The Ectoplasm Pack Hunter
Ectoplasm didn’t have any particular way of living or habits to speak of.
They were nothing more than a colossal mass of mana fused from souls and darkness, a formless self.
Since they weren’t alive beings, they didn’t possess instincts either. Yet there was one thing all of them shared.
Krraaa…
Krraaa…
Instinctively they craved light and flesh!
The ectoplasms that had been wandering in the darkness began to gather toward one spot.
A wide, open room on the outskirts of Karamit’s graveyard dungeon.
In the center stood a bonfire, surrounded in a perfect circle by scattered skull fragments.
It looked exactly like a murder scene or an execution ground.
Normal monsters might have been suspicious, but the ectoplasms instinctively wanted to devour heat and flesh.
That was when it happened.
The moment all the ectoplasms converged.
Boom! Bang!
A sack of flour tied to the ceiling exploded.
Krra?
Krrraaa…
The fragrant powders and fine grains seeped into the room, filling it completely and reaching the ectoplasms.
Fafnir seized the opening without hesitation and activated Pandemonium Necromancy.
Kwaaang!
A massive explosion scattered the ectoplasms.
Fafnir moved the instant they flew apart.
“Mix them!”
Following Fafnir’s command, the skeleton soldiers divided the fragments of several ectoplasms.
Krra… Krraaa!
Krrraaa!
Once split, an ectoplasm no longer regenerated on its own—it tried to reassemble its original body.
Smaller individuals could still attack or invade during this process.
What would happen if those fragments mixed with each other?
The answer sat right in front of them.
Krrraaak!
Grr!
Countless ectoplasms were now stuck, unable to move.
“Finish them all!”
Clatter!
From ancient times, people had said that the timing of an attack decides everything.
Like police interrogating a suspect, Fafnir’s skeleton soldiers attacked the ectoplasms with wild glee.
Experience gained.
Experience gained.
Level up!
“Whoa, what a goldmine.”
This mass hunting tactic Fafnir had invented was a huge success.
By using the bonfire and skeleton soldiers as bait, he could capture 15 to 20 ectoplasms at once.
Of course, the hunt was extremely difficult.
Ectoplasms were monsters with huge level gaps.
If even one reformed, they had to burn everything they had to take it down again.
And that wasn’t all.
They had to prevent other ectoplasms from approaching, or worry about the underground dungeon collapsing from the blast.
“It’s like hunting a marsh dragon.”
The hunt itself was straightforward, but the build-up and the power required made it a nightmare.
It was the kind of fight no one would ever record for a flashy video.
Yet Fafnir felt no dissatisfaction.
Simple reason? The rewards were absurdly huge.
First, the experience.
In-game time of three days—real-world one day—and he had climbed four levels.
Not to mention…
◈ Used in various crafting, upgrading, manufacturing, enchanting, decomposition, and binding.
◈ Extremely rare material, worth a fortune to alchemists.
[Ectoplasm]
- Classification: Material
- Grade: Rare
- Effect: Used in all kinds of crafting, enhancing, manufacturing, enchanting, decomposition, and combination.
- Description: A sticky substance formed from the soul and mana of higher-class ectoplasms. Only obtainable in the rarest cases. A treasure worth a king’s ransom to alchemists.
- Current count: 212
◈ One-handed hammer
◈ Level limit: 300
◈ Physical attack: 2012~2155
◈ Durability: 130/450
◈ Strength +250
◈ Agility -20
◈ Dexterity +150
◈ +150% damage to heavy armor users
◈ +80% fire damage on hit
◈ Skill cooldown -15%
◈ Blacksmith skill power +35%
◈ +1 level to all blacksmith skills when using a hammer
◈ +20% success rate for blacksmith skills
◈ -5% stamina when using skills
◈ A hammer made by processing a stone called the Heart of the Volcano. Contains volcanic fire and can summon it at any time.
Two hundred ectoplasms—Rare grade material—plus a powerful piece of equipment.
“A blacksmith’s gear…
Blacksmithing is a pretty popular job even in the novel.
Demand is low now, but the stats and effects are excellent. If I sell it, I’ll make ten million won easy.
“The bad luck curse prevents drops, but this is still better than nothing.”
The curse from the goddess of luck would remain unless I removed it.
Unless the first finder’s buff showed up, I shouldn’t expect equipment.
“Still, this is worth celebrating.”
Even without the equipment, the experience I gained was enormous.
At this level-up speed, I’m matching PVE efficiency.
But PVE isn’t perfect—results depend on the situation.
No enemies means wasting time.
Ambush or betrayal means massive experience loss and dropped items.
Here, under identical conditions, monsters just keep spawning.
Group hunts are far more efficient.
“The first finder’s buff expires in four days. I have to hunt like crazy until then.”
For the next three days, keep catching ectoplasms.
On the last day, take out the boss before the buff ends.
“Oh, right, I have to skip a day.”
Fafnir counted on his fingers, then took a deep breath.
“There’s still that one thing I absolutely can’t miss.”
This wasn’t about Fafnir—it was about Kim Ganghan from the real world.
Yet this matter was more important than any goldmine hunt.
