novelraw Chapter 193 : Demons Class (2)
Chapter 193 : Demons Class (2)
“Huh? No one’s here.”
“Yeah, strange.”
Zen and Rune glanced around as they spoke.
Kim Sangshik had brought the Demons Class to Gwangjin District’s newly discovered dungeon—the Arena.
Around the dungeon were barricades and Hunters standing guard to keep outsiders away. Aside from them, there wasn’t a single other Hunter in sight.
“The Mayor had the entrances to two dungeons sealed off temporarily, just for us,” I explained to the two.
“Really?”
The voice came from behind me.
When I turned, I saw Ao standing there, eyes wide with excitement.
“Yes. I made a special request.”
“Wow… For the Mayor to do all this for us…”
Ao clasped her hands together as if in prayer. At this rate, she might just start a Cheon Jiweon cult.
“Everyone, hold hands,” Kim Sangshik instructed, pulling a small glass vial from his pocket. Inside was a strand of brown hair.
The twenty-four members of Demons Class joined hands in a line. Sangshik took my hand at the front and led us toward the dungeon’s entrance.
The Arena’s entrance was an arch of iron gates.
As soon as we passed through the portal, the kids’ eyes went wide.
“Tents!”
“They’re huge!”
“Two of them—one for boys, one for girls, right?”
“What’s that smaller one?”
“Looks like toilets and showers.”
“Is that a water tank?”
“They really set all this up inside the dungeon?”
They gawked at the living quarters set up in the clearing before the colosseum.
“You’ve arrived.”
A member of the Peacekeeping Unit approached Sangshik. His hair was the same brown as in the vial.
“Here, take this.”
Sangshik pulled another vial from his coat and handed it over. This one must have contained his own hair.
The officer accepted it and nodded.
“Then I’ll take my leave. While you’re training, I’ll stop by to resupply and maintain the facilities.”
“Please pass on my thanks to the Mayor.”
The man bowed once more and stepped back through the portal.
“Now, we’ll divide the equipment. Group up by position.”
At his words, the students moved quickly.
The vanguard numbered eleven—seven tanks and four melee damage dealers.
The midline held five: three DPS and two supports.
The rear was eight strong—six mages, plus Bella and me as healers and support.
Compared to the first Demons Class meeting, one person had shifted roles. Toby, who used to be a healer, now stood with the tanks.
“Starting with the vanguard. Iris.”
Distributing the gear took quite a while. With twenty people outside our squad, each needing different equipment, it was inevitable.
“Put on your gear and gather again here.”
Minutes later, twenty-four Hunter trainees clad in rare equipment stood assembled.
“Damn… this looks amazing.”
Rio’s eyes shone with awe. The aura radiating from everyone’s gear glowed a fierce crimson, lighting the space around us.
“Now I’ll explain the Arena dungeon. Listen carefully.”
Sangshik clasped his hands behind his back as he spoke.
“This dungeon has no floors. Instead, once inside the arena, monsters emerge from gates installed around the perimeter. Think of it like a defense game. After you clear a wave, you get one minute to rest before stronger monsters arrive. Every fifth wave, an elite monster will appear, and every eighth wave, a boss monster. During the rest period, you can exit through the gate you entered to return here.”
“How does he know all that?”
“He must’ve gotten it from the city’s investigation team. As far as I know, this dungeon hasn’t been publicized yet—only the investigators went in first.”
George and Jang Taeil muttered between themselves.
“Your first goal is to withstand fifty waves. Take your weapons and head into that gate.”
The students obeyed, marching toward the enormous doors leading into the Arena.
Bang!
A loud crash made them turn. The entrance they’d just come through had shut with iron bars.
“Oooh… nice atmosphere,” Rio said with a grin.
“Now, the following names step to the center of the arena.”
“Huh?”
“Aren’t we all fighting together?”
Nia from Magica and Mayu from Dao Academy looked startled.
“No. First, you’ll learn how to fight with your new equipment. Jin Cheongryong, Jo Inhu, Jang Taeil, Takanashi Mayu—step forward.”
The four—melee dealer, tank, ranged dealer, mage—exchanged glances and moved to the center.
Then three gates along the outer wall swung open, spilling forth monsters. Beast-like creatures and weapon-wielding humanoids poured out.
“Cheongryong! The gear I gave you increases the chance of inflicting status effects with elemental attacks. Activate your ability and go wild among them!”
Cheongryong glanced at Sangshik, then activated his power.
Bathed in light, he darted through the monsters, fists flying.
Flame, frost, lightning—every strike sparked an elemental reaction. Monsters burst into flames, froze solid, or convulsed under crackling sparks.
“!!”
Cheongryong’s expression betrayed his surprise. He hadn’t expected the status effect chance to be this high.
But it still wasn’t perfect.
At his current level, the gear’s power could only push it to eighty-two percent. Too low to reach a full hundred.
“Next, Takanashi Mayu!”
“Y-yes!”
“Your equipment reduces cooldowns and extends effect range. Use your ability to spread freeze and silence to as many monsters as possible!”
“Yes, sir!”
Mayu lifted her staff.
Blue energy rippled outward, icing the ground. Tendrils of frost climbed up from the floor, sealing shut monsters’ jaws and muzzles.
All at once, every affected creature turned toward her.
“Not so fast!”
A deafening roar—like a lion’s bellow—echoed through the arena.
It was Jo Inhu, Crystal Academy’s tank, unleashing his ability: Dominating Roar.
An S-rank skill.
Not only did it force aggro, it also reduced enemies’ physical and elemental resistances by ten percent.
Lower resistances meant more damage. At higher difficulties, debuff skills like this were indispensable.
The moment the aggro shifted to the mage, he pulled it right back with a roar. Classic tank work.
