1

THE POTENTIAL JACKPOT

Jinho’s squad had a total of two dungeons scheduled on this day, and there was quite a distance between them.

Sangmin and Kichul kept in frequent contact as each waited at a dungeon for the squad to arrive in order to confirm with their own eyes if their hunch was correct.

…It’s still pretty chilly.

Sangmin bought a cup of coffee from a nearby vending machine. He’d been waiting for Jinho’s team for an hour now, but his anticipation was somehow beating out his boredom.

It’d been a while since his heart had raced this fast.

If I’m right, he’s the first super-rookie to come along in ages—and an S rank to boot!

Sangmin had secured the title of department manager at a young age, and it was all thanks to his intuition. In fact, he had played a large role in raising White Tiger to its current status as a prominent guild.

That same intuition was now telling him that Jinwoo Sung might be able to take the White Tiger Guild to the next level.

People will think I’ve gone insane if I say that, though…

After all, according to his records, Jinwoo was still officially an E-rank hunter.

Things weren’t always what they appeared to be, though, and Sangmin wouldn’t have been who he was today if that wasn’t true.

He was watching the gate with the eyes of a hawk when…

Riiing, riiing!

It was a call from Kichul.

“Hey, Kichul.”

“Sir, Jinho Yoo’s squad just arrived.”

“Okay. Stay calm and keep an eye on them, then report back their every move.”

“Yes, sir. Wait. Huh? M-Manager An!”

The voice on the other end of the line sounded odd.

Did that idiot get caught?

Sangmin started feeling anxious.

“What’s wrong? Talk to me.”

“You were right, sir!”

“What?”

His heart beat faster.

“Only two people, Jinho and Jinwoo, are entering the gate.”

“Of course, since this is all a test for Jinwoo.”

As expected, Sangmin’s hunch was spot-on. His intuition had never failed him when it came to situations like this.

Nice!

He pumped his fist.

While you guys take your sweet time, the White Tiger Guild can make a move. Jinwoo Sung will be ours.

Because that’s how Sangmin An and the second administration team rolled.

While Sangmin was distracted by his daydreams of victory, Kichul’s voice continued spilling through the phone.

“So what should I do now, sir? Should I join you?”

“No, keep monitoring them.”

“Pardon? But we’ve already confirmed your suspicions.”

“I’m curious about their clear time. I’d like to know how many hours it’ll take them to clear a C-rank dungeon.”

“Even A-rank hunters need more than a couple of hours if they go in by themselves, don’t they?”

“Do you have something better to do?”

“Of course not, sir. I just thought you might get bored by yourself, so I thought I’d ask.”

That was why Sangmin liked Kichul—he had a lightning-quick ability to adapt to situations.

“Don’t worry about me and keep your eyes peeled for when they leave the dungeon.”

“Understood.”

“I’ll have my phone with me at all times, so call me right away if something happens.”

“Yes, sir.”

After Sangmin finished relaying his orders and hung up, he suddenly realized just how hungry he was.

Rrrumble…

Guess I was too focused on work……

He’d been so preoccupied with waiting for Jinwoo that he hadn’t eaten all day, and it was already past lunchtime. He hadn’t been able to leave his position because he’d had no idea when Jinho’s squad would arrive. Now that he could relax, he looked around for a place to eat before heading into a convenience store.

It’s not like I’m trying to save money, but……

Even though there wasn’t anyone around to judge him, he felt uncomfortable dining in a restaurant alone. After some deliberation, he decided on instant ramen from the store. He poured hot water into the ramen container and waited three minutes for everything to cook. He’d just snapped his wooden chopsticks apart when…

Riiing!

“Oh, for… Who the hell’s calling me when I’m trying to eat?”

A familiar name lit up his phone screen.

Second-in-command

Damn you, Kichul……

Sangmin took the call and snapped, “You couldn’t wait to call me again?”

“I’m sorry, sir, but—”

“But what? If you called me for nothing, you’re eating instant ramen for lunch for a week!”

“Sir, they’ve exited the gate!”

Sangmin, who at that moment had raised some noodles to his mouth, froze like a video on pause.

“What?”

“Jinho and Jinwoo exited the dungeon, and the squad is now getting ready to leave!”

He hadn’t misheard anything. He rushed to check the time.

“It’s only been thirty minutes! Did they give up on the raid?”

“No, the gate is closing.”

None of this made any sense! Despite the different levels of difficulty among C-rank dungeons, it wasn’t possible for a single person to clear a dungeon in thirty minutes.

“Check again! Are you sure the gate is closing?”

“Yes, I’m sure. Would you like me to send you a video?”

“…No, that’s fine.”

Sangmin hung up the phone and stared blankly ahead.

What would take an A-rank hunter two hours to clear, Jinwoo had finished in thirty minutes? Never mind B rank. Based on empirical data, he had to be…

“Higher than an A rank……”

Sangmin had hit the proverbial jackpot.

“Boss, do you have somewhere else to be?”

“No, why?”

“I’ve never seen you hunt so fast.”

Jinho was absolutely awestruck. He’d already known Jinwoo was strong, but the phenom hunter had been on a completely different level today. What Jinho didn’t know was that the results had been inevitable.

Jinwoo suppressed a laugh.

It’s because the magic beasts this time were werewolves.

With the enemies being werewolves, the Wolf Assassin buff had naturally kicked in. His high level plus the buff meant that mere C-rank magic beasts hadn’t stood a chance.

Yeek!

Whimper!

Whiiiine!

At the rate Jinwoo had torn through them, even ten extra hands wouldn’t have been enough to help Jinho collect the essence stones from the beasts’ remains. Jinho ended up drinking five bottles of healing potion in this dungeon alone. The concoctions were so filling that he groaned multiple times about how he wouldn’t need to eat lunch.

That’s that, but……

Jinwoo looked up. He’d felt like someone was watching him for a while now.

I don’t think it’s a hunter, since I can’t sense mana.

His eyes swept the surrounding area, but nothing caught his attention. If he wanted to, he could track down the interloper, but it would take a while due to the lack of animosity or hostility.

……

It could have been nothing, and sure enough, the presence soon vanished.

“What’s wrong, boss?”

“…Nothing. Let’s head out.”

The clock was ticking, and there was no time to waste. Jinwoo took one last quick look around and then got in the front passenger seat.

Jinwoo didn’t feel the gaze when entering or exiting the second dungeon.

Am I being paranoid?

Either way, he was glad it wasn’t a big deal. While he was lost in his thoughts, Jinho approached and hung his head.

“I’m sorry, boss. The other gates are too far, so this is the last one for today.”

“That’s fine—nothing to be sorry about.”

There was still plenty of time before sunset, but they’d been on such a roll closing down the gates in this particular area that they had to call it quits for the day.

“Good work, everyone.”

“You did all the work, chief.”

“See you tomorrow.”

“Good work!”

Jinwoo and Jinho got in the van after seeing off the other members.

“I’ll take you home, boss.”

Jinho had become his trusty chauffeur at some point. He looked completely at home behind the wheel, like this was what he was meant to do. Jinwoo gazed at him with pity.

He has to play chauffeur even though he’s a little rich boy, just because he wants to try his hand at being a guild master……

Jinho caught Jinwoo staring at him as he accelerated and chirped with a bright smile, “Huh? Is there something on my face, boss?”

“…Nope.”

Jinwoo quickly turned his eyes ahead, as if he hadn’t been caught. Something occurred to him, and he pulled out his phone to check the time.

It’s 4:46.

He had a while before he needed to be home, and luckily, he had something else to do.

It was around here, wasn’t it?

If memory served…

Jinwoo turned to his driver. “Hey, Jinho?”

“Yes, boss?” Jinho replied as he skillfully turned the wheel and smoothly maneuvered the van around a corner.

“Let’s go to the Mirae Department Store.”

“Mirae Department Store?” Jinho was puzzled by the odd request.

“Yeah.”

“Sure, it’s right over there, but…is something wrong, boss? You’ve been acting odd all day.”

“…You know, you’ve gotten pretty chatty recently.”

At those words, Jinho whipped his head to the front and sat ramrod straight.

“I’ll get you there at the speed of light, boss. Hold on to your seat.”

With his shift in attitude, Jinho drove straight to the destination without braking once, and the pair soon arrived.

Skreeeech.

The vehicle came to a stop in front of the grand Mirae Department Store, which was located in downtown Seoul.

Tmp.

As Jinwoo got out of the van, Jinho also disembarked and walked over to the hunter, who stood there quietly.

“Our guild has to have offices in a building like this, right, boss?” he asked half-jokingly, gazing up at the structure. Alas, he received no answer.

Feeling something was off, Jinho urgently looked to his side. “Huh?”

Jinwoo was already gone.

“Boss?”

Search as he might, he couldn’t find a trace of Jinwoo in the area.

“Boooss?”

[As the boss has been defeated, the dungeon will now revert to its original state.]

Leveled up twice in the department-store instance dungeon.

Jinwoo’s footsteps were light on his way home. That particular instance-dungeon key had come from a mystery box a while back and could be used only at the Mirae Department Store. He had been waiting for a good opportunity to go and had ended up clearing it today while he had some free time.

“Boooss?”

Jinho’s bewildered face while looking for him was hilarious no matter how many times Jinwoo pictured it.

At that moment, his phone rang.

Riiing!

He checked the caller ID, but it wasn’t a number he recognized.

Who…?

When he was in high school, all his free time had been devoted to raising his baby sister, filling their sickly mother’s shoes, and he’d started working as a hunter right after graduation. Meaning, his network of acquaintances was rather limited.

I don’t usually get calls from unknown numbers…

His hesitation was momentary, however, and he decided to answer the call.

“Hello?”

“Hello. Is this Jinwoo Sung?”

