SWNOVELXO Chapter 5 - Exploits (1)
‘Nobility’ could be obtained through acts of kindness towards others.
There was no way Kang Ian would stay idle after learning this.
Who could remain passive after knowing they could bring their in-game abilities to life?
Since he couldn’t hunt monsters, he had no way to increase Evil Souls, so he focused on earning Nobility instead.
– “These are some fruits I received as a gift. I have too many, so I’m sharing them with my neighbors. Please, don’t hesitate to take some.”
– “Oh my. Thank you.”
He tried gifting fruit sets to his neighbors, claiming they were gifts.
But that didn’t increase his Nobility.
So next, he wandered the streets, carefully observing people’s expressions.
Whenever he spotted someone who looked distressed or in need, he stepped in to help.
Some eyed him warily, thinking he was suspicious, but others were genuinely grateful.
– “Oh my, thank you so much, young man. That was really heavy.”
– “T-Thank you!”
He helped a woman carrying a heavy load, a child crying for their lost mother, and so many others.
– Ding!
[You have obtained +1 Nobility.]
He gained one Nobility point each time.
‘It increases when I help those in need.’
Now that he was certain, it was time to act. There were countless opportunities to help other people in this world.
With the rise of the Awakened era, the number of orphans had skyrocketed.
The early days of Gates appearing had been an era of chaos, leading to countless casualties.
Many of the children orphaned during that time, as well as those with disabilities, still required assistance.
There was no shortage of volunteer opportunities.
So Kang Ian began visiting shelters and engaging in volunteer work.
It wasn’t something he was used to, but it wasn’t difficult either.
Ever since he had Awakened, his physical abilities and stamina had improved drastically.
Even intense physical labor didn’t leave him winded in the slightest.
And so, after a week of volunteering, he accumulated 50 Nobility points.
Without hesitation, he immediately accessed the Nobility Shop in his game interface.
Most of the items were terrifyingly expensive, but the very first one on the list was different.
[Valhalla’s Compressed Mastery (P)]
[Required Nobility: 50]
[Would you like to purchase this item?]
[Y/N]
Valhalla’s Compressed Mastery.
In the game, consuming this item instantly increased the character’s base damage.
But what would happen if he used it in reality?
‘I don’t know how to use weapons yet. This should help.’
While his Awakening had enhanced his body, it hadn’t granted him proficiency with weapons.
No matter how strong or fast he was, facing a master swordsman would still put him at a disadvantage.
Skill was crucial.
So, just before heading to the dungeon, Kang Ian spent his accumulated points and consumed the shop item.
Not that he had much choice—this was the only thing he could afford.
‘Can I sell this to someone else? Or does it only apply to me?’
The thought suddenly occurred to him.
Items probably couldn’t be transferred.
He could store them in his subspace whenever he wanted, so then he could just retrieve them after selling, right?
Of course, that would be fraud.
‘Even if I could sell it, I wouldn’t.’
The game items were his potential, his chance to rise to the top.
He wasn’t interested in selling them just for money.
“Phew.”
Kang Ian looked at the Gate before him.
Its entrance swirled in a vortex of orange light.
Gates were classified from S-rank to F-rank based on difficulty.
More precisely, each difficulty level corresponded to a color of the rainbow—red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet.
The letter grades were simply assigned on top of that system.
An E-rank Gate was somewhat risky for a newly Awakened Hunter.
“Mr. Ian, do you have any equipment before we enter the Gate?”
Lim Eunjun asked.
Kang Ian’s attire was quite simple.
‘Don’t tell me he’s a newbie who came unprepared?’
His expression hardened slightly at the thought.
Even if it was the Team Leader’s order, this was a bit…
“I have equipment.”
Kang Ian replied.
As he spoke, a faint light enveloped him, and the ‘Valhalla’s Beginner Knight Set’ materialized, equipping him.
“Huh?!”
Lim Eunjun gasped in surprise, staring at the items that now adorned Kang Ian.
‘What kind of skill is that…?’
Was it some sort of subspace inventory skill?
‘That’s convenient.’
Hunter armor and weapons were large and heavy.
Monsters possessed invisible energy barriers, making conventional firearms ineffective against them.
Low-rank monsters were an exception, but even slightly higher-ranked monsters were impervious to damage unless attacked with weapons imbued with a hunter’s power.
Unless a hunter possessed a special skill, it was difficult to imbue ranged weapons with their power, leading to the common use of close-combat melee weapons.
These weapons were effective inside Gates, but cumbersome to carry around.
A subspace ability like that would be incredibly convenient.
“Alright. Let’s go in.”
With Lim Eunjun in the lead, the three placed their hands on the shimmering Gate.
With a humming sound, they were pulled into the Gate.
* * *
‘It’s definitely different.’
Kang Ian could already feel the effects of ‘Valhalla’s Compressed Mastery’.
The sword felt secure in his grip.
Even when he’d first encountered the Earthworm, wielding the sword hadn’t felt too awkward.
It must have been the change that came with his awakening as a Knight of Valhalla.
But now, it was clearly different.
His strength had increased, and thoughts of how to wield the sword more effectively—how to move his body—naturally surfaced in his mind.
“I’ll take the lead. Mr. Kang Ian, you stay in the middle, and Seoho will guard the rear.”
It was the basic three-person formation: vanguard, mid-guard, and rearguard.
In this case, the mid-guard was the person they needed to protect.
‘Since it’s Mr. Kang Ian’s first time in a Gate, Seoho will focus on protecting him.’
The monsters in this dungeon were E-rank Krupans.
