I Raided the Demon’s Treasury

Chapter 17

Battling on a branch protruding from the cliffside.

One wrong move could lead to a fatal fall, but Se-woon’s movements were unimpeded.

He moved seamlessly between the branches as if he had become a real monkey.

With one hand, he gripped the branches, while swinging his sword with the other.

If that wasn’t enough, he could sweep the enemies using magic.

Before long, all the monkeys before him had vanished—either falling to their demise or retreating into their caves to escape Se-woon.

Snap.

Just as Se-woon brushed the blood off his sword and sheathed it at his waist, a message signaling the end of the monster wave appeared before him.

[ Tutorial Chapter One – Adaptation ]

– Successfully cleared the fifth wave.

– All participants in the wave are awarded 100 points.

Though it seemed to have ended a bit late, the fact that they completed the wave without any help from Se-woon was impressive in itself.

While it was uncertain how many had sustained injuries, Se-woon could heal most of them using his magic, so there was little concern.

Following that, the individual merit tally appeared.

[ 1st : Jung Se-woon 5,220 points ]

[ 2nd : Yoo Seo-ah 1,150 points ]

[ 3rd : Kang Han-cheol 1,110 points ]

Just moments ago, Kang Han-cheol seemed to be trailing significantly behind Yoo Seo-ah in merit points. It appears his contract with Agares, the second-highest-ranking Demon Lord, led to a notable contribution in this wave.

‘Well, this time the battle took place in the forest.’

Although the forest was chosen to neutralize the boars’ charge, it was also a disadvantageous venue for Yoo Seo-ah.

When swinging her sword, she had to be mindful of the terrain and the trees around her, naturally restricting her sword’s swing range.

This advantageously affected Kang Han-cheol’s performance in this wave.

‘Well, time for me to earn some merit points.’

Through this journey, not participating in the wave meant I had to accumulate merit points in other ways, or even more than usual.

Although I am currently leading the merit tally by a large margin, once the first chapter of the tutorial ends and the second chapter opens, the rankings will be recalculated based on the entire tutorial, not just our camp, which will certainly cause significant position shifts.

“Are you the leader here?”

At the summit of the rocky mountain,

Unlike the small rock caves seen so far, there was a wide cave that could easily fit several people.

Upon reaching the top, the boss monster finally came into view.

– The Constellation, ‘Hungry Prince’, brightens up, seeing it as a tasty-looking prey.

A monkey with gray fur resembling rock.

Unlike the general monkeys, which were around 1 meter in height, this one was as tall as Se-woon, wielding a neatly polished weapon instead of a crude one.

“A staff, huh. Not quite Sun Wukong-level, though.”

The monkey of the rocky mountain. A monster that reminded one of the Constellation, ‘Great Sage Equal to Heaven’.

However, it seemed unlikely that any trace of the Great Sage would be present in the early stages of the tutorial.

So, does it have nothing to do with the Great Sage Equal to Heaven? Not quite.

If Se-woon’s guess is correct, this creature is shaped by the tower and system to mimic the Great Sage Equal to Heaven for the tutorial.

Of course, its power is nowhere near comparable to the actual Great Sage.

Clang!!

“Still, it’s nice not to hear that annoying screech anymore.”

The monkey charged at Se-woon.

Its mouth was firmly shut, and it swung a stone staff.

Just one attack made it evident. This creature wielded a strength far surpassing that of the boss monsters in the forest or on the hill.

“Now this feels like a real fight.”

The wolves and boars encountered in the tutorial—facing them had felt more like hunting than combat for Se-woon.

It was the same with the monkeys.

No matter how they swung their weapons, their movements were worse than goblins’.

Even when hunting other boss monsters, it felt more like clearing them out than an actual battle.

But now, for the first time, it felt like he was engaged in a fight with someone.

Clang, clang!

Despite being a tutorial boss monster, it showcased impressive weapon skills.

Though there were no traces of martial arts like the ones Se-woon used, it wielded its staff naturally, like a seasoned warrior.

‘If I only defend like this, I’ll end up at a disadvantage.’

The stone staff was hard and heavy, just clashing with it risked dulling his sword’s edge.

Thanks to Go Chang-seok’s craftsmanship, the blade wouldn’t chip easily, but once damaged, it would be hard to restore.

It was then that Se-woon’s combat style completely changed.

“…!”

Rather than parrying the attacks, Se-woon used the footwork of the Ten Path Leg Technique to dodge the monkey’s strikes as much as possible.

Once, twice.

With each missed attack, the monkey’s frustration became apparent.

As its impatience grew, the moment it lost its composure and tried to exploit an opening in Se-woon’s defense.

Snap!

Se-woon seized its staff.

Tai Chi Chuan (太極拳).

Utilizing the principle of receiving and redirecting the opponent’s force, he grabbed the weapon.

His grip was so strong that instead of disarming him, the monkey could barely maintain its hold on the staff with both hands.

In this situation, Se-woon’s choice was…

Thud!

The Ten Path Leg Technique.

Using the seized staff as a pivot, he extended his leg to strike the monkey’s abdomen and face.

