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Solo Leveling Novel Chapter 38 Average 5 / 5 out of 1
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Summary
[You killed a Low-Ranked Demon.]
[You have earned 100 experience points.]
[You have collected (1) Soul of Demons.]
…..
…..
[You have earned 100 experience points.]
[You have collected (1) Soul of Demons.]
For the next two hours, he madly hunted down every Low-Ranked Demon he could find.
Afterwards, Jin-Woo confirmed the number of souls he managed to collect.
[Collected Souls of Demons: 309/10,000]
He had now completed about 3% of the quest. If he could continue hunting at this speed, then according to his calculations, he could level up in another two hours.
His current level was 61.
In the past, he needed experience points from nine rank C dungeons in order to level up from 60 to 61. And the time spent was around two days, too.
But here, he could already think about levelling up only after four hours?
‘This is crazy.’
A thick smile formed on Jin-Woo’s lips.
Just how long had it been since he could hunt this enthusiastically?
‘Is this the first time since then?’
He couldn’t really remember ever being in a similar situation since he went to the Hapjeong subway station and repeatedly cleared the first two underground floors until his level didn’t want to rise anymore.
“Kkiiieeehk!”
Whenever Jin-Woo’s dagger flashed, one Low-Ranked Demon fell without exception.
“Kiiaahk!”
“Kiiehk.”
“Keehhgehk, khek!”
Sometimes, even several of them, too.
In the blink of an eye, Jin-Woo killed twenty more Low-Ranked Demons.
‘This is a gold mine.’
Both his experience points and the number of souls continued to rise as he continued to hunt down the demons. Not only that, there was the added bonus of loot drops, too.
A bright smile formed on Jin-Woo’s face as he collected the loot.
‘Their horns come out almost all the time, don’t they?’
[Item: Low-Ranked Demon’s Horns]
Rarity: None
Type: Miscellaneous
Two horns attached to the head of a Low-Ranked Demon. Demon’s horns are used as base ingredients for high-grade magic spells and therefore can be sold at a high price.
The japtem ‘demon’s horns’ – selling it in the Store would net him two hundred thousand Gold.
‘Each of those fangs of Cerberus or whatever got me 150 grand each, but this… well, monsters of the Demon’s Castle are really generous, aren’t they?’
After experiencing the usefulness of the Store multiple times recently, these japtems no longer remained japtems in Jin-Woo’s eyes. All the Gold earned through here would eventually become his flesh and blood later.
‘I can’t throw anything away.’
Feeling really chuffed, Jin-Woo sold off what could be sold and stored what should be stored as he rummaged through the remains of the demons.
In the midst of this…
‘What’s this?’
He found an item he hadn’t seen before. And the thing with its end poking out from the busted gut of a demon was….
[Item: Entry Permit]
Rarity: ??
Type: ??
A permit allowing you to enter the 2nd floor of the Demon’s Castle. Can only be used on the 1st-floor floor-transfer magic circle. (TL: I’ll use the North American way of counting floors from here onwards.)
….It was a document scroll, tightly rolled up.
‘An entry permit?’
When he unfurled it and took a look, he found all sorts of undecipherable drawings and letters adorning its surface. In the end, the only thing that helped him understand its purpose was the item explanation.
‘An item that lets me go up from the first floor to the second, is it….?’
Could it be?
Jin-Woo took a look around.
This place was inside the Demon’s Castle, but at the same time, he was also inside the Daesung Tower. If the Demon’s Castle was also divided into floors like the Tower, then he’d be on the first floor.
‘Since this place looked like a field-type dungeon, I didn’t expect there to be different floors….’
Could it be that, just like the Daesung Tower, there were 100 floors here, too? Jin-Woo was left agape by the sheer scale of this particular dungeon.
‘….It can’t really be 100 floors, can it?!’
There was only one way to confirm this. And that would be to locate that transfer magic circle and see for himself.
‘Now, where would this floor-transfer magic circle thing be in this place….?’
Jin-Woo’s wandering gaze stopped at the pillar of light piercing the sky.
‘Well, that has to be it.’
Getting there was his initial goal, but his attention got robbed by the hunting of the Low-Ranked Demons and before he knew it, he had moved further away from his destination than before.
‘Should I head there now?’
He thought that this might be a good time to think about heading there. Also, he had hunted down all of the Low-Ranked Demons nearby, too.
