In the fifth battle, skeletons gradually began to emerge.
Four skeletons revealed themselves at the end of the dark corridor.
Even with arrows or daggers, the monsters were tough for the original Sunhyung’s party, as they rarely left a scratch on them.
Unlike zombies, skeletons wielded rusty swords, crude spears, and some even wore helmets, making them more challenging.
Ping-
“Seriously, why are skeletons so sturdy?”
Did they even get a scratch?
Despite hitting their skulls with arrows, they bounced off, making it a significant challenge for the Sunhyung’s party.
To effectively play the role of an archer in battles against skeletons, one needed at least a C-rank attribute.
Of course, an archer with such a attribute wouldn’t usually engage with skeletons, but the point was made.
Sunyoung appeared more tense compared to when dealing with zombies.
Unlike the zombies, which attacked with claws and teeth that were hard to pierce through armor, skeletons carried swords, making them more formidable opponents.
Even with healer Doyoon standing by, avoiding damage as much as possible was crucial.
“Doyoon, get ready to heal!”
“Okay!”
The atmosphere of the party was tense overall, reflecting the challenging nature of skeletons, which were formidable opponents even for the original party.
The missing member this time was the main damage dealer specialist, the lightning mage.
Skeletons, composed only of bones, weren’t easy to deal with. Maybe burning them to ashes was possible with a D-rank attributes.
In any case, for Jeonghyun, who was encountering all kinds of monsters for the first time, skeletons were a new experience.
Jeonghyun observed the movements of the skeletons, staying slightly apart from Sunhyung.
Clang.
Clang.
The movements of the sword hitting the shield were powerful.
“They are faster than the zombies.”
Even though it was only noticeable to Jeonghyun’s eyes, it was there.
Predicting the attacks that randomly swung without a plan was straightforward for Jeonghyun.
After a brief analysis, Jeonghyun moved a bit away from Sunhyung to get behind the skeletons.
Thunk, thunk.
However, the skeletons’ reaction was much better than zombies.
Two of the skeletons that were attacking Sunhyung immediately turned their focus towards Jeonghyun, naturally forcing the remaining two to increase the distance, making it troublesome for Sunhyung.
Whether it was intentional or not, it was a decent strategy.
Dealing with attacks from both sides was more troublesome than attacks coming from one side.
Jeonghyun, facing two skeletons was calm.
Although he had seen skeletons in his previous workplace, encountering them here felt different.
If he let his guard down, they could easily thrust their swords into him, unlike those ghost stories he often heard from others in order to tease new recruits. The monsters here could stab with their swords into his belly at any moment.
After a brief confrontation, the one on the right lunged forward and swung its sword.
Jeonghyun easily dodged it with a slight twist of his body.
Then came the thrusting attack from the left.
As the right one was already blocked by Sunhyung, Jeonghyun leaped to the left.
Due to the undead’s nature, controlling their bodies wasn’t easy. The skeleton stabbed at thin air as Jeonghyun smoothly evaded the attack.
Then, Jeonghyun carefully targeted the skull of the skeleton. Although they all looked the same at a glance, upon closer inspection, they were divided into several pieces.
Back when he would process a skeleton, he saw that most bones gathered around the jaw, where the pieces could be broken.
“There!”
Taking advantage of the awkward posture of the skeleton, Jeonghyun swung his mace.
Crack.
Along with the sound of bones breaking, the crack in the skull became visibly larger.
Still, being a tough skeleton, it didn’t die instantly and twitched on the ground.
“A bit different from the workshop.”
Nevertheless, Jeonghyun remained cautious.
Although they might not look frightening when he processed them in his previous workplace, here they were monsters that could thrust a sword into his stomach at any moment.
After spending a bit more time finishing off the skeleton, Jeonghyun couldn’t avoid an attack properly.
In the end, Jeonghyun raised his mace to block the sword, but—
Clang!
With a chilling sound of metal against metal, he was pushed back by the force of the skeleton’s sword.
“Darn it, I must definitely buy strength-related attributes for the next time.”
Jeonghyun’s combat ability came from his ability to read the opponent’s movements and his quick reflexes.
