Chapter 9: Tomb of the Gnolls (1)

Chapter 9: Tomb of the Gnolls (1)

"Wow, look at the time."

Kai was so engrossed in his first-ever solo play that he didn't realize the sun was setting.

Solo play seems possible.

The results of his hunting were naturally positive. The hunting speed was fast, and most importantly, he could heal himself, so there was no need to return to the village.

Having reached a conclusion, Kai got up from his spot.

It's about time for the monsters to get stronger. I should head back to the village.

When the sun sets, all monsters' abilities increased by 30 percent, but the drop rate and XP increased by 20 percent. Therefore, it was common sense to avoid night hunting unless one was confident in their equipment and control.

Swoosh.

"Huh?"

Kai, who was leaving the forest, witnessed a strange phenomenon. As the sun set and the moon rose, faint smoke began to emanate from the fragments of the Red Gnolls he had killed and started moving somewhere.

Smoke?

It wasn’t only one place. Smoke was escaping from every place where a Red Gnoll had died, and they all moved to the same location.

I don't recall hearing about such a phenomenon. RêAd lateSt chapters at novelhall.com Only

It was natural to not know. Even though MID Online had many players, the starting kingdoms and villages varied. Moreover, most players started in cities for convenience, so few started in such rural villages. Most importantly, no player would venture this deep into the forest at night.

Does that mean I'm the first to discover this phenomenon?

Being the first to experience something in a game often translated to benefits. With shining eyes, Kai changed his direction from the village and began to follow the smoke.

Swoosh.

Fwoosh.

Following the smoke, it became clear that they were all heading to the same location. Above him, numerous smokes converged, creating a magnificent sight like a sea of smoke flowing. The smoke was sucked into a swamp located on the forest floor.

"Hmm...?"

Kai stopped in front of it and stared at the swamp. The bottom of the sticky-looking swamp wasn’t visible, but there was definitely something there.

Should I go in? Or not?

Kai furrowed his eyebrows as he pondered.

If it's bad luck, it's just a trap. Otherwise, it could be a hidden quest or dungeon.

If it was a trap, he would die. But Kai thought logically.

Would the developers really go to such lengths to create a trap just to kill a few players?

That would be unlikely. If it were a trap, it would be polite to be deceived by the effort alone!

I can't just pass this up.

After activating Solaris Armor, Kai firmly made up his mind and jumped into the swamp.

***

Ugh!

The moment he fell into the swamp, there was only one thought filling his mind.

Oh, I shouldn't have entered.

The feeling of the sticky liquid drenching his body was far from pleasant. However, after two seconds, his thoughts completely reversed.

He started to breathe in air that should have been impossible to inhale in the swamp.

I’m breathing underwater?

Just as Kai felt puzzled, he plummeted downward.

Thud!

"Ouch!"

Wincing and rubbing his hip, Kai looked up at the ceiling. The ceiling was made of smooth black stone, with the swamp still swaying only above his head.

"The swamp... isn't falling down."

As if an invisible barrier was present, the swamp stayed on the ceiling without falling.

At the same time, a system message appeared.

Ding!

[You have discovered the Tomb of the Gnolls Dungeon.]

[Item drop rate increased by 30% for 9 in-game hours.]

[+1,250 XP]

[+520 Fame]

Just looking at it feels satisfying. Shall we proceed?

The dungeon's start wasn't bad. Moreover, the first discovery bonus still had 9 days left. How many more rewards could he gather in that time?

Kai walked out of the corridor, his mind filled with pleasant thoughts.

***

"Hmm..."

The dungeon exploration was going smoothly. However, as he continued down the endless corridors, the number of Gnoll Skeletons increased, and their levels rose. Finally, the moment he feared happened.

"Holy Explosion!"

Boom!

The Holy Explosion cast from Kai's fingertips emitted bright light, whitening the corridor. However, when the dust cloud settled, not a single Gnoll Skeleton was destroyed. Instead, they all approached Kai with red glowing eyes between their skulls.

Damn it...

It was because their levels were as high as 55.

"Holy..."

The two seconds of casting time felt as long as two minutes.

Was two seconds always this long?

As that thought crossed his mind, dozens of daggers rushed toward him.

"Ex... Ugh!"

[Casting interrupted.]

Kai immediately leaped backward. Then after checking his health, his face turned ashen.

Only 40% Stamina left? I even have Solaris Armor and Sacred Barrier on...!

Indeed, they were level 55 monsters! They were not to be underestimated.

Click, click, click!

Creak!

Dozens of Gnoll Skeletons slowly approached as their jawbones clicked. It felt like watching a scene from a horror movie!

Terrified, Kai quickly used a skill.

"Sunlight's Warmth! Sunlight's Warmth!"

He felt as peaceful as napping in a sunny spot on a lazy afternoon. Of course, his Stamina steadily increased as well.

As expected, the effect is great. Just using it twice increases my Stamina by over 60%.

Meanwhile, the group of Gnoll Skeletons continued to advance.

Kai rolled up his sleeves. "Alright. Let's see who quits first. Holy Explo..."

[Casting Interrupted.]

"Holy Ex..."

[Casting Interrupted.]

"Hol..."

[Casting Interrupted.]

The monsters in MID Online were cunning. Their excellent learning ability never allowed Kai to complete his Holy Explosion. They knew from experience that being hit by Holy Explosion was very painful.

"D-dang it!"

The Gnoll Skeletons eventually knocked Kai over and surrounded him in a circle. They continuously beat him.

"W-wait! You’re hitting my bone..."

Despite his plea of being hit on the bone, the merciless group continued their beating without stopping! Kai, curled up like a caterpillar, was relentlessly beaten.

Amidst this, he instinctively protected his head with both hands to minimize damage and chanted, "Sunlight's Warmth! Sunlight's Warmth! Sunlight's Warmth!"

[HP has dropped below 10%.]

[HP restored.]

[HP has dropped below 10%.]

[HP restored.]

His HP rapidly decreased and then increased, as if stuck in a bug!

I might actually die at this rate!

His Holy Power he quickly glanced at had already dropped to 30%. He couldn't survive by healing forever. Kai's mind snapped to attention, and he began looking for a weakness in their attacking.

"Huh...?"

After a moment, Kai's eyes narrowed as he discovered something.