Sword Breakers and Solo Wave Conquest
Starting the next day, Taemin threw himself into hunting all day long to make money. Casting aside his previous leisurely pace, he set out at the crack of dawn and hunted until midnight. As a result, he filled two inventory slots with material items each day, raking in nearly 10 billion won.
Yoon Ji-young watched him with growing concern.
"You'll ruin your health like that..."
"I'm fine for now. Don't worry too much."
After returning from the promised ruins on Monday, Taemin sold his materials at the market and checked his bank balance.
Balance: 13,130,400,000 won
"Just a couple more days, and I can get the weapons made."
Taemin decided to prioritize buying the most essential weapons first. For now, weapons were more urgent than attribute gear. No matter what, the ruins only required attributes to be awakened, which would allow him to hunt for the time being. Focusing on the Wave—where he could make a fortune—was the smart play.
Two days later, he'd gathered enough for the weapons.
After selling his materials, Taemin headed to the gear center with excitement bubbling inside. Luckily, since they weren't popular, the weapons he had his eye on were still on display.
◈ Attack Skill Level +1
◈ Support Skill Level +1
After double-checking the options, Taemin called over a staff member and proceeded to buy them right away.
"Ring these up for me. No need for packaging."
He completed the purchase swiftly and returned to his lodging, where he gripped the new weapons in both hands with eager anticipation.
"Status."
Taemin immediately opened his status window to check how much his stats had improved.
"Physical attack over 1,100. With Hydeger, that's around 1,400. This should handle golems with ease."
Taemin smiled in satisfaction and checked his skill window. One of the things he'd been most looking forward to was the skill level boosts from the options.
Heart's Eye LV.1 (Max) - Scout target info (proportional to level)
Hydeger LV.Max +2
Arrainba LV.Max +2
Invisible LV.Max +2
Ambush LV.Max +2
Defensive Power Critical LV.Max +2
Fierce Assault LV.Max +1
Blade of Qi LV.Max +2
"All the actives went up by one, except passives."
It was just as expected—more than satisfactory numbers. Basic attack skills like Hydeger, Ambush, and Blade of Qi saw slight damage increases, and Critical—which shreds defense—was now over 20%.
Obviously, stripping defense meant more damage got through, so even under the same conditions, he could deal far more than others. On top of that, the boost to Arrainba was noteworthy. Excluding items, his speed alone exceeded 200 just from skills. No buffs needed for movement speed anymore.
Feeling his newfound strength, Taemin laid out his next plan.
No attribute gear yet, so hit the Wave first. Soloing might yield more than the ruins.
The next day, he put it to the test. Entering the highlands early in the morning, he ignored the field monsters and raced straight for the canyon.
With the map open, barreling forward, he reached the cave entrance after about three hours.
"I'm way stronger now. I can do this."
Steeling himself at the entrance, he stepped inside.
Even within the cave, nothing fazed him. Slicing through the various monsters that dwelled there, he soon faced the cave's strongest: the Ice Golem.
This Ice Golem had stats similar to the Stone Golem from the ruins—a foe he'd tangled with once before. Back then, damage barely stuck, taking ages. But now, everything from level to gear had changed.
Three in total? That's... a head-on fight.
With that thought, Taemin summoned Blade of the Room and Blade of Qi simultaneously. Seven transparent blades and seven blue-glowing blades rose around him.
Activating Hydeger as well, he charged straight at them.
As the distance closed to a certain threshold, the circling blue blades launched toward the golems in unison.
Schwaaak!
The sound of slicing wind rang out as the blades struck their bodies, signaling the battle's start. Each blade landed multiple hits before fading, then repositioned around him.
A brief strike, but the damage was solid. No fatal blows, but wounds scarred the golems' 1,500-defense bodies everywhere. Enough to clear the Wave easily.
As the blades cycled between repositioning and attacking, Taemin closed in on the first Ice Golem.
White light flared from his dual Sword Breakers, slashing at its leg.
Bam!
A massive impact echoed as a deep gash—three inches (about 9cm) deep—carved into one leg. Last time, even at full buff and power, he'd barely managed half an inch (1.5cm). Worlds apart.
And that was pure Hydeger without Critical. Average DPS had skyrocketed.
Thrilled by the power, Taemin hammered the golem relentlessly.
Papap! Pat!
The occasional Critical pops were pure bliss.
While focused on one, the other two flanked him. But Taemin ignored them. Blade of the Room already blocked their approach, and Blade of Qi kept switching targets for sustained damage.
Soon, the frontal Ice Golem crumpled to the floor.
Acquired 217,000 EXP.
He dispatched it cleanly and launched toward the next.
Moments later, the last fiercely resisting golem fell, and he pressed onward.
Soloing three Ice Golems—and in record time—had his confidence soaring. And rightly so: Ice Golems were known as quasi-bosses, second strongest in the Crystal Highlands. Beating three head-on meant nothing in this space could threaten him.
Slicing through occasional Smilodons and miscellaneous beasts, he soon reached the central plaza.
There stood Walter, the keyholder, guarding it alone and forlornly. Without hesitation, Taemin charged and cleaved it in one stroke.
The plaza shook violently as monsters poured from eight cave mouths in the walls.
Taemin psyched himself up.
"Come on! Let's eat, you bastards!"
His confident form plunged into the horde.
On the rooftop of a building whipped by fierce winds, two men who looked like hunters exchanged secretive words.
The shorter one seemed the superior, lounging casually, while the taller stood rigidly behind. Both wore swords, suggesting Warrior or Knight classes.
A flat voice came from the front man.
"Any reply from them?"
"Yes."
"What'd they say?"
"China was quite receptive. Japan seemed a bit hesitant."
"Hm. Figures. With America out of the picture, no one's left to protect them. They're probably worried we'll eye their islands after the war. The current government's pretty pro-Japan. Still, good news—one bite is something."
"True, but they're not trustworthy. Once it's done, they'll swallow us whole. History proves it..."
The tall man trailed off, uneasy.
The front man nodded understandingly.
"I know your concerns well. But to fully seize this place, we need their power."
"Most mid-to-small guilds in the Capital Alliance and metro area have pledged to join us. With that force, we don't need them—it's enough to fight, right?"
"Maybe. But we can't ignore the Seven Strongholds and regional guilds. If they unite and resist organized, our plan's doomed. Even if we win, the damage? Unbearable. We need to end this war minimizing losses."
"Then how far do we trust them...?"
"Trust? I don't. They've always stabbed us in the back. Use 'em like a dull knife and toss when worn. Once we're sorted here, they're next. From that angle, this alliance matters. Play it right, and we wipe our noses without lifting a finger. Push forward—no worries. Secure at least three of the Seven Stronghold guilds. Wolfsrein excluded, of course. You know why."
"Yes, Guild Master. Understood."
The tall man withdrew, and the guild master clasped hands behind his back, gazing over the cityscape.
Cars jammed the roads, crowds swarmed the streets. Watching for a while, a low voice escaped him.
"No matter when I look, this country's such a narrow neighborhood. This Republic of Korea."