Chapter 76

[You have completed the quest ‘Sock and Buskin.’] (EN: Chapter 46)

[You have gained 1500 points.]

[You have gained a Gold Box as a first-time reward.]

[You have completed all quests]

[You have gained 1500 points.]

[You have gained a Gold Box as a first-time completion reward.]

[Congratulations, you are the first Awakened to have completed all dungeon quests.]

[You have gained a Diamond Box as a first-time completion reward.]

[Congratulations, you are the first awakened to have met the conditions for dungeon destruction.]

[You have gained a Master Box as a first-time reward.]

The last message was this.

[Congratulations, you are the first awakened to have killed a boss monster.]

[You have gained a Challenger Box as a first-time reward.]

I did not scream as the Adversity Overcomer wore off and the messages faded out, as Yeonhee Woo had taken my wounds. Her flesh looked like it had been chewed up, and I could see that blood was still seeping out of her clothes. Her pale face was covered with blood, and I could see her face muscles twitch. She was still fortunately unconscious, but also near death.

“I will open the boxes later.”

[Unopened boxes will open automatically after twenty-four hours.]

[Unopened boxes: 1 Challenger Box, 1 Master Box, 1 Diamond Box, 2 Gold Boxes.]

I grabbed the map from Yeonhee Woo’s backpack and ran out with her in my arms. There was no need for anything else, and it seemed like she was getting lighter by each second.

“Just hang on.”

I had gone through the blue barrier back to our reality when a message popped out.

[Will you destroy the dungeon?]

“Yes!”

I had no time to see the blue barrier disappear and the stairs crumble. I left the basement behind to head for the nearest hospital room. I had laid down Yeonhee Woo on a bed when another message popped up.

[You have destroyed a dungeon.]

[You have completed the achievement ‘Buried’.]

[You have gained the trait ‘Interdiction’ as the first-time reward.]

I did not care about that, as Yeonhee Woo was dying in front of me. I turned her face sideways as she was about to aspirate her blood and suffocate, and it poured out of her mouth and on to the bed. [email protected] She knew what would happen if she had to use Marie’s Hand and knew there was the possibility that she would die. The problem was that her stamina stats were too [email protected] weak. I saw most of the newly Awakened die due to insufficient stats, and Yeonhee Woo will also…

The EEG monitor’s beep slowed down, and all the numbers were heading towards death. It was when the monitor’s LCD display jittered from the corona effect from my still active Odin’s Wrath that her heart stopped.

[Your party has been terminated.]

The defibrillator was useless, blue sparks shorted the unit when I grabbed the paddles. I remembered the Sixth Virtue had used Odin’s Wrath in situations like this and placed my hands on Yeonhee Woo’s chest. I had practiced this just in case but tried to use the defibrillator because I had always failed.

I would not be able to use the skill like the Sixth Virtue when it was only an F class, but I just needed to shock Yeonhee Woo’s heart into action. I visualized the electricity running through my body, from head to toe and tried to imagine how my lightning should be used.

***

This was another crucial moment, and six hours passed after that. I would not be able to save her due to the skill’s cooldown time if her heart stopped again. However, she stopped bleeding, and I gently carried her into a new room without blood. It was now morning, and I saw bones through her wounds. However, some of the wounds were slowly closing, and it looked like she would survive.

Yeonhee Woo opened her eyes, and she seemed like she wanted to say something. I felt the pain from her movements and refilled the IV again. Fortunately, Yeonhee Woo calmed down, as I had changed the medicine into a stronger one.

I remembered her varied expressions I had seen this month. She had become stronger while not losing her humanity, and  her growth in the dungeon was incredible. If our power really came from an absolute being, and such a presence existed, our Trial Tests should have caused such growth. However, we have not been able to take our Trial Tests yet, and I realized from Yeonhee Woo’s example that she had overcome her trials in the dungeon by her own determination and courage. I had thought of the Eight Virtues’ argument a few times before, about how everything depended on the good will of this absolute being, but now I was certain. My mind became clear.

***

The system was only a system, and I had accumulated 3420 points along with boxes. Such rewards would only come out of S class dungeons and gate battles. Maybe I would get such a reward again if I was the first one to enter E class. While the Trial Tests and gate battles awaited, I thought I had gained almost all the first-time achievements in this era.

Therefore, I wanted skills and items from the Challenger and Master Boxes rather than insignias that would disappear after use. I checked over Yeonhee Woo before opening boxes.

[Will you open the Master Box?]

The Master Box shined in all the colors from the boxes under its grade, and I waited for the light to spread out. I glared at the blinding light and read a message.

[You have gained the skill ‘Gaia’s Will.’]

“Gaia’s Will?”

I had wanted a skill, but this was an upgraded version of Iron Skin. While Gaia’s Will would grow much higher than Iron Skin, I needed a skill I could use to attack for now.

[Will you remove the skill ‘Iron Skin’?]

[You have removed the skill ‘Iron Skin.’]

I did not hesitate, as I did not want a defensive skill-set. Now, it was time to open the Challenger Box. I wanted another skill or an item but wanted an attack skill with a shorter cooltime.

[Will you open the Challenger Box?]

“Yes.”

[The Challenger Box will now open.]

This may be my last Challenger Box, and I had gained Odin’s Skill and a Revive Insignia from those I had opened after I came back to the past. It was always luck, but now I realized that now may be the time to get an item since I had gotten an insignia and a skill before. If I had to get an insignia, I hoped for a Revival.

A beautiful and bright light shone out as I waited for my reward.