The Secret to Lightning-Fast Hunting

What was the most essential thing for fast hunting?

Most people would answer, "A skill with overwhelming power that can one-shot mobs."

Of course, that was right. And a short cooldown to spam such skills, along with ample MP, could also be valid answers.

But what if you already had all of that?

Carpe was certain.

The auto-loot function was the indispensable key to swift hunting!

The shorter the time spent picking up items, the longer you could hunt—it was that simple.

In that sense, Carpe was incredibly blessed.

"Kyuu kyuu!"

"Yeah, Hyang-ah. You picked up all the items outside?"

"Kyuu!"

"Good, good. You're the best, Hyang-ah. Here, a king-sized acorn from the Elf Forest."

A cute pet that automatically gathered items!

The being every Last Savior user dreamed of was already by Carpe's side.

"Well done, Hyang. You performed your duty splendidly once again."

Tina, in doll mode, said this before hopping out of the pocket on Carpe's chest.

She approached Mukhyang and handed over a small acorn.

"A display worthy of my lord's first knight. Please accept my acorn as well."

"Kyuuu!"

Mukhyang, receiving acorns from both Carpe and Tina, let out a joyful squeak and stuffed them into its cheeks.

Tina then naturally climbed onto Mukhyang's back.

‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠

"My lord, we'll move separately and clear out the enemies. It would be more efficient that way. Mirage! You come here too."

"Ugh……."

At Tina's call, a head of stark white hair popped out from the opposite pocket where Tina had been.

It was Mirage, also in doll mode.

"Tinaaa…… I don't like fighting……."

"No whining. Mirage, come here at once."

"Maaaster……."

Mirage looked at Carpe with pleading eyes, begging for help.

Mirage was already cute in her childlike form, but doll mode cranked that cuteness up another notch.

Even a stone-cold heart would melt at the sight, and Carpe found himself nodding involuntarily.

If she hates fighting, what can you do!

"No…… well, you don't have to fight directly. You'll still get EXP if I kill them, right? You can just stay quietly in the pocket……."

"That won't do, my lord. We'll face prestige-shaking battles someday. To prepare, I, Hyang, and Mirage must sync our teamwork."

"……She says so?"

But Carpe's defense crumbled pathetically before Tina's ironclad logic.

In the end, Mirage let out a soft sigh and hopped out of the pocket.

"Tina's too rigid."

"'Rigid' is the wrong word. This is pursuing the righteous and efficient path."

"That's exactly what makes you rigiddd."

Mirage grumbled ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠as she approached Mukhyang. Tina was already on its back, so it was a bit cramped for two, but…….

"Kyuu kyuu!"

Mukhyang activated its Enlarge skill, growing just enough to make ample space for both.

Tina nodded once Mirage was aboard.

"My lord, we wish you good fortune."

"Yeah. You too, Tina. Head back to the Room if it's dangerous."

"Thank you for your concern. Then, Hyang. Let's depart."

"Kyuuu~"

Carpe smiled, watching Mukhyang scamper off with the dolls in tow.

"Bro. Why are they so cute?"

-Tch tch. Such a doting parent.

"Is this the joy of parenting……."

Carpe. Age 23.

He'd discovered a father's pleasure a bit early.

-Huh? Hey, watch…….

Thwack!

-……No need, I guess. Yeah. This place is too easy for your level.

"Not as crowded as I thought."

Carpe muttered as he casually felled a Wind Spirit charging at him.

He'd expected KD guild members to swarm endlessly once inside the cave…… but reality was sporadic groups of three or four.

"I braced for 1 vs. 100, but this is kinda anticlimactic."

-Can't be helped. Even top guilds at this level cap at around 150 members.

It made sense—guilds couldn't recruit infinitely upon creation.

"Really? So even top 10 guilds aren't that huge?"

-Nah. Member limits scale with guild master's level.

The cap was tied to the guild master's level: under 50 for 150 members, 50+ for 300, 100+ for 500.

