Chapter 44: I Also Do 2nd Job Advancement 7

[Hearts of sleeping 2nd class monsters 500/500]

[Troll's blood 500/500 liters]

[Good sleep 100/100 hours]

[3rd class monster's magic stone 1/1]

Yu IlHan's eyes looking at the text that appeared on his retina were shining. There won't be anything more beautiful than this. The Grand Canyon was nothing compared to this.

"So, what do I do now?"

[Like earning experience after killing a monster, and going through mana crafting by consuming a magic stone, you have to evolve the Resting skill to the next level by offering the materials you've gathered. Concentrate with your eyes closed. You just have to do the same thing as when you selected your job.]

At these kind of moments, he could only obediently follow Erta's words. Yu IlHan slowly closed his eyes and concentrated.

The change occurred soon. The materials inside his Cross Bag flew out by themselves and arranged themselves in mid air, before the Highland Troll Boss' magic stone at the center emitted light to envelop all of them.

The process of simple materails becoming a new and great record, which Yu IlHan could not see through, required much endurance.

Skill evolution originally was only possible when a skill was levelled up to the max, so Erta also looked at that scene with an excited heart. Moreover, it was no ordinary skill but an SSS-tier acquiring difficulty skill that was evolving!

[All materials fuse into a single record.]

[You absorb the record. Resting skill evolves.]

He felt as if hot lava was flowing into his heart. A violent and strange pain, which Yu IlHan had never experienced in his life, overwhelmed him. It was as if an update was applied to his existence itself.

[You have acquired Transcendent Regeneration skill. You will recover physical and mental damage quickly the moment you receive a strong shock. As of skill level 1 right now, you can regenerate a finger instantly even if it's blown away. Once activated, you cannot activate it again until you have recovered sufficient amount of energy via rest. The original abilities of the Resting skill are maintained.]

"Hey, isn't this."

[Congratulations in acquring an EX-tier training difficulty skill.]

"I knew this would happen."

Yu IlHan sighed.

Regenerating lost body parts was definitely a good ability, but the condition to reactivate weighed on his mind.

Moreover, he could only regenerate a single finger as of now, so if he wanted to survive even after his heart was pierced, or his brain was destroyed, he didn't know how much he had to train.

Even so, what was definite was that this skill was definitely an exceptional skill, which he would painfully train and learn without regrets.

"It really is an exceptional skill, to the point that you would emphasize it so much."

[How is it? It helps, right?]

"Yeah, yeah."

Yu IlHan laughed when he saw Erta being so proud. Then, he stood up.

"Then shall I fulfill the job advancement requirements now?"

The most difficult obstacle in his advancement, killing a 3rd class monster in a surprise attack was already fulfilled. Now, he only had to kill 100 2nd class monsters with surprise attacks. As he had done so until now, it was nothing new.

[Rookie Reaper, the criteria for advancing is really psychotic. Who else, other than you, could fulfill this?]

"That should be exactly why it came to me. Okay, then, let's go."

[Let's.]

The scorpions couldn't even find Yu IlHan so they couldn't ambush him. As they did not appear, Yu IlHan's target could only be the trolls.

The problem was that, strangely, the action patterns of the trolls have changed quite a bit.

{Troool, looking for enemy.}

{Troll moves. Troll slow}

{Troll, Troll.}

"What's up with them? They are like middle schoolers at the end of holidays."

The trolls, whose trademark was literally resting and sleeping, were walking around the highland. Perhaps it was because he troll boss died by Yu IlHan's hands, and they are moving for revenge?

{Troll wants to rest.}

{Troll tired.}

"No, I don't think those pathetic things would do that."

[Send them away quickly,]

There is an unsolved secret in this dungeon. While instinctively thinking that, Yu IlHan ambushed the troll. Now, he didn't have to wait for the troll to sleep to attack, since killing the troll in a surprise attack would fulfill the requirements.

Trolls had no habit of moving around in a group, so Yu IlHan calmly cleaned them out one by one and progressed with his advancement requirements.

"Ah, really."

Only people who experienced having their meat cut off while eating knows this feeling. If the supply of meat wasn't refilled, that moment comes suddenly, and emptily.

