Chapter13
4. Second Stage
[Obtained 10 experience points!]
[Obtained 10 experience points!]
[Obtained 10 experience points!]
The notification window announcing the acquisition of experience points kept frantically popping up and disappearing. I swung my sword at a skeleton charging at from the side, and then bone cracked in the path of my sword.
-Swish!
As I sliced through its shinbone, its body lurched forward and its head ca to face . I then plunged the sword into its skull, and it died without even uttering a scream.
"Phew...."
I caught my breath and stood up. All around , the bodies of the skeletons were piled up. Although I had already cleared this stage, I was still hunting here. I should have moved on to the second stage, but I was waiting for soone to go to the next stage with. Hence, I decided to focus on hunting here for now. After taking a deep breath, I checked my stats.
[Strength]Level 9
[Stamina]Level 5
[Agility]Level 8
[Sensory]Level 5
[Magic]Level 5
After my first run, my stats didn't increase much, but it couldn't be helped. As a Insect Third Class, I had to work three tis harder than others to keep up with their speed. As a result, I had now accumulated a considerable amount of experience points. I could raise my stats with it, but I did not intend to do so for now. Instead, I wanted to enhance my abilities.
[Invested experience points in 'Radian Flas' ability!]
['Radiant Flas' has grown to Insect Second Class!]
Abilities could be improved through repeated use or by investing experience points. Or by other ans, just like when 'Radiant Flas' had temporarily evolved with the help of Shin Sooah but then returned to Insect Third class status thereafter. With this, I realized that people were also important. To enhance my abilities, I had to pour in a considerable amount of experience points, but with Shin Sooah's help, my abilities would jump by two ranks. Shin Sooah was undoubtedly my benefactor.
[You have reached the exit!]
After defeating the skeletons, I found myself at the exit. It seed like the ti I needed to clear this stage each ti was getting shorter. I then went to the lobby to catch my breath, where people quickly approached .
"Ah, Seo Gangrim. Hello. Thanks to you, I can connect to the Wi-Fi!"
All the people who spoke to had big smiles on their faces. After sharing the Wi-Fi password, it seed like people had a favorable impression of . Such treatnt was quite unfamiliar to .
"To think you're the first to clear the first stage, you're really skilled. You know, I'm still struggling."
"Seo Gangrim, what rank are you? At least you must be a Spirit rank, right?"
Even though I didn't answer, they continued talking and smiling.
"Let's go together later. It would be nice to go with you to the second stage together—"
The person speaking suddenly beca startled and stopped talking. He glanced back briefly and his complexion changed. He then took a step back as if avoiding sothing.
"W-Well then, let's talk another ti, Mr. Seo Gangrim!"
Along with the others, he fled as if avoiding a demon. And after they left, Dok Gojun approached with a face full of delight.
"Seo Gangrim, you're working hard today!"
He was the culprit who had frightened and chased away the people just now. While the others and I were having a conversation, he had been staring at people as if he would kill them, so it was understandable that they were scared.
Now, though, he had a smiling face.
"Those extras are very interested in you. Well, it can't be helped. But still, wanting to go with you, it's shaless even for extras," he said with a rather fierce gaze.
Co to think of it, Dok Gojun was good-looking and popular, so people liked him a lot in the beginning. But after his true personality was revealed, everyone avoided him.
I looked at him for a mont and asked, "Dok Gojun, what's the matter? Do you have any business with ?"
"Hey, do we have to have a reason between us for to call you?"
After clearing the first stage, Dokgo Jun treated as if he had known for a long ti. Of course, I couldn't fully trust this kind treatnt coming from him.
Dok Gojun smiled broadly and said, "I don't want anything, but it would be nice if we could go to the second stage together!"
"I've already told you last ti, I haven't forgotten about the incident in the building."
"Hey, forgive just this once. I want to beco closer to you."
'To beco closer. I wonder if he ever truly considered anyone an ally?'
Based on his actions in my past life, Dok Gojun was untrustworthy in many ways. When Dok Gojun established a sect, there weren't many mbers even though it was one of the five major sects. The reason was his personality. When a sect mber died and a funeral was held, although he paid a large sum of money, this was what he said: "I thought he was a main character, but to die already... Were you just a supporting character all along? What a disappointnt."
In the end, he viewed the people around him not as humans, but as 'characters.' Now he treated like the main character, but who knows when and how his attitude might change. Besides, even without that aspect, I didn't want to beco too intimate with Dokgo Jun.
