['Kwon Jihan' has activated the
Yoon Seo blinked in surprise at the sudden skill notification, momentarily recalling the past.
"Hyung, I'm going to try to hit that rock right in the center."
Kwon Jihan adjusted the size of the red sphere in his hand, making it as small as a pebble, and threw it at the distant rock.
Boom!
The red sphere grazed the edge of the rock, yet it shattered into pieces.
"See? This is my control skill. That's why I hesitate to go into dungeons as a team. People keep getting caught up in my attacks."
"Just practice more."
"That's not something easy to do, hyung. It doesn't just get better with practice."
Kwon Jihan chuckled bitterly. Yoon Seo looked at the spot where the rock had been, now only rubble remained.
To be honest, Kwon Jihan's control skills were by no means terrible. In fact, when averaged out, he was in the top tier. The power of his skills was so strong that no matter how finely he adjusted the range and output, people inevitably got hurt from the aftereffects.
"From the next dungeon onward, you should practice too."
"Are you going to watch me?"
"Right now, I'm a mess too."
"Did the meaning of 'a mess' change while I wasn't looking…?"
Yoon Seo sheathed his dagger at his waist. The blue gem still glowed brightly. Riceball's favorite thing in the world was monster blood. Having just had a taste, he must be impatient.
"Let's go now."
Yoon Seo walked toward the exit portal, and Kwon Jihan matched his pace beside him. But there were no footsteps following them. Yoon Seo turned around at the exit.
"..."
"..."
The party members were still huddled together, their mouths agape, trembling.
"Aren't you coming out?"
"Ah, what do you mean we're not coming out…? Wh-what are you people…?"
"We're just ordinary C-rank hunters."
"Such a statement wouldn't fool a dog. How can a C-rank awakener take down a D-rank boss monster so easily…!"
"Moreover, to the point of blowing up this jungle. I've never encountered such power, even in a B-rank dungeon!"
"How can
The party members clamored in disbelief. Yoon Seo tilted his head, thinking, "Hmm." He had expected this to become a hassle. Should he use
It was at that moment when Yoon Seo began to draw up his magic power that Kwon Jihan blocked his view with a massive light.
"What does our identity matter? Isn't it a huge gain for you if you get experience points without doing anything?"
"What?"
"Think about it. If you just stay still, a hidden hunter will drive the bus for you, saving time and keeping your lives safe. You just have to gather the byproducts. It's a total win."
"...."
"What do you think? Deal?"
"C-can I have a moment to think?"
"I'll give you one minute."
Kwon Jihan always spoke the truth. Yoon Seo peeked out from behind him.
The four of them gathered and whispered, 'Hey, it really is a huge gain,' 'But hiding identities is too suspicious,' 'They say there are no bad people among bird keepers,' 'But if they're too strong, they might kill us if things go wrong.' Then the party leader glanced over at them and subtly raised his hand.
"Speak."
"If you turn the other two dungeons into ruins like this one, we won't be able to bring in the dungeon byproducts…"
"Oh, right. Then let's do this."
Kwon Jihan snapped his fingers, as if he had thought of a good idea, and turned to Yoon Seo.
"If the other two dungeons also end up devastated like this one, I'll compensate for it, and I'll let these people know our identities. What do you think?"
Yoon Seo shot him a look as if to say he was out of his mind. Under the shadow created by the brim of his hat, Kwon Jihan's gray eyes shone with excitement, as if he had found something interesting.
"Hyung, you came here anyway to improve your skill control. This kind of constraint might be helpful, don't you think?"
"Still, what if we fail…?"
"Do you think we'll fail? Are you really that unsure?"
Kwon Jihan was prodding at Yoon Seo's pride.
Yoon Seo understood that this was Kwon Jihan's provocation. However, as he had said, placing this kind of condition might make things feel a bit more urgent. And even if they failed, it wasn't like they had signed a contract with skills, so they could just change their words at that time.
"Alright. Let's do it."
Kwon Jihan smiled widely.
Feeling like a child who had solved a difficult math problem, Yoon Seo suddenly felt a burden.
"Hyung has agreed, but what about you guys?"
"W-we agree as well. Regardless of your identities, this quick and safe strategy is definitely a gain for us…"
The party leader, who had changed dramatically from before, responded politely.
Thus, the experience point bus began.
