Chapter 21. The Second Gateway (2)

Kim Jeonghyeon and Philip Park cleared the second floor with ease and claimed their rewards from the tower.

Brushing off the tower's voice, which loved to ramble endlessly, they scored three full-recovery potions that were quite useful, one fatigue-recovery potion, and a high-grade mana stone.

"A mana stone, huh... Still, after risking our necks like that, the payout feels stingy. At best, it's probably just orc-level."

Jeonghyeon smirked at Philip's words.

As Philip said, it might make more sense to grind fields where they could rack up mana stones faster. But that was exactly what happened when most hunters botched the extraction process due to their inexperience, ruining the stone's quality.

In principle, hunters should handle harvesting too. It was just that too many specialized fighters weren't used to it.

"Hand it over. I'll make something awesome out of it."

Jeonghyeon took Philip's mana stone.

The stone, encased in something like a massive black heart, writhed disgustingly as if alive.

Raw ore? Jeonghyeon wondered, pulling out his harvesting knife while holding the half-biological-looking mana stone.

"Watch how the big bro does it."

"You look younger than me, though..."

Ignoring Philip's mutter, Jeonghyeon gripped the knife in reverse and deftly sliced off the outer shell.

Slice. Swish.

From the easily crumbling husk emerged a cluster of mana stone gleaming with a brilliant purple hue.

"Check this out. Ever seen a stone like this?"

"What level is that?"

"..."

This guy's sometimes sharp as hell, but other times a total idiot.

Jeonghyeon shook his head.

"Don't freak out. For your rank, this is B-grade—top-shelf quality you wouldn't even get to glimpse."

"B... B-grade?!"

"Yeah, dumbass."

Jeonghyeon then expertly harvested his own assigned stone.

Mana stones glowed red at lower grades, shifting toward purple and eventually blue at higher ones.

Blue mana stones were probably undiscovered at this point in time. Even in the era right before Jeonghyeon's death, they were rare.

It made sense, really.

Porters trained in extraction skills, but hunters were the ones who actually got the stones.

No matter how hard they tried with subpar skills, few hunters truly mastered mana stone anatomy.

Hunter who could take down A- or S-grade monsters were limited enough—how many of them were perfect at dissection too?

"That's why I'm the shit, you punk."

In his past life, Jeonghyeon had been a hunter-porter hybrid with top-tier skills, one of the rare perfect ones.

"That's why I went straight for the Wakin sisters."

"Why?"

"Those sisters... they're crazy artisans who only do things their way."

Only Jeonghyeon and his guild could supply S-grade mana stones reliably. But the Wakin sisters neither took stones from his guild nor sold the mana stone weapons they made from them.

The reason was simple.

Loyalty to 'H Company,' the merchant guild that first recognized their potential.

So Jeonghyeon's party had to sell their stones at high prices, then buy mana stone weapons from H Company at markups of tens or hundreds of times the cost after they contracted with the sisters first.

Even then, I couldn't afford weapons that matched my level.

Without that pointless greed-fueled bidding war, maybe they could've gotten closer to the Demon King.

Jeonghyeon gave a bitter smile, a lingering regret.

"Anyway, I'll hold onto this stone."

"Yes, sir!"

"...No questions? What if I just run off with it?"

"No need! It's obvious you're sending it to the Wakin sisters."

"...Yeah, figured."

"I'm the one who's curious, actually."

"About what?"

"Why drag me along like this? I'm grateful, but... you don't have to go this far for me."

He had a point.

Philip's earnest eyes stabbed right at Jeonghyeon's conscience.

A twinge of guilt? Nah, Philip was just a hunter who clicked with him at first sight, seemed easy to use, and since Jeonghyeon's power strengthened his subordinates, he'd keep him around.

But spitting that out raw would disrespect Philip's sincerity.

"Just 'cause."

"Pardon?"

"Guess I'm like the Wakin sisters."

Jeonghyeon brushed it off casually, but now he got it—the feelings of those stubborn sisters from his past life.

The perfect person for your grand mission doesn't always show up.

"Instead of overthinking, plot how to bleed me dry. How long you think I'll keep you around?"

