Chapter 152 - Death Knight (2)

4.

[Hyrkan]

- Level : 203

- Class : Lich

- Title : 199

- Stats : Strength(2601)/Stamina(1617)/Intelligence(1662)/Magic Power(1989)

- In possession of the Ancient Power of 'Frost'

[Skill List]

– Summon

[Skeleton Fragment(A)], [Madness Helm(A)], [Bone Armor(A)], [Skeleton Magician(A)], [Skeleton Science(A)], [Golem Summon(A)], [Hardening(B)], [Bone Explosive(A)], [Armament(A)], [Clay Play(A)], [Skeleton Knight(A)], [Chivalry (D)], [Bone Spear (E)], [Fire Golem (D)], [Death Knight (F)]

– Curse

[Demon Curse(A)], [Slow Curse(A)], [Corrosive Ghost(A)], [Blind(B)], [Curse Science(A)], [Lethargy(A)], [Voodoo Pictograph(C)], [Curse Resin (F)], [Curse Infection (D)], [Malignancy Curse (D)]

– Body Strengthening

[Skin Sewing(A)], [Leg Strength Modification(A)], [Fake Heart(A)], [Boiling Blood(B)], [Ocular Transplant (B)], [Steel Bone(B)], [Life Vessel (B)], [Black Heart(E)], [Metal Tatoo(F)]

‘I ran around for two weeks, yet I only rose 3 levels.  I wasn't able to purchase any additional Skill Books.’

Hyrkan was looking at his Stats Window, and his Skill List.  He was very unsatisfied with what he was seeing.  Of course, any other User would consider what Hyrkan achieved in two weeks to be a huge achievement, but Hyrkan wasn't playing by normal standards.

Of course, this caused Hyrkan to not realize that people were giving him queer looks.

‘Huh?’

Hyrkan was a step slow in realizing the mood of his surrounding.  He belatedly raised his head.

When he raised his head, the first sight that greeted him was the pretty large tunnel entrance.  It was large enough for a truck to drive easily through, and at the entrance, there were two frightening sculptures of monsters places on either side.  In between the two sculptures, red strands that were woven in between were hanging limply.

The area around the tunnel was veiled in thick fog.  The surrounding fog was so dense that it was hard to see.  The Users were currently holding their breath within the fog as all of them stared at a location.

Hyrkan was standing where they were looking, and their gazes were a healthy mix of suspense, wariness and hostility.

Of course, Hyrkan wasn't taken aback when he noticed their gazes a beat too late.

‘What a panicky group.’

He actually welcomed their gazes.

The gazes from his peers around him was the clearest evidence that reaffirmed his existence and ranking amongst the Users.

There was no reason why he should feel burdened by their gazes.  Hyrkan boldly walked through the fog.  He stopped in front of a well made wooden post.  A skilled User had gathered the wood in the surrounding to make this handmade good.

There was a single piece of paper stuck to the wooden post.  It was filled with English, Chinese, French, German, Japanese, and Korean.  Names were written in various languages, and there were lines drawn through the names on the list.

This was the admission list for Voodook's tunnel.

Hyrkan used the brush attached to the bulletin board to add his name at the end of the line.

He wrote in Korean.  Hyrkan wrote his name in block letters.

‘I bet someone will upload this to the SNS..’

As he was writing his name, he estimated the number of people in front of him.

After getting a rough estimate, Hyrkan clicked his tongue inside.

‘It'll take four hours for my number to be called.’

There were a lot more Users in queue than expected.

‘I guess no information has come out yet.’

Currently, there weren't any credible sources of information coming from across the Urugal mountain range.

No castle or town had been found there, so if one suffered a Game Over, one would have to climb the Urugal mountain range again. The fact that one quickly crossed the Urugal mountain range didn't mean a rosy future was in front of the User.

Even after accounting for all these factors, numerous Users were climbing the Urugal mountain range.

‘They are trying to cross over, because they don't know that hell is awaiting them.’

The Ruined Kingdom across the Urugal mountain range was desolate and terrifying.  If they knew what was awaiting them, they wouldn't be so eager.

Of course, there was no reason for Hyrkan to reflect on their future difficulties.  Hyrkan had to only worry about his own business.

‘The hunting ground around here is subpar.  Maybe I should take a break, and come back in peak condition.  Still, it feels weird sleeping for four hours right now.’

It happened as he was trying to digest his current problem.

“Are you the real Hahoe Mask?”

While he was agonizing over his decision, a voice intruded on his thoughts from behind him.  Hyrkan turned his head to look.

It was a very unremarkable looking woman.  She wouldn't leave a deep impression even if he saw her in the streets.  Moreover, her armor wasn't something that was equipped with defense solely in mind.  The armor looked like a slightly casual designer clothes. It was something the female Users wore, because it looked pretty.  It was seen quite often in regions where low level Users played.

