- Survive in Hell (1)
No matter how much he leveled up, he was always sent back to the beginning. No matter how hard he struggled, he couldn’t get out of this place. This was the reality that Ryu Han-bin was facing.
The average person would have panicked in despair. But he didn’t give up.
“There must be a way to get out of this place even if I don’t level up.”
Over the past 50 days, he had suffered back and forth, leveling and being sent back to the start. Before he knew it, his mental power had surpassed the standard of ordinary human beings.
“It’s gonna be hard to find. Don’t be impatient.”
It would be a long battle. Looking at the desolate rocky mountain, Ryu Han-bin was determined.
“I need to prepare to live in this place.”
* * *
He started to drink the blood of the Demon Dog. He couldn’t ignore his health. Fortunately, there hadn’t been any big problems so far, but it was obvious that his body would be damaged if he continued eating meat only.
According to the guidelines, Eating Demon Dog’s meat and blood would give him all the nutrients his body needed.
“Unless there was an error, though.”
There was also evidence that it would not be an error.
If this was a start zone and a space for the suitors’ survival, it was normal to consume the dogs for survival.
“If a soldier, who has grown up and learned combat skills dies from something like scurvy, what kind of a silly joke that would be”
The stream of water from which he drank before and had given him a stomach ache, was more likely to be used for bathing or other water use. Even if it was not for drinking, water was useful in many ways.
The base also needed to be set up in earnest.
So far, he was just roughly lighting a bonfire in front of the cave and crawled to sleep. If he wanted to stay here and survive, he had to pay more attention.
But what material should he use to build a base in this place, where there were only strange rocks and dried dead trees?
There were other materials. Ryu Han-bin used the dead Demon Dogs he had killed. He gathered stones and built walls, and made floors and ceilings out of the dogs’ skins, which had now hardened into leather.
Thanks to this, he was able to rest more comfortably.
He also made simple tools, necessary for life by splitting and grinding the bones of the dogs. He also marked the date. Each day passed, He made a simple calendar by drawing a hatch in the corner of the cave wall.
Living like a primitive man, he headed to the border of the rocky mountain every day. He continued to fight with the Demon Dogs, tried to approach all borders, pushed himself in, and returned to the original place like always.
Although he was disappointed each time, he did not give up.
‘There must be a loophole in the system somewhere. I just need to find that loophole.’
The anger inside him was too great to give up.
“Let’s see, you bastards!”
He couldn’t give up until he got revenge on whoever threw him into this hell!
* * *
One year has passed.
Ryu Han-bin was fighting hard against the Demon Dog again.
“Aaaahhh!”
The Demon Dog howled and attacked.
Information floated above the head of the attacking Demon Dog.
[Race: Demon Dog Lv. 2]
That was all. There was no further information. The monster in front of him was already clear enough to be called a Demon Dog. It had three heads, blade-like horns on the forehead, and a snake-like tail.
Such monsters attacked in various forms of lethality.
However, Ryu Han-bin was not the man he was, a year ago.
“Burn!”
He burst into the spirit and flew away from attacks. He avoided attacks at critical moments and dodged cautiously. Over the past year, his physical stats had increased tremendously.
Looking for a chance, Ryu Han-bin launched a counterattack.
“You bastard!”
He swung his sword diagonally and cut off one side of the dog. Ryu Han-bin’s diagonal cut had enough power and speed, but his posture was poor. It was more of a form of wielding power, not swordsmanship. It was because his abilities rose, but his skills remained the same.
Still, the only sword techniques he could use properly were Stab, Horizontal Cut, and Vertical Cut.
But it didn’t matter.
Anyway, his Diagonal Slash was not an attack to get hit.
“Hah!”
With a fierce look on his face, Ryu hit at the right timing.
-Vertical cut!
One of the Demon Dog’s head sliced and fell off from the living body. A horizontal cut followed the previous one, and the two remaining heads flew in the air.
-Stab!
A fatal blow pierced the devil’s heart.
[Lv. 2 Fighting Demon Dog. Obtaining 22 EXP]
[Current EXP: 274/280]
“Sigh…”
Ryu Han-bin wiped the sweat on his forehead while taking a breath of relief. Although his swordsmanship did not increase, since no one taught him, his tactics continued to grow through experience.
The Stab, Horizontal Cut, and Vertical Cut Skills were used according to the situation, and he was able to get rid of the Demon Dog.
“I survived this time.”
But He wasn’t happy. He already crossed all the boundaries. He combed the entire Rock Mountain Area, fought the dogs endlessly, and repeatedly went up and down the level endlessly…
Whatever he did, he couldn’t find a way out. There seemed to be no system loophole in the first place.
So should he give up?
“Do not be ridiculous!”
Ryu Han-bin clenched his teeth. It was not yet time to give up.
“Even when the computer is down, if you keep clicking on it, it works at least once, right?”
Actually, there was no such law, but he wanted to believe that anyway. So if he kept pushing to level 5 and hitting it again, then, the error might not be triggered at least once. The possibility was not zero.
“Just once.”
He didn’t need much.
“Just one success!”
* * *
Three years have passed.
He went back from level 4 to 1 over and over again. Slowly, the Demon Dogs started walking on both feet.
“AAAAAAAAAAAHHH!”
A huge werewolf, more than 2 meters, roared furiously. It swung its muscular arms like sharp knives and attacked with elaborate movements.
