First Test of Polar Night
“Puhah!”
I thrust my head above the water, and a rush of cool air washed over me.
—It is night indeed.
“Yeah.”
The sky was dyed completely black. A moon more than half swallowed by darkness hung in the heavens.
Blessing of the Goddess of Night applied.
Recovery rate increased by 50%.
Nyx’s blessing. The effect was solid.
“Still, the moon’s tilted pretty far.”
—Do you have something else in mind?
“No. The tutorial stage is almost over.”
I opened the status window. Four days remained until the end. I had been so absorbed in practicing the power of Polar Night that I hadn’t noticed time passing.
“Two whole days already gone.”
My stomach growled. I had stopped training because I was hungry. Since I always filled my belly with Devour, this was the first time I had felt real hunger during the tutorial.
—There is not much time left! You might lose first place!
“It’s not that bad.”
I spoke firmly. The gap I had built was so large that first place was guaranteed even if I sat on my hands for the remaining time.
—Then what is the problem?
“If I’m going to set a goal, I might as well make it a big one.”
Overall first place in the tutorial. Who held the current highest record?
—Ellen Taylor. 3,528 points.
“Ah, it was her.”
—Are you acquainted?
“Only by name. She’s a famous ranker.”
I gave a light chuckle. Ellen Taylor. In my previous life she had been a comrade who stood back-to-back with me against the Old Gods, and one of the six Monarchs. She was an early-generation player already making waves by the time I first entered the Tower. If my memory was correct, the tutorial record changed around 2032. Sorry, but in this life the change is coming a little sooner.
I offered a brief, silent apology to my future comrade.
“Time to put Polar Night through its first real test.”
—Hehe. You are the contractor of this Yeo, so you shall do well.
“Then I must live up to my goddess’s expectations.”
I answered playfully and stepped out of the lake.
—Where are we heading this time?
“To a place with a creature worthy of testing the power of Polar Night.”
I had already devoured the essences of nearly every creature living on Rainbow Island. But one race remained unhunted.
The Ant Lion.
The monster I had encountered on the very first day of the tutorial. Back then I couldn’t even dream of fighting it. I had been too busy dodging sand traps and searching for the Forgotten Temple. Things were different now.
“One of the strongest monsters on this island. It should be even tougher than that fish.”
—Even so, once it is on the ground it will not be your match.
“Which makes it the perfect opponent for testing Polar Night.”
—Indeed. You are truly wise.
Nyx seemed impressed by even the smallest things. Well, it felt good to have someone’s trust.
I walked east.
You are currently in the Wasteland.
Wasteland – Stamina consumption increased by 10%.
Round tumbleweeds rolled across the barren ground. It was my first time here since the first day of the tutorial.
Clang! Clang!
Boom—!
Shockwaves and explosions rang out everywhere.
“Only a few days left.”
“We have to hunt at least one more!”
Players were frantically hunting iron-armored armadillos and slimes. On the first day, aside from Oh Jiwon’s group, there had been almost no sign of other people. Now that the tutorial had entered its second week, everyone was obsessed with hunting.
I walked past them and headed deeper into the wasteland.
Shaaaaak.
A deep pit yawned in the center of the wasteland. Beneath the funnel-shaped sand, sharp mandibles glinted.
An Ant Lion’s jaws. When prey fell into the sand trap, those jaws would tear it apart. That was the creature’s hunting method.
—Then we should attack from outside the trap.
“Ant Lions receive a defensive boost while underground. I have to drag it out if I want to hunt it.”
The range of Dark Domination was only ten meters, so testing Polar Night meant getting close.
Without hesitation I stepped into the sand trap.
You have stepped into the Ant Lion’s trap.
Friction coefficient reduced by 80%.
My body slid downward. The distance to the Ant Lion shrank rapidly—twenty meters, ten meters, then five.
“Kiiiiii!”
The Ant Lion erupted from the sand. It resembled a giant rhinoceros beetle with two long mandibles and a round head. An oval body several times larger than its head filled my vision. Ten meters tall. In sheer size it dwarfed even the Tyrant Catfish.
—Ugh, how repulsive.
“I need to get a good look at that face, so bear with me.”
In close combat I was confident I could finish it in ten seconds. My body had been strengthened by repeated Devour. Using the Blood Claw Technique with my enhanced physique, tearing through its carapace would be simple.
But this fight was not a simple hunt. It was a stage to test Nyx’s power—Polar Night.
Dark Domination
The power of Polar Night moves according to the user’s will.
Shhhht!
Five black tentacles surged from the shadow at my feet. Each carried one point of Polar Night. The maximum I could release at once was five points.
“Kiiiiii!”
The Ant Lion thrashed. Sand up to its ankles poured toward it, closing the distance rapidly.
—Contractor, calmness is crucial when handling Polar Night.
Nyx offered advice from the side. If I panicked at something like this, I would never have survived the apocalypse.
