Chapter 57

Level Up IlDanSimPanGwan – Episode 57 (57/227)

Episode 57: Corpse Cavern (Part 1)

“Hoo, there sure are a lot of people.”

Ail looked around with a small sigh of amazement.

In the middle of what should’ve been a hunting ground, there was a crowd like you’d only see in cities or towns.

For Ail, who had only frequented unpopular hunting spots, this was the first time seeing such a crowded hunting area.

Even at the goblin den near Quinnze Blonde, the most users gathered were at the dungeon entrance to form parties.

“Take this!”

“KYAAAAAAK!”

“KUEEEEK!”

Monsters were falling dead left and right in a scene of slaughter. The users were fiercely competing against each other, raising the heat of battle as if proving this wasn’t an unpopular spot.

This wetland area by a shallow stream was a popular hunting ground where short merman-like monsters called Meremans lived in groups.

Though it was crowded with people, it was the perfect place for pursuers skilled in information gathering to spot Ail. But Ail had come here despite that risk.

“Hmm…”

“KYAAA!”

Just as Ail was looking around for something, a monster that had been hiding appeared suddenly from the floor.

A Mereman wielding a crude spear jumped up aiming for Ail’s neck.

KWAAK!

But an arrow flew from the side, piercing its neck, and the Mereman fell far back.

Since it didn’t die instantly, it struggled to get up from the ground. At that moment, swords and axes flying from both sides shredded the barely risen Mereman to pieces.

“Ugh…”

With such fierce competition, monsters were being defeated as soon as they appeared.

In fact, those who just attacked weren’t even from the same party. They simply attacked any visible Meremans.

While sharing with party members would be better, since experience points were distributed based on contribution, it didn’t really matter.

The only problem was the looting rights for items dropped by the dead Meremans.

“Hey! Both of you move aside. I hit it first!”

“I made the final blow, so what nonsense is this?”

“What? What did you say? Nonsense?”

“C’mon, let’s not fight over this small amount and just divide it into thirds, alright?”

Three users gathered by the Mereman corpse and started arguing, while Ail shook his head and left.

“Really chaotic…”

What Ail needed to do wasn’t to hunt amidst this chaos. He first needed to find a less crowded spot.

Finding an empty space around such a busy hunting ground wasn’t easy, but Ail had scouted out some usable locations beforehand, so he quickly headed to one without hesitation.

“Is this it…”

Ail muttered as he looked at a cave between large rocks.

There was no one around the passage slanting downward, yet Ail entered without hesitation.

Even empty resting spots in the hunting ground were filled with users taking breaks, so places people avoided usually had reasons.

This place, filled with a nasty smell, was called the Mereman Corpse Cavern.

It was an underground dungeon packed with grotesque corpses, serving as a graveyard for dead Meremans.

Unlike regular graveyards though, the corpses here moved.

“KRURRKK…”

Low growls came from inside.

Turning the corner while leaning against the wall, Ail could see Meremans staggering around, missing chunks of flesh.

Unlike the ones upstairs, these carried troublesome poisonous weapons and inflicted a morale debuff with their terrifying appearance, which kept users away despite the chaotic hunting ground above.

Occasionally, confident users who hunted upstairs would venture down here, but they’d quickly flee in panic.

HWRRLRRK!

However, Ail unsheathed his longsword without hesitation and activated Sacred Flame.

He cut through the zombie Meremans charging at him and pushed forward.

Thanks to the ‘Fanatical Martyr’ passive that nullified all mental status effects, he easily ignored the morale debuff. Plus, his attribute affinity with undead worked perfectly.

His fiercely swinging sword and Sacred Flame turned the animated corpses back into ashes.

– You have obtained an item!

[Mereman’s Rotten Eyeball (Common) x2]

[Broken Spear Tip (Low Quality)]

[58 Kron]

After looting the fallen monster, Ail clicked his tongue.

The rewards per kill weren’t bad, but the item he wanted hadn’t dropped yet.

