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Crack!

<Critical Hit!>

<SYSTEM: You’ve killed a Skeleton Warrior. You’ve gained 19 experience points.>

The Skeleton shattered as a critical hit landed, granting me a bonus of 10% damage absorption through Mana Drain.

Though the system didn't inform me of the exact amount of damage I had dealt, I could feel my inner power rising slightly with each critical hit.

[So, was this the way you mentioned?]

I was holding a Skeleton's femur while performing the Demonic Dragon’s Eight-Blade Style.

The reason I was using this was based on my past experience; the Skeleton's bones were so hard that it was obvious my sword would be damaged if I fought them with it. Therefore, I had to use their blunt bones as a weapon to break them down.

Crack!

<Critical Hit!>

<SYSTEM: You’ve killed a Skeleton Warrior. You’ve gained 19 experience points.>

Crack!

<Critical Hit!>

<SYSTEM: You’ve killed a Skeleton Warrior. You’ve gained 19 experience points.>

Before my return, I had never been able to deal with them properly, so I had no idea what kind of rewards they gave.

That's why I was breaking them relentlessly. After some time, the thigh bone I was using as a weapon broke. However, there were bones everywhere.

At that moment, the Heavenly Demon said.

[Try that, too.]

"What? Is that possible?"

[It will be challenging, but if you focus on the steps, it'll be good training regardless.]

It was a Skeleton's head, in other words, a skull, that he told me to use.

To use Demonic Dragon’s Eight-Blade Style while holding that... I was confused, but I surmised that this was also a kind of training.

The Heavenly Demon adjusted the difficulty level as I dispatched the Skeletons in rapid succession. He instructed me to approach and attack swiftly from close range.

I complied with his instructions.

Indeed, the difficulty increased when using a skull to fight at such a close proximity, but it was only for a short while. And when I heeded his advice to pay attention to my movements, I adapted quickly.

"Take this!"

Crash!

<Critical Hit!>

<SYSTEM: You’ve killed a Skeleton Warrior. You’ve gained 19 experience points.>

After becoming accustomed to wielding the weapon, I was able to use the Demonic Dragon’s Eight-Blade Style to fight the Skeletons.

Above all, smashing the Skeleton's head with the Demonic Dragon Power move was exhilarating. As the skulls burst, a unique and thrilling sensation ran through my hand.

The sound effects were a bit peculiar, though.

I couldn't help but chuckle at the excitement that filled me in all this.

"Hehehe. This is no joke, huh?"

[Tsk, I guess I shouldn't have asked you to do it. You’re completely out of your mind.]

"No, thanks to you, my techniques have become more refined."

[There's nothing better than actual combat. Now that you've experienced that, I'll teach you the Perished Soul's Eight Fists and the Dog Beating Strike. Those are satisfying too.]

"Satisfying to hit? You must teach me."

The gratification I felt with my growth was strangely addictive. Hence, his offer was tempting.

[Now, the first thing to do is fully master the Demonic Dragon’s Eight-Blade Style.]

"Hahaha. Okay."

[You look like a madman. I wish you could see your own face.]

Soon after, the Skeletons were cleared. However, the system didn’t offer any compensation.

I was somewhat devastated.

"Damn it. They didn’t give me anything this time."

[Why are you taking that while you complain?]

"Well, it’s just in case. Let's get moving."

I put the remains of a Skeleton in my inventory and stood up.

I remembered the Tutorial Dungeon up until this point. However, unlike in the past, I didn't feel much pressure.

I had gained some confidence through the Heavenly Demon Godly Arts.

I wanted to level up quickly and find the Hidden Pieces, Skill Books, and any other useful items that might still be here.

[There's still time. What you want is important, but you'll make faster progress if you practice the Demonic Dragon’s Eight-Blade Style in different ways like this.]

"Okay."

***

The following stages of the tutorial were straightforward.

I couldn't find any other items, Skill Books, or Hidden Pieces that I was looking for, despite searching the entire Dungeon. Ultimately, I gave up on them with the Heavenly Demon's guidance.

I dedicated myself to mastering the first half of the Demonic Dragon’s Eight-Blade Style I had acquired while roaming the Dungeon.

After a month of that, I was able to use most of them with ease, and I reached level 18.

However, that was only my level, as indicated in the status window. In reality, I had the primary ability stats of someone around level 40.

<SYSTEM: The tutorial will end in 1 minute.>

"I can’t believe I’ve reached level 18!"

[Hahaha! What are you going to do?]

"You’re so loud. Be quiet, please."

[Ha! Now that we’ve gotten closer, you’re kicking me around, huh?]

We had indeed gotten closer, as the Heavenly Demon said. Over the past month, I learned much about him through his teachings and our daily interactions.

He was stricter than anyone else about martial arts, but he was more talkative than I had initially thought, and had a bit of a wry sense of humor.

However, there were times when our conversation would meander off on a tangent, and there were also times when we would bicker over differences in humor.

