Just a little update on TLS and t.i.tH. Everyone is returning from holiday/prepping back to work/exams and such, so regular releases should come around the middle-to-end of January.

There were flames everywhere. Instead of using careful control, Vulcan randomly cast the Firewalls all over the place and turned the Abandoned Dungeon into h.e.l.l.

One after the other, the Cheetahmen that had nowhere to run came to attack the caster, but their efforts were wasted. The h.e.l.lfires being produced endlessly were gunning for them like the bullets of a sniper.

BOOM.

KRUWAAANG.

BABAAM

KIYAAANG

[Experience points went up.]

[Experience points went up.]

[Level Up!]

“All right. All right.”

Vulcan hummed a song and enjoyed slaughtering Cheetahmen.

Ever since the SYSTEM progressed, the hunt became too easy. Without any concern for mental strain, Vulcan was now able to continuously cast high-level magic. As of result, the hunting speed increased exponentially.

The rate of mana depletion was not even worth worrying about. Whenever Vulcan was just about to run out of mana, he used the specialty mana potion from Bereneru’s general store, and then he spent the mana away like water. Thanks to Jake’s sponsors.h.i.+p, Vulcan had plenty of potion in his inventory.

The confine of the limited s.p.a.ce within the dungeon was also an advantage to Vulcan. Because Firewalls caused damage to monsters over time, casting them all over the place resulted in Cheetahmen dying by themselves. As for the ones coming at Vulcan, he only had to repel them back into the Firewalls using either the h.e.l.lfire or the Infinite Flame Orb.

It could be said that this was the pinnacle of the most expedient and efficient hunt.

Right at this moment, that brilliant achievement was transformed into numbers and was s.h.i.+ning in front of Vulcan.

[First-Rate Magic Swordsman Vulcan]

[301Lv]

Health – 493(438 + 55)

Mana – 717(617 + 100)

Physical Attack Power – 1001(891 + 110)

Magic Attack Power – 1528(1378 + 150)

Stamina – 770(720 + 50)

Vulcan’s stats increased to over four times of what he had when he first set foot on Asgard.

It was an amazing growth. If he could meet his former self, Vulcan felt that he probably could neutralize him with just one finger.

Although he could not make a direct comparison, the Fireball that Vulcan had now could be more powerful than the h.e.l.lfire that he had back then.

Besides the improved stats, there was one thing that drew his attention.

It was none other than the t.i.tle of ‘First-Rate.’

The truth to be told, this was making him more excited than the stats.

‘At last… Finally I am a First-Rate!’

First-Rate Magic Swordsman Vulcan.

It felt incredibly good. He could not hide the smile that constantly came to his face.

Since coming to Asgard for the first time, Vulcan thought about how he was subjected to a Third-Rate treatment for nearly three years. The memories flashed by him like a kaleidoscope.

Of course, when the masteries were considered, which was increased from the training, at least Vulcan’s abilities could be said as beyond the First-Rate and actually at the Zenith’s level.

However, although he wanted to proclaim, ‘My true abilities is not Third-Rate!’, whenever Vulcan opened the SYSTEM window and saw the t.i.tle of ‘Third-Rate,’ it only made him sigh.

Now that he was officially acknowledged as a First-Rate by the SYSTEM, Vulcan felt like he could fly away.

“All right! I’m going to keep up this momentum and go straight to the boss’s room!”

The boss’s room that could not be accessed due to the level limitation was now open.

It had been two months and 20 days. Also, Vulcan went past level 300, which was his target, so there was no reason for him to hesitate clearing the dungeon.

Moreover, Vulcan was full of antic.i.p.ations due to the fact that this was the first quest that he was challenging since coming to Asgard.

‘I wonder how amazing the reward would be.’

The Super Heated Inferno he received when he was at level 99 was currently Vulcan’s core skill that could be called as his certain-kill technique. The quest he was about to try had the level limit of 300, which was incredible.

On top of that, this was a hidden quest.

It was difficult to not have antic.i.p.ations.

‘I don’t know when the boss’s room will show up, but I am in pretty deep already… I think I will get there before the end of today.’

Vulcan gathered the items that Cheetahmen threw up and then headed toward deeper end of the dungeon.

His steps were light as if he already was holding a reward of immense value. 

The door was similar to the marble stone door from the dungeon’s front entrance that Vulcan saw in the beginning.

To point out a difference, there was one thing. A shape, that was suspected to be the appearance of the boss, was carved on to the door in great detail.

He could see the Cheetah King solemnly sitting on the throne.

“This b.a.s.t.a.r.d, he might be too full of pride.”

After observing the door for a while, Vulcan kicked it open and entered the room.

Inside the room, the Cheetah King, sitting exactly like the engraving on the door, greeted Vulcan.