The man on the other end of the line had a clear voice. Jinwoo hung up as soon as he heard it.

Click.

Based on past experience, 99 percent of the time, this kind of call is either a telemarketer or a loan shark.

As he went to pocket his phone, it rang again.

Riiing!

It was the same number.

Huh? So it’s not a telemarketer?

Telemarketers had quotas to fill, so they rarely called back someone who hung up on them, as it was better to call as many numbers as possible. Besides, they also knew it’d be a waste of time to try again.

That means this person actually needs to talk to me…

Jinwoo answered the phone properly this time.

“Yes, this is Jinwoo Sung.”

“Oh, excellent. I thought I dialed the wrong number, since the call cut off. Ha-ha.”

“……”

Jinwoo debated for two seconds if he should apologize and explain that he’d assumed the man was a telemarketer or a loan shark, but he stopped.

Admitting that would be even ruder.

After a brief silence, the salesman—no, the man with a salesman’s voice—continued.

“Oh, right, I haven’t introduced myself yet. I’m Sangmin An with the White Tiger Guild.”

Jinwoo stopped in his tracks.

The White Tiger Guild is calling me?

He racked his brain but couldn’t think of a reason why they might reach out to him. The only connection he could remember was when they’d helped the association with the double-dungeon incident, but……

It’s a bit late to be asking me about that.

Jinwoo wasn’t the type of person who could restrain his curiosity, so before Sangmin could say anything, Jinwoo beat him to the punch.

“May I ask why the White Tiger Guild is calling me?”

“It’s a little difficult to talk about this over the phone, so could we meet in person?”

Instead of ordering him around, this man was willing to accommodate him, so Jinwoo couldn’t think of a valid reason to refuse. It also so happened that he would be available the day after tomorrow.

Didn’t Jinho say he had to attend some kind of family thing?

Jinho had apologized for breaking their streak of daily raids, as his entire family was required to attend an important event.

An important event…

Maybe Jinwoo watched too much TV, because he imagined it to be some rich-family gathering in a fancy hotel banquet hall.

In any case, it meant he was free that day.

“I have time on Thursday.”

“I was wondering… Are you free right now?”

“Right now…?” Jinwoo checked the time. His phone read eight PM.

“It’s almost eight o’clock…”

“I’m close by. I just need a moment of your time.”

“Close by?”

“I’m in a café nearby.”

Sangmin told him the name of the café…which sounded very familiar. Not only did he often pass it by because it was across the street from his apartment building, but it was also where Jinho had first made his proposal.

Jinwoo’s eyes narrowed.

They know my address.

Hunters’ addresses weren’t readily available on the association website. The only details made public were their names and ranks. Hunters could choose to add their personal information, but Jinwoo hadn’t included a single way to contact him in his profile.

Despite this, not only did they know his number, but they were also waiting near his home. That meant they had done their research.

Now that I think about it……

Things were starting to add up.

“Today I kept feeling like someone was watching me, so I’m assuming that was also one of your people?” Jinwoo’s voice deepened.

At his accusation, the man readily offered a polite apology.

“Sorry if we made you uncomfortable. We simply wished to verify the truth. We wouldn’t have bothered contacting you if we wanted to cause trouble. I guarantee you’ll appreciate what I have to say.”

Jinwoo considered a bit before answering. “…I’ll be there soon.”

“Hunters, Reapers, Knights, Fame, and us, White Tiger. I’m sure you’ve at least heard of them.” Sangmin listed off the top five guilds in South Korea.

Among them, the Hunters Guild was number one, but it hadn’t always been the top guild. Originally, that title had belonged to the Reapers Guild, but when the White Tiger Guild broke off from the Reapers, they’d lost their standing. After that, the student had surpassed the teacher. The fact that White Tiger had not only gained independence but also surpassed the Reapers was old news these days.

And now, the White Tiger Guild was gunning for the number one spot that had once been held by the Reapers. Sangmin was fully convinced that Jinwoo Sung, the man sitting across from him, would be a great help in their quest to reclaim their former glory.

Sangmin handed Jinwoo his business card.

Sangmin An, White Tiger Guild Second Administration Team Manager

“I’m Sangmin An, the manager of the second administration team under the White Tiger Guild, one of the top five guilds in the nation. I’m in charge of recruiting and managing new hunters.”

Any other hunter would have given him a proper ninety-degree bow and struck up a conversation even before receiving his business card. Unless they were an S or A rank, joining the White Tiger Guild was every hunter’s dream.

Truthfully, Sangmin expected the same reaction from Jinwoo, but he was different from all the others. He didn’t miss a beat and calmly asked, “Why is someone from the White Tiger Guild looking me up?”

Sangmin was shocked.

To think he wasn’t intimidated even after hearing the name White Tiger…

They’d exchanged only a few words so far, but Sangmin had a feeling that recruiting Jinwoo wouldn’t be easy. On the other hand, he still very much wanted to secure this up-and-coming hunter. After all, there was nothing wrong with an ambitious new talent.

If you think about it, he has to have at least some ambition to be of any use.

Sangmin strengthened his resolve.

“I’ll be straight with you. We would like to recruit you, Hunter Sung. We are prepared to double whatever Yoojin Construction has promised you.”

He offered Jinwoo a pleasant smile. It looked like Yoojin Construction was still testing out Jinwoo’s capabilities.

How stupid.

The speed with which he could clear a C-rank dungeon, the marketing potential of a reawakened hunter, the ease with which he was handling himself in this situation, and so on—there was no reason to test him any longer.

Since they don’t know how valuable he is, they probably haven’t offered him the right price.

Sangmin was confident White Tiger could double whatever Yoojin Construction had put on the table—or more.

But Jinwoo’s gaze turned icy.

“How did you know?”

“Wh-what?”

Jinwoo’s unexpected response caused Sangmin to falter, even with all his experience as a seasoned recruiter.

“How did you know to find me?”

It occurred to Sangmin that if words had a weight, these would’ve crushed him.

What is this overwhelming pressure?

The man in front of him seemed to regard him as an enemy. After all, Sangmin had both tailed him and contacted him out of the blue for a meeting. It was understandable that Jinwoo might consider him hostile.

Sangmin rushed to explain. “Oh, uh, we didn’t spy on you on purpose. We happened to receive word that someone was rapidly clearing C-rank dungeons in our area, and your name came up when we looked into the matter.”

“……”

Jinwoo reined in his glare.

I see…

Contrary to what Jinwoo feared, it didn’t seem like this man had investigated him because he’d discovered Jinwoo’s secret. Jinwoo had appeared on his radar because of the speed with which he’d been clearing dungeons.

It doesn’t look like he’s malicious.

Jinwoo’s expression relaxed slightly, and the tension between the two dissipated a bit.

Whew.

Sangmin was relieved, but the conversation hadn’t made any progress. He needed to find a way to make a favorable impression.

Nothing better than sharing information for getting on someone’s good side.

Sangmin was a master of recruitment! He gathered himself and reassumed his professional smile.

“It’s supposed to be confidential information, but we’re already aware that Chairman Myunghan Yoo is looking to form a new guild.”

“……” Jinwoo neither confirmed nor denied this.

Sangmin continued. “I knew as soon as I saw you together with his youngest son, Jinho. We figured they were trying to recruit you, a reawakened hunter, for their guild.”

As Jinwoo suspected, Sangmin thought he was a reawakened hunter.

Nice to know that that’s what they think…

It meant that Jinwoo didn’t have to make up a story.

Sangmin quickly added, “We were hoping to talk to you before you signed a contract with Yoojin, so we contacted you like this in a rush. I apologize again if we overstepped any boundaries.”

“It’s okay.” It would have been a different story if there were any ill intentions, but given the sincerity of the apology, Jinwoo decided there was no need to make a big fuss.

More importantly……

He needed to figure out how to handle this.

Sangmin interrupted his train of thought. “Have you already signed a contract with Yoojin Construction?”

Jinwoo’s hesitation seemed to have given him that impression. When Jinwoo shook his head, Sangmin’s slightly anxious expression immediately brightened.

Great! He’s a free agent, then?

Here was an opportunity to recruit a highly skilled hunter who could clear a C-rank dungeon all by himself in thirty minutes. Technically, he had gone in with another D ranker, but to someone B rank or higher, he was probably more like deadweight.

What if Jinwoo joins the White Tiger Guild and gets reevaluated as an A rank or better?

Sangmin was having a hard time suppressing his giddiness.

Jinwoo scratched his chin.

Seems like he’s counting his chickens before they’ve hatched……

Thinking about it, White Tiger wasn’t so bad. It was one of the top five guilds and had potential to become number one. But Jinwoo had no intention of joining a guild now.

My net worth will increase as my level goes up.

Plus, it might be a while until he could do this—or maybe never, but…

What if, one day, I can clear B- and A-rank dungeons by myself the way I clear C-rank dungeons now?

The earnings from high-rank dungeons were beyond imagination. They were the reason large guilds were able to grow into entities rivaling megacorporations. Highly valuable essence stones, remnants of magic beasts, minerals excavated from dungeons, rune stones, artifacts… Untold sums of money flowed from those dungeons.

If he could obtain and keep all that wealth for himself, why share it with a guild?

If I keep leveling up, it’s definitely not impossible.

That was why joining up seemed a bit premature.

The corners of Jinwoo’s mouth started to lift.

Sangmin beamed, thinking this was a positive response. “Have you come to a decision?”

“You promised me double, yes?”

“That’s right. If you believe what they offered doesn’t reflect your talents, we could possibly raise your compensation.”

“Then how much is the White Tiger Guild’s building worth?”

Sangmin’s expression froze for a second.

Is he doubting our financial liquidity?

No, this wasn’t the time to be indignant. Here was a chance to flex for the guild. There was no need to withhold the information and not tell him. This was an opportunity.

