Level Up - Chapter 12

Translator: Juzu

Editor: Yuranon

After that, Hyun Seok’s hunt for Thunder Dragonflies had continued.

The profits earned, and the number of power-up kits gathered was enormous.

The end was drawing near.

Hyun Seok sat on the bed and looked out the window. It was still early, but because it was summer, the sun was quite high up.

He quietly glanced up at the sky. White clouds were floating in patches in the blue sky. It was just a normal image of the sky. However, whenever Hyun Seok looked up at the sky like this, he was filled with emotions.

“I won’t lose it this time.”

After his sight had returned, he understood its importance much better. Just the thought of becoming blind again made him feel like his whole body was going to be torn into pieces.
Hyun Seok stabilized his emotions through deep breathing, imprinting on his mind that such tragedy would never happen.

He was well aware of how the future would flow. Moreover, he knows the events and the figures that’s related to him.

He was confident that he wouldn’t lose his sight again. Of course, there might be some variables, but there were always methods to overcome them.

“I’m not who I used to be.”

Hyun Seok was indeed different from his old days in more ways than one. He was much stronger than he was formerly. His senses, which he honed by fighting with monsters in the dungeon for nearly 20 years, were also a huge weapon. Perhaps at this time, no player could compete with Hyun Seok’s sense of combat.
It doesn’t matter how talented a fighter was. Hyun Seok’s fighting sense and skills, which had been strengthened between life and death for 20 years, were unrivaled.

And there was one more thing. Perhaps this ability will be far more important and powerful than the two preceding ones.
Hyun Seok moved his mana and sent it to his eyes.

A transparent window floated in front of him, and it was filled with status information, just like in a game.

– – – –
[Name: Chae Hyun Suk]
[Title: One Who Opened The Mind Eye; Regressor; Lord of Mana]
[Level: 32]
[Mana: 420]
[Power: 21; Agility: 27; Vitality: 20; Intelligence-21; Spirit-35]
[Resistance: Physical: 46; Flame: 5; Ice: 5; Poison: 5; Lightning: 36; Light: 5; Dark: 5]
[Skill: Mind Eye]
– – – –

It was a simple status window, but it was essential to be able to see his current capabilities.

Moreover, this wasn’t something that was just limited to himself.

Hyun Seok focused on the words, “Skill: Mind Eye.”

Then a new window popped up.

– – – –
Mind Eye: One Who Opened The Mind Eye; Regressor; Lord of Mana.
All these three must be acquired to obtain this skill. It can evaluate one’s status.
The properties of anything that contains mana can be seen.
– – – –

The most important thing about this Mind Eye skill was that if he concentrated his mana properly, he could check another person’s status window.

Of course, if the levels were too far apart, then Hyun Seok wouldn’t be able to identify the opponents’ mana pattern, and this skill won’t work.

Still, it could be a handy tool depending on how he used it. For example, information could be obtained when encountering a new monster. And if he had that knowledge, he could plan the most effective method to attack.

But of course, there won’t be such a monster for the time being. If Hyun Seok’s level doesn’t increase, he won’t be able to encounter a monster that he had never seen before.

However, his knowledge about the future will one day reach its limit.

Hyun Seok focused on the titles this time. Then a new window had opened again.

– – – –
[One Who Opened The Mind Eye: A title given to those who could recognize things without relying on his vision. You can perceive the world by using five senses and mana detection. Spirit: +10]

[Regressor: A title given to those who came back in time through death. All Resistance: +5]

[Lord of Mana: A title given to someone who can freely handle mana. He will be able to handle mana naturally as if it was part of his own limbs. Mana: +100]
– – – –

Each one was a great title with useful effects.
Hyun Seok’s goal was quite high, as he still hadn’t forgotten what he felt from the dungeon when he was hunting just before he died.

”I’m sure there’s something.”

Clearly, there’s a secret behind the dungeons that were popping up around the world. And that secret, whatever that was, would never benefit the world.

Hyun Seok was determined to dig it out. Otherwise, it was certain that a crisis would come.

“Maybe… it could have been too late at the time of my death.”

Ever since he came back to the past, he had been thinking about it.

It’ll be too late by then…

And Hyun Seok believed in his instincts.

“Now, should I start my daily routine?”

There will be a big change in the near future. Hyun Seok got up and got ready to leave his seat, thinking about how Choi Chang Soo’s party would respond to his decision.

* * *

“Pardon?” Choi Chang Soo was so surprised that he spoke formally to Hyun Seok, unlike his usual self. His eyes went wide open.

“Today will be the last hunt. We won’t be seeing each other after today.” Hyun Seok declared.

“You.. you can’t do this all of a sudden. What’s wrong? Did I upset you? We worked pretty well together, didn’t we?” Choi Chang Soo felt guilty as it came to him that not long ago, he had discussed the distributions were unfair with his group.

“Did someone tattled to Hyun Seok?”

Choi Chang Soo turned his head and glanced at his comrades.

But they all looked the same. There was a mixture of surprise and uneasiness on their faces.

“Isn’t this what you wanted? Freedom?” replied Hyun Seok.

Choi Chang Soo’s whole being hardened like a rock, and his comrades had a similar look.

“Freedom? So you’re going to cure us completely? Is that what you mean?”

Hyun Seok nodded at Chang Soo’s questions.