“I need to get it as fast as possible before they arrive.”

Feeling anxious, Ail checked the time frequently while hurrying along.

Whenever he saw an alley where monsters didn’t patrol, he stopped to open his inventory.

To set traps.

CHINK!

The trap installed smoothly upon Ail’s touch.

Since it used consumable items rather than manual setup, it was quick and convenient.

Of course, the high price was a drawback.

The trap items he’d stockpiled using money saved from stores and auctions so far.

Against users around Ail’s level, direct attacks would just bounce off their armor, and flashy magic wouldn’t scratch them.

But one of the few methods effective regardless of level was using Warode terrain features.

Naturally, higher levels meant more HP and better survival chances, but things like falling rocks or high falls remained fatal regardless of level.

For lower-level players desperate to fight back, this was likely one of the best options.

If he set traps in crowded areas, he’d probably get mob-killed as a crazy person, but since almost no other users would enter here, it didn’t matter.

If these traps worked, they’d likely target the pursuers.

“I don’t think this alone will catch them all… but we need to increase the chances as much as possible.”

To be honest, the chances of this operation succeeding weren’t high.

Time was the key factor in this plan, relying entirely on skill and luck.

They could’ve lured pursuers into high-level hunting grounds or deadly zones like the White Forest, but the opponents weren’t foolish enough to fall for that.

Among regular users, reaching level 70 put you among the top tier, and passing level 100 made you skilled enough to make a living as a professional player.

As Amaranth guild members, they were likely veterans around level 140.

Having focused on PVP for the past year, they must’ve experienced every kind of battle, making them formidable opponents.

KWAAK!

After defeating another monster, Ail searched its corpse.

His movements were skilled and quick, but he couldn’t hide his urgency.

“Just appear already… before those guys come!”

* * *

“Here we go.”

The Amaranth guild members stood before the entrance leading to the Mereman Corpse Cavern.

A nearby warrior resting briefly glanced nervously at their arrival.

Seeing such powerful users appear in this low-level area was bound to draw curious looks.

Lucas gave the warrior a slightly annoyed look, causing him to jump and flee.

“In the old days, I’d have just cut off his head.”

“Don’t talk nonsense.”

Their leader Toolong warned Lucas sharply with a glance.

Lucas shut up immediately and joined the other two as they entered the cavern.

“To be so carefree hunting in such a crowded place means either he’s clueless or has a plan.”

“We didn’t come here completely unprepared. Even if he has a plan, what can a newbie under level 30 do?”

Toolong’s comment drew a response from Lucas.

At first, they wondered if Ail’s boldness in entering this bustling hunting ground after barely escaping assassination was a trap to lure them in.

So they investigated beforehand while heading here to check for anything suspicious in the hunting ground.

But they found nothing dangerous to them.

The monsters, no matter how numerous, were mere minions, and there was nothing tempting enough for a fugitive to target.

“Considering he noticed us in the capital and fled, we shouldn’t be too complacent.”

“Honestly, that was clearly just luck.”

“We don’t know everything yet.”

Toolong replied ambiguously.

Truthfully, even Toolong didn’t think Ail coming here had any special intention.

Looking at Ail’s lack of remarkable records in previous VR games before Warode, he seemed unlikely to be a standout player.

It felt more natural to consider the incident in the city as coincidence.

THUD!

The three users walking through the cavern stopped simultaneously.

The first fork in the path appeared before them.

The Corpse Cavern was relatively complex compared to most dungeons, not just a straight line.

“One stays behind to guard the entrance.”

“Understood.”

When Toolong gave the order with a glance, the Amaranth guild member nodded, stepped back, and readied his weapon from his back.

This was to prevent the target from sneaking out while they searched inside.

Since this was the only exit leading outside, guarding this path ensured they wouldn’t miss him.

“This time, we won’t miss him…”

Lucas twisted his lips, like a predator sensing prey.