"We move on to the next item." The host glanced back and the two who had been standing by immediately opened the curtain covering the painting. "The painting Holy Tears by Antonio Black. It tells the story of the sadness of a woman waiting for her lover to come to fulfil his promise.""That's the painting I've been looking for," Olivia whispered as her eyes never stopped staring at the sad painting.I looked at the painting to find out what was so special about it that Olivia wanted it so badly.It was a painting of a woman sitting in a chair. Her lips formed a smile, but the look in her eyes was one of sadness. Even though there were no tears in sight, it hypnotised anyone who looked at it to feel the same sadness as her. I did not even notice that my eyes were wet, but I quickly wiped them away."We open the bidding at US$1,000,000." After opening the bid, the host pointed politely at someone who raised a sign in his hand."One million one hundred thousand." The person offered a hig
[Master, the gate has opened]I, who had been preparing all along, jumped towards the white vortex that was getting smaller and smaller. It was only a matter of seconds before I landed on the roof of a building. Before taking a step, I scanned around to make sure there were no creatures around me.[WARNING!][BULLET FROM 2 O'CLOCK]Unprepared, I immediately ran forward and hid behind a wall. And soon there was the sound of bullets hitting concrete.I stayed behind the wall for a long time, shocked because I still did not understand what had happened. How could someone attack me in Smoky Hollow?"Is there anyone else in Smoky Hollow besides me, Newt?"[I did not see any other people in this dungeon, Master]I frowned at Newt's answer and said lyrically, as if in a whisper. "Then, what shot me earlier?""Pistol!"With the gun in my hand, I came out of hiding and stepped forward. I looked left and right before finally walking towards a door. I quickly opened the door and walked down the
Ever since I met Orchid Lanston at the auction, I've been curious about him. I had heard that the owner of Victoria Corp. was over forty, almost fifty years old. However, the person I saw was still very young. In fact, I originally thought he was in his early thirties.But after seeing the photos on the Internet, I was convinced that the person at the auction was indeed him.How can someone not age? I was surprised and amazed that Mr Lanston's face had not changed at all.Even from a distance I could see that there were no wrinkles on his face. Looks like beauty technology has improved a lot. I then held my cheeks with both hands. Should I start going to a beauty clinic to have my face done so I can be like Mr Lanston?I quickly dismissed the feminine thoughts that had suddenly flashed through my mind. I shuddered at the thought of spending hours in a beauty clinic.No! No! It's embarrassing.I focused on the article in front of me. I printed out everything I could find on the interne
"I'm not going to the office today," I said to Olivia, who was waiting for me. She, who had been looking down, lifted her face and looked at me with a questioning look.She looked curious, but didn't ask anything and decided to follow me into the dining room."You take care of the company for a few days, I have important business.""Yes, sir." I raised an eyebrow when I heard Olivia's reply. It was rare for the girl to obey immediately when I gave her an order.I clasped my hands together, using my elbows as a fulcrum on the table. "Are you okay?" Somehow, I found Olivia's submissive nature odd. She should have asked why, or at least where I was going.When she heard my question, Olivia looked confused. She, who had been looking down, now looked up at me so that our eyes met. I don't know what happened, but my heart sank when I saw the depth of her eyes. I cleared my throat and looked away, trying to make the strange feeling go away."I'm fine. Why are you asking me that?""You're so
"Whoa...!" I screamed as my body shook from the golem walking and its hands moving up and down, making me feel like I was on a rollercoaster.Occasionally, the golem would stop, but then it would start walking again. I always took the opportunity when the golem stopped to crush its fingers. However, it seemed to be in vain, as the fingers would grow back in one piece as before."Isn't there something I can use to destroy this golem, Newt?" I asked, my voice shaking as my body continued to shake.[Since golems are the result of magic, they can be destroyed by greater magical power.]"That is highly unlikely. I don't have that ability."I felt in the midst of the shock. I opened my inventory to see if there was anything I could use against this golem.Motorbike, scent stone, happy spirit pendant, strength stone, dark elixir, hammer, sword, and arrow. My pistol had fallen somewhere. If only my Happy Spirit Pendant had reached level 10, I might have been able to use it to get lucky this t
I had just thrown a hammer at the golem in front of me. This was the second golem I had encountered in the dungeon. The golem's head had formed a hole to reveal its life stone. I closed one eye to lock on to the target, and once locked on, I shot an arrow at the stone.[GOLEM LEVEL 1 +200,000 COINS][ARROW HAS REACHED LEVEL 6][POWER: 200 HP]After the message appeared, the bow I was holding changed shape, becoming bigger but lighter. Curious, I raised my hand to examine the bow more closely."Wow, this is really cool."The shape was more modern than the old bow and I am sure the string was more powerful than before.I was stunned for a while, until I decided to go hunting golems again. But before I resumed my hunt, I went to the place where the golem had disappeared to pick up the fallen reward.[SCENT STONE][DARK ELIXIR][DARK ELIXIR]This was the most rewarding reward given by a single creature I had hunted. Usually only one reward was given, and even then, there were some that ga
