ALL NOVEL C14
The Amsa-dong Gate.
In the desolate forest, an unexpected party was taking place.
“Ook! Ook!”
“Squeeeak!”
With the cries of beasts driven by destructive instincts serving as background music,
“Die!”
I danced a frenzied rhythm.
Of course, the person performing this wild dance was none other than me,
and the monsters within the gate were providing the accompaniment.
*Splaaaash!*
A fountain of blood erupted from the neck of a Wisdom Monkey, now missing its head.
—
**– Gained 6.3% EXP.**
**– Gained 4.5% EXP.**
—
“Ook!”
A Wisdom Monkey clung to a branch with its tail, maintaining distance as it hurled fiery spheres.
I transformed *Dark Star* into a spear, deflecting the spheres before they could hit me. Then, I leapt forward toward the Wisdom Monkey.
—
**[Dark Star – Greatsword]**
—
Each swing of the blade felled one monster.
Like harvesting ripe fruit, the heads of Wisdom Monkeys tumbled to the ground.
“O-Ook!”
The last remaining one turned its back on me.
“You may come in as you please,”
—
**[Dark Star – Whip]**
—
“But leaving is a different story.”
I snapped the whip in my hand, its end coiling tightly around the ankle of the fleeing Wisdom Monkey as it tried to leap onto another branch.
With all my strength, I pulled the whip.
“Oooooook!”
The Wisdom Monkey’s scream echoed.
What awaited it was my clenched fist, ready and waiting.
*Bang!*
The monkey’s body went limp the moment my punch connected.
—
**– Gained 5.2% EXP.**
**– Level up! Activate the status window to allocate your points.**
—
*Finally, a level up!*
It was a major milestone, achieved just 20 minutes after entering the gate.
I turned to the support team.
“We’ll take a short break.”
“Finally, a break!”
“Man, Hunter Jeon Min-cheol, you’re something else.”
The craftsmen and porters on the support team let out groans of relief.
Non-stop hunting.
While I had managed my stamina efficiently by utilizing Chaos Energy, the same couldn’t be said for those men.
Except for the craftsmen working on the Wisdom Monkey carcasses, the rest of the team collapsed onto the ground to enjoy their well-deserved rest.
—
*Status Window.*
—
I called out in my mind, and the window appeared.
—
**Name:** Jeon Min-cheol
**Level:** 2 (0.5%)
**Race:** Human
**Class:** None
**Stats:**
– Strength: 21
– Agility: 20
– Endurance: 16
– Stamina: 18
– Chaos Power: 49
**Chaos Energy**: [637/637]
**Available Points:** 5
—
*Oh wow.*
The level really had gone up.
—
**[Available Points?]**
—
“When a Player levels up, they receive 5 stat points. These points can be allocated to enhance any desired attribute.”
The system’s voice explained helpfully.
*This really feels like a game.*
Hunting monsters, leveling up, and strengthening my character.
It reminded me of the RPG games I used to play often.
*I already know what to raise.*
The foundation of my power lies in Chaos Energy.
Amplifying all my stats.
Enabling the use of martial techniques.
Without Chaos Energy, I wouldn’t be able to do anything.
The choice was obvious.
Without hesitation, I allocated all available points to Chaos Power.
—
The moment I finished distributing the points, a small change occurred in my mental world.
The bright and dark nebulas—
The auras of stars that resided in my consciousness grew stronger.
—
**Chaos Power:** 49 → 54
**Chaos Energy:** 637 → 702
—
*This is insane…*
I gaped in astonishment.
**Player Characteristics.**
After actually leveling up, I felt even more aware of the absurdity of it.
Just 30 minutes of hunting increased my Chaos Energy by 10%.
When I thought about how the martial artists of the continent, burning with ambition, searched for elixirs to increase their powers, it seemed like an absurd number.
*This is insane. Truly insane.*
I covered my mouth.
If I didn’t stop myself, I felt like I would burst out laughing at any moment.
