Episode 28
“oh… … . amazing.”
After clearing out the boss mob and exiting, the dungeon entrance slowly begins to collapse.
It was a sight that could not be seen in the Poison Dungeon because only rare herbs were collected.
When I let out an exclamation, Park Hyo-sang said, ‘Huh… … .’ He shakes his head.
It seems ridiculous to be amazed at such a sight after defeating a boss mob like that.
“then. “Let’s get started.”
After clearing a dungeon, there is always a letter that follows.
‘calculate’.
Since the process is carried out as a team, the acquired cores and rare materials are distributed according to the number of people.
“There were 72 small species cores, right? maybe.”
Kim Chu-ho seems to be irritated by my words.
I bet you didn’t know that I even remembered this.
To be honest, that’s not what I remember.
I just read the data sent by V1.
When I hit the player first, they nodded with a shocked expression.
“If you divide by 5, there are two left, so how about the knights take one each. Two Espers. “Are you okay?”
“yes. We didn’t do much… … .”
“oh… … . thank you.”
The faces of the veterans who were tasting their food instantly brighten up.
But soon the face was crushed like a piece of toilet paper.
“You have to pay protection fees, but you should take at least a little more.”
“… … … .”
They obediently deposited the money without any particular resistance.
Because of the ghost-like combat power he showed in the dungeon, he couldn’t even try to think of anything else.
It was worth it to fight so passionately on purpose.
“If you have a good dungeon next time, please contact me.”
The two hunters got fed up with my greeting and quickly left.
So, from now on, think about making money legitimately.
Don’t try to rip off beginners.
Even if I give in a hundred times and say that training is a necessary evil, why is it worth 200,000 won for one person or a million won for a dungeon?
“Please call the account.”
After the veterans left, I deposited 1 million won each to the two Espers.
To be honest, I didn’t intend to show this much favor.
I’m not that much of a person.
However, starting with the qualification exam and continuing to see the rotten parts of the hunters, I wanted to purify my mind in this way.
“thank you so much. How should I repay this favor? … .”
“I’m not doing this to please you two. “It’s for me.”
“yes… … ?”
“Now that we have finished our business, let’s go on our way. “I hope you become a good hunter.”
After giving formal greetings, I turned around.
“Hey, wait a minute.”
“?”
“This is my father’s business card.”
You’re not giving your own number, why are you using your father’s business card?
The business card said [Umbrella Industry / CEO Doisoo].
Oh, this guy had a golden spoon.
“We are actually brother and sister. I am Do Yu-chan. “My younger brother is Do Yu-seong.”
Now that I think about it, I’ve never even been asked my name while going to and from the dungeon.
Feeling embarrassed, I obediently accepted the business card.
“If you need help in the future, please let me know. Absolutely!”
My brother Esper, who is a couple of years older than me, bowed and left.
It is clear that they do not have the skills to join a guild, but they may be people who do not need the guild’s protection.
By the way, the company name ‘Umbrella Industries’ is not unfamiliar.
Where did you hear that?
* * *
Recently, there has been some change in my condition.
<User information>
<Possessed black ether: 2458BA>
<Body enhancement ability: ‘D’>
<Self-healing ability: ‘S’>
… … .
<Skill possessed: Dokbo (毒步) – level 2>
<Skill possessed: Communion-level 1>
<New skill: Communion – level 1: You can communicate with monsters. At Level 1, limited communication is possible with intelligent poison monsters.>
ah.
So you were able to exchange telepathy with Daebeom.
Although it wasn’t a poison type, it seems that it was able to communicate with me because the poison was suddenly administered in the laboratory.
——————
faqwiki.us
Join our Discord for new chapter updates!
https://discord.com/invite/xr7SxG5T6V
——————
Did Daebeom successfully escape the Hunter Association?
This is a guy I want to see again someday.
By the way, even though it is a 1-star dungeon, the ether value is not very good.
Even though all the cores obtained from the dungeon were absorbed, the increase was minimal.
In terms of monetary value, it was still worth hundreds of thousands of won.
The core brought in today even included one from Boss Nutria.
I don’t know about other miscellaneous mobs, but the national rule is that the person who contributed the most to killing a boss mob takes it.
Even though I brought more than other hunters who entered the dungeon today, my BA only increased by double digits.
Could it be that I can only absorb black cores?
<There is no separate limit to the user’s core absorption, and the ether contained within the core is absorbed without loss.>
Right.
On the one hand, I felt fortunate.
If you are unable to absorb the core of a common monster, your growth may be limited.
