NOVEL NEXT Chapter 7
Chapter 7
0.
The Eternal World User Management Team was responsible for monitoring players active even in beginner villages. However, such instances were rare.
It had been a year since the game’s release.
Countless prodigies had come and gone, leaving the team with barely enough time to handle them.
Yet, Assistant Manager Lee Wonsang was fixated not on a high-ranking player but on a user in a beginner village.
[‘An Unknown Power’ has enabled abilities beyond your current stats.]
[A new stat, 《Dexterity》, has been created.]
[Agility +3, Dexterity +2 have been permanently increased.]
“Unbelievable.”
Once again, stats had increased.
Permanent stats, gained not through grinding or special actions like other users, but through some Unknown Power.
It was incomprehensible.
Normally, gaining even one stat point required hours of repetitive actions or specific achievements. But this?
For Assistant Manager Lee Wonsang, it was utterly baffling.
Today was especially inconvenient.
The team leader was out on a field assignment, leaving no one he could readily report this to.
For now, all he could do was observe.
He shook his head as he watched the hidden pieces 『Seonghyeon』 uncovered.
Even at the butcher shop, the user had swept up rewards.
At this rate, it seemed like an absurdly overpowered monster was being born.
But there was nothing he could do about it.
‘Immortal AI insists it’s not a bug, calling it an unrestrictable feature of the game.’
Though Eternal World wasn’t an old game, there hadn’t been a single instance of exploitative play. Immortal, the cutting-edge AI system, analyzed and confirmed this case to be no exception.
A single overpowered player wouldn’t disrupt the game company, but growth at this scale was bound to draw complaints, requiring caution.
If only that player would avoid drawing too much attention.
Still, surely there was nothing left to gain now.
As Lee Wonsang mulled over these thoughts, Junior Employee Oh Jinhyuk spoke up beside him.
“Uh, Senior, isn’t that where it leads?”
“Hm? Where does what lead?”
“Hin del Village… doesn’t it have a hidden dungeon?”
“What? There’s a hidden dungeon there???”
“Yes, here…”
Oh Jinhyuk brought up records of Hin del Village, confirming its existence.
The hidden dungeon, “Hunter’s Forest,” was listed.
It was notoriously hard to discover, with stringent requirements.
“So the conditions are… a Steel Sword and the ‘Skilled Butcher’ title?”
“Yes, so…”
“Perfect match for that user, huh?”
“…Yes.”
“Haha! Hahahahaha!”
Lee Wonsang laughed and nodded.
Finding it was unbelievable.
In hindsight, discussions about Hin del Village’s “Foggy Forest” had been circulating on many strategy sites.
Most players arriving at Hin del Village ventured into that forest.
The hidden dungeon hadn’t been discovered because they failed to meet the conditions, but now, by coincidence, Seonghyeon had.
It wasn’t the first time someone fulfilled those conditions in Hin del Village.
However, early players who met them were in such a rush to leave the beginner areas that they never stuck around to explore.
It made sense that it was only being discovered now.
But why did it have to be this 『Seonghyeon』?
“At this point, it feels like divine intervention.”
“Oh? Really?!”
“Of course not!!!”
“Ahh!”
“Ugh! If they snag that reward… they’ll also get that item, won’t they? Haah, no, it’ll be fine if they stop there. Yeah… that’s right.”
As Lee Wonsang muttered in denial, Oh Jinhyuk quietly thought to himself.
‘Whenever people say that, they usually don’t stop.’
He wisely kept his thoughts to himself.
1.
Following the path indicated by the old ghost, Seonghyeon walked deeper until the fog thickened.
No wonder no one had found this place.
Even Seonghyeon, with Eternal World’s in-game search features, had read that anyone venturing into this misty terrain would end up wandering aimlessly.
A place designed to trap people in a maze.
This was it.
Among players, the area was known as the “Foggy Forest.” But according to the old ghost, what did they call it again?
‘A barrier was cast here, wasn’t it?’
The village magician of Hin del could dispel the barrier, but meeting that magician was no easy feat.
Alternatively, those who met the conditions could enter.
Seonghyeon was one of them.
Only by possessing a Steel Sword and the title Skilled Butcher could one pass.
Apparently, the barrier was created to keep out unqualified adventurers, allowing only hunters to traverse it.
Even for Seonghyeon, meeting these conditions hadn’t been simple.
Without the ghosts, he wouldn’t have obtained the Steel Sword or the Skilled Butcher title.
After pushing through the dense fog for what felt like ages, glowing text appeared before his eyes.
[All conditions met.]
[You have discovered a hidden dungeon for the first time!]
[Title 『Explorer』 has been awarded.]
[First discovery rewards are granted.]
[50% increased butchering success rate in 『Hunter’s Forest』.]
[50% increase in the quality of successful butchering products in 『Hunter’s Forest』.]
[First discovery rewards persist until the dungeon is cleared for the first time.]
Seonghyeon calmly reviewed the barrage of messages.
“Oh.”
Discovering a single hidden dungeon yielded such generous rewards.
And a title on top of that?
Curious, he immediately checked the title’s effects.
『Explorer』
→《Rare》
→Awarded to the first player to discover a hidden dungeon.
→20% increased drop rate in hidden dungeons.
It seemed… underwhelming.
Since Hunter’s Forest only contained beast-type monsters requiring butchering, the drop rate boost was useless for now.
And even if he found more hidden dungeons, how often would he need a title exclusive to them?
The first discovery rewards made up for it somewhat, though.
“Well, more titles can’t hurt,” he thought optimistically.
Besides, who knows?
‘Maybe something good will drop from the boss.’
With that hopeful thought, Seonghyeon entered the dungeon.
Inside Hunter’s Forest, the heavy fog dissolved like a dream, revealing a mystical forest.
Golden sunlight filtered through towering trees, casting radiant beams to the ground.
Luminous moss sparkled in the shade, surrounded by glowing fireflies that enhanced the enchanting atmosphere.
“Wow.”
Even Seonghyeon, typically stoic, couldn’t help but exhale in awe.
The lush greenery exuded an ethereal and majestic vibe.
While admiring the scenery, he noticed movement in the distance.
Turning his head, he spotted a green-furred deer.
“Oh.”
The deer pawed the ground, readying itself to charge. Its antlers gleamed menacingly.
Unsheathing his sword, Seonghyeon observed its name hovering above its head: Green Deer.
Seonghyeon’s combat prowess, bolstered by Apik the Hunter’s memories, allowed him to effortlessly dispatch the beast with a single, flawless strike.
[Critical Hit!]
[The effect of 『One Strike!』 has been activated!]
As he progressed deeper, more green deer appeared. Even when faced with three at once, Seonghyeon dispatched them with precision, using advanced techniques that seamlessly blended Apik’s and the former drill instructor’s memories.
Eventually, a new title appeared.
[You have defeated over 30 beasts of the same level or higher with a single strike.]
[Title 『Hunter』 has been awarded.]
Satisfied, Seonghyeon muttered with a rare smile, “This is fun.”