The Hunter Returns Chapter 11

011 – 4th floor

It was an area with a creepy smell rising from it.

The land was dyed black. In the dust that rose slightly, the dead who could not find peace were wandering around. Zombies and skeletons. The dead who were most commonly seen among the undead. 

This is enough to determine the location.

Kim Yun-do, who was looking down at the ruins from the hill, took a step forward.

The fourth floor of the Tower of Heaven was an ancient ruin where no living beings could be found.

The condition for advancing to the next level was simple: defeat the Necromancer who was summoning the undead somewhere in this ruins.

The challenger that can be obtained by achieving certain conditions is to wipe out the undead that have taken over the ruins on the first floor. This was not something that was necessary to achieve because the reward was not that great compared to the effort put into it.

This is because the rarity of the bundles you get by clearing the field is slightly higher.

The only fun thing to do here is hunting.

Collect essence to raise your missing level and achieve growth.

It was better to prepare as much as possible for the next floor.

The 5th floor is the area where the first war quest that the successor who enters the tower encounters is located.

Jeong Eun-ji was nowhere to be seen beside Kim Yun-do.

As the forest festival was almost over, Kim Yun-do came up to the fourth floor, leaving behind a drunken Jeong Eun-ji. Not only did it not suit the hunter’s personality to be with someone who wasn’t even a colleague, but there was no reason to take her around when she didn’t even have the skills of a single person.

“Women are women in their own way.”

Truly attractive women are hard to find.

If we are destined to meet again, we may meet again somewhere.

As long as she doesn’t give up on climbing the tower.

“You damn guys! Where the hell do you think you are!”

A human voice was heard from beyond the fog.

The zombies’ characteristic groans and the sound of bones breaking, along with the sound of weapons striking them, were creating a noise. People fighting the undead seemed unaware of it.

That is to say, the sound he created was drawing out the undead that had gathered around him.

The one fighting the undead was a man carrying a large backpack.

A man swinging a large shovel at the approaching undead. The shovel he holds tightly in both hands is covered in rotting flesh. He is an archaeologist NPC who guards an ancient ruins site, commonly known as Hoya.

This NPC, who you can meet while hunting undead on the 4th floor, was known for his bad connotations.

An NPC who gives a quest to defeat the necromancer together, semi-forcibly. Within this 4th floor, you must move together with Hoya.

A non-combatant called an archaeologist.

A nuisance NPC who stands at the forefront and fights the undead despite having no abilities whatsoever. Because he is forced into a party, he shares not only experience points but also items. On top of that, his body is so weak that he can quickly die after being hit by the undead a few times.

If Hoya dies, not only will the quest automatically fail, but you will also be inflicted with a terrible debuff until you leave the 4th floor.

“Unable to obtain the successor’s essence.”

“Unable to obtain item.”

No matter how many undead you kill, you cannot achieve growth.

Because of this, in order to catch the constantly emerging undead and necromancers, you had to master each individual’s abilities, not just stats.

Perhaps because of the terrible experience they had on the 4th floor, most of the successors called Mr. Hoya on the 4th floor a damn nuisance NPC. Just because it’s a quest doesn’t mean it’s necessarily good. He’s an NPC who gives valuable experience, and there are quests that you have to filter out.

He raised his voice when he saw Kim Yun-do appearing beyond the undead.

“Ah, successor! The constellations must be watching me! Successor. This ancient site is in danger! There must be an evil necromancer doing something. It was fate that we met here. Help me defeat this necromancer… .”

Timing was everything.

Before the words forcing the quest could be finished, Kim Yun-do left the place.

“Huh, huh? Okay. Wait a minute!”

But Hoya couldn’t keep up with Kim Yun-do.

It was because of the undead surrounding him. He couldn’t guarantee his own safety if he moved around recklessly. He blocked the zombies’ teeth with a shovel and followed Kim Yun-do’s figure with his eyes. The successor who disappeared beyond the fog was nowhere to be seen.

Hoya, frowning, focused on blocking the undead’s attacks for the time being.

How many more zombies did you kill?

Kim Yun-do appeared in front of Hoya again.

“Here it is! Heir. This ancient site is in danger! There must be an evil necromancer at work. Please help me… .”

This time too, Hoya couldn’t finish his speech.

He briefly reveals his face and then disappears. How many times did that situation repeat itself? Hoya’s face turned red as he realized that the successor was teasing him.

“No. Shouldn’t you listen to what I have to say? Damn it. Fine. Do as you wish! I don’t need your help in taking down this evil necromancer!”

Tiring!

“Hoya’s reckless challenge.

