wisdom raised MP recovery per minute, essential for sustaining summons.
Max it out, and recovery could outpace consumption.
Wisdom was key for that—items alone couldn't cut it.
Early items gave flat MP recovery boosts, useful only at the start.
Good ones offered percentages, like +20% MP recovery per minute.
So building a solid Wisdom base was crucial.
And Wisdom's perks didn't stop there.
It influenced summon intelligence too.
Smarter summons thought for themselves, boosting combat power.
Mindlessly trading blows versus dodging and striking—which was stronger?
The latter, obviously. Wisdom drove that edge.
In the end, he couldn't sacrifice any stat.
"Boom or bust."
One or the other.
Maximize info use, stick to the plan, and he'd thrive.
One slip, though, and it'd all crumble.
No room for rest.
No complacency.
Time to move.
Necromancers were true grinders, after all.
Haa, right.
Break on hold.
He headed back to the hunting grounds.
*
Kang Mu-hyuk woke, shuffling to the kitchen.
He yanked open the fridge, grabbed a water jug, and twisted off the cap.
No hesitation—he shoved the spout to his lips.
Gulp, gulp.
Cool relief slid down his throat.
"Ahh."
He changed into simple clothes and stepped out.
An hour and a half at the gym, a shower, then breakfast on the way home.
By the time he returned, it was past 1 p.m.
Prepped and ready, he logged into Illusion.
He spawned in the forest—luckily, no monsters nearby.
Status check.
Mu-hyuk's expression soured at his level.
Three straight days hunting wolves.
And the result? Barely level 13.
Classic game—brutal leveling after first job change.
No real disappointment, though.
Low level, but physical attack at 60, HP over 450.
Attack and movement speeds were solid too.
And with this.
"Skeleton Summon."
One skeleton, and
"Zombie Summon."
One zombie joining the team meant zero tension against same-level foes.
His base stats alone could handle late-10s monsters.
With summons, time to move to stronger grounds.
"Let's go."
Mu-hyuk advanced, skeleton and zombie trailing.
Kirrik, kiririk.
Grrrowl.
Emitting their signature sounds.
Soon enough.
He reached the giant bear habitat.
Users dotted the area.
"Hmm..."
Good—more bears than players.
"Hey, tank it!"
"Heal first!"
"Fire the attack spells!"
After 30 minutes circling, Mu-hyuk stopped at a quieter spot.
Perfect—a bear respawned right in front.
Standing tall, they topped 3.5 meters.
Words didn't capture the overwhelming presence.
Mu-hyuk felt it now.
"Fucking huge..."
This one facing him head-on radiated sheer force.
In reality, you'd think I'm dead on sight.
Even in-game, the virtual "reality" stirred an eerie dread through his body.
But he knew it was a "game," keeping him cool.
Priority: loosen up his rigid stance.
"Hoo."
A deep breath, vitality surging back.
As tension eased—
Kroooar!
The level 18 giant bear charged.
"Skeleton, defend!"
The obedient skeleton hurled itself at the bear.
One hit—bones scattered everywhere.
Kirrik!
It blocked the charge.
"Zombie, grab it!"
Zombie latched onto a leg.
Grrrowl.
Slow but strong, it hindered the bear solidly.
Mu-hyuk dashed in, slashing sword down from above.
Shlick.
A gruesome gash on the shoulder.
Kroooaaar!
Thrashing in pain, it flung the zombie aside.
Mu-hyuk frowned at the raw power, retreating behind the skeleton.
The bear barreled in blindly, smashing the skeleton with a forepaw.
Crack.
Shoulder shattered—it tumbled far like the zombie.
Mu-hyuk stabbed the belly in the gap.
Huge wind pressure—he ducked as a paw whistled overhead.
Chilling close call.
Insane...
Even in-game, this tension amazed him again.
But he'd win.
Confidence surged.
He rolled aside, shield up.
Shoulder met the bear's force head-on.
Body shook, but he held firm.
Strength over 15 proving its worth.
Good, doable.
Less impact than expected.
Shield pressure twisted the bear's balance.
He slashed again.
Wounds everywhere—after seven clean hits, the bear slumped, gasping.
"Hoo."
Final stroke to the throat.
Shlick.
Silver arc in the air, body grayed out.
Solid EXP gain confirmed, Mu-hyuk pocketed the dropped hide.
Then rested to regen mana.
Glancing around, eyes met some users'.
They quickly looked away, dismissing him.
Many necromancers quit; bad party synergy meant solo hunts.
Requiring lower-level zones.
They probably pegged him as one.
Fine by me.
He ignored stares anyway.
Though not fully ignorable.
Here in bear territory, those looks faded, thankfully.
Still, need a helmet later.
Idly thinking as he rose again.
Hunting continued till next day.
He gauged the bears' stats: HP around 400.
Defense estimated 30, attack 95.
Wolves hit 35—huge gap.
Even factoring packs vs singles, brutal power.
85 HP per hit.
Crits at 170.
His HP mid-400s—few hits to death.
Without summons, impossible.
He'd brushed death several times, honestly.
Yet Mu-hyuk beamed.
Grinning, really.
Solo clearing a 4-man party spot, summons or not.
Thrilling.
The edge of death, knowing he wouldn't truly die.
That chill, then conquering it for peak catharsis.
"Hoo..."
Steadying breath, smile faded.
Onward.
More. Hunt more.
Level 14 now.
One more for new skills.
Goal so close—motivation soared.
Krrrowl.
Another giant bear appeared.
"Zombie, Skeleton—attack!"
They closed in. As the trio tangled, Mu-hyuk leaped at the bear too.