The Firebird Guild Kept Its Promise
The Firebird Guild kept its promise.
The dungeon that had occurred in Yongin, Gyeonggi Province.
The mana reaction showed a C-rank, which, while considered lower tier, appeared slightly higher than a typical C-rank dungeon.
“It seems you should be cautious. There’s a high possibility that a ‘boss-level’ monster is mixed in with the normal low-rank monsters.”
When the rank showed even a slightly elevated value like this, it almost always meant a boss monster was likely present.
Yoo Seonghyun standing in front of Dojin explained the analyzed dungeon gate in detail.
Then he asked while looking at Dojin.
“But… is that all the equipment?”
“Yes.”
Just a single dagger.
No matter how novice a hunter was…
Especially if they were in the assassin class, they usually wore decent jackets or protective gear…
‘Ah, no matter how I look at it, it’s just jeans…?’
It gave off a feeling like he was off on a picnic.
But Dojin had no care for it as he looked at the people waiting in front of the dungeon entrance.
‘The loot collection team, huh.’
A trailer parked in front of the dungeon.
And over twenty people.
Seonghyun said.
“After the dungeon is cleared, the loot collection team will handle gathering the loot. After settlement, we’ll handle the transparent sorting and deliver it to you.”
“I trust you’ll handle it well on your own.”
Dojin walked straight into the dungeon without hesitation.
Although it was a formal dungeon, there was no difference from an underexplored dungeon.
It was simply that there was no need to search for dungeons ahead and preparation was ready.
Swish.
Finally entering the dungeon, Dojin surveyed his surroundings.
An ordinary goblin village.
But…
“……So that was it.”
Seonghyun’s words came to mind.
―There’s a high possibility that a ‘boss-level’ monster is mixed in with the normal low-rank monsters.
Dojin had already noticed it.
Because he had experienced it so many times it was worn thin.
And here.
‘It wasn’t a simple goblin village.’
Dojin’s gaze turned toward one of the figures.
A body far larger than the normal goblins.
A body with muscles reminiscent of an orc, holding a magic staff.
“The village of Hopgoblins.”
The Hopgoblin at the top of the goblin hierarchy.
* * *
“Isn’t this dangerous?”
Hearing Sungwang’s question, Hyejin let out a light laugh.
“Well, it might be doable. It’s a low-rank dungeon, as the guy mentioned.”
“But even if it’s a low-rank dungeon, Hopgoblins are considered mid-tier monsters. Normally, it would be tough for a hunter around level 50…”
“It doesn’t matter, because the dungeons we’ve cleared so far have all been impossible anyway. And it was a request for an alliance with us, not guild membership.”
Hyejin stood up from her seat.
“An alliance is something that can only be done when both sides have similar power. So if that’s the case, we should look at the person’s potential and check the balance.”
“If it’s an alliance and not membership, there’s something to confirm more precisely.”
Hyejin turned her gaze out the window.
Sungwang’s anxious expression behind her, reflected slightly on the glass alongside Hyejin’s face.
Pfft.
Hyejin lifted the corner of her mouth and said.
“If Kim Cheolsun has the potential and ability… he’ll show it again this time. If not, there’s no need to go through the trouble of forming an alliance.”
“……Yes.”
Hearing Hyejin’s words, Sungwang let out a small sigh.
It seemed her habit of hitting a stone bridge twice had appeared.
Sungwang was simply praying.
‘Please… succeed. Mr. Kim Cheolsu.’
* * *
Puwuk!
Thud.
“……It’s over.”
Dojin looked at the goblins surrounding him.
Just like how he had shown the path he came from, the goblins’ bodies lay in a straight line.
And under Dojin’s feet.
[You have acquired 378,000 experience points.]
[Level up.]
The Hopgoblin had fallen.
The reason the goblins had fallen in a line was simple.
It was to feed critical hits to the goblins in order to reset the cooldown of Time Distortion.
Of course, killing them all at once was the same, but.
Swish.
Dojin drew his dagger.