"You didn't tell about your childhood. Tell about it now. And are you really a regressionist or sothing?"
He had an excessive interest in , and it was a bit much. Especially the part where he assud I was a regressort
"I was just a normal kid who saw ghosts. Possession, reincarnation, what's it all about, ghosts?"
"Oh? Seo Gangrim, don't you read web novels?"
"No, I don't."
"Then you haven't read my novel."
I knew he was famous, but I hadn't really read his work. Despite sensing that I didn't know much about it, Dokgo Jun beca even more excited and continued explaining, "I like reincarnation stories, as well as regression and possession stories... But I especially love reincarnation stories. My debut novel was also a reincarnation story!"
"I see."
"Yeah. Sohow, I feel like you're also into that kind of stuff."
While following him wasn't necessarily a bad thing, I wanted to erase the label of 'Seo Gangrim, the regressor' from his mind. Besides, I had separate tasks to accomplish in the second stage, so I couldn't go with him.
"Let's go together to the second stage, Seo Gangrim. You won't be at a disadvantage, will you?"
"Well, I don't really want to go with you. I don't think Dokgo Jun has caught up to yet, both in terms of skills and abilities."
When I doubted his abilities, Dokgo Jun's eyes narrowed, and he stared at with a hint of frustration.
"Is that what you think? That I'm weak?"
"I was the one who cleared the first stage first, right?"
Dokgo Jun didn't refute my words, but his pride seed a little hurt. Then, he suddenly seed to have an idea and smiled.
"Well, fine. Let's explore separately for now. And while we're at it, let's make a bet on who clears it first. If I do clear the second stage first, then you'll believe in my skills, right?" he said with a gleam in his eyes.
"I'll be looking forward to it, Seo Gangrim. I'm curious about what you'll achieve."
Dokgo Jun chuckled and left.
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For now, it seed like I could act independently from Dokgo Jun, but he would still keep an eye on . If I were to clear the next stage first, he would undoubtedly follow , claiming that I was indeed a reincarnator or sothing. I needed to co up with a plan regarding him.
I headed to the cafeteria to get so recovery potions. As I walked in, I was greeted by a neatly organized interior. Tiny clay figurines, or Tous, were scurrying around. performing tasks such as serving als, cleaning, and doing laundry. I approached the counter and spoke to one of the Tous, "I need a recovery potion and a water jug."
"Ot!"
The Tous made an indiscernible sound and retrieved a recovery potion and water jug from under the shelf.
"Thank you."
"Ot? Ot?"
The Tous looked at while tapping the nu board. It seed it wanted to convey the aning of "Is the recovery potion enough? Get more!" These guys were always focused on feeding others.
"It's fine. This is enough for ."
"Oh..."
The Tous made a very concerned face. Then, as if feeling sorry for , it quietly handed sothing.
"Ot."
There was a small rice cake and a cup of coffee placed on the counter. It seed to be a service.
"I'll enjoy it."
"Ot!"
The Tous waved its short arms as if telling to eat up. Hence, I took a seat and put the rice cake in my mouth, and while I was at it, I heard voices from the entrance.
"Thanks to you, I survived. I thought I was going to die for sure."
"It was thanks to Mr. Goonam who protected us from the attack."
The voices were very cheerful. Soon, people entered the cafeteria and I could see their faces.
A party seed to have ford in no ti. Among them, there were two noticeable individuals. One of them was Shin Sooah. She used to be in a party with , but now it seed she had joined forces with others. However, what mattered now wasn't her. There was a man who stood out among the crowd. He was tall in stature, and had a clean-cut face. He had a gentle and friendly appearance that could easily win people's favor.
"Mr. Goonam, please have a seat. You've worked hard today."
"Did I really work hard? Ah, I'll get so coffee."
Cheon Goonam smiled brightly as he engaged in conversations with people. If one were to ask a passersby about their impression of Cheon Goonam, most would say he seed like a good person. I was also initially deceived by his appearance.
In my past life, Cheon Goonam spoke to , an insect rank, and treated kindly. But it was because of him that my life started to go awry. It happened at so point while I was clearing through the first stage that people started to avoid and reject . At first, I thought it was because of my low rank, but I was dead wrong. People knew that I had the ability 'Destiny Theft'. I only found out much later, after being ridiculed by everyone for my ability.
Cheon Goonam, the culprit, told everyone what my ability was.
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