Chapter 133
Chapter 133
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 133
Chapter Title: The Path of Mara
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✨ LEVEL UP! ✨ "Boss, it's fine. They're not bad people. Right?"
I nudged Manwook with my elbow, and he stepped forward.
"Hello. I'm Kim Man-wook, the one serving the noona."
"A-ah, yes..."
Even if he looked young for his age, Manwook clearly had some years on him. As he bowed his head and extended his hand, the Lobster boss looked flustered.
"Jeez, having preconceptions at my age. Nice to meet you."
The boss scratched the back of her head sheepishly and clasped Manwook's outstretched hand.
Was I witnessing the birth of a bromance?
Suddenly, they locked eyes intensely while shaking hands.
Please don't do that in front of me.
I'm not curious at all.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ ─BOOM!! Crack!
─KABOOM!!
Wood chips exploded wildly with every swing of my fists and feet.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ [Gluttony devours the opponent] [+10,000 Won] [Experience +2] [Growth Rate: 100%] Two percent experience per wooden puppet. With the Evil Eye effect, it was four percent.
Skill level up after just twenty-five kills—but considering how long each one took, it was more grueling than expected.
"Hoo! Getting easy now."
I'd gotten way stronger than I thought.
Before, I'd needed a full-powered roundhouse to smash them. Now, a light tap did the trick.
Felt like a max-level character in a newbie hunting ground.
⚔ SKILL LEVEL UP ⚔ [Mara***]
[Initiation 3rd Dan Technique]
◈ Comprehensive Martial Arts
◈ Elementary Basic Fist-Foot Technique
◈ Elementary Basic Footwork
◈ Elementary Basic Lightness Skill
◈ Elementary Basic Qi Circulation
[Growth Rate: 0%]
As the skill grew, knowledge seeped into my mind.
"Mara?"
Hell of an unsettling name.
Too late now—whatever it turned into, nothing I could do.
Trouble comes whether I worry or not.
"Hmm... Snowy."
"Yeah!"
A wooden puppet summoned before my eyes.
─KABOOM!
It couldn't even react to my punch.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ [+10,000 Won] [Experience +0.2] [Growth Rate: 0.2%] "Whoa, experience dropped?"
Incoming experience plummeted from 2 to 0.2.
Now it took ten puppets to match one from before.
"Snowy, what's going on?"
"Next one!"
"There's a next stage?"
"Yeah!"
Snowy jabbed the air with her short forepaw, and an identical wooden puppet appeared before me.
"Doesn't seem any different... Hup!"
The deranged puppet swung a heavy fist.
"Crazy!"
I bent backward, and a wooden club whistled past my face with a gust of wind.
─KABOOM!!
I regained my stance and swung. The puppet crossed its arms in a guard and slid backward.
"It blocks? Snowy, this for real?"
Putting power into every punch and kick was wearing me out.
No matter what, these things used to shatter on a touch—now they attacked first and defended too.
"Fun!"
Snowy shook excitedly atop my head.
Looks like my little fluffball just loved all the movement.
"Hoo!"
Meanwhile, the repelled puppet was charging back fast.
"Hup!"
─KABOOM!!
It slid back again with its guard up.
"Why!"
I'd definitely put extra power into that one.
I clenched and unclenched my fist—grip strength was fine.
While I checked my body, the puppet charged once more.
"Fuck, so annoying."
⚡ SKILL ACTIVATED ⚡ [Heavy Strike imbues the blow] ─KABOOOOOM!!
A heavier impact sound rang out than usual.
The puppet's body floated into the air and flew away.
The problem? Not even a sign of breaking.
I saw it crash into the ground far off, then spring right back up.
Goosebumps all over.
"Insane. Snowy, what the hell did you summon?"
"Fun!"
"Ugh, damn it."
The moment my fist connected earlier, I felt something push back.
Big sound, but the impact didn't land properly.
"What is this."
No clue how to handle it.
No time to think—the airborne puppet charged straight at me.
"Hup!"
─KABOOOOOM!!
Felt like punching a soft blanket.
"Haa, haa..."
The deranged puppet showed no fatigue. It rose from the crash and turned its eyeless face toward me.
It closed in fast.
I'd poured everything into that instant burst—my whole body went limp.
In moments like this, secure distance with a jab.
Short snap.
─Pop!
"Huh?"
A light jab transmitted a heavy sensation.
As if to confirm, the puppet staggered.
"Think I get it now."
I sidestepped the puppet's heavy swinging arm and advanced a step.
Stomp.
Quick weight shift was key.
BOOM!
I stomped with Earthshaking Foot.
At the same time, I loaded power into my fist.
Fast and short.
Strong and snapping.
Condense the force.
⚡ SKILL ACTIVATED ⚡ [Heavy Strike imbues the blow] ─KABOOOOOOM!!!