The tricky part about the Hopgoblin was that, unlike the other goblins, it had an excellent brain capable of coming up with ‘strategies’ and magic that was threatening.
But if they died first like this, there was no need to feel that threat at all.
Dojin looked at the remaining goblins surrounding him.
“Let’s finish this quickly. There are people waiting outside.”
The surrounding time began to slow down.
* * *
“Kuh, cleared!”
“How long was it? How many minutes?”
As the gate shook slightly and darkened, the people waiting on the platform erupted in chaos.
Darkening of the color meant the dungeon had been cleared.
Seonghyun quickly checked the time.
It was only 13 minutes since Dojin had entered.
Seonghyun’s pupils shook greatly.
‘He… cleared the Hopgoblin village in just 13 minutes by himself?’
The way to clear a dungeon that spawns Hopgoblins had to be done carefully.
Because Hopgoblins possessed intelligence on the same level as humans.
So rather than a direct confrontation, the priority was to whittle down the Hopgoblin’s forces one by one by slicing off the goblins.
It had the disadvantage of taking some time, but it was the safest way to deal with Hopgoblins.
But 13 minutes?
“……He just rushed in and stabbed them all with the dagger… what?”
Even lining up the goblins and killing them at that speed was believable.
Stomp.
At that moment, Dojin came out of the dungeon.
Seonghyun hurriedly approached him and said.
“G-gentlemen, you must have suffered a lot!”
“Where is the next dungeon?”
“Ah… well, there are no prepared dungeons today.”
“Is that so?”
Of course, since there weren’t dozens of dungeons matching Dojin’s conditions, it couldn’t be made one after another.
To Seonghyun’s response, Dojin answered hastily.
“But, the general team leader instructed that if possible throughout this week, we should assign it daily. Would you like me to prepare two per day by pulling them forward?”
“Is the weekly quota around 7?”
“Based on the reports I received, yes.”
“Please report to increase it to 8. And if it passes, divide it into two per day.”
“Understood. I’ll handle it as quickly as possible after reporting.”
Seonghyun was like Dojin’s manager.
Because he was also the only connection between the Firebird Guild and Dojin.
Seonghyun asked cautiously.
“But… could you tell me your account number?”
“Account?”
“T-that’s because we need a place to deposit after dividing the loot.”
Ah, right.
To receive money, there was ultimately no choice but to tell him the account under the name Ha Dojin.
Dojin stared at Seonghyun.
He hadn’t wanted to make it public yet.
Dojin asked.
“Can Yoo Seonghyun handle that money?”
“Yes, yes? What do you mean….”
“As you can see, I don’t have any equipment, so I’d like you to convert the settled money into equipment and pay it out. Ah, I’ll pay the fee. How about 10% of the share I receive?”
“10%?”
Seonghyun’s eyes widened in an instant.
Even a low-rank dungeon, the loot from one dungeon was basic 30 to 40 million won.
Especially today’s case with the Hopgoblin village, it was at least 50 million won minimum. If the Hopgoblin’s body condition was good, it could reach about 70 million won.
“H-he has a 40% share, so….”
Assuming the minimum 50 million won.
Cheolsu’s share was 20 million won, plus 10%…
‘200 million won…?’
Seonghyun’s monthly salary at the Firebird Guild was about 3 million won after taxes.
Because he wasn’t active as a combat hunter.
If Cheolsu was clearing two dungeons a day, the incentive Seonghyun received would be more than his salary.
“U-uhuh!”
In an instant, the calculation was complete and Seonghyun was sniffling with tears.
Seonghyun said.
“M-may I call you Hyung-nim?”
“How old are you, Seonghyun?”
“I’m 27 this year.”
“I’m 25.”
“It doesn’t matter. If you have good skills and a lot of money, aren’t you Hyung?”
“……”
What the hell, this guy.
Dojin, looking at Seonghyun who kept bowing his head and shouting “Thank you,” just scratched his cheek.
* * *
Bang!
“Kuh!”
The man who was kicked flying hit the wall and vomited blood from his mouth.
Red blood splashed on his white shirt, and the fallen man quickly dropped to both knees at the spot.
