SWNOVELXO Chapter 6 - Exploits (2)
A Knight of Valhalla grew stronger when surrounded by evil.
Kang Ian had read this line in Devil Lore 3’s lore book.
And now, he knew it was true.
Even as he faced five Krupans, he didn’t panic. Instead, his mind sharpened like a blade.
‘Even if they surround me, it’s fine. They’re slow, and their lack of coordination only creates more openings.’
Just by observing their formation, Kang Ian’s mind formulated a battle strategy.
It was likely thanks to his skills.
Kang Ian charged into the midst of the Krupans.
Bang!
He thrust his sword and blocked their attacks with his shield. Then, moving fluidly between them, he took them down one by one, calmly and efficiently.
The ‘Knight of Valhalla’ class was designed to be overpowered, giving players a sense of overwhelming power.
It was only natural that Kang Ian, experiencing this in reality, would be strong.
“Phew.”
It took him only a few minutes to finish off all the five Krupans.
“Wow… that was amazing.”
“I think we’re witnessing a rising star.”
Lim Eunjun and Shim Seoho exclaimed.
If they hadn’t heard it from the Team Leader beforehand, they wouldn’t have believed Kang Ian had only awakened a week ago.
It was hard to accept, even after witnessing it with their own eyes. But they had heard rumors—many of the current A-rank Hunters had made their mark in similar ways.
After taking down the Krupans, Kang Ian stood motionless.
Lim Eunjun and Shim Seoho assumed he was lost in the afterglow of battle.
‘Even if he’s talented, this must be his first time in a real fight, unless he was a soldier.’
‘He’s probably feeling mentally shaken.’
They’d all been through it. In fact, Kang Ian was taking it well.
They’d had much worse experiences. They’d cried, vomited, and been practically catatonic for days.
They felt a renewed sense of gratitude towards their team leader. That man had taken them under his wing and shaped them into capable Hunters.
They decided to give Kang Ian some time to recover.
However, they were mistaken. Kang Ian wasn’t standing there because of the impact from the battle.
With Valhalla’s Spirit, there was no way he would be shaken by something like this.
Instead, he was staring in surprise at the message that appeared before him.
– Ding!
[You have defeated a certain number of evil beings.]
[The Will of Valhalla embraces you.]
[Level Up!]
The message had appeared right after he’d defeated the Krupans.
He blinked repeatedly.
‘…Level up? There’s such a thing?’
* * *
Ring~ Ring~
As his smartphone rang, Team Leader Lee Jigwang checked the caller ID.
Lim Eunjun.
It was his team member whom he sent to an E-rank dungeon.
“What? Already cleared the dungeon? Has Eunjun’s skill improved that much?”
Team leader Lee Jigwang checked the time and was slightly surprised.
It was too early for them to have already cleared the gate and come out.
Lim Eunjun mainly used a shield, Shim Seoho took a position to cover the rear, and Kang Ian was supposed to be protected.
It was a stable formation, but slow in clearing the gate.
Yet, they were already out…
‘That guy. He must have worked hard. But if that’s the case, he should’ve helped Kang Ian get used to the gate instead of just rushing to clear it.’
If time wasn’t an issue, they could have guided him through exploration, given him more combat experience…
Well, there are many things they could’ve done.
Thinking so, Team leader Lee Jigwang answered the call.
“Hello. Eunjun. Did you already clear the dungeon?”
– Team leader!
“My ears are ringing, you punk. What is it?”
– Kang Ian is amazing! Is this person really someone who awakened a week ago?
“…What are you talking about? Explain properly.”
Team Leader Lee Jigwang’s eyes widened and he straightened his posture.
‘Could it be? Is it possible??’
He didn’t assign Kang Ian to his team members without reason.
Sure, Kang Ian had seemed like a good person, so he wanted to repay him a bit, which was an unusual act of kindness for him.
But more importantly, Kang Ian’s presence on his first day of awakening had left an impression.
That moment stuck with him, which was why he willingly gave him access to a dungeon.
And he hit the jackpot.
As he listened to Lim Eunjun explain what happened inside the gate, a smile crept onto his face.
“Ha, hahaha.”
They say good deeds are rewarded. This must be what it means!
‘Eunjun, you punk! I’ll give you a great performance review!’
Promising hunters were targeted by numerous scouts as soon as they appeared on the market.
The competition to recruit promising hunters was fierce.
Normally, they’d have to lure them in with top-tier contracts, but having an existing connection already gave them a head start.
Moreover, their Ohseong Guild was backed by Ohseong Group, one of the wealthiest corporations in South Korea.
Since the parent company was famous for being loaded in South Korea, they were unlikely to lose him.
‘Still, it’s not enough. I should tell them to build a closer relationship.’
“Hey, Eunjun! Make sure Kang Ian doesn’t go anywhere. I’ll be there soon. You know, the corporate card? Treat him to a feast. He worked hard, so get him some premium Korean beef.”
– Huh? He already left. He said he had urgent business as soon as we came out of the gate.
“No… you idiot!!”