 – Mr. Hoya, who explores ancient ruins, is an archaeologist with outstanding skills. He went on a journey to find the ruins and relics scattered within the tower, and today he encountered an evil necromancer. Unfortunately, the successor was unable to provide help at the right time.

 Now, Hoya-ssi will go out alone to find the necromancer to protect this ancient ruin. However, Hoya-ssi is only an archaeologist. He is not an adventurer with strong powers. The possibility of him defeating the necromancer is slim. Still, it is entirely up to the successor to decide whether to help Hoya-ssi in his reckless challenge or to go his own way.

Hoya, who had defeated all the undead surrounding him, was catching his breath.

He looked at Kim Yun-do who was looking at him and spat. I don’t need any help. He leaned the large shovel on his shoulder. The angry Hoya disappeared into the ruins.

The first button is buttoned up well.

Kim Yun-do, who pushed the message window to one side, headed towards the place where Hoya was fighting.

He took out the oil the turtle tribe had provided and began to sharpen the Sword of the Labyrinth.

Now, the annoying NPCs won’t be following you around. Hoya-san was going through the ruins as he pleased, and on top of that, he ended up in front of the necromancer. When he moves with the successor, he’s as good as water, but when he acts alone, he’s a stronger NPC than the successor who just reached the 4th floor.

That sturdiness is a kind of setting.

It would be a problem if Hoya died before the successor received the quest.

It takes quite some time for Hoya to reach the necromancer.

If you are too late, Hoya will be killed by the necromancer, and if you go too fast, the forced quest will be triggered again. 

It will take about 3 hours for Hoya to meet the necromancer. Based on what Dantalian has investigated, there should be little room for error in that time. At that rate, it won’t be too late to go after clearing out this place.

The zombies and undead that Hoya had defeated rose from their seats.

Rather than saying that he didn’t die, it’s more accurate to say that the necromancer summoned him again.

Because this ruins is a field controlled by necromancers.

Kim Yun-do, who had packed oil in his bosom, held the Sword of the Labyrinth.

“Okay, then.”

Let’s get started slowly.

Unfortunately, there is no equipment suitable for dealing with the undead.

It is impossible to obtain holy water that is highly effective against the undead or weapons with specific properties at this point. This means that the areas that can be attacked are limited.

Zombies and skeletons.

In order to kill the two dead with a normal weapon, you have no choice but to aim for the head. Even if you assume that skeletons are nothing but bones, the tough flesh of zombies is a problem.

What can be done with one cut may have to be repeated twice, or even three times.

Is it inevitable that efficiency will decrease?

Kim Yun-do cut off the head of the zombie that was rising up.

A single blow. The zombie’s head, cleanly severed, rolled across the ground. It felt less tangible than I expected.

Kim Yun-do, feeling uneasy, looked at the sword in the labyrinth.

There was nothing unusual about the sword, which was not even stained with rotten flesh.

But there’s no way his feelings could be wrong.

Examine the corpse of a headless zombie.

A faint heat. The cleanly cut cross-section smelled like something was cooking. 

“indeed.”

Clearly, the Labyrinth Sword’s materials were made from ores with fire and ice properties.

Kim Yun-do, who killed the zombie once more and checked its cross-section, was convinced.

This black fire has this property.

When dealing with the undead, it is the attribute with the second most outstanding effect after the holy attribute. It has been said since ancient times that fire burns demons.

But then a question remains.

Why didn’t this attribute activate when fighting Elder Monkey and Imoogi?

Because it wasn’t just a beneficial attribute?

This is nonsense. There is no attribute as deadly as fire to a monster in animal form. The same goes for the snake. It is a mysterious dragon that can control water. If the fire attribute had been activated when fighting the snake, it would have been easier to deal with.

Kim Yun-do, who was lost in thought for a moment, was soon able to come up with an answer.

It seems that this labyrinth’s sword, like its successor, is an item that grows. The enormous amount of experience gained by catching and eating the Imoogi. That may be why the fire attribute was unlocked. If that’s the case, there was a high possibility that this sword had other hidden abilities that he didn’t know about.

If your weapon has the fire attribute, there is no need to aim for the zombie’s head.

No matter where you aim at the guy’s body, it’s a fatal wound. The sword, which should have been entangled in his tough muscles, went smoothly. Not only did it cut off his neck, but a faint flame rose from the wound where the sword path was inserted.

The zombies that were set on fire were momentarily slowed down. It wasn’t a fire that would burn their entire body, but it was enough. Those who were consumed by the fire lost their purpose and became confused.

Kim Yun-do’s black sword took advantage of that gap and easily knocked the guys down.

The corners of Kim Yun-do’s mouth went up as he annihilated the zombies and skeletons in an instant.

Change the policy.