Crack, crack.
A man approaching while stepping on broken ceramic shards on the floor.
A man with an impressive scratch next to his short-cropped hair, in a bear-like build.
Ha Sangwoong.
He was a B-rank hunter affiliated with Red Circle.
He handled dungeon clearing, but more than that, he was mainly responsible for managing the financial side of Red Circle’s affiliated business companies.
Sangwoong looked at Yoo Won, who was kneeling on the floor trembling.
Sangwoong said.
“Hey, Yoo Won.”
“Y-yes, yes, y-yes!”
“If I just say the contact wasn’t made, is it over? Have you looked for that guy?”
“T-that… I checked with the person in charge and went to the registered address, but… they already moved out….”
Smash!
“Kyah!”
Sangwoong grabbed Yoo Won’s hair and tilted his head back.
Yoo Won trembled without any resistance.
Sangwoong said.
“So what are you going to do? 3 billion. Just lose it?”
“No! No! I will definitely find him. I swear! Just give me a little time!”
At that, Sangwoong stood up from his seat and looked down at Yoo Won.
Yoo Won, heavily scared and trembling like a poplar tree.
Sangwoong placed his foot on Yoo Won’s thigh while kneeling.
Crack!
“Kuuuuuuuuaaaak!”
Yoo Won screamed in pain as if his leg was breaking.
Sangwoong looked at Yoo Won and said.
“I’m giving you a week. If you can’t find him….”
Sangwoong’s eyes were ice cold.
Yoo Won swallowed saliva without realizing it.
Because he felt like he might actually die.
“I-I will definitely find him.”
“You better. Otherwise, Yoo Won’s parents will be very sad.”
Sangwoong took his foot off Yoo Won’s thigh, patted his head, and turned his body.
And the representative’s office of Red Capital that he left.
In the messy office, Yoo Won walked somewhere while distorting his expression like a crushed paper cup.
* * *
“Hyung-nim!”
“……Have you come?”
He had said it twice because he was two years younger.
Dojin asked him as if giving up.
“Where is today?”
“I’ve prepared one after checking Anseong and going to Ansan. I’ll escort you, Hyung-nim, so rest well.”
“Yes.”
Dojin turned his head to look out the window.
He was moving in a hurry, but there were still too many things to do.
But at that moment…
“But where do you live, Hyung-nim?”
“Right now… there’s no fixed place.”
Right after receiving Red Circle’s money, he had left the officetel.
After all, it was a room with monthly rent, and the deposit wasn’t much anyway.
‘Finding where I am wouldn’t be hard.’
He had blocked all numbers suspected of being those guys for a while now, but it wasn’t safe either.
Since the intent had been revealed, they would be searching with eyes wide open.
‘If possible… I hope that somewhat decent guy gets caught.’
To manage something like Red Capital, he would need to be at least a B-rank hunter.
Because the scale of Red Circle guild was that level.
‘B-rank means at least 100, mid-teens.’
Dojin had received a special trait and possessed absurd stats, but fighting a hunter in the 100s was still dangerous.
He would have the advantage in experience or skill, but he couldn’t ignore basic stats.
‘Current level… 49.’
One more level and he could get job-related skills.
Skills were gained one by one at 50-level intervals.
‘It will be like one step forward.’
Awakened and one year.
If he achieved 50 levels within that, he would get all sorts of titles like genius, promising, and prodigy.
Dojin had only been awakened for a month.
But he was already right in front of level 50.
‘I need to grow without stopping until at least level 80.’
To clear the middle management level, he needed the basics to match it.
Dojin headed to the Anseong dungeon while thinking of the Red Capital that had caused a stir.
And when he arrived at the dungeon entrance.
“We have arrived, Hyung-nim.”
Following Seonghyun’s guidance, Dojin looked at the dungeon in front of him.
The loot collection team had already arrived and was waiting.
Seonghyun moved to the soldiers managing the dungeon and went through various procedures.
But at that moment…
“Mr. Kim Cheolsu?”
“……?”
Dojin turned his head at the voice coming from behind.