I Raided the Demon’s Treasury

Chapter 8

[ Tutorial Chapter One – Adaptation ]

– Successfully cleared the first wave.

– All participants in the wave are awarded 50 points.

Thanks to Se-woon’s intervention, the wave ended quickly.

The others who had been hiding behind the weaker individuals, along with the middle-aged man, saw what happened to him when he was pushed into the boars’ path and trampled. They immediately adjusted their behavior

A few tried to approach and thank Se-woon, but he waved them off. After all, his actions hadn’t been for their sake.

Calculating individual merit points…

[ 1st Place: Jung Se-woon – 1,080 points ]

[ 2nd Place: Kang Han-cheol – 180 points ]

[ 3rd Place: Yoo Seo-ah – 100 points ]

…

The individual merit point tally unsurprisingly placed Se-woon at the top.

While some points were gained from the recent wave, the significant boost came from hunting the Gray Wolf in the Wolf Forest.

In fact, more than half of the points displayed now were earned in the Wolf Forest.

– The ‘Brown Boar’ has been devoured.

– Absorbing its nutrients increases Strength by 1 and Stamina by 2.

The Constellation, ‘Hungry Prince,’ eagerly devours the meat, saying he has been waiting for this moment.

Se-woon used the Power of Gluttony on most of the boars he had fought.

Only one boar corpse remained.

The reason Se-woon left one behind, despite sacrificing potential stat increases, was simple.

‘Boar meat should taste better than wolf meat.’

For a meal.

Naturally, in the tutorial, one had to secure their own food.

Having experienced the unappetizing taste of wolf meat before his regression, he deliberately left the boar corpse.

Even though wild boars could be carnivorous in such conditions, at least they would taste better than wolves.

Slice.

Without hesitation, Se-woon cut open the boar’s belly.

Though the rust on the blade was concerning, he couldn’t afford to worry about that now.

Blood and entrails spilled out from the split belly.

He knew basic butchering techniques, but his goal wasn’t to fully butcher the boar here.

All he needed was enough for one meal.

Just then—

“Um…”

Someone’s voice made him turn his head.

A woman with neatly tied brown hair stood there, looking at him hesitantly.

Observing her quickly, Se-woon could guess her occupation.

‘A chef, perhaps?’

Her fingers were covered in small cuts and burns, and they looked far from unscathed.

Naturally, Se-woon could guess why she had approached him.

“C-can I help? I run a small restaurant, so I know how to handle meat to some extent!”

Perhaps needing the courage, she raised her voice excessively, and Se-woon gave her a small smile.

Having pushed the middle-aged man into the boars and swung his blade without hesitation, spraying blood, people were hesitant to speak to Se-woon.

But here she was, breaking through the fear and stepping forward to find her role. To Se-woon, her actions were very commendable.

“Of course.”

“Ah, thank you!”

Though she was merely accepting a task, she seemed immensely grateful, bowing her head as she took the sword from Se-woon.

She hesitated momentarily, seeing the heavily rusted blade, but after a small sigh, she began butchering the boar immediately.

Slice, rip.

She skinned it, removed the organs, and divided the edible parts by section, carving the meat neatly from the bones with the blade.

Even though the sword wasn’t meant for butchering, and she likely had never butchered a freshly killed boar, her skill was impressive.

“I brought some water. Do you need it?”

“Oh! Thank you! I was just dying of thirst!”

“There’s a small stream by the rock hill. I can fetch more if you need.”

“Please do! Given the state of the blade, I’d like to rinse the meat once.”

“Sure!”

Watching her efforts, perhaps others were inspired?

Those who had been squatting on the ground, not knowing what to do, began to move.

They fetched water from the stream and brought branches from the forest to prepare for the meal.

With extra time on their hands, some even spread out leaves to prepare sleeping areas.

“We’re done! This should be enough for us to eat.”

“I’ve gathered firewood. I also brought a flat stone that seems suitable for cooking. Will that work?”

“Of course! Great job. But…”

Although they had the meat ready to cook and the preparations were finished, there was one problem.

Fire.

“Does anyone have a lighter?”

“When I woke up, everything was gone except my clothes…”

“Same here.”

Upon entering the tower, all personal belongings were left behind except for basic clothing. This rule was to ensure fairness, preventing some races from bringing artifacts or scrolls.

Naturally, no one had a lighter or any tools.

“Well, I think I’ve seen a way to start a fire. Should we try?”

“I’ll start the fire.”

“Huh? Do you have a way…?”

Se-woon stepped forward.

Someone had neatly arranged the firewood and stone slab, making it ready for cooking.

– Opened the Treasury of Greed.

[ Ember of Kasha ]

– The ember held by Kasha, the low-rank fire spirit. Though weak, it contains the spirit’s power, making it difficult to extinguish.

“Whoa!”

As an intangible energy flowed out from his body, flames erupted from Se-woon’s fingertips.

Since he didn’t have mana, it seemed his mental energy was being used instead.

‘I need to start accumulating mana soon.’

At first, one could handle most monsters with just physical strength, but that would change later on.

In fact, it wouldn’t even take that long; by the time they reached the mid-point of the tutorial, it would be hard to face monsters without mana.

As Se-woon thought about learning mana as soon as he had some time, he directed the flames toward the firewood.

