Chapter 64
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 64
Chapter Title: Lv.120 Unknown Space
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Entered the Lv.120 Unknown Space.
A space of nothingness, with nothing in it.
The sky was dark, and the ground was covered in thick fog.
It felt like standing in the sky.
Yet the ground was as hard as laid asphalt.
Jeong Hoon took out Anima and gripped it.
Where is this place?
Anima climbed onto Jeong Hoons shoulder and asked.
Unknown Space.
Unknown Space? Whats that?
Who knows.
Unfortunately, Alessandro hadnt explained the Unknown Space in detail.
Their conversation had gotten cut off midway because dungeons started opening en masse while he was busy bragging.
So from here on, Jeong Hoon had to find the hidden theme himself.
Itll take a while.
Hed been searching for nearly an hour, but hadnt found anything.
The surroundings hadnt changed at all, giving the illusion that he was going in circles.
No monsters around? I dont sense any presence.
Thats not the case.
One thing was certain: this Unknown Space was a dungeon.
Dungeons always had monsters.
Jeong Hoon drew back his bowstring once.
Ive never been here before, but Ive cleared countless similar places.
Dungeons werent just monster-hunting grounds.
Some were like mazes, others boasted vicious illusions, and some had environments so deadly youd die the moment you entered.
Having experienced them all, Jeong Hoon judged this dungeon to be maze-like.
He focused his keen senses to read the flow of mana around him.
...The sky?
Jeong Hoon looked up.
He felt powerful mana sparking irregularly up there.
That was the energy pillar holding this space together.
He aimed at it and released the bowstring.
Pew-shooook!
The arrow struck the pillar dead-on.
Crack.
At the same time, a faint sound like a crack forming on glass echoed.
Hoo, what was that sound just now?
The sound of a correct answer.
Jeong Hoon drew back the bowstring again and fired another arrow.
In mazes like this, you usually had to destroy the surrounding tricks to proceed.
Crack.
The cracking sound on the surface grew clearer.
Its really sturdy.
He drew back once more and fired another arrow.
Crack. Kwajik!
After three arrows embedded, the energy pillar shattered, and the gathered mana dispersed.
As the mana scattered, a crashing sound followed, and the Unknown Space broke apart like glass.
Only then did the dungeons true form unfold before Jeong Hoons eyes.
This is?
Yeah. A graveyard.
The newly revealed area was a graveyard.
A chilling graveyard.
It was vast, but there was only one tomb.
And it was enormous.
Lv.120 Virgin Ghost
Lv.120 Bachelor Ghost
Weeds overgrew the ground as translucent ghosts appeared.
A male ghost and female ghost in white mourning clothes.
W-what are those?!
Anima was utterly startled.
Its implemented to match Korea.
If Alessandro had entered, monsters tailored to his homeland wouldve spawned.
Since Jeong Hoon was Korean, familiar ghosts had appeared for him.
Their common trait was pale faces with deep dark circles under their eyes.
But their appearances varied wildly.
Some had blood splattered on their mourning clothes, as if they had stories to tell. Others had half their faces torn off.
The most gruesome one had its upper and lower body severed, moving separately.
A spine-chilling sight.
Creepy bastards.
Anima, sharing the sentiment, quickly hid behind Jeong Hoon.
She even slipped into his clothes, trembling. How could anyone call this a dragon?
You... For a dragon, youre awfully scared?
Is there a law saying dragons cant be scared?
No, but.
Hmph. Im a dragon who hates scary things. Back in my dragon days, anyone telling ghost stories in front of me got a blast of breath.
Ah, I see.
Then hed better end this quickly.
For Animas sake, Jeong Hoon stored his bow in his inventory.
Anima, whod been flinching inside his clothes, slipped into the bow as well.
Then lets wrap this up quick.
Jeong Hoon deployed his movement technique and approached the tomb.
The ghosts let out eerie cries and followed him.
Ghost-type monsters dont end with just hunting them.
Physical attacks didnt work on them.
Even when ghosts attacked users, they didnt use physical strikes but curses and debuffs that gnawed away at life force.
Just like now.
Youve been cursed.
Your life force is starting to drain.
All stats reduced by 10.
With the curse, his life force began draining rapidly.
Users unaware of the counter would fail to clear it, even if higher level than the ghosts.
But Jeong Hoon knew the strategy better than anyone.
Hunt the necromancer controlling the ghosts.
The boss was usually the necromancer.
Past me wouldve gone straight for the necromancer.
Since you couldnt damage ghosts otherwise.
But not the current Jeong Hoon.
The curse has been lifted.
He had holy power to dispel curses.
And it shone from his hand.
Puk!
Jeong Hoons fist smashed squarely into the bachelor ghosts face.
!!!
The bachelor ghosts head snapped back, it tumbled across the ground, and vanished.
!?
!!!
The ghosts muttered incomprehensible words and hesitated.
Their faces showed bewilderment, as if theyd never imagined being attacked.
O... Whats this? This guys no ordinary one?
Jeong Hoon was a bit surprised too.
A punch to the face shouldve dispersed them like mist, not sent them rolling.
But hed felt a solid impact just now.
These guys.
Not simple ghosts.
When the necromancers rank is high, they can summon ghosts with deep grudges.
That must be the case.
Doesnt matter. Holy power will purify them.
Their weakness was holy power.
Necromancy was a branch of black magic, so holy power could cleanse it.
Of course, it required holy power surpassing the black magic to purify, but Jeong Hoons exceeded 200, more than enough for these ghosts.
Any who want to get hit, come at me.
Jeong Hoon beckoned the ghosts with his finger.
!
Enraged, the ghosts charged all at once.
