“For the time being, I guess I have no choice but to raise my stats… I think getting faster would be the most efficient.”
“Using debuffs to control the opponent has many variables due to resistances. So making my body faster seems simple and versatile.”
“To do that, I needed to hunt a lot of sneaky mobs.”
“And to do that, I needed to be able to act alone.”
“Just like when I raided that building with teeth, I can’t bring Yeon-hee along and risk getting ambushed or caught in traps prepared ahead of time. If I get into trouble while acting alone, I can just self-destruct and return.”
“Hmm… How can I safely move without Yeon-hee around?”
“How about leaving other allies at home?”
“…… No way, Yeon-hee would never agree to that.”
“Even just mentioning it might get me hated. Leaving a man at our place?! Rejected. Leaving a woman at our place?! Also rejected.”
“In the end, it means my summoned creatures need to get stronger.”
“Isn’t it about time to lay down a summoning circle?”
“When I lay it down is up to Yeon-hee, but I just hope a powerful one comes out so I can move a bit more freely.”
*
The next day.
Our party felt a bit empty with Noh Ha-yoon and Yeom Tae-seok missing as we waited for the door to the dungeon gate to open.
“Still, it’s kind of empty with them gone.”
“Yeah.”
“It seems I’m not the only one feeling this way. After spending a week together in that dark place, it wouldn’t be strange to feel a bond as if we’d spent a year together in another party.”
“They said they’d join us…”
“Huh? What? What did you say?”
“… Nothing… ”
“They mentioned they’d join.”
“Is it Ha-yoon? Eun-young, did you hear that directly from them?”
“… Yeah… They said for sure… they’d come back…”
“‘They’d definitely come back…'”
I didn’t understand why they joined our party before, but thinking about what we’ve gained this time, I get why they’d want to rejoin us.
Everyone rolled their eyes at the sudden news of Noh Ha-yoon being brought up by Ham Eun-young.
Were there something going on between them?
While Joo-ah and Ah-rin exchanged looks, dozens of staff members burst out from the gate.
“We checked it out, and everything seemed fine. As expected, the difficulty has increased.”
Among them, the person who seemed to be the highest ranking held a microphone and informed us about the dungeon’s state.
“Only those who have cleared the Nargul Dungeon’s first floor at least once should go in. The combat power has definitely increased. For those thinking it would be an easy orc dungeon— you might as well go home and rest.”
The man emphasized that there was no lie in his words a few times, urging only the really confident to enter.
“… Should we go?”
“Let’s go. What’s with the scare tactics? Does that guy think hunters will back out just because of what he said?”
We entered the gate without a second thought despite the warnings.
But contrary to Joo-ah’s expectations, less than 70% of the hunters waiting in front of the gate actually entered the dungeon. It means 30% really went home.
‘Looks like everyone is being cautious… but that can’t happen.’
I understood their hesitation since there’s only one life at stake.
The drastic change in the dungeon was enough to intimidate the hunters.
However, if this situation drags on, it would weaken our forces’ ability to respond when orcs come over, and that worried me.
*Sigh* “First, we need to get stronger. What other choice do we have?”
“Eh! Whatever, let’s just go first!”
Bae Joo-ah, whose expression looked like she was surprised we wouldn’t enter, squeezed her eyes shut and signaled our departure.
And four hours after entering the dungeon.
“What? There’s nothing special here?”
“Right? I was so nervous at first…”
“Haah— thanks to that scary guy, we get to enjoy a comfy dungeon.”
To our surprise, the orcs’ combat power was not at a level to be scared of.
‘They’re stopped around the Lizard Squad level, right?’
We weren’t the only ones who had gotten stronger over the past week.
My summoned creatures had grown powerful through experience and leveling up, and as long as they weren’t mutants, we could handle standard mobs with just their strength.
The round shield I got from the blacksmith was doing its job perfectly.
Plus, Yeon-hee’s armor made from mystical materials was steadily improving in performance, making it rare for me to take damage unless I got hit directly in the head by an orc.
“Doo-ooong…”
Ddung-i seemed somewhat dissatisfied that the shield I gave wasn’t being used, but if he felt wronged, he just needed to bring in equipment of better quality.
Like that undead-exclusive club from the hidden dungeon.
We pushed through to the area with the boss battle without any problems, feeling no hesitation during the process.
The only problem was.
“I’m getting zero experience.”
“What level are you at, Joo-ah?”
“59, what about you?”
“I’m also 59… How about you, Yeon-hee?”
“I’m 58.”
“… I’m also 58…”
We were all floundering at the threshold of levels eight and nine.
‘It’s definitely because Yeon-hee and Eun-young have unique classes; their experience accumulation is slow. I’ve already been overtaken by Joo-ah.’
At this rate, the other party members would reach level 60 first. We had been at much higher levels before.
“I don’t feel any electric sensations at all.”
Even if the message doesn’t show, instinctively, you should grasp the amount of experience you earn just from the sensations of killing monsters.
But not feeling anything at all felt like it meant the experience was really minuscule.
‘Yeah, this should definitely be the norm…’
Grinding for at least a month to earn money, upgrade gear, and accumulate experience was normally the routine for hunters.
‘But we don’t have the time for that.’
