Chapter 14
Chapter 14
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 14
Chapter Title: Acquiring Skills is Painful
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We returned home with about a minute of the zombie repellent's effect remaining.
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>Fortunately or unfortunately, there wasn't a single special zombie inside the apartment.
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>They were all normal zombies, but we were still satisfied since we had spent a solid two hours bashing their heads in.
We entered through my side of the entrance.
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>The walls and ceiling on my side were splattered with blood from the zombie I killed, but Eun-ji's place was still clean, so we decided to primarily live there and use my room as a storage and entry point.
"Phew... You all worked so hard..."
Ha-rin said in an exhausted voice as she took off her blood-soaked shoes. Such a diligent kid.
"Yeah, good job."
"Oppa, you worked hard too. Ha-rin also did her best."
"Hehe... I wonder how many we actually killed."
We leveled up quite a bit since we basically killed every zombie we saw. Eun-ji and Ha-rin were the same.
I went up 3 levels, and Eun-ji and Ha-rin each went up 4 levels.
Eun-ji, who was ferociously beating zombies to death, shot up in levels. Seeing that, Ha-rin didn't want to be left behind and worked hard, so she was able to rise just as much.
Our levels have risen considerably, so it feels great. Of course, there's one downside: my baseball bat is starting to look like it's about to break.
Well, it's actually strange that it's still intact after bashing so many zombies to death. It's not like it's an iron bat.
It's not just my baseball bat that's on the verge of breaking. The head of Eun-ji's hammer is wobbling, and Ha-rin's crude spear broke a long time ago.
I really need to kill the hardware store guy and loot some tools. I should have just asked for a crowbar back then. Next time I go out, I'm definitely getting one.
"Oppa, your whole body is covered in blood. Haha. It's like you've turned into a serial killer."
"It's proof that we moved around a lot. Hehe."
Through this zombie hunt, I confirmed that both Eun-ji and Ha-rin showed very satisfying movements.
Thanks to the stat correction, both possess strength and stamina that make it hard to believe they are women.
The moment you awaken and become a player, you realize that women can exert power equal to men, depending on the stats randomly assigned. If I had just assumed women were weak, that could have been a huge mistake. If the opponent is an Awakened, they could be stronger than an adult male. Underestimating a stat- and skill-holding opponent just because they're a woman would be disastrous.
Speaking of which, my muscles are starting to ache.
"Ugh. My shoulders are stiff."
"Mine too..."
Even with the stat correction, after bashing zombie heads for two hours without a break, my shoulders feel like they're going to pop out. My hands hurt terribly too... Ah, I've got blisters.
Eun-ji and Ha-rin seem to be in the same boat, looking very exhausted.
I'll take a shower and put on some pain relief patches. I'll focus on my shoulders and wrists, and get a massage too. Of course, I'll get one as well.
"Let's hurry up and shower, then get some rest."
"Yeah, let's wash up and lie down. There are two bathrooms, so you two shower together today. I'll wash up here and then go over there."
"Th-that's right..."
Ha-rin blushed for no reason, probably remembering what we did in the bathroom yesterday.
So cute. Did she expect to get banged in the shower? Sorry, but I'm too exhausted right now.
"Since our clothes are covered in blood, should we take them off here before we go?"
"Yeah. Sure, sure."
We had already agreed to wash the bloody outdoor clothes in my washing machine. We'll wash our daily clothes at Eun-ji's place.
This is only possible because we still have electricity, gas, and running water.
"Then I'll see you later, Oppa!"
"See you after the shower, Master..."
Eun-ji and Ha-rin, who now seemed completely unashamed, stripped off their clothes and crossed over to the next apartment. Ha-rin is taller and has a bigger frame, but Eun-ji is the feistier one. She's the unnie, after all.
I sent the two of them together on purpose.
The bathroom is too small for three people to go in together. If I showered with either Ha-rin or Eun-ji here, the other one would feel left out. And they probably need some time to talk, just the two of them.
They are already in a position where they can't betray me, and whether they like it or not, they have to stick with me from now on. I thought they would need some time to have a deep conversation.
"Hehe..."
Speaking of which, even though I already had two rounds this morning, seeing Eun-ji and Ha-rin's naked bodies makes my groin start to swell again. This is a problem. Next time, I need to loot a house in a wealthy neighborhood. A flashy mansion in a rich district would surely have a shower room big enough for the three of us.
Imagining that, I took off my clothes and entered the bathroom.
"Phew..."
As the warm water hits me, the muscle fatigue loosens up a bit.
I plan to choose Eun-ji and Ha-rin's skills after they shower and come out. I'll choose my skills first. Before that, I should check my status window.
'Let's see...'
⚔ STATUS ⚔
Name: Jang Jo-jun Level: 5 Class: Cultist Strength: 25 (17+8) Agility: 22 (15+7) Stamina: 22 (14+8) Willpower: 28 (20+8) Magic Power: 30 (20+10) Luck: 666 Skills: Tentacle Summon, Slave Mark
Thanks to going up a whole 3 levels, all my stats have entered the 20s. No wonder the impact from swinging the baseball bat felt better and better. There was a reason for that.