The ghosts got beaten so badly it was pitiful before they finally dispersed.
What in the world...
A voice laced with shock came from inside the tomb.
It was so faint, only his sharp senses caught it.
Jeong Hoon walked toward the tomb.
It had a single small entrance.
Barely big enough for one person, and he had to crouch to enter.
This must be the path to the hidden theme?
Upon entering, Jeong Hoon immediately recognized it as the place he sought.
The structure was very similar to the abandoned house in Origin Village that hid a theme.
An old coffin sat alone inside.
There had to be a crystal orb somewhere leading to the hidden theme.
But first, one task remained.
I know youre in here. Come out.
Jeong Hoon glared at the coffin and said.
The culprit behind the graveyard ghosts.
He had to deal with this dungeons boss, the necromancer.
Fwoosh.
At that moment, blue flames erupted from the ground where Jeong Hoon stood.
The flames encircled him like a ring, blazing fiercely as if intent on burning him alive.
Kehehe, you fell for it!
The dungeons master, the necromancer, floated up above the coffin.
Lv.140 Old Soul Necromancer
Old Soul Necromancer.
He was the dungeons owner and this tombs master.
He mustve been famous once, as his body was adorned with glittering accessories.
Fell for it, my ass.
Jeong Hoon smirked and stepped forward.
The raging flames engulfed him.
But they couldnt harm him.
Hed erected a barrier with holy power to protect himself.
Holy power over 200 scoffed at the flames, shielding its master perfectly.
What in the world...
His sure-kill trap failing turned the necromancers face pale.
For a dungeon master, he was shockingly scrawny.
Now go away.
Holy power faintly glowed from Jeong Hoons fist.
Gulp...
The necromancer had watched Jeong Hoons fight through the ghosts.
He was certain.
He couldnt win in close combat.
So hed set a trap and leaked his voice faintly.
The lure had worked perfectly.
Jeong Hoon had walked right into it.
Yet this trap couldnt even scratch him.
Whoosh-
Jeong Hoon deployed his movement technique and thrust his fist at the necromancers face.
But the necromancer hastily knelt, and the fist cut through empty air.
Surrender! I surrender!
...
Spare me! Its been so long since Ive seen a living person, I lost my sense of place!
Jeong Hoon withdrew his extended fist.
Spare you?
It was absurd.
Hed just tested the waters because of the scrawny build, but this intense surrender?
Was this really the dungeon master?
Under Jeong Hoons suspicious glare, the necromancer buried his head in the ground and wailed loudly.
Sniff... Ive died once already. Why would I lie?
Having died once, you might have nothing to fear.
Waaah! Nooo! I cant die!
Only after a long time did the necromancer stop crying.
Tricky.
Killing someone this desperate to live wasnt pleasant.
Pre-regression, hed have cut him down without mercy.
Was it because hed brushed deaths door and returned?
He felt an odd kinship with a mere monster.
But it was a monster.
The necromancy hed shown earlier seemed quite useful, but there was no sparing it.
Yeah? But what can be done. I have to kill you to close this dungeon.
Dungeons closed when their master vanished.
I-Im not a monster! I have a name: Michael!
The necromancer shouted desperately.
Michael? Quite a holy name for your looks.
Yes! Despite appearances, Im a very kind person!
Right. So Ill help you achieve Buddhahood.
Yes. This wasnt killingit was dispersing.
These one-off event dungeons vanished forever once cleared.
No other choice.
No! Not until I crush the bastard who made me like this...
Michael didnt want to disperse here.
He still had unfinished business.
The culprit whod cornered and killed him.
He couldnt vanish until hed gotten revenge.
Yeah?
A glint appeared in Jeong Hoons eyes.
Yes...
There is one way you can live.
What is it?!
Become my minion.
New World had the Tamer job.
Unpopular like Martial Artist, with few guides posted.
Tamers had almost no combat skills, taming field or dungeon monsters to fight for them.
Jeong Hoon, youre not an All Master yet!
Words from his old comrade, a Legendary-grade Tamer.
Why?
You cant tame.
...Dont need to. I dont care about the All Master title.
Hey, a true All Master needs to know taming. So let me teach you.
The taming hed learned by force would come in handy now.
Normally, Tamers used a skill for taming.
Yoo-chan had known its mechanics inside out.
After months of one-on-one tutoring, Jeong Hoon had tamed one monster.
Ill do it!
The necromancer shouted urgently and bowed his head.
Seeing the resolve, Jeong Hoon nodded.
Alright.
Taming wasnt easy.
It forcibly bound a monster to the casters mana.
Thus, the tamer needed to be higher level than the target.
But if the monster was amenable, it changed.
No need for a power struggle, so even low-level skills could tame stronger monsters.
Jeong Hoon had no taming skills, so he had to cast the ritual manually.
That damn ritual I drew endlessly.
He channeled mana into his index finger, and blue mana flickered faintly on it.
He began drawing the ritual on the ground.
Stroke by stroke.
He whipped it out quickly, and it completed in moments.
The ritual is too perfect!
Martial Artist exclusive skill, Unyielding Will activates.
Acquired skill, Taming (Epic) .
The flawless ritual triggered Unyielding Will immediately.
This fast?
Jeong Hoons eyes widened slightly.
Normally, it took 100 drawings for Unyielding Will to react, but it did so on the first try.
Surprising.
Unyielding Will had upgraded to Unique, boosting acquisition massively.
Using Taming.
The necromancers body wrapped in blue light, then white light burst out, reconstructing his form.
A sign of success.
Taming successful!
Monster Collection system unlocked!
Monster not in collection!
Acquired 5,000 achievement points!