[You must enter the gate immediately, Master. The gates will be closing soon.]I could faintly hear Newt's voice. I opened my eyes and saw the white circle in front of me shrinking. I stumbled towards the white hole. But after only a few steps, my body collapsed.My vision was blurred and the gate to Smoky Hollow was no longer clearly visible. I took a deep breath, although it was a little difficult, as if there was a big lump in my throat. I concentrated on being able to use my healing abilities. Shortly afterwards I felt my body warm up. When I opened my eyes, the white hole in front of me was clearly visible again.[You only have a few seconds left, Master. Ten... nine ....]I got up quickly and ran towards the gate, which was only about the size of a car tyre.[Four... three... two...]I breathed a sigh of relief as I managed to get inside the gate before it closed completely. And within seconds, I was transported. Although I managed to use the healing skill, my body had not fully
It did not take long for me to make a full recovery. I removed the drip from my arm after feeling my body return to its original state."You should rest more, sir. Your body hasn't fully recovered yet," Olivia commented as she watched me remove my IV."I'm already fine, Oliv. My body can heal quickly. Didn't you know that yourself when I was shot in the shoulder?"I saw Olivia pause for a moment, as if returning to that memory. "Yes, sir. Even within hours, the bullet wound on your body had completely disappeared." She said quietly, between doubt and certainty.I just smiled faintly and walked past her to the bathroom in my room."You can go back to the office. I'm already fine.""Yes, sir. Shall I ask one of the maids to accompany you?"My hand was already on the bathroom doorknob. I was about to turn it when I postponed my intention and turned to Olivia instead. "No, thanks."It seems Olivia has learned a lot. She no longer argues with me. Olivia just nodded like a cute cat."Yes, s
After that day, I couldn't see Olivia anymore and Tarron could truly dominate all the territories. Me and some other Hunters hid while making plans. The whole world was already in Tarron's hands. He turned other humans into slaves and also as experimental objects.We always moved around because the Black Hunter was still after us. For several months, I was devastated after Olivia's departure. What about our child in her womb? Did Olivia still keep it or had she already taken its life?I rubbed my face in frustration as memories of our last meeting flashed through my mind. Despite her continuous attacks on me, my inner self always told me that she did it for a reason."When will you return to being the old Leon?" I turned and found Eren standing not far from me. His hands were folded in front of him, and he looked at me with disappointment. "We need our leader, Leon. Stop thinking about Olivia. She has left you!"I could see the despair in his face. It had been more than 3 months since
I've been in this state for a long time. Just silent, staring blankly ahead. I woke up a while ago, shirtless, with a potion placed on the spot where I was stabbed. When I sat up and the potion fell, the wound on my chest was gone.“Leon! Thank goodness!” I turned towards the door. Eren and Jovian entered, immediately showing relieved expressions. “Your wound is healed?” Eren’s brow furrowed. “It seems your hunter abilities have returned.”I just remained silent and didn't respond to Eren's words. I was still in shock, knowing the truth that Olivia tried to kill me. I couldn't even find a reason why she would do this to me.Eren came closer, a look of awkwardness on his face. “We've been looking for Olivia, but we haven't found her.” He looked very regretful, as if he had made a big mistake. I didn't answer immediately and just stared at him with feelings that were hard to interpret.I had no intention of doing anything. I even lost my will to live now. The person I loved and trusted
I entered the building where you've been living all this time. I was so worried about Olivia and our child in her belly. But the place was so quiet when I entered.“Olivia! Eren! Jovian!” I searched for them all over the room, even in hidden places, but I couldn't find them.I stood still and tried to concentrate to feel their energy. But I couldn't sense it. I tried to use my telepathic skills. But after a while, no one answered my call.I looked around with a sense of unease. What had happened here while I was gone? I started looking for clues and traces left behind.This place was in disarray, as if a battle had just taken place. From some footprints below, I saw many shoe prints on the floor. I was sure that not just one or two people had come in, but a whole force. My brow furrowed when I saw the bloodstains on the floor. My heart raced when I saw the blood. There were many speculations in my head about whose blood it was.I crouched to examine the blood. It was still sticky and