Sangmin proudly answered, “The appraised value is about fifty billion won. White Tiger doesn’t use the entire building, but the guild does own it.”

Initially, White Tiger had been renting out office space, but they eventually bought the property after establishing themselves. It took only a year to do so. It was a prime example of how much money a large guild made. Had Jinwoo asked, Sangmin was ready to tell him the guild’s gross and net profits, but Jinwoo’s casual response rendered him speechless.

“Can you give me the building?”

“Excuse me?” Sangmin’s eyes widened. Positive that he’d misheard, Sangmin asked, “Wh-what did you say?”

Jinwoo patiently explained. “Yoojin has promised me a thirty-billion-won building, you see. If White Tiger’s building is only fifty billion won, that’s less than double, but considering the substantial value, I’d be willing to overlook it.”

“D-did you say thirty billion won?” Sangmin’s mouth was agape.

Jinwoo had four years of experience, but that career was as an E-rank hunter. He’d become noteworthy only in recent weeks. That meant it was likely that his second awakening hadn’t been much earlier. How powerful was he now for Chairman Yoo, a man well-known for his business acumen, to promise him thirty billion won even before his reevaluation?

Wait, is he bluffing because there’s no way I can verify this offer?

Sangmin gazed at Jinwoo suspiciously. As he did, Jinwoo took out his phone and quickly dialed someone as if having read Sangmin’s mind.

Riiing!

Click.

“Yes, boss?”

It was late, and the café was quiet, but Jinwoo purposefully turned the volume on his phone all the way up.

“Let me ask you something, Jinho.”

“Of course! Ask me anything, boss.”

Jinho? Jinho Yoo?

Sangmin swallowed nervously.

Is he going to tell Jinho about our discussion?

His assumptions were misguided, though, and Jinwoo brought up something unexpected.

“The building you said you would give me, what’s it worth again?”

“Its market value is about thirty billion won, but it’ll jump once construction is completed and our guild moves in, boss. Oh, right! If you need a notarized document, I can fax it to you now.”

“Hold on.”

Jinwoo covered the receiver with his hand so Jinho couldn’t hear and asked Sangmin, “If you’re having a hard time believing this, would you like to talk to him yourself?”

Sweating profusely, Sangmin shook his head.

“No, that’s okay. I gotta go.”

“You got it, boss.”

Sangmin’s eyes were wild, a complete reversal from before the phone call.

Yoojin Construction promised him thirty billion won as a signing bonus even before forming the guild? And the son addresses him with absolute respect?

Sangmin was stunned. “Th-the thing is… Negotiating large sums of money like that is above my pay grade, so to speak… But if you give me some time, I can discuss this with upper manage—”

Jinwoo cut him off. “Then I believe we’re done here.”

Sangmin’s head drooped, and he was at a loss for words. He analyzed the source of his failure.

Ultimately, I lacked information.

He had been unsuccessful because he had rushed things. He’d made rash, risky moves because he couldn’t contain his excitement at such a huge catch. If only he had done more research on Yoojin Construction’s proposal and proceeded as usual with support from the guild……

I need to first report this to the guild master.

If Chairman Yoo valued Jinwoo at 30 billion won, then he could well be worth 50 billion or maybe even 100 billion. It might not be too late…

With the guild’s help, I should be able to dig up more information about him and push harder—

Jinwoo interrupted his thoughts. “Let me just ask you one thing.”

Sangmin raised his head and realized that Jinwoo’s cordial demeanor had vanished. Despite the fact that it was a warm spring night, the air around them suddenly turned chilly.

Gulp.

As Sangmin swallowed nervously, Jinwoo lowered his voice. “How many people know about me?”

“Oh… Only me for now. I was rushing to try and recruit you as soon as possible, so I didn’t have time to report to upper management.”

In truth, there was one other person who was aware: Kichul, Sangmin’s subordinate and right-hand man. Sangmin figured that this might upset Jinwoo, so decided to keep Kichul a secret, just in case.

But Jinwoo growled, “Let’s not lie to each other out of mutual respect, agreed?”

Sangmin was taken aback.

What…? Did he look into us before our meeting?

If that was the case, lying would just make their relationship unnecessarily worse than it already was. Sangmin didn’t even want to consider that possibility.

I guess I have no choice but to tell him the truth.

The relationship between a hunter and a guild was similar to that of a celebrity and an agent. Even if a hunter wasn’t willing to enter into a contract at this point in time, it was important to maintain a good relationship, because one never knew what the future may hold.

Avoid conflict with hunters as much as possible. That was the golden rule of the second administration team.

To that end, Sangmin decided to confess. “To be perfectly honest, one of my subordinates does know about you. That is the truth.”

Jinwoo nodded.

I knew it……

It was just as he’d suspected. Research, surveillance, and reaching out to Jinwoo… This was too much work for one person. The decisive clue was the timing of when Sangmin had contacted him. His call had come as soon as Jinwoo entered the vicinity of his house.

Someone was probably watching me and informed him the minute they saw me.

After all, Sangmin would have wanted to talk to Jinwoo as soon as possible while making sure Jinho remained clueless.

At least this wasn’t official White Tiger Guild business.

That much was clear from Sangmin’s reaction to the 50 billion won. He’d panicked when presented with a figure higher than he had authority to clear. If he was going through the proper channels, he would’ve at least feigned a call to upper management, regardless of whether the amount was possible or not.

Taking all that into account, Jinwoo had suspected a small team of two or three people, and Sangmin had now personally confirmed it to be two.

Thank goodness.

Jinwoo didn’t want things to get complicated, but two people? He could easily keep the situation under control. It was obvious they would keep pestering him if he left things as is, so he decided that a small warning was in order.

Jinwoo spoke up. “I’ll be honest as well. I’ve already rejected Yoojin’s offer.”

Sangmin was floored by this bombshell. “What?”

In that instant, Jinwoo vanished from sight.

“Huh?!” Sangmin sprang to his feet. He quickly spun around but couldn’t spot Jinwoo anywhere.

What’s going on? Did he move so fast that I couldn’t see him?

Caught off guard, Sangmin belatedly realized that a hand had settled on his shoulder.

“Ngh…” A chill ran down his spine.

“Don’t turn around.” The voice came from his side. Jinwoo had been sitting across from Sangmin one moment and had silently slipped behind him the next.

S-Stealth…?

Sangmin broke into a cold sweat.

I-is he…mad at me…?

Hunters were monsters. Sangmin knew this well from working so closely with them. That was why he always treated them with the utmost respect.

Was the surveillance and tailing the tipping point? I should’ve requested backup from the guild before I came. But it’s not like I could’ve arranged security when I don’t know his rank……

Sangmin’s mind was spinning, and his heart was pounding. The sound of his own breath was deafening.

Jinwoo murmured, “Please sit down, nice and slowly. I’d hate to give you a heart attack.”

Sangmin hesitantly nodded.

I think it’s too late for that……

He did as requested, and Jinwoo reappeared, sliding into the seat next to him.

Although……

Sangmin understood why Jinwoo would say those words. Earlier, the look in Jinwoo’s eyes as he asked his single question had made his blood run cold. If Sangmin had met that same gaze directly in this kind of situation, his heart might have stopped altogether.

Is this his way of being considerate?

Still, there was no arguing the fact that Jinwoo was a scary man.

Jinwoo continued. “The reason I rejected Yoojin’s offer is because I’m not interested in joining a guild at this time.”

Both men kept their eyes straight ahead instead of facing each other as they conversed.

“I s-see.”

“Also…” Jinwoo paused for a beat. “I would rather not have anyone else knowing about me.”

It was a simple request. He didn’t want to join a guild, and he wanted to keep a low profile. Sangmin understood immediately. But there was still one thing he was curious about.

“I-if I may ask, then why are you working with Jinho?”

“He’s helping me with a personal matter. No one else knew about my reawakening, and I think of him as a trustworthy friend, so I asked for his help. Speaking of…”

The weight of Jinwoo’s words seemed to grow heavier.

“If I find there’s talk about me behind my back, may I assume that you or your subordinate will take full responsibility, Manager An?”

Even though Jinwoo had already removed his hand, the threat exerted an even heavier pressure on Sangmin’s shoulder.

This isn’t a bluff.

Sangmin couldn’t explain how he knew this, but he was utterly certain that Jinwoo could do plenty of damage if he wanted to.

My gut feelings about people are almost always right.

Jinwoo had escaped several horrific life-and-death situations. How did the saying go…? What happens in a dungeon stays in a dungeon. Who knows what Jinwoo had gotten up to in there?

And he has the Stealth skill to boot……

The Stealth skill could be a major pain. Skill holders could commit virtually any crime and get away scot-free, if they were careful enough. Security cameras, guards, and alarm systems were all useless.

A bead of sweat rolled down Sangmin’s forehead.

I had no idea he could use Stealth……

Outstanding abilities and a rare skill… No wonder Yoojin had offered him 30 billion.

Not like they’d make a deal unless they knew they’d profit from it.

Ba-dump, ba-dump.

Even though he was frightened, Sangmin’s heart was beating with excitement. He managed to get out a reply.

“Rest assured, I will keep your secret. I’ll make sure Kichul, my subordinate, is also on the same page.”

Keeping all this on the down low was preferable to Sangmin anyway. A free agent of his aptitude? There was no reason to spread information and risk competitors finding out about Jinwoo, and it wouldn’t hurt to be able to take all the credit for discovering him.

Truth be told, I have to admit that the biggest reason is because I don’t want him as an enemy……

“I’ll take your word for it, Manager An.”

With that, Jinwoo’s presence disappeared from the seat next to him. Sangmin peered at his surroundings. The café around him had a peaceful, cozy vibe, and Sangmin felt like he’d been abruptly dropped into another world.

