TL : enigma3555
PR : forgotten_one
Episode 6
Chapter 1: My efforts were not in vain (6)
What is the most efficient way to catch monsters in the game?
The answer is “herd hunting,” and most players are aware of this.
In an RPG game, when a player with strong abilities goes on a party hunt with a player that has lower leveled abilities, they gather all the monsters in the dungeon at once.
This allows players with lower qualifications to collect monsters and share roles, while minimizing movement routes.
Even if no one explains it to you, you instinctively understand and employ this strategy.
Of course, there is one condition for this to be possible.
Players with strong abilities must be significantly stronger than the monsters in the dungeon.
If these requirements are met, the dungeon can be cleared in the shortest amount of time. However, this is just a game scenario.
In reality, the life of a hunter is a single one, so safety always takes precedence.
No matter how low-level the dungeon is, one must proceed cautiously, checking for traps and dealing with monsters along the way.
But I chose efficiency.
After traversing the dungeon and gathering dozens of goblins, I summoned Taeseng GilgeoI to eliminate them all at once.
It was a herd hunt that even attracted the boss monster’s attention.
There were risks involved, and it was challenging to navigate through the chaos, but the rewards were evident.
[Your level has increased!]
[Your level has increased!]
[…]
[Your level has increased!]
So many messages flooded my screen that it was difficult to read them all.
Although I couldn’t decipher all the rewards at a glance, one thing was certain.
Clap!
“I offer my congratulations to you, my lord. You have become even more powerful by subduing an evil group.”
“Thank you Taeseng GilgeoI.“
It may be a bit overwhelming, but my abilities have improved to the point where I feel compelled to kneel down and show my gratitude.
But anyways, it was a great outcome.
There was so much to check that I didn’t know where to start.
“Let’s check the abilities first.”
I opened the status window and examined my level and stats, as they were the most important to me at the moment.
However…
“Huh, this is just ridiculous.”
As soon as I glanced at the status window, I couldn’t help but burst into laughter.
[Status Window]
[Name – Han Sangwoo]
[Level – 13]
[Unique Trait – Lord of Hire]
<Stats>
[Strength: 26] [Dexterity: 24] [Intellect: 23] [Stamina: 28] [Magic Power: 11]
<Skills>
[Unique Skill – Lv 2. Character Summon]
<Open Property Window>
<Equipment>
It was clear that the effect of the solo trait was far from ordinary.
Typically, it is said that for a level 1 hunter to reach level 2, they would need to accumulate enough experience equivalent to clearing an F-class dungeon on their own. However, by clearing the F-class dungeon solo, I had skyrocketed to level 13, with most of my stats exceeding 20 in one go.
Just 10 minutes ago, I was at level 3, and most of my stats didn’t even reach 10. But now, they had all jumped dramatically.
I couldn’t help but laugh. And it wasn’t just my stats that had improved.
The skill level of [Character Summon] had also increased.
I clicked on the skill item in the status window to check the details.
[You have surpassed level 10.]
[Conditions met.]
[The skill level of Character Summoning increases from 1 to 2.]
[As your skill level increases, you gain new effects and functions.]
[Effect: Silent Command – As the skill level of summoning a character increases, you can now give commands to the summoned character simply by thinking.]
[Function: Loyalty – The loyalty aspect of the relationship with the summoned character is unlocked. As loyalty increases, you can obtain additional effects for each character.]
[Function: View character inventory – You can access the inventory of the summoned character. However, items from the sanctuary cannot be used.]
“This could be quite useful.”
Unspoken commands, inventory access, and loyalty.
If these abilities worked as described, it would greatly enhance my convenience.
I quickly familiarized myself with my newly acquired abilities and put them to the test.
Shifting my body to the side, I closed my eyes and focused on a simple command.
“Okay.”
“Come in front of me, I’ll Miss You.”
“Did you call me, my lord?”
Taeseng GilgeoI, who had been a few steps away, obediently came forward and knelt down once again.
“It really works.”
I had wondered if it was possible to give commands simply by thinking, and it was clear that the effect was real.
I nodded with satisfaction and then turned my attention to the next feature.
“Inventory… I’ll Miss You, open inventory.”
Sigh-
Without knowing how it worked, I tried speaking the command, and to my delight, the status window confirmed its success.
As I spoke the command, an inventory window identical to the one I had seen in the game appeared before my eyes.
The only difference was that while I’ll to Miss You’s inventory in the game was almost full, this one was empty.