They were slow, weak, and unremarkable. Easy prey even for beginners.
However, their grotesque appearance made them widely avoided.
It wasn’t long before they encountered their first Krupan.
– Screech!
It was about 140cm tall, with a body like a miniature bodybuilder.
Krupans were small and sturdy, their bodies covered in repulsive blood vessels.
Fighting a monster wasn’t like clicking a mouse in a computer game.
Facing one directly meant being influenced by the intensity of battle.
Most rookie hunters froze in fear when confronted with such horrifying creatures.
“Mr. Kang Ian, don’t be afraid. I’ll take care of it.”
Lim Eunjun said, raising his shield.
Unlike Kang Ian’s one-handed shield, his was a larger tower shield.
Its edges were sharpened, allowing it to be used as a weapon.
Bang!
Lim Eunjun leaped and slammed his shield into the Krupan.
Putting his entire weight behind the blow, he sent the creature stumbling backward.
He then swung the baton in his other hand.
Thwack!
He finished off the staggering Krupan with a powerful swing of his shield.
Slice.
“Phew.”
Satisfied with his clean execution, Lim Eunjun glanced back.
A novice hunter should be staring in awe by now.
“…?”
However, contrary to his expectations, Kang Ian remained impassive.
“Good work.”
“Uh… yeah.”
Lim Eunjun replied, slightly flustered.
What? Was he not surprised?
They continued forward.
More Krupans appeared, but Lim Eunjun dispatched them with ease.
His shield was primarily defensive, but he held his own even when three Krupans appeared at once, patiently waiting for openings to take them down one by one.
Team Leader Lee Jigwang hadn’t assigned Kang Ian to him without reason.
If he pushed himself, Lim Eunjun could clear this Gate alone.
“Would it be alright if I took a turn this time?”
After collecting a small mana stone from the Krupan’s corpse, Kang Ian asked.
“You want to jump into combat right away?”
“Yes. If you don’t mind.”
“Hmm… sure, go ahead.”
Lim Eunjun nodded without hesitation. This was someone the Team Leader had asked him to accompany.
The Team Leader didn’t intend for this to be a mere observation.
It was rather bold of a newbie to want to fight a Krupan after seeing one.
‘If things go south, I can always step in.’
Excessive enthusiasm was better than fear and hesitation.
While it could lead to a harsh lesson, such individuals often had high growth potential.
He was confident he could save someone in the Krupan dungeon, no matter what.
And a moment later.
– Screech…
As luck would have it, they encountered another Krupan.
Despite its frightening appearance, Kang Ian wasn’t afraid.
It would be ridiculous for a Knight of Valhalla to be intimidated by such a monster.
The will of Valhalla steaded his resolve.
Slice.
Kang Ian stepped forward fluidly, drawing his sword in a single motion.
It was as if he were merely taking a casual stroll.
He passed the Krupan with an effortless slash—severing its neck in one clean stroke.
He barely exerted any force.
He had simply redirected the Krupan’s own momentum against it.
“H-Huh?!”
Lim Eunjun’s eyes widened in surprise as the Krupan fell with a single blow.
“H-How did…?”
Kang Ian, however, remained unfazed.
It was as if he’d simply done what he was capable of.
– Ding!
[You have defeated evil.]
[Evil Soul + 1]
‘I got it!’
A message appeared, and Kang Ian’s eyes sparkled.
This was why he’d wanted to enter the dungeon: to obtain Evil Souls, which could only be acquired by hunting monsters.
Kang Ian looked at Lim Eunjun and asked,
“Would it be alright if I take the lead from now on?”
“It’s dangerous… well. I suppose it would be fine.”
‘Did the Team Leader know?’
Lim Eunjun now understood why the Team Leader had insisted on bringing a newly Awakened rookie to the dungeon.
This man was no ordinary talent.
He’d heard of hunters like this. Those who possessed incredible skills upon Awakening or whose hidden talents suddenly blossomed…
Such individuals stood out from the beginning.
Most of the top Hunters in the industry were like that.
‘As long as Seoho and I are here, we can step in if things get dangerous.’
Lim Eunjun and Shim Seoho exchanged nods.
From then on, Kang Ian took the lead.
The Krupans that appeared, one or two at a time, were no match for him.
– Ding!
[You have defeated evil.]
[Evil Soul + 1]
They were merely offerings, increasing his Evil Soul count.
As they approached the core, the source of the Gate’s energy—
– Screech!
– Kyaa!
Five Krupans charged towards them.
Lim Eunjun’s expression hardened.
“Let’s take these down together. It’s dangerous to be surrounded by that many.”
“Hmm. Would it be alright if I tried it alone first?”
Kang Ian asked.
Five monsters meant five Evil Souls.
It would be a waste if the number of souls he obtained decreased because he hunted with other Hunters.
‘And I think I can do it alone.’
Even against five monsters, he felt no fear.
In fact, he felt an unquenchable fighting spirit rising within him.
A Knight of Valhalla was at their strongest when surrounded by evil.
Lim Eunjun looked at him with a strange expression.
‘Is he being reckless?’
Having succeeded so far, it was understandable for Kim Ian to feel invincible.
This was often when things went wrong.
Overconfidence could lead to carelessness, and carelessness could be fatal.
However, Lim Eunjun read Kang Ian’s eyes.
There was no arrogance or overconfidence.
It was the look of someone who was simply going to do what they could do.
‘Can he really… take on that many alone?’
“…Alright. Try it.”
Lim Eunjun nodded almost unconsciously.
“It won’t take long.”
Whoosh!
Kang Ian kicked off the ground and charged forward.