One of the things I learned during my time in the Sacred Hall while watching the Gifteds struggle against Demons, was the Demon Core ‘explosion method’.r

Demon Cores comprise of the condensed energy of Demons. As a specific kind of energy belonging to Demonkind, they reject interaction with energy from humans.r

Any attempt to merge the two usually results in an outburst of clashing energy… leading to an explosion.r

Using this knowledge, I infused my newly acquired magic power stored as ‘MP’ to all the Demon Cores. Since all of my possessions bear my ‘Signature’, It’s an easy task to give them some of my Magic Power.r

The result of that was what led to my victory… an explosion from within. To defeat such a monster in one fell swoop, what a surprising twist.r

Just like that, I won the fight!r

[You Have Leveled Up]r

[You Have Leveled Up]r

[You Have Leveled Up]r

[You Have Leveled Up]r

[You Have Leveled Up]r

Five in one go, wow! It really was very strong, uh? Plus, with the added Bonus of killing a Boss Monster and closing the Gate, this amount of progress made it worthwhile. It almost made me happy for being so impatient in my judgment.r

“High risk, high return, huh?”r

Chuckling under my breath, I stood weakly and walked toward the area of impact, staggering as I moved.r

The charred surface remained and all around me were the Demon Cores of the Demons I killed in the underground space.r

“I won… I finally beat this place!”r

The Gate which was shining brightly began to dim, flickering in reaction to the death of the Boss Monster.r_.

>Zzzztttzzzz<r

Finally, the portal closed, stopping the flow of Demons from within it.r

At this point, only a few Demons remained, and they all looked at me with fear in their eyes, stepping back now that I had defeated their king.r

They weren’t the focus of my attention, though. My eyes gleamed expectantly as I watched a shimmering glow emanate from the floor.r

“The Boss drops… finally!”r

The Hell Kobold (King) Demon Core first appeared, as well as many other things which I analyzed.r

I saw a set of white daggers on the floor, counting over a dozen. They had the shape of extended sharpened teeth, made from the already dead Kobold King.r

Longer blades, numbered ten, also littered the ground. They were sharper and appeared more dangerous than the short daggers.r

“It seems I got good drops this time… is it because it’s a Boss?” I muttered, fixating my eyes on them.r

A window immediately appeared before me, displaying the characteristics of the objects.r

[System Information]r

Name: Hell Kobold King’s Toothr

Rank: F+r

Level: 1(Upgradable)r

Strength: 600r

Durability: 5,900r

Core Power: 1,200r

Core Energy: 100%r

[.]r

[System Information]r

Name: Hell Kobold King’s Clawsr

Rank: F+r

Level: 1(Upgradable)r

Strength: 1,000r

Durability: 7,000r

Core Power: 2,000r

Core Energy: 100%r

[.]r

“A-amazing!”r

To think the weakest daggers would be even more powerful than the most powerful weapon I previously had. Such was the power of the enemy I just defeated.r

I was lucky… If I hadn’t gotten my ‘Job’ at that time and unlocked my magic power, I would have stood no chance.r

Having the tooth and claws of the Hell Kobold King appear as drops for me was something I’ve been looking forward to.r

I’ll be getting even more items like these in the future, so this was only the start.r

The stats of the weapons were quite sufficient, but this much wasn’t going to be enough. I need more, and for that to happen I need to leave this place.r

“I’m sure the ‘Skills’ of the ‘Guardians’ and ‘King’ will also be useful in the future. Hopefully, I have more ‘Skill Slots’ now.r

“Huuu… I should wrap things up.”r

Looking around me, there were still quite a few Demons left, plus many of the Demon cores of the vanquished monsters littered the ground.r

They aren’t worth much Exp, since I’ve leveled up a lot, but…r

“It’s not like I can leave you all roaming down here, hungry and all. I should put you out of your miseries!”r

And so, out of the kindness of my heart, I killed even more.r

[Moments Later]r

Climbing back up was much harder than entering the underground area. It took a great amount of effort since I was still disoriented, but I reached the top.r

“Ah… ah…” I huffed, catching my breath as I finally lay on the cool surface of the ground floor.r

It took some time because I had to pick up all the cores, while also taking care of my enemies. But, compared to the King, they were nothing!r

“Jeremy!” A flustered voice called out to me in relief.r

Even in my exhausted state, I knew quite well who it was.r

“Y-you’re back!” Paul cried, running toward me.r

I gave a tired grin and nodded, causing tears to well up in his eyes.r

“I knew it! I knew you wouldn’t die there and abandon me just like that! I’m so happy you’re back!” He sobbed.r

Well, I’m not so sure about that. But, it felt slightly good to have someone care about my wellbeing, even if it was this idiot.r

My eyes darted to the ground, where my endless supply of Demon Stones should have been, but they weren’t.r

“Paul, where are my-” I was about to say, before my eyes picked up a huge pile, some distance from the two of us.r

“Hehe, since you took so long returning, I picked all the Cores and placed them in a single place.” He beamed.r

I wasn’t expecting this. For the first time, Paul took the initiative and picked my stuff instead of hiding like a coward.r

“Not bad…” I smiled, getting up from the ground.r

“You did well”r

He smiled widely upon hearing my praise, chuckling even more.r

Paul’s eyes darted to the large hole leading to the underground hell I just came out from, staring at it curiously.r

“Just what kind of monster was down there… From up here, I could hear the sounds and vibrations…” He mumbled, drawing closer to the gaping hole.r

He seemed more confident now, being able to approach such a dangerous site so casually.r

“The monsters were strong, but I killed them all… mostly” I responded in a whisper.r

“Mostly…?”r

Before Paul could complete his line of thought, I gently tapped him, causing his body to lose balance instantly.r

“… Eh-?!” His eyes widened in shock as he couldn’t believe what was happening.r

I watched as he fell into the hole, plunging into the abyss that led to where I crawled out from. His surprised expression was full of confusion and shock, puzzled by why I would do such a thing.r

“This is where we part ways, Paul.” I smiled, watching him disappear into the darkness he sank into.r

“J-Jeremyyyyy!!!” His voice echoed from within the hole, but I ignored it, turning to face my neatly stacked-up pile of resources.r

No hard feelings, but it was inevitable.r

Paul was a momentary ally due to his abilities, but from this point on, I no longer needed him.r

The drops I obtained were much more effective than anything he was currently able to produce, and since he was still in Level 1, he would have been a very annoying liability on the battlefield.r

Sure, I could level him up, but that would take a lot of time, and I would have to share my Exp with him.r

“That’s unacceptable! My first priority is growing stronger. There’s no way I’m investing my resources on a human whose nature is unpredictable.” I muttered, convincing myself of my actions.r

I turned back once again and looked at the hole. Judging by the depth, there was a small chance he would survive the fall.r

Even if he had been a Level 1, Paul was still a Gifted, and all his Stats were considerably better than a normal human’s.r

Also, I killed most of the Demons within the hole, leaving only about three to finish the job. They weren’t going to give me much Exp anyway.r

If he manages to kill them and survive, then I would have been doing him a favor. But, knowing Paul’s personality, he’ll die.r

“Ultimately, the choice is yours… Paul”r

My hands steadily touched the pile that he had meticulously prepared for me and all my Demon cores went to their respective slots.r

I haven’t had the time to check my stats and all, so I might as well do that now… after all, I’m so exhausted!r

“S-status Window!”r