“Haah…” He was rendered speechless and could only press a hand against his racing heart to try and calm down.

Just then, Kichul burst into the café. He had been watching Sangmin and Jinwoo through the window and had dashed to the scene as soon as Jinwoo vanished.

“Manager An!”

Sangmin looked deathly pale, so Kichul worriedly asked, “Sir, what happened? Did negotiations fall through?”

Sangmin’s trembling hands fished out a cigarette and brought it to his lips. “Kichul… I think this is an even bigger deal than we thought.”

They had to recruit this man no matter what. His mind was consumed by that single thought. Fortunately, it looked like the opportunity was still there.

He was brought back to earth when Kichul lightly grabbed his wrist. “Um…sir…”

Sangmin looked at the younger man just as he was about to light up. “Hmm?”

Kichul glanced around and then whispered cautiously, “This is a nonsmoking area.”

Sangmin crushed the cigarette in his fist. “Seriously…?”

As soon as Jinwoo got home, he called up his stat window.

Ping!

[Name: Jinwoo Sung]
[Job: None]
[HP: 7,229]
[Fatigue: 0]

[Level: 39]
[Title: Wolf Assassin]
[MP: 638]

[Stats]
Strength:	97
Stamina:	59
Agility:	97
Intelligence:	51
Perception:	81

(Available ability points: 0)

Physical damage reduced by: 20 percent

No wonder people are starting to notice.

He’d jumped an incredible twelve levels, from level 27 to 39. This was the first time he’d had such an exponential increase since the first instance dungeon, when he’d gone in as level 1 and emerged as level 17. He’d also been low-level back then, but it was different now. It was a testament to just how many dungeons he’d cleared in a short span of time.

I’ve only been doing raids with Jinho for four days, and I’ve already cleared nine dungeons……

On top of that, all nine were C rank, which were considered the highest-level dungeons an individual could clear on their own. The speed at which they were moving was insane, to the point where it was troubling hunters in the area who depended on those very same dungeons to make a living. Jinho, who had a front-row seat to this spectacle, could only watch dumbfounded at the dizzying pace Jinwoo was maintaining. After all, it was only natural that the higher his level became, the faster he could get it done.

Twelve level-ups within nine dungeons meant he was averaging about one level per raid. There were ten dungeons left, and at that rate, he’d easily surpass level 45 by the time he fulfilled his commitment of nineteen raids.

When his level was in the mid-20s, he’d been able to defeat a B-rank hunter. He couldn’t even hazard a guess as to how powerful he was currently.

My heart is racing.

Jinwoo put his hand on his chest and felt his pulse.

Ba-dump, ba-dump.

Getting stronger was an absolute thrill that he could have never imagined in the past. To think that entering gates and capturing dungeons could be this exciting.

It’s because I can actually check how much stronger I become.

Every time his level increased and his abilities evolved, he could see the difference after each excursion with his own eyes.

Hunting……

Jinwoo felt like he was a real hunter now. It felt right to describe what he was doing as “hunting.” There was a saying among animal hunters that locating the next hunting grounds was just as important as the hunt itself.

And Jinwoo’s next destination was already set.

The Demon’s Castle……

He’d been level 21 or so when he first stepped foot in the Demon’s Castle dungeon, and he’d gained almost twenty levels since. He thought it likely that he was more than ready to tackle it now, but remembering Cerberus, the monstrous gatekeeper, gave him pause.

What if I open the castle doors and a horde of creatures ends up overpowering me?

He shuddered at the thought.

It might be possible to successfully escape using the Stealth skill, but he couldn’t be certain. A hunter could be lucky ten times over, but a single mistake could lead to death. That was why Jinwoo refused to take any chances. He needed to be absolutely sure he had the power to defeat a group of creatures at Cerberus’s level at once.

Cerberus’s name was in red.

The color of the monster’s name indicated its level of difficulty. The only time he’d ever encountered a monster with a red name had been at the Demon’s Castle. Most of the monsters found in instance dungeons accessed by keys from mystery boxes were low-level, including the ones from today’s Mirae Department Store instance dungeon. But for some reason…

Am I missing something?

Jinwoo assumed that the only monster he’d seen with a red name was the one encountered at the Demon’s Castle, but something niggled at the back of his mind. He was definitely forgetting something.

Was there a red-named monster other than the one in the Demon’s Castle?

But that wasn’t possible. He’d almost died when he’d fought Cerberus at level 21, so if he’d met a monster labeled in red earlier, he would’ve—

“Oh!” he blurted out.

Of course. He’d had one other close call with such a monster.

The penalty quest!

The centipedes in the desert had also had names floating in red.

That had been a forced encounter from a while ago, back when he hadn’t made the connection between the new creatures and the term monsters, so it took a moment for him to remember them.

If I’m able to defeat those centipedes easily……

He’d have enough confidence to raid the Demon’s Castle. There had been more than one centipede, so he’d also be able to test whether he could handle a coordinated attack from a group of such high-level monsters. The question was, how to reach them…

Is skipping the daily quest the only way to get back there?

Whether he completed the penalty quest or the daily quest, the amount of ability points he would receive would be the same, which meant he had nothing to lose.

I’ll go to the penalty zone tomorrow.

When he thought about the fact that he would be skipping the daily quest on purpose in order to do the penalty quest… It was amusing, considering he’d barely survived the last time.

“I wonder if they’ll drop any items or experience points…”

His lips started to curl up at the thought, but his musings were interrupted as his perception suddenly alerted him to a presence stepping out of the elevator at the end of the hall. The light footsteps were familiar to him.

Jinah’s back.

It was eleven PM, the time his sister usually returned. Jinwoo got up before she could even start rummaging through her pocket for the key.

Click.

“Oooh!” Jinah exclaimed playfully. When he’d first started opening the door, she would get startled, but she’d gotten used to it. If there’s one thing humans are good at, it’s adapting.

“I’m home.”

“Welcome back.”

Jinah greeted her brother and wandered off to her room. Jinwoo turned to lock the door after her when…

“Hey, Jinwoo?” Jinah cracked her door open and stuck out her head. “Do you have any days off this week?”

“What for?”

“My homeroom teacher said she needs to have a parent-teacher meeting, but it’s fine if you can’t make it.” She looked anxious, as if this was a special request from her teacher.

A parent-teacher meeting……

Since Jinah was a senior, her teacher would also be busy making sure her students had plans for their futures. Jinwoo would have preferred to avoid the meeting, citing his busy schedule as an excuse, but unfortunately, he had a day off.

Thanks for nothing, Jinho.

After some deliberation, he replied, “Thursday.”

“Really? Awesome!” Jinah’s expression lit up instantly. Jinwoo sensed she was seconds away from tackling him in a hug, so he quickly waved her off.

“Tsk.” She rolled her eyes at him before retreating back into her room.

A sigh spilled out of Jinwoo. “Haaaah……”

Nonstop raids, revisiting the penalty zone, and now a parent-teacher meeting the day after tomorrow. It was shaping up to be a busy week.

Jinwoo left home early, since he had a full schedule today. Jinho had booked four gates. It seemed like he was making up for the fact that they were off tomorrow.

Well, considering how fast I’ve been clearing them……

Four or five dungeons a day shouldn’t be a problem. The bigger issue was that it was uncommon for multiple C-rank gates to appear in close proximity, but today was their lucky day.

Jinwoo arrived at the apartment entrance with a spring in his step. However, in place of Jinho’s van in its usual parking spot, he detected a suspicious presence.

“Tsk.”

He would’ve let it go were it not for yesterday’s events.

I thought I made things clear……

Jinwoo easily located a man in a suit lurking nearby. He was looking at his watch, so he didn’t notice Jinwoo approaching until the hunter stepped into his space and spoke up.

“Excuse me.”

The man jumped.

“H-Hunter Sung!”

It was like he’d seen a ghost.

I guess this is the reaction I was hoping for when showing off Stealth.

Jinwoo tutted quietly.

“Are you from the White Tiger Guild?”

“Sorry? Oh, yes, I’m Kichul Hyun of the second administration team of the White Tiger Guild.”

This must have been the subordinate that manager had mentioned last night.

“Pleased to meet you, sir.”

Kichul peeked at Jinwoo as he extended his hand. He obviously wanted to shake, but Jinwoo wasn’t in the mood to indulge him. After a brief silence, Kichul turned red and withdrew his hand.

“I believe I made it very clear that I am not interested in joining a guild.”

Kichul hastily waved. “Oh, that’s not why I’m here.”

He then offered Jinwoo the travel mug in his other hand.

“What’s this?”

Jinwoo peered at the multicolored liquid in the semitranslucent bottle curiously.

Kichul puffed out his chest. “It’s a green smoothie. I made it myself, so I can vouch for the quality!”

“……”

As Kichul continued to offering it to him, Jinwoo felt obligated to accept the juice.

“So you’ve been waiting here since the crack of dawn just to give me this?”

“Yes, of course. It’s for your health!”

Jinwoo briefly wondered why the White Tiger Guild was invested in his health.

Kichul bowed with a bright smile as he left. “I’ll be seeing you, sir!” He waved good-bye, and Jinwoo waved the bottle at him in response.

“……What an interesting guy.”

As soon as Kichul was out of sight, Jinwoo examined the contents of the travel mug. He’d heard tales of top insurance salesmen winning over customers by bringing them bottled drinks, but this was the first time he’d heard of anyone bribing someone with a homemade green smoothie.

In any case, I can’t just throw it out.

Not that Kichul would, but even if the smoothie was poisoned, it wouldn’t be a problem, since Jinwoo had the detoxing buff. He figured he may as well give it a taste.

Slurp.

Jinwoo’s eyes lit up as he tried a sip.

Not bad.

Just then, he heard a familiar voice behind him.

