Breaking Up with the #1 S-Class

After telling Si-eun I would be out for a while, I headed straight for the gate.

And I faced the gate I had marked.

The gate in front of me now was a single-person B-class gate that no one had attempted despite being open for half a day.

It was an unpopular gate commonly called a “crappy gate.”

Perhaps because of that, no one had attempted this gate even after 24 hours since its appearance.

“I can see why no one’s attempting it.”

I was puzzled at first.

The rewards from this dungeon weren’t that bad.

By killing a few monsters and defeating the boss, you could get about 5 million won from fairly good-grade magic stones.

And it didn’t take that long either.

So I was puzzled, but when I saw the boss, I understood the reason immediately.

‘Hmm… the boss is a King Poison Snake.’

The boss of this dungeon is a dimensional creature that looks like a snake and uses powerful poison.

In gates where this creature lives, powerful poison gases spread.

So to conquer this dungeon, antidotes and medicine are essential.

And the price of those antidotes and medicines is quite significant.

In other words, even if you clear this dungeon, the cost of medicine is higher.

It’s inevitably a situation where the cost outweighs the benefit.

Therefore, normally I would never challenge such a dungeon.

‘But I’m immune to all status ailments.’

However, due to the Hero skill, I have immunity to status ailments.

So I don’t need any medical expenses.

That is, since there are no expenses for me, this is a very appropriate place to test my abilities.

‘Should be fine, right?’

I entered the gate.

And a space like a dark cave unfolded.

Purple poison gas was spread around.

[This is a space filled with powerful poison gas.]

[Due to the EX-class skill, all poison gas is blocked and nullified.]

I was fully prepared to leave immediately if the skill didn’t work properly, but it seems to be activating properly.

Even though there’s dense poison gas right in front of me, I feel no abnormality.

Inside the gate, where I should have been suffering as if in a chemical warfare site, I was now breathing as if inhaling fresh air.

With this, I can say I’ve cleared half of the gate since I’m immune to the poison gas.

Actually, in this gate, how to handle the poison gas is the key to clearing it.

But it’s too early to feel relieved.

Saying I’ve cleared half means I still haven’t cleared the other half.

“Shaa~~~”

After I stepped into the gate, glittering eyes in the dark cave were staring at me.

The identity of those eyes was a snake-type dimensional creature called a ‘Junior Poison Snake’.

Born from the King Poison Snake, these C-class dimensional creatures also use powerful poison.

But still, they’re just C-class, mere mobs.

I quickly dispatched them.

Slash.

I cut the snake in front of me in half with one strike.

Even without the EX-class skill, I was a hunter with A-class abilities before retirement.

Even though I haven’t worked as a hunter for a long time, I can easily defeat such snakes.

Slash.

Slash.

After killing about 20 of them like that?

No more living Junior Snakes were visible.

I had defeated all the Junior Snakes in sight.

‘Now I just wait for the boss to appear.’

So now the boss will come to me on its own.

Now I just need to wait leisurely and rest.

‘I didn’t expect the Hero skill to be this powerful.’

And while resting, I really felt how incredibly powerful the skill I possessed was.

The first effect of the skill

[1. All physical abilities are greatly increased overall.] I was expecting a certain amount of physical enhancement, but it was truly beyond imagination.

My body felt so light. My thoughts were so clear.

Not just physical abilities, but I could feel improvements in reflexes, accuracy, judgment—everything.

It felt completely different from my previous combat experiences.

Indeed, it was undoubtedly an overpowered skill.

[Grrrrrrrrr]

While thinking that, the ground began to shake.

It seems the boss is about to appear.

“Here it comes.”

I got up and grabbed my sword again.

And I faced the boss mob that came to me.

King Poison Snake.

The King Poison Snake, boasting a much larger size than the Junior Snakes.

It’s a dimensional creature that fights hunters using powerful poison and sharp fangs.

