Chapter 115

Level Up IlDanSimPanGwan – Episode 115 (115/227)

Episode 115: The Art of Hunting (8)

WooJin, looking disheveled, sat at the table shoving side dishes into his mouth.

Though he didn’t have much of an appetite after waking up in the morning, he had to prepare for the grueling march ahead by eating a hearty meal.

‘Still no issues with reactions… things are going smoothly.’

WooJin, who was checking his phone screen while eating, nodded approvingly.

The purification operation that began four days ago within the Saint’s Realm was proceeding without a hitch, and separately, Warode was continuing its growth.

Just seeing the incoming donations and ad revenue through videos made him feel proud.

‘At this rate, I might be able to buy my own apartment soon?’

It was true that if you could gain some recognition in Warode, which dominated the market, there was definitely money to be made.

What’s more, it wasn’t just about money.

There were even reports that people inspired by Ail’s appearance in the viral videos were joining the Light Church and taking on the job of IlDanSimPanGwan.

And these weren’t mere rumors; they were actual statistics.

Whether this trend would fade or continue growing remained to be seen…

But one thing was certain—it had a much greater impact than WooJin had initially anticipated.

‘I need to keep pushing…’

An opportunity that came by chance allowed WooJin to shake off the stubborn real-world problems that had been holding him back, letting him focus fully now.

“Time’s almost up.”

As the agreed-upon time approached, WooJin quickly rose from his seat and headed toward the connection device.

* * *

Poof!

Ail appeared in Warode.

His location was deep underground within the Saint’s Realm.

Their party, having pushed forward at an incredible pace for days, was currently breaking through the fifth floor, and Ail’s level had already surpassed 55.

This was thanks to clearing an enormous number of monsters over the past four days.

[Current Purification Rate ‘48.00’%]

However, the purification rate of the Saint’s Realm was still less than halfway done.

‘So there must be at least ten layers like this one.’

Ail shook his head.

For a regular user party, this dungeon was insanely huge—it would’ve crushed them long ago.

Thankfully, the lack of monster respawns and their rapid hunting speed meant they still had nearly six days left, which was fortunate.

Though not overly comfortable, they were on track to clear everything within the time limit.

Poof!

Ria also appeared before him, right on schedule.

“Are you here?”

“Yeah, good morning. You’re early again today…”

“We should plan ahead and prepare.”

Ail lifted the potion bottle in his hand slightly.

Since they hadn’t expected such a long journey when entering the Saint’s Realm, their supplies weren’t abundant.

With no way to return to town midway and a ten-day time limit, they were bound to run short on supplies.

Essential items like food and water, as well as battle gear, were all running low.

Due to hunting so many monsters, combat supplies like potions were quickly depleted.

Especially Ria, whose mana potions—usually carried in abundance—were now empty because of her heavy magic usage.

Thus, they needed local procurement.

They had to loot items directly from monsters, dissect corpses, or gather materials to secure supplies.

Even now, they were relying on additional materials gathered within the dungeon, which is why planning ahead was necessary.

If they rushed blindly into battles, their consumables would quickly run out, making it impossible to continue fighting—this step was crucial.

“Hey, Ail-sama… Could we slow down a little today?”

Ria cautiously suggested, watching his reaction.

After four days of relentless hunting, she felt like her soul was about to leave her body. The thought of repeating this was overwhelming.

“Are you feeling too tired?”

“No, not really… but I am a bit fatigued.”

“That’s good to hear. A person’s body and mind get stronger the more they use them. Feeling tired means you haven’t pushed hard enough. Let’s keep going! Fighting!”

“Huh… Yes…”

Ria slumped, looking utterly defeated.

* * *

“Haaa…”

Ria staggered along, leaning heavily on her staff.

The lively girl from the beginning was nowhere to be seen, dark circles forming under her eyes.

It was the eighth day since the quest started.

Their party had reached the tenth and final layer.

By now, Ail had already hit level 60, and Ria wasn’t far behind at level 54.

Of course, it went without saying that they had faced an astronomical number of monsters.

Though Ail occasionally adjusted the pace when he noticed Ria struggling, the continuous grind was inevitably exhausting.

‘Still, she’s doing much better than I expected.’

Even Ail was feeling a bit worn out from the tight schedule.

Any normal player would’ve collapsed by now, yet Ria had persevered until the very end.