"Ugh... right!"

Philip laughed heartily, relieved. Easy guy to have around.

By the way, no next quest?

Mechanically muttering his thanks, Jeonghyeon checked the quest window while Philip grinned at the praise.

After Attribute Domination leveled up unexpectedly, the existing quest vanished, and none had come since.

Instead, only "[Quest Settlement in Progress]" remained, with the status window text pulsing red to dark like a game loading screen.

How's that, you damn Demon King bastard? Progressing faster than you thought? Bet you didn't see this coming.

Jeonghyeon smirked. Skip the ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠branches, blast ahead. With that in mind, he told Philip, still beaming.

"Down the fatigue potion first."

"Straight to the third floor now?"

Philip asked eagerly, uncorking the potion.

"What're you talking about? Highest concentration means fatigue pots per floor."

"?"

Jeonghyeon gulped the sour, acrid fatigue potion, then answered Philip's puzzled look.

"Nonstop to the tenth."

***

"Just skip ahead smartly, yeah? We're not stopping at ten anyway. Highest concentration. Fixed."

They were already getting chummy with the tower's voice.

The third floor mimicked a standard dungeon structure. From memory, floors up to five were all dungeons.

Just differences like ancient ruins vibe or desert terrain.

"?"

Whoosh!

Gravity flipped oddly again, teleporting them to a vast plain.

This so-called Tower Plains was the standard spot for dungeon trials and the most common terrain they'd see in Afraksas later.

Ahead loomed a stone structure that screamed out of place.

"Let's go."

"Yes, sir!"

They headed indifferently toward ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠the dungeon.

"Coulda just dropped us inside. Such a hassle."

As Jeonghyeon grumbled, Philip pondered deeply before asking cautiously.

"By the way, we don't need to show this mana stone to the Wakin sisters?"

Philip's eyes sparkled like a dog's, dying to brag about his B-grade top-quality achievement.

I get it, I do. When would you ever touch a B-grade? Jeonghyeon clicked his tongue.

"Mana stone weapons come from 999 failures for one success. They're testing with what we gave already, so bulk delivery's better."

"Got it!"

"Anyway, any info on the third floor?"

"Uh... something like a dungeon? Not too many monsters, I heard."

"I know that. Anything else?"

"Um... felt like there was, but I can't remember."

"Boring punk."

Arriving, Jeonghyeon opened the dungeon door.

Creeeak. Ancient wood groaned, mana seeping out.

"Weapons up."

"Already got 'em!"

Philip ready behind him, Jeonghyeon took point this time.

The interior was spacious and pleasant. Cool breezes like the outer plains, floor marked only by faint monster bloodstains—like someone had passed recently. No traps visible.

"Keeek!! Die!!"

A basic goblin popped up unarmed—no need for the harvesting knife.

"Shut it, punk."

With perfect read, Jeonghyeon tracked its path, raised his foot over its flailing head.

Crunch!

Stomped its neck clean.

"No concentration, so easier this time."

"Good thing. But... something feels off..."

Philip's unease was typical hunter jitters—not a big deal for Jeonghyeon.

He strolled on with a relaxed grin.

That's why after one big trial, small ones feel like nothing.

Savoring odd satisfaction amid boring goblin corridor, they entered the first room.

"Oh, right! I remember! The third floor has no portal boundaries—other hunters can invade!"

Philip blurted joyfully, and a hunter charged at Jeonghyeon.

"Graaah!!!"

"?"

Jeonghyeon instinctively swung to slash—but.

"What the?"

The hunter collapsed at his feet. One of the thug hunters from regression day one.

Gut impaled by a long bone spear, no decent armor, writhing and groaning.

"Save... me..."

Why should I, punk?

Your path, your choice. Tough it out. Jeonghyeon shoved him aside, scanning the room.

His three ragtag buddies half-dead in the corner, final breaths.

"Oh ho? Manageable."

Baring fangs at them: mid-grade skeletons.

Tough ones that proliferated bones endlessly.

"Gear up, Philip. Our turn!"

As Jeonghyeon kicked the hunter aside and infused mana into his eyes—

"Subject... dies?"