Chapter 106: How to Ignite Competitiveness

## Episode 106: How to Ignite Competitiveness

‘What is this?’

Kim Jinsung reread the notification before him.

Demon God Dantalian. It was a name he’d never encountered before.

‘Could Demon God actually mean…DEMON GOD?’

And the part about showing interest was also confusing.

Intrigued, he waited for a follow-up notification,

But nothing happened.

‘Hmm…’

He tried to analyze the message but gave up, dismissing it.

It was pointless to ponder without any further information.

‘I’m sure he’ll show up again somewhere in this labyrinth.’

He decided to be optimistic, moving on.

Another notification then popped up.

He checked, hoping it might be related to Dantalian, but it wasn’t.

—

▶ You have defeated a monster.

▶ Acquired 200 Beast Karma points.

▶ Obtained composite trait ‘Natural Born Searcher’ from the defeated monster.

▷ Natural Born Searcher: Grants the following traits:

– Keen Smell: Sense of smell becomes as acute as a wild animal’s. Able to detect scents from a great distance.

– Strong Jaw: Biting force significantly enhanced.

– Permanent Agility +100.

—

They were traits he had acquired from the Aard he’d defeated.

‘…Nothing special, but the Agility boost and points are nice.’

Given how challenging those Aards had been, an agility boost of 100 didn’t seem excessive at all.

Just then, he sensed movement behind him.

Turning his head, he saw Lee Jiseong cautiously approaching.

He had fled when the battle began and was only now returning, having heard the sounds of fighting cease.

“Is…it over…?”

Lee Jiseong asked nervously, gauging Kim Jinsung’s mood.

Kim Jinsung didn’t respond. But Lee Jiseong already knew the answer.

His gaze fell on the numerous Aard corpses scattered around Kim Jinsung.

‘Oh my god… he single-handedly defeated all those Aards…’

Lee Jiseong couldn’t help but be amazed.

He had frequently encountered Aard Tainted Ones in the Demon World Dungeon and knew how strong they were.

One thing was for sure: there wasn’t a single contestant in the labyrinth capable of defeating this many Aards alone, except Kim Jinsung.

He could swear on his life.

‘Even if they’re the weakest of the Tainted Ones, how could he defeat them all alone…’

He stared at Kim Jinsung with a newfound sense of awe. But he noticed Kim Jinsung was already walking away.

“Gasp!”

He rushed after him, not wanting to be left behind.

He ran and caught up, following closely as he thought to himself,

‘Maybe I can safely escape this labyrinth if I stick with him!’

Of course, he couldn’t be certain that Kim Jinsung would flawlessly defeat every monster they encountered.

But one thing was clear: being with Kim Jinsung was the safest option he had.

‘The internet said my luck today was incredible, and it was right!’

He couldn’t help but grin with self-satisfaction.

* * *

Baek Jun, witnessing Kim Jinsung eliminate all the Aards,

“Phew…”

Let out a sigh of relief, sinking back down onto his chair.

Jang Seungwook, who had worked alongside him for years, had never seen him so visibly affected.

“It’s fine now. He defeated them all. If those Aard Tainted Ones had survived and scattered…”

“……!”

Jang Seungwook shuddered, imagining the gruesome scenario.

If those Aards had attacked the other contestants, it would’ve been a complete disaster. He now understood why Baek Jun had sighed in relief.

‘The contestants near them would have been massacred.’

They had barely avoided a situation where the carefully laid plans they had painstakingly crafted were ruined by an unexpected variable. A situation Baek Jun absolutely loathed.

“…Hopefully, no more dimensional rifts appear….”

He muttered, his expression still clouded with worry.

As Yong Hangil had mentioned, dungeons that had experienced a dimensional rift were much more likely to experience more.

“Is there anything we can do?”

Jang Seungwook asked. Baek Jun shook his head.

“No, not unless we stop the live broadcast.”

“…Right.”

Jang Seungwook sighed, resigned.

He knew Baek Jun well enough to know that he wouldn’t stop the live broadcast even if his life depended on it. He abandoned the idea as soon as he’d heard the answer.

“Then let’s hope no more rifts appear.”

Baek Jun didn’t respond to his comment, there was no need.

They were at the mercy of fate now.

* * *

Kim Jinsung and Lee Jiseong continued to walk down the passage.

They had not encountered a single monster since the dimensional rift incident. The relatively peaceful atmosphere allowed them to converse.

Or rather, it was more like Lee Jiseong talking while Kim Jinsung listened.

“The official name for the Tainted Ones is ‘Inquinatus.’ ‘Tainted Ones’ is aterm used in Korean because .”

“……”

“There are many theories about their true origins, but the one gaining traction argues that they were once hunters from another dimension.”

One word from Lee Jiseong’s explanation caught Kim Jinsung’s interest.

‘Hunters from another dimension?’

His interest piqued, he paid closer attention.

“Their combat style is quite similar to Earth’s professionally-trained hunters. Some of them have proven to be even more skilled than us.”

Kim Jinsung nodded, recalling his encounter with the Aards.

