Chapter 36: Dungeon Hunter (1)
TL: Hanguk
Living beings cannot be stored in the Inventory, but dead bodies can be.
The students collecting the bodies of their fallen comrades looked like nothing more than a defeated army.
The leader of their group couldn’t even raise his head, and his teammates occasionally shot him glares.
But that reproachful atmosphere didn’t last long because they all knew that the situation wasn’t solely the leader’s fault.
Everyone had been blinded by greed.
No one tried to apply the brakes, and by the time they regained their senses, they were already facing the threat of death.
Of course, it was a grave mistake that the leader, who should have held his ground in the worst of situations, failed to look after his comrades, but the rest of them didn’t exactly do their best either.
‘Will they be able to recover from this?’
The group of 20 members had now dwindled to 15.
The reduction in numbers would inevitably lead to a gap in their fighting strength.
Judging by their equipment, I could roughly guess how they fought and what their problems were, but I decided not to get involved more than necessary.
After all, from their perspective, I was just an outsider.
Of course, I did want to help Bean Sprout-nim…
-Bang! Kwang!
-Slash! Swish!
Willia and I cleared the newly spawned monsters effortlessly, guiding the students toward the exit.
They were all amazed at how easily I dealt with the monsters, but because of their fallen comrades, they couldn’t openly express their awe.
"There's the exit."
About an hour later, we finally reached the escape point.
During the escape, I unexpectedly gained a valuable treasure.
[Ring of Strength / Special]
- Strength +3
While defeating the Skeleton, I obtained a special-grade ring that increases strength by 3.
‘Even while others are mourning the deaths of their comrades, I’m over here getting loot.’
Accessory equipment is rare.
And accessories with stat boosts are even rarer.
Up until now, I’ve acquired the Ring of Recovery and the Shield Ring that I gave to my parents, but both of those were purely functional, without any additional stat boosts.
That's why I couldn't help but value accessories that increase stats.
Looking at the fact that even though Zerka’s Sword raises stats by 4 and comes with various options, it’s still classified in the same Special grade as a ring that only boosts strength by 3, you can tell how valuable this item is.
‘A regular monster, not even a named one, dropping a high-grade item… I had no idea.’
Although the chances are incredibly low, getting a special-grade ring from defeating a Skeleton was indeed unexpected luck.
“Thank you so much. If it weren’t for Baeko-nim, so many of us wouldn’t have made it back.”
“Haha, don’t mention it. This is all thanks to my connection with Bean Sprout-nim.”
As a result, I was feeling particularly benevolent today.
I reached the campus of Hongseong A University and followed them quietly to their base camp.
Hongseong was a place where the aura of death itself cast a debuff just by being there.
However, once we entered the school and passed a certain point, those problems ceased to occur.
[Holy energy drives away evil energy.]
“What is this?”
I tilted my head at the mysterious message, and Willia whispered the answer to me.
“It’s probably due to the Shrine’s influence.”
“Shrine?”
“Yes, there seems to be a safe zone up ahead, and I think the Shrine is located within it.”
Hongseong was a rare rural city that had two safe zones.
One was the safe zone we used, located to the north of Hongseong-eup, and the other was the Guhang-myeon safe zone to the south, where three universities were located.
The distance between the two safe zones is about 5 km.
There is only one reason why these safe zones are so close to each other.
‘Because of the dungeon.’
It's because of the rule that there must always be a safe zone and a shrine near a dungeon.
In other words, if the Hongseong-eup safe zone is in its original position, then Guhang-myeon’s safe zone exists specifically for the dungeon we just escaped from.
Understanding the situation, I nodded my head.
“This is our headquarters.”
After a while, we stopped in front of the grand main building of the university.
It was a large building, seemingly capable of comfortably accommodating hundreds of people.
The only flaw was that the entrance seemed to overlap with a Goblin spawn zone, as a few Goblins were loitering around near the entrance.
“Woof-woof.”
When the students started to draw their tattered weapons, I simply stopped them and gave a brief command to Woof-woof.
Immediately, Woof-woof lowered Bean Sprout-nim from its back and then charged at the Goblins, biting and killing them one by one.
Thanks to this, we were able to enter the building without any interference.
-Murmur. Murmur.
As we stepped inside, we were greeted by the bright faces of survivors.
“Could all of them be...?”
“Yes, these are our camp members. About half of them are students, and the other half are residents of Hongseong.”
“How many people are there?”
“Around 200.”
Seeing more people than I expected, I wore a complicated expression.
But soon, I wiped away unnecessary thoughts and silently followed behind Bean Sprout-nim.
Before long, we arrived at the dining hall.
“Huh? What’s this smell?”
Then, with a deliberately cheerful expression, Bean Sprout-nim came over carrying two large plates, which he set down in front of Willia and me.
He even brought two sodas as a bonus.
“Our school has a culinary department. The students have great cooking skills, so I think you’ll be satisfied.”
“Ooh!”
I couldn’t help but exclaim in delight.
