Chapter 3 - Unlocking Rare Class (1)
Translator: Rockgollem
Editor: Perditor, Deus-ex Machina
Boom! Blam! Bang!
Fire spurted everywhere when it met with the reagents. The witches jumped away in surprise. In the meantime, I began to hop around like a frog due to fiery sparks prickling away at me.
“How dare a mere human!”
One of the witches growled at me as she grasped the situation. I looked around and found a way leading up. A rather sturdy looking ladder. Naturally, I ran towards it.
“Where do you think you’re going?!”
One of the witches casted a spell. In a split second I made a decision and grabbed one of the witches whose hair was on fire and pushed her in front of me like a shield.
Blam!
Smoke erupted and the witch turned into a skunk, which I threw towards the witch who casted the spell. The skunk became surprised and gassed the other witch.
“Arrrgh!”
The witch who took the spray head on collapsed backward while screaming. There was nothing to hesitate about now. I ran forward with all my might.
“Where do you think you’re going? I’ll rip your limbs apart!”
The witch who measured roughly 2.5 m in height stood in front of me with her two arms extended out. It was Pugul, who had inherited ogre’s blood. She was quite strong, so she preferred to beat her opponents to death with her two arms rather than by using magic.
I couldn’t stop now. When Pugul tried to grab me while I was sprinting, I slid down and dived through right between her legs.
“You slippery rat!”
Enraged, Pugul tried to turn around but I found something resembling a stick and stuck it up her behind.
“Kuuaaaaahhh!”
The gigantic ogre sized witch jumped up. Thanks to that something fell off of Pugul. It was a hefty leather bag, and even at a glance, it looked important. So, despite the situation I grabbed it and climbed up the ladder.
“Pant! Pant!”
While I was frantically climbing up the ladder to save my life, one of the witches grabbed my ankle.
“I’ll roast you alive!”
Ah damn it! I was almost there.
I struggled with all my might and desperately groped around with my hand. The moment I felt something sturdy in my hand, I swung at the witch’s forehead.
“Aaaaaagh!”
The witch, who had almost finished chanting her spell fell off the ladder with a scream. I climbed to the upper level and hysterically looked around.
Even if I kept running away at this pace, I would get caught soon.
While I was looking around, a large cauldron caught my eyes.
Right, she said it was an acid bomb!
I started moving the cauldron without any hesitation.
Pssssshhhhh
A bit of acid splashed onto my skin but now was not the time to be concerned with something like pain.
“Uwwwwwaaaah!”
I poured the content of the cauldron down the hole with a mighty shout. Then I ran out the door with all my strength. If Hejuju was right, that was a bomb.
Since the lower level was filled with fire, it was obvious what would happen.
“Uwaaaaaahhhh!”
For barely a moment, I sped through the swamp trail like a famous athlete who broke the world record on the 100m sprint. Then a dull explosion erupted.
Kuuuuuwwwaaammm!
It was a storm of fire that shook the entire swamp. Immense heat which felt like it was cooking my flesh blew from behind me but I didn’t stop running.
Whether I was lucky or not, the explosion had scared the swamp monsters and they had scattered.
I kept sprinting down the swamp trail like a madman while completely naked. However, an unbelievable system message popped out in front of me.
<You have defeated Witch Hejuju of Gungel Swamp!>
<You have defeated Witch Kaldura of Pua Swamp!>
<You have defeated Witch Pugul of Gungun Swamp!>
<You have defeated Witch Gunda of Jua Swamp!>
<You have defeated Witch Olda of Bogung Swamp!>
It was a rather distracting message. I carefully looked over while still running.
<You gained + 323,760 exp in total!>
What? Over three hundred thousand exp?
I was surprised. That amount of exp was enough to hit level 30 with a regular character and that wasn’t all.
<You have defeated the demonic rulers of the swamps, Havel’s Five Witch Sisters! You gain + 5,000 achievement points!>
5,000 achievement points in one go?
