Sweet Gains from Skill Copy 013

The vehicle had been traveling for quite some time.

It finally came to a halt on the playground of an elementary school.

Of course, while it was still technically a school building, it had long since been reduced to ruins by monsters.

By the time Yoo Sangjin’s party arrived, other parties had already gathered.

“Hey, Yoo Sangjin. You were late yesterday, and you’re ten minutes late again today? Are you getting too lax just because your second awakening is coming up soon?”

A man, who appeared to be the tank from another party, chuckled and approached our group.

Yoo Sangjin scratched his head awkwardly as he replied.

“Ah, come on, Hyungnim. It’s not that I’m late; it’s that you and the other parties arrived early. Anyway, have you located our prey?”

“Oh! As a matter of fact, our mapper confirmed it. Still, just in case, have your mapper double-check. We’ll be launching a drone soon to identify the species.”

Yoo Sangjin nodded at the other tank’s words.

“Oh, really? Then we’ll get ready too. Please let us know once the monster species are confirmed.”

“Alright. Go ahead and prepare.”

Having concluded the brief greeting and conversation, Yoo Sangjin hastily began preparations.

“Alright! Everyone, get ready! Daejin! Check the monster locations with your mapping skill!”

At Yoo Sangjin’s command, the mapper, Jang Daejin, hurriedly activated his skill.

“Yes! Mapping!”

Immediately, a holographic representation of the entire area appeared.

“Hmm, the others are a certain distance apart, but these two are quite close.”

Red dots were scattered across the hologram, which meticulously depicted everything from large buildings to minute details. These dots likely represented the monsters.

At Yoo Sangjin’s comment, Jang Daejin asked with a worried tone.

“Will it be alright? They’re too close. If something goes wrong with one, the other will surely be swept up in an instant. At this distance, the monster would be upon us before we even realize the other party is in trouble.”

Indeed, this was a concern Yoo Sangjin shared.

“That’s probably true. The other parties are likely aware of that too, so there’s a ninety percent chance they’ll assign us and Seungnam Hyungnim’s party to this area.”

A total of eight parties had gathered here.

Among them, Yoo Sangjin’s party, on the cusp of their second awakening, and Seungnam’s party, the next most seasoned, were the most veteran groups.

Therefore, there was a very high probability that these two parties would be assigned to the most dangerous zones.

“Hmm, even if we lure the two monsters separately, there’s a limit. We probably won’t be able to draw them too far apart.”

“Well, there’s nothing we can do. Still, both our party and Seungnam Hyungnim’s are veterans. If we just do what we’ve always done, there won’t be any problems.”

The close proximity of the two monsters could potentially lead to a dangerous situation, but if both parties successfully hunted, it could end without incident.

Meanwhile, the party members were inspecting their equipment, preparing for the hunt.

Choi Junhyuk, as the porter, had little to prepare, so he intently watched the Hunters get ready.

Then, at that moment.

“Jicheol!”

Yoo Sangjin called out to Kang Jicheol, the trapper.

“Yes, Hyungnim.”

“We have a spare M7, right? Give it to Junhyuk.”

At Yoo Sangjin’s sudden words, Jicheol wore a puzzled expression.

“M7, Hyungnim?”

M7. Its formal name was Jeremy M7, a measurement device developed by Jeremy, an American Hunter equipment manufacturing company.

It was similar to a device called a ‘scouter’ that appeared in an old Japanese anime. It displayed the real-time percentages of allies’ vitality and Force, as well as monsters’ shield, vitality, and Force.

It was also integrated with an earphone that functioned as a walkie-talkie, allowing communication exclusively with party members or with other parties, depending on the frequency setting.

This equipment was crucial not only for measuring the status of monsters and party members but also for issuing precise orders in urgent situations.

“He’s here to observe and analyze how we hunt before his third test. Just watching won’t be enough, will it? It’ll be helpful if he can check the stats with an M7.”

Only then did Kang Jicheol respond with a look of understanding.

“Ah, now that you mention it, you’re right.”

“Hand over the M7 to Junhyuk and explain how to use it properly. And Choi Junhyuk, it’s a loan, so use it carefully and return it in good condition.”

Choi Junhyuk immediately replied to Yoo Sangjin.

“Haha, yes. I’ll use it well and return it without a single scratch. And thank you.”

Choi Junhyuk also knew that the M7 was essential for Hunters.

Of course, even without an M7, observing the hunting method and Yoo Sangjin’s tanking ability wouldn’t have been significantly hindered. However, wearing the equipment was far better for understanding precisely what orders were given in what situations.

As they were preparing for the hunt, Park Seungnam, who had arrived earlier, approached them with a somewhat somber expression.

“Sangjin.”

“Yes, Hyungnim. Is the drone reconnaissance complete?”

“Yes. But the situation has become a bit tricky.”

Yoo Sangjin, roughly guessing the situation, nodded.

“As a matter of fact, our mapper roughly pinpointed the monsters’ locations, and two of them are unusually close together. From the looks of it, those two have been assigned to you and me, haven’t they?”

While the two monsters were quite close, he judged that he and Seungnam, being veterans, could handle the hunt without much difficulty.

Seungnam, still wearing a grim expression, responded to Yoo Sangjin.

“That’s true… but that’s not the problem. The monster species have been identified, and the ones stuck together are a Mantis and a Trudeker. We’ve got the most troublesome combination.”

The Mantis was a monster similar to a praying mantis. Its defense wasn’t particularly high, but its attack power was strong, and most notably, it was incredibly agile.