“Boss!”

He turned around as Jinho approached. The always sunny-faced Jinho gestured in the direction Kichul had left.

“Boss, who was that? The guy who was just here.”

Jinwoo merely answered, “Insurance salesman.”

“Aha.” The ever-optimistic Jinho accepted this answer without a second thought.

Jinwoo looked around. “Where’s your car?”

If Jinho had spotted Kichul, it meant he’d also arrived earlier, but his questionable van was nowhere in sight.

“I parked it over there, boss.”

“How come?”

“You know the murders with no discernible pattern recently committed in the area? People have been eyeing me suspiciously, since I don’t live here.”

Jinwoo bobbed his head. The murders had been all over the news lately. The victims were mostly young women, and there had been two incidents this month already. And then, to see an unfamiliar black van loitering at the entrance of the apartment building…no wonder residents were suspicious.

Slurp, sluuuurp.

Just then, Jinwoo finished off the smoothie. He shook the bottle to get at any last drops before heading off to where the van was parked.

“Let’s roll.”

“Yessir!”

This particular dungeon was crawling with lizardmen.

Lizardmen, as the name implied, were a cross between lizards and humans. They were bipedal, could wield weapons, and some could even use magic. Lizardman mages were rare, but they could be a handful.

One such mage conjured up a fireball in each hand.

Magic?

When Jinwoo attempted to get closer, the two lizardmen guarding the mage thrust their spears at him. They had quick, reptilian reflexes, and Jinwoo was forced to jump back, narrowly avoiding impalement. Seconds later, fireballs came hurtling toward him.

Fwoooom!

Fwoom!

“Look out, boss!” Jinho shouted from where he was watching the fight at a safe distance.

Kaboom!

Explosions shook the narrow cave, and thick smoke filled the area.

Cough, cough!

Jinho coughed hard as he covered his nose with the back of his hand, but he was more concerned about Jinwoo than himself. The attacks from lizardman mages were quite destructive. His fears proved unwarranted, though, as Jinwoo emerged from the smoke unscathed.

Jinho was starry-eyed.

Amazing!

Despite lizardmen being some of the toughest opponents one could encounter in a C-rank dungeon, Jinwoo had faced a mage’s attack head-on without a scratch. He also seemed to be getting faster every day.

I’m probably imagining that, right……?

Jinwoo spat out the soot that had fallen into his mouth.

“Ptoo!”

What landed on the ground was black.

These bastards……

Jinwoo was not happy about having to breathe in the ash from some lizardman’s flashy magic trick, and his scowl put his displeasure on clear display.

Daggers shot out from his furious gaze.

The lizardmen exposed to Murderous Intent became agitated.

Skreek?

Skraaawk?

Jinwoo didn’t miss a beat and threw Kasaka’s Venom Fang with all his might. The dagger flew straight and lodged itself between a guard’s eyes.

Shhhnk!

It was too fast for a lizardman with reduced speed to dodge.

Skraaaw! The other guard wailed as it witnessed its comrade’s death. When it lunged at Jinwoo with its spear, though, it missed. Jinwoo had suddenly disappeared.

Skrakaaaw! The mage was worked up. Skrakaaaw!

As the mage repeated its cry, the guard turned to it and began screeching.

Skreek!

The guard bared its teeth as it approached the mage, which refused to back down.

Skrawk!

Right then…

Kak!

A hole burst open in the guard’s chest. The startled mage, now covered in blood, scurried back.

Skree?

Hwoosh.

As Stealth deactivated, a spear appeared in the guard’s chest, and the one holding the shaft was Jinwoo. He let go, and the impaled lizardman fell lifeless to the ground.

Whump!

As it did, Jinwoo retrieved Kasaka’s Venom Fang from the other guard’s forehead.

Skreeeeeaaaawk!

Red flames flared in the mage’s hands, but Jinwoo didn’t give it a chance it needed.

Dash!

In an instant, the distance between Jinwoo and the mage shrank, and the mage’s eyes widened. Its reptilian orbs looked slimier up close.

Fwoosh!

Jinwoo evaded the flames shooting from the mage’s hands, slipped behind it, and stabbed the dagger at its spine.

Fatal Strike!

Shhhk!

The mage shrieked. Skreeeee!

Jinwoo’s second stab to the back resulted in a feebler scream.

Shhhk!

Gak!

The mage coughed up blood as it toppled forward.

Whump!

Jinwoo mentally pumped his fist in victory. That was a nice, clean fight.

Yessss!

The system chimed as if to celebrate his win.

Ping!

A strange message followed the usual one.

The required level?

He had no idea what that could mean, but when the chime rang again, his heart started beating so fast that it almost hurt, and he had to make an effort to calm it.

Ping!

A…a job-change quest…?

Jinwoo was so focused on leveling up and increasing his stats that he’d forgotten about one line in his stat window.

[Name: Jinwoo Sung]	[Level: 40]
[Job: None]

The third slot of the stat window indicated his job.

Changing my job means……

He had an opportunity to change it from nothing to something. He would have a job.

In most video games, characters benefited greatly from changing their job, so it stood to reason that it would function similarly within this system.

Ba-dump, ba-dump.

His heartbeats were deafening. After realizing he was one step closer to his ultimate goal, he just couldn’t calm down.

The choices kept flashing before his eyes.

Of course I……

What kind of idiot would waste an opportunity like this? Jinwoo was more than happy to accept the job-change quest. Except…something stopped him.

Hang on.

There was no way to tell what kind of quest he’d get. Both his instincts and his rationality were now sounding alarms.

I’m inside a dungeon.

Dungeons were the most dangerous places in the world. Even if he now had plenty of experience with C-rank dungeons, a dungeon was still a dungeon. There was no need to intentionally court danger.

Besides, Jinho was here, too. It wasn’t that Jinwoo didn’t trust him, but there wasn’t any reason to reveal the system to him or attempt to explain whatever strange phenomenon might occur when he changed jobs. Things might get too complicated.

Besides, depending on the quest, Jinho might be in danger.

What if a monster appeared out of thin air?

That would actually be preferable.

Monsters, he could defeat, but it could be a more extreme quest. The two urgent quests came to mind.

It could tell me to get rid of the nearest hunter.

And that was just one example, though this was only a theory for now.

Jinho appeared in that instant. “Boss!”

It looked like one of the fireballs had landed near him as he was covered in soot.

“How did you disappear and reappear during the fight? Did you always have that skill?”

Jinho’s face was flushed, and his eyes were sparkling with excitement. He seemed fascinated by the Stealth skill.

I think his current state is much more fascinating, though.

Jinwoo took a handkerchief out of his inventory instead of answering. It had been a daily quest reward from the day before yesterday.

“B-boss?”

He rubbed Jinho’s face with it.

“Ack! Gaaah!”

The once-white fabric was now black. Jinho took the handkerchief Jinwoo passed over and realized his state. Embarrassed, he quietly wiped himself clean.

“Jinho.”

“Yes, boss?”

“I just remembered that I have something I need to do.”

Jinho spun around.

“Does that mean you have to leave?”

“Once I’m done here, yeah.”

“Understood. Then I’ll cancel the reservations for the other gates.”

Jinho didn’t want to show it in front of Jinwoo, but he found the cancelations regrettable.

I’m running pretty low on cash…

He was funding this entire operation with his own savings, and he had no other paid work. He was limited in how much he could borrow because he was keeping everything a secret from his father. Association policy stated that he couldn’t get refunds for canceling. It was basically flushing money down the toilet, so how could he not feel bad?

To make matters worse, Jinho was spending a lot more than he’d planned due to their unique method of clearing gates. That was more money gone. His shoulders slumped helplessly.

However, Jinwoo nonchalantly responded, “Why cancel and waste money?”

Jinho blinked. “Huh? But if you don’t enter a gate within two days after booking, the permit gets revoked anyway, boss.”

Jinwoo was fully aware of this.

“Leave it to me.”

Did Jinwoo already have a solution? Jinho had no idea but felt he could count on him.

Meanwhile, at the White Tiger Guild Headquarters.

“Manager An! Do you have a single thought in your head?”

A big, booming voice erupted from the offices of the second administration team.

The voice belonged to Yoonho Baek, the guild master and CEO of the White Tiger Guild. It was never a good thing when the big boss himself descended from the top floor to read someone the riot act.

“Why are there no gates reserved to train our new recruits? Do you realize we’re already three days behind schedule?”

All the other employees kept their heads down, worried they’d be next on the firing line. Manager An kept his eyes on the floor as President Baek shouted and gestured wildly.

“……”

Sangmin was experienced enough to know not to actually reply and further rile his boss, the way his subordinate Kichul did. It was best to keep his mouth shut in situations like this. It didn’t matter what he thought.

President Baek shook the report he’d received that morning from the second administration team.

“You call this an excuse? You couldn’t book any gates because you were outbid by another group? Does the guild not have enough money? What, are they funded by some little rich kid?”

It was tempting to answer that question, but Sangmin steeled himself and kept quiet. He had promised Jinwoo, after all.

If I say anything now, I’ll have to out those two.

Oblivious to Sangmin’s internal conflict, the president continued shaking the building with his bellows.

“I don’t care if it costs one or two hundred million won—do whatever it takes and book a damn gate! Understood?”

As if on cue, Sangmin’s phone rang.

“Ah! I’m really sorry that I missed your call. Was with a friend, so I was shy shy shy…”

Sangmin sneaked a peek at the caller ID, and his eyes widened. “Sorry, sir, I’ll just be a minute.”

“……”

The main job of the second administration team was recruitment, and much of it came down to good timing. Sangmin was the manager, and although Baek was still seething, it would be foolish to keep Sangmin from answering his calls.

“Well? Take it.” Baek acquiesced.