[Cheetah King]

[400Lv]

*King of all Cheetahmen. Attacks with substantially greater speed and sharpness. Has toughness that cannot be seen from ordinary Cheetahmen.

Unlike the Devil Goblin, the Cheetah King was by himself without a single minion. It carefully removed his crown and cape, placed them on the throne, then it suddenly charged at Vulcan.

‘It is fast.’

Its speed was far superior to ordinary Cheetahmen.

However, Vulcan had full knowledge of Cheetahmen’s patterns from six months of hunting, therefore the Cheetah King’s speed was not a threat to him.

A h.e.l.lfire abruptly formed between Vulcan and the Cheetah King.

The Cheetah King noticed the h.e.l.lfire with its superb eyesight, but its incredible speed worked against it.

The Cheetah King got engulfed in the h.e.l.lfire without having any chance to dodge, and it was roughly knocked back. A part of the stoned walled room was destroyed, and stone powders resulting from the damage filled the air.

However, the Cheetah King bounced back up soon. Looking at it, Vulcan made a face as if he was impressed.

“Certainly, unlike the minions, it is tough.”

Even so, it did not appear that defeating the Cheetah King was going to be difficult.

Vulcan activated the Infinite Flame Orbs as he watched the Cheetah King glaring at him with its eyes full of wariness.

Countless spherical fireb.a.l.l.s poured out from Vulcan’s hands.

Realizing the situation is taking a turn for worse, Cheetah King made a move again toward Vulcan, but the h.e.l.lfire blocked his path yet again. This time, perhaps because he was ready for it, the Cheetah King succeeded in changing his trajectory before colliding with the h.e.l.lfire, but that was all it could accomplish. It may have avoided being damaged by the h.e.l.lfire, but the situation was still such that there was nothing in its favor.

Vulcan was leisurely pouring out the Infinite Flame Orbs, and the Cheetah King made a ruckus as it watched Vulcan.

Vulcan was already certain about his victory.

KUWAAAANG

As if it didn’t have any good plan, the Cheetah King charged at Vulcan again using the same pattern, and he kept it in check with ease. Because of Vulcan’s continuous defense with the h.e.l.lfires, the Cheetah King was getting infuriated, enough to make it loose its fur, but it had absolutely no means of dealing effective damage to Vulcan.

Like that, the Cheetah King wasted time away worthlessly, and number of Infinite Flame Orbs grew from hundreds to over several thousand.

At that moment, Vulcan started to firebomb all areas the Cheetah King could move to.

PAPAPBOOMBOOMBOOMBOOMBOOM

KHIAAAAAONG

The Cheetah King was struck by the Infinite Flame Orbs coming from all directions and cried out in pain.

After confirming the Cheetah King collapsing to the floor with its entire body giving off smokes, Vulcan opened the quest log.

“Reward! Reward!”

Even before entering the room, Vulcan only had the reward in his mind. He didn’t even wait a moment before opening the quest log.

Vulcan quickly scanned the quest log to find what he wanted.

However, the reward he was looking for was not there.

The hidden quest description was still there stating that it was incomplete. Confused, Vulcan said,

“Uh? What? Why isn’t the quest complete?”

KUWRUWAAAAAK!

Hearing the abrupt beastly roar made Vulcan’s head to make a rapid turn toward the direction. Vulcan terminated the quest window, which was getting in the way of his sight, and a.s.sumed a combat stance again.

The Cheetah King’s muscles were bulked up as if he got an instant effect from a shot of a steroid, and its eyes were turned red.

It was giving off a substantially more dangerous vibe then before. It was exuding vicious and murderous aura toward Vulcan.

“It didn’t die yet. Is it time for the round two?”

Regardless, other than increase in its speed and defense, there wouldn’t be much to it, or so Vulcan thought.

Vulcan focused all of the remaining Infinite Flame Orbs at the Cheetah King.

He figured that as long as one of them hits the Cheetah King, its stance will falter, and then he could have the remaining Infinite Flame Orbs rain down on it. Just in case, Vulcan also had three h.e.l.lfires prepared.

At an instant, Vulcan made the situation into his pace. 

However, like phlegm sometimes stuck inside the neck, an unpleasant feeling surrounded Vulcan’s entire body.

Vulcan did not ignore his own intuition. Even when the Infinite Flame Orb made a direct impact to the back of the Cheetah King’s head, Vulcan still did not let go of his guard.

And then, Vulcan’s intuition, about having a bad feeling on what could happen, turned out to be right.

PABOOM

KUWAAAANG

“…!”

The Cheetah King was not knocked back by the impact at all. Instead, it continued its charge toward Vulcan.

