There was no such thing as a tag match.
I dashed over and booted both Goblins out of the arena.
A System notification appeared shortly afterward.
[Level 2 has been Cleared.]
[Rewards will now be distributed.]
Just like before, a black chest appeared in the center of the arena.
But I did not open it.
“Keet?”
“Yeah, I’ll open it in a little while. You sit down and rest too. Let’s see what happens when time passes.”
[57:43]
[57:42]
[57:41]
Level 2 had been Cleared and the rewards had been distributed, but the timer continued counting down. It seemed the Stage would advance automatically once the allotted time ran out. Staying here without opening the reward chest was apparently impossible.
[30:29]
[30:28]
[30:27]
A little more time passed, and the Puppet Needle embedded in the Level 1 Goblin expired. As the holder of the Trait, I instinctively knew the moment it happened.
“Keet...?”
Even after breaking free of my control, it did not show any particular hostility toward me.
That was because of the lingering emotional effect.
Becoming my Puppet did not mean losing its mind and moving around like a doll dangling from strings. It was more accurate to say that every part of its consciousness and attention entered a state of intense focus devoted to carrying out my commands.
And there was one more thing.
At the foundation of that entire mechanism was an unconditional affection toward me.
In a way, it’s kind of like Stockholm syndrome.
In any case, before the Goblin even had time to feel confused after leaving the Puppet state, its body rapidly began turning translucent.
“Keet?”
“Just as I thought. You’re disappearing.”
The moment Puppet Needle’s effect ended, it stopped being an entity bound to an Awakened and returned to being the Stage’s Gatekeeper. Since this was no longer the Level where it belonged, it was disappearing.
“Keet!”
Its eyes turned watery, as though it could not bear to part with me.
Yeah. It had only been for a little while, but I had fun too.
Take care.
Both Puppet Needles had fully recharged.
There was no reason to waste any more time, so I opened the chest.
[Purified Red Fruit] X 5
┕ Very sweet.
┕ Encroachment Rate decreases upon consumption.
[Mana Orb] X 5
┕ A sphere containing mana.
Other than the System Pouch, the rewards were identical to Level 1.
Still, getting five more Very Sweet fruits was extremely encouraging.
Then another notification appeared.
[The experience of all Traits you possess has increased by 10%.]
That brought my total Trait experience gain to 20%.
At this rate, one of my Traits might reach Level 2 by Level 10.
Han Seojin, who was known to have Cleared through Level 13, had become an A-grade Hunter while still in his late twenties.
Heh heh heh. Grandfather, your proud grandson might become an A-grade Hunter in this life.
Of course, I would not let greed get the better of me. I always kept Buddha’s teaching close to my heart.
“The more you let go, the more you are filled. What you give will come back to you.”
Right.
For now, my first goal was Level 13.
I entered the next Level.
******
After all the participants had been transferred into their Stages, the waiting area was completely empty.
Only the border marking it as both a waiting area and a Stage entry zone glowed with an intense blue light. More than a hundred operations staff surrounded the vacant space.
They too had been Awakened who took the Hunter Selection Assessment a year earlier. After passing, completing a year of Hunter training, and remaining with the Hunter Association, they had become Hunters affiliated with the Association.
Put simply, they were Kim Daram and Lee Hasol’s seniors by one year.
One of them, apparently bored of staring at an empty space, pulled out his smartphone and began typing furiously.
Buying Dicks: Guys, who do you think is taking first this time?
Kind Words, Kind Heart: Idiot. There are five thousand participants. If I knew that, I would’ve bought a lottery ticket.
Only Son for Three Generations: Please try to refrain from profanity. It is vulgar.
Kind Words, Kind Heart: There he goes again with that bullshit. Hey, asshole, who are you? Class Rep, I told you we should make this chat real-name only. I’m going to track this bastard down and kill him.
Only Son for Three Generations: How ignorant. If we changed it to a real-name chat, do you think I would still be here? This is why people say we need Hunters who went to college.
Kind Words, Kind Heart: Wow... this guy is completely insane. Who the fuck goes on about college these days? You’re a high school graduate who Awakened the second you turned nineteen too, asshole.
Only Son for Three Generations: It is simply an expression. You truly have no grasp of context. No wonder all you do is smash everything to pieces whenever you enter a Stage.
Kind Words, Kind Heart: Hey, asshole. Do you know who I am?
Only Son for Three Generations: Your face is right there in your profile picture. Wouldn’t not knowing make me blind?
Kind Words, Kind Heart: You fucking stalker. Drop your name right now! Who the hell are you? Talk before I dig through everyone’s records and find out who “Only Son for Three Generations” is.
Buying Dicks: No, guys. I was asking who you thought would take first...
I’m a Healer, Take Me Along: Oh! Our juniors are starting to come out.
Participants began appearing one by one in the empty space.
Most of them looked terrified, or wore pale faces as they nervously scanned their surroundings.
Some were covered in blood and vomiting violently.
The number of returnees grew from one or two to hundreds in the blink of an eye.
Kind Words, Kind Heart: They’ve barely been inside, and they’re already coming back out? What pathetic weaklings. I heard kids these days came prepared with virtual training and all that. This is seriously disappointing...
I’m a Healer, Take Me Along: There were so many participants that some probably came in without any preparation at all. Still... I hope nobody dies.
Class Rep: Even I think kids these days are soft. If they are going to look like that on Level 1, they should never have considered standing here in the first place.
Buying Dicks: But Class Rep, you’re one of the kids these days too... They’re only one year younger than us...
Kind Words, Kind Heart: Class Rep!!!! I told you, this chat needs real-name verification!
Class Rep: Both of you, shut up.
