Chapter 56
Chapter 56
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: True Detective
Chapter:
Chapter Title: Goal is the 20th Floor
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Levi's electronic world, where he lived, had a different flow of time from the reality I knew.
"Tch... Fine, then. I'll have no choice but to send you back, Player."
Levi sent me back to the Hunter Association bed in reality, smacking his lips openly as if he were truly disappointed.
When I opened my eyes, I thought I'd spent at least a few hours in that cyberpunk tech city.
But no.
"Less than two minutes passed?"
It was almost the exact same time as when I'd left.
I stared blankly at my phone screen in shock.
"Ah, got it."
Levi spoke to me through the status window in his usual tone, as if saying it was just a basic implant.
"Yeah, that's right."
"Well, yeah..."
...Did he have to call her "childhood friend female"?
I thought that for a moment, but recalling her chastity mindset, I decided not to nitpick.
Then.
"Quest?"
A sudden quest notification.
That Virgin Membrane is Mine! (1)
You must become strong enough to rescue Lee Seolgi, the tragic princess of the Supreme Lee Clan.
To do that, first try reaching the 20th floor.
📍 Success: 200 Points
📍 Failure: Get Raped
"...!"
It was asking me to reach the dungeon's 20th floor, no less.
"20th floor... The upper floors start at 25, so this is pretty dangerous."
The dungeon's three layers were well-documented in hunter-related books: lower, middle, and upper.
Among them, the stretch between the 20th and 24th floors was called the "Wall of Lamentations" for C-rank hunters testing if they could become top-tier.
You had to survive past the 20th to enter the upper floors, which required at least B-rank.
"No, this level is perfect."
My goal wasn't C-rank or B-rank—it was S-rank hunter.
To live a normal daily life with those around me eyeing me from all sides, I'd need at least that much power.
So, without hesitation, I accepted the quest from Levi.
And for me, there was arguably the most cheat-like existence for dungeon exploration.
"Gotta find Lime first thing tomorrow."
I had a slime that could do what's called "floor skipping."
"Waaah! Master, I was so worried!"
The next day.
Someone immediately came running toward me in the Hunter Association lobby, as if they'd been waiting.
It was, of course, my one and only familiar monster.
Lime, the slime girl whose body seemed to melt with her tears.
"I heard all about what happened to you, Master! I'm sorry... I should've been there with you then..."
"No, Lime. You were exhausted back then too."
I pulled the sobbing girl into a tight hug.
And though I shouldn't think this way, honestly, it might've been fortunate that Lime wasn't from the Supreme Clan family.
'The clan head Lee Yul and the others wouldn't treat a 'monster' like Lime properly if they saw themselves as 'human.'
"Lime."
"Yes, Master."
"Let's get stronger."
"...! Yes!!"
We were still weak.
So, we renewed our resolve to become much stronger than now.
Meanwhile.
"Hmm, so this is the one. The unprecedented floor-skipping familiar monster that Yongchan mentioned."
Im Eonnyeon, the branch chief who couldn't enter the dungeon interior due to her heavy responsibilities but had come to see us off at least to the portal.
She was examining the startled Lime up close without making a sound.
"...Oh my, did I startle you?"
"Y-Yes! You scared me!"
Lime...
Sometimes silence is the polite answer.
Yet our Lime hid swiftly behind me despite being a familiar monster, but answered clearly.
"Good. Your relationship."
"...Pardon?"
"At first, I was a bit worried about you having a familiar monster. Male hunters getting done in by their familiars is infamous even among hunters."
Familiar monsters generally obey their master's commands.
They'd been pre-trained by trainer hunters for that.
But in the dungeon, if the 'male master' weakens.
If the male hunter becomes too feeble to even speak orders, then... well, it's obvious.
That's when the master-familiar dynamic flips.
"D-Done in? Master, what are we eating?"
"Huh? Well, you see..."
"In simple terms, it means Lime would never betray Yongchan even if he fell. She's a true 'companion.'"
"Of course! I'd never betray Master! I'll fight alongside him!"
As we walked to the portal on Basement Level 1 following Branch Chief Im Eonnyeon, Lime clenched her fists purely and stuck to my arm like glue.
Like sticky glutinous rice cake.
Her eyes burned as if to say she'd never betray me.
Seeing the slime girl like that, Branch Chief Im Eonnyeon smiled brightly, reassured.
"Once Yongchan and Lime enter the portal, I'll ban other hunters from entering for 30 minutes."
"...! You can even do that?"
"Of course. After all, I'm one of Korea's representative hunters."
If a horde of hunters rushed in right after us claiming to pursue, fights would break out from Floor 1.
It was Branch Chief Im Eonnyeon's consideration to prevent that.
"Thank you so much, Branch Chief."
"No need. You take care and come back safe, Yongchan."
"Yes, ma'am!"
We passed the hunters drooling over us and stood before the portal.
Half were probably bounty hunters; the other half driven by curiosity or pure lust.
"The Supreme Lee Clan has put a '100 million dollar' bounty on you alive."
"100 million dollars...!"
"Yes, the highest amount possible under international law."
In Korean won, that's over 100 billion—an absurd sum.
And worldwide, there are fewer than five fugitives with a 100 million bounty.
"Somehow, you've become an S-rank in the criminal world."
"Haha... I'm screwed. That's..."
Until now, I'd only felt regret for not having parents, but right now, I was glad to be an orphan.
Having a kid with a 100 million bounty would be the ultimate family disgrace.
'Well, our orphanage director would probably give a thumbs up saying it's badass...'
Anyway.
Even for the Supreme Lee Clan, one of the world's top ten families, coughing up that amount wouldn't be easy.
It meant they were desperate to get me.
"Once you enter the portal, you're heading straight to the drinking water lake, right?"
"Yes."
"Then, I recommend the drinking water lake on Floor 15 as your next stop."
Lime's ability to turn dungeon drinking water lakes into floor-skip portals.
Having learned of it, Branch Chief Im Eonnyeon gave this advice just before we crossed.
"You said you want to get strong fast, Yongchan."
"Of course."
"Then, climb floors quickly. It'll come with risks, but... you're prepared for that, right?"
"Yes, thank you so much, Branch Chief Im Eonnyeon."
The dungeon's drinking water lakes.
Come to think of it, the closest one to Floor 12 was on Floor 15?
Unlike Floor 1's hidden lake, it wasn't concealed, so other hunters were likely nearby.
But.
"Status window."
My Magic Power stat had already reached double digits.
Call it a hunch, but with these stats, nothing below the middle floors should shrug off my bullets unscathed.
That said.
"Then we'll be off."
"See ya, human auntie~."
"Hehe. Yes, go on."
"...Huh? Yongchan, wait, take me with—!"
Hm?
I thought I heard a familiar noona's voice at the end there?
But we'd already passed through the portal by then, so I figured I misheard and ignored it.
Thus, we arrived at Dungeon Floor 1.
"Good, no one's around."
As expected of newbie territory, Floor 1 was always sparse unless it was Beginner Course observation time.
But no room for carelessness.
I dashed across the blue plains straight to the secret drinking lake I'd kept from Lee Gok.
Meanwhile, at that moment...
Around the world...
"Yes, Kim Yongchan the hunter has just entered the dungeon."
"The Korean branch has banned portal entry for the next 30 minutes on the branch chief's orders."
"Understood. We'll have to enter from another location."
There were multiple portals, but only one dungeon.
Just different exit points, leading to the same dungeon.
A diverse crowd poured into the portal after the male hunter with the 100 million dollar bounty.