Chapter 56: A Terrible curse…

Han Sung-gil. The Berserker trait he possessed was both a blessing that made him stand out and a curse that

weighed heavily on him.

[S] Berserker

▶ When facing the threat of death, extreme amounts of adrenaline and dopamine are released.

▶ Temporarily increases all stats.

▶ Temporarily grants immunity to fear status effects.

▶ Temporarily reduces the sensation of pain.

▶ The more blood is shed and the longer the fight lasts, the more all stats increase.

▶ The stronger the effect, the harder it becomes to maintain rationality.

The Berserker trait not only excelled in offensive aspects but also proved highly effective in defense. The “all stats

increase” factor meant that aspects like endurance and vitality were also enhanced.

However, this overpowered trait came with a fatal flaw.

As one grows stronger, they gradually lose the ability to think clearly. No matter how strong, fast, or resilient the

body becomes, without proper rationality, one is nothing more than a powerful beast—or a monster.

Not only would such an individual fail to utilize refined techniques or wield their strength efficiently, but they would

also lose the ability to distinguish friend from foe, attacking both indiscriminately. This significantly reduced

effectiveness in multi-combat scenarios.

This was not a minor issue—it was a major problem.

“Are you telling me this damn curse can be resolved?”

Han Sung-gil’s thoughts drifted back to his memories.

“Han Sung-gil, training with the sword again today? No matter how hard you try, you still can’t beat me.”

“Don’t be ridiculous, Pung Gun-ho. I’ve almost caught up to you.”

Han Sung-gil’s childhood friend, Pung Gun-ho, had been both a close companion and a rival. They had competed

with each other since they were young, driven by their shared love for swords. Despite being a year older, Gun-ho

never insisted on being called “hyung,” though Sung-gil respected him as both a rival and a friend.

“Han Sung-gil, guess what? I recently awakened as an Epic-grade Swordsman.”

“No way. You awakened before me?”

“That’s right. So from now on, you’d better start calling me hyung.”

“Yeah, right.”

“This brat! Always acting prickly. Fine, I’ll teach you some sword techniques to make you feel better.”

Thanks to Pung Gun-ho’s guidance, Sung-gil, who already had exceptional talent for swordsmanship, rapidly

awakened his own abilities. He, too, became an Epic-grade Swordsman.

“Congrats, man. Now that you’ve awakened, you owe me a meal.”

“…What should I buy?”

“Wow, that’s creepy. Why’d you agree so quickly?”

“Fine, don’t eat if you don’t want to.”

“Just buy me some meat, man!”

The two were friends and rivals who pushed each other to grow stronger. Gun-ho’s outstanding talent, skills, and

charisma served as great motivation for Sung-gil.

After awakening as an Epic-grade Swordsman, Sung-gil made a proposal to Gun-ho.

“Why don’t we try entering a dungeon?”

“A dungeon?”

Dungeons were underground spaces crawling with monsters. They were accessible to anyone with an “Awakened”

status. With two Epic-grade individuals requesting entry, even their youth wouldn’t deter the gatekeepers.

Gun-ho expressed his concern with a worried look.

“Don’t you think it’s still too early for us?”

“Ha, you coward.”

Seeing Gun-ho’s hesitation, Sung-gil secretly felt triumphant.

‘I’m… better than Gun-ho at something.’

Sung-gil had always lagged behind Gun-ho and relied on his help. But now, he discovered an area where he

surpassed Gun-ho—courage. His innate bravery and decisiveness were traits Gun-ho lacked.

Sung-gil shouted confidently at Gun-ho.

“If you’re scared, don’t come. I’ll go alone.”

“Hey! I’m telling you, we’re not ready for this yet…”

Ignoring Gun-ho’s protests, Sung-gil entered the dungeon. Left with no choice, Gun-ho reluctantly followed.

-Keeeek!

-Thud.

“See? They’re not as strong as you thought, right?”

“Han Seong-gil, you still need to stay vigilant. The labyrinth is….”

“There you go again. If you’re scared, just stay behind me. I’ll show you how to deal with these monsters.”

-Slash-!

Han Seong-gil struck down the monsters, one after another, a thrill coursing through him. Unlike Pung Gun-ho, who

followed nervously behind, Han Seong-gil charged forward recklessly, reveling in the carnage.

It felt as though every effort he’d put into honing his swordsmanship was finally paying off.

Slashing, slicing, and feeling the surge of power was exhilarating beyond words.

-Huff-

-Huff-

As he endlessly swung his sword, Han Seong-gil finally paused to catch his breath and glanced around.

‘Wait… where am I?’

Immersed in the fight, he’d ventured too deep into the labyrinth.

Behind him, Pung Gun-ho, with a grave expression, called out.

“Han Seong-gil! Are you out of your mind? Listen to me!”

-Thud-

Pung Gun-ho grabbed Han Seong-gil by the shoulder and shouted.

“We have to get out of here! Do you even know how far we’ve come? At this point, even if we scream, the gatekeepers

won’t hear us. Are you insane? Let’s turn back!”

“If you want to go back, go alone….”

-Boom-!

