Chapter 26: Clue to Mainland (1)
TL: Hanguk
Originally, Wolgwang Island was a moderately-sized island with an area of about 727,272 square meters.
However, right after the great disaster occurred, "strange terrains" emerged, drastically enlarging the size of Wolgwang Island.
It was so large that it could be comparable to islands like Ulleungdo or Baengnyeongdo.
The expanded Wolgwang Island, due to these strange terrains, was collectively referred to as the northern part of Wolgwang Island. Starting from the swamp area at the entrance, it was a place made up of unpredictability and ‘uniqueness’.
“Why did it only appear now...”
[Thread Grass / Normal]
- A gatherable material from which threads can be extracted, essential for making cloth and leather armors.
[Healing Herb / Advanced]
- A medicinal herb for treating wounds, can be combined with troll blood to make healing potions.
As I exited the swamp, the sight that unfolded before me was a forest filled with gatherable plants that I had been searching for but hadn't found.
Especially the Thread Grass, a gatherable plant from which threads can be extracted, essential for crafting equipment. I had been searching extensively for it, as it was nowhere to be seen.
But now, it was lying around so abundantly.
"Fatty, what are you doing? Let’s pick them all."
-Kkuik!
Fatty and I, like grandmothers often seen on hillsides during spring, became possessed and started gathering earnestly.
[You have gathered Healing Herb and gained 2 experience points.]
[You have gathered Thread Grass and gained 1 experience point.]
Gathering these materials also earned me some experience points.
Though it wasn't much, accumulated over time, it could become a substantial amount, making it another element of leveling up.
Of course, for ordinary people, dealing with the risk of monsters would be necessary to level up through gathering.
[Thread Grass: 185 pieces]
[Healing Herb: 42 pieces]
Having become like machines for plucking grass, Fatty and I gathered Thread Grass and Healing Herbs and continued our exploration of the forest area with light steps.
This forest area was one I had previously surveyed with the drone.
-Kkuik!
The monsters that appeared were Orcs, which Fatty, now our friend, seemed capable of handling even with his eyes closed.
The problem was that, unlike before, about a dozen Orcs were roaming in groups.
-Shiiik!
However, I swung my sword calmly, without any sign of panic.
Every time the matte gray longsword, Zerka's Sword, was swung, an orc’s head would float in the air.
I massacred the Orcs solely with my enhanced physical abilities, without relying on any skills.
"Did I already kill them all?"
In less than 2 minutes, I had taken down all dozen Orcs.
"Somehow, hunting feels easier after the incident on Gauido Island."
I wondered if the frenzied battle on Gauido Island, where I swung my sword relentlessly, had given me some sort of enlightenment?
I felt more at ease when handling the sword, a confidence that I wouldn’t lose to any opponent.
'I know arrogance leads to downfall, but...'
Something was different.
It’s not that there was a significant change in my stats or improvement in my sword skills, but the way I looked at my enemies had changed.
Or perhaps their movements became more visible to me.
It felt like the difficulty level of a game I had been playing on hard mode suddenly dropped to normal mode.
'Well, as long as I've become stronger, that's all that matters. No need to overthink it.'
Thanks to this, I was able to pass through the forest area without any real crisis.
And then I reached the most noticeable lake area in the northern region of Wolgwang Island.
"What's with this color of the water?"
A lake that formed along with the anomalous terrain.
Its size was quite large.
But the color of the water wasn't sapphire or emerald-like, but just pitch black.
Like the Mariana Trench photographed from the sky.
"Is it not a lake, but a sinkhole?"
The Light-Woven Helmet I was wearing provided fresh air in any environment, making it a useful item even underwater.
However, I couldn't dare to go in and test the helmet's functionality—that would be a reckless decision.
"Are there any fish inside?"
So, I decided to peek into the lake to check its interior.
If there were many fish inside, this lake could become my food supply.
Wearing the Silhouette Goggles, which allowed me to see clearly even in the dark, I submerged my face into the water.
- Sssss.
I began to carefully inspect the deep and dark lake and, after a while, discovered something entirely unexpected.
‘Is that a building?’
What seemed to be a structure appeared at a depth of about 150 meters.
‘A facility submerged in water.’
It was an incredibly mystical scene.
Feeling like I had made a significant discovery, I explored around the lake with a sense of adventure.
“Huh?”
But then, something wriggling at the bottom of the lake, deeper than the building, caught my eye.
