The chat window grew heated along with the action.

[Did he loot anything?]

[It’s just a Kobold.]

[Doesn’t look like much, huh?]

As expected.

‘Trash loot.’

Because he hadn’t expected much, there was no disappointment. The experience points alone were enough for now.

After defeating the two Kobolds, Seong-Min felt his ki reserves depleting from the continuous battles.

Without ki, it would be difficult to proceed any further.

“Hold on a moment. We’ve got a problem.”

Seong-Min explained the situation to Bell Gibson, telling him he needed to meditate to replenish his ki.

Like magic, ki naturally replenished over time, but meditation was the most effective way to restore it quickly.

[Wait, is he really meditating now?]

[Doesn’t the Meditator trait take hours? The trait is good, but it eats up so much time.]

[Ugh, I barely made it into the main stream, and now this?]

[But isn’t this real-time? Even sleeping and bathroom breaks are broadcast?]

[Yeah, but the streamer will probably cut that stuff out. It’s up to the streamer how they handle it.]

[ㅇㅇ Makes sense.]

To make full use of the Meditator trait, at least one hour of uninterrupted meditation was required.

• The Meditator trait is activated. Spirit stat increases by 1.

After meditating for exactly one hour, Seong-Min stood up with a trace of regret in his expression.

‘If it weren’t for those chasing me…’

Now recharged, Seong-Min resumed his journey with Bell Gibson, who had been resting during the break.

Bell Gibson had many thoughts as he watched Seong-Min.

For an hour, he had quietly sat in place, only to emerge rearmed with an unfathomable power.

It wasn’t magic.

Having encountered countless magic users, Bell Gibson could clearly distinguish it from whatever Seong-Min was using.

‘This isn’t magic. It’s… something special.’

Carrying the torch, Seong-Min soon found himself face-to-face with a group of Kobolds.

“What the—what’s this?”

“A human?”

“What’s a human doing here?”

While the Kobolds panicked, Seong-Min and Bell Gibson’s gazes gleamed like predators eyeing their prey.

The two immediately began to slaughter the Kobold group.

• You have defeated a Kobold. Experience points acquired.
• Your level has increased. Current player level: 6.

Six Kobolds were wiped out in an instant. The level-up triggered a shower of small donations from viewers.

Though the fight wasn’t a major one, the constant stream of small contributions brought a smile to Seong-Min’s face.

‘The money’s rolling in.’

• ‘Stayjuun’ has donated 5 Euros.
• ‘jiǔ jiǔ’ in the secondary stream has donated 12 yuan.
• ‘Only love to draw’ in the secondary stream has donated 3 yuan.

Grinning, Seong-Min moved on to looting. He wasn’t expecting much this time either.

‘What’s this?’

• You have obtained the Chicken Foot Talisman.

[Loot secured! Congrats congrats congrats!]

[Oh, it’s a Chicken Foot Talisman!]

[What’s that gross thing? Is it a charm?]

[ㅇㅇ If you keep it in your inventory, it boosts your luck stat.]

[Really? Then that’s awesome!]

In voodoo traditions, a chicken foot was considered a symbol of luck.

This one was an Epic-grade item.

Grinning at the unexpected find, Seong-Min couldn’t help but feel pleased.

‘Jackpot!’

After acquiring the Chicken Foot Talisman, Seong-Min opened his status window to check his luck stat.

Though he hadn’t invested a single point in luck, the item effect had raised it to 9.

Nine!

Even with all his bonus stats from leveling up poured into Spirit—bringing it to 12 with the Meditator trait—his luck stat was already at 9 thanks to this one item.

‘I’ve rarely seen anything like this.’

Seong-Min had played countless times, but luck this good in the early game was almost unheard of.

Getting the Rabbit’s Foot was common enough, but stumbling upon the Chicken Foot Talisman here was nearly impossible.

‘The odds of this are probably in the decimal range. Maybe…’

But he didn’t let his guard down.

‘No, it’s still too early to assume anything. Stay sharp.’

The journey continued.

Seong-Min and Bell Gibson ventured deeper into the mine.

As they progressed, the number of Kobolds increased, but they posed no significant threat.

One was a gamer so experienced he was practically “rotten,” and the other was skilled enough to hold his own.

However.

Seong-Min pressed himself tightly against the cold wall and motioned for Bell Gibson to stay quiet, pointing 20 meters ahead.

There, sitting by a campfire, was a Kobold Captain, its size two to three times that of a regular Kobold, gnawing on something.

‘A Kobold Captain.’

Kobold Captains were directly below the Kobold King in the hierarchy.

In terms of combat strength, they were far superior to regular Kobolds but still nowhere near the level of the Kobold King.

‘Compared to the Kobold King, this guy’s nothing special, but he’s still stronger than the average Kobold.’

[Finally, a Kobold Captain appears.]
[Is it strong?]
[ㄴㄴ Not even close to the Kobold King’s toenail.]
[ㄷㄷ Is the Kobold King that powerful?]

Reading the chat, Seong-Min nodded slightly in agreement.

‘Compared to the Kobold King, this guy’s more like… an appetizer.’

Items obtainable at this stage of the game were predictable.

