My Skill Book
Episode 003
Episode 3
What entered my field of vision when I turned around were skeleton dogs.
It seemed they had come this way because of the Shatter skill I had used just now.
Clack!
The skeleton dog at the very front charged at me.
I quickly raised my club.
"Shatter!"
Baaam!
The club came down squarely on the skeleton dog's skull, creating a crater in the floor.
'...Good God.'
The skeleton dog's head was completely smashed to pieces.
Having once struggled desperately against a single skeleton dog, getting my arms and legs bitten, I couldn't help but marvel at the skill's power.
It was a simple skill of swinging a club, but its power was far greater than I had imagined.
[You have acquired 2 Exp.]
A voice echoed in my head.
Clack!
Before I could even think about the voice I had just heard, another skeleton dog lunged. This time, there were two.
"Ugh!"
I tried to block the one that charged first with my club. Then the bastard bit down on the club and hung on.
"Let go, you bastard!"
To avoid losing my grip, I squeezed both hands tight around the club and yanked hard. But the skeleton dog had bitten down so fiercely that it was lifted up along with the club.
Rattle!
In the meantime, the one in the back leaped in.
"Uwaaah!"
I lifted the club with the monster still attached and shouted.
"Shatter!"
Kwa-bang!
The bones of the two skeleton dogs scattered in all directions.
[You have acquired 4 Exp.]
Click-clack.
The three remaining skeleton dogs in the back scattered and glared at me.
They seemed to have learned that if they charged in rashly, they would be smashed to pieces like the ones before them.
'It's dangerous if they all charge at once. In that case...!'
Resolved to seize the initiative, I raised my club and ran forward.
Clack!
The skeleton dog in the direction I was heading jumped at me.
"Haht!"
As soon as the skeleton dog entered the range of my club, I let out a shout and swung the club sideways.
Thwack!
The club struck the skeleton dog's torso, sending it flying to the side.
Having bought myself some time, I immediately turned around. As expected, two skeleton dogs were charging at me.
The distance between us was right in front of my nose. The monsters tried to stop, but they were already in range.
"Shatter!"
A loud noise echoed through the corridor. The two skeleton dogs had their skulls and spines completely shattered.
[You have acquired 4 Exp.]
Only one remained now.
As was its nature, it leaped to tear into me.
"Shatter!"
Baaam!
[You have acquired 2 Exp.]
"Huuuu."
After securing the club to my belt, I let out a long breath.
The power of a combat skill was incredible.
Normally, I had to strike with all my might several times to barely smash a skeleton dog's bones, but when I used the Shatter skill, they shattered like dry leaves.
'I heard a voice saying I acquired Exp each time I took down a skeleton dog earlier.'
If I could earn those points by taking down monsters, then the conclusion was that I could keep creating skills as long as I kept defeating monsters.
'But right now, getting out of here is the top priority.'
Other monsters might come because of the battle that had just taken place.
I quickly left the place.
***
Having come up to the 2nd floor following the markers, I followed the path in my head and came up to the 1st floor without difficulty.
The monsters I saw while coming up were only a few in number, and I was able to make my way up while avoiding them.
Because those bastards had swept through the monsters on their way down, there weren't many monsters left.
Even so, if I hadn't had the [Shatter] skill, I would have been done in by those monsters.
When I came out of the dungeon, the sun was setting.
[Sub-goal achieved.]
[You have acquired 50 Exp.]
I took out the book at the voice ringing in my head and checked.
--------------------
-Goal Setting-
[Main] Elimination of the Enemy
- Escape alive from the dungeon. (Achieved, 50pt)
- Eliminate the enemies who trapped you here and are targeting your younger sibling.
--------------------
'Is this like a game quest or something.'
I put away the book and started running.
'Jinhee... Please be safe...'
I took out my phone and called home.
[Hello? Big brother?]
I stopped at the voice coming through the phone. It felt like all the strength was draining from my body.
Jinhee's voice was no different from usual.
"Jinhee. Did anyone come to the house?"
"No one came? Why? Were you expecting someone?"
That was when a faint knocking sound was heard through the phone. My heart sank.
"Huh? Who is it?"
"Jinhee!"
I shouted urgently.
"Don't answer and listen to me carefully. Pretend you're not home. Never open the door and hide. I'm on my way right now. Don't hang up, keep the line open."
Jinhee didn't say a word, perhaps understanding the situation.
Judging by the clacking sound, it seemed she had put the receiver on the table and hidden somewhere.
I held the phone to my ear and ran toward home.
The building with my house came into view. Entering the building, I held the club secured at my waist with one hand and held the phone to my ear with the other, gauging the situation inside the house as I ran up the stairs.
Bang. Bang.
Now, the sound of someone banging on the door wasn't just through the phone but from within the building.
I desperately wished they would just give up and leave.
Crash!
But my wish was not granted.
After the sound of something breaking, those bastards' voices were heard up close.
[Came for nothing. There's nobody here.]
[No. I definitely heard a person's voice.]
There was no doubt those bastards had forced the door open.
[She must be hiding somewhere. She can't walk, so she can't run away.]