***
[The dungeon has been cleared: Number of Hunters: 6 | Time taken: 26 minutes]
[Personal experience points gained: 2,000]
[Current total personal experience points: 13,283,206,000]
The exit portal for the third dungeon appeared. Yoon Seo twirled his dagger in the air, grasped the handle, and then twirled it again. It was a sign that he was feeling good.
"This is ridiculous. You've become this skilled after just three runs? You're losing your humanity, seriously."
"Don't exaggerate."
"How can you be so precisely accurate? It's like someone carved your neck out with a giant spoon. How do you do it?"
"You can do it too."
"I can't. I absolutely can't."
Kwon Jihan shook his head in denial.
Just then, Yoon Seo drove his dagger into the back of the boss monster's neck in the third dungeon, limiting the power of
"If my control were even half as good as yours, it would be much easier to clear dungeons with other people."
"Not blaming others for your shortcomings is also a skill."
"Huh? What do you mean? It's my lack of skill, so how could I blame anyone else?"
Kwon Jihan looked puzzled. Yoon Seo smirked.
"That's not what I meant…"
[The God of Life says that 'Kwon Jihan' will not understand the question based on his values.]
"…It's nothing."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"Never mind."
Kwon Jihan grumbled but didn't ask further.
It seemed that the very concept of blaming the weak for not dodging his skill didn't exist in Kwon Jihan's mind at all.
Yoon Seo liked that Kwon Jihan was this way.
The two leaned against a rock next to the exit portal, waiting for their party members to gather all the byproducts.
Unlike the first dungeon, they had left the entire environment intact aside from the monsters, so there were plenty of things to gather. Herbs that could be used as medicine, stone materials for luminous ore, fruits that could be made into antidotes… Even the monster was intact except for its neck. The party members excitedly began to skin the monster.
Yoon Seo ran his hand along the blade of his dagger. The 'existing spirit' seemed to be less satisfied, but it didn't urge him for blood any further. Kwon Jihan glanced at Yoon Seo's uninjured fingers and remarked.
"It looks like your weapon doesn't hurt its owner."
"Usually, all weapons have such properties. Doesn't yours work that way?"
"Not for me. I guess it's because it's not bound to me."
"…We should probably find a weapon before entering the next dungeon."
Yoon Seo frowned as he said that, then quickly shut his mouth. He looked over at the party members to see if they had heard, but they were busy finishing up their gathering tasks.
"You can say it. The whole world will know in a day or two anyway."
"Still, it's better to find out through the official announcement of the alliance than by word of mouth. Anyway, make sure to get a weapon first, whether you go to Yangpyeong, participate in an auction, or hurry the blacksmiths."
"I was planning to buy a few at the black market. Let's go together, hyung."
"Are you talking about the 'Shadow Black Market'?"
"Yeah, the black market opens next weekend. I have one more invitation. I'll give it to you."
The Shadow Black Market was the underground version of the Yangpyeong Item Market. It opened for just four days a year: two days in the first half and two days in the second half. The exact dates and locations were top secret, so not everyone could enter; one had to receive an invitation to gain access. Although it was smaller in scale than the Yangpyeong market, the amounts traded were enough to rival it. In the open market, the regulations on tradeable items were strict, making it impossible to acquire them without spending a fortune. In contrast, the black market overflowed with dangerous and illegal goods, resulting in long lines of customers hoping to receive an invitation.
"Hyung, come with me to help me pick out a weapon. I need the assistance of an expert."
"...."
Next week, after the announcement of the Great Dungeon, there would be many customers, and more items would be available.
Yoon Seo also needed a specific item.
"Alright. Let's go together."
"Thank you."
Kwon Jihan smiled brightly.
"...."
[The God of Life says that 'Kwon Jihan' is cute.]
Yoon Seo completely agreed with the God of Life.
With 20 minutes left until the exit portal opened, the party members finished gathering the byproducts and walked back with strong strides. Their inventories seemed full, as they carried large loads on their backs and held numerous items in both hands.
"Thank you, mysterious hunters! Thanks to you, we've had a safe raid!"
"No problem. As mentioned, please don't disclose our identities to other hunters."
Watching the lower-level Awakened greet them with flushed faces, Yoon Seo made a request.
"Of course! We can keep a secret!"
One of the Awakened replied with a determined look in his eyes.
[The
[Confidence: 80 : Neutral: 20: Doubt: 0.]
With these numbers, it seemed unnecessary to use
"Um, if you're planning to go to other dungeons in the future… if it's alright with you… would you consider going with us?"
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