VHN 23

I immediately shot the flames toward where the Cave Giant was.

Whoosh!

Flames of similar intensity to Park Do-yoon’s blazed and began melting the giant’s feet. Though it was weak, it melted faster than when Park Do-yoon used his skill alone.

Im Hae-kyung let out a hollow laugh beside me.

“F-rank but suspiciously good at appraisal…”

“……”

“But also a fire ability user at the same time?”

Since properly activating mana I was using for the first time was challenging enough, explaining would be too difficult, so I let it go in one ear and out the other.

“Doesn’t seem like you particularly intended to deceive. Interesting.”

And then the status window flashed once more.

Copycat (S) is activated.

Penalty occurs due to rank difference with skill application target.

Penalty? No, wait. When I copied Ryu Tae-yeong’s air compression, it didn’t show this. Because I’m inside a dungeon?

Copycat (S) duration: 300 seconds

Despite my complaint, the numbers changed rapidly. 300 seconds, 299 seconds, 298 seconds…

‘Are you kidding me?’

Right. It would be better to just die cleanly. Since I’ve grasped it once anyway, I could do better in the next life.

Next time I’ll torture the status window from the start to get all information. If not, forget probability or whatever, I’ll shoot Kwon Tae-han’s head 999 times and go straight to the 1,000th life, regardless of whatever this crazy status window babbles about.

But before my prayer could continue further, the status window text changed once more.

Would you like to upgrade the skill level of Blazing Flames (B) using Copycat (S)?

However, duration decreases due to caster’s rank (F) penalty.

Blazing Flames (A) duration: 60 seconds

Blazing Flames (S) duration: 2 seconds

‘Ha.’

Right, so you don’t mean for me to die completely.

Well, you did send me here and tell me to prevent the world’s destruction, so it would be disappointing if I didn’t have this much ability.

Just looking at the options before me made my brain feel like it was on fire. Even my impulsiveness was blazing fiercely.

60 seconds and 2 seconds.

‘The options are fucking extreme.’

But there was no need to deliberate here. I was vividly feeling what S-rank power was like even at this moment.

‘Upgrade to Blazing Flames (S).’

Copycat (S) is activated.

And…

Blazing Flames (S) is activated.

Copycat (S) duration: 2 seconds

Massive flames began rising from my hand on their own.

Copycat (S) duration: 1 second

Even with just 2 seconds, I could be certain. This was a won battle.

Copycat (S) duration: 0 seconds

Despite the structure being unable to produce such noise, an ear-splitting roar was heard.

Boom!

And finally, the Cave Giant’s body was engulfed in flames.

Whoosh!

Looking down at those surging flames, I thought for a moment. I had only imitated for 2 seconds. Even that was just crudely and clumsily copying a B-rank fire ability user’s skill with an F-rank body.

‘Then what about Kwon Tae-han?’

And what about Im Hae-kyung beside me?

The adrenaline that had filled my head changed form just slightly and intoxicated my mind.

Meanwhile, the Cave Giant, engulfed in S-rank flames, rapidly lost its form.

And finally, it collapsed to the ground completely melted.

Thud!

…Done.

Slowly turning my head, I saw Im Hae-kyung staring at me with one corner of his mouth raised crookedly. The snow that had been falling heavily outside had completely stopped.

(Dead) Cave Giant (A) A creature residing in the cave of the snowy mountain.

Its body is made of ice.

Dead. And…

A-rank Gate: Snowy Mountain

Clear Complete

I quietly looked at the text on the status window before my eyes.

“Quite interesting.”

“……”

“You seem like someone who dislikes inefficiency enough to tell me to control an unconscious person, yet it’s interesting why you didn’t use your own fire abilities and told me to control someone else instead. And it’s also interesting that you won’t explain when the flame size far exceeds the F-rank you claimed to be.”

I knew it would be suspicious, but I didn’t have the strength to answer anymore, so I just ignored Im Hae-kyung’s words.

As soon as I confirmed the clear message, strength drained from my legs. It wasn’t from tension, but seemed mainly from forcibly using power that didn’t suit my body.

It felt like doing high-intensity weights and cardio for twelve hours straight without rest while in a fucked-up physical state from getting beaten up the day before.

When I was actually casting the skill, I didn’t notice due to adrenaline, but after using it all, I was so drained I couldn’t stand. Eventually, I leaned my back against the ice cave wall and sat down.