The result was the current dialogue: the Heavenly Demon was teasing me for standing still despite the system notification showing that the Tutorial Dungeon had ended.

"Gosh, what should I do?"

I was concerned since the place I’d be returning to wasn't home.

I didn’t know why, but the place where the awakened returned after the tutorial was random.

In the past, I had ended up around Daehak-ro in Hyehwa-dong.

"If I had gotten any armor here, I would have covered myself up."

[I think you could get some decent armor if you leave this place.]

It was true. For example, if I killed the Boss Monster at the Gate in Hyehwa-dong, I could get a rare-grade "Warrior Armor Set."

The defense equipment on the market at this point was high-grade, but obtaining this set would help me level up.

The big problem was how to get to the Gate without any armor.

 "How nice would it be to return to where I was summoned?"

[I'm looking forward to it.]

The Heavenly Demon still teased me.

"I'll lend you my body, so can you at least show me your Heavenly Demon Stealth skill?"

The Heavenly Demon Stealth technique was a martial art skill specialized for concealment, but I hadn’t mastered it yet.

[I want to, but even if my grandfather came to teach you, with your current inner power, you couldn't use the Heavenly Demon Stealth technique ...]

"How could you laugh at this moment?"

[That’s why you should’ve kept doing your martial arts training, just like I said and forget about finding the Hidden Pieces...]

“…”

The system timer continued ticking down while I was thinking.

<SYSTEM: The tutorial will finish in 3 seconds.>

There was no answer.

"Whatever. I just have to run."

<SYSTEM: The tutorial has ended.>

With the system notification, a faint light began to emit from me, just like the first time I was summoned.

***

Daehak-ro, Hyehwa-dong.

Due to the influence of the Second Cataclysm, there weren’t many civilians around on the streets, but monsters and hunters from the guilds were fighting.

And I was running around in between them like a madman.

[You’re so clumsy.]

"You never stop talking."

[I don't have a body. At least let me move my mouth.]

"Hmph!"

As soon as I returned, I went all over searching for something to cover my precious body.

Several monsters rushed me during my search, but I cut them down. They were all about level 33, but my basic abilities had improved with the Heavenly Demon Godly Arts so dealing with them wasn’t a difficult task.

The monsters on the street were known as Werewolves. They were over two meters tall, and were humanoid creatures with wolf heads.

Werewolves were usually formidable adversaries for hunters who were level 10 to 15 or had just awakened.

However, there were quite a few high-level hunters belonging to the government or the guilds that moved to deal with the monsters created by the Second Cataclysm. Those guild hunters aided hunters who had just emerged from the tutorial.

I was ashamed to say that I hadn’t been helped by the guild before and instead fled as soon as I saw the Werewolves. I only returned home after the Gate disappeared.

But the past was in the past. The present was more urgent. I had to find some clothes to wear.

"It’s definitely near here.”

I remembered a clothing store nearby, so I hurried toward it.

Unfortunately, when I arrived, the store was in ruins. I couldn't even find clothes that would fit me in the debris.

I put on a shirt that was much too small for me, and I had to rip off the sleeves to increase my mobility. The pants didn't fit me at all.

"Should I wear this?"

The only thing that would fit over my legs was a giant skirt.

 "Goddamn it!"

[Kukuku. Do you have any other option? At least use that to cover yourself.]

It was tattered, but it was still enough to conceal my body, so I had no choice but to don the skirt.

"It's a bit ...”

The image of me wearing a skirt and a torn shirt reflected back at me from the mirror.

"…Should I just take it off?"

[Kukuku, I wish someone was here to see you like this.]

"Damn, I guess I'll just have to go out to the main street like this."

As I exited the store, I spotted a pack of Werewolves charging towards a group of hunters.

"Here comes another one!"

"We have to stop them somehow!"

Some hunters were engaged in a battle with a horde of Werewolves.

Their guild seemed to be composed of high-level hunters, who could take down individual monsters swiftly, but there were simply too many. As the monster numbers increased, the hunters became increasingly outnumbered and had difficulty maintaining their defense.

Just then, I noticed a woman screaming with blood dripping down her arms, and the Werewolves saw her too.

"H-Help me!"

Her shouts moved her colleagues, but the distance was too far for them to reach her in time.

[What are you going to do?]

"What do you mean? I'm not cold-hearted."

Thinking back to my mom's last moments, I never wanted to witness a monster devouring someone in front of me again.

[Looking like that?]

I ignored his comment and hurled my sword at the Werewolf.

The blade flew through the air and struck the Werewolf in the neck, sending him crashing to the ground, gurgling on his own blood.

[You have remarkable sword-throwing abilities.]

I hadn't learned anything strange, but it was possible due to my past life experience and my new martial arts training.

"Let's just say I was lucky this time."

[They're coming!]

I had to take back my weapon, but showing up in front of her looking like this made me feel uneasy.

Then, I noticed a shopping bag lying next to a telephone pole.

"At least I can use this!"

[Why are you covering your face?]

"This is better."