In fact, just storing a regular core in your body without any filtering device is a huge stroke of luck.
Other hunters pay a huge fee to absorb the core, and even then more than half of their energy is lost.
Simply put, it is expensive and inefficient.
However, since I could immediately absorb the core anytime, anywhere, this alone made me grow several times faster than others.
‘If only I could get it… … .’
As I thought about the core, something naturally came to mind.
A dazzling golden sphere that I saw when testing Awakened levels.
Gold core.
I can’t even imagine how much ether that thing contains.
I felt so much energy that the black core I got from the Poison Dungeon felt insignificant.
While collecting rare herbs, I have yet to see a boss-level black core.
But what is certain is that even if you cut open the stomach of a poisonous centipede, you will not be able to surpass the gold core.
‘Want… … .’
Gold core.
If you absorb it, the ether inside your body will rise explosively.
Should I steal it?
How can I contact Bisu and do it in secret…? … .
– Kuwa!!
“It’s a surprise.”
I guess this is why people cannot live after committing sins.
I can’t believe I flinched at Pori’s not loud cries.
Anyway, why is this guy suddenly on guard?
Ding dong.
The question was soon resolved.
Don’t you hear the doorbell ringing in your house when there are no guests coming?
“Sister, did you order anything delivered?”
“No, I don’t have one… … ?”
You’d better be careful.
I opened the door, slightly drawing in the ether inside my body.
“who are you?”
“hello. “Hunter Cheon Hae-seon.”
“oh… … .”
The man in his 40s who came to the house looked familiar.
Bangs combed to one side and intelligent-looking rimless glasses.
He was the supervisor who oversaw the first round of the Hunter Qualification Test.
“You remember. “This is Pyo Hyuk-gyu from the Hunter Association.”
I remember.
At that time, I was an employee of the association who inserted gold cores into the awakened shame machine.
Why did you come to my house when the exam was over?
“I came here unexpectedly because I had something important to say to Hunter Cheon Hae-seon. “I know it’s rude, but I hope you understand.”
Supervisor Pyo Hyuk-gyu bows his head slightly and asks politely.
I think you are twenty years older than me.
Perhaps because he is a civil servant, he seems to value formality.
“no. I was just taking a break… … . please wait for a moment.”
After putting on my sweatshirt, I went out of the house with Supervisor Pyo Hyuk-gyu.
“Let’s eat.”
“thank you for this food.”
We ordered coffee at a nearby cafe and sat side by side.
Although his expression was calm, Pyo Hyuk-gyu would sometimes look sharply here and there.
It seemed like he was wary of something, but I decided to pretend not to notice as I sipped my coffee.
“It’s late, but congratulations. “This is the first time in 10 years that a hunter has received an ‘S’ rank in the qualification test, so I understand that the Association has very high expectations.”
“thank you.”
“You haven’t joined the guild yet… … .”
“yes. “I have no thoughts yet.”
“I may be presumptuous, but may I ask the reason?”
Did you come here to ask that?
Well, it is understandable that the association is curious.
If a hunter who received an ‘S’ rank is inactive, it is tantamount to a national loss.
But for me, there is no particular reason to join a guild.
No, to be exact, it is better not to join.
The only reason I became a hunter was to enter the dungeon legally.
Although it is not as bad as the Glory Guild, the association is also a group that I do not like at all.
“I’m not sure which guild is right for me… … . “I also want to work alone if possible.”
“Alone?”
Pyo Hyuk-gyu blinks his eyes and asks again.
When you become an ‘S’ ranker, clearing a low-level dungeon by yourself is not a task.
However, that usually applies to knights and espers, not healers.
Because there are only a few healers in the world with the ability to kill.
“yes. “I plan to work alone to gain valuable experience.”
“okay… … .”
Pyo Hyuk-gyu, who was twirling the ice in a cup with a straw, suddenly says something unexpected.
“Then, how about the Poison Dungeon?”
I almost spit out the coffee I was drinking.
I was already thinking of going through the Poison Dungeon as soon as my probationary period ended.
Even though I am an ‘S’ ranker, I was wondering if the association would allow me access alone.
But the association actually mentioned the Poison Dungeon first.
Supervisor Pyo Hyeok-gyu.
What are you doing?
“Poison Dungeon?”
“ah. Of course, I’m not forcing it. It’s just our hope… … .”
“Please tell me in more detail.”
“hmm… … . This is unofficial information… … .”
Pyo Hyuk-gyu adjusted his posture and continued speaking quietly.
