Chapter 32
**CHAPTER TITLE: [Whispering Hollow of the Thorn Troll]**
Clear Conditions.
— Defeat the Thorn Troll (63/65)
“Kyyyyyyaaah!”
The troll towered over three meters, its entire body bristling with spikes. Unlike the others, it presented a unique challenge.
Most hunters would have to aim for its vital points, since it healed from ordinary attacks within thirty seconds. The spikes made targeting those points nearly impossible.
Of course, that was from the perspective of ordinary hunters.
“Night Walker.”
Ha Dojin activated his skill with his signature upper-body painting technique.
In an instant.
Ssshhhk.
“Kwoo?”
The thorn troll, gripping a club the size of a man’s torso, widened its eyes and frantically scanned its surroundings.
It was because the human standing right in front of it had vanished.
Night Walker left afterimages to confuse the enemy. Yet only someone with Dojin’s unique upper-body painting and precise sidestepping could vanish so completely.
The troll looked as if it had met a ghost.
Slash!
“Kyyyyyyaaah!”
Though it was a monster and humanoid in shape, its body structure was identical to a human’s.
Dojin had already circled behind it, dropping into a low stance, and severed its Achilles tendon.
And then…
Thwack! Thwack! Slash!
He leaped, carving through its legs, flank, and back.
Puak!
Between the neck and shoulder—right at the deltoid—he drove the dagger deep.
Far easier than using Bloodbane.
“As expected of Kwak Hansu.”
The blue blade he had forged danced in Dojin’s grip.
“Kyyyyyyaaah!”
The troll was furious.
At any moment it could disappear, only to be struck with impossible speed. And the wound near its neck was not even fatal to itself.
Whoosh!
The troll whipped its body around and swung its club.
But the human was already gone.
“Kwoo?”
The instant the troll flinched.
Thwack! Thwack!
“……!”
Both sides of its neck exploded with agony. The troll’s body convulsed violently. It could not even scream; its vision dimmed to black as if a hand had been slammed over its eyes.
“A creature that takes a lot of effort. But its experience… is certain.”
Blood poured from both sides of the troll’s neck.
Most living things would die from that alone. Yet trolls were different.
Thud.
Dojin seized the long spike protruding from the troll’s back.
He leaped, severed it, and then…
Puuk!
He rammed the spike straight into the troll’s forehead.
Crack! Shatter!
When the two-finger-long spike pierced the skull and embedded completely, the troll’s body convulsed as if struck by lightning.
Thud!
As the troll collapsed.
[361,000 experience points acquired.]
[Level increased.]
[Reached level 80.]
[Bonus stats acquired.]
[Unique grade skill activated.]
[The trait of the being who reached the highest place from the lowest has blossomed.]
[Unique Skill (Passive): Table of the Apocalypse acquired.]
“Huu…”
Dojin let out a small breath.
His vision had momentarily gone black and dizziness had struck.
Grit.
He bit his lip and forced strength into his body.
The dizziness passed after a moment of standing still.
This made the sixty-fourth kill.
One more and the dungeon would be cleared.
But Dojin turned around.
He would have to return here in one week.
“By then the thorn troll will be stronger.”
It did not matter.
The stronger it became, the more experience points it would drop.
Right now, something more important needed checking.
“Status window.”
Name: Ha Dojin
Level: 80
Strength: 132 + 6 Agility: 355 + 29
Stamina: 125 Mana: 223 + 2
Bonus stats: 35
Dojin looked at the skill list below the status window.
— [Unique Trait: Reset]
— [Unique Skill: Time Distortion] Lv.3
— [Skill: Night Walker] Lv.1
— [Dark Absorption] Lv.2
— [Unique Skill (Passive): Table of the Apocalypse]
— [Item Skill: Acceleration]
— [Item Skill: Warp]
At level 80, possessing five skills without any equipment bonuses was practically impossible.
Yet…
“Table of the Apocalypse…?”
The trait of the being who reached the highest place from the lowest.
What was this?
Dojin forgot to distribute his stats and examined the skill instead.
Unique Skill (Passive): Table of the Apocalypse
— When the caster kills a stronger opponent, they can steal that opponent’s strength.
“……!?”
Dojin’s eyes widened.
He knew of skills like Absorb Magic. Most of them had severe drawbacks and only offered temporary buffs.
Yet…
“I’ve never heard of such a skill.”
What did stealing strength even mean?
He soon abandoned the thought.
The last remaining thorn troll was now charging straight at him.
Once it was dead, it would no longer respawn.
First, then.
“I’ll have to check this in the next dungeon.”
Dojin moved out of the dungeon as quickly as he could.
He had received a staggering thirty bonus stats.
He had distributed them all during the vehicle ride, yet rest was impossible.
It was because of the newly acquired unique skill.
His astonishment at the bonus stats had already faded from his mind.
“…What kind of skill is this?”
It felt as strange as the first time he had seen Reset.
At that time Seonghyeon had asked.
“Sir, are you not sleeping?”
“Yes, I can’t sleep.”
“Still, you should at least rest your eyes. That’s very different.”
“…I’m sorry. It’s because of me.”
“No, what are you saying?”
Seonghyeon laughed brightly.
Yet the regret Dojin felt toward him was real.
