Chapter 4
In the world I was possessed in,
there were no gates, but there were plenty of dungeons.
Naturally occurring ones, ancient liches, the Demon King’s trickery, and so on.
I encountered and cleared all sorts of dungeons.
And the sight unfolding before me now.
A dark cave, a musty smell irritating my nose.
Green creatures popping out every now and then.
They looked familiar.
How am I supposed to feel about this?
These monsters look exactly like the ones I saw in the other world.
Feeling bewildered, I glanced around at my temporary party members.
“What? Why are you looking at me like that?”
“……”
A woman who introduced herself as a magic-type hunter.
She’s currently lighting up the dungeon’s darkness with the flames she conjured.
But something seems off.
I can’t pinpoint it exactly, but…
it doesn’t seem like she’s controlling the magic herself.
I get a similar feeling when I observe the other two people fighting as well.
“Haah!”
“Hyaah!”
Their movements are generally awkward.
It makes sense since this party is composed of E-rank or D-rank hunters.
But whenever they use mana, their actions become smooth.
It’s as if they’re being forcibly refined.
“Gerk!”
A short, green monster, a goblin, lunged at me from the side.
I easily twisted my body to dodge its club.
I kicked the goblin’s stomach with all my strength as it lost its balance.
The goblin crashed into the wall and collapsed.
Soon, Kind Person #1, Han-gyeol, swung his sword and finished it off.
“Nice job, Si-hyun!”
I moved my body just enough to clean up the goblins in the open space.
Once we finished cleaning up to a certain extent.
I finally understood the source of the discomfort.
“Status Window!”
All I could say was, ‘Oh my God.’
The three people, excluding me, all shouted something strange.
Then they pointed their fingers into the empty air.
I stared at them, bewildered.
The items they were holding.
The goblin’s mana stones suddenly disappeared.
Storage magic.
I have a bracelet that can store a small amount too, but…
that thing is really expensive.
“…Excuse me.”
“Yes? What’s the matter?”
I approached the most approachable person in the temporary party.
Han-gyeol smiled warmly.
Yep, if you don’t know something, you should ask.
“I awakened not too long ago.”
“Wow! But you’re already that good at fighting?”
“…Ahem! More importantly, could you tell me about the status window?”
I suppressed the corners of my mouth, which were trying to twitch upwards.
The compliment came so naturally that it caught me off guard.
Having lived a life of constant reprimand, I seem to have low resistance to praise.
“Status window? It’s not hard to learn. They teach it in the academy, but the tuition can be quite burdensome.”
“…I see.”
“Try opening the status window first.”
“……”
I don’t want to, but… I guess I have to, right?
I should just agree to say it softly.
“S-status window….”
“…Yes, so once you see it——”
Han-gyeol stared at me for a moment before starting to explain.
He occasionally asked, “Can you see it?” but I dodged the question appropriately.
Pretending I could see it even though I couldn’t.
Anyway, to summarize it:
Currently, people on Earth are starting to awaken in response to the Great Cataclysm.
These people, or rather, the awakened, are growing just like in a game.
They receive assistance from something called the status window.
…So why don’t I have one?
Is it because my soul is from Earth, but my body is from the other world?
I feel a bit left out.
I was good at games too.
Why am I the only one getting excluded…?
Well, technically, I’m not an awakened person either.
But what’s disappointing is disappointing.
“Ha! You came to a dungeon without even knowing how to use the status window? Isn’t that basic?”
A voice grumbled in disbelief, and I turned my head.
The woman sounded like she said it on purpose for me to hear.
Well, I’ve seen all kinds of people, so…
I lightly ignored the low-level bait.
“Let’s get going. We’ve been delayed too long.”
The man, who had been quietly observing, interjected as if to mediate.
I nodded calmly and followed his instructions.
Even though he sometimes gave off an unpleasant vibe, he was the most skilled here.
He seemed to consider himself the leader.
After that, the man continued to give commands and lead the dungeon raid.
We wrapped up the E-rank dungeon and split up the earnings outside.
“I divided it equally among the four of us. Does anyone have any complaints?”
“No, thank you for your hard work!”
Han-gyeol responded energetically.
I received 10 goblin mana stones.
