ALL NOVEL chapter 9
9
Whoosh─
9 p.m. Dark vacant lot. Three daggers floated in the night sky like fish.
I controlled the group of daggers as if I were a conductor, directing them at will.
It was Gram’s gift, [Division].
In the game, Cheon Woojin wielded a total of 13 Gram daggers.
On the other hand, I could only handle three daggers at the moment. Only a part of the gift had been unlocked. But for me, this was actually better.
“If all 13 come out at once from the start, it would be difficult to handle.”
Having exceptional performance doesn’t necessarily mean being able to utilize it effectively. It’s like giving a high-end piano to someone who has never played before.
Similarly, if I, a beginner, were given 13 daggers, it would only add to the confusion.
Even Cheon Woojin struggled to handle more than two daggers in the beginning.
The difficulty in utilizing Gram stemmed from this.
However, I was effortlessly wielding the three daggers that even Cheon Woojin found challenging.
It was the result of my talent, the “Genius of Flying Daggers,” at work.
If an object could fly by my will without touching my body, I could handle it more skillfully than anyone else.
“You can gradually increase the number.”
As a test, I aimed a dagger at a nearby tree and shot it. The dagger, empowered by Gram’s magic and my energy, flew like a gleam and stuck into the tree.
“Wow.”
I widened my eyes. I expected it to be powerful, but this exceeded my imagination.
“With this, it’ll be useful even in Eternity.”
Continuing to exert this level of power with my limited energy was unrealistic, but it was perfect for a surprise attack.
Anyone would be taken aback if hit unexpectedly.
Moreover, the benefits were not limited to that.
[Manipulated a flying dagger without physical contact. The extraordinary experience embodies the essence of the Genius of Flying Daggers!]
▶Trait: Sword Mastery Through Qi (以氣馭劍)
– A trait manifested by the Genius of Flying Daggers, enabling the manipulation of flying daggers without physical contact.
*Significantly enhances the ability to handle objects without physical contact and reduces energy consumption by 15%.
Handling flying daggers became much easier in an instant. It felt as effortless as pulling out a sandbag while running.
And the 15% reduction in energy consumption was crucial. It opened up a path for me to maximize my limited energy.
“The Genius of Flying Daggers was the answer.”
Satisfied with the results, I happily played with the flying dagger for a while. Then, I checked my smartphone and realized it was already midnight.
“Yawn~”
Sleep was gently beckoning, promising a restful night.
***
In the rear of Eternity lies a mountainous area called the “Field.”
Various magical beasts inhabited this vast mountainous region.
These were not virtual or doll-like creatures from an amusement park; they were real magical beasts.
And today was a day for practical training in the field filled with these magical beasts.
Of course, since these magical beasts were managed by Eternity, there weren’t any significant threats, making the training possible. However, they were still magical beasts. Being careless could lead to immediate danger and injuries. Thus, only Eternity in the world entrusted such training to newly enrolled students.
That’s because Eternity’s educational philosophy is…
[A being that hunts colossal magical beasts. Therefore, one must be ready to confront magical beasts at any time.]
…focused on practical, real-world experiences.
“Since today is the first day, we will proceed with autonomous practice from the entrance.”
Hajinwoo handed out silver bracelets to the students gathered at the field entrance.
“If something happens, infuse magic into this bracelet. It will send a signal to me. That’s all. Let the practice begin.”
With these words, Hajinwoo slipped into the cabin behind him.
Leaving the students to their autonomous practice, he seemed to be going in to rest.
Regardless, as the practice began, the students formed groups of three or five.
The task for today’s practice was to gather the remains of monsters and submit them to their designated locations.
Monsters referred to any creatures below the level of demons, specifically below demons. Even in the present country, monsters could be easily hunted.
No, he was confident he was better at handling low-level monsters than other students.
I had three Gram swords. With my experience, dealing with monsters was a piece of cake.
It was supposed to be like that, but…
“Hey! A monster!”
Thud thud!
The students ran as if terrified upon discovering a monster. I watched them with my hands idle.
It was no wonder, as no matter how much essence of a Blackfin Whale I had obtained, I couldn’t keep up with the students who had trained their bodies for over ten years since childhood.
But even if I went, the hunt would already be over, or the monster would already be caught.
Moreover, there weren’t many monsters at the entrance of the field, so the one who ran first was the winner.
Yet, searching for the monster directly was like looking for a needle in a haystack.
“Really! We can’t even catch one monster like this.”
