Dragon's Eye Debut and the Grotesque Horror
Shortly after passing the treasure chest.
“Kyu-ruk?”
Three giant conchs blocked their path.
HP:100% | MP:100%
• Armor Reinforcement (3-star)
• Body Slam (2-star)
• Stone Skin (2-star)
Judging by the name [Giant Conch with Sturdy Shell] and its pinkish hue, it seemed to be around 5 to 10 levels higher than Carpe.
“Finally here, huh?”
Carpe's voice carried a hint of excitement.
The moment to debut the item he'd been dying to try had arrived.
The Legendary item 'Dragon's Eye,' obtained after defeating Mainades.
The instant Carpe willed it to activate, the necklace emitted a faint glow.
Target information analyzed.
The monster's info window popped up right away.
'So that's how it works. Simpler than I thought.'
—Of course it's basic for monsters. Try it on a player, and it'd be a mess of skills and items scrolling endlessly.
'Wanna give it a shot?'
Conveniently, a perfect target was right beside him.
But when he tried Dragon's Eye on Hanjo, an alert appeared instead of an info window: 'Cooldown in progress (10 minutes).'
'It has a cooldown, huh.'
—Some items do. 10 minutes ain't bad, considering the busted options.
Cheonma called it short by comparison.
“Hmph. This humble one shall handle them.”
While Carpe tested Dragon's Eye, Hanjo stepped forward.
“Hah! Hep! Hep!”
But instead of charging the monsters, Hanjo let out weird kiais and started making bizarre hand signs.
It took Carpe about three seconds to realize it was the 'hand seals' from ninja manga.
“Summon Baekseol!”
With a cute ponk! sound effect, white smoke billowed up, and a pure white ferret emerged from within.
“How do you like her? My dearest companion, Baekseol.”
—Wind ferret. Rare Hero-grade pet. Nice get.
'No, but... do you really need those hand seals to summon it?'
—As if. You can summon normally. That ponk! and the smoke? Paid custom skins.
'...At this point, it's kinda respectable. That's the level of commitment for full concept immersion.'
Carpe's genuine admiration made Hanjo beam, mistaking it for awe at Baekseol.
“It shan't take long.”
As Hanjo charged the giant conchs, Baekseol's magic activated.
“Kyaaang!”
Air condensed in front of Baekseol's nose and shot toward the conchs at high speed.
—Air cannon. 3-star wind skill.
The conchs' Armor Reinforcement and Stone Skin both reduced physical resistance and damage—defensive skills against physical attacks.
As a second-timer, Hanjo knew this well, opting for magic over melee.
Boom!
The air cannon exploded amid the conchs, dealing AoE damage.
The conchs flipped over, exposing their weak points, unable to resist the air pressure.
The 'knockback' status effect from the air cannon had triggered.
“Hep!”
Hanjo seized the opening.
She darted between them in a flash and stabbed their exposed undersides with her dagger.
ZZZzt!
“Kyuruk?!"
The giant conch couldn't even fight back properly before freezing in place.
It was a textbook-perfect hunt—clean as could be.
“She fights damn well.”
—Yeah. Smart use of magic damage and knockback.
“An excellent display. I see lightning aura on your dagger—attribute countermeasures too.”
While one player, one Patron Spirit, and one homunculus nodded in approval, Hanjo pressed on.
“True Lightning Blade!”
—No such skill in RaSe. Just her naming her Lightning Enchant whatever.
'Thanks for the kind, useless explanation.'
Before knockback ended, Hanjo gave the rest equal treatment with lightning stabs. The remaining two soon turned gray.
“Hoo.”
“Impressive.”
“Heh heh. Overpraise. Now, expect a true Fighter God's prowess ahead?”
“Obviously I'll fight too... Wait, why do you keep calling me Fighter God?”
“Was that not your title in your past life?”
“Speak plainly for once.”
“I speak of Real Fantasia.”