Only Son for Three Generations: Whoever takes first, I am more curious about this year’s highest record. Class Rep’s Level 14 was the best last year, correct?
I’m a Healer, Take Me Along: Yep, that’s right. It was even one Level higher than Han Seojin’s record!
Kind Words, Kind Heart: Tch. If I had not slipped up and gotten knocked out of bounds...
Only Son for Three Generations: Do not flatter yourself. You only reached Level 12.
Kind Words, Kind Heart: Ah, fuck, I’m losing my mind. Who are you, seriously?! You psycho stalker.
I’m a Healer, Take Me Along: Anyway, it looks like we will have to wait at least another half day to see which juniors make the top Clear Rankings. I really wonder who will take first. I cannot wait.
[Level 10 has been Cleared.]
[Rewards will now be distributed.]
[Purified Red Fruit] X 5
┕ Very sweet.
[Mana Orb] X 5
Very sweet again?
That was strange.
In my previous life, I had only made it through Level 2, but I had never even seen a sweet fruit. Yet now, I had received Very Sweet Purified Red Fruits as rewards ten times in a row.
There was no way I could write this off as simple good luck.
But I was a regressor.
I decided to take it coolly as a revelation from heaven telling me to enjoy all the sweetness I wanted in this life.
[System Pouch]
┕ Stores various items.
┕ Storage Capacity: 1.5m³
And another System Pouch had descended upon me.
Ha ha ha. How much did one of these sell for again?
Besides, unlike the pouch I had received on Level 1, this one had no bizarre eyeball attached to it, and its storage capacity was 0.5m³ larger.
To compare the two pouches, I placed them side by side on my palm.
At that exact moment, the pouch with the eyeball split wide open and swallowed the pouch beside it in one gulp.
It came at it with such violent force that the eyed pouch bounced right off my palm and fell to the floor.
“Ugh, what the hell...?”
CHOMP. CHOMP.
The pouch with the eyeball calmly chewed up one of its own kind.
Its round eye, set in the center, stared directly at me.
After hesitating for a moment, I picked it up.
[System Pouch]
┕ Stores various items.
┕ Storage Capacity: 2.5m³
“That’s impossible...”
Its storage capacity had increased.
By exactly as much as the pouch it had swallowed.
A System Pouch that grew by devouring other System Pouches.
I had never heard of one with an eyeball before, much less one that could increase its storage capacity like this.
If it eats another System Pouch, does its capacity increase by that amount?
One incident was not enough to make a definite conclusion.
Still, I felt strangely certain.
Especially when I met that bold, unblinking gaze.
A pouch with 2m³ of storage capacity could not be compared to two pouches with 1m³ each. The value of a System Pouch skyrocketed as its capacity increased.
Suddenly, that arrogant eyeball looked incredibly adorable.
That was all the chest contained.
At last, the Status Window notification I had been waiting for appeared.
[The experience of all Traits you possess has increased by 10%.]
[Manipulation] Puppet (LV 2) New!
[Unique] System Observer (LV 2) New!
This was insane.
My Traits had actually leveled up.
Based on the reward pattern so far, I had expected my Trait Levels to rise after Clearing Level 10.
But seeing it actually happen made it feel completely unreal.
In my previous life, it had taken years after becoming a Hunter to reach Trait Level 2.
For reference, my Awakened Level was still 1.
An Awakened’s Level increased by Clearing Stages or killing monsters. Since I had not killed any Gatekeeper monsters and had instead advanced by pushing them out of bounds, my Level remained at 1.
【Kim Daram】
【Level】: 1
【Traits】
└ [Manipulation] Puppet (LV 2)
└ [Unique] System Observer (LV 2)
【Encroachment Rate】: 0%
【Ranking】: Requirements Not Met
【Performance Score】: 40,000
My Performance Score had shot up to 40,000.
Most of that increase was probably thanks to [Unique] System Observer rather than [Manipulation] Puppet.
It did not matter. Puppet Needle judged targets based on Performance Score itself.
【Trait】
[Manipulation] Puppet (LV 2)
└ Summonable Quantity: 3
└ Duration and Recharge: 2 hours
└ Controls the target pierced by the needle.
└ Duration: 10 minutes
└ Strengthens physical abilities by driving a Puppet Needle into your own body.
After the Trait leveled up, both Puppet Needle’s maximum Summonable Quantity and its duration increased.
On top of that, I gained another Skill.
Self-Awareness Puppet.
That had also been one of the Skills I used most often in my previous life.
[Unique] System Observer (LV 2)
However, just as in my previous life, [Unique] System Observer did not visibly change after leveling up.
There was no Skill. Not even a brief description.
But I already knew what would change.
After all, my [Unique] System Observer had reached Level 3 in my previous life.
Heh heh heh. Ever heard of a Trait veteran?
Trial and error was unnecessary.
I was the regressed Hunter, after all!
“Tarantula. Your big bro is really happy right now. You’re happy too, right?”
In response, the Giant Tarantula—the massive spider monster watching me from beside me—swung its furry legs up and down as though it were laughing.
Only ten minutes ago, it had been the Gatekeeper of Level 10.
Now, it was my most dependable ally.
【Giant Tarantula】
【Level】: 15
【Performance Score】: 7,000
As expected, I could now see a target’s Level.
That was the new ability [Unique] System Observer gained upon reaching Level 2.
Before I knew it, the Tarantula was wildly waving all eight legs.
It was clearly an intentional gesture, loaded with excessive loyalty.
But I liked even that.
The fact that I was not alone in this moment.
The fact that there was someone I could share this overwhelming joy with.
Those things alone seemed to double my happiness.
“Yeah, yeah. Thanks! Now, let’s move on to the next Level!”