Chapter 33

The white light of a level up enveloped him, instantly washing away the fatigue from his stiff body due to the uncomfortable sleep. Jun-sang savored the exhilarating sensation for a moment, then moved towards the other skeleton soldiers.

The skeleton soldiers, who had intended to sneak-attack the village, were caught between the blazing Wall of Fire and the unexpected obstacle of Jun-sang. They milled about in confusion before forming a line and turning to face Jun-sang. This action was taken with the judgment that facing a human was better than the fiercely burning Wall of Fire, but unfortunately, this choice by the skeleton soldiers was a grave mistake.

The villagers, now awakened and beginning to cast their gaze upon the battle outside the village, felt an unknown energy emanating from Jun-sang as he approached the skeleton soldiers. It was a pressure. No, rather than pressure, it was a presence.

Suddenly, one skeleton soldier, as if in desperation, lunged forward and swung its sword at Jun-sang. But Jun-sang parried the incoming sword as if swatting away an annoying fly. And as the skeleton staggered, losing its balance from the shock of the deflected sword, Jun-sang swung his fist towards its temple. The skeleton soldier’s head shattered instantly, and it tumbled to the ground.

Then, the remaining two skeleton soldiers advanced simultaneously. One charged forward like a tackle, shield first, while the other leaped onto the first skeleton soldier’s back, aiming for Jun-sang’s head. But Jun-sang simply raised his foot, kicked the shield-bearing skeleton soldier—shield and all—pushing it back, then swung his fist at the skeleton soldier wielding a sword above his head.

Thwack!

His fist accurately crushed the skeleton soldier’s sword-wielding hand, and the subsequent punch severed its spine. Jun-sang crushed the head of the skeleton soldier, whose upper and lower body were separated and rolling on the ground, with his military boot. Then he approached the other skeleton soldier that was staggering and trying to get up, and delivered a soccer kick. The skeleton soldier tried to block with its shield, but the wooden shield, reinforced with an iron rim, couldn’t withstand Jun-sang’s kick and shattered. Unable to endure the impact, the skeleton soldier tumbled down again. Jun-sang approached the shield-less skeleton soldier lying on the ground and finished the battle by stomping on it until it turned to dust.

“Phew…” Confirming that no more skeleton soldiers were moving, Jun-sang rummaged through the remains of the skeleton soldiers. Usually, the seeds were buried in the brain, but this time, the skeleton soldiers had empty heads, making the search a little easier.

“…” Finally finding another seed, Jun-sang checked it first, but this time it was a Life Seed, which increased vitality. Jun-sang equipped the Life Seed to the copper ring he had obtained from the tutorial reward box before opening the random card, his level-up reward.

Card Information

• Name: Dire Wolf
• Level: 1Lv
• Experience: 0
• Grade: Uncommon
• Category: Summon
• Growth: Early Bloomer (Large)
• Attribute: None
• Effect: Summons 1 Dire Wolf.
• Cost: 20
• Seed: 2 slots

Another wolf, huh? Increasing summoned creatures was a good thing, but seeing Seo Yoo-mi still chasing the Crimson Wolf to bandage it made his head subtly ache. Moreover, the Dire Wolf he just acquired had a hefty cost of 20. With his current total cost at 110, Jun-sang would still be short 10 cost to summon this Dire Wolf as well. Should he just leave it for now and use it after it levels up? Or would it be better to just unequip the Timber Wolf and use this one instead?

As he pondered for a moment, a new message suddenly appeared.

Congratulations!

• Combo Card combinations are now possible.
• The currently combinable Combo Cards are as follows:

1. Wolf Pack Rush [View Details]

• If you wish to combine a Combo Card, press the corresponding number. If not, press ‘n’ (1/n) _

“Oh!” Jun-sang involuntarily let out a sound at the unexpected discovery of a Combo Card. Jun-sang first checked the details.

Wolf Pack Rush

• Unlike other beasts, wolves have a habit of forming packs. These packs of wolves can sometimes exert much greater power than even other powerful beasts.
• [Combination Details]
• 3 or more Wolf-type Summon cards.
• Effect:
  1. Wolf-type Summon Card equip cost reduced by 50%.
  2. Equipped Wolf-type Summon attack power increased.
  3. Special buff ‘Spirit of the Wolf’ activated for the user.

Cost reduction! Jun-sang forcibly suppressed another gasp that was about to escape him. Thinking that this effect was probably to reduce the burden of equipping high-cost cards all at once, Jun-sang first unequipped the Spirit of the Mighty Bear card and equipped the Dire Wolf card in its place. Then, another message arrived on his phone.

Congratulations!

• You have successfully combined ‘Wolf Pack Rush’ for the first time!
• In praise of your feat, you are granted the title ‘First Wolfmaster’.
• [Click here to view detailed title information.]

“Oh!” Jun-sang immediately checked the details.

First Wolfmaster

• A title granted to the first person to successfully combine ‘Wolf Pack Rush’.
• Effect: Critical hit chance increases by 2% for each Wolf-type Summon summoned.
• The effect of a title is applied automatically upon acquisition.

“Haha…” Jun-sang first re-equipped the ‘Spirit of the Mighty Bear’ card into the empty slot. This increased the number of cards, but due to the Combo Card’s effect, the total cost actually decreased to 105. He then deleted the previously created ‘Wolf Fire’ and ‘Twin Wolves’ commands and made it possible to toggle between Healing Potion and Will-o’-the-Wisp as needed.