They’ve paid enough for their deeds. Hyun Seok had collected enough power-up kits too.
It’s still hard for him to clear the Tomb of a Mutant Thunder Dragonfly by himself but that won’t be for long, because Hyun Seok had a hidden card up his sleeves.

Choi Chang Soo and his party still looked confused. It’s nice to have freedom, but they were worried about losing their source of income.

They haven’t had the time to spend the money they got from Hyun Seok over the past two months, so they had around hundreds of millions.

There were also a number of magical cores that they hadn’t sold off yet.

“So… Are you sure that you’re not going to hunt any more Thunder Dragonflies? Are you really sure about that?”

As Hyun Seok stared at him with cold eyes, Chang Soo’s heart sank.

“Is that all you can do?” Hyun Seok asked.
Those words were enough to make them more emotional.

Choi Chang Soo glared at Hyun Seok in anger.
“I could spill out what I’ve seen and gone through so far. I’m sure that there’s a lot of people who want this intel.”

“Do as you please. No, make sure you do. I’m really looking forward to it.” Hyun Seok laughed at his threat.

Choi Chang Soo was discouraged by Hyun Seok’s excessive nonchalance…

“What is it? Did he prepare a way out? What the hell is this guy?”

Chang Soo didn’t understand how Hyun Seok could be so thorough and skillful.

“I’m really going to spill it out, you know?”

“I told you to do so. Then, it seems like we don’t need to hunt today.”

Hyun Seok got up from his seat. As expected, this was Chang Soo’s limit. His initial judgment was correct.

Actually, it didn’t matter what he said. Who in the world would believe that and would come to confirm?

A dungeon where mutant Thunder Dragonflies appeared as common monsters. It was impossible even for a Silver or Gold level dungeon.

After all, it was an artificial dungeon made with a special trick.

That’s why Hyun Seok’s eyes had flashed when he first saw the mutant Thunder Dragonfly.
From what Hyun Seok knows, there were only three dungeons that could be polluted to mutate the monsters inside of it.

And the nest of the Thunder Dragonfly was the easiest and most useful dungeon out of the three.

The other two were extremely dangerous, so they were discarded as they would be useless to Hyun Seok.

“I am going to use it later though.”

At the time of his death, Hyun Seok was already planning to use the two dungeons, but he couldn’t test it because he died.

If one couldn’t understand the flow of mana properly, he wouldn’t be able to use it even if he knew how.

Anyways, Hyun Seok and Choi Chang Soo concluded that this was the end. Hyun Seok took out six green pills and placed them on the table.

“This is the antidote. It’ll be a bit bitter, but it’s bearable.”

The antidote was no less than a fake. In the first place, Chang Soo and his party were never poisoned. They were just fooled by Hyun Seok’s psychological tricks, along with the names of unheard items.

Hyun Seok planned everything out from the beginning, expecting that his relationship with them would end up like this anyway.

Choi Chang Soo’s expression was serious. He looked alternately at the pill on the table and Hyun Seok, agonizing over and over again.
When Hyun Seok turned around, Choi Chang Soo urgently called him.

“Are you sure that this is the end? Are you certain that you won’t regret leaving us like this?”

At his question, Hyun Seok turned around and looked at Choi Chang Soo.

When Chang Soo saw Hyun Seok’s eyes, he gulped. It made him think that he shouldn’t have said anything as the look in Hyun Seok’s eyes felt like a sharp knife cutting through his skin.

“I’ll look forward to seeing what you can do.”

Hyun Seok’s face really looked like he was looking forward to something, and Choi Chang Soo gulped at the sight.

There was a lot of tension in the air. So when Hyun Seok finally left, Choi Chang Soo let out his breath and leaned his back against the chair. He felt like he had used up his life force.

“Damn it. I thought I was going to die.”

Everyone felt the same way. The pressure and murderous intent they just felt was really intense.

“Chang Soo, are you going to end it just like this?”

At Park Myung Seok’s question, Choi Chang Soo blinked, drooping on the chair and replied, “Well, I don’t know what to do.”

“Let’s eat this first,” said Myung Seok.

Everyone nodded and ate the pills on the table. Their faces distorted right after they ate the pill because it was immensely bitter.

“Yuck! I really don’t want to eat it again.”

“There won’t be a chance to eat it anyway.”

“Don’t you think this is more bitter than the ones we’ve been taking?”

“This is the perfect antidote. Isn’t it normal that it would be more bitter?”

Everyone nodded and began worrying again.

“What should we do?”

“What can we do? We just gotta go our own way.”

“Right? Then where are we going?” Chang Soo asked.

Park Myung Seok answered Choi Chang Soo’s question with a grin.

“That’s… we have to get information.”

“Yes. That’s it. So who do we find?”

Park Myung Seok smiled.

“I’ve already looked into it. Have you heard about the Crimson Poison Guild?”

The Crimson Poison Guild was created with the support of the Chilsung faction, one of the top three gangster groups in Korea.

Hearing this, Choi Chang Soo’s eyes brightened. Park Myung Seok smiled and continued.

“There’s a guild member I know there, and if we talk with him, everything will work out smoothly.”

Choi Chang Soo nodded with his gleaming eyes.

“Okay. Let’s get this done. Leave the cash somewhere safe and then let’s head to a Silver dungeon.”

Everyone nodded as they all agreed.

And Hyun Seok, who was standing still in the alley outside the coffee shop while listening to their conversation, smiled.

“Once trash, always trash.”

Hyun Seok turned around with a cold smile. Sooner or later, they will pay the price for their decision.