Desperate Strike Against the Double Snake
Popping an MP potion right away, he activated Arrainba once more. Thanks to downing one in advance between cooldowns, his mana was still plenty full.
At that moment, a cluster of brilliant light flickered into view ahead of him.
No way... am I back at that spot?
Taemin bolted straight toward the light. If that was the original puddle, maybe he could find a way out.
Bursting through the dense forest, his lithe form reached the dazzling glow. A hollow sigh escaped his lips.
"Damn..."
What lay before him wasn't the initial puddle at all. It was a massive lake carving between expanses of earth. Its length was impossible to gauge, and even its width easily surpassed 100 meters.
Trapped with no way forward or back, Taemin's mind raced. Behind him loomed a monster too terrifying to face. Ahead stretched a lake of unknown depth.
As he pondered, the Double Snake closed in to point-blank range. He veered sharply, scouting for an escape, but it was too late. The beast's razor fangs lunged at him.
Leveraging his skills, Taemin dodged the assault as best he could. But only his legs had quickened—his upper body couldn't keep pace with the unnaturally accelerated lower half. Every instant teetered on the edge of life and death.
He was barely evading, but at this rate, capture was inevitable.
Damn it, what an idiot. Panicking so hard I forgot about the map...
Only now did he remember he had a map. If he'd summoned it calmly from the start, he wouldn't be backed into this dead end.
But regrets always come too late. Dodging the beast's strikes by a hair's breadth, Taemin faced a moment demanding decision.
This won't cut it... I can't die like a dog here.
With resolve hardened, he downed another potion and triggered Hydeger. His dagger blazed with pure white light.
Arrainba's remaining duration: barely a minute left. To survive, he had to sever its head in that window.
Focusing every nerve on the creature's movements, Taemin held back from rash attacks, waiting for an opening. One wrong move meant death—wise judgment was essential.
Dancing on the razor's edge, he noticed the Double Snake's assaults followed a consistent pattern. Mechanical, almost.
Spotting that amid the chaos was a miracle in itself.
Fast, sure, but the recharge time is long. Can't just keep dodging.
The Double Snake struck like a cobra: rearing up, using muscle tension to propel forward. Blinding speed, but rebuilding its coil took a beat.
Seizing that gap, Taemin gritted his teeth and reversed his grip on the dagger.
"Come on, you monster bastard."
The words barely left his mouth before one head shot forth. Predicting its trajectory, Taemin sidestepped as close as possible and plunged the dagger into its left neck.
Clutching the hilt two-handed, he hurled his full weight into a twist.
Riiip—!
Leather tore, the neck splitting wide as innards spewed like vomit.
Kiyaaaaah!
With a guttural screech, the remaining head spat venom at him. The Double Snake's poison could melt steel in seconds—a mere graze was fatal.
He'd etched that fact into his mind the moment he decided to fight. Dodging effortlessly, he circled behind without slowing and rammed the dagger into the right head—the dangling left one made it possible.
Thus, the beast met its end.
Acquired 3,000 EXP.
Completed the sixth tutorial.
Reward: +3,000 EXP.
Tension drained at the alerts, and he collapsed to the ground like a puppet with cut strings.
"Hoo... I survived. Ha. Me, doing that..."
Relief washed over him, drawing a weak chuckle from his lips. Catching his breath while eyeing the rotting corpse, Taemin soon rallied, scouring the area for materials. Nothing turned up, disappointingly.
"None, huh. Well, escaping with my life is win enough. But where the hell am I?"
He'd fled so frantically he'd lost track of how he'd ended up here. Summoning the map, he sighed at the lake.
"Snake Lake, apparently."
That first puddle hadn't been the real thing—just a minor one. But this confirmed two facts: the beast's territory was vast, and he needed constant vigilance, anywhere.
Eyeing the map, Taemin hurried toward the entrance. Potions gone, another encounter would spell doom. Thankfully, no more Double Snakes appeared.
Guided by the map, he emerged from the dungeon after a full two hours.
"Huh? It's night?"
Stepping out, he checked the time amid the settled darkness: 8 PM. He'd entered at 10 AM—nearly ten hours inside.
"Makes sense. It's always daylight in there. Time flies... Anyway, change first."
Stowing his blood-soaked gear in inventory, he donned fresh casual clothes from morning. Using the map to descend Namsan, he hailed a taxi home.
Crashing onto his bed, exhaustion claimed him utterly. An unimaginably grueling day.
"Man, I'm starving."
After a while sprawled out, hunger stirred him. Peering into the empty fridge, he dialed the local Chinese place.
"Yeah, 302 Happy Villa here. Uh... one sweet-and-sour pork and one fried rice, please."
Sweet-and-sour with fried rice—a combo he'd never dared before. Delivery was a once-a-month treat, when craving peaked. Money was always tight.
But now? Hunter life meant income dozens of times higher. Today's haul: three fangs, one wing. 1.9 million won. Plus the Wild Dog pelt, worth more. Delivery every day? No issue.
He devoured it all, then dragged his weary body to shower. Drying off, he sat on the bed to inspect the new weapon.
Attack Power +30
Agility +5
HP +40
MP +40
"Huh, solid stats. Agility 5, HP and MP 40 each..."
Drawing it, he felt its substantial weight. Nothing flashy, but longer and thicker than the beginner's dagger.
"This'll be my new go-to."
Examining it from every angle, he lay back, eyes closing. The most brutal, exhausting day of his 29 years faded away.
The next morning, Taemin headed early to the Hunter Market in Yongsan to sell his loot and stock potions.
At his usual shop, he offloaded three wolf fangs, one Tinkerbell wing, and the Wild Dog pelt. The pelt fetched two million—total: 3.9 million won.
Next, potions: seven low-grade MP vials.
Earns go straight to potions.
Money vanished fast, but necessary. MP potions were priority one.
"Could use a car, though."
Taxis forever? Cost aside, convenience sucked. Yesterday's fumbling explanations nearly got him kicked out.
"Save up for a used one. Practice driving too."
Busing home, he stopped at the mart for groceries. A week ago, his route: instant noodles or cheap ham corner. Eggs on sale for weakness. Frugality ruled.
Now? He roamed freely, grabbing whatever. Income leaped dozens-fold.
Bags full, he unpacked into a brimming fridge, smiling contentedly.
Good for a while.
At his desk, he booted the PC and hit the Hunter site for intel—Beginner Dungeon level ranges, next-tier lower dungeons.
"Party standard: level 10+ for next. Solo me? Push to 15."
Muttering, he summoned his status.
Class:Il-sala-ja (Origin of Ancient Assassins) | LV. 9
EXP: 19,000 | Physical ATK: 1-45 | Physical DEF: 1-23.5
Magic ATK: 1-12 | Magic DEF: 1-3 | Crit: 4.8% | Dodge: 4.8%
HP: 165/165 | MP: 185/185 | Remaining Points: 0
"Nearly 20k EXP. Yams average 200 each? About 100 kills. And it ramps up... Damn, that's a grind."
Over 100 monsters per level? He whistled. Yesterday: ~80 in six nonstop hours (Double Snake excluded).
"Dawn start, late night finish: one level per day. Not everything's about levels, though."
No rush. Hunter just a week; hunts twice, one informal.
Early days. Farm cash, go till bored.