NOVEL NEXT Chapter 4
In the world I found myself in, there were no gates, but there were plenty of dungeons.
Naturally occurring ones, ancient liches, demon lord’s schemes, and so on.
I encountered all sorts of dungeons and cleared them out.
And now, before my eyes, lies the scene.
A dark cave, a stinky smell tickling my nose.
Green monsters popping out at random.
Familiar faces.
How should I think about this?
These monsters look exactly like the ones I saw in the other world.
Feeling dumbfounded, I glanced at my temporary party members.
“What? Why?”
“…….”
A woman introduced herself as a magic hunter.
In fact, she was using her fire magic to illuminate the dungeon’s darkness.
But something feels off.
I can’t quite pinpoint it, but it doesn’t seem like she’s controlling her magic herself.
I feel a similar vibe when observing the other two during battle.
“Haah!”
“Huuh!”
Their basic movements were awkward.
Well, it could be because the party consists of E-rank or D-rank hunters.
But sometimes when mana is used, their movements become fluid.
It seems like they’re forced to be skilled.
“Kereuk!”
A chubby green monster, a goblin, charged at me from the side.
I easily turned my body and dodged its club.
I kicked the goblin’s belly as it leaned forward.
The goblin crashed into the wall and fell.
Immediately, our kind-hearted member number one, Han-gyeol, swung his sword to finish it off.
“Si-hyun, nice!”
We cleaned up the goblins scattered in the open space with fair efficiency.
Once we cleared out a decent number, I finally realized the source of the discomfort.
“Status Window!”
All that escaped my mouth was a genuine “Oh my God.”
The three others, not including me, each exclaimed some strange phrases.
Then they pointed at the air.
I stared at them in bewilderment.
The items the others were holding disappeared suddenly.
Storage magic.
I do have a magic bracelet that can hold a small amount, but…
This is quite expensive.
“…Excuse me.”
“Uh? What is it?”
I approached the most approachable person among the temporary party.
Han-gyeol smiled warmly.
Sure, if I have questions, I can just ask.
“I just awakened not long ago.”
“Wow! But you fight so well!”
“…Um! Could you tell me about the status window?”
I held back my lips, which twitched to form a smile involuntarily.
The compliments came in so naturally.
Having lived only with criticism, my immunity seems low.
“The status window? It’s not difficult. You learn everything in the academy, but the entrance fee is definitely a burden.”
“…Okay.”
“First, would you like to open your status window?”
“…?”
I don’t want to… but should I?
I think I need to make a small agreement to say it.
“S-status window…”
“…Yes, first you’ll see——”
Han-gyeol stared at me for a moment before starting to explain.
Now and then he asked, “Can you see it?” but I just brushed it off.
Pretending it was there when it wasn’t.
To sum it up, here’s the gist.
Awakened people have started emerging in response to the major upheaval on Earth.
And these people, the Awakened, are all leveling up like in a game system.
Supported by something called a status window.
…Why don’t I have one?
My soul is from Earth, but my body is from this other world, maybe that’s it.
I might feel a bit sad.
I used to be good at games, you know.
Why am I the only one left out…?
Technically, I’m not an Awakened one, but still.
Feeling a bit disappointed is still valid.
“Ha! You came to a dungeon without knowing the features of your status window? That’s basic, isn’t it?”
I heard a voice muttering as if it couldn’t believe it and turned my head.
An older woman said it intentionally for me to hear.
Well, I’ve seen enough human drama.
I’ll just lightly ignore her low-tier aggro.
“Let’s get going. We’ve delayed too long.”
The man who had been quietly watching stepped in as if to mediate.
I nodded obediently and followed his lead.
Even if he occasionally shot me displeased looks, he was the most skilled here.
Maybe he saw himself as a leader.
He continued to give commands as we tackled the dungeon.
After finishing the E-rank dungeon, we calculated the earnings outside.
“I divided it evenly based on the number of people. No complaints, right?”
“Yes, thank you for your hard work!”
Han-gyeol responded energetically.
I received ten goblin magic stones.
