Chapter 43 : Into the Dungeon. (1)
Chapter 43: Into the Dungeon. (1)
A month had passed since I joined the Dio Guild.
Since I had to carry out the internship course as a rookie hunter, the days I went to the factory had decreased.
They said there was no such thing as a properly run workplace when the boss was away, but.
My absence had been more than adequately filled by Kkalkki and Park Chang-seong.
“Daesjang. Don’t worry. I’ll make sure those foreign laborer bastards don’t slack off!”
“Yeah. Yong-gi. Leave this place to us.”
Before I knew it, I had become a factory owner, a hunter, and even a hero.
I was living a triple-job life, but I felt reassured because I had reliable colleagues.
The Dio Guild internship course was mainly focused on information delivery and education.
“At the point of a gate break, a hunter’s mission is rapid deployment. And closure.”
In front of the instructor sat six men and women.
They were the newly selected rookie hunters.
“During the closure process, you must prevent other monsters from spilling out beyond the gate…….”
The instructor, pointing at the screen with a laser pointer, was commonly called Nike.
Since the name Dio Guild was taken from Greek, each affiliated hunter had a unique call sign.
For reference, Seo Gwang-pal was Dionysus, the god of wine.
“As you learned last time, there are thousands of types of dungeons. However, they are generally classified into five categories.”
The reactions to the lecture varied.
I was the only one diligently taking notes.
Bang Su-hwan, perhaps struck by post-lunch drowsiness, was nodding off.
Lee Ji-jun also yawned widely with his mouth agape.
Hase-na, the only female hunter, stood quietly with her arms crossed.
The remaining two obligatorily nodded along to the instructor’s words.
Instructor Nike continued.
“Has anyone here ever been inside a dungeon?”
A total of two people raised their hands.
Lee Ji-jun and Hase-na.
Instructor Nike’s rank was A-rank.
At a glance, he looked similar to Lee Ji-jun, whose predicted rank had once risen to A-rank, but in reality, it was nothing of the sort.
Lee Ji-jun merely possessed the potential for A-rank.
Nike’s current ability was already A-rank.
If you added real combat experience on top of that, the gap between the two was like heaven and earth.
A predicted rank was nothing more than the first report card an awakener received.
After that, a long and arduous journey of refinement still lay ahead.
“Good. It’s only natural for Hunter Lee Ji-jun, since he worked with another guild. What about Hunter Hase-na?”
“I.”
Hase-na, her hair still tightly tied back in a ponytail, opened her mouth.
“I worked as a free hunter. I mainly played the role of a healer.”
“I see. Then what do you think is the most important thing to keep in mind inside a dungeon? Hunter Bang Su-hwan?”
Bang Su-hwan jolted awake and hurriedly wiped the drool from his mouth.
“Uh, um. Well, that is. Killing the boss mob?”
“Hmm. That’s not wrong. You do have to kill the boss monster for the gate to close. But there’s something even more important. Hunter Lee Ji-jun?”
Lee Ji-jun brushed back his silver hair and gave a smirk.
“You’ve got to secure the loot. We risk our lives fighting, so we can’t come back empty-handed.”
“Well, that’s also correct. But it’s not the answer I’m looking for.”
The instructor looked around at everyone, then fixed his gaze on me.
“Hunter Choi Yong-gi?”
I put down my pen.
The hesitation wasn’t very long.
“Survival.”
In my previous life, I had never been inside a dungeon.
However, I knew all too well how dangerous a place it was.
Monsters bursting out from all directions, poisonous gas spewing forth, encounters with various heterogenous races.
It was a place where all kinds of unpredictable things happened.
Hunters dying inside dungeons was an everyday occurrence.
“Survival, huh…….”
Instructor Nike stroked his chin.
This time as well, he did not agree.
Rather, he raised an objection.
“If you’re so preoccupied with saving your own life that you flee outside the gate, and monsters come pouring out after you, what will you do then?”
Big Lava, which had appeared in Eunpyeong-gu last time, was precisely that case.
If a gate didn’t close properly.
Monsters would spill out into the world and run rampant.
When that happened, innocent civilians would inevitably suffer harm.
It was a difficult problem.
Would you protect the greater whole.
Or sacrifice the lesser part.
But I did not waver even in the face of the dilemma the instructor presented.
Because I had my own conviction.
Because I knew the path a hero had to choose.
“I’ll stay behind.”
This was an answer that went against hunter regulations.