Because of him he had not even entered the house properly for days.
He had said it was fine alone.
— No. Taking care of Sir is my duty now. I cannot let you take that away from me.
Dojin answered firmly.
Then he closed his eyes.
Even so, resting with Seonghyeon at his side felt a little easier.
And soon they reached Icheon in Gyeonggi Province.
“Shall we go in the usual order?”
There were nine dungeons to clear in Icheon.
The place where the most dungeons were concentrated and the highest-tier ones gathered.
Dojin spoke.
“Today let’s start with the Stone Giant Dungeon.”
“…The Stone Giant Dungeon?”
Among the high-rank dungeons in Icheon, the single monster with the highest level.
Seonghyeon nodded.
“Then let us move to the Stone Giant Dungeon first.”
Although the route would be slightly twisted, it was not a great problem.
Eventually the car driven by Seonghyeon arrived in front of the Stone Giant Dungeon.
“Huu…”
“Are you sure you’re all right?”
It was already past two in the morning.
Normally he would have slept at a nearby lodging, but for some reason Dojin had decided to push through.
Dojin said, “I came because I have something to verify. I’ll catch just a few monsters and then leave. Please wait a little longer.”
Sleep could come after.
Without confirming the “Table of the Apocalypse” skill, he would never be able to sleep.
At Seonghyeon’s nod, Dojin walked toward the soldiers guarding the entrance.
Since he already knew their faces, no one objected.
Though he was a little tired.
Srrk.
Dojin stepped into the dungeon.
In an instant the surroundings changed with a flash of light.
And…
[Ruins of the Stone Giant’s Broken Temple]
— 150 Level / 8-Man Limit
Clear Conditions.
— Defeat the Stone Giant (0/35)
— Defeat the Red Stone Giant (0/5)
The dungeon was quite large.
“I’ll have to lure just one first.”
Dojin dashed toward the Stone Giant on the outer edge.
When the clear condition changed to zero, it meant the monsters had respawned and the condition reset.
Dojin picked up a fist-sized stone from the ground.
The Stone Giant’s original level was around 120.
But after respawning it had grown a bit stronger—roughly 130.
Even one or two would be tiring, let alone several at once. Especially since the dagger was ineffective against them.
Dojin spotted a Stone Giant emerging from the side of the temple.
Whisk!
Thud!
The stone Dojin hurled struck the creature’s leg with a dull clang.
Dojin showed himself briefly, then sprinted toward the outer edge at high speed.
“Gwooo…oo…oo.”
Accompanied by a slow, echoing voice, the Stone Giant approached.
It was not fast, but its defense and attack power were monstrous.
Pa-bam!
Dojin, having lured one, immediately stomped on a temple pillar and leaped into the air.
The five-meter-tall giant stone.
Unlike a golem, this creature was not made of rock and metal, but alive. Its body was composed of rock, yet it lived.
Even if you destroyed the body of a Stone Golem, as long as the core remained intact it would keep regenerating. But…
“These ones are different.”
“Gwooooooooo!”
The creature spread its enormous palm and swung it down toward Dojin.
It was like swatting a bug.
Whish!
Whoosh!
Dojin twisted in mid-air and dodged the attack.
And…
Thud! Pa-ba-bam!
Dojin landed on the Stone Giant’s arm and saw the joint.
Stabbing it with a dagger on a body made of stone would likely damage the blade severely, as before.
But…
Swish!
Crack!
“Kyyyyyyaaah!”
The creature screamed.
At the gap near the elbow where the arm folded.
He slipped the dagger in, twisted, and severed the arm.
Although his palm holding the dagger still tingled.
“Hup!”
Thud!
Dojin poured mana into his fist and slammed the creature’s face.
It was not a huge impact, but he could tilt its head backward.
The neck was fully exposed.
Crack! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!
It was a reckless method.
Dojin slammed his fist into the gap inside the neck without mercy.
Normally he would have dismantled the joints one by one first, but right now he was different.
Crack!
The moment the attacked neck hung loosely, Dojin roared and drove both fists into the Stone Giant’s skull.
Thud!
The creature’s head came flying off like it had been yanked out.
His fists still throbbed, but
[723,000 experience points acquired.]
[Passive activated — Absorbed the abilities of the Stone Giant.]
[Strength + 0.2]
Dojin’s eyes widened.
As an assassin he had experienced many surprises, yet he rarely showed emotion. This time he could not hide it.
“0.2…?”
He had only killed one monster and its strength rose.
And by a decimal point.
He had never seen or even heard of such a thing.
Dojin’s voice trembled slightly.
“S… status window.”
If this was real…
Name: Ha Dojin
Level: 80
Strength: 137.2 + 6 Agility: 365 + 29
Stamina: 135 Mana: 233 + 2
Bonus stats: 0
“It really rose.”
Just from killing one monster, strength increased by 0.2.
Then five monsters would raise it by 1.
“Ha… ha…”
Dojin laughed in disbelief.
He turned his head.
Originally he had planned to only check the skill and leave, but his thoughts had changed.
“Seonghyeon-ssi, I’m sorry.”
Dojin changed direction.
I’ll kill them all.
Exhaustion forgotten, Dojin slipped into the shadows and began slaughtering the Stone Giants.