Jinhwan stood up slowly, careful not to make a sound, then took a deep breath and positioned himself in the direction of the torch. Thenhe moved.
He ran as fast as he could. He was fast.
When did I become this fast.
he thought as he sprinted toward the torch. It was close now. So this is what it feels like. when you have mana.
Suddenly, he felt something behind him. He didn't stop. Instead, he tightened the muscles in his legs and leapt toward the torch. As he grabbed it, he turned two Wailbats were rushing at him, their mouths wide open.
He bit down on the torch, holding it in his mouth, and as one of the creatures lunged in front of him, he swung his right fist straight into its open mouth. His punch tore through the Wailbat's mouth, creating a hole and killing it instantly.
In the same breath, he spun on the spot and delivered a brutal kick to the other Wailbat's head, sending it flying. That one was dead too.
Breathless, he stood up and grabbed the torch in his hand again. He looked at his right hand now covered in the Wailbat's blood.
Ahh, shit. I need to wash my hand.
He turned and looked around. The rest of the Wailbats were distracted, drawn to the crashing sound made by the one he had just kicked.
I have to get that sword before they come here.
He spotted it. just a few steps away. He moved quickly, picked it up with his right hand, then stood still, calming himself with a few deep breaths.
Then he shouted.
"COME HERE, YOU BLIND BITCHES."
The Wailbats immediately reacted to the sound, flying toward him at full speed. He took another deep breath, clenched the torch in his mouth, gripped the sword with both hands, and waited.
As the first one came close, he slashed it clean in half. Then he spun, slicing the second one's head off in a single fluid motion.
And then he twisted his entire body in a full 360° screaming.
"HIAAAAAAAAAA!"
The shout echoed in the darkness, drawing more Wailbats to him. One by one, they flew into the direction of the noise, only to be shredded by his blade.
Minutes later, he was sitting on the ground, drenched in blood, breathing heavily. His sword and the torch lay beside him. He held his head and suddenly vomited onto the ground. The spinning had finally caught up with him. Around him, the lifeless bodies of Wailbats making a pool of blood.
I was lucky I faced these Wailbats. They're only dangerous when they scream. Killing them is easy because of their lack of instincts and intelligence.
Then, his gaze fell to the glowing screen on his watch.
[Level Up]
[Level: 04]
[Mana Points: 20]
"Only two levels after killing all of them." he muttered, then laid back on the ground, looking up into the darkness above.
"Well, at least I became stronger. I think I should go back and send someone else to kill the other monster inside this gate."
He stood up, picked up the sword and torch, and looked around. Using the torchlight to guide him, he walked for a few minutes until he spotted the gate in the distance. it was far, but still visible. Suddenly Beep.
[Reward: Moonpierce]
[New Skill: Moonpierce]
[Description: Moonpierce is an ability that allows the user to see in darkness.]
[How to use it: Control your mana flow around your eyes.]
Huh? What kind of skill is this? And that simple? I've never heard of anyone being able to see in darkness just by flowing mana around their eyes.
He stared at the watch for a moment.
"Let's give it a try."
He closed his eyes, took smooth, steady breaths, and began focusing on the mana around his eyes. Ten minutes passed. Then twenty. Then thirty.
Suddenly, his eyes snapped open.
He looked around, then switched off the torch. He looked around again.
"I can see clearly. It's fading a little. probably because my mana control around my eyes is still weak. But this is the best skill. if I improve my control, it'll be perfect."
He looked at the gate ahead, then glanced back toward the exit.
He could see everything clearly now the path that led deeper into the gate, the dark stone walls, even the small cracks along the ground. After a few minutes of thinking, he turned and walked away from the exit he walked the darkness of the gate.
"I'll finish this on my own. If I can't. then what's the point of being Awakened."
After walking for some minutes, he reached a place with a bit of light not completely dark like the first area.
I'm on the second level now. Every gate has three levels: the first is near the entrance, where the weakest monsters live.
The second is where the stronger ones appear. And the third. that's where the gate boss waits.
So, where's the monsters..?
Right in front of him stood figures people without heads, holding black spears. The spears were stained with dry blood. But these weren't really people. They looked more like dummies made of tangled tree roots.
What the hell are these things now.
In an instant, one of the root puppets appeared in front of him, thrusting its spear toward his head. He reacted fast, slicing off the puppet's arm with a clean swing of his sword. Without wasting a moment, he slashed again cutting the puppet clean in half.
"This one was easy. but how the fuck am I supposed to kill all of them?" he muttered, eyes scanning the group there were at least forty of them, maybe more.
He crouched slightly, tightening the muscles in his legs. Then he charged forward.
As he approached the next puppet and raised his sword, but that puppet moved faster than he expected and drove its spear straight into his stomach.
He gasped at the sudden pain, tightening his grip on the sword. With a grunt, he brought the blade down and sliced the puppet in two.
[Chapter 6 end]