Chapter 59

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【The Power Source of the God of Infidelity】

It’s an item that defines itself as a power source. It was a large stone marble with strange patterns etched onto its surface.

However, it was split in half by Do-joon’s spear.

Maybe that’s why.

【It is heavily damaged. Options cannot be checked until repaired.】

He couldn’t see what options were at stake.

“Tsk.”

Do-joon clicked his tongue. It is said that it can be repaired, but who in the world can repair the item that came out of a monster?

‘If it’s a power source, is it the core that makes them move?’

A type often seen in inanimate monsters such as Golems. A single core moves the main body and collapses when broken.

Do-joon, who confirmed the information, stepped down neatly. It’s a waste, but it’s already broken. Even if he stamped his feet for no reason, it was not going to be fixed.

Furthermore.

‘There’s one more here.’

There is still a remaining stone statue that is moving.

Do-joon looked at him and laughed. The location of the core has already been determined. The lower abdomen of the stone statue.

Golem, whose core position was discovered, was a monster that could not be as easy to deal with as earlier.

“Your belly… … .”

Do-joon’s eyes lit up and he looked at his stomach.

Kugugu-

Suddenly, the statue seemed to flinch for some reason. Well, it’s probably just his feeling. There is no way such an inanimate monster has feelings.

Do-joon grabbed Kalish and jumped at once.

This time, jumping, pulling out the chain, and knocking it down, he did not do any of such complicated things. There was clearly visible weakness. On top of that.

Kwaang-!

He struck in the storm. Then the stone statue took a step back. With a large hole in the chest.

But the hole did not stop him. The stone statue lifted the large falchion and struck it down.

Whoooosh!

Do-joon avoided it lightly. He stepped on his spear and rose. Do-joon, who soon arrived at the hole in his chest.

‘There it is.’

He found a red glowing stone buried there.

Do-joon reaches out to the stone with his mana-clad hands. After that, he grabbed it as it was and pulled it out.

Pasak! Tududug!

It feels like something is being pulled.

Soon, Do-joon landed on the floor with a red stone in one hand.

Then the light disappeared from the stone statue’s eyes, and began to crumble.

【You have defeated the Monster. Experience (EXP) increases.】

After a while, all that remained on the spot was a mountain of sand piled up on the ground.

“It works like this too.”

The method he chose for dealing with the power source without breaking it down as much as possible.

However, he thought that if he just pulled it out, the statue could be regenerated around it. In that case, he had no choice but to break it again.

‘Fortunately, I’m not that picky.’

Both statues were disposed of and nothing was left around. Just in case, he looked through the piled-up sand mountains, but as expected, no other items were there.

The loot is the experience gained by defeating two monsters and one of these stones.

Do-joon checked the information window of the stone in his hand. This time, it was an unbroken, intact one.

【The Power Source of the God of Infidelity】

Rank

– Rare

Classification

– Material

Effect

– A stone marble embedded in a stone statue modelled after the God of Infidelity. It has the property of draining nearby mana, and so it was used as a power source for moving the stone statues.

The first thing that catches his eyes is the rarity.

And the effect displayed in the information window.

‘Draining mana?’

The other stuff was roughly skipped over and the key was this. The ability to drain mana.

Do-jun quietly picked up the stone and closed his eyes.

‘Really.’

Atmospheric mana, although a little, was being sucked into the marble stone.

When Do-joon was surprised, Kalish asked.

― What’s wrong with you?

The item information window is not visible to Kalish. Do-joon explained the function of the stone to him.

“This stone is said to drain the mana around it.”

― Draining mana? Do you mean the marbles breathe on their own?

Breathe on its own?

It was a bit of a strange expression, but he understood what he was trying to say. For Kalish, breathing was the process of accumulating mana.

“It’s similar.”

Do-joon replied like that and looked around the stone. The overall colour is red, and the geometric patterns are drawn densely on the surface.

Other than that, there were no special features. He can’t believe this marble, which looks like a toy at first glance, has such an ability.….

‘It’s a material that will make the craftsmen go crazy when they see it.’

It absorbs and stores mana on its own. Isn’t this a perfect option for making special equipment?

Even if he doesn’t make anything there, he can carry it for emergency use. Wouldn’t it be useful when he runs out of mana and is in a pressing situation?

And above all else.

‘What if I copy it?’

What option would he have if he copied it to himself?

Of course, it’s a bit predictable. Do-joon has copied countless options and watched the changes so far. It wasn’t difficult to predict to some extent.

Also, even if he didn’t have that kind of experience, he could have guessed it. Because it was such an intuitive option.

‘Great.’

This highly anticipated option is the first since copying Khalishi’s indestructible. Even the spirit affinity was not as heart-pounding as it is now.

Feeling his heart beating pleasantly, Do-joon used the copy skill.

Soon after, the marble stone turned into light and disappeared, and an immediate change appeared in Do-joon’s body.

By the way,

[Additional option]

– Attribute: Mana Recovery Lv1

One more was attached than expected.

