Survival Story of a Sword King in a Fantasy World

I Also Leveled Up Now! (4)

Serhithran, a dungeon city that managed the Ice-Flame Forest.

Han-bin and his group were resting in the city after three days of travel.

Sitting alone in his room, Artis sighed.

“Will my origin as a Dragon always hold me back?”

He did his best, but the gap between him and Effir was widening.

They didn’t differ significantly when their levels were still low.

Since the regular amount needed was small, their levels rose at a similar pace even if the absorption efficiency was poor.

Besides, at the time, Effir’s energy digestion period wasn’t as short.

However, the difference slowly became noticeable the higher their levels became.

His energy absorption efficiency was too low, and his digestive time remained constant.

Compared to Effir’s, which ended in half a day, he still took days to digest after he absorbed the energy.

It wasn’t exactly because he was lacking in skill.

The Dragons’ lifespan was the problem.

“I can’t complain about longevity, but…”

Artis smiled bitterly.

As a Dragon, he never cared about other short-lived species becoming stronger than he was.

Time had always been an ample resource for him.

Even though he was weak at that moment, he would be stronger someday, so he worked hard every single day without any burden.

The problem was the current situation.

He tried so hard, but his level was only 75.

“I don’t think I’m going to be of any help.”

Although it was regrettable to break up with Han-bin and Effir, it was better than not looking at the reality and putting them in danger.

With a firm resolution, he got up from his seat.

He looked for Kibie in the next room.

* * *

“You don’t think you will be helpful?”

She spoke sternly.

“Never, Artis. Even now, you are a valuable power that cannot be replaced.”

She wasn’t just telling him that to make him happy.

Artis was a necessary colleague for Han-bin and his party.

“There might be many level-75 wizards in the Four Prohibited Areas, but how many of them are not related to the Sinkers?”

Archmage Genovia was the Queen of the Magical Kingdom Rune and the Mages Guild, Sinkers.

The higher the level of Mages, the deeper they became involved in the Sinkers.

Without that, they wouldn’t be able to raise their level.

Magic knowledge and wisdom weren’t easy to get.

“The only high-ranking wizards in Latna who doesn’t belong to Sinkers are the Aliens. They can get free magic knowledge and wisdom from the Guideline.”

Leveling up wasn’t a problem for them.

Thus, Han-bin couldn’t get a reliable high-ranking Mage at all.

“Is that so…?”

Artis’s expression lightened up a little.

It made sense to him.

There seemed to be no need to leave them.

“But it’s still a problem that there’s too much difference in skills with others.”

Artis’s heart felt heavy.

Kibie thought about it for a while before voicing out her thoughts softly.

“If you want to raise your level quickly, there’s a way…”

“Huh?”

“I’m the creator of the Dragon race. I am technically an incarnation of the creator, though.”

Like the person who had created the Dragon race, she also had relevant knowledge about the Dragon race.

Surprised, Artis leaned forward.

“Are you sure there’s a way?”

“Yes, it’s limited to Mana Dragons, but you’re also one of them. You can use it.”

Kibie scratched her cheek with an ambiguous expression.

“…But the side effects are so bad I can’t recommend it.”

It was the distant antiquity before Latna developed to what it was currently.

It was said that there was a forbidden secret that Mana Dragons, who wanted to grow stronger quickly, had used sometimes.

“You’ll have to seal all of your attributes but one.”

Mana’s attributes were land, water, fire, wind, light, and darkness under the six Goddesses’ control.

If only one of those were selected, the absorbed energy would be focused on empowering that property.

Since the energy, which used to be divided into six properties, was concentrated into one, their growth rate also increased six times.

“The energy digestion rate also goes up six times. You don’t have to increase all six attributes. Besides, you’re a Fire Dragon.”

Artis was born as a red Dragon with the attribute of Fire.

“If you seal the rest, leaving only the flame attribute, you’ll see a growth rate of nearly ten times, not six times. You are just developing the right skills for yourself.”

“Was there such a way?”

Artis blinked his eyes.

It was a great story.

Doesn’t that mean I can level up at speed similar to Effir’s?

“That’s not what Kybriel intended. When she created the Dragon race, she didn’t have that practice in mind.”

In other words, it was a kind of error code made during the creation of the Dragon race.

“So there are serious side effects.”

In a serious tone, Kybriel explained.

“Once you choose one attribute, you can’t grow the remaining attributes anymore. Forever.”

Artis could do the same magic below level 75.

However, higher-level magic was impossible to use.

He could level up only the flame magic.

“The side effects are so great that it’s been forgotten among Dragons. That’s why your ancestors didn’t tell you that kind of knowledge.”

Artis groaned.

“Umm…”

He fully understood why that method was lost.

At first glance, it looked plausible, but there was a fatal flaw in that method.

Can I only use fire spells?

Doesn’t that mean someone can make a complete fool out of me with just an anti-flame tool?

In other words, he would be a half-magician.

“Surely, a normal Dragon wouldn’t want to do that.”

It was useful only when pressed for time, but a Dragon had abundant of that.

“And once you choose, even Kybriel’s power can’t return you back to normal, so I don’t recommend it.”

Artis, who had been agonizing for a while, spoke with determination.

“No, teach me.”

“Are you sure?”