Considering the market price I heard earlier, I earned about 50,000 won.
I subtly asked Han-gyeol about the average daily earnings.
He replied that it varies for each person, but most people enter dungeons about once or twice a day.
He said this was only his second time in a dungeon.
But still, this is a life-and-death battle.
I can’t shake off the feeling that the pay is underwhelming.
Is it because it’s E-rank? Does the profit jump up for D-rank?
Hmm, anyway, it’s all the hero party’s fault.
They never let me handle any money.
That’s why I have no sense of finances.
“With four people, it’s stable, but that also means less profit for each of us.”
“Ah, I see.”
I nodded at the additional explanation.
So that’s why D-rank hunters keep going in and out of E-rank dungeons.
Because life is precious.
I organized my thoughts in my head.
At that moment, the man who had been acting as the leader spoke up.
“How about we tackle a D-rank dungeon together?”
“Are you saying we should go to a D-rank?”
“Yes, Han-gyeol and I are D-rank hunters, and although the other two of you are E-rank, I think you’re almost at D-rank level. I’m confident we can handle it.”
“Hehe, I’ll be a D-rank soon anyway! Shall we go?”
The female mage responded with a wide smile.
But Han-gyeol shook his head.
“You know that D-rank dungeons are dangerous because of the many changes that occur there. I’m against it.”
“Unless it’s a rare type like a double dungeon, we can handle it ourselves, right?”
“…That’s true, but.”
Han-gyeol glanced at me.
…Ah.
He’s worried because I said I just recently awakened.
As expected from Kind Person #1.
I also want to see my sister’s face and heal up, so maybe it’s time to head back….
“D-rank dungeons earn at least five times more than E-rank dungeons, sometimes even ten times more. The four of us work well together, so why not make some good money?”
…Working well together isn’t exactly true.
Five times means at least 250,000 won.
If it’s ten times, then 500,000 won.
D-rank is certainly much better than E-rank.
I could buy some beef for my Si-yoon.
“Let’s go.”
“…!”
“Good decision.”
The leader smiled slyly, and Han-gyeol looked surprised.
Si-yoon, I might be a little late, but wait for me.
Your brother’s going to buy you something delicious!
* * *
“Haa, haa….”
“Hooo….”
After one round of battle,
the leader of the party let out a deep sigh.
As expected of a D-rank dungeon.
The types of monsters appearing are more diverse.
And the number of monsters attacking at once has also doubled.
Thanks to that, I couldn’t let my guard down, and the fatigue doubled as well.
That’s why, when entering dungeons multiple times a day, it’s best to stick to E-rank.
The leader turned his head to look to the side.
The beautiful woman with exotic looks was glancing around, observing her surroundings.
She looked like a complete novice.
She didn’t seem to struggle much in the E-rank dungeon, so maybe she’s talented.
He wanted to score some points by helping her when things got tough, but it wasn’t even close.
That’s why he proposed tackling a D-rank dungeon, even though it might be a bit challenging.
No matter how talented she is, she’s only an E-rank hunter.
In a D-rank dungeon, there would definitely be opportunities to score points and get closer to her.
As long as no unexpected incidents occur, the raid should be manageable.
However.
“Han-gyeol, where did you get that sword?”
“Oh, can you tell? The master of my guild is a crafting-type hunter.”
Something’s off.
She doesn’t seem tired at all.
Not once did I see her falter.
It’s in stark contrast to the female mage next to her.
The mage looked pale, as if she could collapse at any moment.
That means she’s almost completely out of mana.
But this beautiful woman hasn’t changed at all since the beginning.
She hasn’t done anything particularly outstanding, but she hasn’t shown any signs of fatigue either.
Does the holy knight profession have some sort of special stamina-related ability?
It’s my first time seeing this class, so I have no information.
And that’s not the only strange thing.
Han-gyeol, the hunter who uses the same sword as me.
In the E-rank dungeon, I was sure he was a little below me.
But what about now?
I’m gradually getting exhausted, but he still seems full of energy.
It even feels like he’s getting stronger and faster.
At this rate, isn’t he more than just D-rank? He could comfortably be C-rank.
The leader frowned.
I’m tired and weary, so maybe I’m just imagining things.
