TL : enigma3555
PR : forgotten_one
Episode 8
Chapter 2: Luck is also created (1)
“Hah, this is the real deal…”
Shin Dae-hoon sat in a chair at the Hunter Administration Human Resources Office, watching the video he had received from Assistant Manager Seo Sang-jae.
In the video, a man with blond hair, armor, and a red cape was seen effortlessly demolishing a punching bag. Even though it was just a video, Shin Dae-hoon couldn’t help but feel a sense of awe as if he had witnessed something truly remarkable.
Yesterday, he had seen someone with the exact same expression at the hunting ground near Seoul Station. He had spotted him right in front of the item exchange and had tried to follow him, but the blonde hunter disappeared within a minute. Shin Dae-hoon and his team members had frantically searched for him, but to no avail.
“Chief, let it go. He’s probably a hunter affiliated with a large guild.”
“It might be difficult to recruit him since he’s a foreigner.”
The members of the personnel department tried to console Shin Dae-hoon, who was feeling disheartened.
But their words fell on deaf ears.
Shin Dae-hoon stood up and grabbed his coat.
“I’m going out to work!”
“Chief, wait! Here are the documents you need to review…!”
“Even if you go to the hunting ground, that hunter won’t be there!”
The personnel team noticed his destination and desperately shouted, but it was in vain.
Shin Dae-hoon made his way back to the hunting ground near Seoul Station.
* * *
“Is this the boss monster room? It arrived sooner than expected.”
I found myself in E-class dungeon No. 1, where the monkey shaman served as the boss monster. I muttered softly as I gazed at the large door at the end of the cave in Room 46.
It had taken me about 20 minutes.
They say it usually takes around two hours for a group of three people to reach the boss room in this dungeon, but I managed to do it in less than 30 minutes.
I didn’t do anything particularly special.
All I did was swiftly navigate through the cave, just as I had done with the goblins earlier, and eliminate the monkeys that swarmed around me.
Because the hunting was so efficient, I spent more time picking up items than actually fighting.
“Good. Let’s take a moment to collect some items. Cancel Summoning.”
“Yes, my lord.”
I temporarily canceled the summoning of “I’ll miss you” and carefully gathered the items that had fallen to the ground.
Thanks to leveling up to 20 and obtaining the Brilliant Sage’s Bracelet, my summoning duration had significantly increased.
[Status Window]
[Name – Han Sangwoo]
[Level – 20]
[Unique Trait – Lord of Hire]
<Stats>
[Strength: 28] [Dexterity: 25] [Intellect: 40] [Stamina: 30] [Magic Power: 41]
<Skills>
[Unique Skill – Lv 2. Character Summon]
[Mana: 110/410]
<Open the properties window>
<Equipment>
“It’s definitely more convenient because it increases mana.”
I thought to myself as I quickly drank the lowest level mana potion.
While the increase in maximum mana from the Brilliant Sage’s Bracelet was somewhat underwhelming compared to the boost in magic power, it still provided a more than 30% increase. Additionally, thanks to the mana reduction effect of the bracelet, the duration of my summoning ability had significantly improved. Considering the speed of my growth, this was quite surprising.
Although my mana consumption was still not low, I had bought ten mana potions with the money I earned from conquering the last dungeon, so I had some spare supply. However, it was still necessary to conserve mana as much as possible to be prepared for any potential danger. It was better to acquire items on my own.
“Still, I’m glad I made it here safely.”
As I continued to pick up the items scattered on the ground, I couldn’t help but recall what had happened before entering the dungeon.
In truth, whether or not I would be able to clear the dungeon on my own didn’t really matter. During the Dungeon Break, I had already demonstrated my power by single-handedly wiping out E-class monsters. The real challenge lay in gaining access to the E-class dungeon.
Due to my current registered level on my hunter ID being F-class, there was a possibility that I would be prevented from entering the higher-level E-class dungeon alone.
There are indeed many hunters who venture into dungeons solo up to the D-level. However, once they reach the C-level and above, most hunters prefer to form parties when entering dungeons.