“Recently, a code yellow emergency alert was issued in North America. “It’s because of the appearance of monsters.”
‘Code Yellow’ is a major accident that ranks among the top three emergency warnings that occur on Earth.
“Monsters only appear for a day or two, so I guess there was something special about that.”
“yes. “Because that monster came out of the dungeon.”
“yes???”
I couldn’t believe my ears for a moment.
Normally, the only time a monster suddenly pops out is when the ‘gate’ is opened.
But dungeons are not like that.
The fact that there is a dungeon nearby is a bit unpleasant, so you just grab the boss mob and eliminate it, but monsters don’t come out if you leave them alone.
If that were the case, the association would have made the Poison Dungeon a top priority.
However, the information Pyo Hyeok-gyu just gave me shook the foundation of what I knew.
“Because the difficulty of the dungeon itself was low, the local guild immediately cleared it out, but I think you are well aware of the significance of this incident.”
Needless to say, it’s nagging.
My face sank as heavily as Pyo Hyuk-gyu’s expression.
For once, all monsters pop out at once from a dungeon in our country?
On that day, the population of South Korea will be reduced by half.
“At present, we have only received two cases worldwide. The World Hunter Protection Organization (WHPO) is keeping quiet about this incident. “If the incident becomes publicly known, many people will be shaken.”
“I don’t think it’s something that can be done by keeping quiet. If there are two… … .”
“you’re right.”
Pyo Hyuk-gyu smiles bitterly and admits it obediently.
‘Sometimes it only happens once. But what happens twice always happens three times.’
This is a phrase that has come up countless times among hunters since experiencing monsters.
How many times have I prayed that it was just a coincidence and that it would not happen again?
But historically, there has never been a case where something happened twice and that stopped it.
“After the qualification test, we took a close look at Hunter Cheon Hae-seon’s abilities and actions. What was especially surprising was the healing ability indicator, which showed that not only the trauma but also the toxic substances in the body were completely detoxified.”
“yes. “I didn’t know the exam would be so tough.”
I answered in a rather perverse tone.
They even put monster poison on Daebeom, who was turned into porridge, and colonized him(?).
Isn’t this the level of hoping that it will fall?
I don’t know who instigated it, but since Pyo Hyuk-gyu was also a member of the association, I couldn’t say anything good about it.
But Pyo Hyuk-gyu’s answer was a masterpiece.
“It’s like someone dug their own grave. “It turned out bad.”
“?”
Pyo Hyuk-gyu answered with a simple smile, but his eyes seemed to contain many thoughts.
If you’re a supervisor, you probably know who ordered something, but you’re criticizing it too.
He is a three-dimensional character in many ways.
“I think Hunter Cheon Hae-seon’s healing ability is at a level where he can freely enter the low-level poison dungeon. Just like Maria did.”
“… … “It’ll probably be okay.”
I already mined silver in a 5-star (★★★★★) dungeon, so how can a low-level poison hunter be such a big deal?
It feels more difficult to pretend not to know like I do now.
“There is no guild that is willing to take responsibility for the Poison Dungeon. “If by any chance monsters come out of the dungeon, it could be a second open-dwelling incident.”
My eyebrows twitched a little at the mention of an open building, but Pyo Hyuk-gyu continued calmly.
“If Hunter Haeseon Cheon had joined the guild, he wouldn’t have made this offer. However, he said that Hunter will move independently for the time being, so I would like to ask you this.”
That was the real reason you came to see me.
For me, there is no reason to refuse Poison Dungeon.
Rather than rejecting it, if access to the Poison Dungeon was a free pass, it would be welcomed with open arms.
“With your bare mouth?”
Nevertheless, I set a condition.
why?
This is because ‘generally’ hunters have nothing to gain by going to the Poison Dungeon.
The black core extracted from the body of a poison monster is nothing but a piece of trash that neither serves as a weapon nor provides energy.
Of course, in my case, I don’t have anything like this, but from their point of view, if I just accept this offer, it would actually raise suspicion.
“This work is not officially carried out by the Hunter Association… … . Instead, I brought you something that might be helpful to Hunter.”
her.
I wonder if they are trying to fill it with some kind of souvenir or something?
That’s what public officials do, right?
I looked at the box Pyo Hyuk-gyu brought out with sad eyes.
But that box.
Where did you see it?
Crash.
And I almost fell back when I saw the items in the box.
The thing I had never dreamed of had now appeared before my eyes!
“go… … Gold Core????”