Originally I was planning to proceed slowly, but it’s a different story if you have a fire-attribute weapon in your hand.

Like a wolf rushing toward a flock of sheep, Kim Yun-do leaped into the horde of undead.

Tick ​​tock. Tick tock.

The skeleton, seeing the approaching human, raises his rusty sword. But it is too late. Too slow. The wrist holding the sword is cut off. The guy, who has lost his weapon, is pushed out of the hunter’s attention.

A dense flock of sheep. Every time their teeth meet, they lose their pulse.

From the shoulder blade to the stomach. The neck and the hand holding the weapon. The joints that form the tattered legs and joints. The body with rigor mortis is turned into a piece of meat. There is no need to completely kill the body. First, take away the weapon, and take away the movement. A zombie that has been burned by the fire is as good as disarmed.

Where the hunter passed, only chaos remained.

Skeletons with their bones tangled together, zombies with one knee missing. There are those who move by scraping the ground with both hands, and those who swing their arms without hands. Not all of the undead have been subdued. However, those who are tangled and messed up individually are not in a position to continue the fight.

The hunter decapitated the zombie that was approaching him.

It’s like picking up trash. They bump into each other and get rid of those who wander the streets.

A low-level undead that moves only according to instinct.

If there’s a necromancer controlling them here, they’re left unattended.

Kim Yun-do, who was holding the sword, turned his gaze towards the inside of the ruins.

There was still plenty of time.

The hunter was determined to ravage the flock thoroughly.

*&*

Kim Yun-do, who had eliminated all the undead on the first floor, came down into the ruins.

I didn’t pack any bulky items. Anything more than necessary would only make movement difficult. For example, weapons used by skeletons. I haven’t gotten the tower bag that can be used as an inventory yet.

You can get it in the rest room that you can access after clearing the 5th floor, so just wait a little longer.

As a result, all he brought was a zombie tooth to be used as a catalyst and a few magic stones.

Tracking down Hoya wasn’t difficult.

As I walked along the corpses of the undead, I saw a backpack full of wounds. His two legs were shaking. His two arms holding the shovel were shaking as if they were nearing their limit. The one facing him was a skeleton wearing a tattered cloak.

Skeleton Mage.

The guy was a necromancer who had trespassed on this ancient site.

It is a normal monster that is not even classified as a boss monster.

The Skeleton Mage’s attention was turned to Hoya. Kim Yun-do, who had circled the room, caught up with the guy. 

Hoya’s body collapsed, exhausted from the repeated attacks of the undead.

Zombies and skeletons fell upon him. At the moment when Hoya, who had even dropped the shovel, was prepared to die, Kim Yun-do cut the defenseless skeleton mage’s back.

「-!?」

Did he lose all his stamina while fighting Hoya? He couldn’t withstand Kim Yun-do’s blows.

The skeleton mage’s body was torn apart along with his old cloak.

At the same time, the undead that had been living and breathing became limp like dolls. The skeleton that had raised its sword towards him became a tomb of bones. The fallen zombies no longer moved.

The lion that has entered eternal rest.

Hoya, who was watching the scene with a bewildered gaze, saw a man reaching out his hand toward him.

The successor I saw in front of the ruins.

He is the man who ignored his calling and went his own way.

“That was dangerous.”

“Ugh. Ugh. Are you, are you saving me now? You clearly abandoned me…”

Kim Yun-do answered Hoya, who asked blankly.

“The old sage said, “If you want to deceive your enemies, deceive your allies first.” If I had moved with you, do you think the necromancer would have let his guard down like this? Above all, I thought this was the best way to prevent the ruins from being damaged. I don’t know if it’s someone else, but you can understand. An archaeologist.”

“Wow, definitely…!”

I don’t feel the undead destroying the ruins.

This means that the successor in front of you has come down and cleaned them all up.

As an archaeologist, what could be more gratifying than this?

Hoya shivered at the thought that the ruins were safe.

“I was short-sighted. Thank you for your help, Successor. Thanks to you, I was able to protect this historic site.”

“You have cleared Hoya’s reckless challenge.

 – The evil necromancer who was destroying the ancient ruins has now fallen at this very spot. Archaeologist Hoya recklessly challenged the necromancer alone, but he is not the heir to just sit back and watch.

 The Successor cleverly first destroyed the undead that were destroying the ancient ruins, and then killed the necromancer who was controlling the dead. Hoya, impressed by this perfect elimination, prepared a small gift for the Successor.

“Hoya’s Mysterious Bundle.”

“This is my little castle.”

Hoya took down his large backpack and took out a small pouch from inside.

He put his pocket on Kim Yun-do’s palm and smiled kindly.