Episode 24
Lucia noticed that Kang Jin-hyeok’s expression had hardened.
It was clear that it was unusual for someone to have such a stern expression on their face even with the food delivered in front of them.
“What’s wrong? Is there a problem?”
“Should I call this a problem?”
Becoming a celebrity wasn’t necessarily a bad thing.
But Kang Jin-hyeok thought the timing was not good.
The community is already praising him as a talent that surpasses S-class hunters, but Kang Jin-hyeok has never reached that level.
If I were to face excessive expectations when I wasn’t prepared, it would only increase the burden.
Lucia, who didn’t know the situation, felt frustrated when she saw Kang Jin-hyeok with his head wrapped and not saying anything.
“Stop struggling alone and tell me why you’re doing this.”
“That’s right… … .”
Taking a deep breath, Kang Jin-hyeok slowly opened his mouth to express his sorrowful feelings.
“I’m doing so well.”
“… … Are you crazy?”
“No, I’m not joking. Are you really in trouble?”
“Yeah, I think I’ll be in trouble too because of your ridiculous deception.”
Lucia felt that the disgust rising up in her chest would be resolved only if she immediately hit Kang Jin-hyeok on the back of the head.
Kang Jin-hyeok stepped back and waved his hand as Lucia tried to put her thoughts into action.
“Calm down and listen to me!”
“What nonsense are you talking about now?”
“I’m talking about that monster you shot before. You joked about catching it and it got worse!”
“so?”
“uh?”
Kang Jin-hyeok thought he would be punished immediately for taking credit for her actions.
I was prepared to reveal the truth because the situation had become serious, but Lucia’s reaction was more indifferent than I expected.
“It’s your karma. Then deal with it yourself.”
Lucia had no interest in the achievement of catching a new type of monster from the beginning.
Since it wasn’t her world anyway, from her perspective, it didn’t really matter to her whether someone became famous or not.
“You are right… … .”
Kang Jin-hyeok couldn’t say anything despite Lucia’s harsh reaction.
As she said, it was her own fault.
He was so greedy for the new monster’s material that he took Lucia’s achievements as his own without thinking about the consequences.
Of course, the benefits gained from it were great.
However, the public attention that came with the profits was too much for Kang Jin-hyeok to bear.
‘The most likely S-class candidate is a piece of shit.’
Currently, Kang Jin-hyeok’s level is 199. Even if he raises his level by one more level to 200, he would only be able to achieve the condition of a B-class hunter at best.
I was in a position where I couldn’t even reach A-class, let alone S-class.
No matter how well he learned how to use Aura, the only hunters that Kang Jin-hyeok could have an advantage over were those who focused on close combat.
It did not work well with those who had changed jobs to the Magician series or with Hunters who used long-range skills as their main weapon.
If you had changed your job to something like a warrior, then maybe it wouldn’t matter.
Kang Jin-hyeok’s class was Cleric.
There was no skill that could rapidly reduce the distance between you and your opponent, nor was there a way to counter long-range attacks.
If, as rumored, a magician of class A or higher showed up to show off his skills, it would be a disaster.
This was by no means a groundless worry.
‘Because this place is so territorial.’
This was especially true for hunters who had built up a certain level of recognition.
Just look at Ando Yoon’s example.
Didn’t you look down on me and ignore me even though I came to help you?
“Damn, I was coveting a monster corpse and ended up stepping in poop.”
Kang Jin-hyeok scratched his head and clicked his tongue for no reason.
I wondered if I had become too greedy because I was fascinated by the corpse of a new monster.
Moreover, it was not clear what could be made using the material.
It was a choice where the risks were too great compared to the benefits that could be gained.
Handing over Leviathan’s body to Titan, I honestly don’t know if I did anything wrong, but I might be able to resolve the current situation.
But Kang Jin-hyeok had no intention of doing that.
People have pride. Do you think they should act meanly just because the situation is difficult?
‘If I hadn’t brought Lucia out of the dungeon in the first place, this wouldn’t have been a problem to solve.’
Although it was Lucia who caught Leviathan, it was Kang Jinhyuk and his own efforts that made it possible.
Since Lucia had given up her rights to Leviathan, Kang Jinhyuk had the legitimacy to claim ownership of it.
When I thought about it that way, my guilt disappeared.
Kang Jin-hyeok thought that rather than sitting around and groaning, it was time to come up with a plan for how to deal with the situation going forward.
‘First of all, I need to build up my strength.’
My current skills and level were not enough to deal with the hunters’ territoriality.
The first thing Kang Jin-hyeok had to do was level up.
As soon as the path ahead was decided, Kang Jin-hyeok quickly ate the delivery food he had left behind as if he was inhaling it.
“Eat slowly. It’s not like you’re a pig or anything.”
“I don’t have time for that right now.”
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“There’s no time for that. Who’s chasing after me?”
No matter what Lucia said, Kang Jin-hyeok didn’t let go of his hands and mouth.
Kang Jin-hyeok quickly finished his meal and immediately stood up from his seat.
He spoke to Lucia, making a movement that seemed to say that every second was precious.
“Let’s go to the dungeon.”
“Right now?”
