Chapter 17
After the battle, Jang Su-nam decided to take a short rest.
“I’ll rest in the park for a while before moving on.”
“Meow.”
Jelly responded like a cat. Not just the reply—its behavior also completely mimicked that of a stray cat, as if trying to hide its true identity.
‘…Wait a minute.’
It felt unsettling that a creature capable of speaking suddenly pretended to be a cat.
‘A clever monster whose specialty is sowing discord wouldn’t do this for no reason.’
Jang Su-nam adjusted his grip on his weapon.
‘There must be someone nearby.’
A mimic slime has no blind spots—it can generate photoreceptor cells anywhere on its body. Therefore, it must have noticed a stranger approaching.
‘It’s not the hunters outside…’
To them, Jang Su-nam is their lifesaver. They might be grateful, but they wouldn’t sneak up on him like an assassin.
‘Maybe it’s a member of the Seed of Evil organization.’
This area was originally scheduled for a zombie apocalypse. So, it’s possible that a member of the Seed of Evil was waiting here to gather the energy of chaos.
‘And I completely ruined that plan.’
Now that the collection of chaotic energy is impossible, they’re probably furious. But having seen Jang Su-nam’s abilities, they’d likely try a surprise attack from the blind spot.
‘In that case, I’ll strike first.’
Looking down at Jelly, Jang Su-nam noticed it pointed the exact direction with its tail.
‘There!’
As Jang Su-nam turned, he pulled out a Ragged Axe (F) and threw it.
Whoosh—! Clang!!
“Ugh!”
A collision and scream came from the shadows behind the pillar.
But—
‘Damn, that sound’s different!’
Unfortunately, it wasn’t the sound of the axe hitting flesh, but metal.
“…Hahaha, this is surprising. Stealth was my specialty, huh, Crow.”
Someone emerged from the shadow of the pillar, wearing a full set of matching gear.
‘A full set of equipment?’
Unexpectedly, a strong opponent had appeared.
Hunter (F+)
Checking the opponent’s info, his rank appeared above his head. Both had the same rank, but while Jang Su-nam only had some F+ equipment, the opponent had a full F+ set—clearly a power difference.
‘If he’s part of the Seed of Evil, their organization must be incredibly wealthy and well-connected.’
Jang Su-nam narrowed his eyes.
‘That equipment… I want it.’
Acquiring a full set requires significant effort and time, so his mouth watered just thinking about it.
“I’m Kim Min-gyu. I’m in charge of collection for my organization.”
Graciously, he revealed his affiliation. Hearing this, Jang Su-nam’s gaze swept over his gear even more blatantly.
“Let’s move somewhere else, Crow. We can’t talk freely with those hunters nearby, right?”
He pointed to the hunters outside the building.
“Follow me.”
Turning first, he headed toward the back door. Showing his back meant he was confident in his abilities.
‘Then I’ll test that skill.’
Jang Su-nam charged, throwing his spear-axe at him.
Whoosh!
“Ugh?!”
Clang!
Kim Min-gyu was caught off guard, not expecting an attack instead of a conversation.
“W-wait! I wanted to recruit you into our organization because I value your skills—!”
“Shut up. Just hand over that equipment quietly.”
“You crazy…???”
There’s no mercy for a target, especially if he’s wearing equipment you want.
Clang! Clang Clang Clang!
Jang Su-nam’s repeated attacks forced Kim Min-gyu to retreat hastily toward the back door, probably to avoid the hunters at the front.
‘Good, I hope he goes somewhere alone.’
As Jang Su-nam pursued him, he nodded subtly to Jelly. Without explanation, Jelly understood and dashed off somewhere.
“You’ll regret refusing my advice, Crow!”
“You’re the one trying to sneak up on me to assassinate me.”
“…Tch!”
Kim Min-gyu scowled, realizing he’d been seen. Jang Su-nam hurled the axe-spear at him with all his reinforced strength (+1 Body Conditioning), slicing toward his neck.
Clang!
But flames, not blood, erupted. The opponent raised his sword and deflected the spear.
“I won’t be that easy, Crow!”
Kim Min-gyu counterattacked, slashing with his sword.
Whoosh! Clang, Clang Clang Clang!
Every swing whipped the air violently. Jang Su-nam narrowly dodged, straining his arms. Even with the title of Unyielding Body, this was challenging.
‘Blocking head-on isn’t an option. My arms would break.’
The power difference was immense. His swordsmanship and strength skills were at least +3, and the set equipment was all reinforced, at least +3 each.
“Ha, so you’re the fabled Crow. What skill lets you dodge all my attacks?”
‘Centuries of combat experience, kid.’
Countless exchanges passed, but the situation worsened. Jang Su-nam’s arms were reaching their limit, yet the opponent remained unharmed.
Whoosh— Slash!
“Ugh!”