I smiled lightly and controlled the power.
Swish!
One black tentacle coiled around the Ant Lion’s torso.
“Kiii?”
“No cuddling allowed here.”
“Kiiiiiiii!”
The Ant Lion struggled harder. The tentacle trembled as if it would tear apart at any moment. The Polar Night energy forming it was being consumed quickly. I poured in more power to keep it intact.
“One really isn’t enough.”
The two tentacles I had prepared in advance seized the creature.
“Kiii?!”
The Ant Lion stopped thrashing and lowered its head. Its mandibles clashed loudly, but the sound was the only threat; they never reached me.
“So three points of power are enough to hold an Ant Lion.”
Polar Night was far stronger than I had expected. An Ant Lion was stronger than most monsters on the Tower’s lower floors. That was why tutorial players avoided them. Yet I had restrained one with only three points.
—Impressive.
“Right? It’s the power my goddess gave me, after all.”
—That is not what this Yeo meant.
Huh? What was she trying to say now?
—This Yeo is speaking of you, who has learned to wield Polar Night so skillfully in such a short time.
“An obvious compliment, but thank you anyway.”
Maintaining a whip made of Polar Night was still my limit. Our goddess really did look after me in her own way.
—It is not like that. This Yeo is sincere…
“I’ll improve quickly once I get more real combat experience.”
Swish!
I twisted the remaining two tentacles into a spiral. A spear with a jagged tip. I moved the black spear with will alone. The Polar Night spear flew straight forward. The spiraling tip slammed into the Ant Lion’s underbelly.
“Kiiit!”
A massive hole opened in the center of its stomach. The wound was far too large to have come from a simple spiral spear.
—How did such a large wound appear?
“I released the Polar Night the instant it struck.”
—Incredible. To think of such a thing while only just beginning to handle Polar Night!
The moment the spear pierced the hide, I unleashed the coiled darkness. Its carapace was tough, but the insides were not.
—Truly the contractor of this Yeo.
The Ant Lion was now half-incapacitated. I fully deployed Polar Night and ended its life.
“The consumption is lighter than I thought.”
Polar Night was not completely spent when released. As long as there was no loss, I could retrieve and reuse the energy. Aside from the initial restraint, consumption had been nearly zero. I had essentially hunted it without lifting a finger.
“The night is long, and there are many things left to test.”
At night monster aggression reached its peak. Normal players avoided hunting during these hours. But I possessed the Blessing of the Goddess of Night. With the boosted recovery, hunting at night was actually more comfortable.
—Let us move diligently.
Nyx’s voice was excited.
“I’m the one moving. Why are you so worked up?”
—Seeing you wield Polar Night so skillfully makes this Yeo happy.
“There’s still a long way to go.”
It was the truth. Slow opponents like the Ant Lion were manageable, but fully mastering Polar Night in real combat would take much more work.
Oh, right. I mustn’t forget to devour its essence.
The Ant Lion’s corpse crumbled into powder. I left the sand pit in search of the next prey.
The Ant Lion proved excellent practice for handling Polar Night. It possessed powerful strength and a tough carapace, yet its slow speed meant less burden when raising power.
“Kiii…”
Another Ant Lion collapsed with a sound like leaking air. Countless holes riddled its belly and back—traces of Polar Night.
—At this level, it seems you have mastered the basics.
“Whew. So this is the basics?”
—Still, it is impressive! Many constellations once sought teachings from this Yeo, yet none achieved results like yours.
“Yeah, I know I’m amazing.”
—…Somehow that leaves this Yeo with a strange feeling.
The applications of Polar Night were endless. I could extend five strands as a shield or twist the tips to maximize penetration. Replicating the “condensation” Nyx had shown was still beyond me, however.
“About three points of power.”
—Condensation is difficult. Take it slowly and it will become natural one day.
“With an excellent teacher beside me, it shouldn’t take long.”
—Hu, huhu!
Nyx turned her head and laughed again. I had no idea why she kept doing that.
Now that I was comfortable with basic operation, I claimed my second reward.
Earth’s Breath
Grade: ★
Type: Passive
Increases the effect of earth-related skills by 7%.
A support-type skill from the start rather than a synergy. Since I had already learned Mud Trap, and more earth essences would appear as I continued Devour, it wasn’t bad.
“Not bad at all.”
—To this Yeo the effect seems rather modest.
“Many a little makes a mickle.”
As always, no essence was worthless. On top of that I had gained strength and stamina stats, so it was pure profit.
“Now I’ve devoured every essence on the island.”
An achievement I had never even attempted in my previous life. In this second round I had accomplished it with ridiculous ease. A completely different starting point. The hope of changing a doomed future tickled my chest.
—Then will you rest a little?
“I need to raise my experience points.”
There was no time to rest. I had to seize both score and experience, so I needed to keep moving. My hunt was not over yet.