Survival Story of a Sword King - Chapter 4

Should I Kill Myself? (3)

The 22nd day of the goddamn Hell Survival in Selha Latna

Eventually, Ryu Han-bin reached level 4.

[Lv. 3 Fighting Demon Dog. Obtained 40 EXP]

[Current EXP: 538/530]

[The required experience has been reached. Level Up.]

[Strength +2, Stamina +2, Recovery +1, Defense +2]

[The Skill “Vertical Slash” has been activated.]

‘Then is the next skill like a diagonal cut? Or uppercut?”, Ryu wondered curiously as he unlocked his new skill.

As he got closer to his goal, he felt an increased sense of motivation. Now there was only one step left before he could leave this place – Reach level 5.

“At level 5, I can escape this boring rocky mountain!”

He was more actively looking for the Demon Dogs.

Five more days passed.

***

The 27th day of life in Selha Latna.

Eventually, he succeeded in killing the last Demon Dog.

“I have filled my experience!”

He was excited and waited for the message.

Indeed, a message appeared.

[Lv. 4 Fighting Demon Dog. Obtaining 81 EXP]

[Current EXP: 1,101/1,100]

[The experience required has been reached. Level u-u-u-u-up…]

Suddenly the letters were glitching and breaking once again. Ryu Han-bin was confused.

“Eh? What? You have to increase my stats and a new skill too!”

There was nothing like that.

[The one who is going to… The one who is going to… The one who is going to…]

The system kept glitching, as if stuck on a repeat loop, delivering a half unclear message. After a while, Ryu Han-bin’s status window popped up.

[Ryu Han-bin: Prosecutor Lv.1]

[Possessed skills: Stab, Horizontal Cut, Vertical Cut]

[Strength 21(+4), Stamina 17(+4), Recovery 13(+2), Defense 12(+4), Vision 5(+1), Reflexes 7(+1), Speed 8(+1) ]

Ryu Han-bin smudged his eyes. He rubbed it several times. He tried to confirm if he saw it wrong.

[Ryu Han-bin: Prosecutor Lv 1]

A near-death cry echoed through the red sky.

“… Level 1?”

* * *

“Calm, calm, let’s calm down… .”

After trying hard, Ryu Han-bin looked at his status. Looking closely, it was a little different from when he was just at Level 1.

“The skills didn’t disappear.”

Just in case, he tried to successively perform Stab, Horizontal Cut, and Vertical Cut, but without any problem, the long sword sharply tore through the air.

His stats didn’t seem to have changed either.

“There are actually additional numbers attached to my stats.”

He was sure. He was just marked as Level 1, but Ryu Han-bin’s actual ability had not gone down.

“What could have happened?”

It was true that he did not reach level 5. So he still can’t get out of these mountains.

“If I think about it, isn’t there a reason I can’t get out from here?”

This place was not like a closed dungeon. It was just a rocky mountain. It’s an open area where you walk to another place. For nearly a month, he slept in a cave and ate only Demon Dog’s meat. Staying here any longer seemed crazy.

“All right, let’s get out! I can still come back here later.”

* * *

“I’m leaving! I’m leaving!”

Grinding his teeth, Ryu Han-bin went down the rocky mountain. Half a day later, part of a forest spread through the narrow canyon was seen. Now, if he passed by there, he would be well off with this damn place! That was the moment he was about to enter the forest.

Suddenly a light enveloped his whole body. When he regained his senses, Ryu Han-bin stood in the middle of the rocky mountain where he had started from.

“Huh?”

Guidelines appeared in front of his eyes.

[Your level is insufficient.]

[Achieve level 5 to leave the start zone.]

“This…I can’t leave at all If I can’t reach level 5?”

* * *

By investing another half of the next day, Ryu Han-bin tried to go down the mountain once more. And again, he found himself standing in the same spot where he had originally started from. Back to square one.

It must have been. The moment he left the rocky mountain, he would automatically return to this place.

It had been a long time since he had cursed, but this time it came out naturally.

“This fucking…”

“Should I level up from the beginning again?”

He became gloomy for a while and struggled to find hope.

“Now that I am Level 1, the Demon Dog must be Level 1 too, right?”

With his skills now, Level 1 Demon Dog was a piece a cake. Determined to look for a Demon Dog right away, Ryu Han-bin grabbed his long sword and started to scour the mountains once again.

* * *

Certainly, the Demon Dog monster seemed to become stronger in line with Ryu Han-bin’s ability.

[Race: Demon Dog Lv. 1

Selha Ratna’s lowest-class monster. Having equal combat power equal to an armed novice warrior.]

The level of Demon Dog he met again was 1, like Ryu Han-bin himself.

However, their abilities were different.

As for the explanation, the combat power was not much different from the Demon Dog that appeared when Ryu Han-bin was level 4.

“I thought it would be easier to handle it!”

Although it was unfair, Ryu Han-bin eagerly continued hunting for Demon Dog. This time, he was actively hunting, so he could fill the required experience and reach level 2 much faster than before.

Three days later, when the 12th Demon Dog was killed, the message he had seen before, appeared once again.

[Lv. 1 Fighting Demon Dog. Obtaining 11 EXP.]

[Current EXP: 139/135]

[The required experience has been reached. Level up.]

[Strength +2, Stamina +2, Recovery +1, Defense +2]

There was no skill activation message this time. Perhaps it was because he already possessed the Stab skill.