I shifted my gaze to the inventory description section.
It stated that items from the sanctuary could not be used.
It seemed that I couldn’t see the items from I’ll Miss You, but curiosity suddenly welled up within me.
“I’ll Miss You, can I see your sword for a moment?”
It might have been an unreasonable request, considering that a knight’s sword is like their life.
But…
“Here you go, my lord.”
[Character: I’ll Miss You]
[Current Loyalty – 580 / 999]
[This is a state in which the character has a strong trust in the caster.]
[The more time and experiences you share with the summoned character, the higher the loyalty will become.]
Perhaps due to his strong loyalty, he willingly handed me the sword.
As I received the sword, a message appeared.
Although I’ll Miss You’s sword tag was orange, indicating it was a high-grade mythic-level item, I couldn’t view its effects because the conditions were not yet met.
I couldn’t confirm its performance.
However, I wasn’t disheartened.
The moment I saw the inventory description, I had already anticipated this.
“Do I need to grow a bit more to use I’ll Miss You’s items? Now I can store real-life items in my inventory.”
By briefly holding the sword, I was able to grasp the essence of the inventory description and its connection to higher-grade items.
The inventory function seemed to only allow storage of real-world items and couldn’t take out items from I’ll Miss You.
While I was at it, I decided to test out the inventory function.
“What should I try it with?”
There were various items scattered around, dropped by the goblins. From magic stones used for potion-making and energy generation, to weapons like spears and shields.
I picked up the closest magic stone among them. As if understanding my intention, I was asked, “Do you want to keep these things?”
“Hmm, but how do I do it? Can I do it the same way I do in the game?”
“You can give it to me, or you can do it yourself, just like how you manipulated us in the sanctuary.”
I could do it myself.
I held the magic stone in my hand, bringing it close to my inventory.
“Okay.”
Sooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!
In an instant, the magic stone was sucked into the inventory and settled in the form of an icon within the square space.
“Great. No need to hire a porter.”
It was quite convenient.
In this F-class dungeon, there weren’t many item drops, so it was manageable on my own. However, in higher-level dungeons, there would be so many by-products that it would be difficult to handle alone.
I had anticipated that it would be challenging to manage, but this solved the problem.
I could pack up my items and leave without needing to hire a porter or worry about transportation.
Of course, there was a limit to the inventory capacity, and I would need to bring the necessary items myself.
As I was putting items into the inventory, I hesitated for a moment.
“Oh, you don’t have to keep that. I’m going to use it.”
“Okay. Here you go, my lord.”
I appreciated that they had collected the items, but there was one among them that I needed immediately.
It was an item with a low drop probability from the boss monster of this dungeon.
The Wizard’s Bracelet.
It was originally worn as an eyepatch by the one-eyed goblin, but it was actually an item used as a bracelet.
The bracelet provided a significant increase in mana and reduced the mana consumption of skills, making it a valuable asset for beginner hunters with low magical power.
The reason I chose this dungeon in the first place was to obtain this item, which could compensate for my current lack of mana.
Thanks to my recent leveling surge, my mana had increased considerably, but it was still only a few hundred points, and I could only sustain my summon for a few minutes.
Now, it was crucial to maximize the absolute value and efficiency of my mana so that I could freely utilize the [Character Summon] skill.
“I heard the drop rate wasn’t high, but it seems to have appeared all at once.”
To be honest, I had planned on coming back a few more times, but to have it drop right away was quite fortunate.
The drop probability for this item was low, and many people were aiming for it, making it difficult to secure a reservation for the dungeon.
I was handed a drop item from the boss monster by I’ll Miss You.
But…
“Blue?”
The color of the item name was different from what I had expected.
Originally, the Wizard’s Bracelet was of high-grade quality and had a green name.
However, the name color of the item I had just obtained was blue.
In other words, it was a “rare-grade” item, one level higher than high-grade.
Furthermore, the name was different from the item I had originally targeted, which was called the “Sage’s Bracelet.”
“No way, the boss monster I defeated this time…”
I shifted my attention to the message window and checked the name of the boss monster I had slain.
[Character: I’ll Miss You defeated the rare one-eyed goblin (F).]
“As expected, it was a rare-grade boss.”
As expected, it was no ordinary boss monster.
There is a low probability of encountering a rare boss monster in a dungeon.
Rare boss monsters are stronger than regular boss monsters, but they also have a higher chance of dropping better items.
I didn’t realize it at first, but the one I defeated this time turned out to be a rare boss monster.
