The Returned Hunter Has Awakened to a Hidden Class - Chapter 63
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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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63
Chapter 63
Sensory Deprivation Labyrinth (2)
‘What kind of mindset did they have when designing something like this?’
Kim Jun muttered to himself.
A space where nothing could be seen.
A space where nothing could be heard.
A space where nothing could be felt.
The Tower of Trials had always been difficult.
On the Minotaur’s Labyrinth on the 10th Floor, he had wasted a month wandering through endless mazes.
From the 11th to 15th Floors in the Heavenly Realm, there were light attributes, divine surveillance counts, and whatnot.
Even Kim Jun had lost an arm there.
The Tower Defense on the 16th Floor required facing endless waves and a boss with 100 billion HP.
The Dark Soul sections on the 18th and 19th Floors had wasted several years as he barely survived each deadly crisis with all abilities nerfed to half.
Only the Arena on the 17th Floor had been relatively manageable.
From the 10th to 19th floors, almost the entire 10-floor section had been hell.
But even so, it had been okay.
‘At least I could see.’
Where the enemies were.
Where my allies were.
Where my hands were.
I could see all of that.
But this place?
‘There’s nothing.’
Vision, hearing, touch.
All senses had disappeared.
He couldn’t even tell if he had swung his sword.
He could only believe that he had swung it.
He could only believe that he had stabbed.
He could only believe that he had slashed.
The status window.
That was the only signal available.
If HP decreased, it meant the boss was nearby attacking him.
If HP stopped decreasing, it meant the attack had ended.
He had to read the battle from that alone.
The Tower of Trials doesn’t reveal information about the next floor.
Never, unless through special methods.
So before his regression, when he first set foot in this place.
Kim Jun and his companions had panicked.
Without preparation or resolve.
They had suddenly lost all their senses.
‘Huu.’
It was dark.
Right now, Kim Jun was walking through a dark, no, void space.
At least he believed he was walking.
He thought he was moving his feet.
But he couldn’t know if he was really walking.
He couldn’t feel the texture of the ground or the movement of his body.
Had he taken one step?
Had he taken ten steps?
Or was he standing in place?
He couldn’t tell.
Even his sense of time had disappeared.
Whether one second had passed or one minute.
Even that was unclear.
‘Status window.’
The only means of confirmation.
Kim Jun habitually opened his status window.
[Health: 292,500 / 292,500]
‘Still okay.’
Just being able to see numbers was reassuring.
It was at least proof that he was alive.
At that moment.
[Health: 285,020 / 292,500]
“…!”
It had decreased.
7,000 damage.
There was no pain.
There was no sensation of being cut.
No impact, no weight, nothing could be felt.
He didn’t know where he had been hit.
His arm? His leg? His torso?
He couldn’t tell.
He didn’t know when he had been hit either.
Just now? A moment ago?
That was also unknowable.
But the status window clearly informed him.
That the master of this place, Nustallos, had cut him.
‘How did they expect this to be cleared? Random skill spamming? Was that method from before regression correct?’
Kim Jun questioned himself.
An invisible enemy.
Inaudible movements.
Unfelt attacks.
‘How should I cut it?’
Had he swung his sword?
He believed he had.
But he couldn’t know if he had really swung it.
He couldn’t even confirm if his arm had moved.
‘Did it hit?’
He couldn’t tell.
When he didn’t even know where the enemy was.
How could he know if his sword had connected?
‘Then how?’
How do you cut an invisible enemy?
How do you fight without senses?
[Health: 277,540 / 292,500]
It decreased again.
This time it was faster.
‘Is there a pattern?’
No.
I can’t figure out the rules or intervals.
Because I have no sense of time.
‘Then how exactly.’
Kim Jun continued his thoughts.
Swinging the sword is also faith.
Cutting enemies is also faith.
Even being alive can only be confirmed by numbers on the status window.
Kim Jun analyzed by recalling memories from the 1st cycle right after his regression.
Until the day before the Tower opened, staying up all night.
In notebooks, on computers, in his head.
What were the hidden clear conditions.
What should he be careful of.
Which floors were particularly dangerous.
From the 10th to 100th floor, he recalled and organized each one.
Among them, there were floors that could be counted on one hand.
Naturally, this disgusting 26th floor was included.
‘How should I clear it.’
Should I grow faster than before regression?
Should my companions also become stronger together?
No.
‘That wasn’t it.’
I had already cleared it before regression.
But the price was too high.
Lee Seo-yeon didn’t recover for over three months.
Other companions were also bedridden for months.
During that time, climbing the Tower was impossible.
Just recovering their bodies was an ordeal.
‘Just becoming stronger isn’t enough.’
I need to change the method.
Kim Jun thought and thought again.
26th Floor Boss Room.
A space where senses disappear.
An invisible enemy.
‘How did I catch it?’
It was luck.
Ryu Ji-a’s area magic happened to hit by chance.
‘Then what’s the method that’s not luck? What’s the proper standard strategy?’
Countless words written in the notebook.
– No senses
– Cannot locate enemy
– Cannot time attacks
– Only status window can be checked
‘Status window.’
The only information.
If HP decreases, it means I was attacked.
‘Ah. That’s how I should do it.’
*
[Health : 268,110 / 292,500]
‘Still weak.’
Kim Jun observed.
He simply watched his health decrease.
[Health : 254,280 / 292,500]
‘It’s cautiously testing me. No, is it having fun.’