- Sssss.
Curious about what it was, I focused on it and discovered a tangle of eels writhing together.
[Lake Serpent / Level: ???]
[Lake Serpent / Level: ???]
[Lake Serpent / Level: ???]
Enormous eels, each seemingly tens of meters long...
‘Lake Serpent?’
A chill ran down my spine, as if something cold had just brushed past me.
I immediately pulled my face out of the water.
“Run!”
-Awoo!
-Kkuik!
Fatty, Woof-woof, and I quickly fled from the lake.
It turned out that what I thought was a lake was more like the entrance to hell.
After acquiring the Exploration skill, I had never seen 'Level: ???' monsters, and there seemed to be dozens of them.
‘What could possibly be down there?’
After running for a while and distancing myself from the lake, I caught my breath and retracted my earlier thought.
'The one about not losing to any opponent.'
I couldn't win against those creatures.
Challenging them would mean certain death.
“Where are we now?”
Soon after, we reached a small jungle area, following the swamp, forest, and lake regions.
A place densely covered with underbrush.
It was one of the terrains that even drones couldn't explore.
Having lost confidence rapidly due to the lake, I hesitated whether to enter, but then decided to step in, reassured by the confidence that I could run away on land if anything happened.
“Oh?”
The scenery of the jungle where only a few rays of sunlight could penetrate.
It was slightly dark but strangely dreamlike.
I wondered why it felt so mysterious and then noticed the moss clinging to the trees, emitting light like a glowing substance.
“This isn’t a sight you’d see on Earth.”
[Glowing Moss / Advanced]
- Moss that emits light even in the dark. Can be put in a bottle and used as a torch substitute.
- Maintains its glow for a considerable time if kept moist and exposed to sunlight for at least 3 hours a day.
The glowing moss was also a gatherable material.
I tried to pick it with my hand, but it dried up and lost its light upon contact. When I scraped it with a sword, however, it was gathered without any issues.
It seemed that tools were necessary to harvest glowing moss.
“Having a way to illuminate the night is welcome.”
The world had changed, and the nights on Earth had lost their light.
If I could gather glowing moss in other places, it could become a precious source of light in this new world.
‘It might be good as a trade item when I go to the mainland.’
It was a natural reaction for someone like me, planning for a journey to the mainland.
We continued to explore the jungle, and before long...
“A temple?”
We soon found an old temple covered in bushes, reminiscent of Angkor Wat.
[Hidden Field, Jungle Temple Discovered.]
As I carelessly approached it, along with the message above...
-Grrrr.
Three ferocious Black-toothed Tigers appeared, exuding an extraordinary presence.
[Black-toothed Tiger / Level: 25]
[Black-toothed Tiger / Level: 25]
[Black-toothed Tiger Mark / Level: 30]
While two of them were regular monsters, one was a named monster with its own title.
Puzzled by the situation, I readied myself for battle, with Woof-woof by my side and Fatty, being the weakest, hiding behind a nearby tree to monitor the situation.
"Woof-woof, handle one of them."
-Awoo!
And so, the battle began.
Since Woof-woof's level was 27, I thought it would have an advantage over the lower-level Black-toothed Tiger...
But was it because of the fundamental difference in their species?
Woof-woof struggled to gain the upper hand against even one Black-toothed Tiger.
Meanwhile, I was dealing with both the named Black-toothed Tiger Mark and another regular one.
-Clang!
"Ugh!"
I was surprised and pushed back by the metallic clash while fending off Mark's paw attack with my sword.
'Its paws are completely metallic.'
Moreover, the regular Black-toothed Tiger intelligently assisted Mark, skillfully restraining me with clever movements.
Distracted by the one that kept darting around, my response to Mark was delayed.
-Slash!
As a result, I received a long and deep gash on my shoulder.
Quite formidable for a beast.
-Grrrrrr!
I immediately took out an Intermediate Healing Potion and drank it.
Of course, the Black-toothed Tigers aggressively pressed on, but I managed to retreat a few steps to complete the healing and readied myself for battle again.
‘In the past, I would have cautiously observed the enemies' movements and waited for an opportunity to strike...’
Regrettably, I no longer felt the need to do so.
Although they were strong, I judged them to be within a manageable level.
-Roar!
At that moment, Mark and the regular Black-toothed Tiger charged at me simultaneously.