Jang Su-nam’s delayed reaction allowed his shoulder to be cut. Thanks to Unyielding Body, the wound wasn’t fatal, but blood soaked his clothes.
“Hahaha! Where’s the fierceness from earlier, Crow!”
Now, they’d been pushed over 20 meters from where the fight began—an unfavorable position. Despite landing some hits, Kim Min-gyu’s armor absorbed nearly everything.
‘Damn, that equipment advantage.’
Even striking gaps in the armor was futile—the sword deflected all attacks. Time only worsened the disadvantage.
‘No choice but to go all out.’
Jang Su-nam wasn’t reckless. He only fought knowing he could win. But his confidence was reserved for the ultimate move: Overdrive, forcibly drawing on the power of his pre-reincarnation perfected body. It’s like recalling the blueprint of an engine from a previous life.
The materials were corroded metal. A momentary surge of power was possible, but the engine could explode—literally risking his life for victory.
‘Winning without using it would’ve been ideal, but no choice.’
Jang Su-nam stepped back while dodging attacks, preparing to unleash it.
“Oh? Looks like he’s planning something.”
Kim Min-gyu lowered his stance, ready to strike the moment Jang Su-nam acted.
Then—
Chilling—
Kim Min-gyu felt an overwhelming shiver across his body.
‘W-what’s happening?’
Cold sweat ran down his back. He wasn’t even sure he could breathe. Something extraordinary was about to happen. The world seemed to warp, and Jang Su-nam appeared like a deep, endless abyss—pure death.
‘Huh…?’
Less than a tenth of a second passed before he regained some clarity.
‘Was that… a hallucination? Some skill?’
He didn’t realize it was an instinctual soul-level warning.
‘But… why did it stop suddenly?’
If it were an illusion skill, it should’ve continued. Why did Jang Su-nam halt it?
Then—
“Too late.”
Jang Su-nam smirked.
Looking closer, Kim Min-gyu realized Jang Su-nam wasn’t looking at him—but beyond. Simultaneously, he noticed the terrifying fact: shadows were rippling around him.
‘Something’s there?!’
Whoosh!
Kim Min-gyu swung his sword backward, but it felt like slicing water—completely useless.
“Aha.”
Then, a horrifying sight: the mimic slime, disguised as a statue, stretched out its body, ready to engulf him.
“Devour him.”
Thud!
At Jang Su-nam’s command, the slime engulfed Kim Min-gyu in an instant.
Shiiiiiik!
Acid that bypassed armor burned through his body. He screamed, but every cry only swallowed more acid, burning him inside. Eventually, only bones remained—a life consumed.
“Krk!”
Kim Min-gyu revived outside the slime—but his position was poor. Jang Su-nam was already thrusting his spear.
Crack!
The flaw of solo action: without anyone to cover the revival, he could die repeatedly. Thud!
Once again, the slime engulfed him. Kim Min-gyu could do nothing but meet death in the joint assault of Jang Su-nam and the mimic slime.
A short while later:
[Acquired 3,510 coins.]
From Kim Min-gyu’s permanent death, the coin drop was substantial. With this money, Jang Su-nam could purchase the fully sealed set gear and still have 2,000 coins left.
“Thanks to that, I got the full set.”
Jang Su-nam smiled, buying the sealed equipment.
Goblin Warrior’s Hat (F+) +3
Goblin Warrior’s Top (F+) +3
Goblin Warrior’s Bottom (F+) +3
Goblin Warrior’s Gloves (F+) +3
Goblin Warrior’s Boots (F+) +3
Goblin Warrior’s Longsword (F+) +3
Set Effects:
1-piece: +3% Strength
3-piece: +3% Attack
5-piece: +3% Defense
Including previous runs, this was the fastest he’d ever completed a set. A sense of personal achievement thrilled him.
“Quite dangerous, meow.”
Jelly approached, licking itself like a cat. Mimicking its feline form, perhaps.
“I thought you’d run away since you were so late.”
“Just praise me for reading my intentions from a single nod, meow.”
“I summoned you, so it’s only natural.”
Indeed, Jang Su-nam had signaled Jelly to attract attention, allowing for a surprise attack.
‘Still, better than expected.’
He only anticipated Jelly diverting attention—but it disguised itself as a statue, approaching so closely that even Jang Su-nam was taken aback.
‘Thanks to that, I didn’t need to sacrifice a life with Overdrive.’
Jang Su-nam ruffled Jelly’s head roughly.
“Meow!”
Jelly resisted a bit, probably uncomfortable, but Jang Su-nam didn’t care and continued.
‘Minor regrets aside, the gear is enough.’
Ideally, he wanted to capture and interrogate Kim Min-gyu for intel, but seeing him in full set gear changed his mind. He was too strong to safely capture. Killing him was the safest choice.
No worries, though. Next, he’d go after the guild master of Baekui Power, Pi Gwang-seok.