By the instructor’s orders.
Team members had to stick together no matter what, and cooperation was to be prioritized.
Acting alone was something that harmed the team.
But ironically.
“I’ll fight alone until the very end and send my teammates out.”
My answer, exquisitely enough, was a path that saved the team.
Bang Su-hwan, who had been wiping his mouth, and Lee Ji-jun, who had been wearing a languid expression, both looked at me.
Hase-na, who had been maintaining a defensive posture, had already uncrossed her arms and turned her head toward me.
Instructor Nike wore a faint smile.
“Hunter Choi Yong-gi. I’m curious whether you’d actually be able to act that way when the situation truly arises.”
The air in the lecture room tightened, filling with an invisible tension.
I lifted my head and looked at Instructor Nike.
“I have a question. What answer were you hoping for?”
“The most important thing is trust. In my experience, trusting your team and staying together in a crisis is the best possible response.”
I wrote trust in my notebook and circled it.
Then I added a question mark.
‘Trust, huh.’
Somewhere, a gurgling sound was heard.
Bang Su-hwan clutched his empty stomach and laughed awkwardly.
Instructor Nike checked the time.
“We’ll end here for today. Enjoy your lunch, everyone, and head to the physical training room in the afternoon. Ah, right.”
The instructor continued speaking.
“Two weeks from now. You’ll also be deployed to the field.”
By “the field,” he meant real combat.
In other words, dungeon entry.
I woke up to the sound of the alarm.
3:55 a.m.
I had until 9 a.m. to head to the Dio Guild.
Subtracting an hour to wash up, get ready, and arrive.
I had about four hours left.
What would I do during that time?
‘Let’s hurry.’
I splashed my face like a cat, got dressed, and stepped outside.
As the cold wind brushed against my face, the drowsiness vanished instantly.
A garbage truck cut across the road, where flashy neon signs flickered brilliantly.
Beside homeless people sprawled haphazardly along the roadside, soju bottles lay rolling around.
“Hey, handsome oppa!”
In an alleyway, prostitutes dressed in revealing outfits beckoned to me with seductive gestures, trying to make one last sale.
I ignored them and kept running without stopping.
With each step, I focused and loaded mana into my feet.
So-called mana running.
Running about 10 km took 40 minutes.
I took off the hoodie I was wearing and entered a park.
At a faucet, I turned the tap, bent down, and drank the water.
Only after the cold liquid slid down my throat did I finally feel like I could live again.
As my stamina returned, I stood in an open area and did a mid-check.
“Let’s see.”
I clicked the air and summoned the system window.
[[ Hero Skill Shop ]]
Super Kid Series.
<Judgment of the Superhuman>
: 1,000,000 won per use.
<Aura of God>
Speeder Series.
<Infinite Acceleration>
: 10,000,000 won within a 1 km radius.
<Regeneration>
: Deducted in proportion to damage.
…….
These were the abilities I had obtained so far.
The remaining balance was.
[ Awakener’s Balance ]
: ₩974,231,157.
I muttered while looking at the numbers.
“970 million, huh.”
The amount that had once comfortably exceeded one billion won had decreased quite a lot.
‘What happens if I spend all this money?’
It was something I’d pondered for a long time, but there was no clear solution.
The answer I found was.
‘I’ll grow stronger until the money runs out.’
My goal was to become a hero who could stand tall on his own without relying on the balance.
Even while running the factory and going back and forth to the Dio Guild, there was something I never skipped for even a single day.
Training.
After mana running, the next thing I had to do was.
“Hu. Huh!”
I hurled my fist into the air using <Judgment of the Superhuman>.
‘Load mana into the fist and extend it explosively!’
If this skill didn’t land a valid hit, the balance wouldn’t decrease even a little.
To freely use techniques comparable to an S-rank hunter, and for free at that.
It was truly the most efficient, high-quality training method possible.
By the time my whole body was drenched in sweat.
“Good. One thousand. Okay.”
Throwing <Judgment of the Superhuman> a thousand times had become fairly familiar now.
At first it took all day, but now I could do it in about three hours.
To become the strongest hero.
Like an ascetic, I disciplined myself day by day without wasting a moment.
‘It should be coming out by now.’
My talent was [Purchase (Purchase)].
As long as there was balance left, new products were bound to appear.
Following Super Kid and Speeder.
I wanted to obtain a new hero.
They said sincerity moves heaven, didn’t they?
Ding.