Simple reason? I’m going to get the partner who will help advance the entire game.
“I’d better prepare properly in advance.”
While Fafnir was busy, the skeleton soldiers cleared every last scrap of ectoplasm.
A fresh bonfire was prepared, and the next batch of ectoplasms waited in line.
“Alright, let’s begin the hunt.”
Fafnir hid behind the prepared screen and held his breath.
The skeleton soldiers followed quietly into the darkness.
Three days later.
Kim Ganghan stood in front of a building on the outskirts of Jinjin, letting the morning breeze wash over him.
“This is the place mentioned in the Telegram message.”
364 out of 365 days was a huge abandoned factory.
But today was different.
Fafnir approached the factory entrance.
“This is private property. Do not enter without permission.”
When he got close to the door, a man in a black jumpsuit stepped forward.
Fafnir showed him a card stamped with a paw print.
“……Code?”
“X197#1355132.”
“X197… correct. Enter.”
The jumpsuit man opened the door.
Fafnir walked down the corridor, turned a corner, and a massive hall came into view.
Woof! Woof!
Woof woof!
Hundreds of fierce dogs howled inside their cages.
“I found the right place.”
The secret dog market in Jinjin.
Held once a year by the Gyeonwonhoe, it was a gathering known only to a tiny fraction of dog-fight fanatics worldwide.
“People from Japan, China, South America, Southeast Asia… all rushing in to buy.”
The dogs for sale weren’t ordinary.
Only monsters that could defeat bears or tigers one-on-one had the right to be sold here.
“……Is this even believable, author?”
Of course there were no such places in reality.
This was only possible inside a game novel!
“In reality, if a dog beat a tiger, they’d just call you crazy…
But the real point was using the setting to make a profit.
“It’s fun to read in the novel, but…”
In the original story, Flush visits this market because of his cousin in Jinjin.
That was one year from now.
Right now the dogs’ value hadn’t risen that much yet.
“Let’s see…”
Kim Ganghan looked around.
There were almost no customers—only merchants preparing their stalls.
“Just as I thought. I arrived the earliest.”
Kim Ganghan had moved since the night before and timed his arrival for when the market opened.
If he wanted the best item, he had to come before everyone else.
Thanks to all the footwork…
There wasn’t an empty cage among the market’s steel bars.
“Every dog looks vicious.”
Various fierce breeds inside the cages all radiated dangerous auras.
Yet…
“I’m not after those mediocre ones.”
I want the very best.
Kim Ganghan’s steps stopped in front of a cage deeper in the market.
“Not for sale.”
“But you’re selling?”
The old man dozing in the corner answered lazily.
“I’m not selling.”
“Then what are all those dogs doing in the cage?”
“They’re nothing special.”
“That can’t be.”
Kim Ganghan continued.
“The world’s strongest legendary Gyeonwonhoe champion last year, the Asura dog puppies from Jinjin… they’re nothing special?”
“Oh?”
The old man’s eyes lit up.
“Young man, how do you know that?”
He knew the location from the novel, of course.
Fafnir stayed silent.
The old man clicked his tongue.
“Want to buy?”
“Yes.”
“Then pick one. Tell me which puppy you want and I’ll put it in the list.”
“Understood.”
You couldn’t just take the puppy home right away.
Items with the winner’s bloodline from last year’s championship would be sold through auction to the highest bidder.
“This one is Black. This one is Silver. That one over there is Thunder.”
Mighty black, white, and yellow Jinjin dog puppies!
No matter which one I chose, they looked worth at least ten times the price.
But…
“Hey, what about that one?”
Kim Ganghan pointed inside the cage with his finger.
The old man tilted his head.
“Why aren’t you calling him?”
“He’s timid? He can’t be used.”
“Why not?”
“He has a crippled leg. Look.”
The old man shone a light on the cage holding the timid dog.
When the light hit it, one white dog appeared.
Surprisingly, it was missing an entire front leg.
Nin… nin…
“……The rest of it looks fine too.”
“They fought each other, apparently. They might even die soon… but someone wanted to see all the Asura puppies, so I brought them along.”
“……”
Kim Ganghan watched the white dog carefully.
“I’ll buy this one. Register it.”
“For breeding? It’ll cost a fortune.”
“How much?”
“At least five million won. Depends on the auction.”
Ordinary Jinjin dogs cost 200,000 to 500,000 won.
Even purebreds with pedigree papers ran around 1 million won.
A dog missing an entire leg for five million?
“Flush got his for free.”
Five million wasn’t an impossible sum.
The real problem was that this was the auction hall for shadow dogs.
“I have about eight million available.”
Still, why not?
I wasn’t planning to fail.
“Just in case, I should contact them.”
Kim Ganghan said.
“Register it. Include every dog with legs, at least.”
“I’m saved.”
The old man wrote with his pen while Kim Ganghan locked eyes with the white dog.
“Yes… this is definitely him.”
In reality he had only one leg left,
but in the game he was the one who had shown the world what it meant to fly across the battlefield.
The luckiest partner Flush had ever had, Whitey “Luck” the white dog, was now just a puppy.