It was completely different from before, where it lost its balance whenever it was. .h.i.t by a magic attack.

Vulcan quickly launched the h.e.l.lfires that he had prepared earlier.

BOOMBOOMBOOM.

KRUGAGAGAK

However, it was insufficient to slow down the Cheetah King, which was extremely agitated at the moment.

The Cheetah King was not even bothering with clawing away the h.e.l.lfire with its front legs. It just charged straight on toward Vulcan while colliding with h.e.l.lfire with its body. Watching the Cheetah King’s behavior, Vulcan gave up on his plan for shooting lightning bolts.

The situation was not where the jolts from lightning attacks would work.

The Cheetah King was displaying might like a berserker in middle of a war’s battlefield, something that could ignore every attack and all abnormalities unless the damage was severe enough to bring it close to the brink of death.

‘Is he in super armor mode?’

It could not be explained by anything else.

Vulcan used the dodge ability for the first time since he made progression on the SYSTEM.

KUAANG

The Cheetah King glazed Vulcan and collided hard with the stone-walled room’s interior.

As of result, its forehead was bleeding from a cut, but it was smiling with its fangs out. It didn’t appear to have taken a serious damage. It seemed that in order to kill the Cheetah King, Vulcan would have to pour in magic for a very long time.

Of course, that was not a problem for Vulcan.

Vulcan was thinking that he could continue dodging the Cheetah King’s charging attacks like just now, and regardless of it losing balance or not, as long as Vulcan continued to firebomb the Cheetah King with magic, even its health would show its limits.

The idea was that, as long as Vulcan kept it up and repeated the process, time would come where even the Cheetah King would collapse.

However…

‘Saying I’m a disgrace, you b.a.s.t.a.r.d.’

A runt that only runs away. Avoiding a fair and square duel, you are a runt that only throws childish fireworks.

Although Vulcan couldn’t communicate with it, he could tell that it was laughing at and belittling Vulcan.

It was thinking that Vulcan was a coward that avoids a head on duel.

Vulcan was not the type that fell for provocations easily.

However, he was also not the type that would just ignore a provocation from a weakling that didn’t know its place.

“Thunder G.o.d’s Might.”

The Thunder G.o.d’s Might activated to its full capacity encompa.s.sed Vulcan’s entire body.

Vulcan felt exhilarating sensation as if every cell on his body was awakened. He took a quick draw blade technique stance.

It was an extremely steady stance, but the power of an immense magnitude, like a bow drawn all the way to its limits, could be felt from it.

The Cheetah King crunched for a moment, but smiled again and leaped toward Vulcan with all of its might.

The Cheetah King had never seen anyone that was faster than it. It was certain that its claws will reach the opponent’s heart first.

After a hundredth of a second had pa.s.sed, when the Cheetah King’s fully extended front leg’s claws were just about to pierce into Vulcan’s upper body, a flash of blade emerging from Vulcan’s left side sliced through the Cheetah King’s waist.

A feint red line decorated the Cheetah King’s body. That feint line eventually became a thicker line, and soon, like a broken dam, blood started to pour out of its body.

Like an ice statue that was cut clean, the Cheetah King’s upper body slid off and fell.

Vulcan stared down at the corpse of Cheetah King. He could see its lifeless eyes.

“Maybe you lost touch on figuring out the strength of your opponents because you have been a king in your dungeon for all this time.”

Vulcan cleaned the blood from his blade by wiping it on the Cheetah King’s furry hide, and he added another line.

“Even provocation should be done after knowing whom you are doing it to.”

[Experience points went up.]

[Level Up!]

[Hidden Quest – Abandoned Dungeon’s Boss Monster, Defeat the Cheetah King, Complete!]

[Please select your reward.]

As soon as Vulcan finished his one-liner, the notification alarm from the SYSTEM indicating the level up and quest completion could be heard.

Vulcan took a deep breath as he drew his gaze away from the Cheetah King’s corpse.

Although it was postponed for a while, but in the end, Vulcan succeeded in completing the hidden quest safely.

Now, all he had to do was reap the fruit of his labor, and then the six months of his life in the dungeon would come to an end. He was suddenly not tired at all. Instead, he was filled with excitement and antic.i.p.ation.

“Now, should I check out the rewards list…”

Vulcan was just about to go and select the reward, but he squinted his eyes in response to bright light pouring out from the floor.

It was not just bright. A sense of holiness could be felt from the rays of light.

Wondering what it was, Vulcan took a look at the floor, and then his face turned to stone.

“…”

Vulcan carefully bent his back and picked up a blade that was glowing with heavenly light.

A brilliantly white blade. An archaic design.

Having lost his mind at the sight of the blade’s beauty, Vulcan murmured,

“A Legendary… Weapon…?”