Chapter 39
Chapter 39
[You have struck a vital point.]
[Critical damage received. Damage ―0]
A critical hit appeared, yet the damage was still 0. It was good in a way, but:
‘At this rate, I can’t gauge its actual power. I’ll have Jongwon test it.’
Without a care for how shocked Jongwon might be, Hyunseok moved forward.
‘So it’s a room-style dungeon again.’
The first room came into view. Though Hyunseok referred to it as a “room” for convenience, it felt like a massive open space. It was bothersome and inconvenient for him, but in the Easy Mode dungeon, monsters were scattered individually, allowing careful players to pick them off one by one.
‘I thought there would be just a troll here… huh!’
Hyunseok had to rub his eyes.
‘A Cyclops…?’
He had expected only a troll, but it was a Cyclops. It looked slightly different from the first Cyclops he had encountered. It was smaller and less imposing, wandering around sluggishly.
Even so, since he could solo-slay it, it was manageable.
‘This dungeon must have applied a penalty to me. It’s not beyond the normal mode standard. That means this Cyclops is different from the one I saw before.’
Hyunseok assessed the situation carefully. Still wary from his previous encounter with a Cyclops, he approached this one with far more caution than when facing orcs.
The Cyclops noticed him, lowered its body, and charged with heavy thudding steps.
‘Its speed is definitely slower!’
Hyunseok raised his fist and threw a full-powered punch at the charging Cyclops. It almost toppled him, but the Cyclops crumpled into a corpse, and Hyunseok managed to stay on his feet. Unlike the first Cyclops, this one’s death felt anticlimactic.
‘Definitely a weaker specimen. Or maybe the previous one was abnormal.’
The Cyclops was still considered a bug monster in reputation. But Hyunseok thought:
‘Even without me, a well-organized team could likely slay it.’
The reason for the “likely” caveat was that his current power prevented him from accurately gauging the Cyclops’ exact stats, it died in a single hit, making it impossible to check H/P, attack, or defense.
Hyunseok proceeded in the same way, clearing up to the sixth room. Usually, clearing 6-7 rooms completes a dungeon. Along the way, he experimented, taking hits deliberately until the Cyclops exhausted itself, moving around to trigger critical hits, but damage remained, 0.
‘I really am ridiculously strong.’
The dungeon had a total of 8 rooms. Although he could have cleared it quickly, he spent over two hours experimenting and observing.
‘This must be the last room…’
The final room resembled the seventh. Clearing it wasn’t difficult.
[Dungeon cleared.]
[Normal dungeon cleared within 3 hours.]
[Recognized as a difficult achievement.]
[Bonus stat +10 awarded.]
[Penalty due to exceeding Normal Mode standards applied at 50%.]
Hyunseok clenched his fist.
‘Done!’
Apparently, normal mode dungeons could be located by Trappers. Completing it within three hours granted recognition as a difficult achievement, conditions were confirmed. A significant gain.
Moreover, difficult achievements were practically impossible for ordinary Slayers, but Hyunseok could achieve them.
‘Good.’
The dungeon rewards weren’t insignificant either. Level system restrictions prevented exact knowledge, but the dungeon awarded 100 Yellow-stones, previously unseen stones.
‘I need to discuss this with Sunghyung.’
The dungeon was cleared smoothly, and Korean Union announced officially that hidden dungeons exist in Normal Mode, and only some Slayers can discover them. The discoverer was revealed to be a Platinum Slayer of the Korean Union, elevating their prestige both domestically and globally.
<Normal Mode Dungeon Solo Clear. The Dignity of a Platinum Slayer.>
<Difficulty Increased. Party System Implemented. Various traps expected!>
<Korean Union Leader Park Sunghyung: “We are proud to have him in Korea and in the Korean Union.”>
<This time, Yellow-stones! What will their true value be?>
Meanwhile, Hyunseok discovered another new fact.
