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There were many different classes in MePan.

And most of the classes were fixed.

Although there was a system for advancing within the same category, it was literally advancement, not the class itself growing.

Once you obtained a class, you could only learn the skills of that class category, so there were clear limitations.

For every advantage, there was a disadvantage, so the basic approach was to maximize the advantages to offset the disadvantages during gameplay.

‘But there are classes that break such rules.’

They were commonly known as growth-type classes.

These growth-type classes were very difficult to obtain, and even if you obtained them, they didn’t boast formidable strength from the beginning, as the name suggests, because they were growth-oriented, unlike other classes.

‘But if it’s just about growth, then the power is boundless.’

The essence of growth-type classes was their ability to continuously grow.

With each growth, they became significantly stronger and quickly surpassed other classes.

‘As far as I know, there are only five of them.’

And among the occupations that can be obtained in this Deathlands, they were the most accessible yet the most challenging.

‘I have acquired the other classes. However, the places you have to go to obtain them are extremely dangerous.’

In the current situation, going to the area required to obtain that class would mean risking death.

“Kwiik. Kwiiik.”

[lv 35]

High level. It was at the same level as the Goblin Rider King he hunted before.

Of course, if they would be compared based on the monsters’ ranks, the Goblin Rider King would be higher. However, these creatures were gathered in groups.

Foul orcs roamed around the area.

They seemed to be observing with a sensitive sense, even with the slightest movement.

Behind the orcs, there was a crumbling temple.

Once, that temple was a place where the radiant god bestowed oracles upon its representatives.

Now, with the god forgotten and the temple left unattended, one might think it was an insignificant deity…

‘But I know its true identity.’

The owner of this temple was not just a deity.

‘Fighting them head-on would be difficult.’

Ethan shook his head in dismay.

No matter how much he thought about it, there was no chance of winning head-on.

Although their weaknesses could be seen, the probability of dying before exploiting them was high.

‘The level difference is significant, and the disparity in strength is severe.’

Ethan quickly decided on a plan.

‘I should go for an assassination play.’

Assassination play was a high-difficulty playstyle.

Those who had the Assassin class typically engaged in combat using various skills.

Tak- Tak Tak-

Ethan measured the distance based on the previous reaction.

He threw a nearby rock to confirm the distance at which the orcs could sense the presence.

‘The range is about this much.’

After confirming the range, he threw another stone.

This time, the orcs quickly turned their heads.

‘They are checking the direction of the stone that I threw, huh? This time…’

Ethan cautiously moved in a different direction and threw a stone.

Upon seeing the thrown direction, the orc immediately sniffed the air and started moving in that direction.

Ethan swiftly retreated and created distance once again.

“I just need to get inside.”

All of this was solely based on his senses.

Experience and intuition. Without these two, this playstyle would be impossible.

For those who were not assassins but still attempt assassination plays, it was mostly for the sake of learning the concept and having fun.

It was commonly believed that it wouldn’t be very effective in practical situations, but Ethan didn’t agree with that opinion.

‘It’s because of the lack of control.’

If one could have perfect control, this assassination playstyle became a perfect combat strategy.

‘Moreover, now…’

Ethan possessed the skill of Heo’s Acupuncture.

He could also see the weaknesses of his opponents.

With that, he could carry out assassinations much more smoothly.

“Kwik. Kwiiik.”

As the orc, who was trying to determine where the rock had come from, turned his head sideways, Ethan threw a needle at it hard.

Swiish!

The needle penetrated directly into the rotten part near the orc’s arm.

-Critical strike!

-You have successfully performed an assassination!

-You have earned likes for completing the [Achievement] Assassin’s Path!

-You have received ‘1’ Like!

-You have increased your proficiency in Heo’s Acupuncture.

“Oh, my proficiency in Heo’s Acupuncture has increased quite a bit.”

It seemed that the proficiency increased rapidly when using acupuncture in various ways.

Repeating the same task alone didn’t significantly raise the proficiency.

Ethan quickly stepped back after dealing with the orc.

Since there were now corpses here, the orcs would surely come to investigate.

‘Monsters aren’t fools, after all.’

In a frightening display, a group of two orcs appeared.

These orcs were the ones guarding the entrance to the ruins.

That meant the entrance to the ruins was now empty.

Ethan left them behind and continued moving toward the ruins.

However, at that moment…

Kwaaang!

“Kwiiik!”

“Kwik! Kwik”

The orcs began to panic.

Ethan instinctively looked back.

Behind him, not too far away, a massive swarm of spiders appeared.

[lv 44]

Spiders, Arachne.

“This is insane.”

Why on earth are those creatures here?

‘Indeed, even in the Death Forest, this place is peculiar. It doesn’t make sense to have level 44 monsters in a level 20 hunting ground.’

As soon as the swarm of Arachne appeared, the orcs immediately started fleeing.

Ethan also quickly ran away.

However, Arachne was much more sensitive and agile than the orcs. They were not monsters that could be easily escaped from.

Their large legs swiftly chased after them, creating a terrifying sight.

‘Damn it.’

Ethan muttered curses under his breath.

He wanted to save the decoctions and use them sparingly if possible, but given the circumstances, he had no choice but to consume one immediately.

Gulp!

-You have consumed an Intermediate Decoction.

-Your sensory perception becomes heightened.

The effects manifested rapidly, to the point where he could feel his heart pounding.

Ethan sensed a significant increase in his agility and lightness.

‘A head-on confrontation? Not a chance.’

In an instant, Ethan swiftly changed direction and leaped forcefully toward where the orcs were fleeing.