Thinking about the market price I heard earlier, I made 50,000 won.
I casually asked Han-gyeol how the average was.
He replied that it varies for each person, but they typically enter a dungeon once or twice a day.
He just mentioned this dungeon was his second one.
Still, risking lives to fight…
The pay feels somewhat ambiguous.
Is it because it’s E-rank? Would the earnings spike for D-rank?
Hmm, either way, it’s the fault of the hero party.
I haven’t been able to touch the finances at all.
So I have no sense of money.
“There are four of us. It’s stable, but of course, the earnings drop.”
“Aha.”
I nodded at the additional explanation.
So that’s why D-rank hunters venture into E-rank dungeons.
Because life is precious.
I sorted through various thoughts in my head.
At that moment, the self-proclaimed leader spoke.
“How about we all tackle a D-rank dungeon together?”
“A D-rank?”
“Yes, both Han-gyeol and I are D-rank hunters. The other two are E-ranks, but I think you’re nearly at D-rank. It should be sufficient.”
“Hehe, soon to be D-rank! Shall we go?”
The female magic user responded with a bright smile upon hearing the leader’s words.
But Han-gyeol shook his head.
“You know that there are various changes in D-rank dungeons that make them risky, right? I’m against it.”
“Unless it’s a rare dungeon like a double dungeon, we should be fine together, shouldn’t we?”
“…That may be true.”
Han-gyeol stared at me intently.
…Ah, I see.
He’s concerned since I said I just awakened not long ago.
A true kind-hearted person.
I also want to see my younger sibling’s face and heal a bit.
Maybe I should just go back…
“D-rank dungeons have at least 5 times, if not 10 times more profit than E-ranks. Our four-person party matches well, let’s make some money!”
…Well, I don’t think we match that well.
But at over 5 times, that’s at least 250,000 won. If it’s bigger, 500,000 won.
D-rank definitely seems way better than E-rank, doesn’t it?
I could buy some beef for my Si-yoon.
“Let’s go.”
“…!”
“Good thinking.”
The leader grinned slyly, and Han-gyeol looked surprised.
Si-yoon, it might take a bit longer, but wait for me.
I’ll buy you something delicious!
*
“Haah, haah…”
“Phew…”
After one round of battle had ended, the leader who was guiding the party let out a big sigh.
Indeed, a D-rank dungeon.
The variety of monsters increased, but at the same time, the number of monsters attacking multiplied.
As a result, I couldn’t relax, and my fatigue doubled.
That’s why when entering multiple dungeons in a day, it’s better to enter E-ranks…
The leader turned his head and glanced beside him.
A beautiful woman with exotic looks was scanning the surroundings.
She clearly displayed the traits of a beginner.
Whether she has talent or not, she doesn’t seem to have much trouble in the E-rank dungeon.
I wanted to help her when it got tough to score some points, but that was wishful thinking.
So I suggested tackling the D-rank dungeon, despite it being a bit tough.
No matter how talented you are, you’re just an E-rank hunter.
In a D-rank dungeon, there should be chances to bond and gather points.
Unless something unusual happened, we could surely tackle it.
However…
“Han-gyeol, where did you get that sword?”
“Oh, do you recognize it? The master of my guild is a crafting hunter.”
That’s strange.
He doesn’t seem to struggle at all.
Not once have I seen him flustered.
In complete contrast to the magic hunter woman beside him.
That woman looks pale as she could collapse at any moment.
She must have exhausted most of her mana.
But the beautiful woman remains exactly as she was at the start.
She doesn’t particularly stand out, yet she doesn’t get tired either.
Does the holy knight job have some special stamina-related abilities?
It’s an unfamiliar job, so I have no information on it.
Moreover, that’s not the only strange thing.
The hunter named Lee Han-gyeol, who wields the same sword as me.
In the E-rank dungeon, I was sure he was slightly below me.
But now, what’s going on?
I’m growing more exhausted while he still seems full of energy.
In fact, he seems to be getting more energized.
I almost feel like he’s getting stronger and faster.
At this rate, isn’t he leaning towards the C-rank level instead of D?