The manager excused himself with a quick nod and promptly answered the phone. “Hello, Sangmin An of the White Tiger Guild speaking.”

Baek crossed his arms and waited for the conversation to end.

“Yes. Yes, understood. If you wait for us at the café on the first floor, we’ll be right there. Great, we’ll see you then.”

Sangmin hung up and rapidly said, “Sir, I have to head out for a while.”

This was Sangmin An, the ace of the second administration team. If this was a matter where he was willing to sprint out in the middle of a tense situation after a single phone call…

Baek’s face softened slightly. “Is this related to a new recruit?”

“Yes, sir.”

Judging by the confidence on Sangmin’s face, Baek surmised that something important was at hand.

Manager An is personally heading out to scout this new recruit?

That meant this candidate had to be exceptional. Baek’s scrunched expression suddenly smoothed into a delighted smile. “Far be it from me to stand in the way of our recruitment expert. Don’t worry about things here and get going.”

Sangmin bowed again and quickly ordered, “Assistant Manager Hyun, bring the contract and seal.”

“Yes, sir!”

The two were out in a flash. Once they’d left, Baek surreptitiously interrogated a male staffer. “So what’s the deal? What has Manager An being so proactive?”

The male employee shot an imploring look at the female coworker beside him to come to his rescue, but she shook her head. Her eyes made it clear she didn’t know, either.

Shoot……

He hesitantly replied, “The thing is, sir…I’m not quite sure……”

He expected the president to lose it right then and there, but surprisingly, he remained quiet.

He’s up to something, and he’s even hiding it from his subordinates?

Baek rubbed his chin thoughtfully. Manager An was often credited with single-handedly building up White Tiger to what it was today, and here he was, hanging off this potential recruit’s every word……

Is he about to make another big score?

A smile bloomed on President Baek’s face.

Why is this coffee so bitter?

Jinwoo frowned. He’d ordered espresso thinking it would be similar to instant coffee, but it tasted more like bitter herbal medicine, not to mention the price was exorbitant for something that tasted so awful.

Six thousand won could’ve bought me a few canned coffees, too……

He was trying to figure out how many sugars he had to pour in to make it taste more like canned coffee when…

Ting-a-ling.

The café door opened, and Sangmin and Kichul entered.

“Over here.” Jinwoo waved his hand.

Sangmin’s and Kichul’s faces lit up as soon as they spotted Jinwoo, like two kids who’d spotted Santa Claus.

“I didn’t expect to see you again so soon,” Sangmin offered in greeting as he sat down across from Jinwoo, with Kichul taking the seat next to his manager. He exchanged nods with Jinwoo. Sangmin wanted to strike while the iron was hot, so he reached for the contract as soon as he was seated.

“First, let’s discuss terms.”

It was clear he was extremely eager to get Jinwoo to sign with them, but Jinwoo instantly rejected him.

“I’m not here about the contract.”

Sangmin’s hand stopped in midair. Kichul also looked dumbfounded.

The manager haltingly asked, “So then…what brings you to the White Tiger Guild…?”

His disappointment was as great as his expectations. The super-rookie had walked in on his own two feet but refused to sign as soon as he saw the contract. Had he changed his mind in that short span of time?

As Sangmin tried to make sense of it, Jinwoo answered him mildly.

“I’m here because I want to help you.”

“Excuse me?”

“Pardon?”

Sangmin and Kichul shared the same reaction. As they exchanged surprised glances, Jinwoo continued calmly.

“You said you were having a rough time training new recruits because our squad was sweeping up all the C-rank gates.”

“That’s correct. We can’t exactly take new recruits to higher-rank dungeons because we’re having trouble reserving C-rank ones.”

“And that’s why I’m here.”

Sangmin cocked his head. “Sorry, but I’m not sure I follow…”

Jinwoo decided to stop beating around the bush. “We wish to sell you three permits we have for C-rank dungeons.”

“Ah.” Kichul let out a noise. The two White Tiger employees finally grasped Jinwoo’s intentions.

As he put away the contract, Sangmin pointed out, “If you really want to help us, then wouldn’t it be more efficient to stop booking C-rank dungeons?”

Jinwoo shook his head. “We have our own reasons for needing them.”

“Then what about today…?”

Jinwoo smiled pleasantly. “I wanted to help you out with your dilemma, of course.”

Could they trust those words? Before Sangmin could begin calculating everything in his head, Jinwoo continued.

“This offer only stands for today. We’re also in a position where we can’t postpone our raids. Miss this chance, and you won’t get another for a while.”

It was like he was on a home shopping show, promoting a product “just about to sell out.”

Hmm……

Sangmin was torn. Seoul wasn’t the only city with gates. If they had to, they could take their recruits to train elsewhere. The problem with that was they could set off sparks with established guilds or strike squads in the area.

What’s more, doing so could give whatever large guilds overlooking those regions, like the Fame Guild in Honam or the Knights Guild in Yeongnam, a reason to look down on them. The White Tiger Guild could develop a reputation as incompetents unable to train their rookies on their home turf.

Hmm… We wouldn’t be able to deny it, either.

Because that was the cold, hard truth. And if other prominent guilds considered them a laughingstock, what self-respecting newbie would want to work for them? Public perception was everything for a guild.

“Okay.” Sangmin came to a conclusion after much deliberation. “Please sell us the permits. Three is perfect for our needs. How much would you like for them?”

The White Tiger Guild had plenty of money, but there was no point trying to compete financially with Yoojin Construction. Besides, Sangmin also wanted to maintain a good relationship with Jinwoo. Shouldn’t he be grateful Jinwoo was willing to give him the gates?

He was less grateful for the price.

“Three hundred million won for one, so nine hundred million for all three.”

“Gck!” Sangmin and Kichul almost choked.

“That’s too mu—” Kichul tried to interrupt, but Sangmin quickly stopped him.

Something similar had happened the last time they met. When they couldn’t agree on the price, Jinwoo had cut off the conversation without a second thought. This situation had come full circle, in a way. If he passed this up, he’d have no choice but to book a C-rank gate later or, worse, train the new recruits in a different city.

I should at least try to negotiate.

It would be a shame to fold so quickly. No matter how one looked at it, 300 million won per gate was practically extortion. These days, Jinho’s squad paid an average of 100 million for a permit. Asking for three times that was reaching, and both parties were aware of that fact.

He started high, knowing we’d negotiate the price.

Sangmin recalled what the president had said in the office.

“I don’t care if it costs one or two hundred million won—do whatever it takes and book a damn gate!”

That was tantamount to getting the president’s approval right there, and he wouldn’t be able to deny it as everyone in the second administration team had heard those exact words.

Sangmin took a breath and made his counteroffer. “Three hundred million won is too much even for us, so how about two hundred million wo—”

“Deal.”

Jinwoo stuck out his hand before Sangmin could finish his sentence. In his confusion, Sangmin instinctively took it.

“Th-that’s it?”

“Yes, two hundred million won per gate. Please wire the money to our account.”

It all happened in a blink, but Sangmin was relieved it had gone as smoothly as it did.

He lightly shook Jinwoo’s hand. “Thank you very much.”

“Glad to be of help.” Jinwoo beamed.

Sangmin could now afford to relax a little. Not only had he resolved the training problem, but he’d gotten a little bit closer to Jinwoo.

Deals are based on trust, after all.

Indeed, he would build up his relationship with Jinwoo step-by-step, and Jinwoo would be on his side in no time. He shouldn’t look a gift horse in the mouth.

Sangmin cheered mentally.

Jinwoo was the first to stand. “I suppose I’ll see you around. Oh, and here.” He handed Kichul a paper bag with the travel mug inside.

“Thank you for the smoothie. It was really good.”

“I’m glad it was to your taste.” Kichul blushed as he accepted the bag.

With that, Jinwoo left the café. As soon as he was far enough from Sangmin and Kichul, Jinwoo gave Jinho a call. After a few rings, Jinho’s excited voice picked up.

“Boss! Six hundred million won actually came through!”

“……” Jinwoo wore a satisfied grin.

It had been a successful transaction. He was able to sell the permits for double the price they’d paid instead of letting them go to waste. It was a huge win.

Jinho was incredulous.

“Boss, how’d you do it? Who did you sell those C-rank gates to?”

“That’s a trade secret.”

“Huh?”

“Rest up. I’ll see you in two days.”

Leaving Jinho baffled, Jinwoo swiftly hung up.

Click.

Later that night, at the office of the second administration team…

Kichul urgently approached Sangmin.

“Sir! Sir!”

“What?” Sangmin took his eyes off his computer monitor. Kichul urgently pointed at his phone.

“Please take a look!”

“What is it?” Sangmin’s eyes narrowed as he focused on the screen.

This is……

It was the Hunter’s Association official website, accessible only by hunters. Specifically, Kichul was on the page that listed gate locations and showed permit auction prices in real time.

“What the…? Why are there so many unclaimed C-rank gates in our area?”

“And they’re all going for less than ten million.”

“That means……” Sangmin’s mind raced. “Jinho’s squad didn’t book a single gate today.”

He then remembered what Jinwoo had said.

“I have time on Thursday.”

Tomorrow was Thursday. Jinho’s squad hadn’t been planning to go on a raid from the start. Sangmin had unwittingly overpaid for the permits.

“Huh……” Sangmin had to laugh.

The clue had been there all along, but he’d come to the realization too late. That was his mistake, but at least it had helped calm down the president.

“We’ve been duped, Manager An.”

At that moment, Sangmin received a text.

Ding!

It was from Jinwoo.

With this, we’re even. I’ll forget the fact that you spied on me.

He’s a tricky one, isn’t he?

Sangmin swallowed his laugh.

If this made them even, as Jinwoo said, it was a win for the White Tiger Guild, since the ultimate goal was to recruit Jinwoo. And to them, it wasn’t that much money anyway.