Jin-Woo grinned brightly.
‘Summon.’
The shadow soldiers stored inside his shadows via the Shadow Storage skill didn’t require any chanting or whatever to summon them, unlike when he was trying to extract shadows.
Shururuk….
In front of Jin-Woo, the giant beast soldier extracted from the leader of the Ice Bear pack appeared silently.
“Growl….”
And it was a giant monster-ish bear standing on its hind legs. It was as large as a house. But to Jin-Woo, it was not much different from a mild-mannered lovable puppy.
“Get down.”
“Growl.”
When the shadow beast soldier laid down on the ground, Jin-Woo lightly jumped on top of its back.
“Giddy up!”
As soon as Jin-Woo lightly tapped the side of the beast with his leg, the shadow creature rushed towards the pillar of light with a frightening turn of speed.
Thud, thud, thud, thud!!
The massive creature also possessed incredible agility as well, and before long, the distance between him and the destination rapidly closed up.
Of course, they still encountered obstructions every now and then.
“Kiireek!”
“Keek, keek!!”
Roar!!
One thunderous swipe from the beast soldier, and the situation normalised right away.
“Ho-oh.”
Jin-Woo formed a deeply impressed expression.
‘I only decided to ride it for fun, but isn’t this actually pretty cool?’
Thinking that he should utilise this means of transportation often from now on, he even named his new ride right there and then.
“From now on, your name shall be Tank.”
“Roar!!”
The beast soldier, no, Tank, roared out while raising its head high up.
Was it trying to say it liked it, or hated it?
What with its incredibly powerful vocal cord, Jin-Woo couldn’t really tell which was which.
In the meantime, the light pillar got closer and closer. Tank gradually slowed down and eventually, stopped before the light pillar.
“Nice work.”
Jin-Woo got down to the ground and patted Tank once, before storing the big guy back into his shadow. Then, he turned around to face the magic circle. The familiar mechanical beep rang inside his head as soon as he did.
Tti-ring.
[You have discovered floor-transfer magic circle.]
There was a magic circle carved on the ground. The light shooting out from it was reaching into the sky. Without hesitation, Jin-Woo stepped inside.
‘……..’
….Nothing happened.
Jin-Woo tilted his head this way and that, before taking a few more steps to stand in the middle of the circle.
Only then another message popped up in his view.
[No floors have been opened.]
[Which floor would you like to transfer to?]
“How many floors are there?”
Of course, there was no reply.
‘Is there no other way to find out how many floors are there, except for finding out for myself?’
Jin-Woo pondered for a moment.
There wasn’t that much left for the experience points, so should he stay and raise his level before going up, or should he just go up and level up there?
‘Unlike other instant dungeons, there is no monster respawn in this place, so staying on one floor will be inefficient in the long run.’
Besides, the System said that demons with more souls existed on upper floors as well. He concluded that, for both his experience points and to clear the quest, it could be more advantageous to get to higher floors as quickly as possible.
‘Fine.’
Let’s go up, then.
Jin-Woo spoke up.
“Second floor.”
[You need the entry permit.]
Jin-Woo summoned the scroll as per the instruction. As soon as it appeared, it dissolved into the light.
[The second floor of the Demon’s Castle has been unlocked.]
[You are transferring to the second floor.]
Buzz…..
An even stronger ray of light began rising up from the magic circle. At the same time, Jin-Woo realised something.
‘Ah…. So that’s how it works.’
As it turned out, this whole thing was just an elevator.
The moment he realised what this pillar of light actually was, Jin-Woo was immediately transferred to the second floor, along with the blinding explosion of light.
Second floor, third, fourth…. and eventually, the 27th floor. That was the result of grinding for two days straight.
He told Jin-Ah, his little sister, that he’d be on a week-long trip.
‘I have five more days.’
Considering his gradually-increasing clearing speed, he began to think that it might be doable to get to what he assumed to be the last floor, the 100th floor, within the next five days. Maybe even sooner than that.
Jin-Woo took a look at his surroundings. It was still a ruined city.
‘I can’t tell which city this floor is based on anymore.’
Every floor was modelled off on a different city.
However, the higher he climbed, the state of destruction the city was in got worse and worse, and on this 27th floor, he found it hard to tell whether this place used to be a city or not.
Would a city look like this after having experienced a concentrated carpet bombing?
