Subscriber of the Gods

Chapter 19: In the Deathlands

Please. This is all I have. Please. Please.

A very poor-looking man was on his knees, begging.

In front of him was Heo Jun.

He looked much older than the last time Ethan saw him.

He stroked his white beard and nodded with a stern expression.

Dont worry.

The man thanked Heo Jun and continued to bang his head against the ground.

Inside the room he entered was a girl with a wet cloth on her head.

Her cheeks were red, and her moans of pain were intermittent. It was obvious that she was a patient.

Heo Jun began to make a decoction of various herbs.

Ethan focused on Heo Juns dexterity.

Perhaps because he was the author of the Donguibogam, his timing in creating the medicinal decoction was excellent.

Huu!

A green and black colored decoction was created.

-The All-Purpose Detoxification Decoction [1 Star] has been created!

-The recipe for the decoction has been updated with the addition of the All-Purpose Detoxification Decoction.

Feed her this for five days. It should cure her illness as if it had been cleansed.

Thank you. I really appreciate it. Sob, sob, sob.

That was the end of the video.

A short, simple, to-the-point video.

Ethan was very satisfied

So this is the method of making a detoxification potion?

The initial 1-star decoction he created, which was a beginners decoction, also had the effect of enhancing stamina.

However, the All-Purpose Detoxification Decoction he learned this time was a decoction that could remove debuffs or detoxify toxins.

No way. Can these remove a curse?

Ethan checked the information on the Universal Detoxification Decoction.

Decoction recipe

The effects of the detoxification potion vary depending on the ingredients used.

It detoxifies toxins that cause abnormalities in the body.

Hmmm. It cant be. I think the effect is to clear debuffs.

The curse upon her was one of the greatest in all of MePan.

It shouldnt be that easy to break.

Still. Its a very nice addition.

Ethan continued to watch the Strengthened Chapter video.

The Strengthened Chapter video was similar to the first one.

Heo Jun appeared and explained various things.

-The title of this video is exactly what it sounds like, strengthening your acupuncture, decoction-making skills, and detoxification.

Ding-!

-Your Heos Acupuncture and Heos Decoction skills have been strengthened!

-Your skills proficiency will increase.

The effectiveness of acupuncture is increased! Crafted decoctions now possess additional special effects.

So you can learn it like this too. The content inside the video wasnt the most important thing after all.

He Jun and Hercules. He was unsure since he only subscribed to two gods, but their videos were basically explanations to convey their powers.

Whether or not you understood them, you could learn skills by watching them.

Gods with a lot of likes and subscriptions are probably explaining how to use their skills well in their videos.

It wasnt just a matter of learning.

It was evident in the subscription reviews.

There had been many reviews from subscribers from different worlds who had learned the skills but couldnt put them to good use.

That meant there were a lot of bad gods out there.

Right then.

Ethan began to make the decoction.

He had enough ingredients.

Hed gathered quite a few herbs from the Dark Forest.

Bubble, bubble

He stirred the various herbs together. The heat spread around him, creating a foul odor, but Ethan didnt mind.

The fouler the smell, the better the effect.

My stamina has increased compared to before.

He could stir for a long time.

With one hand stirring and the other hand holding the Donguibogam, Ethan continued his work.

-Magic Book Donguibogam.

Increases the effectiveness of Decoction-making and Acupuncture by 1.8x when held.

I cant believe Donguibogam is a magic book.

The restrictions were a bit harsh, but the effect was as good as the restrictions.

Ethan continued to stir the decoction.

Ding-!

-You have created an [Intermediate Decoction]!

-Rating in progress.

-The effect of Donguibogam has been activated.

-[Intermediate Decoction] Grade B.

What was made was a Grade B Intermediate Decoction.

Great.

Ethan immediately checked the information on the decoction.

-[Intermediate Decoction] Grade B.

A decoction with a foul odor. Its effects are enhanced by excellent processing.

Enhances physical abilities for 5 minutes. [Strength +3, Stamina +3, Agility +3, Intelligence +3]

Upon eating this, your stamina will be restored.

Crazy.

Ethan was taken aback and he let out a swear word.

A rare decoction had been created that would give him +3 to all his stats for 5 minutes. 

A mere 5 minutes, but a whopping three stat increases.

It was something he would never have been able to create at his current level.

Buff potions are very difficult to make in the first place.

Most buff potions only increase one of several stats.

There were some that boosted two, but they were rare and expensive.

But this one raised four stats by three in five minutes. 

That was a pretty impressive effect.

The ingredients were pretty good.

He chose only the best herbs from what he brought back from the Dark Forest.

Perhaps that was why the effect was greater than he thought.

I can eat this if I have to.

It also had the effect of restoring stamina, so if he felt like he was in danger, he could eat it and run away.

Thats how I should use it.

* * *

Kriik Kriiik

A horde of kobolds, reeking of putrid odor, moved across the Deathlands.

As they advanced, the chieftain at the front suddenly halted and sniffed the air.

Kriik!

Then, it quickly turned its head.

There stood a human. It was evident at a glance that the human appeared weak.

Kriikriikriik, kiik!

Upon the kobolds roar, the subordinate kobolds began charging at the human.

The human, Edan Whickers, tightened his grip on the sword in his hand.

