While Juyoung Hong was hunting hard, something unusual was happening at a huge building in downtown Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Wheeeeeeeeeeng.

The building used to be crowded with lots of people, but it was empty now.

This place was once the stronghold of the Talagapa Guild, one of the top five guilds in Argentina. But all of the people who played a pivotal role in the guild disappeared overnight after departing for an unknown world to clear a quest. Among them was even the heir of the guild leader who would be in charge of the guild in the future.

They could not help but pursue the quest because the rewards were too enticing. Moreover, they only needed to wait for 30 days in the o o o area without doing any specific missions so they could wait out the cooldown to use the Judgment Key again to return.

Because of that, the Talagapa Guild filled the 30-member expedition team with all the important players including their guild leader Rodrigo, but all of these important players failed to return.

In other words, the moment they did not return, it was only natural for the Talagapa guild, which once dominated the area, to disintegrate.

Nonetheless, there were some guild members who were still staying in the building.

Like the saying that even if the rich go bankrupt, they will survive three generations, the Talagapa Guild was obviously very affluent. And they always kept a few people on standby at the very center of the stronghold, waiting at the place where the 30 people, including their leader Rodrigo, would return using the Judgment Key if they managed to do so.

They knew they could regain their old glory and power as long as their top players returned. Besides, according to the message, they could come back after 30 days, but there was no rule that they must return as soon as the 30 days were up.

At that moment, a spark appeared at the place where the 30 most elite including the guild leader Rodrigo used the Judgement Key, then an exotic black line appeared and disappeared quickly as if it was cutting through the air.

However, those guarding the place did not notice it because it happened so quickly.

Some of them gave up waiting for them after several months, and others were very much exhausted. In any case, such sparks have occurred frequently since ethen, and the strange black line that cut through space grew bigger than before.

***

In the level 1600 hunting ground, the Dark Elf Forest, the next day.

Puck! Puck! Slam! Slam!

It didn’t matter even if I hunted randomly, but I used Blink with zero cooldown at numerous places in the Dark Elf forest to herd the monsters to the center.

Then I immediately penetrated into them and opened my mouth.

“Ice Tornado!”

Wheeeeeeeeeeng.

Kheeeeeeeeeeek!

Khuuuuuuuuuuuk!

A large number of Dark Elves were swept away by a huge ice vortex that appeared instantly. And a gust of wind appeared surrounding the central ice vortex which trapped those Dark Elves on the periphery and sucked them in.

“Hehehe!”

I had no choice but to smile, watching them collapse one by one.

Then a message rang.

You have satisfied one of the conditions for advancing to the level 1700 hunting ground.

– Stay connected for 10 hours per day for at least 10 days in the level 1600 hunting ground. – Incomplete.

-Killing 10,000 monsters in the level 1600 hunting ground. -Success.

Anyway, I satisfied one of the requirements.

Of course, I had not satisfied the other requirement yet, but I was not in a hurry because it was just a matter of time.

In other words, all I had to do right now was to achieve 100% accumulation rate and imprint the Dark Elves trait until I succeeded in staying connected for 10 days.

Otherwise, I would have to give up what I had already accumulated or delay moving to the level 1700 hunting ground.

But I thought I had enough time to achieve my goal.

So I kept hunting as hard as before.

Five days later.

A message rang while I was hunting so hard that I lost track of time.

You have achieved 100% accumulation rate for Dark Elves dyed in darkness.

– You have acquired the trait of Dark Elves dyed in darkness.

-You can store up to 3 traits.

– A 30-day cooldown is required for you to replace the trait you already imprinted with another one.

-You currently possess the traits of two monsters (2

/3)

: Titan, Dark Elf.

-You have activated the following trait.

: Titan.

“Um… let me wait first.”

I didn’t feel the need to replace the imprinted trait right now.

Moreover, 30 days haven’t yet passed since I activated the Titan trait.

“Alight. Now that I have achieved my first goal, can I aim for the second goal now?”

As I had done before, I hunted really hard even after I came here.

No wonder I received EXP, golden rings, coins as well as the imprinting of the monsters as a reward for my diligent hunting. In other words, I had only one more level to reach level 1500.

This meant that I could reach level 1400 even before I set foot on the level 1700 hunting ground.

“I wish I could reach level 1400 first…”

First of all, no one has officially proven that they have reached level 1400 or higher.

But it didn’t mean there was none who reached level 1400 yet.

“Wel, level 1400 is just one of the levels that I have to go through anyway!”

After that, I focused again on hunting and charged at the Dark Elves dyed in darkness.

In the level 1600 hunting ground Dark Elf Forest.

Puck! Puck! Bang! Bang!

I had exactly only one level left until I reached level 1400.

So I had no choice but to hunt hard even if nobody pushed me.

Moreover, I had lots of expectations of level 1400 because the current maximum skills I could acquire were level 8 skills such as Ice Tornado and Ice Punishment, which I obtained at level 1000.

And I didn’t hear any messages about acquiring new skills even when I reached level 1100, level 1200, and level 1300.

Of course, there were other messages. For example, when I reached level 1100, I heard a message that I had obtained a privilege of exchanging coins for golden rings, and another privilege of increasing my reality actualization rate at level 1200.

So, at level 1300, I expected a message that I could obtain a new level 9 skill, but such a message did not ring. That’s why I had high expectations of this level 1400.

Thanks to the functional ring, I could use level 9 Blizzard, whose powerful impact was really impressive.

Anyway, I absorbed myself into hunting, losing track of the time, when I heard another message.

You have leveled up.

This was the message that I had been waiting for.

Of course, I was happy to hear it because every time I reached a certain level available for new skills, I used to hear the message that I could obtain new skills, along with skill points.

So, I expected that such a message would ring as soon as I reached level 1400.

…

But I heard no such message this time as well.

“If this is the case, the interval is too long…”

I acquired level 8 skills when I reached level 1000.

So, if the message didn’t ring at 1400, I would have to wait until I reached at least level 1500, which would take me too long even if my next target was level 9 skills.

But another message rang while I was tilting my head in bewilderment.

You have acquired 4 skill points by reaching level 1400.

– You can now acquire level 9 skills.

Even though the message rang a bit belatedly, I had no choice but to heartily laugh.