Chapter 8: Dungeon explorations start with beginner-level dungeons.

It has been a month since I learned the Inner Energy Cultivation Method.

I was slowly at a level where I could call myself a second-rate martial artist.

I had quite a bit of free time these days, but I spent most of that free time training.

The results of my training were obvious.

I lightly stamped my foot in place for a moment.

The moment I kicked off the ground, I felt like my weight had disappeared.

Like an astronaut walking on the moon, no, even lighter than that.

“Hehehe…”

A silly laugh burst out of me without me even realizing it.

This energy flowing rhythmically like a pulse within my body.

This feeling that grew stronger with each breath.

This time, I jumped even higher.

2 meters?

No, it felt like 3 meters.

It was as if gravity had been reduced to one-fifth.

“Euhahahahahaha!”

“Tsk.”

I heard Nan-cheong clicking her tongue.

My maid was looking at me with a pitiful expression.

Well, from her perspective, I might look ridiculous.

Unlike her, who had been practicing inner energy since she was a child, everything was new to me.

But it’s okay.

Everyone has a first time.

I’ll catch up soon.

Nan-cheong, I’ll change that arrogant expression of yours soon enough.

I declared war on her inwardly.

But unlike this childish declaration of war, it was better for me to be on good terms with Nan-cheong.

She was my direct maid.

That meant I could use her without any doubt or reason.

Besides, she was strong.

Even her older brother, Nan-pa, who was 5 years older, couldn’t beat her.

It wasn’t that Nan-pa was weak.

He was a late-stage second-rate martial artist.

It was just that Nan-cheong was special.

Second-rate perfection.

She was at a level where she could reach the first-rate realm with just a little more.

Of course, there were many martial artists who lingered in the second-rate perfection realm for 20 or 30 years.

No, there were far more of them than those who ascended to first-rate.

However, according to my plan, she would be able to become a first-rate expert before the age of 18.

It was only natural that I could make such a plan.

Because I was an expert.

I’m not talking about being an expert in martial arts.

I’m an expert in the game “Wind and Cloud Martial Arts.”

Especially when it comes to the “Become a s*ave Expert” scenario, there aren’t many experts like me even if you searched the Earth.

And those secret places I had seen countless times in the game would also exist in this world.

Probably.

I had already set my first goal.

A cave guarded by a half-baked spirit beast rat that had clumsily consumed spiritual energy…

In the game, it was nothing more than a beginner-level farming spot.

The rewards weren’t that great.

There were no treasures to get excited about, but it was a place with items that were quite useful for beginners.

But I set that place as my first goal.

The reason was simple.

Because the difficulty was low.

Even a spirit beast rat was only around the early stages of second-rate.

In other words, since I was also in the early stages of second-rate, it was worth a try.

In other words, the spirit beast rat was an opponent that I could handle.

No, strictly speaking, the spirit beast rat would be at an advantage.

I couldn’t gamble with my only life.

However, it was also difficult to leave the dungeon untouched until my level increased.

Because as my level increased, the value of the rewards would decrease accordingly.

Besides, someone else might discover the treasure first.

I clenched my fist tightly.

Once I made a decision, there was no reason to delay.

Now all that was left was execution.

“Nan-cheong! Nan-cheong! Look at this, I accidentally found this!”

I ran to Nan-cheong with an excited voice.

“I accidentally found a treasure map here… Huh? Where did it go?”

Nan-cheong looked at me with half-closed eyes as I rummaged through my pockets in a flustered manner.

“Ah! Here it is!”

I unfolded the crumpled paper and shouted confidently.

“Look, the mountain ridges and valley shapes here match exactly!”

I pointed to the map and the distant mountain range alternately, explaining.

Nan-cheong stared at the map silently.

“Young Master… this just looks like a drawing by a 5-year-old, doesn’t it?”

“What? How elaborate is this map! This is a pine forest, and this is a waterfall…”

As I explained, sputtering, I was startled.

Huh?

That’s strange.

I definitely drew it more beautifully…

Even though it was a map I drew myself, it was hard to recognize.

I couldn’t even tell if I drew a pine tree or a bamboo tree.

I was momentarily flustered, but I quickly regained my composure.

‘The security must be thorough.’

I nodded to myself, comforting myself.

“Haa…”

Nan-cheong let out a deep sigh.

“I’ll play along.”

She had the expression of a sister taking care of a childish younger brother.

But regardless, I had overcome the first obstacle with this.

Now all that was left was actual combat.

I would break through under the protection of Nan-cheong, who was at the peak of second-rate.

“Wait a minute.”

I hurriedly started packing the things I needed for the cave exploration.

“1

….

One won’t be enough.

Two, no, three including the spare.”

Finally, I packed my weapon.

Even for an exploration that seemed trivial, being armed was essential.

And so we set off from the mountain gate.

“Don’t forget about me later.

I even played along with this kind of thing.”

With Nan-cheong’s grumbling, we started climbing the mountain path.

It was when the morning sun was just crossing the mountain ridge.

Unlike me, who was leading the way with light steps, Nan-cheong clearly showed a displeased expression.

She occasionally sighed and looked around.

The mountain path became steeper and steeper, and the bushes became even denser.

We had already taken two breaks, but the summit still seemed far away.

“There it is!”

After pushing through the bushes, we finally found the entrance to the cave.

However, Nan-cheong’s steps stopped as she approached the entrance.

There were clear footprints on the ground, and the dirt was scattered as if someone had just been there.

Nan-cheong frowned.

“It looks like someone has been here.”

As we entered the cave with torches, we saw even clearer signs.

