First Discoverer's Privilege
Rerto Karen has delegated Party Leader authority to you. The First Discoverer's special privileges previously held by Rerto Karen have been transferred to you.
"Now all I have to do is kill you and hog the privileges, right?"
I let go of his hand and smirked at him.
"It's a privilege that only lasts two more days anyway. Handing it over to you doesn't mean much. In exchange, you'll end up on the Los Clan's hit list. I don't know how much you can level up with it, but you decide which is the better deal."
Rerto wiped the hand I had just gripped on his cloak and said.
Yeah. Arrogant enough to make me want to kill him.
Black Eye shared his impression of the guy with me, and I didn't disagree.
Yeah.
Our final verdict on the guy was mutual.
"Rerto Karen. You don't need a full briefing, I assume. The key is to never touch the horizontal spider threads. We only move along the vertical ones. Otherwise, the monsters from the entire dungeon will swarm us."
He nodded at my words.
"Phlia, wipe off the slime. From now on, we'll pick off only the spiders and head straight underground, fast."
"Got it."
Phlia swiftly swung her dagger through the air, shaking the snail slime off the blade and onto the floor.
Chiiik...!!
The slime hit the ground and instantly melted the spider thread, spewing smoke.
What the hell is that?
Rerto stared at Phlia, clearly curious about the dagger that had so easily sliced through the spider threads that had bound him moments ago.
As expected.
I smirked at his reaction. There was no real need to clean it right then, but I'd deliberately had Phlia do it where he could see. I wanted to plant that seed of doubt.
The value of a dungeon strat goes up the fewer people know it.
Well, it's not a hidden dungeon—it's an open one, so a strategy guide will come out eventually. Might be good to sell it at the right time.
"Why? Curious? Still got that itch to conquer every dungeon and live up to your title as the top dungeon raider?"
"Not really."
"And yet you're way behind in the achievement rankings."
"Are you that anonymous player, Kim Do-hyun?"
I curled my lip and shrugged at his question.
"Why ask if you won't believe me even if I say no?"
"Whether it is or isn't you, I hope you don't do anything to piss me off. The eight major clans are already watching you and your party."
"What can they do when they don't even know I'm here?"
I brushed off Rerto Karen's warning lightly and readjusted my grip on my sword.
"And be careful."
"...?"
"Hidden Eater."
His face hardened at that final word. From the shift in his expression, I could tell they still didn't know for sure who the anonymous player was.
That'll give them a headache.
I sneered mockingly at him and descended to the next floor of the dungeon.
Kwaang-!
Kwang---!
"Phlia!"
At my shout following the thunderous boom from Red Sickle, she drove her twin daggers into the spider's head from behind.
Taang-!
With that sound, the spider's thick skull cracked open.
High-level players really are different.
Unlike my sword, which had just bounced off the shell, her daggers weren't lethal but packed enough force to shatter it.
"Hup...!!"
I didn't miss the opening, thrusting my sword straight into the cracked shell.
Kyaak! Kyaak!!!
In that instant, another spider I hadn't finished off lunged at me like a beast, its scythe-like fangs bared wide.
Kwaaang---!!
But just before its fangs reached me, Rerto Karen's sword—glowing with a faint, milky-white aura—slashed vertically from above, cleaving the monster's head in two.
Kwang!!
Crack...!!
Rerto winced slightly as his wrist throbbed from the impact, but his sword paused only briefly before erupting with an even fiercer aura, pulverizing the spider's head entirely.
To make it into the 17 retainers, he must have mastered the basics of Silver Swordsmanship, but that's insane strength for someone in their level 40s. Did he pump general stats? Or maybe it's the Memory Keeper privilege.
He'd been a tank leading the raid in Dimension World 1. Back then, no one could match him in vitality and strength.
"Shattering a tough spider skull like that... Impressive. The Kartinin family's sword art is Silver Swordsmanship, right?"
"Yes."
"Powerful, but not as sharp as I expected. Is it heavily biased toward defense? Or maybe your mastery is just lacking."
"Both."
Rerto Karen wiped the spider slime from his silver blade while throwing that not-quite-taunt back at me.
"The game's only been out a short while. It's natural to be lacking. Plus, this is just a basic sword strike from the form—not a skill. But as you know, even normal attacks get bonus damage if the swordsmanship fundamentals are perfectly reproduced."
I nodded at his words.
"No need to hide the abilities you've mastered."
He said it calmly, but I knew it was aimed directly at me.