What was on the plates was none other than tteokbokki.
When they said they’d treat us to a meal as thanks for our help, I didn’t expect much, but to be served tteokbokki!
And not just any tteokbokki, but the kind that’s properly made, not a mere imitation.
It was market-style tteokbokki, with a rich, deep sauce.
Willia and I sat down at the head table in the cafeteria, receiving everyone's attention, and began to eat.
“Oh my!”
Willia’s reaction upon tasting tteokbokki for the first time was adorable.
Even though it was spicy, she couldn’t stop using her chopsticks, occasionally taking sips of water.
“What!?”
In the meantime, it seemed like the hunting team had informed the others about the death of their comrades.
I could feel the buzz spreading inside the building.
But right now, the tteokbokki in front of me was more important.
It might seem heartless, but how could I possibly hold back?
"Ahh!"
“Whew.”
Before long, Willia and I had finished our plates in unison.
Ending with a refreshing gulp of soda, it was the perfect meal.
“How was the food?”
Bean Sprout-nim, who had basically become my dedicated attendant, approached cautiously and asked.
What else could I say?
I immediately gave a thumbs-up, and seeing this, Bean Sprout-nim smiled with satisfaction.
“Haha, I’m glad you liked it.”
“It’s been a long time since I’ve had such a delicious meal.”
Indeed, food plays a very important role in a person’s life.
Overwhelmed with gratitude for the satisfying meal, I decided to give them a little gift.
I pulled out 20 glass jars from my Inventory and laid them out on the table.
“Please, take these.”
“What are they?”
Inside the glass jars was a thick layer of blue moss.
It was something that anyone seeing for the first time might tilt their head in confusion.
But as I explained, Bean Sprout-nim’s eyes widened in surprise.
“This is called Glowing Moss. It’s a rare harvested material that emits light at night, even without electricity.”
“Is that really true?”
Glowing Moss, which can be gathered in the northern part of Wolgwang Island, is a valuable resource in the current world where light has become scarce.
No wonder he was astonished.
“If you let it soak up sunlight for about three hours a day and keep the humidity level stable, it can last for a long time.”
“Thank you. This is such a precious gift.”
This Glowing Moss might very well become a sought-after specialty product from Wolgwang Island when they begin trading with other survivor groups in the future.
With an expression of pure joy, Bean Sprout-nim dashed off to show it to his friends, and soon, the members of the hunting team, curious about the Glowing Moss, gathered around excitedly.
“Hey, could we perhaps get more of this?”
“Well, since Bean Sprout-nim’s group is involved, I'll consider selling more if I gather more later."
At that, everyone bowed their heads deeply, expressing their gratitude and asking for his favor.
“Um, and also…”
One of the members of the hunting team hesitantly opened his mouth to speak.
But I had a rough idea of what he was going to say, so I interrupted him.
“You’re not thinking of asking too much from your savior, are you?”
“······.”
Hearing my firm words drawing the line, their faces flushed with embarrassment.
Why wouldn’t they be? It was obvious.
Their leader had lost their trust, and now that someone far stronger than them had appeared, it was natural for them to hope that I might lead them.
Even if Bean Sprout-nim were to ask, it wouldn’t work.
"I'm sorry. I overstepped my bounds."
Understanding their feelings, I gave a small smile and said it was fine.
But leaving things as they were felt a bit cold, so I decided to give them some advice before departing.
“Advice? Thank you! We’ll listen carefully!”
I originally didn’t intend to get involved too deeply, but seeing the state of their base camp, I couldn’t help but feel pity for them.
"Is your combat personnel limited to just you all for this survival group?"
“Yes.”
With my Exploration skill, I can see the names and Levels above people’s heads.
As a result, I realized that everyone else besides them was only Level 1.
“In other words, there were 20 of you. Now there are 15, right? So, 15 people are supporting the other 200?”
“······.”
“You guys go out to gather food, hunt monsters to earn coins, and then spend those coins for the camp, right?”
By this point, they should have figured out what I was trying to say.
“I can see why you were taking such risks in the dungeon. While you were risking your lives fighting, those people were laughing and chatting safely here, weren't they?"
“T-that’s…”
“It would be more beneficial for your future to teach them how to catch fish rather than just giving it to them. If they can’t fight, at least get them to start farming or something. Make sure they earn their keep.”
It’s not just tyrants who exploit the residents that ruin a survival camp.
I wasn’t sure if the hunting team members were too kind, naive, or just plain foolish, but to my eyes, this camp seemed extremely dysfunctional.
If they continue like this, it’ll just naturally disband before long.
I looked at their speechless faces as I stood up to leave.
“Um, Baeko-nim!”
At that moment, Bean Sprout-nim called out to me from behind.
I turned my head to see what he wanted.
“P-please come back for another meal sometime.”
At Bean Sprout-nim’s earnest shout, I smiled and nodded.
'Next time I come, I should help them with some combat.'