“Ugh! Instead of chatting, hurry up and clear the dungeon! I’m so exhausted!”
“Let’s do that.”
The female mage shouted in frustration.
The leader shook his head and approached Han-gyeol and Si-hyun.
“Let’s move on.”
“Understood.”
“……”
Si-hyun’s cold, ice-like face glanced at the leader for a moment before looking straight ahead.
The leader felt wronged.
I haven’t even done anything yet.
Why is it that Han-gyeol and I are being treated so differently?
* * *
“Hmmm….”
“Is there something wrong? If you’re tired, please let us know.”
“Ah, it’s nothing like that.”
Han-gyeol looked at me with a worried expression.
I waved my hand lightly to indicate that it wasn’t a big deal, then glanced around.
The leader was still giving me sticky stares.
The woman was glaring at me with a hostile expression.
It wasn’t a pleasant feeling, but there was no need to worry too much.
After all, I was discriminating against them as well.
Even though I cast a weaker buff on him, Han-gyeol was the only one I buffed.
It was different from the buff I cast as a return favour on the subway.
He should be able to feel that he’s become stronger.
I even used magic occasionally when there were too many monsters.
Things like blocking their line of sight and such.
I need to protect a kind and innocent young man like him.
Anyway, what’s bothering me now is the existence of this strange space.
I discovered it thanks to my occupational habits.
I always spread a thin layer of mana around me to keep buffs and debuffs ready to activate in a wide area at any time.
“…Excuse me.”
“Yes, what is it?”
I approached the leader, who had been keeping an eye on me the whole time.
“How much of the dungeon is left?”
“We’re almost at the end. Should we take a little break if you’re tired?”
The leader smiled with a greasy grin.
I ignored him lightly and pointed at a slightly distant wall with my finger.
“Over there. It’s hidden, but there’s a space.”
“Pardon?”
Everyone turned to look at the wall at my words.
It was a dark wall, subtly concealed by rocks and bushes.
The leader cautiously walked toward the direction I pointed.
He went through the rocks, pushed aside the vines.
After a while, he returned with a baffled expression and spoke.
“How did you notice this?”
“Hmmm… I just thought it looked suspicious.”
“……It’s a secret room. It usually takes a scouting specialist hunter to find places like this. That’s impressive.”
He responded with a voice full of genuine surprise.
A secret room!
The name alone makes it sound like it would contain something amazing.
I looked up at the leader with a slightly expectant look.
The leader covered his mouth with his hand and turned his head away.
“Ahem. I suppose we need to vote on this.”
“Huh? A vote?”
“Because it’s a D-rank dungeon.”
What’s he saying? Not understanding, I looked at Han-gyeol.
Han-gyeol, who had been listening to the conversation, spoke with a serious expression.
“From D-rank dungeons onward, there are various patterns. Sometimes it’s just treasure, but other times there are hordes of monsters meant to delay the raid.”
“Ah….”
“I’ve heard that in rare cases, special dungeons also appear like this. If it’s a special dungeon, it could be really dangerous.”
Although I’ve never seen one myself.
Han-gyeol mumbled softly.
“What happens if we ignore the treasure room and clear the dungeon?”
“It disappears along with the dungeon. No one knows why.”
“……”
So, it’s up to us to choose between risk and reward, huh.
There are some differences compared to dungeons in the other world.
From what I’ve experienced, D-rank dungeons are certainly nothing for me to worry about.
But… it’s not even guaranteed loot. It’s random?
Instead of wasting time here, wouldn’t it be better to go home and get some healing from my sister?
I’m pretty sure I can buy her a nice dinner tonight anyway.
“As the leader, I vote to ‘go in.’ It’s too much of a waste to ignore it after discovering it.”
“I agree! We’re almost done with the dungeon anyway. What’s there to be afraid of?”
That made two votes in favour, from the leader and the lady.
There are four people in total in the party.
I glanced at Han-gyeol.
He shrugged as if saying he’d follow my decision.
…
“Let’s go.”
Even if I said no, it would just be a 2-2 tie.
Better to finish it quickly than waste time arguing. That’s the better choice.
If we get something good, that’s great.
If the reward increases, I can buy even tastier food for dinner.
—
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