Unlike usual impacts, an explosion roared.
Wood shards scattered through the air.
"Hua— gonna die."
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ [+20,000 Won] [Experience +2] [Growth Rate: 2.4%] ⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ [Gluttony devours the opponent] ⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ [+20,000 Won] [Experience +2] [Growth Rate: 4.4%] I'd forgotten for a sec.
This was a training hall.
"Nothing's ever easy."
Years of gaming, and this no-damage gimmick wasn't even worth calling one.
I'd slaved away as raid leader for a 3,000-won cheap mic.
Beating an uncleared raid boss meant breaking down every basic attack and calling the shots.
"Gimmick figured—now repeat till it's muscle memory. Right?"
"Good job."
Snowy patted my head like a little cotton ball.
Made my mood all soft and fuzzy.
"Let's go!"
"Yeah!"
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ ─KABOOOOOOM!!
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ [+20,000 Won] [Experience +2] [Growth Rate: 100%] ⚔ SKILL LEVEL UP ⚔ [Mara Myeong***]
[Initiation 5th Dan Technique]
◈ Intermediate Basic Fist-Foot Technique
◈ Intermediate Basic Footwork
◈ Intermediate Basic Lightness Skill
◈ Intermediate Basic Qi Circulation
[Growth Rate: 0%]
Intermediate basic? What the hell does that even mean?
Still, I could feel the efficiency ramping up with each level.
Vitality coursed through my body.
Every breath during rests filled my depleted energy bit by bit.
Stamina potion, basically.
Strikes flowed freer now.
Any body part, total control for attacks.
Whole body a weapon.
Body felt lighter.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ The wooden puppets grew insanely stronger by the minute.
─BOOM!
"Guh!"
The puppet's thrust punched my gut. My body floated up, then slammed into the ground.
Couldn't breathe.
"Fucking hell."
No thought of damage anymore.
Gimmicks be damned—just tanky and fast as hell.
[Super Heavy Strike Lv.6] Striking power explodes Purchases stack to raise skill level [Price: 1.28 billion Won] [Remaining Funds: 2.28386 billion Won] [Gale]
The wind split.
BOOM!
I stomped hard with Earthshaking Foot, detonating my condensed power in a burst.
⚡ SKILL ACTIVATED ⚡ [Heavy Strike imbues the blow] [Super Heavy Strike!]
─KABOOOOOOM!!!
The thing burst apart like it'd taken a shell hit.
"Heok! Heok! Heok..."
To handle puppets that got stronger and stronger, I had to pour everything in.
No—even that wasn't enough; I needed organic fusion of it all.
Difficulty was straight-up sadistic.
"Screw it. There goes my 600 mil."
Panic-bought in a rush, but it climbed all the way to Super Heavy Strike.
Considering it started as some pathetic Heavy Strike, huge progress.
[Growth Rate: 96%]
One step left.
"Hungry."
"Just one puppet left—super hungry?"
"Yeah."
"Ramen first then?"
"Yeah!"
Snowy, who'd been matching my pace, got hyped and slid down from my head to stick on my face.
"Mmph!"
"Fun!"
I peeled Snowy off, and she dangled from my finger.
"You little punk."
"Fun!"
Snowy seemed chill the whole time—I was the frantic one.
"Let's do this."
I scooped up the playful Snowy and pulled out my usual table.
"Pot!"
"Good!"
"Ramen!"
"Good!"
She danced with every item I unpacked.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ ⚔ SKILL LEVEL UP ⚔ [Mara Myeongwang Technique]
[Initiation 9th Dan Technique]
◈ Advanced Basic Fist-Foot Technique
◈ Advanced Basic Footwork
◈ Advanced Basic Lightness Skill
◈ Advanced Basic Qi Circulation
[Growth Rate: 0%]
My whole body ached like shredded rags.
Each level revealed more skills—until finally, it showed everything.
Along with a pretty damn ominous name.
Still felt like something was missing.
Nothing hit home clearly.
"Hmm."
My gamer instincts whispered.
Change that 9 to 10, and something would shift.
The constant "basic" label irked me too, after all this hell.
"Snowy, next."
"No."
Hunting flow can't break—but for the first time, Snowy shut it down.
"Why?"
"Dangerous."
"Hmm... starving even if I can't eat."
"No."
"Just once. Please?"
Snowy finally gave in and pressed the air hard.
A massive silhouette slowly materialized before me.
Way bigger than before.
"Why's that one bronze?"
─Clang! Cliiing!
The bronze puppet clashed its fists, sparks flying with a harsh metallic ring.
"Cancel."
─Thud! Thud!
Each step cratered the ground.
My body shook.
The slow-walking beast suddenly raised its head and unleashed crimson glowing eyes.
─Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud!
"Hyaak! Cancel! Snowy, cancel!!"
"Fun!"
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