But even now, he couldn’t overpower a skeleton with his strength alone.
“Jeonghyun!”
At that moment, an urgent call was accompanied by an arrow.
Watching the battle unfold, Jeonga came to support him.
Thunk—
While not particularly impactful, the arrow hit the skeleton in the head.
Simultaneously, the skeleton’s posture crumbled, and the force behind the sword lodged in it weakened.
“Uwaaaah!”
In response, Jeonghyun swung his mace, unleashing a powerful strike to uplift the spirits.
The previously sturdy but now corroded sword couldn’t withstand the impact and broke with a crisp sound.
Crack—
Seizing the opportunity, Jeonghyun smashed the mace directly into the skeleton’s cranial area, shattering it. Though not exactly the temple, the cranial area was a vulnerable point given its composition of various bones.
“Thank you!”
Expressing gratitude to Jeonga, who smiled confidently, Jeonghyun immediately turned towards Sunhyung.
“Krrugh!”
Sunhyung’s condition wasn’t great. His shield struggled against attacks coming from both sides.
Nevertheless, he persevered, and Jeonghyun, having dealt with his share, joined the fray. Sunhyung noticed how effortlessly Jeonghyun shattered the skeleton’s temple.
Amidst the intense exchange of attacks, when one side suddenly disappeared, Sunhyung unintentionally focused on the opposite side. A small oversight in the heated battle had consequences.
Swoosh—
“Uwaaa!”
The skeleton’s sword, which Jeonghyun had failed to bring down, sliced through Sunhyung’s inner elbow. Despite the bleeding, Sunhyung, being a tanker, managed to maintain his composure without falling dramatically.
Before the skeleton could launch another attack, Jeonghyun turned and crushed its temple with the mace.
Though not lethal, the blow caused Sunhyung’s arm to bleed profusely. Seeing this, Doyoon hurriedly rushed to the scene.
“Sunhyung, are you okay?”
Unfortunately, it was the part inside the elbow that the armor couldn’t properly cover. There was a considerable amount of bleeding, and Sunhyung’s expression twisted in pain.
Even with tanker attributes, they weren’t immune to injuries. They too bled and feel pain from certain attacks, especially in vulnerable areas like the elbow.
“It’s my fault for barging in without saying a word.”
“No, I made a mistake.”
Apologizing while catching his breath, Jeonghyun received an apology from Sunhyung.
Fortunately, Doyoon’s healing abilities made the situation manageable.
Sunhyung looked somewhat relieved, and asked Jeonghyun.
“How much for the skeleton… how much for the skeleton?”
Despite the bleeding from his elbow, Sunhyung’s face exuded a strange excitement.
Jeonghyun looked back at him and smiled slightly.
“It’ll be around 400,000 won for everything. There weren’t many materials, but… is that okay?”
Sunhyung, hearing the response became relaxed with a content expression.
Since it wasn’t a fatal injury, he didn’t seem too concerned.
Jeonghyun found him unexpectedly interesting and, while looking at what he had originally been observing, chuckled to himself.
[You have acquired 1 coin.]
Coins were obtained randomly when hunting monsters.
This was the moment that Jeonghyun acquired his first coin.
“The probability is lower than I thought…”
Considering they had only defeated around fifteen zombies and ten skeletons since entering the gate, it felt like too little.
The probability decreased with each encounter of the same monster, making it a more challenging task than anticipated.
“Well, it’s better than nothing.”
He could understand the logic, but once someone started gambling, the desire to continue grew in the human psychology.
Jeonghyun chuckled at his own discovery.
***
“Thank you so much for today!”
“No problem. Sunhyung, Jeonga, and Doyoon, thank you too.”
“I appreciate it!”
As they exited the gate, their bags were significantly fuller than when they had entered. Although they hadn’t hunted as much as when they came with Sangsoo, the items were all processed by Jeonghyun this time.
Even though the number of monsters hunted was relatively low, Sunhyung had sustained multiple injuries as a tanker, and Jeonghyun, especially in the latter part of the battle against several skeletons simultaneously, was also in bad shape.
