Chapter 12

Level Up IlDanSimPanGwan – Chapter 12 (12/227)

Chapter 12: Heresy Purger (4)

Drrrrr!

A rumbling vibration from above shook the ground, but Ail didn’t rush to move.

The cave wasn’t about to collapse immediately, and gathering spoils took priority.

With calm deliberation, Ail approached Latma’s corpse first.

Though only traces remained where the body had disintegrated into ash moments ago, collecting leftover items and coins posed no issue.

– Item obtained!

[Latma’s Staff (Advanced)]

[Torn Robe Fragments x 11 (Common)]

[Mysterious White-Light Skill Book]

[6 Shillings 14 Kroons]

Compared to the mere 4 shillings earned from clearing zombies earlier, this was quite the haul.

Moreover, an advanced magic staff had dropped.

It was disappointing it was low-level, but as a top-tier item bearing “Boss” in its name, it would surely fetch a decent price at auction.

But what truly caught Ail’s eye was something else.

At first glance, it appeared to be a worn leather-bound book, yet it represented the sole means for users to acquire skills.

Without hesitation, Ail extended a hand toward it.

A soft white glow enveloped the book before a system message appeared.

[Toughened Skin (Basic)]

– Fortifies your skin against attacks, making it more resilient.

– Increases defense by 3 (scaled with level).

…

After briefly examining the description, Ail tossed the skill book aside without a second thought.

Even though activating it would’ve granted him a passive boost to defense right away, there was a bigger problem: the number of skills one could learn was strictly limited based on level.

This particular passive offered poor performance and no upgrade path, merely occupying one of his ten skill slots which unlocked every ten levels. Filling those slots carelessly was a surefire way to ruin character progression.

While there were ways to remove learned skills, replacing them came at an exorbitant cost.

“Honestly, I didn’t expect much anyway…” Ail muttered dryly.

His face betrayed little disappointment.

Warode skill books always carried “potential,” a hidden value determining the quality of the random skill within. This potential was indicated by the color of the light emitted.

From weakest to strongest, they ranked as follows: white, crimson, red, purple, black, and finally gold—the rarest kind promising incredible abilities.

For average players struggling to obtain high-grade skills, even basic ones felt like blessings early on. But Ail wasn’t someone who’d settle for mediocrity.

And so, the rejected skill book—being untradeable—faded into thin air upon hitting the floor.

“Well, the rewards exceeded expectations…” Ail said dismissively, brushing himself off and scanning the area again.

This room, doubling as a mage’s study and meditation chamber, was packed with shelves, scattered tables, and miscellaneous odds-and-ends.

“Let’s see what we can find!”

Item farming—one of Ail’s favorite parts of the game.

He ransacked the bookshelves, uncovering usable items and valuable antiques while smashing every jar in sight to unearth hidden silver chests tucked away in corners.

Nothing escaped his thorough search.

“Alright, got one!”

* * *

“AAAAAAAAAAH!”

A man’s scream echoed across the hunting grounds of the Forbidden Ruins.

Battling through waves of zombies, he attempted to flee when suddenly ambushed by a field boss monster. Cornered with nowhere to run, he met a gruesome end.

Lacking prior intel, there was nothing the lone player could’ve done—death was inevitable.

Hidden atop nearby ruins, several players watched the scene unfold.

“…That’s really a Tregawl?”

“Damn it, who did this?!”

Frustration bubbled among the small group of seven or so players who’d taken refuge here after the surprise appearance of the powerful boss.

“We might have to wait until higher-level players hear about this and come help…”

“Anyone got connections? Guildmates maybe?”

“…I’m in a guild, but everyone’s too far away…”

“Ugh! Just when things were getting smooth around here!”

One player vented their anger.

Having grown accustomed to the zombies’ grotesque appearances, they’d begun leveling efficiently—only for their progress to be interrupted by this unwelcome intrusion.

Another player, however, made a bold suggestion.

“What if we take it on ourselves?”

“What?!”

“I mean, why not try taking down that Tregawl ourselves? It’s risky, sure, but with our numbers, we should stand a chance.”

The Forbidden Ruins were generally avoided by most players due to its difficulty.

Yet those willing to brave the dangers despite the risks all believed in their own prowess.

Still, even they dismissed the idea outright.

“No way, it’s suicide. We just met each other; no time to sync up strategies. We’d get wiped instantly.”

“Yeah, die once and you drop gear AND face a 48-hour login penalty.”

“…Not to mention losing levels.”

Sighs filled the air among the concealed players.

Their frustration soon turned into blame.

“Whoever summoned this thing is gonna pay…”

“If I catch ’em, I’ll kill ’em myself!”

Field Boss Monster: Tregawl.

A monstrous amalgamation of decaying flesh encased in thick armor plating, the Tregawl was the boss monster that spawned upon defeating the necromancer Latma deep beneath the Forbidden Ruins.

Being beginners barely nearing level 15, handling such a formidable foe directly was out of the question. Thus, leaving Latma alone became an unwritten rule of etiquette for the hunting grounds.

Its large size belied surprising speed, and with no clear activity range restrictions, situations like this—where the entire hunting zone became unusable—occurred frequently.

“Hey, over here! Got ’em!”

“Move fast!”

Two players dragged a third up from below, having gone to investigate the dungeon entrance leading to Latma.

“That him?”

The newcomers’ faces drew curious glances from the group.

When they tried checking his information, however, it was set to private.

Of course—a telltale sign of someone lacking basic manners.

“So… what’re you guys doing here?” Ail asked sheepishly.

His brazen attitude ignited immediate outrage.

“Are you kidding me?! This is YOUR fault!”

“You think we’re holding back because we CAN’T beat it?!”

“Forget it, let’s just kill HIM instead and make up for our losses!”

A man unsheathed his sword and stepped forward aggressively.

Unable to hunt meant lost experience points and items, and PKing offered some compensation—but mostly, it was about venting frustration.

“Now now, let’s not jump to conclusions! Hear the guy out first!”

A woman dressed in pristine white robes interjected, trying to calm the situation.

She wasn’t an actual priest following one of Warode’s seven faiths, merely a healer class player.

“What’s there to hear in THIS situation?”

“Maybe… unlikely, but perhaps he knows someone capable of dealing with the Tregawl nearby?”

Her reasonable point gave pause to the sword-wielding man, and others nodded in agreement.

The unspoken rule only applied IF the Tregawl couldn’t be defeated.

If this person knew someone who COULD handle it, there’d be no need for conflict.

But Ail simply shook his head.

“Knew it! Such a sneaky-looking bastard!”

“Kill him already!”

Outraged voices rose anew.

“Not necessary. I’ll take care of it myself,” Ail replied coolly.

“Hahahaha, YOU’RE gonna fight THAT thing? Sorry, but we’re NOT helping. If you wanna die, go ahead and…”

“I never asked for help.”

Cutting the man off mid-sentence, Ail shrugged off the grip holding him and leapt gracefully down from the building.

“Wha—Where’s he going?!”

“Just stay back and watch, will ya?”

Waving dismissively, Ail moved forward.

As the others hesitated whether to chase after him, Ail suddenly shouted loud enough to grab the monster’s attention.

The Tregawl’s massive head swiveled toward the sound, prompting the group to quickly dive behind cover.

Is he insane?!

In the next moment, Ail withdrew several items from storage.

“This should do…”