"Newt! Use the Happy Spirit Pendant!" At the last moment, I want to try using the pendant I got from Bbird earlier. I was desperate, and it seemed like I was hoping for some luck at this moment.[USING HAPPY SPIRIT PENDANT][CONTINUE?][YES] [NO]Without hesitation, I pressed the 'yes' button. I waited for a moment, but nothing happened. Suddenly, I felt my nose itching, as if I was about to..."Achoo...!" After sneezing, I felt my body slowly shrinking back."What's happening?" I was confused because the effect of the dark elixir suddenly disappeared, and I returned to my original size. "Could it be that the Happy Spirit Pendant doesn't work?""Darn it!" This is not a luck potion but a misfortune potion. With this tiny size, how could I possibly defeat the zombie king? "No!" I shook my head. "I have to stay happy even if I die at the hands of the zombie king."Initially, I felt annoyed, but afterwards, I felt happy as if there was a great reward waiting for me ahead. My heart felt li
I gasped, staring at the horde of zombies before me. Every time I wiped out one group, another would appear from the other side. I couldn't tell how long I'd been in this room—just constantly hunting, endlessly, it seemed."Only one weapon left to unlock." I glanced at the transparent screen in front of me, focusing on the amount of coins I had. Over 12 million coins, and I'd already maxed out all the weapons I had. "Special Item." I read on the corner, the words stretching and catching my attention.I flinched as a few zombies suddenly floated around me. I quickly shut down the holographic screen in front of me and swung my sword at them. But they dodged quickly.I traded my sword for an arrow. I aimed five arrows simultaneously at them. The arrows sped forward, hitting three of them. I repeated the process again and again.[SHADOW CLOAK UNLOCKED][Can absorb energy from low-level creatures. Can only be used by hunters with magic skills][PRICE 12,000,000 COINS]My jaw dropped at the
I flinched as my body seemed to be sucked in by something. The scenery before me changed again. I turned my head and found Eliot beside me. I had returned from diving into Eliot's memories. I regulated my laboured breathing, as if from a long journey."That was the end of my life." Eliot broke the silence that had lasted for a while."But how could you die? Shouldn't a hunter's body have the ability to heal itself? And I thought your death seemed very easy."Eliot cleared his throat lightly. "The sword Tarron used to stab me in the heart wasn't just any ordinary sword.""Wasn't that your sword?" I saw clearly when Tarron took Eliot's sword and stabbed him in the chest.Eliot nodded. "It's the Soul Reaper. The sword I got after defeating the zombie king.""Zombie king?" This was the first time I'd heard about a zombie king. I often hunted zombies, but I'd never heard of him."If your hunt is perfect, you can face him. But the reward for that isn't the same. If you defeat him, you might
"Eliot." I walked towards the river, where a man with long white hair stood in the middle. His feet floated above the water as if his weight was no issue.I was a little startled to be here suddenly. This was one of the places in Smoky Hollow that I often visited. As I recall, I was resting under a large tree. How could I be here all of a sudden?I hesitated as my feet were about to step into the water. However, the hesitation disappeared when I felt something holding my feet from below. With confident strides, I walked closer to Eliot. I stopped when I was right behind him."Come forward! I've been waiting for you." I was surprised because it seemed my presence was expected by him. I stepped forward to be level with him. As I turned, I could see his handsome face with skin as white as snow. Thinking back, this was the first time I could see Eliot's face up close. I wasn't sure if this was a dream or reality, but I could feel a very strong energy."I've been waiting for this moment t
POV 3"Have you found Leon?" Tarron sat arrogantly in a chair, his back against the backrest, one leg crossed over the other, and his interlocked hands resting on his chest."Not yet, sir." Tarron's sharp gaze pierced Ian, who dared not lift his head. He had deliberately spared Ian's life back then, knowing they were both enemies. He wanted to use Ian to destroy Leon. Now, Ian was one of his trusted men, alongside Rakkan. Fuelled by his vengeance against Leon, Ian learned quickly, acquiring special abilities.After 1000 years of researching the system, Tarron had managed to cheat it. He could add others to become hunters. Since they weren't official hunters, they didn't have companions. Still, they could earn coins and skills like other hunters.Hearing Ian's answer, Tarron's gaze sharpened, his displeasure evident. Knowing Tarron was staring at him unblinking, Ian lowered his head further, his eyes fixed on the tip of his shoes, like a boy who had been caught doing something wrong."
Point of View 3Tarron descended the moss-covered stone steps leading to an underground chamber, with Ian following closely behind. The air grew colder as they descended further down. The atmosphere was denser than on the surface.Once Tarron's feet reached the bottom, he halted. His eyes immediately focused on an old man inside a giant aquarium. Upon seeing Tarron, the old man, named Calatius, shot him a glare filled with hatred.“Why do you never seem pleased to see me, Calatius?” With a mocking expression, Tarron questioned the man, moving closer until they were only a few metres apart.From where Tarron stood, the creature Calatius was clearly visible. He was a centaur, but all his legs had been severed. His crippled body lay upon a large rock."Why have you come to see me, Tarron? Haven't you taken all my strength?" Despite appearing elderly, Calatius's voice still carried a powerful tone. Even the glass of the aquarium vibrated from his voice."You never change. Yet, that is in