LRAB Chapter 389: Lawlessness (1)
Chapter 389: Lawlessness (1)
【You have successfully collected a ‘Calamity Flame Core’.】
【When a total of ten ‘Calamity Flame Cores’ are collected, Infernus can be upgraded to Infernus – Calamity Flame.】
‘One core per Divine Soldier? I didn’t expect this to turn into motivation.’
It was too early to jump to conclusions, but the link between a Divine Soldier’s death and acquiring a Calamity Flame Core looked clear.
If so, it became even more certain that Infernus lay outside the Demon King’s or Wind of the God’s sphere of influence.
“.......”
A thought suddenly crossed his mind.
He was standing on a tightrope.
Ahead of him, the Demon King, Wind of the God, and their followers were pulling the rope taut.Behind him, unseen beings at the opposing pole were pulling from the other side.He felt as though he stood right in the middle. Depending on which way he moved, the direction of the rope would shift as well.
No one had told him he was standing there, yet he felt as though he was at the very center of a whirlpool of fate.
And on both sides, they were carefully dangling clues—threads leading to secrets known only to them.
Squeeze.
He clenched Infernus once more and pushed it back into his clothes.
Someday, he would go to “Hell.”
What awaited him in that place, whose very name inspired fear?
In a place where Divine Soldiers could be fought—would there be hope, or only despair that bred even greater terror?
The incalculable possibilities made Kang-hoo shudder. The root of fear lay there.Two hours later.
After clearing only up to the middle boss, Kang-hoo and Park Dong-jae had turned back toward the entrance.
By wiping out even the remaining monsters they’d left behind, Kang-hoo’s level jumped to 399.
“What a shame. Thinking about the mana stones we got from the middle boss, if we’d beaten the main boss too, we’d have made a real killing.”
“Did you think it was conditional?”
“Seriously. Why does it have to be so picky?”
Park Dong-jae had already made big gains, yet he still seemed regretful about not squeezing out more.
Kang-hoo felt the same.
With his coordination with Park Dong-jae, he thought they could’ve aimed not just for the middle boss, but the main boss as well.
But this dungeon’s main boss was a conditional spawn.
It only appeared on the night of the full moon. Today was the new moon, so it wouldn’t appear.
Boss monsters with conditions like that had absurdly good rewards—proven fact in the original story.
So he’d asked Park Dong-jae, who’d be staying at the gym for a while, to keep checking the dungeon regularly.
The moment the full moon rose, the main boss’s appearance would be guaranteed. Re-entering then would mean definite profit.
Meanwhile—
Kang-hoo was reviewing the skill he’d plundered from the middle boss monster.
【Optimization – Space】
【Skill Proficiency: Lv. Max】
【Increases the efficiency of skills and manifestation abilities that distort or utilize space by 50%.】
A passive skill that applied constantly, rather than an active skill you selected for combat or situations.
The middle boss had possessed a space-distortion skill, which was why it appeared on the plunder list.
At first, he’d considered stealing the distortion skill itself, but the delay from casting to manifestation was far too long.
The wind-up was lengthy, motion canceling was impossible—it was questionable whether it even made sense as a combat skill.
But when he checked the other passive skills, there was one that affected space-utilization abilities.
What drew Kang-hoo to it was that Optimization – Space also applied to subspace.
The skill increased the size of subspace by 50%. An unexpected windfall.
He was already in a situation where he had to endlessly invest red mana stones worth tens of billions just to expand subspace volume.
In that context, a skill that expanded it by over 50% in all cases—without any additional investment— was a must-take, even if it killed him. So he chose it without hesitation, and his satisfaction was high.
Though he was still at Subspace Stage 1, Optimization – Space alone made the interior far more spacious.
He could now store more assembled mana-shot rifles than before—just take them out and join three parts to complete them.
Just then—
Park Dong-jae, who’d been writing combat notes in the notebook he’d brought along for review, broke the silence.
“Hyung.”
“Yeah.”
“The buff skills I added recently—Luminous Radiance, Assault Initiation—they consume mana in proportion to activity, right? You know that?”
“I noticed. The more diligently I moved, the faster they drained. Since they’re strength-enhancement buffs, the efficiency felt insane.”
“Exactly. Like you said, the harder and more actively the buff target fights, the faster the buffs disappear.”
“Right.”
“When I was active with Myeongga Guild members, I covered three people and still had mana left. But today, against you, I was completely drained.”
“I see.”
“Not ‘I see’! If there hadn’t been forced downtime because there were no monsters, I would’ve collapsed from exhaustion! Your speed and mobility range are ridiculous.”
“I don’t know what style Myeongga Guild uses, but for me, this is baseline. It’s a routine I’m too used to.”
Kang-hoo’s mindset when tackling a dungeon was always the same.
Minimize unnecessary movement and rest, and focus everything on combat.
Once his body warmed up, he rarely stopped until he was truly exhausted.
The body wasn’t a machine—it sometimes hit a perfect groove, and sometimes didn’t.
He never let rest interrupt good momentum, nor did he let fixed plans drag him around.
Of course, this was possible largely because he usually entered dungeons solo, or at most with one other person.