Jin-Woo quickly threw away useless thoughts and shook his head.
‘I shouldn’t be wasting time like this.’
He checked the time with his wristwatch, and it was already 11 in the evening.
There was no daytime or night inside this dungeon. So he needed to rely on his watch to keep time. 11 would be a good time to get some shut-eye if he wanted to continue clearing this dungeon tomorrow with a refreshed body and mind.
But before that….
‘Should I check the result of my hard work first?’
Jin-Woo shifted his gaze over to the quest progress window.
[Collected souls of demons: 2,116/10,000]
‘Over 2,100, is it….’
Meaning, he had hunted down over a thousand demons in a day.
He had killed quite a lot during the last two days, that’s for sure.
It was still a long way off from the goal of ten thousand souls, but he was betting on the demons of the upper floors that allegedly possessed multiple souls.
‘Right, getting to higher floors should remain as my priority.’
Next up, his level.
“Heok!!”
Jin-Woo’s eyes opened wider.
[Level: 67]
His level had climbed to 67 even before he had noticed it.
He’d been hunting Low-Ranked Demons worth 100 EXP for a while, but then, his levelling up speed exploded upwards after he began hunting Mid-Ranked Demons that gave out 300 EXP each.
‘My level is climbing up real nicely, too.’
Lots of monsters, rich experience points, and the perfect level of difficulty.
The Demon’s Castle was the best level-up zone one could ever hope for.
His level wasn’t the only thing experiencing a rise, either. Jin-Woo’s proficiency with his various skills was also rising up, as well.
Currently, the ‘Knight Killer’ was floating above Jin-Woo’s palm. He was using the skill ‘Ruler’s Reach’. The power that allowed him to physically manipulate objects without actually touching them.
Even when he was doing nothing, like right now, he devoted himself to increasing his proficiency with the skill.
‘Well, this Ruler’s Reach skill doesn’t require any Mana, to begin with.’
It was a bit tiring mentally because he had to constantly focus on the skill, but compared to the potential uses this skill had, a small little headache was a cheap price to pay.
With a nice timing, a good piece of news arrived before his eyes.
[The level of the skill, ‘Ruler’s Reach’ has increased!]
‘Nice!’
Jin-Woo grinned brightly and leaned against a wall. He felt safer and more content as he became stronger bit by bit. His eyelids slowly closed.
‘Now that I think about it, the Guild Master licence must’ve been issued by now.’
Was Yu Jin-Ho doing well?
Perhaps because it had been a while since he acted alone, he couldn’t help but recall the mug of Yu Jin-Ho who used to follow him around.
The successful first-born who had become an excellent entrepreneur, and the second born with the qualification to become a Master, but who was still a university student. The fight between them would not be easy.
‘Do your best, Yu Jin-Ho.’
After cheering Yu Jin-Ho on in his mind, Jin-Woo slowly drifted off to a deep slumber.
Yu Jin-Ho entered a luxurious traditional Korean restaurant with a determined face. He chose this place after taking into account his father’s taste.
“Has the Chairman arrived yet?”
“Yes, he’s waiting for you.”
Yu Jin-Ho swallowed his saliva after hearing the maître d’hôtel.
“Please, this way.”
He was guided to the private room where his father, Yu Myung-Han, was waiting for him.
The traditional sliding paper door was opened and immediately, Yu Jin-Ho’s nervousness increased by several folds after seeing his father’s face.
He wondered if he was getting weak-kneed again, but Yu Jin-Ho hardened his resolve and settled down on the opposite side of his father.
“What’s the occasion? You even called me first for this meeting.”
“Father, before I begin, I’d like you to take a look at this first.”
“And this is….?”
“This is my Guild Master licence, as well as the records of the raids I’ve been in so far.”
“Your Master…. licence? Yours?”
When Yu Myung-Han formed a disbelieving face, Yu Jin-Ho nodded his head with a smile.
“Yes, Father.”
Yu Myung-Han wordlessly took a look at the documents his son had handed over. And then, a certain light began gleaming in his eyes.
“…..”
While his father maintained a weighty silence, Yu Jin-Ho’s heart was beating so madly that he found it hard to even breathe properly.
“And so….”
Yu Myung-Han carefully placed the documents on the table and continued on.
“….You wish to run the Yujin Guild, is that right?”
“That’s correct.”
