Chapter 43: C-grade Holder Promotion (2)
[You gain strength from your endless speed. You become able to run even faster.]
[The level of your runes has increased.]
[Faster, more agile. Your body movements are becoming harder to grasp with the naked eye.]
[The level of your runes has increased.]
[You gain 1 speed from the rune’s affinity.]
Achievement test for C-grade Holder promotion.
Although it was the Bukhansan field where you hunted with a specific purpose, surprisingly, you were able to steadily grow your runes.
The main skills that improved were [Sprint] and [Agile Agility].
Constantly running to reach the middle section of Bukhansan caused the level of the dash rune, [Sprint], to increase. While swiftly defeating monsters, the proficiency of the support rune, [Agile Agility], also rose.
Moreover, only two runes were growing.
Other runes also increased their levels little by little.
‘Indeed, real combat is the best for growth.’
The monsters hunted in the Bukhansan field were mostly goblins and imps, E-grade and D-grade monsters. Now, in the middle section, C-grade goblins frequently appeared.
‘Academy Underground Dungeon’ was filled with stronger monsters compared to these, but hunting them still greatly contributed to my growth and practical experience.
There could be several reasons…
‘It’s probably because I’m fighting alone.’
In the underground dungeon, there were various party members. During the first strategy, three dealers and an additional tank, Park Jin-woo, were present. Afterward, Kim Chae-eun, a [Freezing] magician, joined for steady hunting and strategy.
However, now the monsters’ strength has decreased significantly, and I’m solely engaging in battles. There are more variables, and my role has changed.
Unlike the time when I solely acted as a tank, now I have to handle the roles of both a dealer and a tank.
It puts a lot more strain on my toughness, but fortunately, [Sturdy Endurance] gained during the end-of-semester evaluation helps reduce the burden significantly.
‘That’s why my growth has accelerated.’
Thanks to this, various types of rune growth became possible. I consistently raised the levels of not only [Sword] and [Dagger] but also [Combat] and many other support runes.
If there is one regret, it’s the fact that…
There weren’t many opportunities to test my toughness or the growth of related runes.
-Keruk…
I swung my sword and sliced through the chest of the goblin that had managed to survive until the end. The sword’s durability had diminished.
An unpleasant sensation runs through my hand.
…Should I discard this sword now?
“Please…Haak… take it slowly…!!”
Suddenly, I heard a resentful voice from somewhere.
I turned my head and saw Lee Ji-hye.
She was the Association’s examiner responsible for this promotion test. Initially, she watched over me with interest, but now…
Struggling to keep up with my insane hunting speed, she was following me.
Her expression showed a momentary confusion.
“Ah, I’m sorry.”
“Haak… Haak… Why are you in such a hurry?”
“W-well… I have some reasons.”
“Reasons… Haak… You could take your time.”
Her tone sounded somewhat strange.
I scratched my head and said, “If it’s tough for you, you can leave first.”
“Haak… No, it’s okay… I still have three hours left.”
The examination is set to last a total of three hours. However, that’s just the standard time; if the examiner believes that the Holder has shown satisfactory results, the examination can be concluded earlier.
Anyway, the important thing is submitting the Association’s regulation performance.
With the performance I’ve shown, I still have time left even after the examination ends.
But still, she insisted on sticking around for the full three hours.
Lee Ji-hye was also a Holder who could be quite stubborn.
“Why did you leave the magic stone behind? Those expensive things.”
“Huh? It’s because it will be counted as my result while you’re watching. Like I said, I have an urgent matter, so it would be great if I could save some time.”
Swirl Leviathan will appear soon in the East Sea, and presently, it is an S-grade monster that I can’t fight no matter what, except I become an eligible C-grade Holder. If I become a C-grade Holder, I can participate in resource raids recruited by the state.
Meanwhile, anyone who participates in the raid will be eligible to participate in the auction in Daegu. So, my plan was to purchase Swirl Leviathan’s magic stone from the auction house. And to do so, I must be eligible to participate in the raid.
Therefore, the C-grade Holder promotion must be completed quickly.
And in fact, if Lee Ji-hye disappears…
I will know how to take care of the magic stone.
“It seems like Holder Do Jae-hyun is doing well financially. Just tossing away million-worth magic stones without a care.”
“What? Well, what about the examiner’s necklace that is worth three billion…”
“Shush…!!”
The Holders’ economic sense is different from that of ordinary people. The market value of magic stones is very high, and the byproducts left by monsters are sold at high prices. On the other hand, the prices of equipment and items they use require a significant investment.
Even normal-grade items can cost hundreds or thousands…
And if it’s a rare-grade item, the price easily goes beyond billions, which is the type of item Holders use.
The D-grade magic stone I just discarded was worth around two million won.
‘Of course, once Lee Ji-hye leaves, I’ll pick them all up.’
