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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 15
Chapter Title: Paying the Toll
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My fist slammed head-on into the Talonflame's beak.
BOOM!
Though it was a collision between two creatures of flesh and blood, a sound akin to an explosion shook the mountainside.
[The durability of Thorn Carapace has been completely depleted.]
[The durability of Thorn Carapace has been…]
From my hand all the way to my shoulder.
The Thorn Carapace I had deployed in preparation for the clash with the Talonflame was utterly shattered.
"Hmph."
I furrowed my brow.
My shoulder throbbed.
The arm I had used to strike the Talonflame had recoiled and now hung limply at my side.
The way my shoulder dangled, it seemed to have been dislocated.
But regardless.
"That was a close one."
I glanced down at the ground.
On the floor lay the fallen Talonflame, its body twitching intermittently.
"Kreee…"
The impact seemed to have been quite severe.
What made the Talonflame fearsome was its phenomenal speed, attack power, and its ability to fly.
In exchange, its durability was hopelessly low.
Precise timing and power.
As long as those two factors were met, anyone could hunt it.
The damage it took from colliding with my fist must have been immense, as it dropped its head not long after.
[A large amount of experience has been acquired.]
[You have leveled up.]
[You have hunted the Boss Monster - Talonflame.]
[You have achieved a remarkable feat. Player Yoo Jinho's name will be recorded in the Tower.]
"He… he really hunted the Talonflame."
"What did I just see?"
The voices of the Hwarang prospects were colored with astonishment.
What's there to be so surprised about?
I caressed the Talonflame's carcass with my left hand.
A soft texture spread across my palm.
The Talonflame's feathers were highly sought after as materials for crafting armor.
'And now, it's my breakfast.'
Without a moment's hesitation, I used [Predation].
[Devouring the essence of the Talonflame.]
[Essence Devoured: 100%]
[Essence Grade: Normal]
[You have perfectly absorbed the essence of one species.]
[Agility + 5]
[Skill - Eagle's Eye has been added.]
[Eagle's Eye]
Grade: ★★
Classification: Active
Identifies the relative strength of a target within sight.
*Stronger opponent - [Red]
*Equal opponent - [Blue]
*Weaker opponent - [Yellow]
"Oh."
A short exclamation escaped my lips.
I had expected to get an essence related to speed, but a much better skill was created instead.
An essence that discerns a target's abilities.
Discernment-type skills were classified as high-rank even in the Tower.
Though the effect of the [Eagle's Eye] skill was a bit lacking to be called true 'discernment'.
As I climbed the Tower and absorbed related essences, I would be able to strengthen it further through synergy.
As I consumed the essence, my dislocated bone snapped back into place.
My arm still tingled, but it didn't hinder my movement.
'I didn't think I'd hunt this birdbrain so quickly.'
The Talonflame's territory covered the entirety of Mount Emirat.
If I hadn't fought with the Hwarang prospects, including Park Jongwon, it would have been difficult to attract the Talonflame's attention.
The explosion created by magic.
The sound of my [Roar].
The cold clang of metal.
The various sounds from the battle had echoed resoundingly across the mountainside.
A perfect situation to draw a predator's attention.
The Hwarang prospect team's foolishness ended up helping me.
Since fate brought us together, it would be nice if they could cooperate a little more.
"You can leave, but you should at least say a proper goodbye."
I turned around.
Behind me, the Hwarang prospects, who had been trying to sneak away from the battlefield with muffled footsteps, flinched.
Shhnnk!
[Sharp Claws] scattered an eerie light.
The Hwarang prospects turned pale.
Even Park Jongwon, who had fought to the very end, stared at my claws with a frozen expression.
I grinned.
"I'll let you live."
You can come as you please, but leaving requires a toll.
* * *
After a peaceful negotiation, I obtained five intermediate potions from the Hwarang prospects.
"Take care, and see you again."
I waved at the Hwarang prospects as they descended the mountainside.
The prospects didn't even turn their heads as they went down the mountain.
It seemed they wanted to get away from me as quickly as possible.
I didn't expect to get potions like this.
I gazed at the sloshing red liquid with a pleased expression.
Potions differed in recovery speed and potency depending on their grade.
An intermediate one was potent enough to reattach a severed arm or leg.
Though it took a little time.
Five potions were more than enough as insurance for dangerous situations.
'And if I don't use them, I can just sell them.'
An intermediate potion was worth about 50 million in cash.
It might not have been much to my pre-regression self, but to me, living in the year 2025, it was an enormous sum of money.
I should save them if I can and sell them for their full price in the outside world!
As they were handing over the intermediate potions, one of the Hwarang prospects cried out desperately.
"Aren't you afraid of retaliation from the Hwarang Guild?"
"Nope. Go ahead and report it. Tell them you got shaken down for your potions by another Player."
Grrrind.
The prospect who had spoken, his face beet red, ground his teeth.
The one who got played is the fool.
I scoffed.
As if Hwarang would be happy to hear about it.
A prospect is, after all, a Player with 'potential'.
Getting overpowered and shaken down for potions in the tutorial stage by a Player who didn't even have the backing of a major guild?
Reporting that could get them kicked out of Hwarang on the spot.