“H-mm….”
It was at this point that a hint of a dilemma, alongside the emotion of shock, appeared on Yu Myung-Han’s face.
‘To think that father is pondering between me and my older brother….’
Yu Jin-Ho was genuinely moved inside. The fact that his father was thinking about this matter was a big win for Yu Jin-Ho.
If it was in the past, he’d be satisfied with this much. However, he had no desire whatsoever to back off now.
“As you know already, Father, giving the position of the Guild Master to an outsider carries too much risk….”
“Enough.”
Yu Myung-Han raised his hand.
At the same time, Yu Jin-Ho’s mouth stopped moving.
Father’s ‘Enough’ was one of the most absolute commands that no one in the Yu household could go against.
“There is someone I want you to meet.”
“Pardon me?”
Yu Jin-Ho’s eyes went round at that. He was the one who called and asked for this meeting, yet, his father wanted to introduce him to someone?
Who could it be?
Just as Yu Jin-Ho’s curiosity peaked, the door opposite to the one he used to enter the room slid open.
“Ah…. Hello, there.”
Was he in the late twenties? Or early thirties? A man around that age group awkwardly greeted Yu Jin-Ho as he entered the room.
Who was this man?
Yu Jin-Ho couldn’t recognise this man at all.
When Yu Myung-Han signalled with his chin, this unknown man settled down next to him.
“This here is… Hunter Goh Myung-Hwan.”
‘Goh Myung-Hwan?’
Yu Jin-Ho tilted his head.
He had never heard of this name before.
Father nodded his head as if he had expected this already, and continued on.
“He is one of the survivors from the White Tiger Guild’s Red Gate incident, the one that’s been making so much noise lately.”
Yu Jin-Ho was taken by surprise.
‘….The Red Gate?’
Why was the story of the Red Gate brought up here, out of the blue?
Since the incident had been talked about non-stop in mass media, even Yu Jin-Ho knew what had happened. But, this timing was suspiciously coincidental and so, he found it difficult to figure out where his father was going with this.
‘And this man here…’
A man who was supposed to be a survivor of that incident.
Why did the survivor that the media was madly scrambling over to find appear here? Yu Jin-Ho’s curiosity continued to balloon greatly.
After staring at his son for a little while, Yu Myung-Han slowly opened his mouth.
“Looks like you haven’t heard of it yet.”
“Pardon me?”
Yu Myung-Han disregarded the still-confused Yu Jin-Ho for the time being and shifted his gaze over to Goh Myung-Hwan, sitting there in nervousness.
“Mister Hunter.”
“Yes, Chairman.”
“Please inform my son who was there besides the White Tiger Guild’s new recruits on that day.”
“Understood.”
Goh Myung-Hwan’s stare now was directed to Yu Jin-Ho.
Unintentionally, Yu Jin-Ho met Goh Myung-Hwan’s gaze, and a question mark floated up on his face.
Goh Myung-Hwan opened his mouth.
“There was a young female Hunter who looked to be a high schooler, and…..”
‘A young female Hunter?’
Even then, Yu Jin-Ho couldn’t imagine just whose name would pop out from Goh Myung-Hwan’s lips.
“….And, Mister Seong Jin-Woo.”
Tumble.
Yu Jin-Ho thought that he could hear his own heart fall to the pit of his stomach.
‘H-hyung-nim was there at the Red Gate incident?’
What was going on here?
He was already feeling quite confused, but now, his thought process devolved into an even more complicated mess. In the middle of his confusion, he suddenly remembered something.
‘Wait. Now that I think about it, a few days ago….’
….Hyung-nim was conversing with such familiarity with Hahn Song-Yi, someone whom he didn’t even share a casual greeting before that day.
“Do you still remember the name of that female Hunter, by any chance?”
“It was Miss Hahn Song-Yi.”
How can this be?
Yu Jin-Ho’s jaw dropped to the floor.
To think, there was such a secret to the mysterious relationship between those two people…..
‘Wait, if that’s the case, then…?’
Then, the identity of the potential helper the news outlets were talking about was….
As if he knew what Yu Jin-Ho was about to ask, Goh Myung-Hwan quickly confirmed the truth.
“We, the members of the White Tiger Guild and Miss Hahn Song-Yi, could escape from the Red Gate all safe and sound thanks to Mister Seong Jin-Woo.”