Whiiik-!!
He flicked his sword through the air to shake it off. It really was a Heroic-grade weapon—it took zero damage from the venomous slime.
"No need to hide it like some people."
He tilted his head cockily, shooting me a sidelong glance.
Annoying as hell, but he lives up to his name.
It took only half a day to reach the final floor of the tomb. A big reason for that speed was Rerto Karen joining us.
From maintaining formation to pulling aggro at the right spots. Top players really are on another level.
I'd focused solely on the arena, so I had to admit he was a step ahead in actual monster hunting.
If Jin-su and Chan-ho become Zodiac inheritors, I'll be the one leading hunts. This is a good chance to study his playstyle.
But ironically, Rerto Karen was the one who was more shocked.
From what I know, Kim Do-hyun didn't touch any content outside the arena... What gives? His hunting sense is sharp, but that swordplay is no joke.
His expression grew stonier with each passing floor.
I'd been an arena mage in-game but wielded a sword alongside knights against hordes in my dreams. Combining game experience with dream experience was completely confusing him.
Wondering what class I have? Keep guessing. I'll mess up your head completely.
I sneered at him. Probing me mid-dungeon was probably more important to him than clearing it right now.
"This is the final floor."
Rerto Karen slowly raised his head, breaking the silence.
Just as he said, ahead lay the Queen's Nest—the lair of the Spider Lord's Tomb boss, the Spider Queen.
"Game plan?"
"Two options. My quest is for the Grave Heaven Demonic Ring that makes queen spider threads. But I can get it without killing her. It's in a chest inside the thread nest."
Rerto nodded.
"I also prepared a tool to stun the Spider Queen briefly. It won't hold her for long, but with Phlia's speed, it's doable."
I lightly shook the glass vial of moth sleep powder at him.
"Then there's no need to hesitate—just grab the quest item."
"Yeah, that was the initial plan."
"...?"
He turned to look at me.
"If not for the top dungeon raider, Rerto Karen."
"You..."
He narrowed his eyes, glaring as he caught onto my intent.
"Since we're here, why not take down the Spider Queen? A dungeon clear at this level would be a server first. Not bad for you. You guys love spreading rumors on the community boards."
I spread my palm like I was unfurling a banner.
"Rerto Karen of the Los Clan clears a level 40 dungeon! Sounds good for PR, right? Your rep's taken a hit from that anonymous player lately."
"...So that's why you wanted party leader rights."
He replied coldly, seeing right through my words.
Party leader rights. Forming parties, recruiting, mediating—it's a hassle most people avoid. But leaders have one massive, solid perk: loot distribution.
You can't arbitrarily claim multiples to prevent hogging, and it has to be fair, but you get first pick from same-grade items.
It causes issues sometimes, but leading isn't easy, so most players agree it's fair.
"Well, among other things. Even better if good loot drops."
"Acting like this toward me... You want to make an enemy of the Kartinin family?"
He asked, echoing the same threat I'd given Hamma.
"Enemy? Were we ever allies? You've been an obstacle from the start."
Kkuduk-
He glared murderously, grinding his teeth. But he knew he had no choice.
"If you want to clear Parahum and pass the Davian Knight's Trial, shut up and follow me. At least I'll let you take the Lost King's Scepter."
The holy auxiliary weapon [Lost King's Scepter] was usable beyond quests, so it held a high grade.
The Lost King's Scepter is a quest item with a 100% drop rate. The rest might be a same-grade Spirit Idol.
If that happened, Rerto, needing the scepter, wouldn't get a choice on the other items.
Use Rerto Karen to clear Parahum, get the [Spirit Idol] for Red Sickle.
That was the plan.
"Not going in?"
"...What?"
"You're the tank. Lead the way."
"You bastard..."
Rerto Karen glared at me with blazing eyes.
"Ease up on the glare. Pretty cocky for someone who doesn't even know the strat for Parahum."
Kugrrrgrrr...
The massive iron door blocking the Queen's Nest slowly creaked open.
"And..."
I said to Rerto Karen.
"Did you say I was hiding it?"
Woooong...!!
I spread the hand opposite my sword grip, and frigid cold air surged around me, forming layers of ice barriers.
"...You, Nute?!"
Rerto Karen couldn't hide his shock at the sight of supreme ice battle magic.
"I wasn't hiding anything—I just didn't need to waste skills on trash mobs."
He stared in disbelief.
"Why?"
I smirked at his paling face.
"I've never once said I was a swordsman."