I read online that stats increase by a random amount between 1 and 5 per level-up.
So, looking at the strength stat as an example, the (17+8) part means the 8 is the total from the 3 levels, probably added as 2, 3, 3 or something like that.
But my magic power went up by 10 on my first level-up?
Well, the information I read wasn't perfect, just a speculative post, so it's not certain. Maybe my job's specialty is that my magic power increases well. After all, right now, my magic power has increased the most.
Regardless, I'm very satisfied. I went up 3 levels from a single outing, and my stats have increased. The feeling of my body getting lighter is quite addictive. Moreover, I can choose 3 skills. Just Tentacle Summon and Slave Mark are already amazing, but what if I pick 3 more skills?
Plus, with Eun-ji and Ha-rin, it seems we can even take on the supermarket by around tomorrow.
After all, the guys holed up in the supermarket aren't all Awakened. If we're careful with the handguns they have, we should be fine. We're all owners of hidden classes, so what can't we do? Especially with Ha-rin's Heartbeat Tracking skill, it'll be easy to figure out their movements.
I'm very satisfied.
Now, the spray's effect has 1 use left for me and Ha-rin, and 2 for Eun-ji. If I level up a bit more on the next outing, after looting the hardware store, I'll be able to walk around the streets even without the zombie repellent.
'Get my weapons and then I'll take the supermarket...'
It would be even better if I could capture some Awakened people at the supermarket too.
As I imagined such a pleasant future, I soaped up my body. Then, I felt my abdominal muscles?
'Huh? I've got muscles...'
My abs are starting to form. As my stats increased, did my muscles follow naturally?
Abs for me? The great Jang Jo-jun, with abs...!
I was already well-endowed down there, but I never had a particularly muscular body. If I get abs, Eun-ji and Ha-rin will like it too.
"Hehehe..."
It's such an easy world. My body gets better as my stats increase.
'Especially my magic power is 30...'
I can make 3 slaves a day. It's a mana amount that allows me to use Tentacle Summon consecutively without any problem. I could even spew tentacles from both hands.
'This is getting exponentially stronger...'
If I keep getting stronger like this, zombies are just trash mobs.
'The important thing is that I'm not the only one getting stronger...'
Other players like me. The so-called Awakened will all get stronger in the same way, so future battles will likely focus on fighting those kinds of guys.
'No... I shouldn't underestimate special zombies... With things like Human Centipedes crawling around, who knows what other weirdos are out there...'
In this shitty world, the one who lets their guard down dies first. I almost got drunk on my increased stats and let my guard down.
I've only gotten to eat Eun-ji and Ha-rin twice each, I can't die yet. I'm going to live a long, long time. I want to make a harem with my slaves and live forever, just banging all the time.
"I'll choose my skills."
So, let's hurry up and pick my skills.
📜 SKILL SELECTION 📜
Please select a skill: 1. Human Sacrifice 2. Altered Vision 3. Surging Flesh 4. Profane Touch
From Human Sacrifice to Surging Flesh, I know these skills, and Profane Touch is a new skill that appeared in the spot where I got Slave Mark.
[Profane Touch: Corrodes and rots the target upon contact. A sticky mucus is secreted from the hand.]
'Hmm...'
This looks very useful. If I can corrode a target on contact, I could melt locks or corrode doorknobs to break in.
"For now..."
My thumbs are too sore, so I can't. I'll acquire Surging Flesh first.
⚡ SKILL ACTIVATED ⚡
Applying Skill...
Zzt!
Again, my brain buzzed and it was painful. My legs gave out from the feeling of a spoon scooping out my brain. I barely held on, gripping the sink. It's really painful every time I acquire a skill.
"Kup... Phew..."
How to use it seeped into my mind forcefully. At the same time, I could see the detailed information of the skill.
'Mana consumption is 5...'
Surging Flesh consumes 5 mana each time it's used. Still, it's a good skill that can heal most external wounds.
"So I have to chant a spell for this too..."
I decided to heal my right hand first, the one I tore with my teeth when I first made Ha-rin my slave. This wound wasn't from a knife, it was torn from biting it myself, so it's more painful and oozes more pus.
"Shood... Sera... Akam."
As I chanted the spell, placing my left palm over my right thumb, a purple light flashed, and soon flesh began to surge into the wound.
"Grraaaaah!!!"
Pain rushes in as the flesh surges. The skill description said it would be a 'slight pain'...!
"Guaaahhh!!!!"
I felt like my thumb was burning whole and collapsed onto the bathroom floor. It even felt like my wound was being gouged out.
"Kuk..."
Luckily, the moment of pain wasn't very long.
Once all the flesh had surged in, the pain vanished in an instant.
It's a healing skill that makes you feel all the pain you would have endured while the wound healed, all at once, before healing it.
"Phew... Shood... Sera... Akam"
I healed my left thumb.