In line with Ryu Han-bin’s growth, it began to launch attacks close to the martial arts rather than an animal’s movement.
No more tactics – like hunting animals, could be used. Still, Ryu Han-bin did not lose.
“Here!”
He took the steps according to its movement. Then, he tilted his sword and attacked his nails. It was crude, but he had got a sense of martial arts. Ryu Han-bin’s skills were only Stab, Horizontal Cut, and Vertical Cut. He repeated and repeated those three movements tirelessly. At least he deeply understood those three movements.
Due to that, his swordsmanship had also developed to some extent. He had gained a rough concept of what swordsmanship was. Should he create his own kind of swordsmanship? It couldn’t be formal swordsmanship established after many years of masterful training, but at the same time, it was no longer a sword wielded only by force alone.
Finally, Ryu Han-bin’s sword struck the werewolf’s neck.
-Horizontal Cut!
A message that he saw countless times before, appeared once again.
[Lv. 4 Fighting Demon Dog. Obtained 82 EXP.]
[Current EXP: 1,102/1,100]
[The required experience has been reached. Level u-u-u-u-up…]
[The one who is going to The one who is going to The one who is going to…]
And he came back to level 1 again.
“… … .”
Ryu Han-bin sat down with his face covered. Lonely. he wanted to meet someone. He wanted to see people. He wanted to have a conversation. No, it didn’t matter if it was not a person. He just wished He had a cat. He hated dogs. He was sick of dogs. He felt like he was going crazy.
* * *
Five years have passed. Ryu Han-bin was half crazy.
He sits squatted on his base and prays reverently to heaven.
“Lord in heaven, let your name be consecrated…”
It was a prayer that kept him sane and hopeful. He prayed and prayed, again and again in a hopeful tone. He was calling his lord to help him.
“Please take me out of here. I will do whatever you tell me to do. A battlefield would be fine. I will fight if you tell me so. I will kill if you tell me so. Just take me out of here.”
“Please let me get out of here! I’ll do anything if you just let me out of here!”
There was no response, and instead, a Demon Dog who heard his loud prayers, ambushed him.
[Race: Demon Dog Lv.1]
A huge wolf with a length of over 5 meters, which is not Level 1 at all by any semblance, appeared out of thin air.
The Demon Dog flapped its large bat-like wings, which had grown on his back and flew through the air, then opened his mouth towards Ryu Han-bin and vomited flames.
Wuaaah!
Yes. How much they had grown, these Demon Dogs had slowly become all-weather bombers, flying in the sky and breathing fire.
Holding the long sword, Han-bin opened his eyes. A wave of indelible anger burst through his throat.
“Khaaaargh!!”
His roar, full of despair, resembled that of the Demon Dog.
* * *
Seven years have passed.
There was no change.
Yesterday was the same as today, and today was no different from what tomorrow was going to be. Would he fight the Demon Dog that became stronger and lives a life of turning around in this forever hell?
Wasn’t he just not dead?
“I would rather die… … .”
As if it was waiting, the guideline popped up a message.
[Would you like to commit suicide?]
The temptation was too strong. How comfortable would it be to just finish everything like this? It was the cries heard at that moment that held him back.
Khahahaha!
The light came back to his dying eyes.
“It appears!”
A huge werewolf with bat wings stood in front of Ryu Han-bin. Now the dog has gone beyond simply flying in the sky and breathing fire.
It talked, too.
“Fake frills! Lacaner Appaltra! Soron Frade!”
With a strange murmur, he spits fireballs, shot arrows of ice and lightning.
As the guideline explained, that was what magic looked like.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Ryu Han-bin broke through like a berserker, in a storm of magic. He grabbed the long sword in his hand with heavy strength and burst into madness.
“Hahahaha!”
For Han-bin now, the only pleasure was the battle with the Demon Dogs.
When the adrenaline rushed through his veins, in the heat of battle, only then he could feel happiness.
“I’ll kill you!!”
* * *
Time has passed. Countless days and nights passed again.
After ten years, he gave up checking any more dates. The cave wall used as a calendar was so full that there was no room for additional engraving.
Looking at the wall of the dense cave, Ryu Han-bin spat out abusive swear words.
“Fuck, even the army sent me home after two years…”
What to do now? Should he find a new cave wall and carve a new calendar?
He didn’t feel like doing that.
“What’s different about doing that? Not like anything will change.”
Grinding his teeth, he hit the cave wall.
BANG!
He smashed the rock with his bare fist, and the cave collapsed with a rumble. Endlessly repeating between levels 1 and 4, his physical abilities went up exponentially.
Thus, Ryu Han-bin buried countless years, carved on that wall under the rock.
* * *
Time flew by.
He didn’t know how much longer it had passed since he stopped checking the calendar, but it was clear that at least thousands of days and nights had passed.
Ryu Han-bin was still living in this empty hell.
Still young, fighting with the endlessly strong army of Demon Dogs, and mechanically spent his days.
The guideline posted messages from time to time.
[Would you like to commit suicide?]
Each time, Ryu Han-bin gritted his teeth.
“Who’s gonna die?”
By pondering and pondering only one goal, he determined and made his mind.
“I won’t die! I will survive whatever it takes!”
It was over when he died.
So he decided to live.
If he was alive, he might be able to return home someday.
As small as a mustard seed, yet it was his only hope.
“I’m going back home… … .”
It has been 22 years since he fell into a parallel world, Selha Latna.
He was still trapped in this world.
