Chapter 9: Tomb of the Gnolls (1)
"Wow, look at the time."
Kai was so engrossed in his first-ever solo play that he didn't realize the sun was setting.
Solo play seems possible.
The results of his hunting were naturally positive. The hunting speed was fast, and most importantly, he could heal himself, so there was no need to return to the village.
Having reached a conclusion, Kai got up from his spot.
It's about time for the monsters to get stronger. I should head back to the village.
When the sun sets, all monsters' abilities increased by 30 percent, but the drop rate and XP increased by 20 percent. Therefore, it was common sense to avoid night hunting unless one was confident in their equipment and control.
Swoosh.
"Huh?"
Kai, who was leaving the forest, witnessed a strange phenomenon. As the sun set and the moon rose, faint smoke began to emanate from the fragments of the Red Gnolls he had killed and started moving somewhere.
Smoke?
It wasn’t only one place. Smoke was escaping from every place where a Red Gnoll had died, and they all moved to the same location.
I don't recall hearing about such a phenomenon.
It was natural to not know. Even though MID Online had many players, the starting kingdoms and villages varied. Moreover, most players started in cities for convenience, so few started in such rural villages. Most importantly, no player would venture this deep into the forest at night.
Does that mean I'm the first to discover this phenomenon?
Being the first to experience something in a game often translated to benefits. With shining eyes, Kai changed his direction from the village and began to follow the smoke.
Swoosh.
Fwoosh.
Following the smoke, it became clear that they were all heading to the same location. Above him, numerous smokes converged, creating a magnificent sight like a sea of smoke flowing. The smoke was sucked into a swamp located on the forest floor.
"Hmm...?"
Kai stopped in front of it and stared at the swamp. The bottom of the sticky-looking swamp wasn’t visible, but there was definitely something there.
Should I go in? Or not?
Kai furrowed his eyebrows as he pondered.
If it's bad luck, it's just a trap. Otherwise, it could be a hidden quest or dungeon.
If it was a trap, he would die. But Kai thought logically.
Would the developers really go to such lengths to create a trap just to kill a few players?
That would be unlikely. If it were a trap, it would be polite to be deceived by the effort alone!
I can't just pass this up.
After activating Solaris Armor, Kai firmly made up his mind and jumped into the swamp.
***
Ugh!
The moment he fell into the swamp, there was only one thought filling his mind.
Oh, I shouldn't have entered.
The feeling of the sticky liquid drenching his body was far from pleasant. However, after two seconds, his thoughts completely reversed.
He started to breathe in air that should have been impossible to inhale in the swamp.
I’m breathing underwater?
Just as Kai felt puzzled, he plummeted downward.
Thud!
"Ouch!"
Wincing and rubbing his hip, Kai looked up at the ceiling. The ceiling was made of smooth black stone, with the swamp still swaying only above his head.
"The swamp... isn't falling down."
As if an invisible barrier was present, the swamp stayed on the ceiling without falling.
At the same time, a system message appeared.
Ding!
[You have discovered the Tomb of the Gnolls Dungeon.]
[Item drop rate increased by 30% for 9 in-game hours.]
[+1,250 XP]
[+520 Fame]
A dungeon!
A smile of victory appeared on Kai's lips. He had suspected something hidden but never expected it to be a dungeon.
Tomb of the Gnolls. What a chilling name.
Turning his head, he saw the dungeon corridor, and the smoke he had seen in the forest was crossing it.
The smoke still hasn't disappeared.
Quickly getting up, Kai resumed chasing the smoke.
I’m confident in sprinting.
After all, he placed fourth in a track event during elementary school!
"Huff, huff. I'm out of breath."
For reference, the elementary school sprint distance was only fifty meters.
Gasping for air, Kai turned the corner at the end of the corridor. What came into view was another corridor, and on the floor, there were piles of bones.
Bones, what do they mean?
They weren't scattered haphazardly like ordinary bones. They were neatly stacked like shirts neatly folded in a high-end department store.
The smoke he was following turned another corner at the end of the corridor and disappeared from sight.
"I missed it."
But Kai shrugged nonchalantly.
It seems like there's only one path, so I'll probably find it if I keep going.
Just as Kai was about to walk forward, a strange creaking sound came from the floor.
Hmm? Creaking?
Creak!
The neatly stacked bones began to rise one by one, quickly finding their places. Soon, they formed into the shape of a Gnoll Skeleton.
[Gnoll Skeleton LV.51]
"L...level 51?!"
They were equal in level to the highest-known Red Gnoll Chief in the area!
Startled, Kai quickly cast his skills.
"Solaris Blessing, Solaris Armor, Sacred Barrier..."
He completed all the skills in sequence. Simultaneously, the assembled Gnoll Skeletons, wielding bone daggers, rushed toward him.