What’s the point of being able to catch a monster? The opportunity to catch that monster didn’t even arise.
In a situation where I was completely useless and defeated, my face crumpled in frustration.
What’s the point of calling it practice if you release the monsters like this? Let us at least watch. Why not clear out a dungeon or something?
“…A dungeon?”
Muttering to myself, I widened my eyes.
“Right, a dungeon! Oh, why didn’t I think of that?”
Blaming my dull mind, I quickly spread out the map of the field.
Carefully examining the terrain up to 500m from the entrance, I compared it with my memory. And then…
“There it is!”
Towards the end of the entrance. It was a bit vague as it spanned 500m, but there was indeed a dungeon. Conveniently, it was overflowing with monsters.
The Hive of Hexagons.
A snake with hexagonal horns, the Grade 5 monster Hexagon and its smaller offspring were gathered in a swarm.
Of course, as a monster like Hexagon existed, it was a dangerous place.
I had no intention of capturing a Hexagon myself. I just planned to roughly take down a few of its offspring monsters.
That was the initial plan. But human greed knows no bounds.
After catching a few monsters, thoughts of the Hexagon came to mind, and thinking of the Hexagon made me envision its horns right in front of me.
“Oh, consuming that would be a game-changer.”
While it didn’t enhance the body like the essence of a Blackfin Whale, the horns of a Hexagon had even better effects. Specifically, it boosted resistance to poison.
In a world with monsters and beings that used poison, having resistance to poison was a necessary ability for self-protection.
“It probably had the ability to deflect curses too, right?”
Of course, since a Hexagon was a venomous snake, devouring its horns recklessly would likely mean immediate retirement from this world.
To safely neutralize the venom, I needed several expensive materials. However, those were things I couldn’t obtain with my current abilities.
“Sigh, forgetting about the capture, the problem lies in the materials.”
Lost in regret, someone approached me from the side.
“Hey.”
It was Nikolaï, a novice with a spotless white uniform meticulously ironed in every corner.
“Oh, right. He’s here.”
Though it was a hassle, a smile formed. It felt like meeting a savior in a difficult situation.
Given Nikolaï’s status as a core member capable of sourcing the materials I desired, being the offspring of a high-ranking member of the Supernatural Association.
Certainly, Nikolaï wasn’t the most cooperative, but handling him was easier than taking candy from a child.
It was obvious what Nikolaï’s business was about.
“Shall we compete to see who captures more demons?”
“······Sure.”
As I started discussing the matter first, Nikolaï, who had intended to take the lead, was taken aback. I simply nodded without paying much attention.
“Alright.”
“I thought you were a pushover, but you’ve got some nerve.”
If Nikolaï had arrived just a minute earlier, he would have taken the lead.
However, once the hexagon nest was discovered, there was no reason to back down.
Why bother with a competition I would undoubtedly win? I should take everything I can.
“Just playing isn’t fun, how about fulfilling one wish of the winner, chosen by the loser?”
“Hmph, fine.”
Nikolaï responded promptly, revealing his confidence, and left boldly to hunt demons. Seeing his spirited departure, I felt a twinge of guilt.
It was a match where even if Nikolaï swept up all the minor demons, he could never win.
However, it seemed different in the eyes of others.
“Nikolaï has a strong competitive spirit, making it tiring for those involved.”
Suddenly, Amelia approached, her gaze towards Nikolaï not as gentle as one might expect.
Well, if Nikolaï is willing to play along, I’m actually grateful.
“It’s easy to manipulate him since he’s so straightforward.”
As good an excuse as any for a wager.
“But are you okay with this?”
“What?”
“You haven’t caught a single one yet.”
Amelia pointed to my sector where not a single demon’s carcass was piled up.
Well, that’s because I hadn’t caught a single demon yet.
In contrast, Nikolaï’s sector had over ten demon carcasses piled up.
Closing the gap between those ten and the few scarce demons at the entrance was no easy task. It was a question of whether I should run around like crazy until the end. So, Amelia’s concern wasn’t unreasonable. However.
“This is more than manageable.”
Seeing my relaxed demeanor, Amelia seemed to give up on understanding, lowering her head.
Of course, my composure was well-founded and overflowing.
Even if roughly dealt with, the Hexahedron’s offspring were around the level of Nasung, after all.
“By the way, we should throw a party.”
Assuming that the Hexahedron’s offspring were like that, it was impossible for me alone to catch the Hexahedron.
No matter how skilled I was in strategies, the Hexahedron was undoubtedly a Grade 5 monster.