The more teammates you had to worry about, the more constraints inevitably piled on.
“Thinking about going back to eye-rotting, yawn-inducing buff shuttle duty until I see you again makes me dizzy. Tch.”
“When I get back from overseas, let’s go to North Korea together. Do some prep research. There’ll be way more we don’t know than we do.”
They locked in their next schedule.
With Park Dong-jae, going to North Korea together seemed far more beneficial than risky.
With Dong-jae around, combat efficiency jumped to 200%—no, 300%—in every fight. The damage boost went without saying.
Great Decapitation, which Kang-hoo liked to use as a one-shot finisher, could become an instant kill if the timing was right.
There were plenty of moments where he output firepower equivalent to Level 500 or 600.
The rush was unreal.
So used to constant buffs, being unbuffed now felt strange.
‘Good fortune with people is fortune too.’
Having Park Dong-jae at his side felt reassuring.
An Yeong-ho, Jung Yuri—and further still, Ayane, Celestial Assassin, and Ju Haemi.
All the companions supporting him in various ways were hunters with high ceilings.
They all had more potential ahead than behind. Celestial Assassin was no exception.
With a fated death and a terminal lifespan reset, his master would become even stronger than before.
Even now, just looking at him, you’d believe he’d rejuvenated by over a decade.
With vitality returning to a body once wasted by long illness and skin regaining its luster, his youthful looks were back.
At most, he looked like he was in his mid-fifties—Celestial Assassin’s appearance was defying time.Just before exiting the dungeon.
Kang-hoo stepped out with a satisfied expression, having hit Level 400 exactly.
“Hyung, I’m going to wash up first. I’ve been sweating nonstop since we entered the dungeon! I’m desperate for hot water.”
“Then you’re going to suggest beers like last time, right?”
“Of course! That’s my routine. It’s a jinx, too—I can’t ever break it. You’ve got to respect that.”
“Alright. Go.”
Jinx.
A kind of superstition many hunters carried. Once it took hold, it could become an inescapable compulsion.
In Park Dong-jae’s case— his jinx was that he had to drink at least one can of beer within an hour of clearing a dungeon.
He called it a routine, but it was closer to a compulsion—just not severe enough to disrupt daily life.
Among hunters, many were completely consumed by such compulsions and lost the ability to think normally.
For example, having to kill a teammate once every ten dungeon runs as a human sacrifice.
Or having to eat the flesh of a fallen ally to lift a curse......
From a normal perspective, those were insane acts. Compared to that, Park Dong-jae was mild.
While waiting for Park Dong-jae—
Kang-hoo sat roughly on the cold cement floor and reviewed his basic skill window.
Reaching Level 400 fulfilled the condition to acquire an assassin-exclusive basic skill.
The next condition was Level 800—so far off it wasn’t worth thinking about now.
【You may choose one of the following basic skills. The result of your decision is permanent.】
【Multi Clone Technique】
【Acceleration Field】
【Ability Mounting】
The choice he’d agonized over right up until leaving the dungeon.
Not because any option was bad, but because all were good—and he wanted the best possible gain.
He’d reached his conclusion just minutes ago.
Taking future direction fully into account, his final decision was—
【Do you wish to select ‘Ability Mounting’? This choice cannot be reversed.】
‘Choose.’
【‘Ability Mounting’ has been confirmed as your Level 400 basic skill.】
【With maximum proficiency effects, Ability Mounting is applied once per weapon category. Simply switch weapons.】
‘Oh—so that’s the max proficiency effect? This is way better than I expected.’
He cheered inwardly.
Before reaching max proficiency, Ability Mounting only applied to a single weapon.
For example, if he applied it to longswords, his secondary weapon would also have to be a longsword.
Registering an axe wouldn’t grant any related stats or special skills.
But now, no matter what weapon he held, the related effects applied. A privilege of max proficiency.
For now, he locked in the mana-shot rifle as his auxiliary weapon.
It solved the long-standing weakness of ranged combat for an assassin. The most effective choice.
Also—
Multi Clone Technique and Acceleration Field both had alternatives.
Ability Mounting did not.
‘Now this is the main dish.’
Seeing the constellation notifications blinking nonstop, anticipation already bubbled up.
Every time his level rose by 100, a certain constellation returned like a salmon swimming upstream—Master of Shell Games.
So far, three attempts, three hits.
With a perfect batting average, what would the Master of Shell Games bring from the wheel this time?
【The constellation ‘Master of Shell Games’ grants you a chance to spin a no-blank roulette.】
Time for a no-lose draw!
He spun it immediately.
Grrrrk!
The roulette, spinning at high speed, gradually slowed, lost momentum, and came to a stop.
“Oh?”
Arms crossed—
Kang-hoo, who’d watched the wheel with a consistently empty mind, sprang to his feet.
【Skill Acquisition x1】
【One skill forcibly summoned from the Twisted Warehouse is learned immediately. No separate skill book is provided.】
【Weak Point Analysis / Ruined Core】
A skill you’d expect a berserker or tank swordsman to get had come out of the roulette.
An interesting arrival indeed.