"Holy Explosion!"
Boom!
A beam of light filled the straight corridor! The Gnoll Skeletons struck by the beam shattered effortlessly like toys.
"How dare you mere skeletons dare to attack a Cleric. You have quite the guts. Oh, right, they have no guts because they're just bones."
Kai chuckled at his own joke, appearing relaxed. That was because a Cleric's Holy Power inflicted 1.5 times more damage to undeads and demonic monsters. Even a healing spell for allies became a deadly attack against them!
In other words, I have a significant advantage in this matchup.
Kai's XP stretched out like a bean sprout, bringing a smile to his face.
"This is a perfect leveling spot. Hunting here will definitely be enjoyable."
These past few days, he almost felt as if the world revolved around him. It was like receiving a lump sum reward for his twenty-two years of hardship through accumulated mileage!
"Plus, the impact feels much better than with the Red Gnolls," Kai murmured as he clenched and unclenched his fist.
He felt a thrilling pleasure watching the bones shatter into pieces in the air!
"First, let’s see what kind of loot I have."
Kai began picking up the trophy.
[Gnoll Skeleton Bone]
Grade: Magic.
The bone of a Gnoll Skeleton. A rare material that can only be found in places filled with resentful Gnoll spirits.
"What? This useless item is a Magic-grade?"
In other words, there was a high chance of crafting at least a Magic-grade item with this material.
"Magic-grade items have been decent in price lately."
Although cheaper than rare items, Magic-grade items were traded for around 300,000 to 400,000 won.
"So, all of this is money."
Having collected all the loot trophies, Kai looked at his filled inventory and laughed cheerfully.
Just looking at it feels satisfying. Shall we proceed?
The dungeon's start wasn't bad. Moreover, the first discovery bonus still had 9 days left. How many more rewards could he gather in that time?
Kai walked out of the corridor, his mind filled with pleasant thoughts.
***
"Hmm..."
The dungeon exploration was going smoothly. However, as he continued down the endless corridors, the number of Gnoll Skeletons increased, and their levels rose. Finally, the moment he feared happened.
"Holy Explosion!"
Boom!
The Holy Explosion cast from Kai's fingertips emitted bright light, whitening the corridor. However, when the dust cloud settled, not a single Gnoll Skeleton was destroyed. Instead, they all approached Kai with red glowing eyes between their skulls.
Damn it...
It was because their levels were as high as 55.
"Holy..."
The two seconds of casting time felt as long as two minutes.
Was two seconds always this long?
As that thought crossed his mind, dozens of daggers rushed toward him.
"Ex... Ugh!"
[Casting interrupted.]
Kai immediately leaped backward. Then after checking his health, his face turned ashen.
Only 40% Stamina left? I even have Solaris Armor and Sacred Barrier on...!
Indeed, they were level 55 monsters! They were not to be underestimated.
Click, click, click!
Creak!
Dozens of Gnoll Skeletons slowly approached as their jawbones clicked. It felt like watching a scene from a horror movie!
Terrified, Kai quickly used a skill.
"Sunlight's Warmth! Sunlight's Warmth!"
He felt as peaceful as napping in a sunny spot on a lazy afternoon. Of course, his Stamina steadily increased as well.
As expected, the effect is great. Just using it twice increases my Stamina by over 60%.
Meanwhile, the group of Gnoll Skeletons continued to advance.
Kai rolled up his sleeves. "Alright. Let's see who quits first. Holy Explo..."
[Casting Interrupted.]
"Holy Ex..."
[Casting Interrupted.]
"Hol..."
[Casting Interrupted.]
The monsters in MID Online were cunning. Their excellent learning ability never allowed Kai to complete his Holy Explosion. They knew from experience that being hit by Holy Explosion was very painful.
"D-dang it!"
The Gnoll Skeletons eventually knocked Kai over and surrounded him in a circle. They continuously beat him.
"W-wait! You’re hitting my bone..."
Despite his plea of being hit on the bone, the merciless group continued their beating without stopping! Kai, curled up like a caterpillar, was relentlessly beaten.
Amidst this, he instinctively protected his head with both hands to minimize damage and chanted, "Sunlight's Warmth! Sunlight's Warmth! Sunlight's Warmth!"
[HP has dropped below 10%.]
[HP restored.]
[HP has dropped below 10%.]
[HP restored.]
His HP rapidly decreased and then increased, as if stuck in a bug!
I might actually die at this rate!
His Holy Power he quickly glanced at had already dropped to 30%. He couldn't survive by healing forever. Kai's mind snapped to attention, and he began looking for a weakness in their attacking.
"Huh...?"
After a moment, Kai's eyes narrowed as he discovered something.