NOVEL SIMPLE
Chapter 20
“I think I understand now.” Beru had an epiphany. “It appears that the system deems the pet to be a prisoner of war.”
The Shadow Extraction skill was the ability to extract shadow soldiers from the dead bodies of enemies, while the pet system allowed the adoption of foes without killing them. The key difference between the two was the presence of a growth-based mechanic.
“If we were to kill Gray right now and extract him as a shadow soldier, he would forever remain a young wolf.”
Gray was in a different situation compared to Beru, who was temporarily reduced in size due to low mana. If the wolf pup were to become a shadow soldier, he would be extracted in his current young and weak form.
“Of course, the Young Monarch’s power over the shadow skill will change as your level increases, but there would be clear limits. On the other hand, if he’s raised like this...”
“He’ll gradually grow and eventually become a giant beast like Broki, right?” Suho asked.
“Correct. When that time arrives, he might be of assistance to the Young Monarch.”
“I wonder how long that will take.” Suho chuckled upon hearing that it might be helpful to him and looked at Gray.
[Gray - Level 2 - Fang Wolf]
As the effect of Beru’s “Skill: Cruel Command” faded away on Gray, the young wolf returned to being a timid little puppy. He looked like death was on his doorstep when they first found him, but thanks to leveling up, his condition appeared to have improved. However, he curled up in a corner with his eyes not knowing where to go, still somewhat wary of Suho.
Suho let out a sigh. “Seriously, how long do I have to care for Gray until he becomes of use?”
“He may seem insignificant now, but wouldn’t he be helpful when he grows larger? He’ll earn experience points on his own as well.”
“In gaming terms, it feels like auto-battling.”
However, the problem was that the game felt like a tedious side quest for the time being.
“Okay. Let’s keep raising Gray here from now on.”
“I agree as well. Since we have to feed him three meals a day anyway, this environment couldn’t be better.”
“Huh?”
“Hm?”
“Why? What? Aren’t we on the same team now?”
Rakan’s Fang had naturally added his opinion. It had been floating near Suho the whole time thanks to the Ruler’s Authority skill.
Suho snapped his fingers to pull the sword’s handle toward him and said, “Okay. Then maybe I should start leveling up too?”
He hadn’t entered the Shadow Dungeon solely for Gray. Even after completing the four-hour survival quest, the Shadow Dungeon was still teeming with wild goblins. Even without a quest, he could accumulate experience points for hunting them.
Last time, I was too weak and just focused on running away, but the situation is quite different now.
Indeed, the leveling up he had done so far had paid off. Most of the goblins’ name tags had turned white. He felt confident facing them, no matter how many there were. However, he had no intention of wandering around to find the ones hiding in the darkness.
“Inventory.” Suho retrieved an item that had been dropped by the goblins during the previous survival quest from his inventory.
Beru tilted his head questioningly. “Young Monarch, what is that?”
“This?”
[Item: Horn Flute
Acquisition Difficulty: E
Type: Instrument
A horn whistle used by goblin chiefs to call their subordinates.]
“Since we have this item, shouldn’t we make use of it?” Suho placed the horn flute to his lips and blew vigorously.
Vroom!
[Item: “Horn Flute” was used to summon nearby goblins.]
As the horn sounded, noise flooded the silent black-and-white world. Goblins hiding in the darkness began to rush out simultaneously. Once they realized that they had been summoned by a human, they immediately became hostile.
“Ooh! You are truly resourceful! It’s ingenious!”
Suho bared his teeth fiercely as he watched the goblins converging on him from all directions and launching their attacks.
“Beru.”
“Yep!”
“It’s your turn to eat.”
“Hurray!” Beru’s eyes lit up with greed and the corners of his mouth curled upwards.
Mana stones were good, but when it came to recharging mana, it was far more efficient to consume magic beasts directly.
A timely message also popped up for Suho.
Ding!
[Daily Quest: “Cleaning the Shadow Dungeon” has arrived.]
[Daily Quest: “Cleaning the Shadow Dungeon”
100 Goblins: Incomplete (0/100)
10 Goblin Captains: Incomplete (0/10)
1 Goblin Chief: Incomplete (0/1)]
“A daily quest?” Suho’s eyes widened. He had planned on hunting anyway, so it was perfect timing for a quest to appear. “Sounds good.”
Quests came with rewards, and since it was a daily quest, it meant the rewards were available every day.
“It seems like the system wants to make this place entirely your domain, Young Monarch.”
“I can’t believe this is the system my father had used,” Suho muttered with a somewhat nostalgic expression. I remember when I used to shine Father’s shoes and get my allowance when I was a kid. “Okay! Let’s see how much pocket money you’ll give this time!” he shouted as he swung his sword energetically.
[Skill: “Storm Slash” has activated.]
A fierce storm swept through.
***
A few moments later.
Keek!
[Goblin Archer has been defeated.]
[100 Goblins: Incomplete (89/100)]
Kereuk!
[Goblin Captain has been defeated.]