The growth potential of a Kobold Captain was limited.

But the Kobold King was a different story. It could command hundreds of Kobolds, including multiple Kobold Captains, all at once.

‘Not that it’s unbeatable. There’s always a way.’

To reach the Kobold King, they had to deal with the Kobold Captain blocking their path first.

Seong-Min sharply scanned his surroundings.

‘There must be some lackeys nearby. A Kobold Captain never travels alone.’

As expected, a group of underlings was lurking in the darkness, observing the Kobold Captain’s movements.

Judging by the number of gleaming eyes in the shadows, there were about twenty of them.

‘Twenty isn’t a small number.’

If it weren’t for the Kobold Captain, twenty Kobolds wouldn’t pose a serious threat to Seong-Min.

However, with the Kobold Captain present, charging in recklessly would be too risky.

‘This isn’t a game—it’s reality. So the smart approach is the safest one.’

To minimize risk, Seong-Min chose the textbook strategy.

‘In this situation, picking them off one by one is the best approach.’

The key was to lure the lackeys out and reduce their numbers.

‘Nothing works better for luring them than their own curiosity.’

Kobolds were not particularly intelligent, making them easy monsters to manipulate.

The Kobold Captain, on the other hand, was notoriously lazy.

If Seong-Min could combine these two traits effectively, this kind of strategy could work.

Seong-Min moved a little farther from the Kobold Captain and tossed a small stone lying on the mine floor, creating a faint noise the Kobolds could hear.

The Kobold Captain, who had been gnawing on something, turned his gaze toward the source of the sound.

“…”

The darkness revealed nothing.

Narrowing his eyes, the Kobold Captain silently signaled to the Kobold lackeys hiding in the shadows.

He didn’t even make a sound—just a look was enough to send six Kobolds stumbling nervously out of the darkness.

When the Captain gestured with his chin, the Kobold group naturally moved toward the source of the noise. From a little farther away, Seong-Min repeated the same stone-throwing trick.

As the clueless Kobolds fell for the bait, the chat window exploded with laughter.

[LOL, these idiots are actually following the sound.]
[Kobolds are just too dumb to resist. LOL.]

The Kobold group was lured straight into hell, and the results were exactly what Seong-Min and everyone else expected.

“Grrrk… Why aren’t they coming back?”

The Kobold Captain, growing frustrated, gestured again, and this time over ten Kobolds moved into the darkness.

A moment later.

When even they failed to return, the Kobold Captain stood up himself.

‘Something’s there.’

Gripping his club, the Kobold Captain stepped into the darkness, leading the remaining Kobold group.

Moments later, Seong-Min and Bell Gibson calmly emerged from the pitch-black depths, having already dealt with all sixteen Kobolds and reached level 7.

“Grrrk, humans.”

The Kobold Captain’s expression twisted into a scowl as he gripped his club tighter.

Seong-Min clenched his fist, and energy surged from his fist, up his forearm, and through his entire body.

‘I’m going to beat you to a pulp.’

Seeing this, the Kobold Captain let out a mocking laugh.

But only for a moment.

Both Seong-Min and the Kobold Captain moved at the same time.

Roaring fiercely, the Kobold Captain charged, swinging his club in a full arc to crush Seong-Min’s body.

Normally, one would dodge—but Seong-Min had no intention of dodging.

Instead, he wanted to confirm something with his own two eyes.

‘This is the Outlaw’s Fist!’

The swinging club and Seong-Min’s fist collided head-on.

And the outcome defied everyone’s expectations.

Instead of shattering into pieces, Seong-Min’s bare fist obliterated the club and smashed into the Kobold Captain’s jaw.

The viewers were stunned, and the lackey Kobolds watching from behind gawked in disbelief.

[Holy crap! He broke the club with his fist?]
[ㄷㄷ Is that the power of a hidden class?]

Seong-Min didn’t give the Kobold Captain a moment to recover. He used Outlaw’s Fist again, aiming directly for the Captain’s face.

‘I won’t give you time to recover!’

Wham!

With a loud crack, the Kobold Captain’s face caved in.

The Kabbalah Heretical Monk’s fist completely demolished the Kobold Captain’s grotesque face.

‘Not yet.’

A second punch slammed into the Kobold Captain’s face, driving the final nail into the coffin.

The relentless assault left the Kobold Captain completely defeated and unable to fight back, as Seong-Min pummeled him into submission.

Bell Gibson, who had been watching the scene, was so astonished he nearly broke his vow of silence.

‘How can he do that with pure strength, not magic?’

If he had only heard about it, he would have dismissed it.

After all, how powerful could some ability from another world really be?

But seeing it with his own eyes was different—it defied expectations, no, it defied common sense. It was almost miraculous.

‘Power that rivals magic. Anyone who didn’t know better would think he was a Battle Mage.’

[Wow, he’s not giving him a chance to breathe. This is insane.]
[Looks like he’s got some King of Fighters experience.]

With the remaining Kobold lackeys too stunned to move, Seong-Min finished off the Kobold Captain without mercy.

• You have killed the Kobold Captain. Experience points acquired.
• Your level has increased. Current player level: 8.

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