“Let’s think of this as an investment in Jinwoo.”

The hope was to see a return on that investment. With a twinkle in his eye, Sangmin closed the message.

After sending the text, Jinwoo scanned his surroundings. Not a soul nearby. He was currently in the woods, as he’d chosen an infrequently visited hillside for safety’s sake. It was currently 5:44 PM, so he didn’t expect any hikers at this hour. Plus, he’d picked a spot off the beaten path.

Shall I get going?

Jinwoo accessed his inbox.

The message popped up like it had been waiting for him.

Gulp.

Jinwoo swallowed nervously. It was nerve-racking not knowing what kind of quest he would get, but more than that, he felt excited. When Jinwoo had been searching for a suitable place to accept the quest using his phone, he’d also looked up information about changing jobs.

…and so on.

This was all information from video games, but the general consensus was that changing jobs had tons of benefits.

And for me, level 40 was when I could do it.

Of course, it wasn’t all good news. Jinwoo also came across some more ominous posts online.

……Well, that was to be expected when looking through video game forums. Jinwoo didn’t think he had too much to worry about, since he fought almost exclusively using a dagger anyway and all his skills were reminiscent of an assassin type.

Like dagger-related skills or Stealth.

Plus, he’d heavily invested his ability points into strength and agility, so he couldn’t imagine getting any job other than an assassin class.

With that on his mind, he summoned Kasaka’s Venom Fang.

Hwoom.

The hilt of the dagger fit perfectly in his hand.

This feels right to me.

He gave a resolute nod. With the weapon gripped tightly, Jinwoo looked at the message floating in midair.

Okay then……

Jinwoo readied himself to face the unexpected and submitted his answer.

Accept.

As soon as he did, more messages popped up.

Ping!

The dungeon will be……generated?

Before he could begin to analyze what that meant, things started changing before his very eyes.

Vmmm.

A large, dark hole appearing at his feet was just the beginning.

Vmmm, vmmm.

The hole started out the size of a bean, then grew to the size of a coin, then a volleyball, until it was finally big enough for a person to step in and out of.

Is that……?

Jinwoo stared in wonder. He’d expected to receive another message containing the details of the quest when he accepted, but this…? What appeared directly in front of him was nothing short of a gate.

It made an actual gate……

This was no different from others he’d seen, if a little on the small side.

The system sent a message as if prodding him.

Okay, take it easy.

Jinwoo calmed himself down.

Right. If he thought about it, it made no difference whether he entered a dungeon with a key or through a gate. He was just surprised to witness the creation of an artificial gate. He’d only ever entered ones that already existed; he’d never seen any birthed.

That was when a new question popped into his head.

Wait…… Can other hunters also enter this?

There was no way he could test it. There weren’t any other hunters nearby, and he didn’t have anyone who would come running at his call…right? Jinho came to mind for a second, but he quickly dismissed that thought.

If something went wrong, I wouldn’t be able to handle the consequences.

The message flashed again as if impatient.

Ping!

The chime snapped him out of his thoughts. He slapped his cheeks with both hands to get his head back in the game.

Can’t get distracted now.

If he succeeded in this quest, he would be able to change his job and reap the benefits. He had no idea what would happen if he failed. It was time to focus.

“Whew.”

Jinwoo let out a deep breath, held Kasaka’s Venom Fang in a reverse grip, and leaped down the gate.

[You have entered the dungeon.]

Huh?

Jinwoo went in expecting the worst, but to his surprise, there was nothing there. It was an average cave-like dungeon.

“It’s just the same……?” He’d heard that some higher-level dungeons were portals to the other world, so he’d been apprehensive. Thankfully, his worry was unfounded.

Instead, he received a peculiar message.

Ping!

Jinwoo confirmed there were no magic beasts in the vicinity and put away his dagger.

……Looks like this won’t be easy.

Perhaps because the quest was for a job change, there were tons of restrictions. Not being able to recover his stats using potions or level-ups was alarming.

That means damage is going to add up.

If he got wounded, it could all be over. Since he couldn’t heal, he would have to exercise extreme caution.

I can’t afford to lose focus.

Jinwoo closed the inbox and, as usual, tested the exit.

The message came up as soon as he touched the gate. He pushed with all his might, but it wouldn’t budge.

“……”

Jinwoo withdrew his hand.

It’s blocked.

A dungeon of unknown rank, no stat recovery, and no exit… This was a high-risk dungeon. Even the bravest hunter would tread lightly here.

But high-risk isn’t the end of the world.

He had learned through experience that the higher the risk, the higher the reward. If the restrictions were any indication, didn’t that mean there would be an incredible prize at the end of the tunnel? There was only one way to find out.

Nothing ventured, nothing gained.

Jinwoo took a step forward. He looked ahead and could see only an endless cavern. He couldn’t sense any magic beasts nearby.

Should I refer to them as monsters, since I’m in a system-generated dungeon?

Though the fact that they were creatures was the same.

Besides that, there was one more difference: Torches lined the cave wall.

Torches instead of glow stones, huh…

Unfortunately, torches weren’t the best light sources, so despite the sheer number of them, it still wasn’t enough to illuminate the whole place, leaving shadows creeping here and there.

Hwoooo…

The mixture of shades and stillness made this dungeon more dismal than others.

I can see fine, but……

The problem was the atmosphere of the place. Jinwoo pulled out the nearest torch and held it in front of him. The path seemed to brighten.

Much better.

Jinwoo smiled with satisfaction. He gave a quick glance behind him before extending the torch to light the way ahead and moving farther in.

How long had he been walking? After quite a while, he came across a turn in the road and sensed multiple presences around the corner.

Finally.

Jinwoo carefully put down the torch and stood upright.

Hwoom.

A dagger replaced the torch in his right hand. He briefly entertained the idea of using the Stealth skill to get this over with quickly but dismissed the thought after remembering how much mana it ate up. He wasn’t allowed to use potions to replenish his mana here, and he didn’t want to waste it, leaving himself vulnerable at a crucial moment.

……It’s coming.

Jinwoo pressed his back against the wall and waited for the enemy to turn the corner.

Clunk, clunk.

The creature’s footsteps made an almost metallic sound that drew closer.

Clunk, clunk.

Jinwoo furrowed his brow at the unfamiliar noise.

Does it have a weapon made of chains…?

He was curious but curbed his impatience. He’d find out soon enough.

Five. Four. Three.

He reversed his grip on his dagger and held his breath to avoid alerting his enemy with his breathing.

Two. One.

Clunk, clunk.

The monster’s shadow was finally visible.

……Zero.

At the end of his countdown, the creature appeared in view.

Jinwoo aimed for its neck.

Klang!

The sound of metal on metal rang, and the dagger didn’t penetrate.

Armor?

Jinwoo’s eyes bulged, and he took a step back as he processed what he’d attacked.

“A human?”

It was a knight sporting full-body armor, face hidden behind a helmet. Jinwoo called out just in case.

“Hey!”

The knight didn’t respond but rushed straight at Jinwoo.

Thud, thud, thud!

The knight charged, shoulder extended, but Jinwoo easily avoided the attack by twisting out of the way. Unable to curb its momentum, the knight came to a halt a ways behind Jinwoo.

Maybe it’s not human?

After being so close to the knight, Jinwoo was certain; he couldn’t sense a heartbeat as would have been the case with a normal person. The knight didn’t seem human. It was a type of magic beast—no, a monster—he’d never seen before. It was covered in armor from head to toe.

But it really feels like……

Jinwoo couldn’t shake the feeling he was fighting a person.

Shing!

The knight turned and drew its sword. It seemed to share Jinwoo’s intention of killing its opponent. Sensing the mutual hostility, Jinwoo sharpened his gaze.

Dash!

He who strikes first wins! Jinwoo moved in before the monster could.

Whoosh!

Jinwoo avoided the knight’s hasty swing and took multiple stabs at the armor.

Klang, klang!

But he didn’t inflict any damage.

The armor’s too thick.

Not only was it thick, but the surface was smooth, making Jinwoo’s dagger merely glance off.

The knight swung its sword horizontally.

Whoosh!

Jinwoo ducked and narrowly avoided getting struck in the head. Since the knight swung so wide, there was a big gap in its attack—a perfect opening! Jinwoo got closer and focused all his power into this attack.

Fatal Strike!

Shunk.

The tip of the dagger pierced the knight’s armor.

Did it work?

But it was as if nothing had happened, and the knight slammed its blade down at full power.

Shwoom!

Jinwoo threw himself out of the way.

Klang!

The sword struck the ground, casting sparks.

“……”

Jinwoo moved back and found his footing again. His dagger was still stuck in the creature’s side.

“Tsk.” He clicked his tongue.

It’s not that high-level.

That was his objective evaluation. The knight moved slowly because of its armor, and its attack patterns were simple. The only thing it had going for it was that its defense against bladed weapons was off the charts.

Jinwoo rolled up his sleeves.

Impenetrable skin? Been there, done that.

His confidence came from a previous encounter.

The boss monster Blue Venom-Fanged Kasaka had broken a mana-powered steel sword with a single headbutt, but Jinwoo had managed to defeat that gigantic snake.

Compared to the kasaka, this knight is, well……

The reassuring thought brought a tiny smile to his face.

Thud, thud, thud!

The knight trusted its armor and charged at Jinwoo again.

See? It’s a simple creature.

The hunter easily dodged the knight’s shoulder and moved behind it to put it in a headlock.

Krrrk!

Of course, the creature’s armor also protected its neck and kept it from being suffocated.

Krrrrrk!

Jinwoo’s muscles bulged, and his veins popped out as he squeezed with all his might. His aim wasn’t to strangle the knight. He gritted his teeth hard and put all his strength into it. As he did…

Craaack!

