Lee Shin-Woo checked his status and couldn't hide his astonishment.

It's not just a simple increase in stats, but the effectiveness of my stats has also increased by 10%? That’s why there’s a great gap between level 1 and level 2!

If the same was true of his future level-ups, there'd be an even larger difference from level 2 to level 3, and level 3 to level 4. His nonexistent eyes clouded over as he imagined the prospect. He realized then he still had a long way to go. If he had known that beforehand, he wouldn't have even thought about fighting the Undead Hero. The only reason he could defeat it was because of the severe damage already done to its body. He had been extremely lucky.

[Strength - 73 + 10 Agility - 77 + 10 Endurance - 61 + 10 Magic - 43 + 10] (While the dungeon bonuses still apply)

The power boost brought about by the level-up itself was amazing, but his stats had seen another impressive growth after absorbing the Bone Spear, the Feather Bone Boots, and the bones that the Undead Hero had left behind. The effect of his death, his achievement, and Bone Reinforcement had all contributed to the increase of his stats. Losing the Lv2 Bone Spear was regrettable, so much so that he might even shed some tears if he could cry, but his broken weapon hadn’t been wasted. He’d grown stronger still because of it.

Then how about... I have two new skills, huh.

When he leveled up, he had acquired the skill 'Avenger' and ‘’Bursting Thunder’; the latter he’d acquired from the Undead Hero’s memory. The grandiose names made Lee Shin-Woo worry that the skills might be all fanfare and no substance, but it turned out to be a gross underestimation on his part.

[Beginner Avenger Lv1 (Passive)]

[Once you harbor a grudge on someone, they cannot escape. You will be buffed after running from the battlefield, and you can find the opponent who defeated you on the minimap. When you fight that opponent again, all your abilities will be buffed by 20%. Every time your revenge is successful, the skill grows.]

The skill worked on the premise that he would be defeated.

It definitely sounded powerful. However, it seemed like a strange skill that wouldn't have much opportunity for growth, so he was a little disappointed. Once he parsed the meaning of ‘You will be buffed after running from the battle from the battlefield’, though, he had a change of mind.

Does it mean that it's ok to run away for the purpose of revenge? If that's the case, then dying in battle isn't the only thing considered a defeat...It might not be such a simple skill as I had first thought.

True, if defeat was limited to being killed in battle, then there would obviously be no point to this skill since not everyone had the ability to resurrect. Avenger was used differently compared to his other skills, and it was closely linked to his behavior. Its growth depended on how he used it. Of course, there were still aspects of the skill he didn’t know about, so the best he could do now was recognizing its potential.

[Bursting Thunder Lv1(Passive)]

[A close combat fighting style created by a legendary hero; after it was enhanced by the goddess’s power, this skill was born. As the greatest fighting style that includes all close combat techniques and defensive techniques that originate from hand-to-hand combat, its power and speed are akin to fatal lightning. The techniques require magic imbuement to reach their full potential, but that is not possible at the current level.]

Unlike Avenger, Bursting Thunder was an incredibly intuitive ability. Now he understood why Spearmanship, Swordsmanship, Weapon Defense, and Critical Hit had been absorbed in the process of gaining the skill. It was a skill that incorporated all close combat techniques! 

There was no point in stating how amazing it was; it should be obvious enough. The skill couldn’t be acquired anywhere else. By absorbing the bone that the Undead Hero left behind, however, he was able to extract the memories and experiences within. If it hadn't been for Bone Reinforcement...!

For a legendary hero's ability to be enhanced by the goddess’s power… There's no way that a Lv2 hero could have created the skill himself, so he must have asked for this skill from the goddess.

I’ve scored big! I’ve gained a skill the goddess granted other heroes through Bone Reinforcement! Lee Shin-Woo had once again realized that Bone Reinforcement’s potential was unlimited. More importantly, it was amazing that Bursting Thunder was at the low rank level. This was the first low-rank skill he'd obtained, and considering the techniques, memories, and experiences he has received through the skill, he was sure that it was a high-rank skill rather than low-rank one.

Lastly... let's take a look at the sword the zombie left behind.

Honestly, when he defeated the Undead Hero, he was more excited about acquiring its sword than leveling up and learning skills. Regardless of how experienced the Undead Hero was in Bursting Thunder, the fact that it had split a level 2 Bone Spear with a single strike was evidence that its weapon's ability was uncommon.

"There."

Since the Undead Hero had already been dealt with, it was easy to find the sword on the ground. The sword glowing blue amid the darkness seemed almost mystical, which pushed his anticipation higher still. However, the moment Lee Shin-Woo excitedly grabbed the sword, something strange happened. The sword, which had definitely been made of metal, crackled and started to transform!

[Through the power of Bone Reinforcement, all weapons that you gain will change into bone.]

[Lv4 'Thunder Lasting' has transformed into Lv3 'Bone of Thunder Lasting'.]

The weapon completely transformed the moment he touched it. Significantly shortened, the bone blade radiated a delicate blue light, and the hilt became discolored, transforming into a piece of black bone...