However, the fact that she was wearing these kinds of clothes here told him a whole different story.

This was midway up the Urugal mountain.  Amongst the currently discovered normal hunting grounds, this was one of the top 5 in difficulty.

This wasn't a stage where one could dress up and be pretentious.  It meant she had the skills, guts, Items and level to dress in such a manner.

This was why Hyrkan didn't ignore her.  Instead of ignoring her, he gave a reply as he tapped at his Hahoe Mask with his finger.

“I don't know.  Aren't there a lot of fakes going around right now?  Isn't that true?”

The female User immediately replied to Hyrkan's gesture.

Instead of a verbal answer, Hyrkan once again brought up his left wrist....  He tapped his wrist, which was covered with armor and glove.

Every skilled Users that had reached this point knew what that gesture meant.

The reaction didn't come from the female User in front of Hyrkan.  The Users in the surrounding reacted.

“I think that's the Watchman Style!”

“Watchman?  Ah!  Is that where both Users sever their wrists to exchange their wristwatches and fight?”

“Huh?  I thought Watchman Style was a method where one has to sever one's wrist and give one's watch to the Hahoe Mask.  Isn't this a method used to ask for forgiveness from him?”

“You are all wrong.  The Watchman Style indicates the price of the wristwatch.  It always means ten thousand gold. He tapped it once, so if one wants to live, ten thousand gold has to be given to him.”

Of course, everyone gathered here had a different definition, but that wasn't a problem.  The only fact that mattered was the fact that Users rarely got away with starting a quarrel with Hyrkan, and everyone was aware of this.  That was all that was needed.

Of course, everyone was tense, but at the same time, they were entertained with what was going on.

“Aren't they from the Mig guild?”

“The Mig guild······.”

“They are below the Underfoot guilds, but they have a good amount of experts.  Moreover, this guild is pretty lax in their members transferring out, so a lot of Users use this guild as a stepping stone to move up.  Many Users from this guild eventually moved on to become members of the 30 great guilds or the Underfoot guilds.”

“What’s the Hahoe Mask's chance of winning?”

“Hahoe Mask will win.  However, it won't be easy or boring.”

“If they don't die in a boring manner, the footage would haul in a lot.  It is  profitable to be killed by the Hahoe Mask now.”

Currently, the Users gathered in front of the Voodoook's tunnel wanted to cross the Urugal mountain range, and they all had the capability of earning a decent amount of money.

These Users could monetize a User's death or loss by the Hahoe Mask.

The Users that were hidden in the surrounding was adept at maneuvering through these various factors.

“No.  Wait a moment...”

As if she could feel the mood around her, the female User quickly waved her hand as she spoke.

“I don't have any plans to fight with you.  I just want to make a deal with you.”

Hyrkan lightly nodded his head as an answer.  It basically meant she should speak the terms of her deal.

“I'll introduce myself first.  I've been a part of a lot of organizations, but I'm currently with the Mig guild.  My name is Queeng.”

Queeng.

It was unique name, but there was no reason why one couldn't use such a name in the game.

The important part was the fact that he didn't remember that name.  This User has a unique name, yet he didn't remember it.  It meant this User was probably mediocre.  At the very least, she was mediocre using Hyrkan's standards.

She spoke about what she wanted to achieve.

“We are 3rd in line.  Currently, there is an empty spot in my party.  Would you perhap like to do this with us?”

The Users had been watching with bated breath, but they all let out an exclamation when they heard her words.

‘Ah!  Holy crap!’  

‘Shit!  I should have offered it first!’

‘We could have been carried!’

Naturally, the interest of the Users in the surrounding shifted towards what the Hahoe Mask would say next.

Will he turn down or accept the offer?

“The rights to the battle footage will all be mine.”

“Agreed.”

“Also, you guys have to listen to my directions no matter what.”

“If it is rational, we will.”

“Lastly, if you plan on fucking me over, I can guarantee you'll have to pray to god that you won't come across me on the other side of the Urugal mountain range.”

“I'll keep that in mind.”

Hyrkan accepted the offer.

5.

The average level of the group was 203.

The 6 Users were all affiliated with the Mig guild, and they had all finished their 2nd Advancement.

However, their party composition was very unbalanced.  Queeng was the only Tanker.  There were three Magicians and two Priests.  This was the 6 members.  Originally, this party had another Tanker, but he couldn't get on due to personal reasons.

This was the reason why they offered this deal.

They had been about to cancel the run.  They had no choice, but to delay the battle until next time.  That was when they discovered the Hahoe Mask, and there was no downside in offering a deal to him.

Moreover, they hadn't just broken even in this deal.  They had hit the jackpot.

“I told you a pretty face would work on him.”

Of course, Queeng had the biggest role in making this deal happen, so she was proud as a peacock.  Normally, the other party members would have laughed at her for referring to herself as a beauty, but they tried hard to suppress their laughter.  They just nodded their heads.

