Once again, thirty minutes of impersonation proved to be quite insufficient.
This wasn’t solely limited to my relationship with Yeon-hee. As my scope of activities gradually widened while time remained fixed, I faced constraints on what I could do when I needed it.
〔Collecting Information…〕
1. Knight Baek Ah-rin
2. Sorceress Bae Joo-ah
3. Ice Mage Noh Ha-yoon
4. Spirit Ran
5. Lizardman 1
Soon, the top of my information gathering list had changed to Ah-rin.
Remembering the day I heard about her family circumstances of taking care of her siblings without parents and the day she decided to teach me swordsmanship, it was clear that this wasn’t just simple liking.
It was more of a comprehensive understanding of that person.
Especially, helping Heo Min-sol seemed to have had an effect. While the affection remained unchanged, the information collection which had been stagnating in the low twenties skyrocketed to 34% in an instant.
‘If more people could impersonate, something might change.’
Would that mean more time for impersonation or some such change?
‘Ah-rin… Ah-rin…’
Should I cling a bit more under the guise of learning swordsmanship? But being with Yeon-hee, it might be a bit tricky. I just had a feeling about it.
Regardless of my ponderings, I had to fulfill my purpose for coming up to the rooftop.
I took out the Monster Leather from the Big Boar that I had carefully treated from my inventory one by one. This leather had already been thoroughly burned of fur, washed, treated with monster-specific tanning products, and dried on the side.
With the speed of bomb-making improving, these were prepared during the leftover areas of the early morning. Hehe…
Now, a rolling and light hammering would soften the leather and allow it to absorb the mana oil, completing a secondary tent meant to block the energy of the undead within the dungeon.
With this, even if I spent the night in the dungeon, I could manage a certain degree of defense.
However, simply putting up a tent wouldn’t completely block any deception. To maximize its effectiveness, I had to mix my senses and mana to cover the surface.
Since the tent would be extensive and consume a lot of mana, it required meticulous control to cover the surface as thinly as possible. But for Yeon-hee, I could manage that level of effort.
Of course, it would drain some mental energy.
Bang—bang—
Woosh—
Under the starless night sky, I continued my repetitive tasks, receiving the faint moonlight. In truth, during my skeleton life, the moments I felt most at ease and happy were like this.
‘The moon is remarkably bright.’
Seeing the round moon reminded me of Tanya, who was drifting through the air in a golden sphere.
‘I wonder if she’s doing well…’
It was a bit of a sentimental night, suddenly missing my friend.
*
The next day, we entered the famous ‘Nargul’s Dungeon.’ Even Ham Eun-young didn’t arrive late today.
The one who was late instead was Noh Ha-yoon and a guy named Yeom Tae-seok who joined us as a new member. He had a stocky build reminiscent of a dwarf and wore full-body armor, exuding quite an intense atmosphere.
“Hello! Long time no see for real!”
“Ah, hello…”
“Hey? Showing up late on the first day. Is it because you have a good-looking body or something?”
“Ah, sorry! I was just putting on some makeup for a change. Hehe.”
“Makeup?”
“Ahem— I’m really sorry about that.”
Noh Ha-yoon cheerfully greeted us as she appeared before us after a long time. But Bae Joo-ah immediately started to criticize her for being late.
The guy who came with Noh Ha-yoon blushed, clearly feeling embarrassed, but the reason for being late seemed to lie with Noh Ha-yoon.
Yeon-hee awkwardly accepted her greeting, while Ah-rin and Eun-young looked dazed about forming a party with the renowned Noh Ha-yoon.
Noh Ha-yoon, unlike last time, came dressed rather freely, which was a bit puzzling given the nature of this dungeon.
She wore short shorts that revealed her thighs and a sweater that showed off her cleavage.
Considering the damp environment here, the shorts could be forgiven, but what was up with the top? Did she leave her robe in her inventory? She wasn’t even wearing it.
‘She must be that confident.’
Given that she has been active in this dungeon for quite some time, I understood that she was probably comfortable like that.
“Ahem— Nice to meet you. I’m Yeom Tae-seok.”
The man beside Noh Ha-yoon, who looked stern like a bodyguard, greeted us after taking a moment to quietly glance around, nodding in approval.
‘He seems more than adequate as Noh Ha-yoon’s companion.’
Judging by his expression, that was the vibe he gave off.
Since his reaction wasn’t too bad, we were able to ease some of the tension about the change of members.
‘… That ring…’
But more than all that, my attention was captured by the ring on Noh Ha-yoon’s right ring finger.
It was beautifully crafted, resembling an angel’s wing with an aquatic ice-flower embellishment, and I felt like I had seen it once in my past life’s memories.
“Wow! What’s that ring? It looks amazing!”
“Huh? Oh, this? The Guild Leader lent it to me for a bit. It’s not mine.”