...Bone?

He would put aside the impossibility of metal transforming into bone for now. How could a level 4 item instantly degrade to level 3? What a waste! He had thought everything would be fine and dandy, but he didn't know that Bone Reinforcement would have such a fatal flaw. Until now, all the items he had acquired were made of bones, so he hadn't been aware of the skill’s detrimental effect at all!

Lee Shin-Woo was momentarily lost in a state of listlessness. If he was holding a level 4 weapon right now, he would've felt invincible...!

No... Damn it, get a hold of yourself. I should've expected this kind of setback.

Moreover, the effect wouldn’t always be disadvantageous. Since Bone Reinforcement would change every weapon he acquired, he would be able to use weapons he couldn’t otherwise wield. In the long term, in fact, the skill was more beneficial to him.

That was what he had to tell himself, anyway. With imaginary tears welling up his imaginary eyes, Lee Shin-Woo checked the status of the transformed sword.

[Bone of Thunder Lasting Lv3]

[Durability: 750/750]

[Attack Power: 100 - 120]

[Options: Strength + 5, Agility + 5, Increases Effectiveness of Bursting Thunder + 10%]

"Ugh, he probably got this from the goddess, too."

The hero he had just defeated wasn’t skilled in the slightest, while Bursting Thunder had ridiculous potential; its sword was clearly closely related to the skill. In other words, it was likely that the hero had asked the goddess to give it a skill and a weapon in exchange for their service. They seemed inferior to the ones Lee Shin-Woo had been granted with. There was a high possibility that the hero had gained other abilities as well, but Lee Shin-Woo couldn’t care less about them.

It's definitely advantageous to have a high level weapon at the start, but... this is how it affects the hero.

That was the only worthy advice the Undead Hero had imparted to their junior, but Lee Shin-Woo would probably forget about it soon.

Despite having degraded to level 3, the Bone of Thunder Lasting boasted strength that completely outstripped the Bone Spear. He tried swinging it around, and with a sigh, finally ridding himself of the regret of not obtaining a level 4 weapon.

Suddenly…

[Quest complete. The chatroom is opening.]

[Mr. Lee Shin-Woo is entering.]

[Lloyd H.K: Hey, who's this? A newbie?]

[Seira Von Retadane: Hello, Mr. Lee Shin-Woo. It’s always a difficult decision to become a hero, so thank you for your bravery. Let's work hard in the future.]

[Prince Altania: Anyway, what level are you, newbie? 5? 4? You're not level 3, are you? Please tell me you're not.]

[Lloyd H.K: He could start at level 3 and grow. Why are you discouraging someone who just joined us?]

[Prince Altania: Damn you. You know full well that a hero can at most reach level 5 if they start at level 3 no matter how desperately they try to earn Perium. Do you know how many I've seen die like that?]

[Lloyd H.K: But I started at level 3, and now I'm level 6.]

[Prince Altania: You're... you're talented.]

As soon as the chatroom opened, several people piped up with no resemblance of order. Although it was called a chatroom, it worked more like a group chat. It was noisy hearing so many voices in his ear simultaneously. Despite that, he was so happy to hear other people’s voices that he was ready to burst into tears. So much so that he lamented his lack of eyes and, in turn, his inability to cry.

[Lee Shin-Woo: It's nice to meet you, seniors. Please take care of me.]

He understood how the chatroom operated the moment it opened. Gently, he bent his left pinky to speak. He sounded so reasonable and calm that it was difficult to believe he had become a skeleton. Well, a skeleton talking was strange from the start.

[Lloyd H.K: Considering how courteous the newbie is... he'd get along well with Retadane.]

[Seira Von Retadane: It's really nice to meet you. You're still in the outer area, right? If you run into trouble, please don’t hesitate to let me know.]

[Lloyd H.K: See?]

[Shino Rendu[1]: So what level are you? ...Should I give you some Perium?]

[Lee Shin-Woo: I'm sorry, but why does the amount of Perium I have matter?]

Lee Shin-Woo decided to ask what he was most curious about first. He thought he would be able to accumulate karma simply by diligently killing monsters and increasing stats through Bone Reinforcement.

However, his senior heroes were equating Perium to levels, so he couldn't help but be curious.

[Shino Rendu: What? Are you kidding me?]

[Lloyd H.K: Shino, if he came out of the secret shop having bought only equipment, he might not know yet.]

[Shino Rendu: Ah... is that possible? True, that's the time when you're most clueless. Sorry, newbie. I lost a comrade just a little while ago, so I'm a bit touchy.]

[Lee Shin-Woo: That's alright. I understand, senior. I was shortsighted. It seems that there are items in the secret shop that correspond to one’s level.]

Lee Shin-Woo had a strange feeling while talking through the chatroom. His personality was calmer than before, and he spoke respectfully; it felt like he had two personalities, almost like he was wearing a mask... Ah, he was using his Acting skill!