“Huh?”
Carpe blinked at the unexpected name.
“Real Fantasia? You met me there?”
“Indeed. Few experts in Real Fantasia knew not of you.”
Fighting God of the Arena. Or Fighter God for short.
A player who appeared out of nowhere in the arena, smashing every ranker and hitting #2 in record time.
Vanished as suddenly as she came, becoming urban legend.
“This humble one fought you twice there—and lost both. Once more here makes three defeats.”
—Wait, Fighter God wasn't her invention? It's real?
“News to me...”
Carpe had stuck to arenas without player interactions, missing the rumors.
“Thus, calling you Fighter God is apt. If it bothers you, I shall change it.”
“Nah, it's fine... Hm?”
New monsters appeared mid-chat: three mana-drunk mermen. Excitement lit Hanjo's eyes.
'Finally, time to see her skills!'
Carpe was unfazed, but Fighter God was no light title.
Beast-like reflexes paired with delicate control and machine-precision play—revered by rankers as untouchable.
To witness it again... how could he not be thrilled?
Hanjo's eyes widened, not missing a beat.
But.
“Hyang-ah.”
“Kyu-woo!”
Mukhyang popped from the shadows at Carpe's call.
“Hm? Magic squirrel? You have a companion too.”
Hanjo sounded surprised, not expecting a pet.
But that was nothing compared to what followed.
“Hyang-ah. Calling Thunder.”
“Kyu-woooot!”
Mukhyang waved a paw, and thick storm clouds formed on the cavern ceiling.
Kraka-boom!
A single bolt speared the mermen.
Calling Thunder
Familiar Mukhyang has defeated Mana-Drunk Merman x3.
“Oh?”
—9-star skill power, huh? Levels flying up.
RaSe had separate EXP tables for players and familiars.
Familiars leveled painfully slow, even against the same monsters.
—150% EXP bonus... Matches player speed or slightly less.
'Even at 150%, that's it? Brutal.'
—Why do you think maintaining a pet costs E-class quest equivalent? Not for nothing.
Slow leveling forced 'pet EXP buff potions' as near-mandatory.
But they were pricey.
Low-earners often sold lucky pet eggs with tears.
Irrelevant to Carpe, of course.
“...Fighter God! What sorcery is this?!”
Hanjo's voice mixed shock and awe.
“Huh? What?”
“That just now!”
“Needs explaining?”
Carpe meant it. Just summoned pet, cast spell. What to explain?
“...”
Hanjo was a second-timer, Top 100 among 500 million.
She knew magic squirrels and Calling Thunder well.
But no way that combo dealt that damage by her logic!
“Kyu-woo! Kyu-woo!”
Ignoring Hanjo's panic, Mukhyang was thrilled.
First kin encountered: the white ferret Baekseol.
Mukhyang trotted happily toward her, but.
“Kee-it!”
Baekseol freaked, fleeing far away, visibly trembling.
“Kyu-woo?!”
Shocked, Mukhyang's perked ears drooped.
'Why they acting like that?'
—Dunno. Beats me.
'Likely terrified of Hyang's superior rank, my lord. Natural given the gap.'
“Ah.”
Right.
Mukhyang was probably RaSe's first Epic-grade pet.
Insane magic damage, Hero pet cowering—all because of Epic rank.
“Kyu-woooo...”
“Poor thing.”
Drooping ears were pitiful. Teary eyes too...?
'Can't befriend other pets forever?'
'No. Exposure builds tolerance. With Hyang's kind nature, Baekseol will fall for her charms soon.'
'...Fall for charms?'
'Hmph. Insolent nonetheless. My lord, release me. I'll make it kneel before Hyang.'
'...Hyang's guardian, calm down. That's how kids play.'
Dungeon cleared easily after.
“Hyang-ah. Calling Thunder!”
Kraka-boom!!
“Lightning Arrow!”
“Gya-gya-gyak!”