The leader furrowed his brows.
I think I’m just fatigued, which is causing me to have incoherent thoughts.
“AAAH! Stop chatting and let’s clear the dungeon already! I’m so tired I could die!”
“Then let’s do that.”
The magic hunter screamed out.
The leader shook his head and approached Han-gyeol and Si-hyun.
“Let’s move out.”
“I understand.”
“……”
The ice-cold face briefly glanced at the leader then faced forward.
The leader even felt a bit wronged.
Nothing had even happened yet.
Why is there such a big difference in treatment between Lee Han-gyeol and me?
*
“Hmm…”
“Is there a problem? If you’re tired, just tell me.”
“Ah, it’s not like that.”
Han-gyeol looked at me with a worried expression.
I waved my hand dismissively, intending to convey that nothing was wrong, and glanced around.
The leader continued to cast sticky glances.
The woman scowled at me.
It’s not a pleasant feeling, but I don’t need to care much.
After all, I’ve been differentiating them myself.
Though I did drop a weak buff on Han-gyeol, it’s different from the buffs I cast in the subway.
He should definitely feel stronger too.
Sometimes, when there were many monsters, I also used magic for him.
To obscure the monsters’ sights and whatnot.
A gentle young man like him is worth protecting.
For now, I’m more concerned about the existence of a peculiar space.
Thanks to my job instincts, I detected it.
So that I can insert buffs and debuffs around me in any environment.
It’s all thanks to my lightly spread mana around me.
“…Excuse me.”
“Yes, what is it?”
I approached the leader, who had been staring at me.
“How much longer is this dungeon?”
“We should be almost finished. If you’re tired, should we take a small break?”
The leader flashed a slimy smile.
I lightly ignored it and pointed to a part of the wall a bit away.
“That side. There’s a space hidden there.”
“Eh?”
My words made everyone turn to look at the wall.
A dark wall subtly obscured by rocks and foliage.
The leader carefully walked toward where I pointed.
He maneuvered between rocks, pushing vines aside.
After a moment, he returned with a dumbfounded expression.
“How did you notice this?”
“Um… it just seemed suspicious.”
“…It’s a secret room. It usually takes a hunter specializing in exploration to spot it. Well done.”
He replied with genuine surprise in his voice.
A secret room!
The name implies it will yield something amazing.
I looked up at the leader with a bit of anticipation.
He covered his mouth with his hand and turned his head.
“Ahem. We need to vote on this.”
“Vote?”
“Because it’s a D-rank dungeon.”
What does that mean? I looked towards Han-gyeol, confused.
He, who had been listening to the conversation, spoke with a serious expression.
“D-rank dungeons tend to have various patterns. Sometimes there’s treasure, and other times, there are hordes of monsters that delay your progress.”
“Aha…”
“It’s rare, but I’ve heard some peculiar dungeons can be like this too. If it’s a special dungeon, it can be very dangerous.”
I’ve never seen one, though.
Han-gyeol muttered.
“What happens if we overlook a treasure room and clear the dungeon instead?”
“It just disappears along with the dungeon. No one knows the principle behind it.”
“……”
They want us to choose based on the risk and return, huh?
There are differences from dungeons in the other world too.
Having experienced it, D-rank dungeons definitely aren’t that challenging for me.
But… it’s not guaranteed rewards, but rather random?
Instead of wasting time here, wouldn’t it be better just to go home and heal with my younger sibling?
I think I can buy something delicious for dinner tonight already.
“As the leader, I vote for ‘Let’s go in.’ It’d be too wasteful to ignore something we found.”
“I’m in! It’s about time we finish off the dungeon anyway. What’s there to be scared of?”
The leader and the older woman were in favor.
The party consists of four members.
I cast a sidelong glance at Han-gyeol.
He shrugged his shoulders, indicating he would follow my lead.
……
“Let’s go.”
Even if I said no, it’d be 2 to 2.
Instead of arguing, it’s better to settle things quickly.
If we manage to get something good, it wouldn’t be bad either.
If profits increase, we’ll have an even better dinner.