Chapter Thirteen: The First Haul
The thunderous crash of the Behemoth's body echoed through the chamber, followed by a thick, unsettling silence. Minwoo stood over the corpse, panting, his entire body a symphony of protesting pain. He was empty, his MP bar a hollow void after his single, desperate strike. Hyejin, pale but resolute, rushed to his side and began to heal him, the green light of her 'Seed of Life' skill more potent than ever.
[Health Restored: 20 HP]
The level-up messages had already faded, leaving a warm, restorative energy flowing through Minwoo's veins. He was Level 5. He had 10 new stat points to allocate, a staggering amount that made his next hunts far less of a gamble.
Just as the last of his wounds began to mend, a new message flashed in his vision.
[System Message: D-Rank Gate Purged]
[Reward Chest Acquired]
A large, wooden chest, bound in iron and glowing with a faint golden light, materialized beside the inert Gate Core. This was it. The real reward for their efforts. He motioned for Hyejin to open it.
She hesitated, then with a deep breath, placed her hand on the lid. The chest opened with a soft click, and a wave of shimmering light emanated from within.
Inside, resting on a velvet cushion, was a scythe. It was a wicked-looking blade, curved and serrated, with a hilt made of polished bone. It pulsed with a dark, purplish aura. Beside it, there was a simple silver pendant that glowed with a faint green light. There were also a handful of gold coins and a pulsating orb of dark energy—the Behemoth's magic core.
[Item Acquired: Scythe of the Plague (D-Rank)]
[Description: A cursed weapon that deals moderate physical damage with a chance to inflict poison over time. Requires Strength 10 and Agility 10 to wield effectively.]
[Item Acquired: Pendant of Restoration (D-Rank)]
[Description: A simple artifact that grants a minor passive HP and MP regeneration effect. A valuable tool for any hunter.]
Hyejin's eyes widened. "It's... for me?" she asked, looking at the pendant.
Minwoo nodded. "The system knows what you need. Wear it. It'll help you get your mana back faster."
He then picked up the scythe. It was heavy, but its weight felt balanced and right in his hands. It was a perfect weapon for a fighter who valued precision over brute force, and its poison effect would be invaluable against tougher monsters. He saw that its Strength and Agility requirements were far above his current base stats, but his allocated stat points would be more than enough to meet them.
"We have to allocate our points," he said, his voice low and serious. "We're going to need them for what's next."
He opened his status window. He was a Level 5 with 10 stat points. His last fight was a close call, but he knew what he had to do. He needed to be able to use his new scythe effectively and get a hit in before his opponent could attack.
[Stats]
Strength: 8 -> 13 (+5 from Stat Points)
Agility: 9 -> 14 (+5 from Stat Points)
Intelligence: 11
Vitality: 11
Sense: 16
[Stat Points: 10 -> 0]
He felt a jolt of power as his new stats settled into his body. The scythe, which had felt cumbersome a moment ago, now felt light and natural in his hands.
Hyejin, meanwhile, had her own status window open. She was now a Level 3 with 5 stat points. She had already put points into Intelligence and Vitality in the last chapter, and now she knew exactly what to do.
[Stats]
Strength: 7
Agility: 9
Intelligence: 13 -> 15 (+2 from Stat Points)
Vitality: 8 -> 11 (+3 from Stat Points)
Sense: 15
[Stat Points: 5 -> 0]
She felt a similar surge of power. Her mind felt sharper, her body more resilient. She now had a greater mana pool and could take a few hits. She was no longer just a terrified student; she was a fledgling healer.
They gathered their new rewards and stepped back through the now-fading Gate. The outside world was a different place. The moon had set, and the first rays of dawn were breaking over the horizon, casting a soft, orange glow on the school hallways. The silence was still unnerving, but they were no longer afraid of it.
"We need to find the rest of the school," Minwoo said, his voice calm. He looked at the Scythe of the Plague in his hands, then at Hyejin, who was wearing her new pendant, a faint green glow emanating from it.
"We have a new plan now," he said. "The world is a dungeon. We're a party. And we just proved we're strong enough to survive."