Translator: RaidenTL

Chapter 49: Off to the Dungeon

I gave the Green Goblin a slight smile. I had intended to trust this ability from the start, but seeing how much room I still had to grow, I felt I could believe in this unique ability of mine even more.

It was then.

[You have received a new quest.]

[Quest - Collect Weapons: You are a Named Monster, called the Weapon Merchant by the humans. It seems it’s time for you to become a true ‘Weapon Collector’! Find the first weapon to accompany you on this new path. (0/1)]

[Reward - ???]

‘A hidden quest.’

So they could be triggered this way, too. It was almost baffling that the system itself would open a path for us to become stronger. Come to think of it, this hidden quest had appeared right after I had made a firm decision.

Only then did I begin to understand a little more about how this world worked. It didn't respond to every goal, but back in the Tutorial, it had definitely responded to the call to conquer the north. This time was no different. For a moment, I thought that perhaps Choi Seulgi had also heard this voice. It seemed the system probabilistically registered firm goals or necessary tasks as quests.

But it wasn't without problems. The lack of hints was a major one. To be honest, the weapons I currently possessed ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠weren't bad at all. In fact, they were certainly better than the ones I used to have.

Of course, compared to the Green Goblin's rusty dagger or the Sword Saint's weapon, they were sorely lacking, but I didn't think someone like me, who was barely mid-tier, could obtain a weapon of that caliber. To be precise, it was impossible.

I pondered for a moment. I could see the Green Goblin looking at me with a strange expression.

"You seem to have a lot on your mind. Are you not training today?"

"No. I'll ask for your help again today."

The training began, but I couldn't focus properly. I thought my skill with the Green Goblin's dagger techniques had reached a decent level, and I used everything I had, but the result was a crushing defeat. This time, I couldn't even block a single one of his attacks. Still, it wasn't a bad feeling.

"Tsk, your mind is elsewhere. Kkireuk. That's enough for today."

"Krrrrrrk..."

Even after the training ended, my worries remained.

If even the 'wide-bladed magic longsword' I got from Lee Youngdon didn't meet the quest's ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠conditions, then I figured I needed to obtain at least a high-grade item, if not a top-grade one.

There were two answers. But neither was easy.

One was a dungeon.

The other was to buy one from the item shop.

Naturally, to get a high-grade item, I had to go to a high-grade dungeon. The same went for points. It hadn't been long since I bought the Weapon-Breaking Longsword. High-grade items generally cost over 100,000 points. There was no way my current self could afford one.

The only thing I could do right now was go to a high-grade dungeon.

However.

It was impossible to clear.

There was no doubt that with our current strength, we couldn't clear it. The lack of a priest was the biggest problem.

‘Fuck...’

I knew a fair amount from the rumors I'd heard. I knew which dungeons were where, and which clans or parties had struck it rich in them. I didn't know the exact timing, but I had a general idea. The problem was whether I could actually go.

Things would be easier if I asked the Green Goblin for help, but he would never get involved in such a personal matter.

I slowly began to organize my thoughts. It had been a little over half a year since I arrived on the continent. I remembered an incident where a high-grade dungeon was discovered near the western forest, and a party of mid-to-high-level adventurers from the city went in and hit the jackpot. The fact that the rumor had reached all the way to Aia showed just how lucky they were. But they were able to enter that dungeon because they had the skill in the first place. There was a clear difference between them and us, who couldn't enter even if we knew about it.

"Grrr..."

As I continued to clutch my head even after returning to the settlement, Mev approached with a worried expression.

"Chieftain, is something troubling you?"

"Well... I want to find some decent equipment..."

"You already have three good swords, and you're still greedy for more?"

As if she found it amusing—no, with a hopeful expression—Mev nodded eagerly to herself. It seemed she was having some strange fantasy, but my own worries were too great to play along.

"Why don't you look over there? What the Chieftain wants might be surprisingly close..."

I turned my head in the direction Mev was pointing. What I saw was a pile of weapons. They were the weapons Choi Seulgi had collected, along with those we had recently acquired from fighting the Red Cross Clan.

I felt bad for Mev, but I had already checked every single one of them. I had inspected them, hoping to find something unique, but as expected, none of them were as high-quality as Lee Youngdon's weapon.

"This hammer is better than my hammer! Kkireuk!"

"From now on, this is my shield! Kkireuk. But it's too heavy!"

"The sword our handsome Chieftain has looks the best. Kkireuk. I want one too!"

The three goblin siblings came into view, eagerly holding up their weapons and swapping them with the ones from the pile. I couldn't help but let out a small laugh. I made a mental note to give the goblin warrior who used a sword one of my own if I managed to get a better weapon.

Watching them rummage through the weapons cache, a flash of inspiration struck me.

‘An ambush.’

The sword I was holding, Lee Youngdon's sword, was one I had taken. The weapons they were playing with now were also taken. It stood to reason that the spoils of a dungeon conquest were no different—they could be taken as well. The biggest problem was whether we could handle high-level adventurers, but clearing a dungeon is no easy task.