I didn't know her, but I thought it was better to keep my face hidden.

[That makes sense, but you look even more like a pervert. Kukuku.]

No matter what the Heavenly Demon said, I quickly tore two holes in the shopping bag to get a better view and approached her.

"Oh, thank y-…!"

After escaping from danger, she tried to express her gratitude, but when she saw what I was wearing, she quickly clammed up.

[Do you know what?]

"What?"

[Whenever you move, your skirt flaps really hard.]

"…Oh… damn it!”

[Up! And down! You have a good rhythm.]

"Stop!"

"What? M-Me?"

The woman asked in surprise. I felt my face burning underneath the bag.

"No, not you!"

Werewolves were flocking to us, so we had to move quickly.

As soon as I took back the sword, I took a Skeleton’s bone from the inventory.

[Why did you take that out when you have a sword?]

"A stick is like medicine for a mad dog."

[Ha! You thought I wouldn't get what you're thinking?]

He was referring to the pleasure I felt when I fought with the bone while hunting monsters in the Tutorial Dungeon.

Ignoring him, I spun around and began to swing my bone club at the oncoming werewolves.

Whoosh!

Pop! Pop!

"Bang!"

"Smash!"

<SYSTEM: You’ve killed a Werewolf. You’ve gained 45 experience points.>

<SYSTEM: You’ve killed a Werewolf. You’ve gained 45 experience points.>

<SYSTEM: You’ve killed a Werewolf. You’ve gained 45 experience points.>

I took them out with the Skeleton's bones.

With each swing, they exploded to such an extent that it was hard to recognize what they once were.

[Hey, you madman! Use a sword!]

***

Woo Seol-ah was befuddled.

She was an awakened who returned from the Tutorial Dungeon today, confident in the solid offensive skills she had obtained while there.

But that confidence was an illusion that was quickly shattered. These wolf-headed creatures’ hides were so tough and thick that her attack skills couldn't cut through.

She had formed a party with nearby hunters and fought while receiving buffs, but there were too many.

"Shadow Dance!"

She used her ultimate attack skill.

"Kwoooh!"

A rushing werewolf let out a cry and paused for a moment, but that was all. In the next second, it brought down its sharp paw.

Whoosh!

Blood arced through the air.

"Aaah!"

She belatedly raised her sword and attempted to parry the creature's claws with all her might, but it was not enough.

"H-Help me!"

At Woo Seol-ah's cry, her party members ran to her help with their long-range attack skills, but they were too far away. Her eyes were colored with despair.

"I-Is this the end?"

Seol-ah closed her eyes, imagining the terrible pain as the Werewolf jumped at her with its hideous mouth wide open.

Shhhhhhh-

Pop-

"Kwoooh!"

The Werewolf screamed as something whizzed through the air, and hot, viscous liquid cascaded down Seol-ah's face.

When Woo Seol-ah wiped the blood from her face and opened her eyes, she saw a dark object dangling beneath a fluttering skirt.

"Oh, thank yo-"

Her mouth shut as she tried to thank the person who saved her.

What looked like a pervert was standing in front of her in a strange outfit and a paper shopping bag over his head. Moreover, the weapon he was carrying was a strange looking bone she had never seen before.

"Stop!"

"What? M-Me?"

Still, she was about to say something because she owed him her life, but he shouted out of nowhere.

"No, not you!"

The pervert murmured to himself and began to swing the bone like a madman at the crowd of Werewolves.

Woo Seol-ah's concern gradually turned into astonishment while she watched him.

The Werewolves, whom she couldn't cut down with several sword strokes, were bursting like balloons when struck with the strange-looking bone.

Her allies arrived just as the pervert began to draw the Werewolves' attention away.

"Are you okay?"

It was Choi Yoo-hwan who arrived first. He was a member of her guild and the only hunter here with buffing and healing skills.

"Yes, I'm fine.”

Choi Yoo-hwan treated Seol-ah's wounds. Even at that moment, the number of Werewolves rapidly decreased due to the pervert’s massacre.

"I'll chop you all up!"

He was slaughtering and smashing them while shouting at the top of his lungs. Blood dripped down his peculiar outfit.

"What an impressive fighter. What skills does he have?"

"I know... but he doesn't seem to be sane."

The pervert began laughing. He really looked like a madman.

"Hahahaha! It's the best feeling ever!"

"...Well, there's no rule that says that madmen can’t awaken."

The ludicrous appearance and deranged attitude aside, his beheading of all the Werewolves was over in a very brief time.

Then he sliced through their bodies and extracted a bone from one of them.

"This one is too weak….”

He threw the bone to the ground. Then, he began collecting mana stones by cutting up the corpses.

"He’s a real madman.”

"Ugh, that's disgusting."

"Let's take some Mana Stones as well."

Ownership of the Mana Stone went to the Hunter who killed the Monster. Still, it was only a rule between Guilds and not a compulsory one at that, so they hastily began collecting Mana Stones from the dead Monsters before he noticed.