Acquired the Scam Rune in the Academy

Beyond the entrance of the dungeon and into the middle part, they didn’t encounter any more Electrophorus.

‘Instead, real snake monsters appeared.’

B-grade monsters, Mega Snake, and Green Anaconda, were of a tremendous size for snakes, engaging in fierce battles on land.

Unfortunately, there were no runes to be obtained from them. Both monsters were strong, based on their high-level abilities, and the combat runes they utilized were the same ones Do Jae-hyun already possessed, such as [Sturdy Fangs] and [Agile Agility].

He didn’t have any major complaints since he had obtained three runes from the Electrophorus.

‘Of course, not everything.’

Past the entrance of the dungeon and into the middle part, they defeated all the monsters and made their way to the boss room as planned. And there, at the edge.

They encountered an A-grade monster, the ‘Basilisk’.

Among snake-type monsters, it was classified as one of the most challenging, so they could obtain runes by hunting it.

[Rune Information]

◎Name: Gaze of Stiffness

◎Grade: Rare

◎Level: 5

◎Engraved Location: Eyes

◎Special Effects:

: When making eye contact during battle, there is a very low chance of immobilizing the opponent in a state of stiffness. As the rune level increases, the probability gradually rises, and it increases even more when the opponent’s mental state is low.

: Magic +5

◎Derived Skills:

–

◎Detailed Information:

: A powerful eye that instills fear in others. Ordinary individuals often cower in fear in the presence of these eyes.

[Gaze of Stiffness.]

A rare rune imbued with special abilities in the eyes. It was a rune of a relatively low rank compared to the S-grade rune [Petrification’s Curse], known to be associated with the legendary monster ‘Gorgon Medusa’. However, for my current situation, it was one of the essential runes.

First, the special effects.

Other than the [Declaration of Domination] of [Oppression] abilities, I didn’t have any other status-altering skills. This rune’s special effect was like a godsend to me. The ‘Stiffness’ status was akin to paralysis, where the entire body became paralyzed and unable to move, almost on par with ‘Fear’.

Though it was a very low probability, it was a chance that could fluctuate depending on various factors such as stats, rune level, and other conditions.

‘And the additional magic effect…!’

It was the most necessary attribute for me right now.

Magic.

This stat had been raised by an astonishing 5 points. Thanks to this boost, my magic had steadily increased to reach a whopping 30. It was one of the conditions for unlocking the ultimate skill. ‘There really is no rune as beneficial as this one’. [Gaze of Stiffness], which brought only what was needed, had turned out to be quite a valuable rune. Participating in the Basilisk hunt and contributing to the fight had been rewarding.

<Holder Information>

◎Name: Do Jae-hyun

◎Gender: Male (20)

◎Stats:

◎ [Strength: 40]

◎ [Magic: 30]

◎ [Speed: 43]

◎ [Recovery: 15]

◎ [Toughness: 32]

◎ [Willpower: 27]

◎Resistances:

: [Poison: 8]

: [Water: 10]

: [Fire: 8]

: [Lightning: 8]

◎Possessed Runes: –

: Epic

◎ [Rune Hunter Lv.Max]

◎ [Effort of the Seeker Lv.Max]

◎ [Oppression Lv.2]

◎ [Ruthless Charge Lv.2]

◎ [Swirling Tidal Waves Lv.4]

◎ [Master of Martial Arts Lv.5]

: Rare

◎ [Lizard Scales Lv.7]

◎ [Underwater Breathing Lv.3]

◎ [Venom Lv.5]

◎ [Wave Sword Technique Lv.9]

◎ [Water Sword Technique Lv.9]

◎ [Strengthen Lv.2]

◎ [Agile Agility Lv.6]

◎ [Sturdy Fang Lv.3]

◎ [Fiery Flame Lv.7]

◎ [Strong Stamina Lv.4]

◎ [Simple Curse Lv.2]

◎ [Combat Healing Lv.5]

◎ [Underwater Sprint Lv.5]

◎ [Sharp Claws Lv.6]

◎ [Penetrating Brain Strike Lv.4]

◎ [Gaze of Stiffness Lv.5]

: Normal

◎ [Cooking Lv.5]

◎ [Sprint Lv.5]

◎ [Magic Control Lv.6]

◎ [Quadruped Combat Lv.2]

◎ [Stealth Lv.7]

◎Possessed Skills: –

◎ [Master of Martial Arts]: (War Declaration of a Hundred Soldiers)

◎ [Poison Claw]: (Venom)

◎ [Hardening]: (Lizard Scales)

◎ [Stamina Food]: (Cooking)

◎ [Declaration of Domination]: (Oppression)

◎ [New Wave]: (Swirling Tidal Wave)

◎ [Emergency Treatment]: (Combat Healing)

◎ [Hide Attack]: (Stealth)

◎Ultimate Skills: –

◎ [Sky-Shattering Heavenly Sword]: (Wave Sword Technique/Restriction)

◎ [Water Sword Dance] (Water Sword Technique/Restriction)

‘…This is quite impressive.’

It had been a long time since I had opened the Holder information screen. The attributes, as well as the abundance of high-level runes and various skills, adorned the information screen gloriously.

I had come a long way since my arrival here six months ago. It was a testament to how far I had come, not just in acquiring and leveling up various runes but also in steadily increasing my attributes across the board.

[Effort of the Seeker] and actively utilizing the ‘Rune Acquisition Reward Stat’ ability had yielded these results. Especially my core attributes, strength, and speed, had already exceeded 40.

Now, I have a smooth growth rate to run towards becoming a B-grade Holder.

“Stop.”

While checking the Holder information and the newly acquired runes, Kwon Oh-jun raised his hand. His posture and movements suggested that he had discovered something.

Party members who were positioned at the back all approached him, gazing at the spot he was facing.

Right in front of them, the ground had sunken, creating a pit that revealed a cave hidden beneath the rocks. Countless snakes that were not visible as monsters were crawling around it. It was a sight that unmistakably indicated a special space.

And everyone who had come here, having hunted countless dungeon monsters, understood the significance of this space. It was the far-reaching end of the dungeon exploration—the boss room.