Im Hae-kyung left me alone and rummaged through where the Cave Giant had fallen, finding a glittering magic stone.

Magic Stone (S) Can affect mana within the body.

Extracted from: Inside the Cave Giant’s body

Killing an A-rank and getting an S-rank stone. Right, you can have it…

Thinking about it again, Im Hae-kyung really was a monster. Even if they were A-rank, controlling not just one or two but all those giants while simultaneously controlling hunters to use skills—that was concentration that ordinary people couldn’t even dream of.

“Haa…”

When I exhaled, unlike before, I could see my breath. Moreover, the ice behind my back began to feel cold.

‘No, it’s really cold. Is it because I was just engulfed in flames?’

Using my dazed head, I remembered the SH hunters who had collapsed at the bottom of the snowy mountain muttering about being cold. Maybe it wasn’t a mental problem but they were cold because their mana had drained out. Or maybe it was both.

Im Hae-kyung grabbed my hand as I sat there just rolling my eyes and forcibly made me stand up.

“This is perfect for freezing to death.”

I was so cold my teeth were chattering, but I stood up following Im Hae-kyung. Right, fuck. We’d all die if we stayed here. I got behind Im Hae-kyung and slung Park Do-yoon, who was standing like a zombie, over my shoulder again. Though it was definitely the same weight, it felt different because my body was exhausted. Even though Im Hae-kyung wasn’t using his skill this time.

“If it’s hard, I’ll carry him.”

“Then the giants outside… fuck, we cleared it.”

I was so out of it that I’d forgotten the basic fact that when you kill the dungeon boss, the other creatures lose their power too.

I handed Park Do-yoon over to Im Hae-kyung without regret. Right. The person with strength left should carry him. Haeseong’s guild leader really is different.

Walking down silently, so much snow had accumulated that my feet kept sinking into the ground, making it hard to walk. When we go down now, will everyone still be alive? They should be alive, I need to join SH.

Or should I just cling to Im Hae-kyung and ask him to let me join Haeseong? That won’t work. If it were just me, maybe, but it didn’t seem like he’d accept both Do Yehyeon and Joo Seowon.

Since my body was struggling, I had to think of other things to keep my mind straight. When we were halfway down, I asked Im Hae-kyung.

“Can’t you control all the people here to gather in one place?”

“No. I don’t know exactly where they are, and what if there are cliffs while I’m just focusing on making them walk?”

Well then, fuck. That’s unfortunate.

Since my condition was bad, I could feel even a good person like me becoming nastier. Maybe hunters have bad personalities because they do this kind of thing a lot?

Eventually, after going down, I chose the simplest method to find hunters who were almost out of mana.

‘Status window.’

Right, at least I have this. Walking around bit by bit, I checked the hunters’ locations through status windows. Not only the three who were gathered together, but fortunately the other two were also collapsed not too far away. We supported those who were conscious and carried those who weren’t. Luckily, no hunters had lost their lives.

“The hunters’ mana is so depleted I can’t even sense them, yet you find them well.”

Im Hae-kyung seemed to have many questions for me but didn’t ask any more. Maybe he planned to ask more after recovering.

‘Even if he asked, I wouldn’t answer right now anyway.’

I could barely walk, let alone answer questions.

Just before going outside the gate, I barely managed to open my mouth and said to Im Hae-kyung.

“If you’re going to mention me during interviews outside, could you not?”

“Why?”

Well… If I said it’s because I’ve already killed Kwon Tae-han four times and I’m scared he might come to kill me in the future when he sees me as trash, would he tell me to stop talking bullshit? No, more than that, I’m F-rank but underwent testing, yet used an S-rank skill, so Ryu Tae-yeong might drag me away and I could get 3-5 years in prison. Even if I retested and got F-rank again, it didn’t seem like they’d believe it.

By the way, the latter was more fucked up. The former could just restart, but the latter, I couldn’t even die and there was no answer. And becoming a criminal is kind of… a law-abiding citizen overnight…

And since Im Hae-kyung had witnessed me acting suspiciously until just now, it seemed like he wouldn’t believe whatever I said.

‘Then don’t believe me.’

After briefly contemplating, I answered with nonsense.

“I’m worried my dad will scold me for being past curfew.”

“……”

Im Hae-kyung looked at me expressionlessly and sighed. Think whatever you want.