Boss Nustallos.
That thing is watching Kim Jun from the darkness.
Tasting him.
How strong he is, how dangerous he is.
It’s confirming by cutting him.
2,000 was cut.
3,000 was cut.
5,000, 9,000.
Countless probing damage came in.
[Health : 214,808 / 292,500]
‘Not yet.’
Kim Jun did nothing.
He didn’t swing his sword.
He didn’t use skills.
He just stood there.
Like bait.
‘Cut me more.’
More often, more frequently.
Then that thing will be convinced.
‘This prey is weak.’
‘It’s not resisting.’
‘Has it given up.’
‘This is getting boring. Should I finish it.’
Like that.
[Health : 171,540 / 292,500]
It was approaching half.
But Kim Jun still didn’t move.
‘Just a little more.’
Until that thing lets its guard down.
Until it’s convinced.
He waits and waits.
[Health : 71,490 / 292,500]
“…!”
Suddenly, nearly 100,000 damage came in.
He was stabbed.
It wasn’t a slash.
It was thrust in.
That thing’s weapon is now embedded in Kim Jun’s body.
Then.
Swoosh-
Kim Jun’s hand moved.
Though he couldn’t feel it, it definitely moved.
Toward the weapon embedded in his body.
He reached his hand toward it.
It’s okay if he can’t feel it.
The fact that this much damage came in means.
This means it’s not a place protected by Kim Jun’s S-grade armor, 「Dragon Skin」.
‘Abdomen, left side.’
Evidence that it struck exactly the one spot Kim Jun had intentionally left open.
Kim Jun’s left hand moved toward that spot.
And.
Something hard was grasped in his hand.
He couldn’t feel it, but he had definitely grabbed it.
A sword hilt.
No, something like a dagger.
And beyond that.
The boss was there.
‘Did I really catch it?’
He couldn’t be certain, but he had to be certain.
There would never be another opportunity like this.
With the weapon gripped, stabbed into Kim Jun’s body.
A distance from which it couldn’t escape.
The corners of Kim Jun’s mouth turned up.
“You bastard. Got you.”
Kim Jun’s other hand moved.
Swinging 「Dragon Eater」.
Whoooosh-!
He didn’t feel like he had cut anything.
He didn’t even know if he had swung.
But.
—-
[Boss Monster ‘Shadow Lord Nusthalos’ defeated!]
[26th Floor cleared!]
[Reward granted!]
[Item] : 「Armor of Afterimages」
[Grade] : A
[Effect] : Defense +10%, Agility +20%]
[Special Effect] : 「Phantom」- Automatically activates once per day when receiving a fatal attack.
[Unique Skill] :
-「Phantom」: Replaces the ‘impact sensation’ felt by the attacker with a ‘phantom’. The attacker is certain they penetrated, but it’s merely an illusion!
—-
The status window was showing it.
That the creature was dead.
*
[Level up!]
[Level up!]
[Level up!]
“Hm?”
Ryu Ji-a, who had been hunting monsters, stopped moving.
Notification windows suddenly ringing out in succession.
“What? Me too!”
Park Min-soo’s eyes widened.
“Looks like boss experience came in.”
Lee Seo-yeon said quietly.
“As expected of our oppa!”
“As expected of our hyung-nim!”
“…Don’t copy me!”
“Stop copying me~”
Thud-!
“Ugh!”
Ryu Ji-a’s staff dug deep into Park Min-soo’s abdomen.
While the two were bickering for a while.
“…Over there.”
Han Su-in pointed into the distance.
In the darkness.
Someone was walking toward them.
It was Kim Jun.
But.
“…!”
Lee Seo-yeon’s face turned pale.
Kim Jun’s body had wounds all over it.
Arms, legs, shoulders.
Among them, the most serious was.
The left side of his abdomen.
The armor was torn, and the inside was deeply dented.
No, to be precise, there was a hole so deep you could see through to the other side.
“…!”
She couldn’t breathe.
“Just hold on a little!”
Lee Seo-yeon rushed over and clasped her hands together.
“「Heal」!”
Sacred light flashed and enveloped Kim Jun.
As the white light settled over his skin.
Hissss-
The bleeding stopped, and flesh slowly began to mend.
“Are you okay?”
“I’m okay.”
Kim Jun answered with a faint smile.
But his complexion was pale, and his fingertips were still trembling.
No matter how intentional the move was, deliberately offering up part of his body wasn’t easy.
A desperate measure, literally meaning sacrificing one’s own flesh to endure.
‘It hurts like hell though;’
“You’re not okay at all!”
Lee Seo-yeon raised her voice.
“I almost turned the guild leader into an undead…”
“What?”
When Kim Jun asked back with a blank expression.
“Oh, it’s nothing. Ahem…”
Lee Seo-yeon cleared her throat and looked away.
‘Should we go up further? Or should we go back.’
He had completed everything he needed to do.
Of course, to get ingredients for status ailment immunity potions, he’d need to climb to the next floor faster, but…
At least he had cleared the 26th Floor.
Besides, by now, it should be time for his sleeping pet to wake up.
“Should we head back for today?”
At Kim Jun’s words, Ryu Ji-a raised her hand as if she’d been waiting.
“Let’s go quickly! I feel sticky from all the sweat!”
“I need to finish my workout too.”
Park Min-soo laughed along and gathered his equipment.
Is exercise really that enjoyable?
Well, whatever.
“Return—Artemis.”
That’s enough for today.
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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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