Floor 4 (2)

Four days later, Yun-seok's training came to an end. It was time to get accustomed to dual-wielding swords, but more than that, it was a period where he could truly feel the vague description of the Heavenly Demon Body.

'The vitality of great nature dwells within...'

No matter how much he moved his body, he never tired. He felt no hunger or thirst. If this were a game, it was like his health stayed the same, but his stamina was always at MAX. And the effects weren't limited to that.

'My mana barely depletes.'

His mana recovery rate had increased to an absurd degree. Not infinite, but close to ten times what it used to be. He could use Weapon Enhancement and One Flash for hours without running out.

Yun-seok smacked his lips in regret.

"...Did I hit him too hard?"

With this condition, he figured he could immerse himself in training for days or even weeks. But intending only to knock the beastman out, he'd held back on that one strike—only for the mentally exhausted foe to close his eyes and never open them again.

"You... damn... human..."

Those were the beastman's final words.

Having relentlessly pushed himself to become better, he'd somehow reached the 4th floor already. He was curious about the chat room here, but first, Yun-seok checked his rewards.

'Not much besides the AP this time.'

This was the first time Predation had stolen a regular skill instead of a unique one. Since it was random, he'd expected this day would come eventually. On lower floors, people focused on gear and stats, so they had few skills—but not anymore.

Even if they were all F- rank, Yun-seok now had three regular skills. No, make that four with this new one.

'Couldn't test him properly, so no idea what his unique skill was.'

That left some lingering regret. The plundered gear was useless to Yun-seok too.

'Would've preferred armor. Looked pretty decent.'

Yun-seok smacked his lips again. Sure, getting an E+ rank weapon worth 7-8k AP meant he'd recouped the 5,000 AP spent upgrading Predation... but still.

'Where to use this... wait.'

Yun-seok hurriedly opened the shop and scanned the skills section. He found one he'd glimpsed before.

Not a bad skill for Yun-seok at all. It meant he could make use of useless gear from Predation. Of course, he had no intention of learning it right now. Only after absorbing enough gear to exceed the 6,000 AP skill cost would it break even.

The double-edged axe and his old shield only yielded 4,250 AP.

'No rush.'

Yun-seok checked his new skill next. War Stomp. The area stun effect wasn't bad—no, it was quite appealing. However, targets with Magic Resistance could block it completely if their mana was superior, and even without, it was easy to counter. Just jump in place the moment the vibration spread through the ground.

'Too many limitations. Probably won't help much.'

That was Yun-seok's final verdict on War Stomp.

With rewards checked, Yun-seok decided to spend every last AP. He meticulously browsed the shop. From now on, he had to be cautious. Acquired AP was growing exponentially, and how wisely he spent it would determine the gap with other challengers.

'Tough choice...'

After much deliberation, he had two options. Spend 30k AP on a unique skill potion to upgrade Predation again, looking to the long term. Or invest in stats and skills for immediate, tangible growth.

Weighing them, Yun-seok chose the latter.

'You never know...'

He was confident he was strong at his level now. But there was always someone stronger. This duel hadn't been the case, but there was no guarantee another monster like the Heavenly Demon wouldn't appear next.

Decision made, Yun-seok bought three Skill Potions without hesitation and downed them.

Magic Resistance reached E-. The description updated: the anti-magic property in mana strengthened, and now it resisted equal-level mana too.

But changes didn't end there.

'Didn't know about this.'

He'd never heard this in chat. Maybe everyone kept it quiet, or he'd just missed it. Unlike others, Yun-seok had focused solely on self-training, ignoring the chat.

'Gotta pay more attention from now on.'

After brief thought, Yun-seok chose Mental Barrier. He'd never faced mental interference, but it seemed highly threatening. Spell Breaker wasn't irreplaceable either—1.5x wasn't unbeatable.

He'd planned to grow only Magic Resistance among regular skills, but the trait changed that.

The essential swordsman skill, Sword Mastery, reached E- too. Attack speed boost rose to 2.25x, and the trait window appeared.

Tougher choice than Magic Resistance. Yun-seok furrowed his brow, hesitating long before deciding.

Useful more in crises than daily. That's why he picked it. While Ambush Master made easy foes easier, Berserker let him challenge unbeatable ones if he played smart. Plus, with Blood Pact, controlling health for max efficiency would be easier.

'Still plenty left.'

23,000 AP remaining. Yun-seok dumped it all into stats. He bought two 1,500 AP potions to raise Strength and Stamina to E-, then focused on ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠his main stat, Agility.

'Finally D rank...'

18,000 AP poured in for D- Agility. Combined with Sword Mastery's attack speed, it'd be a massive boost.

2,000 AP left. Yun-seok opened the chat room. Time to check the 4th floor vibe.

Total capacity dropped to a third of the 3rd floor's 9,000. But participation rate was high.

'Different vibe here.'

Clearly unlike lower floors. No one boasted about their abilities. Maybe natural—fewer people meant everyone felt like a rival.

As he skimmed, a keyboard war erupted out of nowhere.

Nicknames reeked of middle-school syndrome. Sharing the sentiment, someone posted.

The heated argument between the Conquest King and Red Ghost halted. Even the popcorn-munching Lord of the Abyss froze.

Red Ghost went silent, probably fuming. Yun-seok wasn't the only one impressed by how this Lu Bu-like figure shattered three egos in seconds—lurkers started posting.

Suddenly, Yun-seok flinched while watching. Not at the nomination item, but at encountering a name he'd never forget in the least expected place. His body stiffened.

Kalopa. The nickname of the game character Kang Hyung-woo had forced Yun-seok to play all night, every night. Just a coincidence?