At least a party had to be organized to catch it. No, even if it was organized, it couldn’t be caught.
The Grade 5 monster Hexahedron was on a whole different level compared to the Grade 2 Direwolf I had encountered before.
Fifty Grade 2 monsters would need to gang up to match one Grade 3 monster, and then fifty Grade 3 monsters to match a Grade 4 monster, and so on…
Grade 5 monsters were beasts that couldn’t be caught even if all lower-level monsters attacked together.
That Hexahedron was precisely that Grade 5 monster.
And they were trying to catch it with just a group of first-year novices?
“That’s ridiculous.”
However, ironically, half of us were the ones who were making sense out of that nonsense.
Here, there were first-year novices, but among them were novices who were not at the first-year level, and there was a figure who led them.
Of course, even so, the Grade 5 monster was still not an easy opponent, but as this was a field, there was no choice but to confront it.
The monsters existing in the field were supposedly managed by Eternity and were under restraint.
Among them, the Hexahedron was bound to be able to move only half of its body. Moreover, if it was the Hexahedron, I had my own experience.
“I’ll be the one to catch that thing.”
I had tried to take it down four times already. From weaknesses to characteristics and strategies, I knew them all.
“If it doesn’t work out, we can retreat.”
After all, the creature was tied down and couldn’t leave the boss room. Nevertheless…
“Who should I take with me?”
For a moment, the thought of taking Amelia crossed my mind, but I shook my head.
It was much more comfortable to have a warrior who would defend from the front rather than a mage who would provide long-range attacks from the back. That way, I could comfortably slip a dagger in from behind.
“Let’s see…”
The novices were busy hunting monsters in groups of three or five.
Finding a novice who was skilled enough to withstand the Hexahedron’s attacks but had nothing to do to enter the dungeon was not as easy…
“Easy.”
Just then, without any team members and with nothing to do, I spotted a novice.
While everyone else was busy hunting monsters, there was a young novice sitting alone under the shade of a tree.
“Well, it must be boring for her.”
At her level, even if you gave her a truckload of monsters, it would still be a piece of cake.
Honestly, in terms of skills or position, there was no one as suitable as her to take to the dungeon. I approached her without a second thought.
“Are you Eungaye?”
“…?”
Eungaye, who was wandering around looking for monsters, looked up at me.
“Feeling bored? Let’s go to the dungeon.”
“…Dungeon? Where is there a dungeon around here?”
“I found one on the outskirts.”
“Hmm, really? Then, of course, we should go.”
With half doubt and half excitement, Eungaye looked at me with a sparkle in her eyes.
‘I’ve found one person for now.’
Eungaye’s “Gravity” displays insane destructive power, but she is also exceptional in defense. With a bit of help from me, she is more than capable of facing off against Hexagonia.
However, with an overflow of demons acting as his bodyguards, it would be impossible for just the two of us to break through and capture Hexagonia.
‘We need to bring one more person.’
Of course, I already had someone in mind.
A hunter who could sufficiently cover Eungaye’s shortcomings and take on Hexagonia alone.
‘Cheon Woojin.’
As I turned my head, Cheon Woojin happened to be hunting demons.
His sword swung, leaving a trail of blue magic behind. Following that, the monster-like demons were split in a diagonal line.
“Wow, impressive.”
Even though they were low-level demons, to cut them down in one go. Indeed, Cheon Woojin. Perhaps due to his talent, he was different from the rest from the start.
“Are you planning to take him too?”
“Yeah, three heads are better than two.”
It was when Eungaye replied to my question. Cheon Woojin, having finished his hunt, locked eyes with me.
I smiled and waved. Cheon Woojin returned the smile, a good lad indeed.
As I walked towards him, Cheon Woojin looked at me with innocent eyes.
“…Yi Haesol.”
“Nice to meet you. Is this our first greeting?”
“Yeah, nice to meet you.”
After the brief exchange, I got straight to the point.
“I found a dungeon, let’s go together.”
“A dungeon?”
Cheon Woojin’s eyes widened at the unexpected news.
“We can go in?”
“Why not? No one said we couldn’t.”
“If I can go, I’m in.”
Cheon Woojin accepted without a moment’s hesitation. Despite being a model student who followed rules more than anyone, paradoxically, he had a daring attitude when it came to testing his prowess in situations where rules were blatantly disregarded.
Anyway, that’s how it came to be – me, Eungaye, and Cheon Woojin. The trio formed a dungeon exploration team, no, a party, was complete.