“Right now.”
Kang Jin-hyeok quickly walked to the attic and opened the door.
Lucia was dumbfounded at how the man who had been muttering to himself was suddenly burning with enthusiasm.
“Is someone chasing you? Why are you deciding so suddenly?”
“I feel bad because I just slept for three days.”
Thinking about the situations that were about to come, I couldn’t even sleep at my current level.
Kang Jin-hyeok, who was becoming anxious, quickly finished getting ready and went into the attic.
“What are you doing? Aren’t you coming?”
“Don’t worry, I’ll go on my own without you having to say anything.”
Lucia snorted as if it was funny and picked up the equipment she had left in the attic.
And then he entered the dungeon ahead of Kang Jin-hyeok.
* * *
As soon as Kang Jin-hyeok entered the dungeon, the first place he headed was, of course, the dwarf workshop.
When Kang Jin-hyeok, who had found the workshop, took out Leviathan’s corpse from his inventory, the dwarf whistled softly.
“Leviathan? It’s been a while.”
“Have you seen this monster?”
“Of course, they are rare, but sometimes they float in the sky.”
The dwarf began to carefully examine the corpses of Leviathans that filled the space in front of the workshop.
Thanks to having placed it in inventory, the condition of the corpse was quite fresh.
“But how did only the head remain? Where did the body go?”
“I blew it.”
The dwarf shook his head after hearing Lucia’s answer.
“You don’t even know how precious the material is. Tsk tsk. That’s why you’re no good to people who are noble.”
“Oh my, what is that little old man talking about now?”
The dwarf and Lucia seemed to know each other, but their relationship did not seem to be smooth.
“Get out of my house and stop making a stink, Inma.”
“If you give me the arrows I promised you, I’ll go on my own.”
The dwarf pointed to a corner of the workshop with an unpleasant expression.
There was a quiver of quivers thrown there carelessly, as if they were trash.
“Pick it up and go.”
“… … If you’re going to take someone else’s food as payment, why don’t you show some sincerity?”
“I am grateful that you even made it.”
“You should be the one thanking me. Say thank you for giving me my daily bread with just one small talent.”
Lucia glared at the dwarf with a poisonous gaze.
Then the dwarf opened his eyes fiercely as if he would not give up either.
The two looked like they would take out their weapons and fight at any moment.
Kang Jin-hyeok, who couldn’t stand to watch the sight, asked the dwarf to change the subject.
“Can you make something with that corpse?”
“Well, just wait a minute.”
The dwarf stood before the Leviathan’s corpse, holding a hammer.
Then he hit the crown part with a hammer with all his might.
The impact was so strong that the sound of the skull shattering echoed clearly.
The dwarf split the Leviathan’s head open and rummaged through its contents with his gloved hands.
“Fortunately, this remains.”
After a gut-wrenching and intense search, the dwarf found a small bead.
“What is that?”
“The organ that allows this guy to shoot lightning.”
“So, you mean the long-term? That marble?”
“okay.”
It was also surprising that it had ore inside its body.
Even more amazing was the fact that a powerful lightning bolt could be created with a bead the size of just a fingertip.
At the same time, Kang Jin-hyeok had one expectation.
“Is it possible to use the power of that bead?”
“Are you talking about shooting lightning?”
“yes.”
The thing that the Hunters and Kang Jin-hyeok found most annoying while dealing with Leviathan was lightning.
If I could just use that ability to roast a person with one blow, it would definitely be of great help.
“It might be possible if you enchant it.”
Kang Jin-hyeok’s eyes lit up when he heard the dwarf’s answer.
“That, that means… …!”
“Don’t be so excited. Just hand me the bat.”
Kang Jin-hyeok took out a baseball bat from his inventory without hesitation and handed it to the dwarf.
“How long will it take for the enchantment to finish?”
“This is a fairly difficult enchantment, so it’ll take half a day to sort out.”
Half a day. Just wait half a day and you’ll get another one of those precious enchantment effects.
Just one S-class durability is worth hundreds of millions, and thinking that more can be added to it, Kang Jin-hyeok couldn’t help but smile.
“What should I give you as compensation? Just tell me anything.”
“What about the conservatism? That’s okay, Inma.”
Dwarves could gain a sense of accomplishment simply by strengthening Orichalcum directly.
For him, who was born with the spirit of a craftsman, that sense of accomplishment was enough.
“No, but I feel bad about taking it for free… … .”
“Yeah, I said so. If you try to make money with Orichalcum, you’ll get into trouble, Inma.”
It may be a common metal on Earth, but in the dwarven world, it is called the metal of the gods.
That’s why the dwarf thought that there shouldn’t be a single distraction in the process of strengthening the baseball bat.
Since it was the metal of the gods, I intended to show that level of courtesy.
“If you want to help, kick that little brat out of here. If she stays here, she might lose focus.”
The dwarf smiled wickedly at Lucia and entered the room.
“… … .”
Kang Jin-hyeok witnessed in real time the veins on Lucia’s forehead rising one by one.
When she took out an arrow and tried to hang it on the protest, Kang Jin-hyeok was startled.
“Oh, no! Hold it in!”