-Boom-!

As they argued, a powerful tremor began to reverberate through the labyrinth.

-Boom-!

-Boom-!

The vibrations grew stronger until they were right in front of them.

“Sht… sht….”

A towering figure appeared. Its body was made entirely of bones. It wore a helmet, was clad in armor, and wielded a

massive sword.

A skeleton monster. But this one was far larger than any they had seen before.

“A Giant Skeleton… here of all places….”

Han Seong-gil froze in place. Cold sweat dripped down his back. The sheer size of the creature and the malevolent

aura it exuded were overwhelming.

Just by looking at it, he knew.

[You will die.]

If they fought, death was certain. The difference in strength was palpable and crushing.

As Han Seong-gil stood there, paralyzed by fear, Pung Gun-ho spoke urgently.

“Run.”

“…?”

Han Seong-gil turned to look at him, confused. Pung Gun-ho shouted.

“Run, you idiot! I’ll hold it off!”

It was impossible. Han Seong-gil wasn’t foolish enough to believe Pung Gun-ho could defeat the Giant Skeleton. If he

fought, he would die.

“I… I’ll….”

Han Seong-gil wanted to say he would hold it off instead, telling Pung Gun-ho to run. But he couldn’t. His lips

wouldn’t move. The fear was too much. Even as a hollow gesture, he couldn’t bring himself to face that monster.

“I know you’re scared. That’s why you need to run. I’m your hyung, so I’ll hold it off! Go get help or something!”

-Tatatat-

While Han Seong-gil hesitated, trembling, Pung Gun-ho charged toward the Giant Skeleton.

And then.

-Swoosh-!

-BOOM-!

With a single strike, Pung Gun-ho was crushed.

“Aaaagh!”

His entire body shattered, and he writhed in agony.

“Ah…”

“Watching him cough up blood in agony, Han Seong-gil’s eyes went blank.

‘What… are you staring at…? Guh… Run… Just run… I’ll handle this here….’

-Whoosh!-

The Giant Skeleton’s attack came flying once more.

If that shattered body took another hit while trying to defend, Pung Gun-ho would die instantly.

The Giant Skeleton was terrifying. Horrifyingly so. But he couldn’t let Pung Gun-ho die.

His feet, which had refused to move, finally began to shift.

Han Seong-gil, as if possessed, ran toward Pung Gun-ho.

-Clanggg-!

He blocked the Giant Skeleton’s attack.

Or so he thought.

-BOOOOOOM-!

Though he had raised his sword to defend, the impact sent him flying into the wall.

“Ughhh… Agh… It hurts… it hurts….”

The pain was unbearable. His entire body felt like it was tearing apart, his bones shattered. The agony was

excruciating.

“Uuaaackk!”

Blood gushed uncontrollably from his insides, his organs utterly destroyed.

-Thud-!

-Thud!!-

The hulking Giant Skeleton drew closer with every heavy step.

Fear. Terror.

For the first time, Han Seong-gil felt sheer, gut-wrenching pain that triggered a primal fear of death.

‘I… I want to live….’

As that thought crossed his mind, a system notification appeared.

-Ding!-

[The Berserker trait has been activated.]

[You have sustained critical damage.]

[You are losing blood at a severe rate. The effects of the Berserker trait have been enhanced accordingly.]

The pain began to fade. His vision blurred. Strength surged within his body.

[The Berserker trait has activated beyond a certain threshold. Maintaining consciousness is becoming difficult.]

And then, he lost consciousness completely.

“Han Seong….”

“Seong-gil….”

Noise buzzed in his ears, strange and irritating. His head spun. His mind felt clouded. Unfamiliar shapes floated

before him.

“Seong…gil….”

He wanted to sleep. A drowsy sensation enveloped his entire being.

-Plop-

Just then, a sticky liquid trickled onto his face.

-Slide-

Opening his eyes, he saw Pung Gun-ho smiling faintly in front of him.

“Han… Seong-gil….”

“What happened?”

“You… you did it.”

Han Seong-gil quickly scanned his surroundings. The Giant Skeleton had been completely destroyed, its body

shattered into fragments.

“The Berserker trait… lucky bastard….”

Pung Gun-ho spoke with envy in his eyes. Han Seong-gil hadn’t known he possessed the Berserker trait. It was only

through this ordeal that he discovered it.

But he was relieved. Thanks to it, both Pung Gun-ho and he had survived.

And he vowed.

Using this second chance, he would never act recklessly again.

“Hyung… I’m sorry… because of me…. Let’s head back to the city. If we get treatment, you’ll be fine.”

Pung Gun-ho grinned and looked at Han Seong-gil.

“You brat… finally calling me hyung.”

Tears streamed down his face as he spoke.

“Go ahead. I’ll… just rest here for a bit.”

-Cough!-

Pung Gun-ho coughed up an alarming amount of blood. It was only then that Han Seong-gil looked down.

“…Ah….”

“Aaaargh—!”

Han Seong-gil’s sword.

The longsword that Pung Gun-ho had gifted him was piercing through Pung Gun-ho’s abdomen, lodged deep within.