He’d shown it before too. Though he’d fallen victim to my and Lumina’s trick plays in the mock battles, fighting humans was just event fluff. Against monsters, he’d do fine.
Sangshik said nothing more. Inhu had been given equipment that boosted HP, regeneration, and defense to absurd levels. A textbook tank—no adjustments needed.
Then came the twang of bowstrings.
Jang Taeil had begun sniping monsters with his crossbow.
The monsters struck by Jang Taeil’s arrows had their heads burst apart as if bombs had gone off inside them.
“This is…”
His eyes widened in shock.
Almost possessed, Jang Taeil loosed arrow after arrow, each one drilling into the monsters’ skulls.
The gear he’d been given was designed to heavily amplify physical damage and critical hit chance. Combined with his ability, the results were devastating.
His ability—Keen Sense.
It boosted both damage and critical damage.
Yes. Jang Taeil is all about raw, relentless damage.
Among the physical fighters here, his output was second only to Iris.
Of course, the single strongest strike belonged to Lumina.
But in terms of sustained, versatile damage, Jang Taeil was far easier to use effectively.
The battle raged on.
Jin Cheongryong roamed among the monsters, inflicting burn, freeze, and shock with every blow.
Mayu locked down groups of enemies with ice and silence from the rear.
Jo Inhu roared to draw aggro, shielding his teammates.
And Jang Taeil mowed down frozen monsters from afar.
Watching the four in action, the other students twitched with excitement.
Their blood is stirring.
They were itching to test out their new gear themselves—while also eager to see what kind of combat training Kim Sangshik would deliver.
About five minutes later, the four had cleared over fifty monsters.
As the arena grew quiet again, Sangshik shouted,
“Lee Yeonmun, George Hong, Ha Yugeun, Zen Maya! You’re up next—forward!”
“Yes, sir!!”
The four answered with vigor, charging ahead with bright, eager faces.
I smirked inwardly.
Yes. Go wild. Pile up experience points.
“Good. That’s enough for now,” Sangshik said, arms crossed.
“Haa…”
“Cough, cough!”
Jo Inhu and Nia leaned heavily on their shields, slumping against them.
“Haah… I’m dying…”
“Rio’s still alive… I’ve been dead for ages.”
“If you’re dead, how are you talking?”
Zen and Rio lay sprawled on the floor, running a stupid comedy skit.
Most of the others were just as drained—crawling on the ground, using their gear as crutches, or collapsed outright.
Even my squad looked exhausted, their expressions hollow.
No surprise. The first target—fifty rounds—had already been cleared hours ago.
Through all those rounds, Sangshik hadn’t let them rest.
He drilled them nonstop—Combat styles suited to their new gear.
Synergy between positions.
Teamwork across roles.
Information about the Arena’s monsters.
Exactly as laid out in the strategy guide I’d written for him.
I worried they might not memorize it all, but it was needless. They soaked it up well.
After those fifty rounds, Sangshik had everyone join the fight, pushing them wave after wave until they could no longer stand.
The result:
Demons Class had reached wave 136.
Three hours of nonstop battle.
Nearly ten thousand monsters slain.
Seventeen bosses defeated.
The arena floor was littered with materials and Demon Realm relics.
“Stop dawdling. Gather the loot and head back out. After food and rest, we’ll face them again.”
“What!? Again!?”
“You mean… this isn’t the end!?”
Rio and Zen shrieked in despair.
“I told you. The goal of this training is to raise you to level 150. What levels did you gain just now?”
“…Three.”
“Two for me…”
With so many participants, the experience had been spread thin.
They had killed countless monsters, yes, but the quality was still too low for explosive growth.
“Leveling up takes exponentially more experience each time. We don’t have the luxury of resting long. Now get up, all of you! Collect the items and return to the tents!”
At his roar, the students groaned and staggered to their feet, dragging themselves around to scoop up loot.
No legendary drops this time either.
I thought as I picked up items myself.
With this much hunting, the game version would have dropped at least one or two. Don’t tell me this world makes legendaries even rarer…
I refused to imagine it.
Because Demons Class’s ultimate progression required legendary items.
Rare equipment alone could take them to hidden bosses, sure.
But the price would be death.
Someone like Choi Yuri might have demanded they push through regardless.
But not me.
Back at the tents, the students devoured their boxed meals like starved beasts.
I ate quickly myself, cleaned up, and slipped out.
Away from the main camp, a small separate tent had been set up.
“Sir. It’s Nam Yein.”
“Come in.”
Inside, Kim Sangshik was seated with a tablet in hand. Even alone, he still wore the mask.
“The items the kids gathered are in that inventory there.”
He gestured toward a box on the table. Clearly, he already knew why I’d come.
I opened it, pulled out my hammer, and began dismantling relics.
If legendaries didn’t drop, I would craft them.
As I worked, Sangshik stared in open wonder.
“So you really are the mysterious Craftsman. When you said you had the original’s permission… you meant this. That hammer—it’s your ability, isn’t it?”
“That’s right.”
“Then my guess was wrong.”
“What guess?”
“I thought your ability was future sight.”
I smiled faintly.
“Seems you’ve memorized the documents I gave you.”
“Not yet. I’ve only crammed the essentials so far, enough to drill the kids. The rest—I’m memorizing now.”
I nodded.
“Thank you for your effort.”
“Don’t thank me yet. I’ll do what I can.”
He turned back to his tablet, while I returned to my work.
Three hours later, we re-entered the Arena.
And then—
I nearly shouted.
“What the hell is that?”
“Never seen anything like it…”
“The aura—it’s purple.”
I pushed past the murmuring students to the front.
There it was—
A relic radiating violet light.
Our first legendary drop.
(End of Chapter)