He's Fast.
'Fast.'
I spotted his other hand resting on the hilt of the sword at his waist before I knew it. I'd fought him in my dreams, but there was no way I could keep up with his reaction speed now.
Chalang—
As Kael took a step forward, the sound of him stepping into a puddle ahead on the narrow path echoed.
[Ki-reuk…… Ki-reuk…….]
[Grrr…….]
The low voices emanating from the darkness sounded like a signal flare. Eyes glinted like those of bats in the gloom.
"Hobgoblins."
Kael seemed to identify them at a glance.
"Be careful. They're goblins that live only in underground caves. Tougher and hardier than regular goblins."
"What do we do?"
Instead of answering my question, he drew his sword.
Kwaaaaang---!!!
[Kyaaaak……!!]
[Kya-gek……!!]
With a sharp roar, Kael's sword cleaved through the darkness. The flashing blade moved once, and the stench of blood filled the air from all directions.
Plop, plop……!
Thud……!!
Goblin heads and limbs rained down from the air like precipitation, splattering onto the ground.
"I'll handle them. Guide the way."
Kwaaaaang---!!!
At that moment, a blazing fireball erupted from the darkness, hurtling perilously toward my face.
"Watch out……!!!"
Kael shouted urgently to block it, but the scorching heat was already upon me.
"Hup……!!"
I hurriedly held my breath and twisted my body sharply to evade.
Whoosh……!!
The flames grazed past me and exploded against a pillar in a fiery column.
"Damn, a goblin mage?"
Kael said, scanning our surroundings warily.
More than that, I touched my stinging cheek with the back of my hand—the fireball had lightly singed me—and stared at the blackened pillar.
……That was close.
Having invested in Agility had been a godsend. Strength only boosted raw attack power in a simplistic way, but Agility had a dual effect. It sped up the player's own movements and made incoming attacks appear slower. Higher Agility let you perceive enemies as slower, enabling dodges. It even improved attack accuracy since slower-perceived foes were easier to hit.
Like this.
Vital point struck.
Your precise strike triggers critical damage.
Kwak—!!!!
I circled behind the goblin mage and thrust my sword with all my might.
[Kek……! Ke-kek……!!]
The creature let out a grotesque screech. But as my blade pierced its nape and burst through its throat, red blood gushed from its mouth, silencing it forever.
Shaaaak……!!
The monster's corpse oxidized and vanished in an instant, leaving only a small gem called a magic stone and its worn wooden staff.
Unlike hobgoblins, goblin mages had softer skin—my attack pierced it easily.
Knowing vital points helps like this. My Strength is barely enough to land hits at all.
Just one kill, and my level shot up instantly.
Means the monsters here are high-level.
I shrugged lightly. No worries about the dungeon's difficulty—only excitement for how much I could level here.
"Spotting the goblin mage's position at a glance. Sharp eyes."
"You can trace the spell's trajectory. Their casting isn't fast, so dodge and rush—they're easy."
Kael looked genuinely surprised at my answer.
"Predicting spell paths…… Impressive. Why not join our tribe? With your connection to my master…… We'd welcome a fine warrior."
Kalun Warrior (Rare) Class Change Quest
📍 Level Requirement: Lv. 10+
📜 Description: A class available when Kalun Tribe reputation is Highly Favorable. Northern warriors excel in Strength and Vitality beyond standard warriors. Occasionally proposed directly by tribe warriors.
🎁 Reward: Class change to Kalun Warrior
I smirked faintly at the unexpected class change quest, reading the window.
Hit Lv. 10 for first job change, and this pops up. Hidden ones like this exist too.
Classes divided like skills: Normal, Rare, Heroic, Legendary—higher tiers meant vast stat gaps. Most players picked Normal first jobs without skills; Rare was rare, and Kalun Warrior's Strength/Vitality boosts appealed to warrior hopefuls.
But it didn't tempt me.
I gave up Legendary skills—what's a mere Rare class?
Not needed, but Kael offering meant his favor toward me had risen—a big win.
"Thanks, but I have my own path."
"Pity. Tell me if you change your mind."
"Appreciated."
Kalun Warrior (Rare) Class Change Quest declined.
The blue alert chimed one last time and faded.
"Instead…… could I ask one favor?"
"Of course. What?"
I pulled out small daggers bought with horn money from Snow Pole sales before entering the ruins, pointing at the hobgoblins still lurking warily.
"Before you kill them, can I land one hit each?"
"Hm? Goblin mages aside, hobgoblin skin's too tough for throwing knives to kill."
Kael questioned the point, but I just grinned oddly and hurled the daggers at the remaining goblins with all my strength.
[Kak! Kya-gek!!]
[Kya-gya-gek……!!]
My low Agility missed some into empty air, but no matter. Hit hobgoblins charged us.
Bwooooong—!!!!
Kwaang—!!!
Kael swung mercilessly at them. Not sliced—pulverized. mangled corpses unfolded before me again.
"……."
He dispatched them in seconds and leaped at the next group without pause. Natural for an NPC. He wouldn't know the meaning of 'first hit.'
Each time Kael's sword shattered goblins, pleasant level-up chimes rang in my ears.
Just one hit, but first strike draws aggro. Even without killing, you get 80% exp from the attack judgment.
Even last-hitting would yield only ~50% exp given Kael's overwhelming damage. But that was plenty—more than soloing the goblin mage.
Innumerable goblins awaited us.
Impossible solo.
I eyed the dozens still standing.
[Grrrrrr…….]
Kael's strike felled over a dozen hobgoblins instantly, but countless remained. Elite monsters, each worth double regular goblin exp.
Not fear—to me, they were delicious exp. I smiled faintly.
The dungeon was just beginning.
The relentless level-up alarms pierced my ears with each thrown sword, drawing a satisfied smile.
"Hm……?"
But joy was fleeting—I'd run out of prepared throwing knives. Kael's kill speed consumed them fast.
Should've picked up the dropped ones……
I smacked my lips regretfully.
No. That'd tank his favor—he's not the type. Besides, we're almost there…… Prioritize finding Gullak's sword in the sword grave.
Couldn't rely on Kael forever. Once I could solo, parting for solo hunts would max exp.
Clear this place first.
This way, character levels rose, but direct-attack stat gains lagged.
Need to clash personally. Basic attack stats are overlooked vs. skill use, but those 1-2 points decide wins.
Same level, same gear—rare, but possible. Base stats diverge over time.
Games favor pay-to-win and luck, but effort gets a sliver of hope.
Of course, without levels/items, effort's worthless.
Never slack on levels, items, effort. Ruling the top means mastering all three.
"Hm, pretty deep now…… Know the spot?"
Kael wiped goblin blood from his sword, breathing slightly labored. Over a hundred kills warranted it.
"Rest a bit? Almost there."
NPCs lacked visible HP/stamina, so gauge carefully.
"Good. Fortunate."
Kael nodded, sheathed his sword, and drank from his canteen.
Fill up before descending.
I sat on a nearby rock, scanning around. Familiar scenery. Recalling dream memories, I loosened my wrists slowly.
The ominous aura from the descending stairs. The Sword Altar with the boss.