Thanks to Doyoon’s healing, it wasn’t a significant problem, but Jeonghyun still felt a bit disappointed in himself. He was amused by Sunhyung, who endured the pain with a satisfied expression.
The monsters Jeonghyun had finally defeated amounted to roughly 15 zombies and 10 skeletons. Considering that this was the result of the first hunter entering the gate, it was an unbelievable achievement.
More importantly, Jeonghyun’s face brightened as he gazed at the five coins.
In simpler terms, he had obtained five more F-rank attributes!
This was remarkable, considering that with just two F-rank attributes, he had already surpassed the expectations of Sunhyung’s party and generously contributed to the results.
Moreover, what made him prouder was how he got five coins.
“Even though the probability is lower than I expected…”
Thinking about it, he couldn’t go hunting at the gate every day due to the overwhelming fatigue he would feel after raiding one.
“Well, I guess it’s more important than that.”
What made Jeonghyun feel proud was not the loot but the five coins.
The car was ready to leave after greetings, but because of Sunhyung and his companions, who hadn’t left yet, it stayed still.
“Jeonghyun, there is something I want to ask…”
Sunhyung awkwardly smiled and tapped his bag.
“Where can I sell stuff like this?”
“Oh.”
Although Jeonghyun had helped with the work, the way to handle it was still unclear.
Jeonghyun clapped his hands as if he hadn’t thought about it and smiled.
“If you don’t mind, should I take care of the disposal for you?”
“Oh, thank you very much!”
Of course, he didn’t plan to do it for free.
“Instead, I’ll take a 5% commission on the payment.”
Sunhyung and his team seemed even happier at that statement.
“Oh, of course. We are not letting you work for nothing.”
Even though Jeonghyun was taken aback by receiving money for it, from Sunhyung’s perspective, thanks to Jeonghyun, the profit per monster had increased so much that it was not a difficult situation at all.
Anyway, it was a mutually satisfying condition, and the deal was quickly concluded.
Sunhyung exchanged bags and contact information with the team, while Jeonghyun also exchanged contact information and parted ways.
Now, Jeonghyun was alone.
He could go to the workplace right away to handle the by-products, but there was something else to do now.
“I need to use the coins!”
Jeonghyun, who was excited at the thought of using the coins, quickly went home to shower in hot water and lay on the bed.
***
[Attribute Shop (EX, Lv.1)
Coins needed to the next level: 8
Equipable attributes: 3
Placeable attributes: 8
Attribute grade probability: F 70%, E 25%, D 3%, C 1.5%, B 0.5%, A 0%, S 0%
Shop List (Coin cost for renewal: 2)]
–
“Worthy Sword Skills” (F, Lv.1), 1 C
“Worthy Fist Skills” (F, Lv1), 1 C
“Meager Mana Sensitivity” (F, Lv.1), 1 C
Current coins: 5]
“Ah, the addiction is kicking in.”
After returning home and showering in hot water, Jeonghyun lay on the bed and sighed.
Of course, compared to the overwhelming possibilities that the attribute shop might have, the current shop seemed ridiculously pathetic. However, even with that, it was ecstatic for Jeonghyun.
Jeonghyun had 5 coins.
It was worth it to gather that much, even if he rolled around in the gate all day and was extremely tired.
With 5 coins, he could buy all the remaining attributes and even renew once.
“Of course, I won’t spend it foolishly.”
For the time being, he planned to use the mace recommended by Cheolyong, so unless there was a specialization in blunt weapons, the current attributes were not needed.
Mana sensitivity was especially unnecessary.
Therefore, there was only one option left.
Closing his eyes tightly, Jeonghyun refreshed the shop.
In his mind, he hoped for,
‘Please be B-rank. Please be B-rank······.’
And when Jeonghyun sneakily opened his eyes and saw the refreshed list.
“Huh?”
At the appearance of the new list, Jeonghyun’s eyes involuntarily widened.
As expected, he didn’t break through the 0.5% probability and get a B-rank like a hooligan.
Even so, Jeonghyun let out a cheer.
“E-rank! E-gooooood!”
“Hey, calm down with the game, you crazy guy!”
It seemed like the quiet night of his neighbor would be disturbed again today.