Its movement speed was fast, and its attack speed was also the quickest among F-grade monsters, making it the most dreaded monster for tanks.

Conversely, the Trudeker was a monster with immense defense. Its attack power was low, and its movements were sluggish, but its defense alone was high enough to rival an E-grade monster.

Hence, the Trudeker was the monster most avoided by damage dealers.

With the agile Mantis, boasting strong attack power, and the defensive Trudeker, renowned for its high defense, found together, Yoo Sangjin felt a suffocating sensation in his chest.

“Hmm… A Mantis and a Trudeker? This is driving me crazy. So, what are you going to do, Hyungnim?”

“What can we do? Unless we give up on today’s hunt, we have to catch them anyway. The problem is which team takes which monster.”

Yoo Sangjin pondered for a moment, then looked at Seungnam and said,

“Hmm… You choose, Hyungnim. If you pick one, I’ll take the other.”

As Yoo Sangjin handed over the choice, Seungnam responded with an awkward expression.

“Really? Then… I’ll take the Mantis. As you know, our party’s damage dealers aren’t quite as strong as your team’s. It would take an eternity for our team to take down a Trudeker.”

In terms of danger, the Mantis was far more challenging, but in terms of efficiency, the Mantis was better.

This was because its low defense allowed for a quick hunt, provided the tank’s capabilities were sufficient.

Conversely, while the Trudeker posed less danger, it took a long time to hunt, and its high defense also led to significant Force consumption for damage dealers.

Some teams would even be so exhausted after hunting one Trudeker that they’d give up on further hunts for the day.

When Seungnam chose the Mantis, Yoo Sangjin asked with concern,

“Are you sure it’ll be okay, Hyungnim? Its attacks are so agile and powerful that even a slight misstep could be dangerous.”

“I know. I’ve faced a Mantis a couple of times, so how could I not know? Each time was terrifying, but there’s no other choice. If our party hunts the Trudeker, that’s the end of our hunting for today. But with the Mantis, if I just push myself, I think we can manage.”

What could Yoo Sangjin do? He respected Seungnam’s decision.

“Alright, I understand. Then we’ll take on the Trudeker.”

When Yoo Sangjin readily agreed, Seungnam expressed his gratitude with an embarrassed look.

“Thanks. I’ll buy you a drink after today’s hunt.”

“Haha, yes. Well, let’s start preparing to depart.”

“Alright. Good luck. See you later.”

As Seungnam turned and returned to his party, Yoo Sangjin also turned to his party members.

“Our first target today is the Trudeker! It’s going to be tough, but let’s power through it. Alright! If you’re ready, let’s move out!”

Thus, Yoo Sangjin’s party began to move towards the Trudeker, their first prey of the day.

Yoo Sangjin’s party had parked their vehicles in the elementary school playground and began moving on foot.

This was because vehicle noise could attract nearby monsters.

Meanwhile, Choi Junhyuk, who had been walking towards the target for some time, asked Kang Cheolmin, walking beside him, with a curious tone.

“Cheolmin. I didn’t quite catch it earlier because I was listening to the M7 explanation, but what was the monster that was close to the Trudeker?”

Kang Cheolmin immediately replied to Choi Junhyuk’s question.

“Oh, it’s a Mantis.”

At the mention of Mantis, Choi Junhyuk finally understood.

“Ah! A Mantis…”

‘A Mantis, huh… No wonder a veteran party was wiped out. There was a reason. A Mantis is indeed dangerous.’

The Mantis, known for its swift and powerful attacks, was classified as the most dangerous monster among F-grade monsters.

No matter how veteran a tank, they were still only first awakeners.

With the Mantis’s formidable attack power and speed, a moment’s lapse could lead to them being cut to shreds before they could even receive proper healing.

‘It seems Seungnam, the tank of that other party, must have failed at tanking.’

Choi Junhyuk had only known that a monster had intervened and wiped out the party, but he hadn’t known the detailed circumstances. Only then could he roughly grasp what had happened.

Most likely, Seungnam had failed to tank the Mantis, leading to his party’s annihilation, and that monster had then intruded upon Yoo Sangjin’s party.

“Cheolmin. Just in case, if a Mantis intervenes during the hunt, put everything else aside and save your own life first. Understood?”

At Choi Junhyuk’s words, Kang Cheolmin frowned and said,

“Hey. What ominous talk is that? Don’t you know words can become reality? Besides, if a Mantis intervenes, do you think we could even escape? It would practically be a wipeout. And don’t worry. Seungnam Hyungnim is a veteran, he’ll be able to tank the Mantis sufficiently. He’s actually succeeded in tanking Mantises a couple of times.”

Choi Junhyuk, already knowing what was to happen, had spoken out of concern. However, Kang Cheolmin, unaware, could only feel that Choi Junhyuk was putting a damper on things before the hunt even began.

Choi Junhyuk responded with an indifferent expression.

“Just be careful. You never know what might happen. We’re risking our lives, so we always have to be prepared for unexpected variables.”

Of course, Kang Cheolmin also knew that Choi Junhyuk was speaking out of concern for him, so he didn’t take it too sensitively.

“Alright. I’ll be extra careful.”

Watching Kang Cheolmin, Choi Junhyuk sighed inwardly.

‘Haa, you, man. If things go south, you might die today. Anyway, a Mantis, let alone a Trudeker… Well, it’s my first time tanking, but I have my Supersenses, so I’ll manage somehow.’

While he had faced Mantises as a damage dealer, it was his first time as a tank, so he felt a slight worry. Nevertheless, he had his Supersenses, so he decided to trust in them.