Even so, beef, which the grilling time was short, was alright, but how could people only eat beef?

Yu IlHan's situation right now was exactly like that. He could hunt 1 troll every 10 minutes before, but now, he had to wonder around for 1 hour if he was unlucky.

"Erta-emon. Do something."

[That 'something' isn't possible.]

When he only killed 78 trolls over 2 days, Yu IlHan started becoming annoyed. What annoyed him more was that, even the trolls he saw rarely, were showing strange actions.

{Troll doesn't want to die.}

{Should troll run? It's bothersome. But wants to live. Dillema keeps paining troll.}

{Will all trolls die?}

{Troll wants to go back.}

The unfamiliarity that Yu IlHan felt after killing the troll boss. The thought that there maybe another boss-tier monster that lords above the troll boss and the Giant Death Stalker.

The wondering actions of the trolls he saw from time to time and their mutterings gathered to turn his suspicion into assurance.

"Is something like this possible?"

[Akashic Record definitely said it was the Highland Troll Boss. That means that there should be no other troll monsters above them.]

"You're saying that it's not a troll but another monster, right?"

3rd day. killing the 97th troll with a surprise attack, Yu IlHan lit up a campfire and was eating the Highland Troll Boss' front leg meat while discussing with Erta.

[The probability is quite high. The possibility that, like the group of scorpions and the group of trolls have been dragged into this dungeon together, a higher ranking monster has been dragged into this dungeon.]

"Perhaps it ruled over trolls and scorpions at the same time?"

[You're thinking that because you saw that the trolls were moving as if they had an objective, right?]

"That's one reason, but I thought that when the Highland Troll Boss appeared so naturally while the Giant Death Stalker was attacking that couple. At that time, I thought 'no way' and didn't think more about it, but since it has come to this, I'm becoming more and more suspicious."

[That's quite possible.]

The angel above his head seem to reply that way, before heaving a sigh and speaking to him.

[Yu IlHan, I'm sorry to say this just before you have almost fulfilled the requirements for job advancement, but I think it's better to leave this dungeon now.]

"Yeah, I also think so."

He had the confidence to crash a normal danger head on. However, not more than that. The unknown becomes an element that stimulates his adventurous mind, but the situation becoming more and more mysterious was a completely different story.

Simply put, the risk has become too big.

"I should return. 2nd class monsters should be all over Earth right now."

[Although, the fact that 2nd class monsters are all over Earth right now pains me.]

Exchanging bitter jokes, the two started to go back. He could advance if he killed only 3 more trolls with a surprise attack, but as he had decided to retreat, Yu IlHan's actions were truly daring and firm.

However, a problem soon occurred. Although there are words that climbing up and climbing down a mountain is different, how could going back the way they came be different? Looking back to the path that he had walked, it had already become an unfamiliar scene to Yu IlHan.

"Don't you think the road changed a little?"

[What a coincidence. I also think the same.]

"Use your angel powers."

[I already told you, but I cannot use my powers as a higher existence properly.]

Even though she said that, Erta used a little bit of her powers to search for the dungeon's entrance. A little, so it wouldn't go against Heaven's law. As a result, there was one fact that she could find out.

[The entrance disappeared.]

"Can you say that again, miss higher existence?"

[The entrance disappeared.]

Erta was in extreme panic. Even she didn't know how such a thing came about. It was because in her life as an angel, there was never such a case.

[What is this? How did this come about?]

"Calm down."

[I can't calm down. This is something I've never seen before. Can I not panic?]

"I said calm down."

When Erta panicked while grabbing Yu IlHan's hair, he grabbed her and placed her on top of his palm. Time passed with her meeting eyes with Yu IlHan. Erta finally seemed to realize that she wasn't alone in this place.

How was her mentality so weak even though she was a higher existence? Yu IlHan realized more that higher existences weren't as almighty as they seem.

[I calmed down now. Now I should do what I can do.]

Erta was sure that the situation was abnormal, and decided to contact Heaven, However, while she brought her angel's ring out as always to contact other angels, she realized a more shocking fact.

[The communication doesn't work.]

"Maybe this region is outside your area."