Team leader Lee Jigwang, forgetting the praise he had just given, rebuked his frustrating and foolish subordinate.
How could you let him go?
You should’ve held onto him for dear life!!
* * *
Awakened hunters didn’t have the concept of leveling up.
Instead, from the moment of their awakening, they transcended the limitations of their species.
No matter how much a human trained their strength, there was a limit to the power they could possess, and no matter how many performance-enhancing drugs they took, there was a wall to how fast they could become.
But not for Hunters.
They could become endlessly stronger through training.
There were no limits.
Even hunting monsters gradually increased their stats.
Hunters entered the gates to become stronger, not necessarily just for money.
‘But… I have one more thing added to that: leveling up.’
In Devil Lord 3, leveling up slightly increases all stats.
And it seemed to be the same in reality.
Immediately after the level-up message appeared, Kang Ian felt his physical abilities improve slightly across the board.
In other words, unlike other hunters, he could become stronger not only through training but also through leveling up.
“Phew…”
Arriving home, Kang Ian calmly reviewed the day’s events.
To be honest, his heart was still pounding with excitement.
Normally, after clearing a gate, hunters would go out for a celebratory meal if they got along.
But Kang Ian had declined and headed straight home.
He wanted to learn more about Devil Lord 3 and his abilities.
He was also contemplating what to buy with the evil souls he acquired today.
– Breaking news. A special gate has opened in the sea near Sokcho, Gangwon-do. Nearby residents are evacuating to nearby shelters, and several hunter guilds are united and waiting at the forefront.
Kang Ian had absentmindedly turned on the news channel, but the anchor’s voice immediately caught his attention.
Looking at the screen, he saw the jet-black gate open in the air, and numerous demon-shaped monsters pouring out from within.
“Wow. A Black Gate? The hunter guilds must be having a field day.”
The color of a gate indicated its difficulty.
The difficulty was determined in the order of red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, violet, with violet being the most difficult.
However, among the sudden gates that appeared without warning, there was a special type called the ‘Black Gate.’
Black Gates spawned powerful demonic monsters, making them extremely hazardous.
However, the rewards were equally lucrative.
Destroying the core of a Black Gate guaranteed ‘Crystals’ and ‘Skill Stones.’
The reason guilds were so eager to clear gates was because of ‘Crystals.’
The ultimate modern energy source.
Crystals could produce enormous energy without environmental pollution.
Especially, the higher the grade, the greater the energy of the Crystal, and thus its value.
They had been replacing all energy utilization sectors, including not only transportation such as cars, airplanes, and ships, but also the petrochemical industry.
It was said that the next generation’s energy hegemony would be determined by Crystals.
Furthermore, ‘Skill Stones’, which were rare in normal gates, granted a random skill to hunters who consume them.
In a Black Gate, such ‘Skill Stones’ were guaranteed.
At least one or more!
In the past, when such Black Gates appeared, it was said that hell unfolded.
However, as the number of hunters gradually increased and systems were established, casualties rarely occurred anymore.
At present, the Black Gate was a treasure trove everyone wanted for themselves.
– Kyaaaaa!
– Grooooan
On the news screen, grotesque demon-shaped monsters rushed out of the gate.
Hunters gathered from various guilds unleashed their skills towards the demons, engaging in battle.
Kang Ian found the demons familiar.
It was only natural since they were identical to the demons appearing in Devil Lord 3.
‘After all, Devil Lord 3 heavily referenced real-world gates and monsters.’
Devil Lord 3’s monster designs were almost entirely taken from reality.
So, even though they were real-life monsters, they looked quite familiar.
It almost felt like he was watching a game.
Kang Ian took a can of beer from the refrigerator, opened it, and continued watching the news.
Various thoughts ran through his head.
‘Come to think of it, I wonder how they’ll settle the Mana Crystal I obtained today.’
He obtained a Mana Crystal after destroying the core in the E-rank Krupfan Dungeon.
The Ohseong Guild would take it for appraisal, and then deposit the amount after settlement.
Honestly, Kang Ian was grateful just for being taken to the gate, so he wouldn’t mind not receiving anything.
But if they were offering, he wasn’t going to refuse.
So, naturally, he was looking forward to it.
Wasn’t this his first time earning money as a hunter?
‘Will it be a few million won? Ha… what should I buy with it?’
Being the prestigious Ohseong Guild, they wouldn’t mess around with the settlement for an E-rank Mana Crystal…
He was naturally excited at the thought of earning a large sum of money for the first time.
At that moment.
[Young Knight of Valhalla–]
A voice like thunder suddenly echoed in his head.
[Demons are trying to invade your land.]
[As an honorable knight, eliminate the demons!]
“???”
– Ding!
[You have received a quest.]
[Quest: Eliminate the demons emerging from the Black Gate.]
[Would you accept the quest?]
[Y/N]
Kang Ian’s eyes widened at the sudden quest.
His gaze turned back to the demons and the Black Gate on the news screen.
He saw the word ‘LIVE’ in the right corner. It was a live broadcast.
“What is this…?”
There were quests… in reality?