In the end, what kept popping up in my mind was dealing with villains.
Reflecting on how I’d experienced a huge level-up by defeating Nam Yong-seok, the chances would be high.
While Yeon-hee was asleep, I searched for information about the ‘Mad Judge’, and I found his details much easier than expected.
‘Has he also grown? He’s already quite famous, huh?’
The only memory I had of Cha Jin-hyuk was from articles, so it wasn’t entirely accurate.
In those articles, it said he started making a name for himself after reaching A-rank, but unique abilities tend to garner attention wherever they go.
However, as I searched, I felt a bit strange.
Even though evaluations of his abilities were quite high, there were often remarks about his looks, making me feel a bit odd.
‘Well, it’d be nice if he was good-looking, but making fun of someone for being ugly isn’t right.’
I wanted to drop a comment to keyboard warriors, but since it was Yeon-hee’s ID, I couldn’t.
‘Right now, it hasn’t even been a month since he’s rose to B-rank…’
B-rank… just a creature stronger than ‘tooth’.
I wondered if I could catch him.
So I considered whether it might be better to loot some ‘teeth’ around instead.
But thinking of the A-rank hunters chasing after Yeon-hee and me, I decided it’d be better to go after Cha Jin-hyuk.
It seemed more reasonable to go after an open target with verified information than chase uncertain leads.
– Kwoooorrrrr─!
“Wow, those voices are definitely loud.”
“Yeah, their voices are definitely bigger now.”
“But… it feels like we can finish this quickly… Am I judging this wrong?”
Yeon-hee tilted her head and asked.
“No, it feels like they aren’t as scary as before.”
“Those guys are stronger than they used to be, but we’re stronger too.”
And I could definitely feel that once we entered the boss battle.
Screeech─!
“Hey-ck! Wahhhh! Wazazaza-!”
I didn’t face them one-on-one, but Baek Ah-rin managed to defeat a somewhat exhausted boss monster.
“Oh- Lightning Step has gotten much stronger. I learned an application.”
Ah-rin was now focusing on using Lightning Step to cut the enemy’s breath in an instant, and it worked effectively.
‘Still fast…’
I had also taken down a few orc intermediate warriors who were boss-monster-level, but the experience gain came with the description ‘minimal.’
‘Yeah, this won’t do.’
Receiving minimal experience to reach level 60 would take more than a month.
It was time for me to change my direction boldly.
*
We cleared the orc dungeon early and headed to a cafe.
“Eh?! You’re not planning to ditch us, are you?!”
“What did we do wrong?!”
“Ah, no… it’s not like that…”
I had already had a talk with Yeon-hee this morning to prepare for these kinds of situations.
While we catch the villain, our team members also need to reach level 60, so I planned to put them in the party that Noh Ha-yoon is in.
Of course, I had already explained about Cha Jin-hyuk to Yeon-hee. She, as usual, didn’t seem to question it.
“No way Noh Ha-yoon’s party would take us in.”
“Of course, trying out with people like that would be a good experience…”
It was a legitimate concern, but since I was confident Noh Ha-yoon would help if I asked, I brought it up.
Unexpectedly, Ham Eun-young, who had been quietly listening to the conversation, said she’d give it a shot at asking them.
“Oh… you seem to have gotten close to Noh Ha-yoon?”
“Huh? Oh… um… just… well…”
“If Eun-young asks, it seems possible.”
We already experienced the awe of Grandma Ham Eun-young.
Of course, slipping into the party wasn’t a way to seek her help, but if Noh Ha-yoon subtly leaked that info, it might be possible to ride the bus for a week.
“Uh, um… then…”
“I understand. But you won’t tell me what you’re planning to do, right?”
‘Why didn’t she ask that?’
“I’m just thinking of taking a few days off.”
“Hmm… alright.”
There was no need to explain in detail.
Bae Joo-ah seemed a little sulky at Yeon-hee’s vague answer, her lips jutting out.
‘But I can’t say I’m going to hunt down a potential villain in the future, can I?’
As for my [Disguise] ability, no one but Yeon-hee should know.
Writing a pact would be ridiculous too, so I had no choice but to wait, hoping her mood would lift.
*
The next day.
We traveled to the New City, an hour away by train.
Yeon-hee seemed super excited just to be on a train to somewhere.
Ran, sitting on her shoulder, was also captivated by the scenery passing by the train window.
‘Ran seems to have shrunk…?’
Ever since she was summoned, Ran’s growth had been stagnating, but it began to change from the point of Nargul’s dungeon, though she kept losing feathers, as if preparing for something different.
‘If Ran’s [Acceleration] grows, it’d definitely help with the accuracy of [Flame Cut].’
With my face pressed against the window alongside Ran, I saw Yeon-hee smiling brightly.
After sharing love with Yeon-hee the night before, I further explained the evil deeds that the villain we were visiting might commit.
Despite her exhaustion, Yeon-hee listened intently before suddenly throwing a question at me.
“But if that villain hasn’t done anything yet, could we not change the future?”
…… The words Yeon-hee told me yesterday echoed in my head.
Because she had experienced a change in her destiny, I thought that perhaps the guy we were about to meet could turn into a hero instead of a villain if I changed course.
‘Ah… this is getting complicated in my head.’
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