Another Jackpot (2)
Dungeons. Perilous places teeming with all sorts of traps and powerful monsters.
In this world, there were two kinds of dungeons. One was the dungeons that had existed on the continent from the very beginning, before the northern monsters invaded. The other was the dungeons directly created by the northern monsters.
The "Abandoned Mine" dungeon that Yeong-sik had found was presumed to be one that had been on the continent from the start.
Dungeons were home to many elite monsters and riddled with life-threatening traps, so one wrong move could easily cost you your life. And yet, despite all that, dungeons were incredibly popular among summoners—places they couldn't stay away from.
The reason for their popularity was simple. For summoners, the two most important things were gold and experience points, and dungeons offered far more of both than hunting grounds of the same level.
Clearing a dungeon once could yield not just multiple rare items, but also amounts of gold and experience points unimaginable in regular hunting grounds. It was only natural that summoners' eyes would glaze over at such sweet rewards.
"This is... a jackpot."
Bae Han-seong let out a gasp of admiration as he stepped into the entrance of the dungeon Yeong-sik had discovered. He still wasn't sure exactly what kind of dungeon it was, but one thing was certain: the rewards waiting inside dwarfed anything like hunting a Red-Maned Rakan.
"Are dungeons really that great?"
Yeong-sik, who had never set foot in one before, tilted his head curiously.
Bae Han-seong nodded at his question. "Do you remember what White Sword Kang Ha-rin said before? She mentioned that if you focus on elite monsters in a dungeon, you could reach level 60 in just two months."
"Ah... yeah, I think I do."
Yeong-sik nodded as the memory surfaced. Kang Ha-rin had indeed said something like that.
"That dungeon was probably one they deliberately left uncleared to train new guild members."
"...Smart way to do it."
Yeong-sik thought to himself that it was just like a massive guild and wore an impressed expression.
Bae Han-seong grinned and continued. "Even that alone offers huge rewards. But on top of that, we'll get the 'first clear' bonus."
"First clear bonus?"
"For the first week after discovering a dungeon, you get bonuses to experience points, gold, rare item drop rates, and more."
"Ahh."
Yeong-sik nodded, recalling the message window that had popped up in front of him earlier.
"It depends on what's inside, of course... but if it's the right difficulty for your party, Yeong-sik, you could grow at an insane speed."
Bae Han-seong's voice carried a hint of excitement as he spoke. Yeong-sik responded with a satisfied smile of his own.
Then, a certain fact flashed through Yeong-sik's mind.
Come to think of it, my level cap is still 35...
Only then did Yeong-sik remember his current level cap. His level was 27 right now.
Even in a "jackpot" dungeon guaranteed to offer explosive growth, hitting that cap after just eight levels would be a problem.
But at least we can make a ton of money.
If he could buy iron ore with that gold, he could keep manufacturing machines with his Manufacture skill to level up Structure Analysis. And when Structure Analysis leveled up, it would raise his level cap along with unlocking new abilities.
This is my chance.
Yeong-sik's eyes sparkled as he peered into the dark dungeon interior.
This dungeon exploration was a golden opportunity for him to take another step forward in his growth.
"Shall we head in right now, then?"
Yeong-sik spoke with eyes full of enthusiasm.
But Bae Han-seong shook his head. "Going in as we are would be too dangerous."
"So, what's the plan?"
Yeong-sik asked, looking a bit disappointed.
Bae Han-seong pondered for a moment before replying. "Hm... For dungeons, it's standard to bring a few more supporters."
"But with the difficulty unknown, just adding supporters blindly won't help much, right?"
Yeong-sik tilted his head again.
He was right—for this dungeon to truly be their "jackpot," it had to be a difficulty his party could handle. If level 50+ monsters showed up, his current group wouldn't stand a chance.
"Let's just peek in and check the difficulty a bit."
Bae Han-seong nodded in agreement with Yeong-sik's logical point.
Yeong-sik pressed on. "And if the monsters are too strong for our party?"
"In that case, as regrettable as it is, we'd have to skip the first clear bonus, level up elsewhere, and come back later. It'd be a shame to abandon the best hunting ground there is just because our levels don't match."
Yeong-sik nodded at that. Missing the first clear bonus stung, but it was far better than forcing a wipe.
"Then let's just check the entrance."
With that, Bae Han-seong took the lead and advanced.
Normally, tank Kim Gil-su would be up front, but with the dungeon's difficulty unknown, the highest-level member, Bae Han-seong, stepped forward instead.
Seeing a healer class at the vanguard gave Yeong-sik a complicated expression. It was a stark reminder of just how much power levels made a difference.
Thud.
Thud.
As they ventured a little inside, heavy thuds echoed through the dungeon. Yeong-sik's group tensed and looked toward the sound.
A massive Stone Golem, nearly three meters tall, was lumbering toward them.
-Intruders. Eliminate.
"A Stone Golem..."
Bae Han-seong narrowed his eyes sharply at the monster and raised one hand. "Bless Fire."