-Even if the master hits the level, expansion requires guild quests. Not too hard, so most clear 'em.

"Hmm. Kinda intricate. So top 10s aren't full 500s…… probably alliances of multiple 500-mans."

-Bingo. Sharp eye—you game a lot.

Core guild with the master, plus sub-guilds run by officers.

Total manpower? Thousands easy, usually tens of thousands.

Rumor had it China's top 10s hit hundreds of thousands—possible with their 100M+ playerbase.

-Samsung Electronics has like 150K domestic staff? Top guilds rival megacorps.

And they were expanding sub-guilds rapidly—practically conglomerates now.

"Scale's insane…… feels like another world."

-Maybe now, but climb higher and you'll bump into 'em more. This KD might be a fringe sub-guild of a top 10.

"Hearing that just makes me wanna rampage harder."

Anyway, level-cap meant max 150 here, same for KD.

-Fewer than expected, right? Can't 24/7—shifts of 2 or 3. Logged in now? Maybe 70 tops.

"Yeah, fair point."

Even accounting for that, it felt light…… maybe trouble elsewhere.

Carpe nodded and pressed on.

Soon, KD ambushed again.

But this time, with actual strategy—not blind charges.

"No matter how strong, can you handle this many?"

"Heard you were hot shit in a past run…… wrong target, pal."

"Always some self-righteous crusader. Would've passed fine if you'd stayed quiet."

Four KD members charged, spouting third-rate villain lines—trailing dozens of Wind Spirits.

-Aha. Mob-drop PK. Wind Cave blocks teleports/warps, so it works.

Mob-drop PK.

Aka "mob-sticking"—classic PK trick any RPG vet knew.

Simple: Pull aggro from dozens of "first-strike" mobs, lure to target.

Group-vanish with return scrolls/teleports right in front.

Mobs fixate on lone target, overwhelm and kill.

'Hmm. Classic. But how do they escape? Teleport ban ain't just for me.'

-No need for teleport. Just break mob perception.

As Cheonma said, KD activated skills in unison.

"Cloaking!"

"Hiding!"

Stealth skills engaged.

Wind Spirits paused at vanished aggro-holders, then locked onto nearby Carpe.

"Whoa. Pros—not their first rodeo."

Perfect sync. Timing a massive mob herd like that took practice.

Told how many victims they'd claimed this way.

They nailed it again.

"Such ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠good boys. Delivering mobs right to me."

Of course, only if the target wasn't Carpe.

Carpe triggered a skill at the oncoming horde.

"Permafrost!"

Crack!

A wave of ice engulfed the mob legion.

9-star skill, 100+ Magic stat, plus Legendary Frozen Binding Ring boosting ice damage/effects.

Level 40 mobs? No chance.

Dozens of Wind Spirits shattered into EXP.

So many mobs, one shot leveled him up.

And it didn't stop there.

Permafrost ignored stealth.

"What the fuck! What the hell is that psycho?!"

"Gah! Chills to the bone!"

"No! If I die now, death penalty stacks……."

The stealthing KD members between Carpe and mobs got swept away too.

"Ahh, refreshing. AoE skills are the best!"

-Pity. They seemed seasoned…… never dreamed a monster like you would invade.

"That's why live kindly. Evil gets divine punishment eventually. Off to hellfire."

Well, ice hell this time.

Permafrost left heaps of loot behind.

"Alright, Hyang-ah. Gather items…… oh, right, you're out."

-Probably looting elsewhere. They're strong enough without you.

"True. Huh?"

Carpe turned mid-loot.

Crashing and shouts echoed from deep in the dungeon—opposite the entrance.

"Hmm. Sounds like a fight ahead? KD farming mobs?"

-Doubt it. Zone's wrecked 'cause of you—nobody farms calmly unless insane.

"Fair……."

Then what?

Not Tina's direction either.

Carpe finished looting and headed toward the noise.

"……Huh? No way?"

-Whoa, this timing?

An utterly unexpected sight unfolded.

The 10-Star Player's Lucky Draw