Scratches on the wall and the place where medicinal herbs had been uprooted.

It was clear that someone had already harvested the medicinal herbs here.

But I smiled.

Because the real treasure I saw in the game was separate.

That’s when it happened.

Red eyes gleamed in the darkness.

“Be careful!”

Nan-cheong’s shout echoed through the cave.

The identity of the red eyes was what I had expected.

A spirit beast rat.

It was a rat, but it was almost the size of a pig.

Unlike ordinary rats, its eyes glowed red, and saliva dripped from its mouth.

It was on a different level from what I had seen in the game.

The spirit beast rat’s fur was clumped together in places, and veins bulged where the skin was visible.

Its claws were as sharp as blades, and they scraped against the cave rocks, creating sparks.

In an instant, it rushed towards me.

It was a moment where my hair stood on end.

Game?

Possession?

I was spouting such nonsense.

This is reality.

If I get bitten by that monster’s teeth, I’ll die.

My intestines will spill out while the severed flesh is still in the air.

I instinctively raised my sword.

But at that moment, I realized.

I haven’t even learned a proper sword technique yet.

I’m just barely following the basic swordsmanship of the Thousand Slaughter Valley.

Can I block that monster’s claws with this sword?

No, will this sword break in front of those claws that create sparks?

Cold sweat ran down my back.

And so I sensed death.

Clang!

However, Nan-cheong was faster than that rat.

With a sharp sound, Nan-cheong’s sword and the rat’s claws collided.

The spirit beast rat’s movements were different from the clumsy artificial intelligence in the game.

Despite having the early stages of second-rate, it was facing off against Nan-cheong, who was at the peak of second-rate.

The fight was even.

No, perhaps Nan-cheong was losing.

The spirit beast rat hardly used any inner energy, while Nan-cheong’s consumption of inner energy and stamina was higher than expected.

Only then did I realize.

Nan-cheong was only 14 years old.

Even if her level was second-rate, her pure fighting skills alone could be inferior to an adult second-rate martial artist.

My heart ached.

The one fighting that monster was a living person.

And it was my maid who had trusted and followed me.

She was fighting for her life.

A girl is fighting… Can a man just stand still?

But what should I do?

The rat is faster and smaller than a person, so I’ll only get in the way.

Right, all beasts are instinctively afraid of fire.

Even if it’s a spirit beast, it’ll be the same.

“This way, this way! You stupid rat!”

I shouted while waving the torch.

It was a clumsy movement, but when it slightly brushed against the rat’s fur, smoke rose from the fur and it was scorched.

The rat’s gaze turned to me for a moment.

Nan-cheong didn’t miss that brief gap.

Her sword flashed.

The sharp blade grazed the rat’s neck.

Black blood splattered.

Wounds increased all over the spirit beast rat’s body.

In particular, she attacked the head.

It was a characteristic of the Thousand Slaughter Valley’s martial arts.

If you pierce or cut the head even slightly, a human will die.

Therefore, the Thousand Slaughter Valley’s swordsmanship only aimed for vital points such as the forehead, neck, and heart.

Because that was enough.

But this rat was a little different.

Even though its neck and brain were half cut, it was still alive.

This was probably due to the unique vitality of a beast infused with spiritual energy.

Wounds that would have already killed an ordinary beast didn’t seem to have a big impact on this monster.

“Ha… ha…”

I heard Nan-cheong’s rough breathing.

Her movements were gradually becoming dull, probably because of the heavy consumption of stamina from the consecutive attacks infused with inner energy.

Sweat-soaked bangs stuck to her forehead.

“You have to cut deeper! The Thousand Slaughter Valley’s swordsmanship won’t work!”

The rat no longer paid attention to me.

It must have realized that I wasn’t making any proper attacks.

Therefore, even when I threw the torch and drew my sword, there was no particular reaction.

Perhaps it was the aftermath of a destroyed brain rather than learning.

Either way, it didn’t matter.

In the game, this rat’s role was a tutorial on how to catch beast-type enemies.

Therefore, it had most of the characteristics of beast-type enemies.

One of them was part destruction.

I aimed precisely for the rat’s tail.

Please!

Please get cut off!

Snip!

With a cheerful sound, the rat’s tail was cut off.

Black blood splattered everywhere.

The rat lost its balance and staggered.

It was just a simple tail, but the absence of it became a fatal weakness for the rat.

It had lost its sense of balance.

Nan-cheong didn’t miss the moment it staggered.

“Haaaap!”

She raised her sword high, unlike a typical assassin from the Thousand Slaughter Valley.

It wasn’t her usual precise strike, but a powerful slash with all her strength.

Shashashashak-!

The rat was split in two in one go.

“Kueeehk…”

With its last groan, the huge body fell to the ground.

Black blood stained the cave floor.

But that didn’t mean it was completely dead.

The rat that was split in two… was moving separately.

The upper body scratched the ground with its front paws, and the lower body was still twitching its legs.

It couldn’t walk or threaten, but just scratching the ground was terrifying enough.

“Ugh…”

I felt nauseous.

Blood was still soaking the floor, and intestines were squirming out.

The rat’s red eyes were still staring at us without losing focus.

This… I would have almost lost if I had come alone.

Cold sweat flowed.

“Alright, let’s go inside.

There won’t be any more enemies.”

I picked up the torch that had been thrown on the ground.

Thankfully, it hadn’t gone out yet.

Nan-cheong still held her sword loosely and remained vigilant.

She quietly followed me behind.

The cave was deeper than I thought.

As the torchlight illuminated the damp walls, the moist rocks sparkled.

After walking for a while, a strange pattern engraved on the wall caught my eye