[lv 25]

The levels displayed above the kobolds heads were all 25.

There were a total of twelve such kobolds.

Ethans expression hardened slightly.

To encounter kobolds as soon as he entered. Although kobolds were monster-like creatures with a dog-like appearance, being humanoid monsters made them much more formidable to deal with than typical beast-type monsters.

Moreover, despite being rusty, the weapon they held in their hand was undoubtedly made of iron.

Annoying.

That meant there was a high possibility that the armor they were wearing was also made of iron.

Still, its worth it.

Ethan came to this Deathlands to obtain a class.

If he couldnt even handle a single kobold group, he wouldnt dare to dream of obtaining a class.

Furthermore, Ethan had a good sword with him.

The Beast Kings Claw Sword. Its time to test it.

Ethan focused on his breathing.

As the Heros Breathing activated, vitality surged through his body.

Soon, his eyes glowed, and the Monsters Calamity, Hercules skill, became active.

The weaknesses of the approaching kobolds began to reveal themselves.

Perhaps due to being higher-level monsters, they indeed had vulnerabilities in tricky areas.

Kriikriikriik! Kiik!

One kobold thrust its head toward Edan and charged at him.

Ethan then swung his held sword with all his strength.

Direct confrontation had to be avoided.

Engaging in a strength battle would not allow him to defeat the significantly higher-level kobold.

So.

Swiftly, he evaded the attack and swiftly turned, picking up speed.

!

A red spot appeared on its collarbone.

Ethan aimed directly at that spot on the collarbone and stabbed.

Kriiiik!

The kobold trembled and staggered forward.

Ethan didnt stop there and took another step forward.

Huuk.

He infused vitality throughout his body once again with the Heros Breathing.

In that instant, he could see every movement of the kobolds.

I see.

Ethan had fought enough battles to the point where he could predict the meaning behind every movement of his opponents.

Control was his main strength.

Its the effect of increasing my stamina.

Since he could see everything with his eyes and predict it, all he had to do was follow along with his body.

Swish-!

The kobolds blunt sword cut through the air.

Ethan aimed precisely at the kobolds jaw and thrust his sword into it.

Swoosh-!

Once again, the kobold fell with a single strike.

In quick succession, Ethan quickly bent his waist, and the sword swung over the spot where he had just been standing.

I could kill 3 in a row if I aim for the vital spot.

Ethan plunged his sword into the heart of the kobold, who stared dumbfounded as if it hadnt realized it was coming.

The sharpness of the Claw Sword effortlessly pierced through the kobolds skin.

Critical strike!

You aimed for the precise vital spot and launched an attack!

You have cleared the challenge [Eye of the Hawk]!

Achievement unlocked! Depending on the difficulty of the challenge completed, you have received likes!

You have received 1 like!

The overwhelming display made the kobold chieftain realize that something was amiss with the situation.

Kriiik! Re-retreat!

As it ordered with a stern tone, the kobolds started fleeing.

I dont care about letting the others go.

However, Ethan had no intention of letting them go so easily.

He swiftly charged toward the kobold chieftain, who was the last to retreat.

Taak!

I just need to get the chieftain!

The chieftain provided the highest experience points.

Furthermore, there were achievements to defeat multiple chieftain-level monsters like this.

So, Ethan couldnt afford to let the chieftain slip away.

Thud. Thud.

He covered a distance that seemed impossible to reach.

Then he saw the fleeing kobold chieftain.

There was a red spot right in the middle of its back.

Ethan precisely aimed for that spot and thrust his sword.

Thuuk!

Kriiik!

With a final whimper, the kobold chieftain collapsed in its place.

Being a boss monster, it didnt die immediately despite being struck at its weak point.

Ethan repeatedly targeted its weak spots.

Finally, the kobold chieftain fell, and the remaining kobolds fled in disarray.

Huuu.

In essence, it was Ethans first solo hunt.

Successful.

* * *

Eddan neatly dismantled the remains of the kobold pack.

The kobolds leather was surprisingly soft and had many uses, making it sellable at a decent price.

He organized the seven pieces of leather and placed them in his subspace pouch.

Maybe Ill actually get it this time.

In truth, he wasnt confident.

He had attempted to acquire this class multiple times before but had often given up midway due to its high difficulty.

Ill just obtain a different class.

The class he was currently trying to obtain was considered one of the best in MePan.

However, failing to acquire this class didnt mean he couldnt clear the game.

Moreover, being a hardcore gamer, he found it more enjoyable to acquire other classes to increase the difficulty.

Thats why Ive only been attempting so far. You need to be without a class to obtain this class. In a state without a class, you could only keep giving up.

The situation was similar to back then.

He was without a profession and, above all, burdened with the weakness of being sick.

But now he couldnt afford to give up.

If I give up, I might die this time.

It was a matter of life and death.

In that case, he had no choice but to take the risk and try to get that class.

Moreover, this time there were not only significant weaknesses but also many advantages.

First and foremost, the fact that he could subscribe to the gods was a huge advantage.

I will definitely obtain it.

Ethan continued to venture deeper into the Deathlands.

He wondered how far hed gone.

A group of orcs appeared.

Perhaps due to being the orcs of the Deathlands, their skin tone was darker, and signs of decay and corrosion could be seen here and there.

Ive found it.

From now on, it was the real deal.