‘Hah, haha, ha…’
….Hyung-nim, just what did you do in there?
Yu Jin-Ho formed an expression comprised of half surprise and half joy. He even forgot that he was in front of his father, and asked out loud.
“What happened inside the Red Gate?”
Goh Myung-Hwan glanced to his side, to the head of the dining table.
Yu Myung-Han nodded his head.
Goh Myung-Hwan carried a face of a man dying to open his mouth until then, and as soon as the permission was given, he began to tell his story with great relish.
“So, what happened was….”
Yu Jin-Ho’s eyes twinkled as he listened.
“At first, everyone was taken back somewhat, after learning that a pair of rank E Hunters were coming to observe the new recruit training process. But then….”
Goh Myung-Hwan began describing what happened that day with a hyped-up voice reminiscent of a little kid proudly showing off to a friend the brand new toy he got as a gift.
However….
“He did what to a rank A Hunter??”
Goh Myung-Hwan wasn’t the only over-excited person in the room.
“Exactly!! With his palm, he went like, Pah!! He smacked the back of Kim Cheol’s head, and….”
“Huh….”
As he listened to the exploits of hyung-nim, Yu Jin-Ho’s heart beat faster as if he was there, experiencing everything personally.
‘As expected of hyung-nim….’
To him, hunting down high-ranked monsters was nothing. Well, he could knock out a rank A Hunter with a single slap, after all.
Yu Jin-Ho felt so moved and proud at the same time after realising that such an incredible person had been standing by his side until now.
Meanwhile, Goh Myung-Hwan continued on with his story.
“….I really thought that we’d die for sure when dozens of Ice Elves showed up. But then again….”
Was he paying too close an attention to the story? Time flew by really quickly. The definitely-not-short story of that day’s events was finally coming to its end.
The excited Goh Myung-Hwan’s voice became louder.
“So, what I’m saying is, this whole thing is just too unfair. Mister Seong Jin-Woo saved our a*ses back there. He’s my life’s saviour.”
Yu Jin-Ho unconsciously nodded his head in agreement. He could understand where Goh Myung-Hwan was coming from. He also had received similar help before, too.
“But then, I’m not supposed to reveal the existence of Mister Seong Jin-Woo? I find it difficult to accept the decision of the White Tiger Guild. However, Chairman Yu has given me a call out of the blue, and so, here I am.”
It was at this point that Yu Myung-Han stopped Goh Myung-Hwan in a dignified manner.
“Goh Myung-Hwan Hunter-nim.”
“Yes?”
“I believe that should be sufficient.”
“Ah. My apologies, sir. I got carried away.”
Goh Myung-Hwan embarrassedly lowered his head.
Yu Myung-Han’s stare then shifted over to his son, Yu Jin-Ho.
“In the process of investigating more about Hunter Seong Jin-Woo, a name that I never expected to hear popped up.”
At the ends of Yu Myung-Han’s pointing finger….
His index finger pointed to a piece of paper with Yu Jin-Ho’s name written on it. And it was none other than the raid records Yu Jin-Ho handed over to his father.
His index finger pointed lower and stopped at the three words ‘Seong Jin-Woo’ next.
The raid leader, Yu Jin-Ho. The raid member, Seong Jin-Woo.
This was irrefutable evidence.
‘….I’m busted.’
The truth about hyung-nim helping him out during the process of acquiring his Guild Master licence was now out in the open. Yu Jin-Ho’s expression hardened.
“Hunter Seong Jin-Woo aided you greatly during your attempt to earn the Guild Master licence. Do you acknowledge this fact?”
“…..Yes, Father.”
“Is there anything else you want to add?”
“…”
Yu Jin-Ho’s vision darkened.
Now that the matter of hyung-nim lending aid was out in the open, it was impossible to convince his father that he was the right person to take on the position of the Yujin Guild’s new Master.
‘……..’
He sensed his father’s strict eyes bearing down on him. In the past, being subjected to that withering glare, Yu Jin-Ho would lose all strength in his legs.
‘However!’
He couldn’t give up like this. For the first time ever, Yu Jin-Ho summoned his courage in front of his father.
He lowered his head and raised his voice.
“Can you entrust the Yujin Guild to me, Father?”
“I will.”
“Eh?”
At that refreshingly simple answer, Yu Jin-Ho hurriedly raised his head.