There was a level attached next to it.

* * *

Whik!

The scenery passes by quickly. After disposing of the stone statue, Do-joon began to climb the stairs again.

It was an unplanned climb, but now Do-joon was in a very good mood. Because.

‘Mana recovery.’

Because he could feel the newly acquired characteristic well.

Originally, it was very simple to recover mana. All he had to do was breathe.

Mana from the atmosphere enters through breathing and naturally accumulates in the body.

‘But now it’s coming in through the skin as well.’

The mana recovery characteristic he obtained just now worked separately from the recovery through breathing. Additional mana was restored through the skin in contact with the atmosphere.

Of course, the human body is all in contact with the atmosphere, so to speak, mana is being absorbed by the whole body.

‘Maybe because it’s still Lv1, the amount is not much.’

Still, it felt quite good to have a new one that was completely zero.

Most of all, the good thing was that it was an additional recovery separate from breathing.

― Even if your breathing is disturbed, what comes from your skin is still the same, right?

Kalish said as if he was dumbfounded.

There is one thing he always emphasised on Do-joon in mana training.

It is to always catch his breath even in combat situations or in situations where his stamina has dropped a lot.

There is also a concern that the breathing pattern may be read by the opponent during the battle. And once breathing is disturbed, Mana will not recover properly. The longer the fight, the more disadvantageous it becomes.

― Whether you are fighting or just sleeping, you must have the same breathing to be called a master.

That was what Kalish always emphasised.

Do-joon also believed that he was right, and he is always paying attention to his training.

But it had not reached that level yet. It hasn’t been long since he started training under Kalish’s guidance in the first place.

However, recovery due to this characteristic is always constant regardless of breathing.

Mana’s recovery characteristic was steady even when breathing was perfect or when it was disturbed. It brought a steady amount of mana to Do-joon.

“When I stay still, my breathing is stable, so I don’t feel much.”

― But if you don’t breathe well, will you feel it a lot more?

“Yeah.”

In other words, the longer and more intense the battle, the more efficient it will be.

‘In the first place, mana recovery is not so urgent in normal times.’

On the other hand, it wasn’t such a huge demerit that he usually didn’t feel much.

As a result, a honey-like option that has no disadvantages at all.

― If it’s the ability to recover, it’s a perfect fit for this labyrinth. Because you have to go up for a long time.

Do-joon nodded. That’s also true.

In fact, in the beginning, after running for a while, he had to take a break and pick his breath. He rested like that, started running again, and rested again on the way.

But now.

“I’ve been running for over an hour already.”

He was running for more than an hour, no, almost two hours without a break. If it hadn’t been for the newly acquired trait, he would have taken breaks sooner.

― There is also something you have become familiar with. At first, you failed once in every three steps, but now it’s much less.

“Really?”

At those words, Dojun suddenly realised.

He was just concentrating on checking the mana recovery characteristic, so he didn’t pay much attention to his steps.

However, according to Kalish’s evaluation, he has become more proficient.

― In the beginning, if you put too much force, it is easy to fail. It is, after all, an extension of the running style. When you walk and run, are you conscious of each movement while doing it?

“Not really.”

― You should be able to express the techniques you are learning to a certain extent. Naturally, even if you don’t worry about it. So that the wind blows when the will is strong.

For example, even when someone first learns to ride a bicycle, they pay attention to the left foot and the right foot while pedalling. However, after getting used to it, they can ride it naturally without having to be aware of it.

It was in that context. Although the gap between a bicycle and storm god martial arts was quite wide.

Anyway, feeling the efficacy of mana breathing while listening to Kalish’s guidance, he ran for a little longer.

He stopped in the middle to eat and close his eyes.

He didn’t know for sure since he doesn’t have a watch, but it felt like one more day had passed. At that time.

― It’s a stone statue.

“They’re the same guys as before.”

Again this time, He arrived at the halfway point where the two statues were waiting.

Do-joon raised his tension a little. But it wasn’t like he was trembling with tension or stiffening.

He already knew all their weaknesses and strategies. There was no reason to be nervous now.

Rather, in his eyes.

‘The mana recovery level will go up to 3.’

They were seen only as grateful monsters that would upgrade his skill attribute.

* * *

It was not a very large manor.

A small courtyard covered with a tiled roof. A pond and a growing tree in the yard.

An old man was walking slowly through the yard until he reached under a tree. Then, not knowing where it appeared from, a bird flew in and sat on the shoulder of the old man.

The old man with a reticent expression reached out towards the tree. Upon that.

Tuduk.

He couldn’t even reach it, but the fruit on the branch fell. The fruit came into the hands of the old man as if to be sucked in.

Crunch.

The old man opens his mouth and bites into the  fruit.

Then the old man suddenly turned his gaze towards the front door.

The scenery seen over the open door is a pure white landscape surrounded by clouds and fog.

However, the fog could not block the old man’s eyesight.

In his eyes.

“…….”

I could see endless, descending stairs.