However, the atmosphere turned for the worse one minute after they entered the Voodook's tunnel.  There was a heavy atmosphere pressing down on them.  They had temporarily become party members with the Hahoe Mask, but he didn't talk to the other members.

Of course, it wasn't a situation where a conversation was appropriate.  They had entered the Voodook's tunnel, and they had work to do.  This was an Instance Dungeon.  They had no choice, but to keep going forward.  The tunnel itself was getting smaller as time passed, and they had to eventually move in a single line.

When they arrived at the entrance to the Instance Dungeon, a short conversation began.

Hyrkan was the one that opened up a dialogue.

“It is up to me as to when I want to step forward.”

His words shut down the dialogue in an instant.

6.

When they exited the tunnel, they arrived at a large pit that reminded one of the Colosseum.

At the center of the pit, there was a giant with a snake's head.  It had the head of a snake, but its muscular body reminded one of an ogre.  It wore a kilt made out of green leather, and there were various skulls hanging around its neck like a necklace.

Skull Collector!

Queeng was the first to get ready for the fight.  She wore a bulky black armor, and she had an enormous shield that was as big as her body.

The Priests behind her had already placed 11 Buff Skills on her, and the Priest spoke the final phrase to her.

“In the name of the Holy Order.”

Queeng heard the System Announcement when the twelfth Buff was placed on her.

[You've received the blessing of the Holy Order.]

[All Buffs will be effective to twice its original time..]

[All Buffs will received 15% increase in effectiveness.]

Holy Order.

Buff Priests were a 2nd Advancement Class.  When the one finished the Advancement, Priest received the blessing of the Holy Order.  It was a dreamlike skill.

“Ok.  You only live once.”

After receiving this dream-like skill, Queeng didn't hesitate to charge the enemy in front of her.

“Charge!”

Queeng closed the distance in an instant, and she impacted the Skull Collector with her shield.

Kwahng!

The Skull Collector rolled backwards, and it immediately righted itself.  Now it was the Skull Collector's turn.  It jumped into the air, and it brought down its knife on Queeng's shield.

Kwah-ahng!

A loud sound exploded forth, and Queeng tried to find an opening as she endured the impact.

The Skeleton Collector used this opportunity to toss a skull in her general direction.

The skull rolled twice before the ground around it started to stir. It started forming arms, body and legs.

Ooh-uh-uh!

It appeared as it let out a long cry.  It was a combination of a skull and a body of a Troll golem.  It was 2 meters tall.

Puh-uhng!

An enormous fireball flew in, and the dirt Troll exploded as soon as it was formed.  The aftermath of the explosion was so fierce that the backlash swept by the feet of the magicians and priests, who were keeping distance with the monster.

However, The magic only took out half its body.  It started regaining its original shape.

“Shit.”

The magician spoke a sullen curse as he started his next Magic Casting.

During all of this, the Skull Collector picked out another Skull from his necklace, and it threw the skull.

“Quickly catch the summoned familiars!”

Queeng let out a shout.  The magicians and priest gritted their teeth, since Queeng had shouted in the game and the Voice Talk at the same time.

There was only one clear method known to the public right now.

While the Tanker face the Skull Collector, one had to defeat its summoned familiars one by one!

At first, many Users tried to kill it before the Skull Collector could use his Voodoo Summon Skill.  However, the only one who had been able to succeed using this method was the Storm Queen.  If one wasn’t as skilled as the Storm Queen, it was impossible to kill it in a short amount of time.

This was why the next logical clear method was to get rid of all of its underlings.  This method usually required two Tankers.

However, Queeng was the only Tanker in this group.  This meant the three Magicians had to use all their firepower to prevent the summoned familiars from stacking in number.

Kwah-ahng!

The powerful magic continued to bombard the battlefield, and it was effective.  The first summoned familiar fell as it couldn’t take a third hit from the magic.  It reverted into being a Skull.

However, a third summoned familiar had come into being already.

This was all still within expectation.

However, there was two things they hadn’t expected.

The first one was the fact that the Hahoe Mask hadn’t moved.  He was just looking at the battlefield.

The other unexpected outcome was…..

“Huhk!”

Queeng had been doing well blocking the powerful sword blows from the Skull Collector, but she couldn’t properly block its parallel sword strike.  She was sent flying.

Queeng flew like a bird as she was planted into the wall.  At that moment, the three Magicians and two Priests were taken aback, but they moved at the same time.

“Ready the Range Magic!”

“I’ll erect a Firewall!”

The Magicians readied their magic to buy some time.

“I’ll leave the rest to you.”

“Please give me a Haste Buff.”

One of the Priest put his life on the line as he ran through the battlefield.  He was trying to reach Queeng.

Hyrkan was trying to hold back a laugh.

‘As expected, they aren’t skilled enough for me to remember them.’

Hyrkan took off his gloves as he thought this.

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