“I shall entrust the Yujin Guild to you.”
“But, why….?”
“Didn’t you say it yourself? It is too risky to entrust the Guild to an outsider. With you here, is there a reason to take on that risk now?”
“B-but, I tried to deceive you, father.”
“You thought I’d scold you and kick you out because of that?”
What was going on here?
Yu Jin-Ho thought that his father was smiling, for some reason. But, Yu Myung-Han’s lips would always remain in a straight line, no matter what the occasion was. So, how come?
“If you entered the dungeons without any plans whatsoever, then I’d have done just that. Because I don’t remember raising an idiot son like that.”
Yu Jin-Ho’s face became hot at that moment.
‘If I hadn’t met hyung-nim, then I’d be getting scolded by father right about now….’
No, wait – he’d be dead long before that.
Yu Jin-Ho spat out a sigh of relief inwardly.
“However, I have a condition.”
“Yes, Father.”
“This Hunter Seong Jin-Woo… can you bring him over to Yujin?”
Yu Jin-Ho’s eyes opened wider.
“You mean, hyung-nim??”
‘….Hyung-nim?’
The light within Yu Myung-Han’s eyes flickered a little just then. But that didn’t last for long.
“That’s correct.”
Yu Jin-Ho became speechless, then.
‘Groan…’
Even a snot-nosed brat would know that now was the right time to confidently say something in order to leave behind a positive impression. However, the one they were talking about was none other than hyung-nim.
Yu Jin-Ho could ask, sure, but he wasn’t confident of anything else besides. So, he replied honestly.
“I can’t be certain.”
“Very good. There is no meaning if the challenge is too easy for you.”
The Chairman Yu Myung-Han took a sip of water and lightly wiped the corners of his lips with a handkerchief.
“If you fail, I shall hand over the Guild to your brother. So, how about it? Will you accept?”
Yu Jin-Ho’s expression became grave.
‘This is the shot I struggled so hard to get….’
If he backed out now, then he wouldn’t be able to show himself in front of hyung-nim, who helped him right until the end for this opportunity.
Yu Jin-Ho became deeply earnest as he replied.
“I accept, Father.”
“Good.”
With that reply, the negotiation between a father and a son had come to a conclusion. Yu Myung-Han wordlessly nodded his head, and Yu Jin-Ho stood up, bowed his waist, and left the room.
Yu Myung-Han took the handkerchief away from his lips. It was getting harder to suppress the smile trying to form on his lips.
‘This kid….’
This boy wanted Yujin Guild.
He suspected something was up when they agreed to meet today, but he didn’t expect his son to be this daring.
‘Indeed, a tiger’s cub is still a tiger at the end of the day.’
The smile finally began to spread on Yu Myung-Han’s lips.
‘….That famous Chairman Yu Myung-Han is actually smiling!!’
Goh Myung-Hwan’s eyes were growing large as he witnessed everything.
The widely-known nickname of Chairman Yu Myung-Han was ‘Pokerface’. He was famed for never showing any emotion whatsoever, whether it be a joyful occasion or a sorrowful one.
When Goh Myung-Hwan continued to stare utterly mystified, Chairman Yu Myung-Han turned to him and asked.
“Hunter-nim. Was there anything you wanted to add?”
Suddenly finding himself on the receiving end of that stare, Goh Myung-Hwan got flustered and hurriedly shook his head.
“N-no. Not at all.”
***
….47, 48, 49, 50.
With a frightening clearing speed, Jin-Woo climbed up the floors.
[You have killed the Mid-Ranked Demon.]
[You have earned 300 experience points.]
[You have acquired (1) Soul of Demons.]
…
….
…….
[You have killed the Mid-Ranked Demon.]
[You have killed the Mid-Ranked Demon.]
He didn’t feel tired at all when looking at the total experience points and the accumulated number of souls climbing up higher every time he hunted a monster down.
[Collected Number of Souls: 4,388/10,000]
‘It’s not even at the halfway mark yet, huh.’
He had been endlessly hunting demons down ever since entering this place, but as expected, the wall of ten thousand souls was indeed high, and difficult to overcome.
However, what about his level?
[Level: 69]
In the space of one day, it had risen by another two.
The levelling up speed had slowed down compared to the beginning, but it could still be considered as blistering when looking at the rate of collecting the required souls. Even now, the experience points were quietly piling up.