Please, please....
[Found her!]
[Kyah!]
"!"
It was Jinhee's scream.
[Heheh. This bitch, seems she's quick-witted.]
[This bag was useless. Would have been nice if that Haesu bastard came too.]
[If you don't want to see something rough, don't scream.]
At the thought that they had found Jinhee, my reason went numb.
I roughly shoved the phone into my pocket and ran. It felt like fire was rising inside my body.
At the end of the hallway, the front door of my house was visible, wide open.
Running to the entrance, what met my eyes were Curly-Hair turning toward me with a surprised face, Scar-Face looking back while sprawled on the floor, and Jinhee pinned beneath him with her top torn.
"Wh-what! How are you here!?"
"You bastards!"
I screamed and charged at them.
"Urk!"
The one I targeted first was Curly-Hair.
Thwack.
After kicking him in the stomach, I raised my club. Perhaps because of the sudden ambush, the bastard couldn't react at all.
"Shatter!"
Baaam!
A hole formed in the floor.
Blood poured from the bastard's unrecognizable shattered head, dripping through to the floor below.
[You have acquired 20 Exp.]
"J-Jongsu!"
Scar-Face, who had been lying face down until now, shouted.
"You bastard!"
Seeing Scar-Face pulling a knife from his pocket, I covered my body with my arm.
Ting!
I was lucky. The knife thrown by the bastard hit my club and deflected.
If I hadn't blocked it, the knife would have embedded itself in my chest.
I had been about to charge right at him, but I froze.
'Damn it....'
The knife he held was pointed threateningly at Jinhee's throat.
It was a mistake.
I should have protected Jinhee first above all else, but I attacked the nearby bastard because I lost my reason to anger.
My head, which had gone cold in an instant, finally began to move again.
Until just now, those bastards didn't know I was alive or that I had skills. If I had attacked a bit more calmly, this situation wouldn't have happened.
Scar-Face, who had taken Jinhee hostage, looked toward the dead Curly-Hair. His brow furrowed.
"Damn it. Hey! You gonna put down that club or what? You wanna watch your sister die?"
I put the club down on the ground as Scar-Face ordered.
"The boss's mantis definitely ate him...."
He tried to make Jinhee stand up, but Jinhee, whose legs weren't good, couldn't stand.
As if he had no choice, he made Jinhee sit and raised one knee so he could get up right away.
His knife kept aiming at Jinhee's throat.
While gritting my teeth and watching his movements, I caught Jinhee's eye signal.
Jinhee looked at me with unwavering eyes and then slightly lowered her gaze. At the end of Jinhee's gaze was the club I had discarded.
'No. Stay still. It's dangerous.'
I tried to send a signal with my eyes.
"Ack!"
However, Jinhee, without looking at me, bit Scar-Face's hand instead.
I immediately threw myself toward the club on the floor.
"You damn bitch!?"
"Kyah!"
For a moment, I saw red blood drops.
Scar-Face's knife had cut Jinhee's body.
I lost my mind again.
"Shatter!"
Using the brief opening, I brought the club down toward Scar-Face.
Crunch!
The bastard, his head smashed, collapsed sideways without even screaming.
[You have acquired 20 Exp.]
"Jinhee!"
I hurriedly approached Jinhee, who was lying on the floor, and checked her condition.
Blood was flowing from the wound on her arm, dyeing her clothes red. The bleeding wasn't light, but the wound itself wasn't as deep as I thought.
Thank God, I thought, and I grabbed a white towel nearby and pressed it against Jinhee's arm.
"B-big brother...."
"It'll be hard, but press this down tight."
I held Jinhee in my arms and left the house.
Scar-Face had mentioned the boss.
Among the Hunters in this area, the only Hunter called Boss that I knew of was 'that woman.'
In this situation, staying at home or going to the hospital was tantamount to throwing away the life I had barely obtained.
[Goal is being reset.]
A voice echoed in my head. The 'Goal Setting' page from the book came to mind, but I didn't have the time to check it now.
"Hah, hah."
Having escaped the building, I ignored the people glancing at me and ran while holding Jinhee.
At least it was a comfort that the sun had completely set and the streets had grown dark.
After running for about 5 minutes, a shabby three-story building came into sight.
I pushed open the glass door on the 1st floor with my shoulder.
"Welco... what the?"
Seeing the man in the white coat and glasses at the reception desk, I shouted.
"Choe Hyeongcheol! Hurry up and look at my sister!"
Squeak.
I, who had been sitting on a hallway chair, jumped up at the sound of the door opening.
Hyungcheol, wearing an apron over his white coat, was coming out into the hallway.
"Is it done?"
"Yeah. It wasn't a very big wound. I just stitched it up a bit."
I tried to enter the room to check Jinhee's condition.
"Wait a minute."
Hyungcheol grabbed my shoulder.
"Don't you trust me? Your sister's fine. More importantly, you promised to tell me what happened."
"I don't trust you. Let me through."
I pushed past Hyungcheol and headed toward where Jinhee was.
"Ah, that bastard...."
A voice sounding dumbfounded came from behind, but I ignored it.