She clearly had talent in this field.

[Urgent Quest Completed!]

[The corrupted Saint’s Realm has been successfully purified! The rifts in the realm have subsided, and the ancient presence causing unease has returned to peace!]

[Current Purification Rate ‘100.00’%]

[Remaining Time ’47:45:01′]

[Level Up!]

[Level Up!]

[Level Up!]

Messages floated up after defeating the last group of evil spirits.

Upon completing the quest, a massive experience reward was granted, and Ria jumped for joy, tears welling up in her eyes.

“It’s… It’s finally over!”

Her expression was a mix of relief and accomplishment.

Even though Ail had pushed her hard knowingly, seeing her like this made him feel somewhat apologetic.

“Ria-sama, you’ve worked incredibly hard. I may have pushed you too much. I’m sorry.”

“No, no… It was fun! The hunting speed was amazing, and… uh, how do I put this? This kind of thing is completely new to me…”

Ail bowed in apology, but Ria flailed her hands nervously.

Sure, following him around had been brutally exhausting, but her words weren’t entirely empty.

During her time playing Warode with other parties, she’d never experienced such rapid growth.

Most parties operated haphazardly, reacting only when situations arose, lacking any real strategy or contingency plans.

But under Ail’s leadership, their hunting style was completely different.

Every situation was meticulously planned for, and they adapted flexibly to unexpected developments, issuing clear orders and dividing roles efficiently.

Following the commands of a knowledgeable party leader who understood Warode deeply and read situations accurately gave her invaluable experience.

Such experiences were crucial for developing skills, especially for less experienced players.

Over the span of a few days, Ria had undergone what felt like hellish training, but she could tangibly feel her own growth.

“Anyway… Great job, Ail-sama.”

Ria smiled brightly, her energy restored.

Despite the tough process, the results were beyond satisfying.

The cave returned to its original state after purification.

“This way seems right.”

Ail pointed towards the direction where cold wind was blowing.

Whether it led outside or to another space was unclear, but ignoring it wasn’t an option.

They passed between pillars glowing with translucent light.

Beyond them lay a vast underground canyon, completely covered in ice and frost.

Drrrrr!

The ground trembled as something massive stirred.

“Wow…”

Through the frozen waterfall, the figure of an ancient elemental being loomed.

An ancient ice spirit had been sleeping here, gradually awakening due to corruption, lowering the temperature of the surrounding mountain range.

“…”

When their eyes met the ancient spirit’s gaze, Ail and Ria froze momentarily.

Just standing there was awe-inspiring and overwhelming.

Slowly, the ancient spirit closed its eyes.

With the realm purified, it returned to peaceful slumber.

“Phew, I was scared it might suddenly go wild.”

“But it seems friendlier than it looks, doesn’t it?”

Just as they were turning around, relieved that everything went smoothly…

Crackling frost spread beneath their feet, and sharp shards of ice shot upward.

The two jagged pieces of ice slowly transformed into weapon shapes.

Once completed, a greatsword and staff stood upright, embedded in the ground.

Approaching the greatsword first, Ail checked its information window.

[Frost-imbued Ancient Spirit Greatsword]

– Grade: Unique

– Type: Greatsword

– Requirement: Level 60+

– Physical Attack Power 110

– Strength +40, Agility +25

– Special Effect ‘Frost Pillager’: Spreads frost to wounds, slowing enemies’ movement. Simultaneously, the user gains speed proportional to how much the enemy is slowed. (Cannot stack multiple times)

‘This is…’

Ail doubted his eyes when he picked up the greatsword.

A unique-grade greatsword for level 60 players.

It was the first unique-grade equipment he’d encountered since starting the game, boasting impressive stat bonuses worthy of its grade.

Its attack power alone reached 110, and it featured a powerful special effect that stole enemies’ speed.

Though it couldn’t affect multiple targets simultaneously, it was still an incredible bonus.

“Whoa…”

Ria also received an excellent reward.

A unique-grade staff for level 60, equally impressive in specs to Ail’s greatsword.

Unfortunately, she was still three levels away from equipping it, showing slight disappointment.

“Amazing, but I need to level up three more times to equip it.”

“With today’s pace, it shouldn’t take long.”

“That… might be a bit…”

“Haha, let’s head back for now.”

Ail, attaching the new greatsword to his waist, laughed.

He still had one more real reward waiting for him.