After organizing his cards, Jun-sang checked the details of the special buff effect, ‘Spirit of the Wolf’.

Spirit of the Wolf

• The spirits of ancestral wolves grant the user wolf-like power.
• Attack power increases by 3% for each Wolf-type Summon summoned.
• Movement speed increases by 2% for each Wolf-type Summon summoned.

“Impressive.” Once he had finished checking all the messages, Jun-sang finally put away his phone and returned inside the palisade. And he immediately dispelled the Crimson Wolf, which had returned to him.

“Ah! J-Jong-i…” Seo Yoo-mi, who had been desperately trying to bandage the Crimson Wolf, screamed as the red-furred wolf vanished before her eyes, then collapsed onto the ground, expressing her utter frustration. And she looked at Jun-sang with a sorrowful expression. Unable to bear the subtle pressure she was exuding, Jun-sang had no choice but to say, “I only dispelled it briefly to heal its injuries.”

But that statement brought Seo Yoo-mi another wave of despair. “Ah… I wanted to heal him myself…”

“…” Jun-sang finally sighed and summoned the newly acquired Dire Wolf.

“Open Dire Wolf.” As his summoning command left his lips, a beautiful, silver-furred wolf, similar in size to the Crimson Wolf, appeared.

“Ohhh…” Its appearance was so magnificent that not only Jin Sea-ah and Lim Seo-yoon, who had been idly watching Jun-sang and Seo Yoo-mi, but even the villagers glancing from afar were filled with admiration. But Seo Yoo-mi herself, despite the Dire Wolf’s beauty, remained slumped on the ground, continuously calling out only for Jong-i. With her long, flowing hair falling forward and dressed in a white dress reminiscent of mourning attire, sobbing, she truly looked like something out of a ghost story.

“Sob… Jong-i…”

“…” Jun-sang let out a deep sigh and simply pretended not to notice, climbing back onto the roof. Seo Yoo-mi’s wailing continued until the Crimson Wolf had finished recovering and was re-summoned.

“Grrr… Jong-jong!”

“…” Jin Sea-ah, Lim Seo-yoon, and even Jun-sang himself couldn’t help but shake their heads at Seo Yoo-mi, who was clinging to the Crimson Wolf and brushing its fur as if nothing had happened.

A little later, the villagers brought them breakfast. Like the previous evening, it was merely freshly baked bread and bland soup, but for those who had slept outdoors, it was a feast for their stiff bodies.

“I think the good thing about this quest is at least being able to eat warm food.” “Now that you mention it, this might be the first time I’ve had warm food during a quest.” Jin Sea-ah and Lim Seo-yoon, as if their mouths had started working again, began chatting intimately once more.

“I asked the villagers… it seems these zombies and skeletons are coming from a place called the Valley of Death.” Lim Seo-yoon’s words made Jin Sea-ah let out a small laugh and reply, “That’s quite a classic name.”

“Right. Anyway, even if such a place existed until now, undead haven’t usually poured out of it, so the villagers also find it strange.” “Well, that’s why there’s a village here, I guess.” “You’re right.”

Lim Seo-yoon agreed with Jin Sea-ah, then spoke to Jun-sang, who was dipping his bread in soup. “You leveled up earlier, didn’t you? Belated congratulations.”

Then, as if on cue, Jin Sea-ah also offered her congratulations to Jun-sang. “Congratulations.”

Jun-sang nodded lightly in response. “Thank you.”

Unlike before, Jun-sang answered readily, and Lim Seo-yoon, sensing an opportunity, tried to speak to him again. “By any chance, what’s your current level…”

But before he could finish his sentence, the wolves sitting below the roof suddenly stood up, and Jun-sang immediately charged out, leaving his bread and soup behind on the roof.

“Oh, for goodness sake.” Lim Seo-yoon clicked his tongue and picked up his crossbow, while Jin Sea-ah chuckled and said, “It’s easier if you just give up.” “Haha…”

The enemies that appeared this time were a combination of zombies and skeleton soldiers. Jin Sea-ah, as before, tried to block the enemy’s advance by creating a Wall of Fire in front of the palisade. But at that very moment, a streak of black light pierced her shoulder.

“Aaah!” She screamed and tumbled down, a decayed arrow lodged in her shoulder.

“This is…” Lim Seo-yoon quickly pulled out a cabinet from his inventory and shielded her, then asked Jin Sea-ah, who was biting her lip, “Are you okay?”

“Ugh… not at all.” Jun-sang, realizing that some of the newly appearing skeleton soldiers were armed with bows, left the zombies rushing towards the village to the wolves and Seo Yoo-mi, then moved swiftly. The skeleton soldiers, seeing Jun-sang charging towards the archers, raised their shields to block his assault.

“Open Shoulder Charge.” Instantly, with the sensation of the air splitting before him, Jun-sang’s body accelerated like a flash of light, hurtling towards the skeleton soldiers’ shield formation.

CRASH! With a powerful explosion, one skeleton soldier shattered into pieces, and the four surrounding it collapsed like dominoes. But the very moment he broke through the shield formation, arrows fired by the archers flew towards Jun-sang. As the black arrows flew towards him, Jun-sang quickly lowered his body and rolled on the ground. The arrows narrowly grazed his head and embedded themselves in the earth. Despite the arrows looking incredibly flimsy, their speed and power were anything but, forcing Jun-sang to remain on edge.