Of course, if a high-level summoner entered a dungeon meant for beginners, it would be easy to clear. But for a high-level party to clear a high-level dungeon, they had to be prepared to risk their lives.

Even discovering a dungeon was a problem. They couldn't just go in right away. After extensive preliminary investigation, summoners would enter the dungeon without telling anyone—not even the guild that managed the city. They were worried that a major guild would steal their prize.

In other words, only I and the ones who discovered the dungeon would know its location.

The conditions were perfect for a backstab.

The most ideal scenario would be to catch them from behind while they were fighting the dungeon boss and wipe them all out at once. Is it possible? I wondered, but then I thought it just might be.

Because.

The dungeon I was thinking of, the 'Ancient Warrior's Grave,' was a dungeon where 20 adventurers from a small western city had entered, and only 5 had returned alive.

Of course, the five who survived experienced explosive growth thanks to the items they obtained from the dungeon, but I remembered that the bodies of the 15 who died were never even found.

It was that dangerous. But the more dangerous the dungeon was for them, the happier it would make us, who were tailing them.

That was the end of my deliberation. What was that saying? Strike while the iron is hot. I immediately began to rummage through my hazy memories.

The small city of Legius, not far from the western city of Aia. It had no powerhouses on the level of the Saint Knights Order's commander, but it was a city mainly populated by retired mercenaries and people who wanted to live somewhere less crowded.

I wasn't sure if there was a Green Skin settlement in that area, but I assumed there probably was.

Wherever humans lived, Green Skins who loved to fight were bound to settle.

Anyway, if you continued south from the small city of Legius, you would find the 'Ancient Warrior's Grave' on the border between the desert and the forest. I remembered hearing that the entrance was a small 'altar' that became visible when the wind swept away the sand.

Usually, information about such hidden dungeons was kept strictly confidential before they were cleared, but afterward, the conquerors would often brag about their achievements. Fortunately for me, that party was the bragging type.

‘The type that wants to grow and wants to show off.’

Thanks to them, I was able to read their conquest log. If they had been mediocre instead of high-level, it would have been quite dangerous.

As I began to organize the information in my head with a somewhat serious expression, the members of the Blood Dagger Clan were, as expected, watching me.

Their faces were full of anticipation, as if their chieftain had sniffed out another opportunity.

It was only natural to meet their expectations, so I bared my fangs and spoke.

"We're going on a hunt."

"Uwoooooh!" The most excited were, of course, the ones who had just completed their class change to Orc Warriors. But unfortunately, I couldn't take some ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠of them. We had to act as stealthily as possible, which meant I couldn't bring those who were clumsy at hiding their presence.

"Kkireuk! Kkireuk! For Blood Dagger!"

"A glorious battle!"

The situation was already out of control. It was incredibly difficult to tell them that some couldn't come, but I decided it was better for them to hear it now and spoke firmly.

"However, some of you must remain on standby here. This is a hunt that requires stealthy movement. This absolutely does not mean that strong warriors are useless, so do not be ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠too sad."

"Uwooo... oh..."

They were visibly dejected. I made a mental note to be sure to take them on the next expedition. It pained my heart a little, knowing that my every word and glance could make them swing between joy and sorrow.

"First... Mev."

"Yes! Yes!"

Of course, Mev was necessary. She was the strongest archer in our clan. She could track well, had her unique 'Quiet Footsteps' skill, and could even float in the air for a short time if she pushed herself. Her combat power was also strong enough to be within the top five of the clan, so Mev was a must-have.

The problem was Jung Hayeon, and the first and second of the five loyal siblings.

For the sake of combat, it was right to take Jung Hayeon. However, she was clumsy at everything except magic.

The bigger problem was the first and second siblings. In their case, it was definitely advantageous to take them. Not only were they powerful fighters, but they also had a talent for stealth, having once aspired to be assassins. However, I needed at least one person who could control the others who had to stay behind. One of the two had to remain here.

I quietly began to look at the first and second siblings.

Their eyes began to fill with tension.

"Uwooooooooooh. I want to go! I want to fight alongside Blood Dagger!"

The first to make a move was the second sibling. As if declaring that he would go no matter what, he suddenly began to show off his 'Stealthy Footsteps' in front of me. Even the other Orcs around him began to mimic his stealthy steps.

It looked a little cute.

An Orc with such a huge build personally demonstrating such footwork to appeal to me was certainly funny, but there was no way I could laugh at his serious expression.

The first sibling, seemingly unimpressed by his brother's ridiculous display, stood up from his spot and performed the same action.

"Wooooooooooooooh!!!! I want to go too! I will protect Blood Dagger's side! Krrrrrk!"

As he shouted, he suddenly... completely vanished from my sight.

For a moment, the settlement stirred at the sight of him.

"Kkireuk!" "Kkireuk!" "He's gone. He just disappeared!"

The others seemed curious about what was happening, but I, of course, couldn't help but realize what had occurred.

‘A unique ability.’

I didn't know exactly what kind of ability it was, but it looked so incredibly good that I swallowed hard and stared at the spot where the first sibling had been.