Chapter 14: Whirling Sands of the Desert

A scene in the desert where sandstorms whipped through the air. Whoosh-! A man racing fiercely across the barren ground came into view. Behind him trailed an unbelievable horde of monsters, like an army marching in the wake of a battlefield general. The sheer scale of the procession defied imagination.

A short distance away, three pairs of eyes watched him intently.

"How can he be that fast? I've never seen anyone move like that in my life."

It was Choi Dong-chan's remark as he watched Park Taemin herding the monsters. Song Min-ji nodded in agreement at his awestruck expression.

"Yeah. That speed's gotta be at least 150 movement speed minimum. Even subtracting the Haste buff he's got on him right now, his base has to be over 100."

Park Seung-mi, looking puzzled, chimed in.

"But to have that kind of movement speed, you'd expect to see some gear for it, right? He looks way too ordinary on the outside. And since the Haste is making him even faster, he can't be a mage..."

"Who knows? Maybe everything he's wearing is movement speed ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠gear. Take a good look. You ever seen clothes like that on a hunted monster? Or that weapon? Those could actually be unique items."

"Huh, maybe you're right. But how does someone at such a low level get their hands on stuff like that?"

"Like I'd know? Probably just loaded at home."

As the women sized up Taemin in their own way, Choi Dong-chan's voice signaled the start of battle.

"Everyone, get ready. He's coming."

The hunt proceeded just as before. Taemin would sweep up a bunch of monsters from one area, then the rest of the party would divide them up and take them down. It was a simple, straightforward method—but one that a low-level damage dealer team could only dream of. After all, they had to face over a dozen monsters at once.

About four hours passed without incident, and before they knew it, they'd reached the nineteenth hill—the last one in the Desert Zone.

"Everything past this is the great sands... You guys got any inventory space left?"

Choi Dong-chan asked Song Min-ji and the others, gazing out at the vast wasteland stretching below the summit.

"I'm full."

"Me too. Just... two slots left now."

"Hmm. Herding hunts fill it up fast. I'm out of space too. What about you, Taemin-ssi?"

"I've only got two slots left too."

After checking everyone's inventory, Choi Dong-chan thought for a moment and made his call.

"Let's call it here for today. We've more than hit our quota anyway..."

"I'm in favor."

"Me too. I wanna go wash up already. It's all gritty."

"Yeah, sure..."

"Alright, let's head out. We'll divvy up at the entrance."

Having cut their hunt three hours short, they turned back without regret.

Once at the entrance, the group laid out all the items and materials they'd acquired.

"Split evenly four ways, we'd have one leather and two beaks left over. Leather goes for about 400 each, beaks around 800, so that's 2,000 total. I'll buy 'em up and give you 500 each. Keeps the math clean, right?"

Song Min-ji, eyeing Choi Dong-chan's calculations with clear dissatisfaction, cut in.

"That's not right."

"What now?"

"We gotta subtract the 30 potions Taemin-ssi borrowed. Do you know how much those cost?"

She was referring to the potions she'd lent Taemin before the hunt.

Choi Dong-chan stared at her face in disbelief.

"Thanks to him, we finished early. You know it would've taken us over eight hours without him? Eight hours of hunting, and we'd have burned through that many potions anyway. We saved tons of time and wrapped up sooner—that's what you wanna complain about?"

"Exactly, unnie. Oppa’s right this time."

Even with Park Seung-mi backing him up, Song Min-ji showed no sign of backing down.

"Fine, then you guys don't take yours. I'll just take my share."

"Hey, Song Min-ji."

Taemin stepped in, tired of their bickering.

"Then I'll just sit this one out. Thanks to you all, I leveled up and I'm still breathing. I can always find another team to hunt with."

Taemin knew his contributions were huge, but he wasn't greedy about it. He'd come today just to observe, and the fact they'd saved his life from near-death didn't change. Plus, he'd leveled up—no need to squabble over this.

But Choi Dong-chan saw it differently. Taemin's casual words might as well have been, "I'm done hunting with you guys."

It meant no more of these sweet, efficient hunts going forward.

"Sit it out? You're just taking your due share—ignore her."

Song Min-ji wasn't one to stay quiet.

"Hey, I'm saying I'll take my share, so why're you butting in? You gonna pay for it?"

"Yeah. I'll pay. Just shut up already."

"Fine by me."

In the end, Choi Dong-chan agreed to cover her share of the potion costs, and distribution wrapped ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠up.

After splitting the materials, they headed out, descending the mountain to the parking lot where they'd left the car.

"You girls go ahead. I need to talk to Taemin-ssi real quick."

After sending them off, Choi Dong-chan got to the point.

"Hey, Taemin-ssi. I've been thinking... how about sticking with us long-term? I mean, with your skills, you could join anyone, but hunting with folks who've partied before is just more comfortable, right? Our teamwork's already pretty solid... what do you say?"

There was good reason Choi Dong-chan was trying so hard to recruit the much lower-level Taemin.

Insane efficiency per time invested. Cutting an eight-hour hunt down to three? Only an idiot wouldn't grab that.

But Taemin's response was lukewarm.

"Hmm... not sure. Would she even allow it...?"

He nodded toward the car where Song Min-ji sat.

He could overlook it once as gratitude to his benefactors, but not twice. If they treated him the same next time, he had no reason to stick around. It might be a hassle, but with his abilities, he could find another team anytime.

Reading his intent perfectly, Choi Dong-chan replied as if it were no issue at all.

"Just pretend she doesn't exist. I'll keep her in check. Who does she think she is, messing with today's MVP? I'll drill some sense into her when we get back—promise. We're short-staffed as hell these days anyway."

"Well, if you're going that far... I'll think about it."

He had zero reason to refuse, but playing it this way ensured proper "preemptive training" for Song Min-ji.

Choi Dong-chan smacked his lips in mild disappointment at Taemin's vague answer.

"Alright. Think it over and definitely give me a call. Oh, where's home? I can drop you off."

"Ah, I drove here too. It's just down below—not far. I can walk."

"Ah, got it. Well, see you next time then. You worked hard today—thanks a ton."

Taemin bowed back as Choi Dong-chan bent at the waist excessively.

Once they were gone, Taemin headed to his own car, climbed in, leaned back in the seat, and closed his eyes.

Is this really reality?

The thought hit him only after escaping the brutal dungeon.

It was the disconnect between the outside world and the dungeon. He could hardly believe he'd just been fighting those monsters for his life.

Who the hell even created things like this?

Hunters and monsters. Questions ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠anyone human would have.

Who? Why? For what?

Lately, even he was burning with curiosity.

And rightly so—awakening wasn't just gaining powers. There was a meticulously structured system.

Where did this system even come from?

Whatever. What would a newbie hunter like me know anyway? Just live the life I've been given properly.

Sorting his thoughts, Taemin started the engine and drove off the mountain.

Back home, the moment he entered his room, he checked his skill window first.

"They said from the great sands on, you'd have to take them one by one, right?"

According to Choi Dong-chan, the monsters past the hills in the great sands were higher level, making herding hunts impossible.

That left Taemin with little to do. Since he hadn't even scratched the scorpion in their close fight, he'd be dead weight unless he invested in attack skills.

"Got eight points anyway."

Taemin dumped points into Hydeger, maxing it out.

"This should do it. With a weapon equipped for +100 attack, that'd be around 350 total, right?"

After allocating skills, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠he opened his status window. Four levels up meant 20 stat points available.

"Let's see. Weapon gives mana up to 225. Arrainba and Hydeger together need 360, so..."

After calculating, Taemin put 7 points into Mentality and the rest into Agility.

"No telling when mana gear drops, so seven points should be fine."