[Shino Rendu: Good thing you have a good head on you. Yeah, that's it.]

[Seira Von Retadane: That's the significance of the secret shop. You hunt the undead flooding from within the empire, acquire Perium, and then go to the secret shop to purchase a medicine that increases your stats. Through that, we surpass our limits and are then able to tackle a more challenging area and help purify the empire. It’s fine even if your level is low, since Goddess's Secret Shop makes 'infinite growth potential' possible.]

[Lloyd H.K: The higher your level, the more expensive the medicine costs... Do you know how much it costs to buy a single health potion? 300,000 Perium, damn it. It'd probably be faster to achieve a feat and increase my stats that way.]

[Shino Rendu: But achieving a feat ain't easy. Alfy wanted to do that and overtaxed himself... Ha.]

Lee Shin-Woo perked up. He realized with certainty that he had made the correct request to the goddess. Of course, he knew that none of his fellow heroes had access to a special characteristic like Bone Reinforcement, but he didn't know that they had to go through so much trouble just to level up. Becoming bald and impotent had proven to be worth it! Probably!

[Prince Altania: While we're on the topic, what level are you right now, Retadane?]

[Seira Von Retadane: Isn't Mr. Lee Shin-Woo more important than me right now?]

[Prince Altania: You're avoiding the question again. So, newbie, what's your level?]

Lee Shin-Woo was briefly silent. He had just learned something new and suddenly realized how amazing his ability was, so he was a little preoccupied. However, he knew for certain that he didn't really need to tell them he was level 2 and cause them to despair in the future. There was a difference between what they could take and what he could take. In their eyes, his growth rate would seem ridiculously fast.

[Lee Shin-Woo: I'm level 4.]

[Lloyd H.K: Nice. There's still hope in this world then.]

[Seira Von Retadane: That's a relief. It seems like you won't die on the outskirts without a fighting chance.]

[Shino Rendu: Not bad. Hey, after you've properly armed yourself, make sure you get the medicine. Increasing your level should be your priority over everything else, got it?]

Lee Shin-Woo had greatly exaggerated his level since he could anticipate their responses. He didn't even know how much he had to raise his stats to get to level 4, but he went with it for now. His prediction turned out to be right.

[Prince Altania: Still, you're not very strong, so you must have received a special feature based on your characteristics. What did you get? You didn't ask for something like increasing your level, the ability to shoot fire, or  a sword, right? Please tell me you didn't.]

The abilities one receives when they crossed over to Heguroa depended on how strong they were originally. In a fantasy world, it was normal for a strong person to get weaker abilities, and for a normal civilian from Earth like Lee Shin-Woo to receive much greater ones. That was what the jerk of a prince was asking about.

[Lee Shin-Woo: I got a skill.]

[Prince Altania: Good job! Seriously, good job!]

[Lloyd H.K: Your base is good. You’ll get stronger if you follow the right path.]

[Seira Von Retadane: You did well. The goddess never granted mediocre skills. Yes... how can we help Mr. Lee Shin-Woo right now?]

[Lloyd H.K: Newbie, tell us about your current situation. We'll do what we can to help you.]

Fortunately, his seniors seemed mostly amicable. He didn't know how many of them were in the empire, but... he was a little relieved.

[Lee Shin-Woo: I'm alright for now. If I get into a tough situation, may I please count on your advice then?]

[Lloyd H.K: Hey, you can speak a bit more comfortably...]

[Yasunori Akira: Hm, it's been a while since we've met a guy with some common sense. If you can safely get to the capital, I'll let you join my party.]

[Lloyd H.K: You aren’t dead, Akira?]

[Yasunori Akira: Stop using my first name, idiot.]

In truth, Lee Shin-Woo had been acting so politely that he gave himself goosebumps. However, he was certain that he was weaker than his seniors right now, so he decided to show them deference at the moment. Plus, I’m a skeleton right now! There’s nothing wrong with being careful at all times, regardless of who I’m dealing with.

[Prince Altania: Yeah, when the time comes, I'll give you some advice. Think of it as an honor.]

[Seira Von Retadane: If you always keep the chatroom open, you won't be able to focus on the current situation, Mr. Lee Shin-Woo. Please keep that in mind. I'll be praying for you to safely arrive at the capital.]

[Lee Shin-Woo: Thank you for the advice. I'll see you later.]

Lee Shin-Woo politely said his goodbyes and closed the chatroom. He could no longer hear the voices pounding on his eardrums, and it felt lonely, but still, he had found a place where he could chat with other people whenever he wanted. That was enough to brighten his mood. He was now certain he would be able to survive in this world..

"Anyway, I haven’t received any quest... which means I should do as I please for now."

Just as well. He had decided to clear the dungeon so that he could adapt to the transformation his body had gone through after reaching level 2, as well as his newly acquired skills and weapon. Of course, gaining Perium and bones were still his highest priority.

"Hoo... shall we go?"

He sighed with satisfaction and took a step forward into the dungeon. Thus began his journey to adapt to the world.