Bae Joo-ah, who had been criticizing, suddenly shifted her focus to the ring, her eyes sparkling, while Ha-yoon casually replied that it was nothing special.
‘That thing must cost a fortune…’
No, it’s something money can’t buy. It can’t even be measured by value. Knowing that, if she acts like that, it’s clear Noh Ha-yoon is an extraordinary person.
Yeon-hee also showed curiosity, occasionally glancing at the ring, admiring how pretty it was. Hmm… it would certainly suit Yeon-hee.
But regardless of appearance, the issue was its performance.
‘… Too over-specced, that’s what it is.’
I always say, dungeon exploration should never be too easy. That ring possessed such powerful abilities capable of changing that notion.
Artifacts are not like weapons or armor, worn by others leading to a drastic decrease in performance, but there are cases where individuals with lower capabilities or completely opposite traits to the artifact cannot even wear them.
That’s why it’s not just a matter of rich kids sweeping through low-grade dungeons. Of course, they’d start much easier than hunters like Yeon-hee or me, who had nothing.
On the contrary, those who synergize well with artifacts can leverage far greater performance than the usual effect, and that ring would be a good piece even if made for Noh Ha-yoon.
However, whether Noh Ha-yoon could fully exert all of the artifact’s capabilities remained uncertain. There’s a saying that high-tier artifacts choose their owner.
‘… Will the dungeon allow that…?’
Scholars say that dungeons are close to living beings. And they are quite sensitive to themes of fairness and balance.
So, would they just let a hunter equipped with such a formidable artifact roam free?
“The dungeon difficulty has certainly increased a lot lately. We’ve had a few dangerous situations.”
When I inquired about it through Yeon-hee, Yeom Tae-seok answered blandly. So it means they had a tough time, but it didn’t feel like it connected to the artifact.
‘Hmm… We have a new member. The conditions aren’t the same.’
Even though I couldn’t shake off the uneasy feelings, it would be ridiculous to tell them to stash the artifact in the inventory. It’s a taboo to meddle in other hunters’ gear.
‘There’s no helping it. The route seems safe enough anyway.’
I soon resigned myself and decided to concentrate on my senses.
While Noh Ha-yoon chatted with the other party members, she often glanced at me from the corner of her eye. Was it just me, or did her expression seem much brighter when looking at me?
– Your Affection Level is ‘High.’
That can’t be true. The system stated that Noh Ha-yoon showed high interest in me. It mentioned that at some unknown time I must have connected with her and evidently gained some significant benefit then.
It was highly likely that her trying to join us was aimed at creating another link with me for personal gain.
In any case, after exchanging brief greetings, we immediately crossed through the gate.
Whoosh—
Entering this place felt much stickier than any dungeon we had been in before.
The underground second floor here was said to be even more difficult than the lowest grade of C-rank dungeons, so it made sense to feel that way.
Squelch— squelch—
“Whew… Here it is, Nargul! It’s damp right from the start.”
Ah-rin, whose ears drooped in a ‘ㄱ’-shape, let out a tiring sound the moment we entered the dungeon. But we all shared the same sentiment.
It felt like a mix of the ‘Lizard Swamp’ and ‘Pyeogyo No. 1.’
– You have entered Nargul’s Dungeon.
– The atmosphere is thick with the energy of death. All attributes decrease by 10%.
– The energy of the undead is heavy. Health recovery decreases by 30%.
This was a message that popped into my mind towards the other party members. It was only natural to feel drained.
“It seems the Pyeogyo dungeon was nothing. This is the real dungeon where the undead live.”
Bae Joo-ah wrapped her arms around herself, doing her best to minimize contact with the suffocating atmosphere.
“How’s Il-wol?”
Yeon-hee immediately asked that upon entering the dungeon. Obviously, I would answer.
– You have entered Nargul’s Dungeon.
– The atmosphere is thick with the energy of death. All attributes increase by 30.
– The energy of the undead is heavy. Health recovery increases by 30%.
I received effects completely opposite to those of the hunters.
Moreover, the increase in attributes was not percentage-based but a solid boost of 30, making it an incredible buff of over 15%, even at the highest stat, Strength.
‘Hoo hoo hoo… I feel like a super skeleton. Not bad.’
With this level of attributes, I felt like I could handle two ‘Teeth’ at once. It was a rare opportunity that wouldn’t easily come again. I should enjoy it thoroughly.
I told Yeon-hee about the reverse effects I acquired, and she shared the information enthusiastically with the other party members.
“Wow! The Skeleton Soldier is truly awesome!”
“I had a feeling that the aura felt different all of a sudden… With our attributes decrease, the gap just widened even more. Yeon-hee, don’t you have Specters and Zombies among your summoned creatures?”
“Yeah! They will definitely receive positive effects as well.”
“···!!”
Noh Ha-yoon seemed quite surprised by the conversation. The vastly diversified line-up of summoned creatures compared to when we fought in the ravine must have been quite a stimulus for her.
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