“You want me to endure it? Why should I?”
Lucia looked ready to blow up the workshop at any moment.
“He may speak harshly, but he is a kind-hearted man!”
“You’re suffering from X disease.”
What would it take to stop Lucia now?
It was obviously impossible to stop her by force.
After a brief moment of thought, Kang Jin-hyeok came up with an answer.
* * *
When Kang Jin-hyeok, who had previously purchased a large quantity of desserts, filled another basket and paid for it, the bakery owner burst into laughter.
“What kind of event are you using it for?”
“No, I live to feed possessed children.”
After hearing Kang Jin-hyeok’s words, the bakery guessed that it was supplying something like a kindergarten.
I never thought that someone could eat this much food all by themselves.
Kang Jin-hyeok finished paying and picked up the envelope, which was bulging to its limit.
I never thought I would experience such a heavy feeling from just dessert… … .
At this point, it felt like I was carrying animal feed rather than food for people to eat.
“If you’re going to eat it like this, wouldn’t it be better to just buy some sugar from the supermarket and pour it on?”
It was something I couldn’t understand even though I knew what kind of sugar I was eating in lethal doses.
Could it be that sugar water is flowing through my body instead of blood?
“If only I hadn’t fed him the chocolate bar back then… … .”
One chocolate bar made Lucia lose her appetite for sweets.
To exaggerate a bit, her obsession with sugar was almost like that of a drug addict.
Thanks to that, I was able to learn how to use Aura and catch Leviathan, but the more I thought about it, the more ridiculous it seemed to me that I was buying a mountain of desserts and taking them home.
Kang Jin-hyeok headed straight home, holding envelopes in both hands that looked like they would burst.
I wanted to quickly enter the dungeon and raise my level.
But the situation given to Kang Jin-hyeok did not allow that easily.
As he entered the alley, Kang Jin-hyeok fell into deep thought.
“I think something annoying has come up… … .”
Since learning how to use Aura, Kang Jin-hyeok’s five senses have become extremely sensitive.
Although it falls short of the presence detection ability of a baseball bat.
I could tell without even looking back when a person was approaching me while holding his breath.
‘Isn’t it possible that it’s a monster that can hide?’
It could have been a monster that could hide its appearance, like the Lizardman, which could camouflage itself by changing its skin color.
In movies or comics, there are sometimes scenes where the main character senses a presence and attacks an invisible enemy first.
But Kang Jin-hyeok didn’t have the skills to do that yet.
I only realized existence through my five senses.
There was no way to know who the enemy was or where they were.
If there had been a presence detector for the baseball bat, it would have been able to pinpoint the exact location, but that was impossible at the time.
At least, it had to be within arm’s reach to respond.
‘What the heck is this, as soon as I leave the house?’
If it was just a passing sensation, you could ignore it and leave it to another hunter.
But this sound followed Kang Jin-hyeok all the way from the bakery to the alley.
Even if he didn’t know the purpose, he could at least tell that he was after Kang Jin-hyeok and himself.
‘Why on earth?’
Kang Jin-hyeok’s head was filled with questions.
I’ve never heard of a monster that follows a specific person.
‘Could it be because of Leviathan’s corpse?’
It was a rare, but not uncommon, occurrence for monsters to be drawn to the corpses of other monsters.
Besides, Kang Jin-hyeok had experienced it firsthand when he first went to do a backroom deal.
‘It might have attracted the attention of other monsters because it was the corpse of a new monster.’
Or maybe it’s the food that’s filling both of your hands.
In any case, it was a foregone conclusion that one of the objects he was holding had attracted the other person, so Kang Jin-hyeok stopped in his tracks.
Kang Jin-hyeok had no intention of handing over the monster’s corpse or the desserts he had bought for a lot of money.
The opponent, who had been hiding, stopped moving for a moment when Kang Jin-hyeok put down the envelopes he was holding in the alley.
And when he saw Kang Jin-hyeok looking around, he realized that his existence had been discovered.
‘Tch.’
The opponent, who was clicking his tongue inwardly, approached Kang Jin-hyeok’s left flank while keeping his voice quiet.
‘Even if I knew where it was, I couldn’t stop it.’
The opponent believed that this attack, which was carried out in the blink of an eye and stabbed in, could never fail.
But when he came within arm’s reach, Kang Jin-hyeok knew exactly where he was.
Now that I know the location, there’s nothing I can do about it.
Thanks to the passive skill, the body’s reaction speed when imbued with divine power was several times faster than that of ordinary people.
“Huh?!”
Kang Jin-hyeok dodged the sword that was slashing at him from the side. He was shocked when he saw his opponent’s identity.
The opponent, who was thought to be a monster until now, hid his identity with a black mask, but his overall appearance was unmistakably human.
Kang Jin-hyeok couldn’t understand at all why someone who wasn’t even a monster was trying to take his life in broad daylight.
‘Could this man be the murderer?’
Kang Jin-hyeok immediately denied the inference that came to his mind.
‘No, that lunatic wouldn’t touch me, I don’t belong to any guild.’
So who is the person in front of me?
As I couldn’t figure out the identity of my opponent, my doubts grew.