[10 Goblin Captains: Incomplete (9/10)]
Suho slaughtered the goblins with his dual swords as if he were possessed. However, he wasn’t fighting alone as he once used to. He had selected the largest goblins, the chiefs, and extracted them as shadow soldiers. The total count was a staggering seven.
[Number of Extractable Shadows: 7/7]
Thanks to Suho defeating Broki, his intelligence stat had increased, allowing for significant progress. However, the substantial improvements would have pleased him before, but he couldn’t help to feel underwhelmed.
“At times like these, it’s a bit disappointing that the shadow soldiers naturally disappear over time. Didn’t Father have a skill for storing shadows?”
“Yes, that’s correct. Your father is able to command eternal soldiers.”
“Does that mean I’ll be able to do that in the future?”
“I’m not sure about that.”
Suho was disappointed by Beru’s uncertain answer. Speaking of abilities... Despite his current progress, he hadn’t received any messages about leveling up. Considering that the task at hand was relatively easy, he figured only a minimal amount of experience points could be gained.
At this rate, it’s almost like a morning workout. However, he recognized that it would be a problem if the daily quest had been too challenging. Fighting for my life every day sounds quite stressful. But this doesn’t feel that rewarding. Suho decided to take out the horn flute once more.
Vroom!
[Item: “Horn Flute” was used to summon nearby goblins.]
Kereuk! Kereuk!
Immediately after using the horn, a new goblin battalion began to emerge from the darkness.
Beru looked surprised. “Young Monarch, haven’t you almost completed the daily quest?”
“So what? We have plenty of time today, so let’s keep going until I level up.”
“Hehe. The Young Monarch is truly a talented warrior ant.”
“That’s a compliment, right?” Suho chuckled as he was surrounded by the approaching goblins.
And a little while later...
[Daily Quest: “Cleaning the Shadow Dungeon”
100 Goblins: Complete (107/100)
10 Goblin Captains: Complete (10/10)
1 Goblin Chief: Complete (1/1)]
[Daily Quest: “Cleaning the Shadow Dungeon” has been completed.]
[A completion reward has arrived.]
[Would you like to accept it?] (Y/N)
“Hmm...”
Suho furrowed his brow after checking the quest window. He had been so busy fighting goblins that he failed to check the reward message, but he noticed something strange.
[100 Goblins: Complete (107/100)]
Why is the count still increasing even though I’ve completed the objective?
Suho’s eyes sharpened in an instant. Is it just an anomaly? he thought as he slashed the throat of an approaching goblin captain.
[Goblin Captain has been defeated.]
[10 Goblin Captains: Complete (11/10)]
I knew it! The count for other objectives also continued to accumulate. Just how many of my kills will get counted?
Suho began hunting goblins with even more enthusiasm than before. Eventually, he leveled up, but it didn’t stop him hunting. The result was staggering.
[100 Goblins: Complete (200/100)]
[10 Goblin Captains: Complete (20/10)]
[1 Goblin Chief: Complete (1/1)]
He noticed that the count stopped accumulating once it reached exactly twice the original target number. There has to be more to it. Suho’s curiosity had now turned into conviction.
[1 Goblin Chief: Complete (1/1)]
Killing one more chief would mean that all of the objective counts would be doubled, and luckily for him, there was still one more left.
I wonder what’s going to happen then? I guess I’ll find out. “Don’t let that one escape!”
Following Suho’s command, the shadow goblins rushed in and seized the large goblin chief simultaneously, holding it by its limbs. The chief struggled as it burst with rage. Suho rushed forward and swiftly severed the chief’s neck.
Ding!
[Hidden Quest: “Cleaning the Shadow Dungeon” has been completed.]
[A completion reward has arrived.]
[Would you like to accept it?] (Y/N)
“A hidden quest?” The moment all the counts had doubled, the quest type changed. Suho felt exhilarated that his intuition had been correct. As no more goblins attacked after killing the chief, he decided to check his rewards immediately. “Confirm rewards.”
Ding!
[The following rewards will be given.
Reward 1. Health Restoration
Reward 2. Attribute Points +5
Hidden Reward 3.
- Blessed Random Box (Choice 1)
- Cursed Random Box (Choice 2)]
[Would you like to accept all the rewards?]
Three rewards in total? He decided to start by confirming the first reward. He had leveled up midway, but after battling two hundred goblins, his body was completely exhausted.
“I accept the first reward.” At that moment, a subtle blue aura enveloped his entire body. His condition had been perfectly restored like when he leveled up. “Ah, this is great.”
The experience helped him realize how he could make the best use of the reward in the future. When injured during battles, if he saved this reward and used it at the right time, he wouldn’t need to wait aimlessly for a level-up.
“I accept the second reward.”
The second reward was also fantastic. The quest had shown him that as his level increased, leveling up would become progressively more challenging. But since this was a daily quest reward, it meant that he could grow stronger every day using the same method.
And now, finally... The only reward waiting for him was the hidden quest reward.
[Hidden Reward 3.
- Blessed Random Box (Choice 1)
- Cursed Random Box (Choice 2)]
Suho had a decision to make.