‘Their movements were definitely on a completely different level compared to ordinary monsters.’

He could have easily dealt with them, despite their numbers, if they had been mindlessly attacking like regular monsters.

But their movements had been fluid and precise, reminiscent of highly-trained hunters, as Lee Jiseong had mentioned, which was why he hadn’t even attempted to counterattack initially.

“Therefore, the current theory suggests they were hunters from another world who , after dying under mysterious circumstances, were tainted by dark energy and transformed into monsters. But it’s just a theory…”

“… …”

Seeing that Kim Jinsung remained silent, Lee Jiseong continued,

“You remember the Aards we fought earlier? They’re actually considered the weakest among the ‘Tainted Ones.’”

This time, Kim Jinsung was truly surprised.

Those Aards he had struggled against were the weakest?

“Dimensional rifts in higher-level Demon World Dungeons on the Sselepoh mainland often unleash Tainted Ones far stronger than Aards.”

“……”

“Ah, of course, you won’t encounter something like that here. The chances of encountering a Tainted One stronger than an Aard in a low-level dungeon are very slim.”

Noticing Kim Jinsung’s attention, he became more animated,

“Well, that is if we encounter another dimensional rift. The chances of encountering a rift in a low-level dungeon like this are so slim that we probably won’t see another one… huh?!”

Kim Jinsung came to an abrupt halt.

Lee Jiseong, following right behind him, almost slammed his face into Kim Jinsung’s shoulder.

But there was something odd about his demeanor.

He was exhibiting the same behavior he had shown upon encountering the dimensional rift the Aards had emerged from.

‘No way…’

His eyes darted towards where Kim Jinsung was staring.

He saw it.

Space, right before his eyes, was being slowly torn apart.

“This is crazy! Why?!”

He screamed in despair.

They had encountered two dimensional rifts in less than an hour, something that was incredibly rare even for veterans.

‘How could I be so unlucky?’

As he struggled to accept the reality, the dimensional rift fully formed.

This time, however, he didn’t run. He was confident in Kim Jinsung’s ability after witnessing him annihilate the Aards.

‘I’ll be safe as long as I keep my distance. Maybe I should even try helping out this time…’

Then, a being emerged from the rift.

His face contorted in horror.

“Holy shit!! Really?!”

He couldn’t help but curse.

It wasn’t an Aard.

He forgot Kim Jinsung was even beside him as he cried out in despair,

“Why is a Mantodea tribe appearing in a low-level dungeon like this?!”

* * *

At the same time,

Someone else uttered the exact same words.

It was Baek Jun, staring at the monitor in the makeshift studio.

“Why is a Mantodea tribe in a low-level dungeon like this?!”

He muttered in shock, watching a praying mantis-like Tainted One on the screen.

‘This is bad. Even Kim Jinsung is in danger if it’s a Mantodea!’

The Mantodea tribe possessed far greater combat prowess compared to the Aards.

Even on the Sselepoh mainland, you’d only encounter them in Demon World Dungeons of level 10 or higher.

And one had just appeared in a low-level dungeon.

Right in front of Kim Jinsung.

* * *

“Be careful! Those things are much stronger than the Aards! Don’t let their numbers fool you!”

After shouting a frantic warning at Kim Jinsung, Lee Jiseong turned and ran back the way they had come, putting as much distance between himself and the dimensional rift as possible.

Kim Jinsung, now alone, unconsciously tightened his grip on his sword.

‘…They’re strong.’

He sensed it, even without Lee Jiseong’s warning.

The three mantis-like creatures before him were even more powerful and dangerous than the eight Aards combined.

He decided to use his full power from the beginning.

—

▶ Activated ‘Union of Body and Demon.’

▶ Activated ‘Space Dominated by Dark Energy.’

—

He simultaneously unleashed his dark energy, transforming his surroundings into the ‘Space Dominated by Dark Energy’ the moment he entered his ‘Union of Body and Demon’ state.

The Tainted Ones, mantis-like creatures called Mantodea, instantly charged at him as the area was enveloped in a black wave of dark energy.

‘……!’

He was surprised by their speed.

The Aards had been fast, but the Mantodea were on another level.

One of them was in front of him in the blink of an eye, swinging a blade-like forearm.

He parried the strike with his sword.

**Clang!**

‘Ugh…!’

He gritted his teeth, pain shooting through his hand, despite fighting within the ‘Space Dominated by Dark Energy’.

The other two attacked, and soon all three Mantodea were engaging him in a three-pronged assault.

He frantically defended, blocking their attacks while pushing his pain down. Each blow sent a jolt through his body, pushing him back.

‘Is this the true strength of the New Continent?’

Kim Jinsung was amazed by their power.

This battle made him regret ever thinking the Demon World Dungeon was easy.

And then, another notification popped up.

—

[The Demon God Dantalian is looking at you with disdain.]

—

‘…What?’

He was baffled.

Looking at him with disdain? Because he was struggling against three Mantodeas?

‘This son of a…!’

He clenched his jaw.

—