Chapter 96
Water was the most important survival item of all, as it was so precious, all the bottled water we carried was for drinking only. Normally, we could only wipe off the blood on our faces after exiting the dungeon. However, things were different in a dungeon with water sources, making it possible to use water freely. That alone was a privilege, and while we only saw small puddles, we may see a pond if we followed the pa.s.sageway.
“There really is water.”
Yeonhee looked like someone who found an oasis in a desert, and we even found a dungeon box. She looked like she forgot her pain at seeing water and the dungeon box, and I helped her sit before approaching the puddle to secure the area. There were thankfully no Grafs nearby, and I took a drink.
“It’s drinkable.”
Of course we brought our own bottles of water, which will be rationed as much as possible, as they were known safe and portable. However, we could at least wash. I helped Yeonhee to the puddle, and we took off our clothes after she took a drink. However, Yeonhee found it difficult to take off her shirt as it was sticky and clotted with dried Graf blood. She spoke as I helped her take off her clothes.
“You’re not hurt like you were in Hwasung, right?”
“No. Can you wash alone?”
“Yes.”
We were now in our underwear, and Yeonhee bent forward in the puddle to wash her face. I followed suit and thought of our battle before. Grafs were much more powerful than Canine p.a.w.ns, but we only suffered temporary hearing loss after killing tens of them. I would have been wounded more heavily if Yeonhee had not healed me, but even taking that into account, such a feat had not been possible in my previous life. I was not yet an E cla.s.s hunter but had killed numerous Grafs without significant injury. It was not Devi’s Knife itself that had resulted in this. I realized that I had something else outside the System categories – my memories. I had been an A cla.s.s hunter in my previous life, and I retained my combat skills. I remembered tactics, weak points of enemies, how to track and respond to multiple targets, attacking groups, defending from groups, and all the hard-won lessons in survival from thousands of Life and Death struggles. That helped me use Devi’s Knife so effectively.
My memories applied to other skills besides the Devi’s Knife, and I became certain that my experiences would be more and more effective as my stats increased. While I was still not as strong as before, I was getting there. That encounter made me realize that the System did not, could not account for my battle experience!
“We may end this earlier than my estimates.”
“What?”
“It may take less than a month.”
The problem was the boss monster fight.
**
The dungeon box gave me 8 Perception points, and I had a total of 33 now. I got items or points from dungeon boxes four times out of ten, which was quite good luck. Yeonhee relaxed as she looked at me.
“Did you get something good?”
I nodded. It took a day for Yeonhee to heal, and we killed one or two Grafs that approached us now and then. Since they would be scouting for intruders, we had to kill them. I beheaded one before it could screech, and it was the last one. (EN: Remember Yeonhee can’t use her healing skills on herself. )
[Graf Extermination: Graf Extermination 30/30]
[You have completed the quest ‘Graf Extermination.’ Please decide who is in first place.]
We exchanged glances before I spoke to the system.
[You have completed the quest ‘Graf Extermination.’]
[You have gained 1500 points.]
[You have gained a Silver Box as your first completion reward.]
Yeonhee’s eyes were filled with antic.i.p.ation as she looked up at me. Still, she did not know yet that moments like this would become sentimental memories after the Day of Reckoning. Deciding who was the first place had been a vicious, often murderous battle in my previous life, even under a contract. While hunters knew that killing someone would mean one less combatant or support and may endanger the entire party, it still happened.
I turned from Yeonhee to wait for my reward. I wanted Sense or Stamina points to reach E cla.s.s stats without items.
[The Man Who Overcame Adversity increased by 11 points.]
[The Man Who Overcame Adversity has increased by one cla.s.s. F -> E]
[The healing effect has increased.]
[The Man Who Overcame Adversity duration increased from 5 minutes to 10 minutes.]
While the trait had now become an E cla.s.s, 11 points were the minimum amount I could expect to get from a Silver Box. I hid my frown of irritation and looked at another message.
[You have completed the achievement ‘A Leap Beyond.’]
[You have gained the Trait ‘Gifted’ as the first completion reward.]
[Gifted (Trait) Effect: When another Trait is activated, Gifted may activate, increasing the Trait by one rank at a very low probability.]
[Cla.s.s: F(0)]
[Use time: 5 minutes]
[Cooldown time: Seven days]
This first completion reward was more than I expected. Did this skill mean I could use the Man Who Overcame Adversity at an SS cla.s.s in the future?
**
I now had six Traits, which meant I had two slots left. Yeonhee spoke like she had been waiting for the chance, and she sounded excited.
“My Stamina rank increased, and I got a Trait called Regeneration as my first completion reward.”
Yeonhee’s eyes were still focused on the air as I asked what the Trait did.
“When the user can no longer fight, the user is healed by a little, and regeneration speed increases at a very low probability.”
It was similar to Adversity Overcomer. Yeonhee spoke on.
“It matches well with Marie’s Hand.”
She looked happy for a skill that could kill her. That did mean she was growing up as a hunter, and I could not help but pat her head. I had done this in the previous life for those neophyte Awakened I had trained despite myself. Yeonhee blinked. (EN: Yep, Sun is a cynic and pessimist. And grumpy. But we already knew that, right? ^_^ )
“Go on, open them.”
“What, what?”
Yeonhee faltered in her words.
“Your points are now at a total of 2060, right? Open two Silver Boxes.”
I had 1680 points in total and opened a Silver Box first. What I got compensated for the low points I got for the Man Who Overcame Adversity.
[Your Perception increased by 38.]
[Perception: F(63)]
It was near the maximum of forty I could get from a Silver Box. I opened a Bronze Box with the remaining points.
[Odin’s Wrath increases by 10 points.]
[Odin’s Wrath: F(16)]
That was the maximum I could get from a Bronze Box, and I was only disappointed I could not open another box when I was on a lucky streak. On the other hand, Yeonhee seemed to have gotten points from her boxes, but she did not look happy.
“I would be getting 11 to 41 points from a Silver Box when my Agility cla.s.s is F, right?”
“Yes.”
“I got 13. I would have been an E cla.s.s if I got the average.”
Opening boxes were like dealing stocks, as one went through heaven and h.e.l.l at each rise and fall in prices.
“Agility and Strength are unlike Stamina.”
“What?”
“It takes time to learn control after an increase in cla.s.s, so it’s better this way.”
“Really?”
We could consider ourselves lucky in another way.
“The next box?”
“Not yet.”
Yeonhee looked back and forth at me and the puddle, and I nodded. She washed up before opening another box.
“Let’s hope for an antidote skill. Here goes.”
“Good luck.”
Yeonhee bit her lips before glaring at the air, and her face changed a lot in mere seconds.
“I got a skill, but it’s not an antidote skill. Sunhoo, aren’t I a healer?”
“What did you get?”
“It’s called ‘Hate,’ and seems like an attack skill.”