Along with a cheerful alert, a new mission appeared.
Spar with a strong opponent : < 0/1 >
I grasped the brief, single-line content.
‘Nice and straightforward.’
I had to face someone strong.
There was no need for a life-and-death blood battle like with Go Ju-hoon.
If it was a spar, exchanging a few bouts within a designated space would probably be enough.
What puzzled me was the standard.
‘Who qualifies as a strong opponent?’
At that moment, a phone call came in.
When I answered, a familiar voice rang out.
Daesjang!
It was my close friend, Kkalkki.
You busy these days? Hard to see your face.
“No. I’m not busy. What’s up?”
From the other end of the line, Kkalkki shouted brightly.
A new suit came out!
Just as I was reborn anew every day.
Thanks to Kkalkki, Purple Devil was also being upgraded day by day.
“I’ll come by on the weekend.”
Got it. Daesjang!
I ended the call and sprinted through the heart of the city.
“I will conduct a spar.”
The moment I heard Instructor Nike’s words, my mind snapped awake.
Did he know about the hero mission?
‘No way.’
It had to be a coincidence.
Sparring was a common form of training.
“Pair up in twos and practice taking your opponent down. However, striking is not allowed.”
I quickly scanned for an opponent.
Who would be good?
Someone who fit the definition of a strong opponent would be, naturally.
“Lee Ji-jun. Let’s go.”
“Oh. Is that a provocation? Sounds good. Come at me.”
For a while, I continued wrestling with Lee Ji-jun.
Bang!
The one who got knocked down countless times was none other than me.
Lee Ji-jun tilted his head.
“Huh? Why are you so weak?”
Of course.
If I didn’t use <Judgment of the Superhuman>, I was nothing more than an F-rank hunter.
Lee Ji-jun frowned.
“Don’t tell me… are you going easy on me?”
I kept my mouth shut, not wanting to explain everything in detail.
What caught my attention was the blue window.
Spar with a strong opponent : < 0/1 >
The mission had failed.
“…….”
Lee Ji-jun did not meet the criteria of a strong opponent.
‘Why? Because his predicted rank is B-rank?’
“All right, switch partners.”
Following Instructor Nike’s lead, we changed pairs.
Bang Su-hwan, Hase-na,
and every other hunter.
I even used the excuse of asking for a demonstration and directly faced Instructor Nike, but it was no use.
Spar with a strong opponent : < 0/1 >
At this point, I found myself clenching my teeth.
‘Damn it.’
Had I misunderstood the mission?
Did “strong opponent” not apply only to humans?
Or did it mean power, not physical strength, but authority?
‘Who the hell am I supposed to fight….’
As I was deep in thought.
Someone came trudging into the training room.
Instructor Nike snapped to attention.
“Good afternoon!”
“Oh, yeah. By any chance, do you have a mana grip dynamometer here? The Intelligence Team told me to get my personal data updated and come back after measuring it. What a pain.”
He stuck out his lips and grumbled.
As he looked around, his eyes met mine.
“Huh?”
The strongest member of the Dio Guild.
S-rank hunter Na Sang-min.
“Hey, Choi Yong-gi. What are you staring at?”
Perhaps he still held a grudge against me, because Na Sang-min shot me a threatening glare.
The rookie hunters were clearly terrified of him.
Only I smiled inwardly.
‘This is the perfect chance.’
I bowed my head to Na Sang-min and spoke.
“Hunter Na. If it’s all right with you, could you please give us some pointers?”
He let out a hollow laugh.
“What kind of bullshit is that? You think I’ve got the time to deal with scraps like you?”
Instructor Nike also looked troubled and apologized.
“I’m sorry, Hunter Na. They’re still rookies and don’t know any better….”
“Seriously, that Choi Yong-gi bastard is cocky as hell. Hey. Nike. Train them properly. Tsk!”
“Yes. Understood.”
Na Sang-min turned away.
Before entering a deadly dungeon, I had to secure a new hero.
‘I have no choice.’
If asking didn’t work.
I spoke to the back of Na Sang-min’s head.
“Are you perhaps running away?”
With a collective gulp, the surrounding air froze solid.
Mana flared like flames from Na Sang-min’s turned body.
“You son of a bitch. Do you really want to die?”
No, I didn’t want to die.
However.
Rather than failing to become the strongest hero and living as a nobody.
Rather than living and dying like a coward.
“Come on. Senior.”
I spread my palm and issued a challenge to the champion.