One-shot, one-kill.
No Rare dungeon mob survived Mythic-Epic lightning combo.
“This... this isn't it.”
Hanjo clutched her head. Not her vision at all.
She craved artistic technique, not this button-mash delete.
“Oh! Another one.”
—No clue where to farm these, but dropping here? Nice.
Unlike Hanjo, Carpe reveled in happy RaSe.
Mobs melted, EXP plentiful, Room upgrade mats dropping.
Blitzed the dungeon, gaining another level. Carpe now 19.
Just one more to next skill pack.
“Oh, fork?”
“Nearly there. Right path.”
“What's left?”
“Boss room.”
“Huh? Shouldn't we go there?”
Obvious, but Hanjo shook her head.
“Our goal is the pendant. Right path end. No need for boss.”
No obstacles ahead. Stroll, grab pendant, done.
Low difficulty for early skill pack quests.
But.
“Nah. Boss monster? Gotta kill it.”
Boss changed everything. Difficulty spiked.
“...I oppose. This boss is vicious.”
98% skipped it per stats. Players dreaded it.
'Why? Bad rewards for power?'
—Opposite. Better rewards than most.
'Then why?'
—...It's a bitch. Even restarting, I'd skip.
Odd.
Cheonma wasn't one to skip efficient bosses.
—Just pass quietly this time. Ugh. Imagining it...
“Fighter God, I respect you, but I oppose. Not worth facing.”
“Now I'm more curious.”
Stubborn now.
“Boss hunts need prep. We're both backliners.”
True.
Both melee-capable, but no dedicated aggro control.
No tank/knight meant unstable party.
Generally.
“Got a knight?”
“What...”
Before Hanjo finished, Tina hopped from Carpe's chest.
Flash!
Short glow, back to majestic form.
“A... homunculus?!”
Ex-ranker spotted it instantly.
“Homunculus? Fighter God, you went Puppeteer?”
“Kinda. Anyway, problem solved? She's crazy strong.”
“Looks it, but...”
Impressively noble—like 'knight' made flesh. Genuine awe.
This was real.
Not concept. True knight!
“Enviable...!”
“Boss raid time. Skip if unhappy. I'll solo. Going ahead.”
“W-wait! Fighter God!”
Hanjo stomped as Carpe strode left without hesitation.
But sighed deeply, following.
“Ugh...”
—Ugh, damn. Knew it. Fun-gamer bastard.
“What kinda thing is it...”
Cheonma aside, battle-loving Hanjo shuddering? Baffling.
Ssssh.
“Hm?”
“Eek!”
Left path deepened the creepy sound.
Like... something crawling.
Source revealed soon.
Cavern end: vast chamber. Boss resided there.
“...Whoa.”
—Gyaah! See that? Why I hate it!
Cheonma right. Boss was pure nightmare.
Specifically, its appearance was vomit-inducingly grotesque.
Bug.
3m centipede-like horror with countless legs.
Flat, hard-shelled abomination scuttling floor-stuck.
“...That super-fast rock-hugger from beaches?”
—Shut up. Eyes closed. No descriptions.
Tough-guy Cheonma quivered at the sight.
Ssssh.
Scraping legs: pure horror.
...Grotesque defined.
—Still time. Turn baaack...
Then.
Antennae twitched, halting.
Enclosed space.
Thumb-sized roach freezes people.
Throat gulped in tension.
Praying 'stay still, please' while sneaking for weapons—
Then roach blitzes at insane speed?
At 3m size?
Human response: brain freeze, screaming.
“Gyaaaah!”
Carpe shrieked.
—Gkyaaaah!!!
Cheonma too.
“Kyaaaaaaa!!”
A woman's terrified scream echoed.
All panicking in unison—
Bam!
One knight tanked the Giant Slater's charge head-on.
“As long as I stand, it shan't approach my lord by a step!”
Tina's silver sword flashed. Boss raid begun.