But there was a visible difference.

[Ryu Han-bin: Prosecutor Lv. 2]

[Possessed skills: Stab, Horizontal Cut, Vertical Cut]

[Strength 23(+4), Stamina 19(+4), Recovery 14(+2), Defense 14(+4), Vision 5(+1), Reflexes 7(+1), Speed 8(+1)]

“Does it keep increasing my stats?”

Ryu Han-bin’s eyes lit up with curiosity.

“Then, this is rather a blessing in disguise, right?”

If he raised to level 5 as it was needed, he would get higher stats than the average level 5.

“It’s not such a bad thing to get an error.”

Ryu Han-bin laughed happily. He was getting more motivated.

“So I’m gonna reach Level 5 once again!!”

* * *

Within 15 days, Ryu Han-bin passed level 4 and almost filled the required experience needed for level 5. In the meantime, his stats had also risen considerably. The process was not easy, but he pulled it off; it was either that or suicide.

As Ryu Han-bin became stronger, the Demon Dogs became stronger as well, it was a series of struggles every time, and every encounter brought new challenges.

But human beings could endure with hope, and Ryu certainly did.

“Ahhhhhh!”

In a burst of spirit, Ryu Han-bin struck a Demon Dog in front of him.

The dog slowly died with a painful groan.

‘Grrrrr…’

“Cough, cough, I got it…”

With a panting breath, Ryu Han-bin waited only for a message. This was the last one which he had been waiting for. If he got this one, it would now fill all his experience points.

[Lv. 4 Fighting Demon Dog. Obtained 83 EXP.]

[Current EXP: 1,104/1,100]

[The required experience has been reached. Level u-u-u-u-up…]

[The one who is going to The one who is going to The one who is going to…]

It took less than a few seconds for hope to turn into despair.

[Ryu Han-bin: Prosecutor Lv. 1]

“Ah FUCK! Damn it!”

* * *

He went out of the rocky mountains once again, just in case and to be sure. As expected in hindsight, he returned to the middle of the rocky mountain, where he had begun once.

Ryu Han-bin tried hard to hold back, although his knees were about to collapse in disappointment.

“Positive mind, positive mind.”, He mutters as if he was casting a spell and somehow settled his mind.

“No way, the error won’t keep popping up. Next time, I will properly level up.”

He chose to believe that he wasn’t as unlucky as the situation was making it look like.

Without strength to continue, Ryu Han-bin grabbed the long sword once again. The arduous process began once again.

“Sigh, I have to go hunting for a Demon Dog…”

* * *

He hunted sincerely.

He became level 2 again.

Again, the stats had risen.

Ryu Han-bin smiled.

“Is there one more chance to increase my stats through this bug play?”

It was also safe as he didn’t have to worry about dying.

“It’s hard to fight the Demon Dog, but it’s not over the edge of death, is it?”

It was a monster with blunt teeth and claws, so even if he made a mistake, he wouldn’t go to an irreversible situation. If Ryu Han-bin did not give up, he could somehow win if he endured the pain of being beaten.

On the other hand, if he left this rocky mountain, he didn’t know what kind of monster would appear. A monster with sharp teeth or claws could make him really die in a moment’s mistake.

“Yes, let’s think good.”

The change of mind came soon after he reached level 3 and met another dog.

‘Grrrrrrrrr…’

The Demon Dog in front of him growls, revealing eerie fangs. They were so sharp that they could tear off the flesh of human beings in one strong bite.

“Ugh! what?” Ryu Han-bin was frightened.

“Its teeth are sharp!”

It was not just teeth. His nails were also sharp. Ryu Han-bin’s stats had risen so much that he had been given sufficient lethal power to deal with an actual Demon Dog.

A cold sweat ran through Ryu Han-bin’s back, holding the sword.

It wasn’t a safe play anymore. If he made a mistake, he would definitely die!

“Fuck it, Let’s do it!”

* * *

Since then, Ryu Han-bin had to engage in a life-and-death struggle every time. He gained many injuries in the process. Fortunately, his recovery ability was improved, and the injuries healed quicker than before. Thanks to this, he was able to avoid getting hurt and dying.

Level 2, Level 3, Level 4.

He barely raised the level while fighting fiercely.

It was the 50th day since he fell into this world.

‘Grrrrrrr…’

The Demon Dog, which now became as huge as a male bull, was dying and groaning for the last time. Ryu Han-bin prayed earnestly before the death of the dog.

“Please, this time! This time!”

A message popped up.

[Lv. 4 Fighting Demon Dog. Obtaining 82 EXP.]

[Current EXP: 1,102/1,100]

[The required experience has been reached. Level u-u-u-u-up…]

[The one who is going to The one who is going to The one who is going to…]

Nothing had changed.

He was once again back to level 1.

“…….”

Despair came, and Ryu Han-bin flopped in his place. Could he never reach level 5? Would he go back from level 4 to level 1 forever?

“Are you telling me to grow old and die after fighting here for a lifetime!”

The guidelines responded to Ryu Han-bin’s cry full of despair.

[All Suitors maintain the living age at the time of implantation in the guidelines. You can’t die of old age. The only causes of death are murder and suicide.]

It looked like he couldn’t even die of old age…

[With your talent, the chance of surviving in Selha Latna is less than 5%. Fast suicide is recommended as a realistic countermeasure.]

The bold option phrase that followed.

[Would you like to commit suicide?]

“You shut up!”