It's absolutely not because of the delicious food, but because it's a somewhat precious connection that I intend to visit again.
***
Bean Sprout, or rather Gong-namu (his real name), fiddled with the jar of Glowing Moss that Seo Baek-ho had given him, nodding to himself.
“He’s right. In the long run, this system we have now isn’t sustainable.”
“But if we suddenly change the system, people might resist.”
A teammate who was standing next to Gongnamu replied.
Even so, Gongnamu spoke firmly.
“If there’s a reason, we can be somewhat lenient. But freeloaders without a reason should be dealt with harshly. The world has changed.”
“That’s true.”
Under normal circumstances, they might have brushed off those words.
But things were different now.
In just a few hours, their entire perspective had shifted.
The others nodded in agreement with Gongnamu, placing their hands on his shoulders.
“We’re counting on you, new leader.”
“We’re counting on you, Bean Sprout-nim.”
“W-what?”
Gongnamu was taken aback by his comrades' reactions.
“But I ran away with Kyung-soo as well, didn’t I?”
Gongnamu asked in confusion, to which the answer he received was straightforward.
“That’s because Kyung-soo told you to run, right? The problem wasn’t with those who followed the order; it was with Kyung-soo, the leader who ran without looking back.”
"Umm?"
“Just accept it. With you as the leader, that person will probably visit more often.”
“That guy is a lifeline we absolutely need to hold on to. I’m not the only one who thinks that, right?”
Gongnamu was left speechless.
And just like that, Gongnamu replaced the fallen leader and became the new leader of the Hongseong University hunting team.
All because of his connection with Seo Baek-ho.
***
After leaving the university in Hongseong, I re-entered the Forgotten Mine with Willia and Woof-woof.
[Time remaining until dungeon clear: 12 hours]
Since everyone had left and we re-entered, the dungeon's time attack timer was reset, allowing us to progress more leisurely than before.
However, just because the dungeon reset, it didn’t mean that the treasure chests that had already been opened would reappear.
That said, the named monster we had previously hunted did reappear.
[The soul of the Named Dullahan Cruder has appeared.]
[Defeating this monster will not grant experience points or rewards.]
The monster showed up again, with the same combat power and attack patterns, but this time as a no-experience, no-reward entity.
[You have defeated the soul of the Named Dullahan Cruder.]
"Tch."
It seemed like the dungeon's reset function was designed to prevent players from repeatedly exploiting it to farm named monsters for high rewards.
Even in Mongma’s Dungeon, the named monsters had a one-day respawn time, while the boss had a one-week respawn time.
So, Cruder probably needs a day to properly respawn.
Despite the demotivating no-reward battle, my excitement quickly returned since we were now moving into unexplored territory.
“Baek-ho-nim! A treasure chest!”
“Oooh!”
[You have acquired 8,000 coins.]
[You have acquired 1 Advanced Healing Potion.]
[You have acquired 3 Intermediate Healing Potions.]
We came across untouched treasure chests.
“And over there, I see some mining ores!”
“Oh! So that’s why the dungeon has 'Mine' in its name!”
-Clang! Clang!
[You have acquired a Mithril Fragment.]
[You have acquired a Mithril Fragment.]
[You have acquired a Black Iron Fragment.]
We were able to gather minerals.
Collecting 10 fragments of a mineral yields one ingot, and with high-quality minerals, and using high-grade minerals allows crafting equipment of the highest grade or above in workshops, so I eagerly swung my sword, wrapped in aura, to gather the materials.
I was ecstatic as I continued to explore the dungeon.
After about 4 hours had passed...
“Huh? Is that the boss room already?”
I hadn’t seen a single named monster since Cruder, and suddenly, the boss room appeared.
[Warning, the moment you open the door, the boss monster's attack will begin.]
Feeling like we had nothing to lose, Willia and I opened the boss room door without hesitation.
Wouldn’t it be great to clear the dungeon quickly without wasting any time?
But soon, I understood why no other named monsters had appeared after Cruder.
[Named Dullahan Alkan / Level: 35]
[Named Dullahan Zerder / Level: 35]
[Boss Half-Lich Karcia / Level: 40]
Two named monsters were standing side by side with the boss monster.
It seems that the dungeon's recommended level doesn’t necessarily guarantee the level required to clear it.
“Ah... This isn’t going to work, is it?”
Everyone faces failure at some point.
After all, you can't always succeed.
[Intruders!]
[Intruders!]
[Kill them!]
Every challenge is beautiful, but...
There’s a fine line between challenge and recklessness.
“Run!”
After assessing the situation in the boss room, I immediately grabbed Willia’s hand and bolted.
It wasn’t because of cowardice.
It was a strategic retreat, one-step back to take two steps forward.
***
TL Note: I will be translating it regularly, but to do so, I will be adjusting the release schedule. A new chapter for this novel will be posted every other day. For example, since I posted a chapter today, there will be no chapter tomorrow, but the next chapter will be posted the day after tomorrow, and so on.
***
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