Pure white flames ignited on his right arm. He hurled them at the approaching Stone Golem.
Whoosh!
The golem's body was engulfed in white fire, but it pressed forward undeterred. Kim Gil-su stepped up and raised his shield.
"Holy Strike!"
A fist-sized orb of light shot from Bae Han-seong's hand. The Stone Golem staggered violently from the hit and collapsed before it could reach Yeong-sik's group.
A thick smile spread across Bae Han-seong's face. "Perfect. Seems like around level 30 monsters."
"Then should we start clearing the dungeon now?"
Yeong-sik suggested, noting the modest monster level.
But Bae Han-seong shook his head. "No. Let's head back to the guild first and bring some extra supporters."
"Is it tough for you alone, Han-seong?"
"Yes. I'm not a combat class to begin with, and levels aren't everything in this world. If dozens of Stone Golems poured out at once, we'd be helpless."
No matter how high-level you were, you couldn't handle a swarm!
That was something Yeong-sik had heard since arriving in this world.
"Let's scout a bit more, then head back to the guild."
Yeong-sik's group explored the Abandoned Mine for about an hour before exiting. In that time, they learned the main monsters weren't Stone Golems, but ragged zombies dressed in tattered miner clothes.
Bae Han-seong estimated the zombies at around level 20—easier to handle than the golems, even.
Back at the guild, Yeong-sik's group explained the situation to Tiriya and requested additional support. She looked worried at the news of a dungeon and suggested they skip it, but the other guild members were positive.
The added supporters ended up being Yuna, Chae-rin, and Han-seong.
Yuna had grumbled that Chae-rin was useless in dungeon-style fields, but Chae-rin whined about being cooped up in the guild house being boring and clung to Yuna's arm until she relented. In the end, Yuna agreed to three supporters, including Chae-rin.
Having three level 80+ summoners swarm a level 30 dungeon was inefficient, but it wasn't a bad precaution for safety.
"Everyone, be careful out there."
The next morning, Tiriya saw them off outside with a concerned expression. Now six strong, Yeong-sik's group returned her wave and headed for the forest where the dungeon lay.
"Whoa? It's been ages since I went out!"
Yuna stretched vigorously, as if sick of being stuck in the guild house. She wore a loose robe with the hood pulled low over her face.
Yeong-sik glanced at her and spoke up. "Come to think of it, why didn't you cover your face when we first met?"
"Huh? Oh, that was a newbie hunting ground, and... it was a swamp. No way I could wear a hood in that insane steam-bath heat."
Yuna made a face like she could still feel the misery. Yeong-sik chuckled.
"Ugh... it's stuffy, Yuna-unnie."
"Hang in there. You can take it off once we're in the forest."
Chae-rin, stuck to Yuna's side like glue, pouted. Yuna patted her head and kept walking.
That was when it happened.
"How about some nice, cool fruit juice?"
A kindly-looking old woman approached them. Behind her was a cart with a magic ice-making tool and an array of fruits.
Chae-rin's eyes lit up at the words.
"Hehe! Yuna-unnie, buy me some juice!"
"Ugh... you little leech."
Yuna sighed and approached the old woman. "How much per cup?"
"Fifty copper each."
"Nngh. Six cups, please."
Not wanting to buy just for Chae-rin, Yuna ordered six. The old woman smiled warmly and began making the juice with ice from the magic tool.
"Judging by your outfits, you're summoners, right?"
The old woman asked Yuna as she worked. Yuna nodded.
"Yeah, we are."
"Tsk tsk. The world's full of wonders. Never thought I'd live to meet folks from another world."
The old woman smiled lightly as she said it.
Yuna gave an awkward smile, unsure how to respond. The old woman glanced at her waist and spoke again.
"Speaking of, that's an unusual weapon you're carrying."
She eyed the two red twin swords—Ssang-sik—strapped to Yuna's waist. Yuna shrugged.
"People fight by popping blades from their wrists, and you're surprised by this?"
"Oh? Folks like that exist?"
The old woman looked intrigued. Yuna smirked and glanced toward Yeong-sik.
Yeong-sik sighed deeply, rubbing his temple, and looked away.
"Here you go."
The old woman handed over the six cups of juice. Yeong-sik took his and sipped as they resumed walking.
This feels less like heading to a dungeon and more like a picnic.
Yeong-sik wore a subtle expression at the overly peaceful vibe.
Well, it's only natural.
He'd heard Yuna was level 92 this time. With a hidden combat-specialized class on top of that—not a healer like Bae Han-seong—clearing a low-level dungeon like this probably felt like a stroll to her.
The fact that what was a life-or-death raid for his group was just a casual walk for her left Yeong-sik's feelings complicated.
He resolved to level up faster himself and quickened his pace toward the forest.
"Take care of yourselves!"
The old woman waved them off. Yeong-sik's group vanished beyond the city limits.
Once they were gone, the old woman's kindly expression hardened.
She turned and opened a drawer in her cart. A communication crystal orb rested inside, now gripped in her hand.