As an F-level hunter attempting to enter an E-level dungeon alone, I couldn’t help but feel nervous and worried about arousing suspicion for safety reasons.
“Hello, I’m here to enter the dungeon.”
“Yes, please show your hunter’s card and proceed.”
It was resolved more easily than I had anticipated. The guard didn’t pay much attention and simply allowed me entry after confirming that I had met the minimum requirement of clearing the F-class dungeon to enter the E-class dungeon.
It seemed that the guards weren’t particularly vigilant up to the E-level. But as I reflected on it, I realized that I had been the same when I used to stand guard.
It was a somewhat bitter realization.
“Great. I’ve finished collecting the loot…”
It didn’t take much time to gather the items. Just before opening the large door leading to the boss room, I summoned my familiar, Cravings.
“Did you summon me, my lord?”
“Yes. Proceed ahead, you’ll understand.”
“Yes, I understand.”
As I watched Cravings open the door in front of me, I tightly held a potion bottle of a different color from the mana potion.
In order to conserve my already limited mana, it would be more strategic to open the door and summon Taekgilgae at the right moment to defeat the boss. However, I chose to summon it first and have it open the door.
The reason behind this decision is as follows:
“Ukkkkkkkk!!”
[The greedy monkey shaman brings chaos.]
As soon as Taeseng GilgeoI opened the door to the boss room, the monkey shaman, wearing a crown and cape, waved his staff, causing black smoke to envelop Taeseng GilgeoI‘s body.
This curse is activated the moment you enter the boss room, and there’s no way to avoid it the first time.
While the curse is not life-threatening, it does cause cognitive impairment, leading to confusion. In severe cases, beginner hunters may experience auditory or visual hallucinations.
Thanks to this curse, the monkey shaman dungeon is not popular among hunters. It offers little experience, no valuable items, and fighting the boss comes with a penalty.
Of course, there is a way to remove the curse by drinking a detox potion, but detox potions are more expensive than mana potions, making them quite a burden for beginner hunters.
This is one of the reasons why Dungeon No. 46 is often avoided.
I had brought a detox potion just in case, but there was no need to use it recklessly. After all, it all comes down to money.
“The chaos of the greedy monkey shaman is invading.”
“Tch, this is ridiculous.”
Just as I was relieved to see that there was no immediate impact, the black smoke that had enveloped Taeseng GilgeoI now surrounded me.
I had heard that tanks usually go in first, get cursed, and endure it by drinking detox potions. However, due to the high level of “I’ll miss you,” it seemed that the curse had bounced off Taeseng GilgeoI and came towards me instead.
Despite the unexpected and absurd situation, I remained calm and attempted to open the cap of the detox potion.
However…
[The monarch’s trait, composure, is activated.]
[Resist chaos.]
Ting-!
“…?”
Nothing happened.
The black smoke swirled around me and then bounced off, having no effect.
Initially, I didn’t understand the significance of this, but upon seeing the message and the reaction in my body, I realized that it was due to the monarch’s characteristic, composure.
I had initially thought that this trait was simply meant to prevent embarrassment in battle, but it also had the ability to block curses.
The value of the potion solidified.
With the situation now in my favor, the monkey shaman began to panic.
“Woah, squeak…?”
In the middle of the spacious cave, he looked at us and swung his staff once again.
[Resist chaos.]
The result was the same. There was no effect.
“Are you done? Defeat it, it’s getting hungry.”
“Yes, my lord.”
I gave the command, and Taeseng GilgeoI stepped forward, holding his sword.
“Woah, squeak…!!”
Did the monkey shaman finally realize that something was amiss?
Instead of fighting, he turned to the side and attempted to flee, but there was no escape for him.
[Character: Taeseng GilgeoI uses pull.]
It was a terrifying sight!
The auror whip, launched from the tip of the sword, wrapped around the monkey shaman, pulling him towards us. And with perfect timing, Taeseng GilgeoI swung his sword.
[Character: I’ll miss you killed the greedy monkey shaman (E).]
[The monarch’s trait, Sovereignty, is activated.]
[You have gained 10x experience.]
[Your level has increased!]