Despite the monkey’s desperate attempt to retain its grip on the weapon, it left itself vulnerable to Se-woon’s relentless kicks.

“Damn, you’re tough.”

After landing several kicks, Se-woon clicked his tongue.

The heavy sensation through his shin and sole was similar to what he felt when confronting Kang Han-cheol.

However, even that didn’t last long.

Crack!

“Eek!”

With both feet, Se-woon delivered a powerful kick to the monkey’s face while still holding onto the staff.

The monkey let out a cry true to its nature as it stumbled backward for the first time.

Of course, the stone staff it had been holding was now in Se-woon’s possession.

“It’s heavier than I expected.”

Se-woon lifted and lowered the staff, feeling its weight.

Due to being made of stone, it was heavy and completely lacked flexibility.

It seemed that no matter how sturdy it was, a well-aimed strike to the center could easily snap it.

The system’s adjustments had probably enhanced its durability.

– Opened the Treasury of Greed.

[ Dog Beating Staff Technique (打狗棒法) ]

– A secret technique of the Beggars’ Sect designed to drive away the most threatening ‘mad dogs’ encountered during their alms collection.

Se-woon adjusted his grip on the staff.

Although he didn’t particularly like the rigid, unnecessarily heavy, and poorly flexible staff, it was more than sufficient to subdue the now weaponless monkey.

“Eeek…!”

The monkey’s eyes widened in shock. It had never expected Se-woon to wield its own weapon against it.

The ensuing battle was pitifully one-sided.

Thud, thunk!

Crack!

It was an utter beatdown.

Living up to the name of the Dog Beating Staff Technique, created to fend off mad dogs, the relentless beating continued.

From the moment it lost its weapon, the creature could no longer exert its power as a boss monster.

Despite everything, the monkey never fled from its position.

‘There’s something here.’

That behavior revealed it all.

The monkey wasn’t merely staying at the peak because it was a boss monster. It hadn’t appeared while its subordinates were being slaughtered by Se-woon because it was guarding something.

‘It’s that.’

Se-woon’s eyes gleamed as he carefully observed the area the monkey was desperately defending.

There was a particularly prominent rock behind it. Nearby, there were marks as if something had been dragged.

It was clear that the rock was concealing something.

Having discovered this, Se-woon no longer needed to fight the monkey.

Crack!

The heavy stone staff struck the monkey’s crown.

The sound of something breaking echoed through the cave, and the monkey collapsed, unable to utter even a single cry as it met its end.

– You have defeated the boss monster of the monkey’s rocky mountain, ‘The Monkey Climbing the Cliff’.’

– Your level has increased.

– Individual merit points have increased by 1,000 points.

– Acquired ‘Monkey’s Rocky Mountain’s Hazel Rock (塏巖石)’

Unlike the previous two boss monsters that had given 500 points each, this one awarded a staggering 1,000 points—double the amount.

This was proof that Se-woon’s belief that this monkey was stronger than the other monsters was no illusion.

Rustle—

The stone staff in Se-woon’s hands crumbled into sand.

Indeed, its functionality, despite being made of stone, must have been due to the system’s temporary enhancement.

In exchange, he acquired the material ‘Monkey’s Rocky Mountain’s Hazel Rock.’

‘This should be passed on to the elder later.’

This item was also a material type, meaning it would be a valuable resource when crafting equipment.

To save time, and to increase Go Chang-seok’s skill as a player, Se-woon planned to entrust all future equipment handling to him, rather than doing it himself.

– The ‘Monkey Climbing the Cliff’ has been devoured.

– Absorbing its nutrients increases Agility by 5 and Intelligence by 5.

Utilizing the Power of Gluttony, the boss monster provided a surprisingly substantial stat boost.

A total increase of 10 points in attributes.

While the Power of Greed was immense, the more he considered it, the Power of Gluttony also seemed to be a seriously potent ability.

Even having just one of them made climbing to the ranks of top players seem almost inevitable.

To possess both powers was extraordinary.

Though it wasn’t his intention, at this rate, aiming beyond the rank of top players didn’t seem out of reach.

“Now, next is…”

After the monkey’s body had cleanly disappeared thanks to the Power of Gluttony, Se-woon pushed forcefully against a rock that blended cunningly with the background, right behind where the monkey’s carcass had been.

However, the rock resisted movement, not even budging an inch.

Had it not been for the monkey’s desperate defense and the scraped marks beside the rock, he might have passed it by without a second thought.

But there was no hesitation in Se-woon’s actions now that he had discovered the truth.

Creak!

Activating his dantian, Se-woon infused internal energy into his legs.

After investing all remaining points into strength, he pushed against the rock with renewed vigor until it began to move.

1 cm, 2 cm.

As the rock gained momentum, Se-woon let out a battle cry, summoning every ounce of strength in his body.

Then,

Thud!

With the sound of something unlocking, the rock fully opened.

And through that opening.

– You have discovered the Hidden Dungeon, ‘Training Ground of the Forgotten Hero.’

– Earned a remarkable achievement.

– Earned 1,000 points as a reward.