-Zzzt!
I infused Zerka's Sword with sword energy, ignoring the regular Black-toothed Tiger and focusing solely on Mark.
The sword itself targeted Mark, treating the regular one as non-existent.
Though I couldn't read the expressions of the beasts, they must have been puzzled.
Then, I swung my sword filled with sword energy.
‘Mighty Slash.’
The inherent skill of Zerka’s Sword.
-Swoosh!
The terrifying force of the skill made both beasts flinch, but it was too late for them to react.
The skill's power peaked precisely when it collided with Mark's front paw.
-Boom!
-Groan!
The collision sounded like a grenade explosion.
At the very least, one of its paws would be blown off, if not killed outright.
-Roar!
But there was something I shouldn't forget.
The enemy wasn't just Mark; the regular Black-toothed Tiger was also charging at me.
At the moment of the collision with Mark, it lunged at me, mouth wide open, as if to tear out my throat.
The razor-like teeth of the Black-toothed Tiger were threatening.
As its jaws closed in at an inescapable speed, I uttered a single word.
"Stepping Stone."
-Bang!
A transparent Stepping Stone materialized in front of me, becoming a barrier to the approaching Black-toothed Tiger.
The Tiger collided heavily with the Stepping Stone and was thrown back, its head reeling.
I seized this brief moment of vulnerability to retrieve my sword and swing it once more.
[You have defeated a Black-toothed Tiger and gained 500 experience points.]
[You have defeated a Black-toothed Tiger for the first time and gained 2,500 experience points.]
[Black-toothed Tiger subjugation reward will be provided.]
- You have gained 120 coins.
- You have gained 2 Black-toothed Tiger hides.
- You have gained 1 Black-toothed Tiger tooth.
[First Black-toothed Tiger subjugation reward will be provided.]
- You have gained 4 Black-toothed Tiger hides.
The Black-toothed Tiger, bisected by the sword energy, relinquished its rewards.
‘There’s no rule that says Stepping Stone can only be used for stepping on.’
Essentially, Stepping Stone can be created at any desired location. This means, depending on its use, it can also become an obstacle for enemies.
While I couldn't use the Stepping Stone vertically as a shield, using it to obstruct movements provided me with several opportunities.
Smirking, I turned my head and saw Mark, the named Black-toothed Tiger, whining after losing its front paw.
“I don’t know what’s in the temple that warranted assigning you as a guardian, but you did well.”
Even a named Black-toothed Tiger like Mark, strong and sturdy, was no match for me without its front paw.
[You have defeated named Black-toothed Tiger Mark and gained 8,500 experience points.]
[You have leveled up.]
[All injuries and status abnormalities are healed upon leveling up.]
[Named Black-toothed Tiger Mark subjugation reward will be provided.]
- You have gained 2,012 coins.
- You have gained 3 Intermediate Healing Potions.
- You have gained Mark’s Tooth Dagger.
[Mark’s Tooth Dagger / Dagger / Grade: Premium]
- A dagger made from Mark’s tooth.
- Maintains sharpness like a razor blade.
- All stats +1
After successfully defeating the Black-toothed Tiger that Woof-woof was struggling with, I shrugged at the rewards that were mostly material items, except for one dagger.
“Seems like the Lucky Talisman isn’t working today.”
It's normal to have such days.
In fact, I've been too lucky until now.
-Kkuik!
I turned to Fatty, who approached awkwardly, and said:
"Fatty, it's your turn now."
-Kkuik?
Naturally, I had to check out the mysterious shrine, right?
But I hesitated to enter a building where safety wasn't assured.
In games, buildings like these are usually filled with traps.
So, I sent Fatty ahead.
I felt guilty using a pet I had named for an experiment, but my life was the most important.
Besides, compared to Woof-woof, I had spent less time with Fatty, and due to its less endearing appearance, I felt slightly less attached.
Following my instructions, Fatty nodded firmly as if making a decision and marched bravely forward.
“Nothing happened?”
-Kkuik.
Fortunately, the mysterious temple did not have any traps, and Fatty was safe.
Inside the temple was a vast square, and in its center, the earth was heaped up.
A single ray of sunlight pinpointed on this mound, illuminating a plant with red berries.
[Millennium Ginseng / Elixir / Rare]
- Consuming it permanently increases a certain amount of magic power.
To think I would find the elixir I heard about from my father in such a place.
*****
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