It was unbelievable. It appeared I received a shocking amount of achievment points for doing something so outrageous with a regular character.
With this single victory, I was on the verge of beating out the top score of this regular character tournament which has been going on for about half a year. As expected! It was all me. Things were different when I played.
Leaving the excitement behind, my body grew heavier and my sight grew more dim. After finally escaping the swamp, I collapsed.
Seems I was hurt all over while escaping. I had not noticed due to the excitement…
Ah… I was on a roll, but it’s over already?
It was a shame, but my eyes grew heavier and soon, my sight became dark.
***
While Han Jaewoo was in the game, there was an uproar outside. Due to the difference in the passage of time while ingame, the people outside felt as if he simply waltzed over and picked up those points immediately.
- Oi, it really is Han Jaewoo. He’s completely nuts. Totally nuts! How did he breakthrough five thousands points as a regular character?
- I am shocked. I guess there really are people who are just born with talent.
- I thought Han Jaewoo would not be any different, but I guess he is the top world-ranker for a reason.
The real commotion broke out when an article claiming Han Jaewoo beat Havel’s Five Sisters as a regular character at Lv.0. Gameplay footages were not revealed during the competition. However, it was information that Aquila Software Inc. had intentionally leaked. Reporters were clamouring over each other all day and night to have the gameplay footage released.
“Mr. Aquila! Please comment on how Han Jaewoo killed all the witches as a Lv.0 regular character!”
“Mr. Aquila! An interview, please!”
The artificial intelligence, Aquila, replied calmly and leisurely amidst the cacophony of reporters.
“Per the tournament rules, I cannot reveal any information. But… I have felt a revelation from watching him play. He may be able to clear the game as a regular character. This is something previously agreed upon, but Mr. Han Jaewoo has announced he will continue to play until game over, regardless of achievement points.”
“Is he really thinking about finishing the game with a regular character?”
“I cannot be certain of what he is thinking. But if it is Mr. Han Jaewoo, I believe that is possible.”
Aquila’s words made the front page of various websites around the world. In 2045, thanks to artificial intelligence, a universal basic income had been implemented. Due to this, people were freed from work and their interest towards virtual reality games became truly enormous.
Virtual reality gamers across the world cheered on Han Jaewoo after reading the articles. However, whether the world was cheering him on or not, Han Jaewoo was now lying down half dead in a shabby hut.
***
“Urrrrgghh…”
I felt like dying.
Why did I play a regular character and bring this on myself. Ah, am I still alive?
“Kuuuhh…”
Everything ached, but when I opened my eyes, a bonfire was burning in front of me.
“Oh, you’re awake.”
A man with a sharp appearance approached.
“This is..?
“My hut. I found you collapsed by the swamp and brought you here.”
“Ah… thank you.”
However, this man was familiar.
Where have I seen him before?
“Ah! You’re that monster hunter.”
It was the monster hunter I met before going to meet Hejuju. I never imagined he would be the one to save me.
“Yes, but more importantly, what happened? You’re covered in burns and cuts. Not to mention that explosion in the swamp, what in the world was that?
“Ah, it’s, ugggh…”
My whole body felt like it was on fire. I only realized I was burnt this seriously after the fact. Then the monster hunter handed something towards me. It was a large red fruit.
“This is?”
“It is the legendary medicine called “Red Dragon’s Fruit”. If you eat this, you will gain a strong constitution called “dragon bone”. You will gain resistance to fire as well and this kind of burn will be healed instantaneously.”
“... Why are you giving something so precious to me?”
“It’s yours. Didn’t you know? It fell out from the pouch hanging around your neck. I was surprised too.”
What? What did he say? Red Dragon’s Fruit?
I only realized after looking at the pouch the hunter showed me. I grabbed that pouch amidst the chaos because it instinctively felt important.