Then, he aimed his needle at the back of the retreating orcs’ heads.

Swiish! Swiish!

“I just need to get inside.”

The orcs were solely focused on fleeing due to the terrifying speed at which the Arachnes were chasing them. Without being able to counterattack, they were nothing more than slabs of meat.

After swiftly dealing with two orcs, Ethan now began leading the Arachnes along with him.

Thud-! Thud-!

The Arachne’s legs pounded the ground, reaching out towards Ethan.

They almost made contact, but Ethan twisted his body narrowly to evade the attack.

“Phew… I need to get to the entrance quickly!”

There was still plenty of time left for the decoction’s effect.

Ethan ran for his life, pushing himself to the limit.

“Kwik!?”

“Kwik! Kwik! Arachne!”

“Gather! Gather!”

At the entrance, Ethan encountered a group of orcs.

This was a crucial moment.

He needed to divert the attention of the Arachnes, who were targeting him, towards the orcs.

‘The orcs are still in confusion.’

Ethan boldly led the Arachnes and charged straight through the midst of the orcs.

Suddenly, as Ethan, a human, rushed towards them, the orcs tried to attack and push him aside, but the presence of the Arachne behind him proved to be too much of a burden.

“Kwik-!”

“Kwi-kwiiik!”

At an opportune moment, Ethan swiftly entered among the orcs, rolling sideways as he went.

“Kyaaaaak-!”

The Arachnes unleashed their venom, engulfing the orcs.

Reacting belatedly, the orcs also began to counterattack the Arachnes.

In an instant, the battle between the Arachnes and the orcs erupted.

However, the tide quickly turned in one direction.

While individually stronger, the Arachnes outnumbered the orcs, leaving the orcs as easy prey.

In the meantime, Ethan remained low and dashed towards the entrance of the ruins.

“Heup!”

At that moment, one of the Arachnes, who was trailing behind, spotted Ethan and followed him. However, Ethan forcefully stepped on the ground and rolled into the ruins.

Thump-!

The Arachne’s foot landed right where Ethan had been moments ago.

As Ethan entered the ruins, the Arachne gazed at him with dozens of eyes, shimmering as if expressing disappointment.

* * *

“Heok. Heok.”

Ethan took rough breaths, trying to calm his breathing.

If he had deviated even a little, there would have been a high chance of dying on the spot.

‘Nevertheless, I made it inside.’

Since he had entered the ruins, he considered it a pass for the first stage.

“I need to find the tomb.”

He had to find a certain tomb within this place.

Drip. Drip.

The sound of water and the pungent smell filled the air, but Ethan navigated the path without hesitation.

“It brings back memories.”

Since he had been here several times before, he knew the way to the tomb itself.

‘The place where I always got stuck was right in front of the tomb.’

There was a guardian right in front of the tomb.

This guardian was incredibly powerful, making it impossible to conquer at the time.

‘Let’s see how it goes once I get there.’

Ethan moved as carefully as possible, avoiding traps and monsters within the ruins, until he reached the inside of the tomb.

Just like the monsters outside, there were powerful monsters and traps here as well, but Ethan had them all mapped out in his mind.

‘It’s easier to avoid it here.’

Instead of fighting, if Ethan simply lured them and entered through the entrance like before, it wouldn’t be difficult.

After approximately 30 minutes of progressing inside, Ethan arrived at his destination.

Drip. Drip.

A huge cavity with water dripping from the ceiling.

Right below this place was the entrance to the tomb.

“Phew.”

Arriving at the entrance of the tomb meant encountering the guardian Ethan had never defeated before.

The thought was too much to bear, and then there was an iron clang in the darkness.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

As Ethan approached the entrance, a soldier clad in armor emerged from the darkness.

“It’s been a while. You haven’t changed a bit.”

Rusty armor.

And a colossal double-edged axe.

As the soldier recognized Ethan, the eye slits of the dark helmet began to glow red.

Seeing that Ethan didn’t leave the entrance, the soldier swung the massive double-edged axe.

Whoosh!

The first move always started with a sweeping horizontal attack that seemed capable of wiping out everything.

‘I should confirm its pattern first.’

Ethan checked if the enemy followed the familiar pattern of attacks.

‘After the sweeping horizontal strike, it’s followed by a downward slash. If there’s distance, it approach and performs a spinning attack.’

As Ethan created some distance, he took two steps with a thump, thump, and the enemy took two steps forward, executing a spinning attack in the shape of an eight.

Ethan swiftly evaded by moving backward, just barely avoiding the attack.

Then, Ethan swiftly moved forward, as if charging.

‘Its speed is slow, but the attacks are heavy. A single hit would be fatal.’

As he got closer, the enemy raised its axe high and brought it down.

Kwaaaang!

Although Ethan managed to evade the axe itself, the shockwave was so powerful that it made his body stagger uncontrollably.

Just from that impact, blood trickled from Ethan’s mouth.

“Huu.”

Ethan stepped back significantly.

As long as he kept a certain distance, the enemy wouldn’t approach him.

However, that only applied if Ethan hadn’t attacked the armored soldier.

‘If I’ve attacked even once, it will continue to chase me no matter how much I try to create distance. Until I leave the ruins.’

There were times when Ethan attempted to lure them and enter the entrance of the tomb, but it was futile.

“I have to defeat you to open the entrance of the tomb. This time, there’s no choice but to bring you down.”

Its pattern remained the same.

However, the circumstances were different from when the last time he failed.

“I can see it now.”

Ethan grinned and activated Monsters’ Calamity.

“Your weakness.”