Whoosh!

Even though the firewood wasn’t in the best condition, likely because dry wood was hard to come by, the Ember of Kasha ignited without hesitation.

Indeed, it was a spirit’s ember.

Soon, the firewood was engulfed in hot flames, accompanied by a bit of smoky scent.

“How did you do that? It looked like magic!”

“Magic, you say… It’s similar.”

“What?”

“Try opening your status window later. You might have some talent.”

“Status window?”

“More importantly, everyone is staring at the meat.”

“Oh! I’ll grill it right away! Everyone, please wait a bit longer!”

Sizzle!

As the meat hit the stone slab, a pleasing sound echoed, and the smell of roasting meat wafted through the camp.

For the first time since the tutorial began, smiles appeared on people’s faces.

* * *

Crunch—

Se-woon took a big bite of the meat he was holding.

Juices burst out surprisingly, moistening his lips with oil.

Despite not using any seasoning, there wasn’t a hint of any off-flavor.

Se-woon couldn’t help but smile as he recalled the terrible taste of the first wolf roast he had eaten before his regression.

‘It really makes a difference when it’s prepared by someone who knows what they’re doing.’

While the grilled pork belly on the stone slab was the most popular, Se-woon opted for a well-grilled skewer and settled into a corner.

Although the people’s wariness had significantly lessened, there were still quite a few who were afraid of him.

– The Constellation, ‘Hungry Prince,’ smacks his lips at the delicious smell.

‘Even I need to eat.’

To satisfy Beelzebub’s demands, he would have to hunt monsters and cook all day long.

Even for a Constellation, some level of ignoring was necessary.

Just as Se-woon was about to finish his meal, someone handed him a leaf-made cup of water.

“Drink this.”

Yoo Seo-ah.

Before Se-woon’s regression, she was known in the tower as ‘Whirlwind.’

Gulp, gulp.

After giving a slight nod of thanks, Se-woon drank the water in the leaf cup refreshingly.

The accumulated thirst was quenched, making him feel rejuvenated.

A brief silence followed.

Yoo Seo-ah spoke first.

“Did you find that sword in the forest?”

“I got lucky.”

She looked at the sword next to Se-woon with a hint of envy.

‘Come to think of it, before skills and talents, Yoo Seo-ah had already learned swordsmanship.’

Memories from before his regression flashed through Se-woon’s mind.

She was using a wooden stick instead of a sword, which made it difficult to exert her full strength.

That’s likely why she had fewer points compared to Kang Han-cheol.

“Do you see the system message floating above?”

“Yes. It seems we have some time to rest before the next wave.”

“Not that. Below, the merit points.”

“100 points… What about it?”

“With that much, you can probably buy a sword. It won’t be in great condition, though.”

“Huh? How?”

“Focus on the points, and a shop menu will appear.”

Merit points earned in the tutorial can be used in various ways.

Besides potions and basic equipment, there are even top-tier items that are hard to obtain within the tower, albeit at a high cost.

Although saving merit points is crucial for passing the tutorial in top rank, what she needed now was a weapon she could use immediately.

“Wow, it’s like a game.”

“Pretty much. As I said earlier, to survive here, it’s best to adapt quickly to the system.”

Yoo Seo-ah, concentrating, unconsciously furrowed her brows.

She moved her fingers as if selecting items, and with a resolute nod, she made her choice.

Thud.

“Whoa!”

A sword appeared in front of Yoo Seo-ah.

A shortsword.

It wasn’t very long, and its blade was worn, almost blunt.

While it wasn’t rusted like Se-woon’s ‘Sword of the Forgotten Hero,’ its condition seemed worse.

Among the swords available for purchase with points, it was the lowest rank.

It might be disappointing, but for 100 points, it was the best she could get.

Still, a sword is a sword, and it would be much more effective than swinging a wooden stick.

As evidence, Yoo Seo-ah held the newly acquired sword with an astonished expression, her mouth agape.

“That’s amazing! How did you even know about this?”

“I just accepted the situation quickly.”

“I thought I had adapted quickly, but I can’t keep up with you, Se-woon.”

“Did I mention my name?”

“Someone told me to get used to the system.”

Yoo Seo-ah pointed to the empty air where the system message floated.

The individual merit ranking.

With Se-woon’s name prominently displayed in first place, it would be hard not to notice for anyone paying attention.

“But… did you really have to do that?”

Her mood momentarily lifted, she now wore a downcast expression as she asked.

Although there was no direct object in her question, Se-woon understood immediately what she meant.

She was referring to the middle-aged man who used his Earthly status to manipulate people.

“This is why I said discussing is pointless.”

“But maybe there could’ve been another way…”

“And if the people he used as shields had gotten hurt, who would take responsibility for that?”

Yoo Seo-ah prodded the ground with her shortsword instead of answering.

Given her quick adaptability, she must have already understood, even if she verbally disagreed.

How to adapt to this place and what the most efficient method was.

“Thanks for teaching me this.”

“Don’t mention it.”

Yoo Seo-ah stood up.

Though her face wasn’t visible, her voice carried a hint of determination, as if she had made a silent vow.

“And thank you in advance for your continued help.”

That night, the first night of the tutorial post-regression, Se-woon leaned against a convenient tree trunk and drifted into a light sleep.