"Kueu..."
It seems the larger the wound, the greater the pain. The knife wound on my left thumb was less painful to heal than the bite wound on my right thumb that had been torn open.
'Phew... Anyway, I can heal external wounds now... I can use it not just on myself but on Eun-ji and Ha-rin too...'
In this age without hospitals, a healing skill like this is incredibly useful. Even if it comes with pain during the process, as long as I can endure it, I could heal a ripped-open belly and save someone.
"I'll continue choosing skills..."
📜 SKILL SELECTION 📜
Please select a skill: 1. Human Sacrifice 2. Altered Vision 3. Abyss Observation 4. Profane Touch
[Abyss Observation: Consumes Karma to gaze into the Abyss. You can communicate with the beings of the Abyss.]
An oddly emphasized mark catches my eye.
Abyss Observation... a skill that looks extremely dangerous has popped up. It even requires Human Sacrifice as a prerequisite.
'Communicate with the beings of the Abyss...?'
The description alone reeks of danger. Isn't there a saying like this?
When you gaze into the abyss, the abyss also gazes into you... Damn it.
'Tch... As expected of a Cultist, dangerous-looking skills keep coming out...'
They said Human Sacrifice brings you closer to some unknown being called a 'God'. This goes a step further, telling me to communicate with an abyssal being of unimaginable malice and danger.
"Haah..."
I didn't feel like choosing it at all. A feeling of anxiety washed over me that if I made one wrong move, I would fall right into the abyss and transform into something that is no longer me.
'I don't want to lose my humanity that much yet... Profane Touch.'
⚡ SKILL ACTIVATED ⚡
Applying Skill...
"Guaaah!!!"
I felt the pain of a needle being injected into my brain, forcefully infusing knowledge. Two drops of saliva dripped from my mouth. The pain was so hard to get used to that I was starting to fear acquiring skills.
"Phew... Phew... Phew..."
The spell is 'Ras... Jakun'. Mana consumption is 3. It's a usable skill. Anything that touches the mucus secreted from my palm will rust or rot away.
"Last one..."
How is acquiring skills harder than hunting zombies? Are Eun-ji and Ha-rin also in this much pain?
📜 SKILL SELECTION 📜
Please select a skill: 1. Human Sacrifice 2. Altered Vision 3. Abyss Observation 4. Selfless Demon Eye
"Selfless Demon Eye...?"
Now a Demon Eye pops up. I'm gradually becoming a non-human existence.
[Selfless Demon Eye: Steals the consciousness of a target you make eye contact with, leaving them dazed. Altered Vision is required.]
This skill also required a prerequisite, just like Abyss Observation.
'Leaves a target you make eye contact with dazed... If I use this in battle, I'll just win overwhelmingly...'
I have no choice. I'll get Altered Vision. I can't miss such an effective Demon Eye. And my intuition tells me more Demon Eyes will come out besides this one.
'Choose Altered Vision.'
⚡ SKILL ACTIVATED ⚡
Applying Skill...
Just how painful will this one be.
"Hup...!"
I took a deep breath, preparing for the incoming pain.
But this time, the pain that had been hitting my brain every time I acquired a skill was a little less.
"Guaaaaaaaaaah!!!!"
Instead, a terrible pain assaulted both of my eyes.
It felt like my eyeballs were being ripped out and burned. I rolled around on the bathroom floor.
Unable to endure the pain, I lay on my back and flailed.
I could only grab my eyes with both hands and scream!
It felt like my throat was being crushed and gouged out!!!!
"Kiaa!!! Guaaaah!!!!"
"O-Oppa!!! What's wrong..!!!"
"Master!!!"
Eun-ji and Ha-rin come running.
Soon, the bathroom door creaks open, and one of them hugs me.
"O-Oppa!!"
"Master! What's wrong!"
I don't have the energy to answer. I'm still in so much pain I feel like I'm going to die. In the end, Ha-rin and Eun-ji dragged me out of the bathroom while I was flailing and rolling on the floor.
By the feeling of bare skin rubbing against me, it seems they both rushed out in the middle of their showers...
"Haah... Haah...."
The pain of my eyes being torn out slowly subsided. Then it completely vanished.
Something soft and squishy is touching my head. By the feeling, I'm in Ha-rin's arms...
"Kuk..."
I barely managed to open my eyes.
"Heo... Oppa..."
"Master... Your eyes..."
It's bright. The dark room looks exceptionally bright. Also, I can see Eun-ji and Ha-rin with a clarity that's incomparable to before. My vision has skyrocketed.
Both my eyes were barely 1.0, but now it's almost 3.0. Everything is sharp and clear, without any blurriness.
As I looked around, Eun-ji pointed at my eyes with a flustered voice.
"Oppa, your eyes. The color of your eyes has changed..."
"Huh? Changed...?"
"Yes, Master... My god..."
My eye color changed? What does that mean?
I got out of Ha-rin's warm embrace and looked into the bathroom mirror.
"Oh... My god..."
My black pupils had turned purple.
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