The knight’s helmet popped off with a terrible noise. Jinwoo was finally putting his over-100 strength stat to good use.

Got it!

With its head separated from its body, the knight dropped to its knees, lifeless.

Thud!

A short and sweet message appeared to signal the end of the fight. Something sparkled on the knight’s armor to indicate the presence of loot, but Jinwoo’s attention was elsewhere.

What? There’s nothing inside?

The helmet in his hand was empty. Just in case, he checked inside the armor, but that was empty as well.

So I fought a moving suit of armor?

As he reached that conclusion, two more knights rounded the corner. They were rather late to the fight.

Clunk, clunk.

The knights—or rather, the suits of armor—drew their swords in unison upon discovering Jinwoo.

Shing!

Shing!

Jinwoo tossed the helmet aside and warmed up his neck and shoulders. He already knew how to deal with these adversaries.

This is where it starts.

Thud, thud, thud, thud!

Jinwoo smirked at the charging knights. The first stage of this dungeon would be a piece of cake.

Perhaps it was because of all the restrictions, but the rate of item drops was quite high.

Jinwoo had defeated only three knights, but two had each dropped an item, which made the current rate 66.6 percent. He’d never seen such a high drop rate anywhere else. Instance dungeons usually yielded a few miscellaneous items or things to sell in the shop.

Of course I would.

The equipment vanished off the headless knight that remained kneeling and materialized by Jinwoo’s feet.

Clunk.

The information screen for the chestplate appeared.

An additional physical damage reduction by 7 percent! Combined with his current stats, he could decrease any physical damage he took by 27 percent.

If I can get it to 100 percent, does that mean I’d be impervious?

He considered the possibilities for a moment until it sank in that a B-rank item gave a 7 percent reduction. It wasn’t like the percentage for an A-rank item would suddenly go to 30 or 40 percent. Taking that into account, reaching 100 percent seemed to be a lost cause.

Still, every little bit helps……

If he kept at it, the continuous stat buffs could become an extremely powerful tool. He’d already had Jinho demonstrate the usefulness of quality items.

How do I use this thing?

He picked up the chestplate, and as expected, he received a message about equipping the armor.

The chestplate was a heavy piece of metal that would’ve been awkward to wear in daily life. If he hadn’t tried on the Warden’s Collar before, he would’ve spent a considerable amount of time deliberating before resigning himself, but that wasn’t the case.

Yes.

Ping!

The equipment vanished from his hands, and Jinwoo called up the stat window to check the result.

It worked!

He placed a hand on his chest but couldn’t feel the heavy piece of armor. He tried moving around but still couldn’t feel a difference. It was exactly like when he had put on the Warden’s Collar.

Great.

Next, Jinwoo turned his gaze to the knight he’d left crumpled in a corner. It was so badly damaged that it didn’t look like it had anything salvageable, but a telltale glow indicated it held an item.

Jinwoo felt a little guilty for the destruction he’d wrought on the knight. He wasn’t used to fighting barehanded and had trouble controlling his own strength.

……

With a solemn expression, Jinwoo approached the knight and extended his hand.

Acquire.

Huh.

He’d expected the pouch to appear in his hands, but he’d instead received the gold directly. Was this item somehow different from the usual ones? He checked his inventory and was amazed to see that 30,000 gold had been added to his balance.

I got a whopping 30,000 gold…?

Maybe it was because knights usually carried around more items? He recalled how, in video games, the player would often acquire more by defeating humanlike monsters over other creatures. Thinking about it, it made sense that one would get more items from a human being than an animal or an insect. It was possible this rule of thumb was being reflected in this situation as well.

In any case, this was welcome news. He was saving up gold to buy items from the shop, so a find like this was a big help.

Is there anything else I can take?

People often say that there’s no end to humanity’s greed. Jinwoo set aside his main reason for being here and inspected the knights with avarice shining in his eyes. All the suits of armor were worthless, as he’d crushed them in battle, but the swords caught his eye.

I can work with those.

The swords looked shiny and brand-new. Since they weren’t daggers, he had no plans to use them himself, but he figured he could sell them in the shop. If that was a no go, he could always make a pretty penny selling them to hunters.

Jinwoo picked up a sword, but as soon as he did, it quickly rusted over and crumbled through his fingers.

“Oh……”

It happened in the blink of an eye.

Is this because it’s not an item I’m allowed to take?

That was too bad, but there was nothing he could do about it. Jinwoo dusted off his hands and picked up the torch he’d put down earlier. He turned the corner where the knights had been lurking and saw that the path continued on with no end in sight.

“……”

He still had a long way to go.

It was like reviewing his notes for a test. It was a funny comparison, but that was what popped into Jinwoo’s head.

In the past two hours, he’d run into four different kinds of monsters within the dungeon: knights, mages, assassins, and archers.

“Using Stealth this time?”

An assassin suddenly dropped from his radar. Jinwoo didn’t panic but instead increased his perception, and he soon picked up on the presence of someone sneaking up behind him.

Clang.

He blocked the assassin’s dagger with Kasaka’s Venom Fang, sending his assailant stumbling and leaving an opening for a quick counterattack. Venom Fang hit the assassin’s chest dead center.

Shunk!

The fatally wounded assassin silently disintegrated into a puff of black smoke.

Thump.

Its leather clothes fell to the ground.

Why are all these monsters humanoid?

Every time he killed one, it felt like… Jinwoo shook his head. Thankfully, he couldn’t see their faces. The knights wore helmets, assassins and archers wore leather headgear, and mages wore hooded robes.

Jinwoo was about to continue along the road when suddenly…

Flash! There was a burst of light right in front of his eyes. A mage that had been casting under its breath from a hiding spot had completed its spell.

Kaboom!

Then came an earsplitting explosion! Alas, by that time, Jinwoo had already made his way behind the mage.

“……!”

Sensing a threat from behind, the panicked mage rushed to cast another spell, but Jinwoo was faster, making a diagonal strike with his dagger. The mage also turned to smoke.

Thump.

Jinwoo looked down at the empty robe on the ground, then returned his dagger to his inventory.

Got hit by one of those attacks once before when I dropped my guard.

Jinwoo had actually been on high alert as soon as he had sensed mana coalescing in one area. It was something he’d learned when facing Gyuhwan Jo’s light magic. Jinwoo refused to fall victim to the same attack twice.

That was why reviewing notes for a test felt like an apt comparison.

And that’s not all.

He found that he was using a specific stat to defeat each monster. For knights, strength. For assassins, it was perception. Agility for archers, and stamina against mages. If Jinwoo’s stats hadn’t met the base requirements to face each foe, it would have been harder to deal with them. Without enough strength, he wouldn’t have made a dent in the knights’ armor. If perception was too low, he would have had a tough time figuring out where the assassins were.

I’m really glad I didn’t just throw everything into strength…

His intelligence stat was still a little low, but as long as he kept an eye on his mana usage, he’d manage.

Jinwoo immediately took the canteen out of inventory and gulped down the water.

“Whew…”

He could slowly feel exhaustion setting in.

How much farther do I have to go?

Was there even an end? He put the empty canteen on the ground and placed his hands on his hips. He had been in the dungeon for three hours now, and he was both mentally and physically tired.

……Should I get some rest?

Jinwoo sat down against the cave wall.

Stats.

Ping!

His fatigue was nearing a dangerous level. If it went over 70, it would have a negative effect on both his body and mind. He needed to take a power nap and bring it down.

Jinwoo rested his head against the wall and quickly dozed off. He was so tired that even in this dangerous environment, he could fall fast asleep.

However…

Shwk!

A sound pierced the air! Time slowed down, and Jinwoo snatched an arrow flying toward him out of the air.

Thwp!

He opened his eyes. In the distance, an archer was reloading its bow.

Does that mean I’m not allowed to sleep yet?

Jinwoo summoned Kasaka’s Venom Fang as he hauled himself to his feet.

Krnch.

The knight, now with a severely dented chestplate, slowly slid to the ground. The splayed suit of armor didn’t move.

Ping!

Although he’d lost the full recovery benefit for now, Jinwoo continued leveling up as he battled the monsters. It was a small comfort despite his exhaustion.

Jinwoo looked at the scrape on his fist and clicked his tongue. He could heal if he rested for a time, but the damn monsters wouldn’t cut him any slack.

At least he was swimming in loot now.

Besides what he’d equipped, he stored anything else of use in his inventory.

A weapon of some kind would’ve been nice, though.

Assassins dropped daggers, but they had a similar attack level to Kasaka’s Venom Fang and lacked the extra debuff.

What did this knight have to offer? Jinwoo reached his hand out to the light.

Ping!

Aha!

Jinwoo beamed as he acquired the gauntlets and wasted no time equipping them. Like the other wearable items, the gauntlets weren’t in any way cumbersome, and his fingers still had full range of motion.

Excellent.

Jinwoo looked up from wiggling his fingers. All the way at the end of the path, he could finally see where the line of torches stopped, blocked off by giant castle gates.

It was rare for the boss’s lair to have any kind of door. It brought to mind the underground temple dungeon from not too long ago. Back then, they hadn’t known what to expect, and too many people had paid dearly. But that was then, and this was now.

He looked back in the direction from which he’d come.

It took almost six hours to get here……

He had reached level 45 and was equipped to the teeth. All his preparations were complete. As much as he wanted to rest and replenish his HP, monsters would only interrupt him if they knew he was trying to sleep. He couldn’t afford to attract monsters and risk increasing his fatigue.

[HP: 4,511/8,330]

[MP: 660/790]

[Fatigue: 43]

Let’s finish this.

Jinwoo checked his stats one last time and then gripped the door handles on each gate.

Creaaaaaaak!

As if rigged to some mechanism, the massive doors swung open at his touch.