Or they'd have to return all their equipment and pay back the investment by doing the guild's grunt work day in and day out.
It was obvious who had more to lose if this news reached the Hwarang Guild.
Right. I leveled up, so I should distribute my stats.
"Status Window."
[Player - Yoo Jinho]
Age: 23
Level: 4 → 13 / Race: Human
Grade: Unranked / Class: None
Ability: Predation
*Stats
Strength: 46.6 → 63.2(+15)
Agility: 40.7 → 65.8(+12)
Stamina: 59.7 → 70.3
Endurance: 60.2 → 77.9
Magic Power: 94.5 → 99.1
*Bonus Stats: 5
[Ability - Predation]
Devours the essence dwelling within life or objects.
*Skills
Dragon's Heart [★★★★★]
Superhuman Strength [★★★]
Cold-Blooded [★★★]
Eagle's Eye [★★]
Thorn Carapace [★★]
└ Carapace [★] + Thorn [★]
Roar [★★]
Acidic Blood [★★]
Sharp Claws [★]
Dissolve [★]
Agile Hind Legs [★]
*Constellation
Blessing of the Earth Mother - Rank 1
I looked at the status window with a satisfied expression.
Judging by the information listed, I was at the level of a seasoned Player from the lower floors of the Tower, not a tutorial participant.
Man, knowing the future is really something else.
Thanks to steadily accumulating essences with [Predation], all my stats had surpassed 50.
On top of that, thanks to the effect of [Dragon's Heart], my Magic Power stat increased every time I used Predation.
For the time being, I wouldn't have to worry about running out of mana, no matter how many skills I used.
'I still have a long way to go.'
I clenched my fist, my fighting spirit blazing.
The true enemies hiding behind the facade of the Tower.
To face the Old Gods, I had to get stronger, faster.
I had to monopolize the secrets hidden in the Tower.
Only by devouring every last monster essence with [Predation] could I obtain the power to defeat the Old Gods.
After reigniting my fighting spirit, I reached into my pocket.
The wooden doll.
It was the reward I got from the basic training ground.
During the series of close-quarters battles, twelve hours had somehow passed, and it was ready to be used again.
Can't miss out on something like this.
With my right hand, I pressed the button on the back of the doll's neck.
[Activating the Training Doll.]
The 10-centimeter doll grew to the size of a person.
I was used to the doll growing larger by now.
With my extended claws, I sliced off the head of the doll that had copied my face.
[Using Predation.]
[You have devoured the essence of the Primeval Species - Tyrannosaurus.]
[Essence Grade: Legendary]
[Essence Devoured: 21.3% → 23.5%]
[The target is not a living creature. You cannot recover health or mana through Predation.]
Hah, my luck was holding out.
So far, I had predated eleven types of essences.
The wooden doll copied the essence I wanted the most out of all of them.
How great would it be if it were always like this.
If I kept using the wooden doll, I'd eventually be able to collect both essences completely.
Yaaawn—.
Just as my motivation was burning brightest, a sleep-filled yawn escaped me.
'Come to think of it, I haven't slept a wink.'
I hadn't had a single proper rest since entering the tutorial stage.
Even [Blessing of the Earth Mother] and [Predation] couldn't completely wash away my fatigue.
Before my regression, I could go for days on end without sleeping.
Now that I was back in the Tower of Babel, I had unconsciously been moving according to those memories.
'I should rest a bit.'
Resting is also an extension of battle.
I turned and went back into the red cave.
Mount Emirat is a rocky area with almost no trees.
It was obvious I'd be completely exposed to the sight of monsters while I slept.
[Using Thorn Carapace.]
Just in case, I covered my entire body with the carapace.
This brings back memories.
I wonder how long it's been since I slept while maintaining this level of tension.
Sharpening my senses to the point where I would wake at the slightest sound, I slowly closed my eyes.
* * *
Mmm, I let out a short groan.
The fatigue that had clouded my head was completely gone.
Fortunately, nothing happened while I slept.
I had kept my senses sharp, so if any aura of fighting spirit or killing intent had been directed at me, I would have woken up instantly.
I clenched and unclenched my fingers and toes.
My body responded instantly.
Thanks to the rest, my physical condition was at its peak.
'Time to move.'
I squeezed my body through a crack in the rock.
The moment I emerged from the cave, the sunlight hanging over the mountainside struck my eyes.
"Agh, so bright."
Coming out of a dark place made the light feel even more intense.
I squeezed my eyes shut, then slowly opened them.
The sunlight gradually softened.
On the opposite side, a round moon began to show itself.
Unlike the day before, it was now perfectly full.
It wasn't shining yet, hidden by the sunset glow, but it was definitely a full moon.
'I thought it would be today or tomorrow.'
I fiddled with my pocket.
Clink— clink—.
The moonstones inside rubbed against each other, making a noise.
I'm glad I pushed myself to buy the moonstones on the first day.
If I had gone to the merchant company now and then returned to Mount Emirat, I would have run out of time.
'My luck is good.'
With a smile, I stepped onto the mountainside and moved forward.
The goal of this mountain climb was the peak of Mount Emirat.
More precisely, it was the long cliff just below the summit.