<Normal Mode has changed. Another dungeon feature revealed!>
<Platinum Slayers unaware of this fact!>
<System change that could trigger a massive storm in the Slayer world! Is this a blessing?>
❋ ❋ ❋
Previously, item and Monster Stone rewards were distributed 1/N, even though combat Slayers contributed most, their higher numbers made their “market value” relatively low. This was the implicit practice.
Now, Normal Mode introduced a change. When clearing dungeons, the system automatically evaluates contribution, distributing rewards differently. Easy achievements granted +3 bonus stats and ~100 Monster Stones, but now rewards could vary by +1, +2, +3, or none, with Monster Stones going directly into individual inventories. Exceptions existed, like the “party system bug” from the Inha Guild experience, where all party members received bonus stats.
At a coffee shop in Seoul:
“Thanks to the party system bug, all party members still get bonus stats, right?”
“Hmm…”
Pyeonghwa, slightly flushed, looked at Hyunseok.
“I checked a bit. Most dungeon clears grant an easy achievement and ~100 Yellow-stones. But when you do it, solo-slaying is recognized… and well…”
Hyunseok understood. The gist: “Hyunseok, you’re amazing.”
“Why are you so excited?”
“Me? Not at all.”
Hyunseok smiled. Last time, when he solo-slayed the Cyclops, Pyeonghwa had rushed from Wonju and cried for him. Seeing that stirred feelings in him he hadn’t felt for a long time.
He teased her:
“Don’t lie. You’re thrilled sitting here with me, seeing my handsome face.”
“W-What are you saying!”
“Or maybe you’re proud of me?”
“Absolutely not!”
“Really not?”
“Really!”
“Can I take your word? Honestly, I’m proud, right?”
Pyeonghwa’s face reddened. She almost nodded before quickly shaking her head. Repeatedly saying “No, no, no,” her neck and ears flushed crimson. Flustered, she changed the topic.
“O-oppa… you’re really quitting your company?”
“Yes.”
Being a Platinum Slayer in Hanjin would earn ridicule, but he hadn’t resigned yet. His recent earnings were unimaginable to ordinary people, and he already had hundreds of Green-stones from Easy Mode.
“By the way, Pyeonghwa, are you keeping your items ready?”
Hyunseok didn’t need items; his body was both weapon and shield. The only purchased item was Supporting the Sea.
“They say Monster Stones can upgrade items.”
“Yes. There’s a class that does that.”
With class diversification, item-enhancing classes emerged. They weren’t highly regarded because upgrading required White Stones or higher, which were rare. Green Stones were necessary for upgrades at current enhancement-class Slayer levels.
Even with higher Slayer levels, only ~100 Green Stones drop daily. Considering various industries and medicine demand, this is insufficient. Selling them yields 130 million KRW, with illegal trade fetching 150 million KRW. Entrusting items to enhancement-class Slayers carried risk, scams were reported.
“Apparently, they opened a shop together. It seems trustworthy, with many reservations.”
“Not bad. Earn money safely, improve skill levels through practice, efficient.”
Hyunseok enjoyed a peaceful afternoon, tinged with slight affection. Then breaking news arrived: a new monster had appeared.
<Breaking News! Massive New Monster Appears!>
<Giant Turtle-like Monster Emerges!>
<13-car pileup on Gyeongin Expressway! 7 dead, 13 injured!>
The monster was enormous, big enough to carry a 5-meter Cyclops on its back. Given size and proportional strength, it could surpass a Cyclops. Surprisingly:
―Top-tier Slayers nationwide flocked to Gyeongin Expressway, despite concerns over extreme danger…
Why they kept coming to face this enormous monster was a mystery.
<Hundreds of Slayers Challenge the Monster. No casualties! A green light for slaying?>
<Giant Monster. Will slaying be successful?>
Hours passed. Other news followed, but this time, the updates weren’t exactly welcome.
(End of Chapter 39)
Enjoyed the chapter? Share your feedback and help Hyunseok keep leveling up!
— Translated by Prime Works —