The Red Dragon’s Fruit was what was probably in there. It was an unexpected bonus. I originally planned on getting a Dragon’s Fruit from Hejuju, but I got the Red Dragon’s Fruit, which was levels above Dragon’s Fruit.
Red Dragon’s Fruit was a legendary medicine that grew from the Dragon Tree in the swamp which only bears fruit once every 500 years. The witches of the swamp had a monopoly on the Dragon Fruits. Each of the five swamps grew a different type of Dragon’s Fruit.
I had heard they were sent over to demon lords as tributes. It appears she had one hidden away. I was unbelievably lucky. However, the monster hunter’s reaction with something so precious in front of him was even more unbelievable.
“You’re giving it back to me? You could have taken it at any time.”
“Well, it’s not that I’m not greedy. I’ve hunted in this here swamp for a long time now. Thanks to that, I ate Black Dragon’s Fruit a long time ago. I don’t know if you are aware of this, but even if you eat a different Dragon’s Fruit, you will not gain anything after the first one you consumed. It’s useless to me.”
“If you sell it, you’d be a rich man.”
“Hahaha. If I cared about something like money, I wouldn’t be hunting monsters in a place like this.”
He was truly a peculiar person.
I felt the goodwill of the person in front of me.
“May I ask your name?”
“Lud. And yours?”
“It’s Valler.”
“Very well, Valler. Eat that fruit first. You’re in a pretty bad shape.”
I nodded and bit down on the Red Dragon’s Fruit. I could feel something in my stomach boiling and strength exploded through my body.
<You have consumed Red Dragon’s Fruit! You gain a strong constitution called “Dragon Bone”!>
<Your status increases by HP +200, Strength +100, Dexterity +120, Constitution +150!>
Goodness! It was a massive boost.
Strength 18 -> 118
Dexterity 22 ->142
Constitution 20 ->170
My mouth opened wide at the extreme change. 118 strength was monstrous. The average strength stat of those infamous ogres was only 100. I had somehow managed to gain strength similar to that of an ogre from the start.
It was indeed a legendary medicine. I didn’t feel like there was much of a future for a regular character, but now there was a basis for rapid growth.
“Congratulations.”
The monster hunter Lud congratulated me with a kind smile. Despite his sharp appearance, he was a kind and amicable man.
“Thank you.”
“Besides that, just what happened in that swamp?”
I was all healed up, so I might as well. I explained the situation while eating the food he had given me.
“Goodness!”
Lud was absorbed in the story and exclaimed at every turn.
“Unbelievable! Simply amazing! I couldn’t manage to take down a single witch all my life, but you’ve managed to kill them all!”
“I was lucky.”
“It’s not just luck! The Ability to make snap decisions in extreme situations like that is truly amazing.”
Lud seemed to be deep in thought after listening to the story. He talked to me in a serious voice a little while after.
“Say, have you ever wanted to try learning the skills of a monster hunter? I’ve been looking for someone to inherit my skills, after all I’m not getting any younger. Looking at your bravery, I like what you’re made of.”
He continued on.
“But this isn’t something like giving you a duty to fulfil. You don’t need to remain in this swamp to hunt demons either. You have something you need to do after all, right? I can see it in that determined look in your eyes. People like you have some unbreakable principle or goal.”
“I have something I must do.”
Lud nodded as if he had expected it.
“The only thing I want is while you travel the empire, help the people in need with your skills. If you can save even just one person, then it would have been worth passing down these skills to you.”
It was a destined meeting.
Despite raking in massive amount of exp, I was still Lv. 0 because I didn’t have a class. If I could gain a rare class like Monster Hunter, I could invest my exp points into it. But beyond everything, I felt that Lud was a good person.
“I wish to call you teacher from now on.”
“Very well. Hahaha!”
He laughed happily.
After coming into this world, my first class became Monster Hunter. Naturally, the basics of the game was being able to have multiple classes.
You could always gain more classes as long as you were capable. For now, I aimed to get stronger while progressing along as a Monster Hunter.
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