The Ogre Constellation
High-grade Ogre Constellation found. The constellation's energy imbues you.
High-grade constellation found. Stamina +30, Attack +30, Defense +30, Agility +30, Mana +30.
Constellation category added to status window.
Ogre Constellation acquired. Affinity with ogres increases. Relationship with ogres changes from 'Hostile' to 'Wary'.
Han Ji-woo opened his status window.
Constellation: Ogre (Wary)
All his base stats had jumped by 30 across the board, and a new Constellation entry had appeared at the bottom.
"Whoa. Stats up by 30?"
A surge of unfamiliar energy welled up inside Han Ji-woo, far beyond the measly +1 stamina from new foods. His body felt light, his mind sharp, and his frame oddly more solid.
No way...?
Han Ji-woo lifted his shirt to check his body.
"Holy shit."
The muscles he'd lost after a year at the mid-sized company were back, flexing proudly. He'd always had a muscular build, but daily soju had stripped it away and added a beer gut to boot. Now the gut was gone, replaced by rock-hard abs.
"So stats going up changes the body to match. Nice. But affinity with ogres... what's that good for? Eh, whatever. Better to stock up on anything I can get."
This dungeon was unpredictable—who knew what might happen? The walls around him could crumble any second, unleashing monsters. No point being picky; grab everything available.
With that, Han Ji-woo kept staring at the Ogre Constellation. Maybe it'd boost affinity more? But a system message dashed that hope.
Affinity with the same monster cannot change more than once per day. It increases each night you rediscover the same constellation on different days.
"Got it."
Suddenly curious about just how strong these boosted stats were, Han Ji-woo recalled his initial stats—averaging under 15, even with his natural punching prowess. Tripling that had to mean superhuman power, right?
Let's see.
He grabbed a hefty chunk of stone debris from the side and set it down, clenching his fist.
"Hup!"
Inhaling deeply, he threw the punch.
BOOM!
The stone wall shattered into pieces.
"Whoa."
Han Ji-woo stared at his fist in awe.
It's not just raw power.
The punch had shot out like lightning.
Agility for the speed.
And no pain from the impact.
Defense handling that.
Just stat boosts, and his body was superhuman. Now he was stronger than King Goblin Pao.
"Means I could take on low-grade monsters, right?"
With combat skills, low-grades would be a joke, but his were all life skills. No room for recklessness. His natural athleticism and fighting skills could crush goblins, gremlins, or kobolds even in packs, but without real monster experience, he couldn't judge accurately.
Then Pao and Lucy came rushing from the room.
"Master! You okay? What was that noise!"
Nyaao!
They'd woken from the stone-smashing boom.
"It's nothing. Go wash up, you two. Breakfast time."
They bolted to the lakeside, sat side by side, and dunked their faces in. Shake shake! Done.
Meanwhile, Han Ji-woo stood before the apple tree he'd eyed yesterday.
"This guy's lifespan got extended 'cause I had no way to chop it."
Planned to fell it last night, but no axe or tools. The trunk was insanely thick—not like Earth's apple trees. Even asking Pao to break it failed; punches vibrated it wildly but didn't topple it.
"But now I'm stronger than Pao."
He glanced at Pao, who was scratching his head cluelessly by the lake while Lucy bristled and hissed, paw raised. Pao frantically clasped his hands in apology. Whatever he'd done, he'd pissed her off bad.
"That smack on arrival probably didn't help. Can't even fight back."
Pao's stats outclassed Lucy's, yet here he was, cowering. Hilarious. Pao's attack: 37. Han Ji-woo's: 48. A solid 11-point gap.
Eyes back on the tree, he balled his right fist and swung with full force.
"Hah!"
CRACK!
Crunch crunch... RUMBLE!
"Ooooh!"
The massive trunk snapped and fell. Lucy's eyes went wide, distraction seized; Pao seized the chance, rushing over extra dramatically.
"Master! Tree fell! Tree fell down! Tree really fell! The fallen one is tree!"
Limited vocab made his excitement hilariously repetitive.
Lucy followed, arriving beside Han Ji-woo, who grinned proudly.
"Now we can add doors to the bathroom and house!"
"Door? That good thing, Master?"
Nya?
They tilted their heads in unison. Enemies moments ago, perfect sync now.
No need explaining doors' value; Han Ji-woo grabbed the trunk and tore chunks by hand.
Shiiiing!
A rainbow effect flashed; the fallen tree auto-disassembled into lumber, branches, thick branches, and apples. Observation Eye labeled them.
100 lumber, 80 branches, 40 thick branches, 127 apples—sorted perfectly.
"Whoa, that's handy."
Sacrificing one tree yielded a ton. All into inventory. The stump smoothed like sanded.
"Perfect chair."
Sitting, he opened crafting. Input lumber for wooden doors (5 each).
Two doors done, wooden handles instead of metal.
Carry one to the room's open doorway—system prompt.
Add door to room for upgrade?
"Yes."
Flash of light—door installed, new blueprint.
House = Room + Wooden Door
"Whoa, door makes it a house now."
Even tiny changes thrilled him. Hard to believe this was the guy who'd lost 19 billion won—he was adapting fast.
He pulled the handle. Outward swing, no latch but stayed shut without force.
Excited, he added one to the bathroom too.
Bathroom = Modern Toilet + Wooden Door
Modern Toilet downgraded to plain Bathroom. His human rights advanced.
"Alright, next: campfire."
Crafted one with 30 branches and flame flower petals. Pulled masou salmon from inventory, gutted with stone knife—skill improving.
Not sashimi today.
"Sashimi every day gets old."
Grill time. Fins off six fish, guts out, skewered on branches. Roast over fire—done!
"Pao!"
"Yeah!"
Pao rushed from playing tag with Lucy.
"Sit here, watch close, copy me. Got it?"
"Got it, Master!"
Pao watched intently as Han Ji-woo grilled. Lucy sandwiched between, eyeing curiously.
Crackle. Crackle.
Pleasant fire sounds tickled ears. Savory aroma from steaming fish filled nostrils. Clear sky, fresh air.
Ahh, perfect.
Han Ji-woo closed eyes, savoring. No plans to stay forever—back to Earth in under a year for lottery glory. But this worry-free peace? Not bad.
Would he have this calm without the dungeon? Yeah, way more intensely. 19 billion, man.
...Too big to fully zen out. Still, he pushed lottery thoughts aside, embracing the moment. Cool breeze. Warm fire. Delicious roasting fish.
"Master! Fish black. Burning!"
"Whoops!"
Han Ji-woo flipped quick—one side singed from zoning out. Edible, though—relief.
All six done; two each.
"Dig in!"
"Thanks for the meal, Master!"
Nyang!
Han Ji-woo bit huge into steaming salmon. Crispy fatty skin crunched, soft flesh filled mouth. Long time since cooked food—overwhelming emotion.
But wait—chewing released juicy savoriness, hugging tongue.
"Grrraaah! Insane."
No salt, blandish, but delicious. White rice desperately craved.
Scoop rice, pile fish, kimchi...
Mouth watered.
No! Be grateful now.
Greed breeds misery. Focus on fish.
"Wonder if the dungeon folks are clearing floors safe."
Dungeonites—his term for the heroes floor by floor.
"Ahh~ Good meal."
Bones only left. Pao buried them, guts, fins by Dungeon Tree unprompted.
Dungeon Tree sapling: 16.8/100%
"Grow fast~"
Han Ji-woo hummed at progress.
Then sudden system messages.
Ferrofero has found the error gap again.
Ferrofero strains to squeeze through the gap.
Ferrofero yells that the crushing pressure is suffocating him.
"What the hell is this?"