Kibie was surprised and asked back.

With a serious look on his face, Artis nodded.

“I have an idea.”

* * *

Since then, Leon Hart had frequently thrown Han-bin and his companions into the dungeon.

Everyone became stronger every time.

Artis was away for a while, saying there was something he needed to do. The remaining people steadily raised their levels and improved their skills under his guidance.

It had been a month since they left Scotaskia and started training.

In a dungeon south of the Ice-Flame Forest, a large warrior was surrounded by a group of monsters.

Grrr…

Grrr…

The monsters starred at Ryu Han-bin and cried softly.

They are six-legged monsters that looked like a mixture of wolves and crocodiles.

[Race: Kerrick Wolfran. lv. 92

Features: It can use mana-based flame, darkness, and ice magic. Its main ability is applying reinforcement magic to its scales with steel strength to protect itself. It would then use quick movements and various magic to drive the enemy away before finally shooting beams of destruction from both eyes to end its opponent.]

‘There are five monsters in level 90s…’

Looking at their information with the Guideline, Ryu Han-bin aimed at them with his Gigant.

He then swallowed.

‘It might not be easy.’

Han-bin could handle them with his current skills easily.

If he wanted, he could hunt them all swiftly.

But at that moment, he wasn’t there to hunt the monsters.

He was just here to train.

With a firm determination, Ryu Han-bin burst into a roar.

“Huh!”

His whole body was wrapped in red flames.

His powerful Aura condensed into a single point according to his will and turned into a formidable power.

-Valtara’s Fighting Spirit!

Boom!

Kerrick Wolfrans, who were on guard, became surprised.

The human suddenly became enraged.

“…?”

Why was he suddenly hurting himself?

Was that big guy crazy?

The panic was brief.

Soon the monsters were frightened and lowered their bodies to the fullest.

A formidable spirit flowed through the explosion.

Urgh!

Argh!

Han-bin, who was covered in blood, appeared and cursed.

“Oh, shit! I’m supposed to be half-baked before I even fight! What’s the drill for?”

That was why he was so nervous.

Since he had to start fighting in a moribund state, no matter how low the opponents’ levels were, he couldn’t let his guard down.

But the reward was never small.

Zoom!

His whole body was enveloped with formidable power.

The Blade Aura, which used to be like a fire, had turned into clear, crystal-like radiance.

It was the energy of the Valtara’s Fighting Spirit. He could control 60% of it.

“Die! I don’t even know if you’re mammals or reptiles!”

Ryu Han-bin charged forward with a warcry.

* * *

As Leon Hart said, there was something that could only be gained in practice.

The throwing spirit control, which was never done when performing alone, was also starting to get the hang of it again as monsters.

“Taah!”

In a single blow, one Kerrick Wolfran was cut in two.

Frightened by the scene, the others began to conjure all forms of spells.

Grrr!

Han-bin didn’t avoid it.

Boom!

The large warrior appeared calmly in the explosion.

With his Fighting Spirit protecting his body, their attacks didn’t even make him feel itchy.

The problem was that the injury caused by the Fighting Spirit itself was enormous.

“Oh, it hurts every time I move.”

However, he couldn’t be cured by Leon Hart.

Only when the residual Aura in his body was removed could the Spiritist heal him, which meant that his Fighting Spirit must also be extinguished.

‘I’m fighting like a madman to train my control in combat, and what do you want me to do with it?’

Whether he liked it or not, he had to fight while shedding blood.

That way, he could learn how to control it.

“Yes, it’s powerful, so I’ll bear it.”

Grumbling, he kept killing the monsters.

Indeed, the power of the Fighting Spirit itself was beyond reproach.

Even though it was a battle where he had to begin injured, the spells were deflected like firecrackers every time.

Argh!

Argh!

At the same time, messages continued to pop up.

[Lv. 91 Kerrick Wolfran was killed. You’ve earned 55,280,000 XP.]

[Current Experience: 53,482,250,400/54,581,975,800]

[Lv. 92 Kerrick Wolfran was killed. You’ve earned 56,790,000 XP.]

[Current Experience: 53,539,040,400/54,581,975,800]

There was only one monster left.

‘Oh? Come to think of it…’

Han-bin’s expression suddenly became strange.

‘I’ve already filled up my experience, haven’t I?’

He constantly killed high-level monsters.

He kept gathering experience points.

XP points were no longer interesting to him. When he killed monsters, he automatically gained them.

As a result, he had almost accomplished the ridiculous amount of experience requirement.

‘So am I going to level up now?’

At that moment, his years-long question was about to be solved.

Will I be level 6?

Or will my level return to its original state, which should be over level 100?

Or will I go back to level one?

‘No matter what happens, there’s nothing to lose.’

Anyway, Ryu Han-bin’s physical ability, swordsmanship, and Aura skills wouldn’t disappear.

That was the difference between becoming stronger manually and having the Guideline strengthen the user.

He cut the remaining monster’s neck out of curiosity.

Argh!

As expected, the Guideline message popped up.

[Lv. 91 Kerrick Wolfran was killed. You’ve earned 55,280,000 XP.]

[Current Experience: 54,594,320,400/54,581,975,800]

[The required experience has been met.]

Nervous, Han-bin glared at the last word of the message.

[Your level is increasing.]