[There cannot be a place outside the area of the communication of the angel's rings. If there is one, there is only one possibility.]

Fuu, Yu IlHan heaved a deep breath.

What should have come, had finally come

After resolving himself, he urged Erta.

"Say it."

Following Yu IlHan, Erta also shortly took a deep breath. Then, she hesitated as if she didn't like to say that word, before spitting that word carefully, as if exposing her embarrasing parts.

[Abandoned World.]

"That's quite the unpleasant word."

Only one element made Yu IlHan unpleasant.

Just who, abandoned that world?

[I told you that we are managing a huge number of worlds. God wants all worlds to be maintained, and as such, God gives out the races who manage that world, such as humans, quests, in other words, power.]

"Like he did with humans on Earth."

[Yes, like that. However, you should know from the things that happened on Earth, but not all things go naturally.]

"Yes."

Yu IlHan could not earn the opportunity to go to another world, monsters became unimaginably stronger, and even an Overflow occurred once already. There would be other problems occurring on Earth in the future.

[Whether it's humans or elves, if they, the main axis of the world, become too strong, then it's still alright. Monsters, due to their characteristics, can only keep appearing, and animals other than monsters keep breeding. Even if the balance of a world is destroyed, it doesn't matter that much.]

"If it's the monsters who become too strong?"

[We help humans and other intelligent races to the last, with all our effort, but that doesn't mean that we can annihilate the monsters ourselves. And as such, there are cases where they lose against monsters, and sometimes, if it's serious, they would die out.]

Yu IlHan felt that he knew without listening to the rest.

"......If that happens, you abandon the world."

[A world with no development cannot evolve any more, and the monsters, who lost their enemies, free themselves of their shackles and eat each other. Such a world loses its future. And at that time, Heaven finally abandons a world.]

It was natural. Yu IlHan knew plenty that angels cannot proactively interfere with the phenomena occurring on Earth. He also knew that God was doing the best to help the humans on Earth.

However, even so, Yu IlHan became dejected when he heard that.

[As all communication with Heaven was severed, even if an angel drifts into that world, it becomes impossible to contact other angels.]

"However, this is not an Abandoned World, but a dungeon on Earth."

[Yes. It should be.]

This was the moment when Erta gave out her reply in a worried voice.

Swoosh.

Without any signs, an object dropped towards her head. Immediately after seeing that, Yu IlHan covered her and rolled on the ground.

Right after that, a gigantic scythe embedded itself on the ground with a frightening 'psh' sound. This was an attack with a frightening strength.

{'New record', found.}

And its voice could be heard.

Yu IlHan immediately raised his head to see its figure. Standing with its scythe still stuck on the ground, it was a monster which had a thin body with a black hood as if materializing the figure of a deathgod that Yu IlHan was about to become.

If there was one thing that Yu IlHan was relieved about, it was that the despair that he would never win against it, didn't come. It was probably because its concealment was a skill that Yu IlHan had already mastered. In other words, it was the same case with the leopard.

It was not a 4th class monster. It was definitely much stronger than the Highland Troll Boss, but it was definitely still a 3rd class monster.

However, he couldn't be optimistic about the situation. It couldn't find Yu IlHan, but found Erta instead of him and attacked, and as Yu IlHan covered her, his concealment deactivated.

After realizing that, Yu IlHan muttered with a sigh.

"See? You're an embarrassing angel as always."

[Yu IlHan. If we survive this, I will give you the reward for saving a higher existence.]

Erta replied.

[So please don't die. I request of you.]

{Record, give me!}

This was the start of the true boss fight.

Author's notes

As Erta said before, her power is hugely weakened right now.

The baits are finally being solved a litle.

Beef is good, beef is... Excluding its price, everything else. T^T (T/N: Beef is expensive in Korea)

Translator's notes

Yet another sponsored chapter! This just came in when I was about to sleep yesterday...

Hmm. in spoilers, I should have told people that higher existences can bring out all the power they want if they want to protect themselves. But I guess this part has to do with her being an angel, and cannot bring out her full powers. I.e. she would be fine if she was attacked by the same monster on Earth.

Translator : Chamber