I was more excited now than when I received the 4.7 billion earlier.
*What would happen if I combined the true power of the Celestial Sword Sect and the Player characteristics? How strong could I become with those two together?*
I would surpass my past self.
Before, it had been a vague goal. But after hunting monsters and leveling up, the goal didn’t feel so far away anymore.
It was possible.
A fiery ambition burned inside me, and my body trembled with excitement.
I stood up from my seat.
“Rest’s over! Let’s start hunting again!”
Filled with enthusiasm, I boldly advanced deeper into the forest.
—
**Team Leader Jung Young-hyun.**
He was a veteran artisan with a fixed contract with the Intergalactic Alliance.
Artisans are specialists who sort through by-products from monster carcasses.
Though awakened, they are experts in crafting, not combat.
This morning.
—
**[Elly, Manager]**
“Team Leader, sorry for the sudden contact. Can you help with clearing a D-rank gate?”
Elly, the right-hand of the Martan Branch manager, had a request that was hard to refuse.
Young-hyun gathered the support team and immediately headed to assist with the gate.
The target for support was a Hunter named Jeon Min-cheol.
It was a name I had never heard before.
“He was the top scorer in the license exam, right?”
“Well, I wouldn’t have heard about it otherwise.”
“The exam was just yesterday, so maybe you didn’t know.”
“Really? A newly licensed Hunter, going solo to clear a gate?”
Though he was the top scorer, this was crazy.
“A rookie has some guts, huh?”
“He’ll probably hunt a bit and then call in other teams.”
“Let’s just hope no accidents happen.”
This was the conversation I had with the support team before Min-cheol arrived.
It was needless worry.
*I’ve never seen someone like him in my life!*
Young-hyun clicked his tongue in disbelief.
He had been contracted with the Intergalactic Alliance for years, supporting countless Hunters and mercenaries from various races.
He’d entered numerous gates and fought alongside all sorts of Hunters.
*Who would believe that person is a gate rookie?*
A newcomer with no combat experience?
No way.
Young-hyun glanced at the ongoing battle.
The monsters had met a greater monster.
“You assholes. Where do you think you’re going?”
Min-cheol never missed his target.
His weapons were peculiar, constantly changing their form.
Spears, swords, daggers, and even whips.
They adapted to the situation in the fight.
*The skill of Hunter Jeon Min-cheol is amazing, no matter what weapon he wields.*
He handled each weapon with proficiency, overwhelming the monsters.
Is this the fight of a freshly awakened Hunter?
*No. That can’t be right.*
Young-hyun mentally dismissed the information he had heard this morning.
A fighting style perfected after countless battles.
Having watched many fights as part of the support team, Young-hyun could instinctively feel it.
A berserk fighting style.
That was Min-cheol’s fight.
*This is… ridiculous. I’m now in charge of supporting such a person.*
Young-hyun’s lips curled upward.
The more capable the Hunter they supported, the greater their share of the spoils.
If a newbie like him could reach this level…
How far could he soar?
—
*Five hours later…*
The last monster fell with a hiss of air as it collapsed.
I wiped the sweat off my forehead with my sleeve.
**– Level up! Activate the status window to allocate your points.**
—
After five hours of hunting, I had only taken minimal breaks.
This allowed me to level up three more times.
**Chaos Power:** 64 → 69
**Chaos Energy:** 832 → 897
The results of five hours of hunting—
The monsters had all been wiped out.
Even though I wanted to level up more, there were no monsters left to hunt.
*I guess it’s time to target the boss.*
On the other side of the gate, in a different dimension,
there was the ‘core’ that maintained the space.
Clearing the gate would only be completed by destroying the core.
No matter how many monsters I cleared inside, it wouldn’t be enough.
**Over time, the magical energy inside the gate regenerates.**
“Team Leader, we’re going to raid the boss now. It’s fine, right?”
“Ah, uh… Hunter Min-cheol, do as you wish.”
Team Leader responded in a stammer, clearly surprised.
The artisans and porters from the support team also looked startled.