[You gain +1 agility and +1 stamina.]
The boss monster was defeated in a single strike.
Dust filled the air, and items scattered on the ground.
“You did well, Taeseng GilgeoI.”
“That’s too much praise, my lord.”
After commending Taeseng GilgeoI, I canceled the summoning and examined the items dropped by the boss monster.
I couldn’t help but feel a sense of anticipation for what kind of reward the second hidden quest would provide.
I eagerly looked at the items that had fallen on the ground.
“… Why aren’t there any old books?”
The item I had been searching for was nowhere to be found.
* * *
Eight battles.
They say that even if you fall seven times, you should get up eight times.
And that’s exactly the situation I find myself in right now.
I cleared the Monkey Shaman dungeon in less than 30 minutes for Class E No. 46, but unfortunately, the item I was seeking, the Tome of the Greedy Monkey Shaman, did not appear.
So I continued my raids.
Two, three, four, five more times…
Starting from the fourth time, I quickly defeated the boss monster and only bothered to pick up miscellaneous items.
Since Dungeon No. 46 in the E-class category wasn’t very popular, I could continue bidding in real-time.
This would be impossible for an ordinary hunter due to physical limitations, but for me, it wasn’t a problem. All I needed to do was replenish my mana with a mana potion and summon I’ll miss you.
Using the group hunting techniques I had learned earlier, one bottle of mana potion was sufficient for one dungeon run.
I ran the raid nine times in a row, totaling nine hours. However, to my surprise, the monster only dropped common items and did not yield the “Greedy Monkey Shaman’s Tome,” the item required for the hidden quest.
And finally, the long-awaited tenth raid.
“Ukkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkk…!!”
[Character: Taeseng GilgeoI killed the greedy monkey shaman (E).]
[The monarch’s trait, Sovereignty, is activated.]
[You have gained 10x experience.]
Patter!
But once again, the old book did not appear, even though it was a rare monster wielding a larger staff than usual.
“This… It’s not going very well.”
Even after attempting seven battles, eight battles, no, nine battles, and ten battles, I still failed.
All the mana potions I had brought with me were now depleted.
How unlikely are the odds?
Out of frustration, I searched the internet, but there was no information about such an item.
So, what should I do now?
“Master, would you like to try again?”
“Yes, I suppose so.”
There was only one answer.
Keep trying until it works.
Since I was accustomed to endlessly running through dungeons in search of desired items while playing games, it didn’t feel too unfamiliar.
Although I had no mana potions left, the remaining mana was just enough to narrowly clear the dungeon one more time.
“Alright. If it’s an opponent as tenacious as the Greedy Monkey Shaman, I can handle it.”
“Okay. What makes it difficult to catch the Greedy Monkey Shaman… huh?”
However, I suddenly felt a sense of inconsistency in a completely different aspect.
“Why is this guy called the Greedy Monkey Shaman?”
As I made my way towards the exit portal, my attention was drawn to the items scattered on the floor.
“Master…?”
“Just a moment.”
I paused and looked around the boss room.
Beneath the glowing stone embedded in the wall, the space was nothing more than an empty and spacious cave.
It seemed too barren to be the dwelling of someone called ‘Greedy’.
At that moment, a hypothesis crossed my mind.
“What if the old book isn’t a drop item?”
“It’s probably hidden somewhere.”
I looked around and quietly pondered to myself.
It was quite possible.
Even though it’s a game, hiding treasures in invisible parts of the map or in corners is a fairly common cliché.
Moreover, after ten attempts without the desired item appearing, I had to consider other possibilities at least once.
So, how do we find hidden places?
If it were my first or even second or third time, I wouldn’t have known, but I had already encountered the monkey shaman ten times.
Suddenly, a clue emerged in my mind.
The escape route of the monkey shaman.
Every time I encountered it, the monkey shaman would run to the side instead of backward.
Normally, when fleeing, people often go backward to maximize the distance, but this monkey shaman was unusually trying to go to the side.
I walked towards the direction where the monkey shaman attempted to escape.
And there it was.
“Found.”
A peculiar section of the cave wall was revealed.