As a result, the Sage’s Bracelet was obtained, which was one level higher than the expected Wizard’s Bracelet.
“It’s amazing that it came out in just one try, but I never expected it to be a rare item.”
It was truly a stroke of luck. But the luck didn’t end there.
[First achievement accomplished]
[You have cleared this dungeon in the shortest time ever.]
[Rewards have been upgraded.]
The bracelet transformed into a beam of light.
* * *
“Phew, if my tracking was correct, this should be the only place… Where on earth are you?”
Shin Dae-hoon, the head of the Human Resources Department at the Seoul Station hunting ground and Hunter Office, looked around and furrowed his brow.
After watching the video, Shin Dae-hoon had arrived at this location.
It was the result of running around until his feet were sweaty.
Based on his observations in the video, he had analyzed the CCTV footage from the parking lot and the surrounding street areas near the Southern Hunter Office. This led him to believe that the man in the video had likely come to this area.
This was the only area where one could travel on foot without leaving a trace on CCTV. Above all, Shin Dae-hoon’s intuition was telling him that the hunter he was searching for was right here.
However, reality didn’t live up to his expectations.
“Chief, can’t you see?”
“Maybe he went somewhere else? There are no high-level dungeons in this area, so it’s unlikely that an SS-level hunter would come here.”
The team members also pointed out this possibility.
Assistant Manager Seo Sang-jae and the three other employees who accompanied him searched the surrounding area, but they couldn’t find the hunter seen in the video.
“This can’t be happening… Maybe he went into a dungeon and hasn’t come out. Let’s wait a little longer. We must be sure to meet him.”
Despite the team members expressing their doubts, Shin Dae-hoon decided to wait a little longer.
The Hunter’s Office, the central organization of the Korean hunter world.
However, despite its reputation, talent was rapidly leaving the organization.
No matter how many tax benefits and public support were provided, many high-level hunters were joining general guilds.
In the past, when they had to overcome the crisis of human extinction, hunters joined forces. But now that peace had come, high-level hunters were seeking wealth and fame by joining guilds.
If this trend continued, the Hunter’s Office would become a worthless organization.
They needed talented individuals to lead the Hunter Administration.
Shin Dae-hoon was certain.
The hunter captured on CCTV was said to be an SS-class hunter who had yet to make an appearance. If they could recruit him, he would become a star in the Hunter Administration, and in the hunter world as a whole.
“We must recruit him!”
With a determined look in his eyes, Shin Dae-hoon gathered Assistant Manager Seo Sang-jae and the team members for a discussion.
“It’s been a while since I’ve seen the team leader so motivated. It’s really impressive.”
“You can tell just by watching the video. He effortlessly destroyed the sandbag in the skill verification room with a single blow. Even an SS-level hunter would find that difficult, right?”
“But… I did that too, and it was really challenging…”
The HR staff at the Hunter’s Office could relate to the punching bag at the office, as it was something that every awakened person had to hit at least once.
“But such a powerful hunter isn’t even registered with the Hunter Administration… What could it be?”
“Judging by his appearance and armor, could he be a foreigner?”
The man in the video had natural-looking blonde hair and was wearing Western-style armor that was uncommon in Korea.
“A foreigner comes to the Hunter’s Office, punches the sandbag, and then disappears to avoid CCTV?”
“Well, that’s a possibility too. What could it be? Maybe… a hero from another world?”
“Haha! Have you been reading too many fantasy novels?”
The team members from the Human Resources Department of the Hunter’s Office waited at the hunting ground, indulging in fantasies about the hunter in the video.
And then, something caught Shin Dae-hoon’s attention.
“Oh, that cloak…?”
As Shin Dae-hoon looked around, he noticed some people moving in the distance.
Two men were leaving the F-class dungeon and heading towards the simple item exchange set up in the hunting ground.
Although Shin Dae-hoon displayed his keen insight as a team leader, the other team members were puzzled.
“It looks similar, but I don’t think so, team leader. There’s no reason for a high-level hunter to come out of a place like that.”
“I agree. That’s where beginner hunters go to gain experience. It’s unlikely for a high-level hunter to be there.”
“No, I still need to go and check.”
It wasn’t just one person, but two, and though their faces weren’t visible from the back, they bore a resemblance to what Shin Dae-hoon had seen in the video.
Shin Dae-hoon hurriedly chased after the two hunters who had entered the simple item exchange.
And then…
“Hey, wait a minute!!”
The red cloaked hunter was summoned.