“Why? What’s going on?”
“We’re surprised. Normally, we would explore the gate for two to three days before attempting the boss raid.”
“Why is that?”
“Because we lack information. We’re risking our lives here, so we want to be certain. But… with Hunter Min-cheol, I guess it doesn’t matter.”
Oh.
It wasn’t a big reason after all.
I chuckled and led the way.
At the deepest part of the forest,
we came to a clearing about 50 meters wide.
The moment I faced the boss monster—
“Well, well.”
A sneer escaped from my lips.
An awkwardly crafted chair made of rough wood,
and sitting on it was a monkey about three times the size of a Wisdom Monkey.
On either side, twenty Wisdom Monkeys fanned the large monkey with palm-leaf fans.
“That’s an Aether Monkey. A troublesome foe has appeared.”
“Aether Monkey?”
“Yes. It’s the leader of the Wisdom Monkeys and knows how to use shamanic magic. We need to be cautious.”
For the first time, Team Leader gave a warning.
I used the Eye of Truth to check the Aether Monkey’s status.
‘Its stats aren’t that great. But it has some interesting skills.’
Just as I had heard,
the Aether Monkey’s specialty was shamanism.
Its main skills were Totem and Spirit Calling.
If Totems were its specialty,
there was no time to waste!
“Min-cheol Hunter, the Aether Monkey is a strong opponent. Be careful…”
Before Team Leader could finish speaking, I kicked off the ground.
[Using Wind Flow.]
[Movement speed increased by 50%.]
[Chaos Energy of 2 per second is consumed.]
“Woo, ucky!”
The Aether Monkey’s surprised face quickly grew closer.
“That’s too reckless!”
“Charging straight at an Aether Monkey!”
The support team members screamed from behind.
“Woo-kyi!”
Thud.
An absurdly shaped totem appeared in front of the Aether Monkey.
[Paralysis Totem – You’ve entered its range.]
[The curse of paralysis seeps into your body.]
[Agility decreased by 3.]
This was an annoying trick.
[Dark Star – Dagger]
I transformed my Dark Star into a dagger.
[Using Fire Slash – Thrown.]
[Chaos Energy of 5 is consumed.]
I quickly threw it.
*Crack!*
The totem split in half.
The curse weighing down on me was immediately lifted.
“Woo, ucky!”
“Do you think I’m some fool?”
The Wisdom Monkeys tried to block me.
What idiots.
‘The moment these weaklings choose a direct confrontation, defeat is inevitable.’
[Dark Star – Machete]
No need for martial arts.
My physical abilities, amplified by the Celestial Sword Sect, were enough.
Every time the machete swung, a Wisdom Monkey’s life was snuffed out.
“Woo-kyi. Woo-kyi-woo-kyi!”
When I knocked down all the Wisdom Monkeys,
the Aether Monkey’s body began to swell.
Crash!
The chair it was sitting on couldn’t bear the sudden increase in weight and shattered.
[Spirit Calling – Wild Boar]
[Spirit Calling – King Orangutan]
Its body grew as large as an orangutan.
After completing the Spirit Calling, the Aether Monkey’s skin turned silver,
and sharp spines covered its body.
Team Leader mumbled in disbelief.
“My god. I didn’t realize the Aether Monkey could use two spirits at once.”
“Team Leader, that’s not an opponent we can handle alone!”
“We need to help!”
What are they saying?
*Are they really asking for my help because of that thing?*
The Aether Monkey, having completed its Spirit Calling, charged at me directly.
Now emboldened by the boar’s strength, it seemed fearless.
I raised my great sword high into the sky.
[Using Great Sword Strike.]
[Consumes 150 Chaos Energy.]
The black aura surrounding the blade swirled.
I swung the sword with all my might at the Aether Monkey charging toward me.
The great sword traced a beautiful arc through the air.
The Aether Monkey, who had been howling,
and the awakened support team members, who had been shouting from behind,
were suddenly silenced as my strike landed.