“Shaaaaa~~”

The King Poison Snake stared at me for a moment, then launched a headbutt at me with lightning speed.

As expected of a snake-type dimensional creature, its speed was considerable.

Clang!

I countered the King Poison Snake’s attack with my sword.

Befitting a boss mob, it was certainly a heavy attack, but not something I couldn’t block.

No, it was too slow.

The King Poison Snake’s attack looked like it was in slow motion.

I could see all the boss’s attacks in slow motion.

But I couldn’t dodge because my body was also slowed down in that slowed time.

It seems I need to adapt to this time perception.

‘If I hadn’t obtained the skill, I might have struggled a bit.’

If I hadn’t obtained the Hero skill, I might not have been able to guarantee victory in a 1:1 fight.

First, the poison gas is a problem, but even disregarding that, the King Poison Snake’s speed was unreasonably fast.

Its movements were so fast, easily exceeding the speed of sound.

I’m certainly not weak, but it would be correct to say that the King Poison Snake is a challenging opponent.

But I am much stronger now.

Slash.

My sword quickly aimed at the snake’s head.

By the time the King Poison Snake was startled and tried to dodge my sword with its characteristic reflexes, it was already too late.

By then, my sword had already cut through the King Poison Snake’s head.

I bisected the Poison King Snake.

Ding!

[You have defeated the gate’s boss.]

I heard the message.

It’s a familiar sound that comes when clearing a gate.

Flash!

And along with that familiar sound, welcome items appeared.

Magic stones with a blue glow, B-class magic stones that appear in B-class gates.

It was enough quantity to provide about 5 million won in total.

I packed these into my bag and left the gate.

After returning to the real world, the place I headed straight to was…

A beer pub.

“Ahh…”

I downed a beer.

The cool carbonated alcohol moistened my throat.

‘My sword moved exceptionally well today.’

And while drinking, I recalled what had happened in the gate earlier.

Though I had learned swordsmanship at the Hunter Academy, I had never wielded it this well.

My swordsmanship was derivative; because I didn’t have a proper master, my sword skills were just at the level of ordinary hunters.

But now, I felt a strange energy from my sword.

It felt like my skills were significantly improving with each swing.

With each swing, I became aware of the flaws in my swordplay and continuously thought about how to swing better.

Now, with each swing, I started to see things I hadn’t seen before.

It would be correct to say that I’m being corrected on how to wield the sword better.

Is this what the skill meant by “all growth rates increase by 3 times”?

I’m getting a vague understanding.

‘Just swung it a few times… at this rate…’

And thinking about the skill, I couldn’t help but have expectations.

And just by swinging my sword and killing monsters a few times, I became much stronger than before.

If I continue to kill more dimensional creatures and swing my sword, what will happen to me?

With this small question, I smiled slightly.

I felt like I could become stronger than anyone.

How would I change?

I couldn’t imagine.

“By the way… why am I not getting drunk?”

While thinking that and taking another drink, I felt a certain puzzlement.

Normally, I should have been slightly tipsy by now, but I didn’t feel any intoxication at all.

Moreover, today the alcohol tasted awful.

It felt like I was just drinking a bitter liquid.

‘Ah… does immunity to all status ailments include this too…’

I seemed to understand why this was happening to me.

[2. Immunity to all status ailments.] I guess getting drunk is also considered a status ailment.

Ugh…

It seems the Hero skill doesn’t just have good aspects.

Not being able to taste alcohol seems too much.

Suddenly, I want to discard the Hero skill…

As I was making a bitter expression and downing tasteless drinks.

“Huh? Isn’t that Si-woo?”

“Lee Na-ri?”

“Long time no see, Si-woo.”

I encountered a long-lost connection.

It was my childhood friend, Lee Na-ri.

“Have you been well?”

My childhood friend Lee Na-ri, who greeted me brightly.

Currently ranked 4th among S-class hunters in terms of skill.

Also, a childhood friend who once rejected me.