Village of Korokoro Tribe (5)

Korokoro Village was initially a dungeon that Earth's players didn't really need to tackle seriously.

Due to the nature of hidden dungeons, once you cleared them, it was impossible to clear them again, and this one was specifically designed for lower-level characters.

Players merely shared efficient routes to get through it since it was just a normal dungeon.

However, no matter how you looked at it, what Haewonryang did was quite astounding. He managed to surpass the accumulated knowledge and strategy of players over several years in a single go.

Come to think of it, Haewonryang seemed to possess the qualities of a born strategist.

And with his monstrous stats, Mayuseong excelled in going on a rampage alone, but Haewonryang specialized in outsmarting opponents with clever strategies.

"Most enemies primarily use spears as their ranged weapons. If we camp on the steeply carved western gorge, we can render their weapons completely useless. Even if they attempt an attack, they'll likely self-destruct. Even if that won't happen, at least we won't be surrounded?"

"Oh, I'm all for it. It sounds fun, doesn't it?"

'These guys are insane…'

To be honest, Baek Yu-Seol thought they were out of their minds. Even players who enjoyed hunting recklessly without valuing their lives didn't usually employ such drastic methods.

However, Haewonryang's strategy was bold, accurate, and error-free. Just as he said, the enemies ended up choosing self-destruction.

The Korokoro Tribe, which possessed both the strength of orcs and the finesse of goblins, excelled in long-range spear attacks.

Rather than fleeing beyond their range, Haewonryang cornered them, rendering their weapons useless.

With their javelins sealed, Korokoro Tribe was essentially just a group of beasts who knew how to use their strength mindlessly, and in the midst of this, Mayuseong displayed a truly awe-inspiring presence, akin to a locomotive.

It was frustrating for them to be cornered by Haewonryang's tactics, and in addition to that, they lost their strength to resist as their comrades were swept away every time Mayuseong dropped a boulder.

The Korokoro Tribe had lost even the will to resist, which was understandable.

"Haha, isn't this fun? Right, Yu-Seol?"

"Oh, yes..."

The two of them seemed to be thoroughly enjoying themselves, releasing the stress they had accumulated so far in the dungeon.

Considering that the appropriate requirements for clearing the dungeon was four to five people at Class 3 or higher strength, watching the two of them clearing it with such ease made them appear as monsters in Baek Yu-Seol's eyes.

In his opinion, both of them seemed to have already reached Class 4.

They were geniuses who were expected to become the strongest in the world in their 20s, so it wasn't strange that they reached Class 4 just before the summer vacation of their first year.

Well, in any case, it benefited Baek Yu-Seol.

Bringing them along was a wise choice.

Frankly, it was a bit regrettable after all the hard training he had done so far to prepare for this dungeon, but still, it was nice to have an easier time and enjoy some freebies.

[The rewards for clearing the Dungeon Korokoro Village have been granted.]

[Mana +06%]

[Sensory +03%]

[Health +05%]

[Considering your attributes, we will convert the reward for 'Mana' to 'Strength.]

[Back to Yu-Seol's Status]

[Attributes]

[Strength: 3 Stars (05%)]

[Sense: 3 Stars (04%)]

[Agility: 2 Stars (79%)]

[Stamina: 2 Stars (38%)]

[Endurance: 0 Stars (99%)]

[Mental Strength: 3 Stars (17%)]

[Mana: ~]

[Skills]

[Flash Lv.2]

[Tae-Ryung Breathing Technique Lv.1]

[Characteristics]

[Mana Accumulation Retardation Lv.3]

[Blessings of the Yeonhong Chunsamweol Lv.1]

After refining Tae-Ryung Breathing Technique, his overall attributes had been rising steeply.

This was despite only doing an hour or two of weight training each day.

Additionally, thanks to recent rewards, his Strength and Sense had reached 3 Stars.

To put it into perspective, he could easily shatter rocks with a punch.

It might seem like he had become a lone martial artist in the world of mages, but well, so what?

In the first place, the existence of 'Character Baek Yu-Seol' was quite irregular even in the Aether World.

It was as if his existence was alien to Stella.

'Now, it's about time to raise the level of Mana Accumulation Retardation and Flash.'

The EXP and proficiency in those skills must have accumulated significantly.

Baek Yu-Seol thought he could raise one of them after clearing the next episode.

"Baek Yu-Seol."

"Hmm?"

While he was quite satisfied with the transformed stats, Haewonryang called him with a troubled expression.

"We need to distribute the rewards."

"Oh, right."

He collected the loot on a suitable-sized rock and continued, "But..."

"Only two artifacts dropped."

"Oh, really? Lucky us."

"But there are three of us."

'Ah, I think I understand what he means.'

Artifacts were relics from ancient times, rare items that exhibited similar attributes to modern items.

Of course, while they were rare, they were often found when exploring dungeons or ruins.

However, artifacts with superior attributes commanded astronomical prices.

The artifacts dropped in this dungeon weren't extremely expensive, but they were still valuable.

'It's a ring and a bracelet…'

Baek Yu-Seol quickly checked his attributes. The ring increased the maximum capacity of mana, which suited Haewonryang, and the bracelet, which accelerated spell casting, was perfect for Mayuseong.

"You guys take them."

"... What?"

"Is it okay? Yu-Seol?"

"I don't need one."

While the technological capabilities of those items still didn't surpass those of ancient artifacts, they could be recreated with some effort.

Besides, the reason he went there wasn't for artifacts.

"This is enough for me."

As they looked at the items he pointed out, Haewonryang and Mayuseong's expressions took an odd turn.

"That's..."

"It's just souvenir, right...?"

"Exactly."

What Baek Yu-Seol wanted wasn't anything other than the ordinary stone pillar that had been embedded in the ground.

It was a piece of that stone pillar that was now carefully selected from the shattered remains.

This was one of the key items leading to the ancient Carmen Set's archaeological ruins.

When one gathered the pieces, he could open the site's entrance.

So far, Haewonryang and Mayuseong didn't have the ability to detect or identify ancient items, so it probably just looked like a piece of rock to them.

But he had confirmed it through his specs, so there was no doubt.

"Geez, you guys are clueless. This is more valuable than that."

"... May I take a look?"

"Feel free."

Haewonryang inspected the stone pillar meticulously, wearing an expression of disbelief.

Perhaps driven by curiosity, Mayuseong even took out some special equipment, but it still seemed difficult to identify its true nature.

"Hmm, I'm not sure. What about you?"

Mayuseong looked puzzled, and Haewonryang was apparently frustrated by not being able to identify the stone pillar, and bit his lip.

Anyway, it seemed like the distribution of the rewards was done.

It was time to head back.

The exit was in the same location as when they entered. In other words, if they went out the wrong way, they could get hit by a train.

However, they had already researched when the trains were running and it was safe right now.

The only concern was whether the Dark Mages were still waiting.

"That shouldn't be a problem. They scattered enough dark mana for magic warriors to show up."

"Yeah."