“Kiieehk!”
[….Killed the Mid-Ranked Demon.]
[You have earned 300 experience points.]
[You have collected (1) Soul of….]
“Whew!”
After finishing off the last demon still standing before his eyes, Jin-Woo stretched his back and scanned his surroundings. Beneath the confidence-inspiring shadow soldiers standing around him, the countless corpses of mid-ranked demons could be seen littering the ground.
Clap!
Jin-Woo smiled deeply and clapped his hands.
“Nice work.”
The soldiers who fought hard for him all returned to his shadow in an instant. The magic crystal could be collected by them, sure, but loot had to be manually collected by Jin-Woo.
[Will you take…..]
Well, he had to manually click ‘yes’ on every System message that popped into his view, that was why.
‘This is a bit cumbersome, isn’t it.’
So, that was why when there weren’t that many demons, he took care of them himself real fast. And, when there were in a big group like this time, he fought together with his soldiers.
As soon as the battle was over, he’d start collecting the loot right away.
‘Just what’s so fun about this that Yu Jin-Ho insisted on doing it?’
Jin-Woo extracted a piece of loot from the dead demon and smirked to himself.
There was one more cumbersome thing about this place; it was impossible to extract shadows inside the Demon’s Castle.
Didn’t matter whether it was a mid-ranked or low-ranked, the black fog-like thing that denoted if he could perform the shadow extraction or not didn’t rise up from the demon’s corpses.
‘Even when I’m staring at the remains, too.’
[This Mana is tainted.]
[It’s impossible to perform shadow extraction.]
Nope, he only got some messages saying that he couldn’t extract shadows because Mana was supposedly tainted.
‘Is there anything I can do about this?’
Just as Jin-Woo scanned the remains of the demons with a helpless expression on his face, a new message popped into his view.
Tti-ring.
[You have discovered 29 ‘Item: Horns of Mid-Ranked Demon’.]
[Will you take them all?]
Jin-Woo grinned brightly.
‘Of course!’
Jin-Woo quickly shook away the regret he felt over the shadow extraction problem, with the help from the abundant loot falling on his lap.
‘Nothing I can use directly among the pile, eh.’
In that case, sell them all!
As soon as he sold off all the japtem, more Gold got neatly deposited into his bank balance.
[Current Gold: 914,690,772]
‘Heok!!’
Jin-Woo checked his Inventory without thinking too much, only for his eyes to shot open real wide. The amount of Gold sitting pretty in there had shot past 900 million already.
‘Well, each pair of demon’s horns are worth about 200,000, and I hunted down well over 4000, so….’
Not to forget, he also sold off other unnecessary japtem on his way here as well, so it was understandable that Gold would accumulate at a frightening pace.
‘Should I buy a rarity S weapon or armour?’
Before long, though, Jin-Woo shook his head.
He wasn’t in a need for one, so no real need to force himself to spend money just because he had some.
‘Right, there will come a time when I need to splurge on something.’
Jin-Woo closed the Inventory window and lightly dusted his hands.
He was done with cleaning up his surroundings.
He had procured the important entry permit for the 51st floor a long time ago. So, the only thing remaining was to get to the floor-transfer magic circle and go upstairs, but….
Jin-Woo’s sight shifted towards the pillar of light. More specifically, a short distance in front of that pillar.
And a massive demon, plus scores of high-ranked demons, were standing there, waiting.
Jin-Woo raised his sight up higher.
And he could see the giant demon’s name, floating in the air in a deep crimson hue.
[The Sovereign of the Lower Floors, The Avaricious Vulcan]
That thing consisted of a huge mess of fatty flesh that must’ve weighed dozens of tons. No, maybe even several hundred, instead. And then, the massive club this thing was holding in hand looked rather horrifying as well.
However, a smile was etched on Jin-Woo’s face.
‘So, that’s the mid-boss of this place, huh?’
He held only the nicest memories of the bosses found inside the instant dungeons. They all gave him plenty of experience points as well as wonderful items.
Compared to the boss-level monsters found in regular dungeons that required lots of hard work to kill but little reward to show for it, these boss monsters of instant dungeons were more like boxes of gifts, all nicely wrapped up.
So, then. What items would that guy cough up?
Gulp.
Jin-Woo smiled brightly and began drooling.
< Chapter 38 > Fin.
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