Right now, I’m merely exchanging time for money. For a lower-grade Holder like me, two million won is still a considerable sum.
“Anyway, it seems like I’m completely in the middle section now. I only see C-grade monsters from now on.”
“…Yeah.”
The Bukhansan field is where it all begins. But the middle section is where C-grade monsters start to appear more frequently. As you climb higher, the level and variety of monsters increase. By the time you reach the summit, you’ll encounter B-grade monsters, and occasionally even A-grade monsters.
Due to this, my hunting speed has decreased significantly. In the underground dungeon, I could handle many B-grade monsters because my role was solely focused on tanking. But now, as I’m handling all party roles by myself…
Facing numerous C-grade monsters wasn’t easy. However, I had a variety of runes and higher stats compared to an average C-grade Holder, so hunting was still manageable.
I looked at the top of the mountain and then spoke to Lee Ji-hye.
“Examiner?”
“Yes?”
“You should go down now. It seems like you’ll finish your evaluation.”
While increasing my achievements in front of Lee Ji-hye was beneficial, it was time for me to act independently. Moreover, the C-grade monster’s magic stones were worth around 7 million won, and I couldn’t afford to miss them.
“Are you going down too, Holder Do Jae-hyun?”
“Haha, no. As I mentioned before, I have some urgent matters to attend to.”
“Then I…”
“It will get dark in the evening. When it’s dark, it’s hard to see the monsters’ attacks. My risk is my own, but I can’t make you, the examiner, take risks too.”
To be honest, it was an excuse. There was still plenty of time before it got dark, and Lee Ji-hye, being a C-grade Holder, could easily handle herself.
In other words, I wanted to say that I preferred to be alone. She seemed to have understood it to some extent and didn’t argue further.
“Fine, I get it. Then I’ll see you during the final evaluation. You must come to the Association and find me!”
“I understand. I’ll definitely come to you, examiner.”
“…Be careful during your hunt.”
After the farewell, Lee Ji-hye left.
Once she was out of sight, I immediately began to move.
It wasn’t for hunting again.
I was searching for ‘something hidden’.
“It must have been around here…”
With my weapons put away, I moved at a fast pace.
The targets of my search were the nearby trees, or more specifically, the small holes that resembled hollows in the trees in the mountains.
“Huh?”
I searched for the trees for about ten minutes. In the meantime, I also defeated some goblins and collected a few magic stones.
Finally, I spotted a peculiar tree.
“Here…!”
Several trees with deep holes. Among them, one small hole emitted a particularly strong magical aura.
Just like when I discovered the ‘Academy Underground Dungeon’, I had found the entrance to another ‘dungeon’ in this place. And I already knew what kind of dungeon it was.
“Goblin Lair…”
Bukhansan field was filled with numerous dungeons, but some still remained undiscovered. This is one of such dungeon, called Hidden Piece in the original work. An undiscovered dungeon. It was the entrance to the ‘Goblin Lair’.
Without hesitation, I approached the entrance and slowly infused magic into it.
[You have entered the dungeon.]
[The murky energy of the dungeon slightly reduces the Holder’s strength.]
After being transferred to a specific space, my second dungeon conquest began.
***
Ippotranslation
***
Goblin Lair.
Unlike many cave-like dungeons, this one was an open-type dungeon formed like a village. It consisted of various goblins, such as C-grade goblin Warriors, Archers, and Shamans. The goblins of different forms were the main residents, and once you reached the ‘Boss Room’, the ‘Chieftain’s House’, you could face the boss, a B-grade Goblin Chieftain.
However, to reach that point, I had to conquer all the annoying goblin mobs surrounding the area.
-Keuk, keuk!
-Keruk…!!
“Damn… They’re so noisy, seriously.”
After hearing goblin screams repeatedly, I felt like my ears turned into goblin ears. I hunted countless goblins, accumulating achievements and collecting magic stones.
Certainly, unlike the ‘field’ where monsters appeared intermittently, the dungeon was a gathering place for monsters. No matter how many goblins I hunted…. More goblins awaited after that.
If I didn’t have [Sturdy Endurance] I probably would have given up hunting due to toughness issues a long time ago. However, it was true that the achievements didn’t lie. Having hunted so many goblins…
I was sure that I could easily surpass a 1/3 of the promotion achievements.
“Flow.”
Occasionally, I tried to show off with a form and attempted [Water Sword Dance], but it naturally didn’t work due to the conditions not being met.
I looked around and cut the goblin again.
“Still, there was a sense of accomplishment.”
Even though it felt a bit too much for me to deal with a lot of goblins alone, the rewards that came back later were better than I thought.
‘Goblin Warrior’ and ‘Goblin Archer’ have only [Sword], [Shield], and [Bow] runes, so unfortunately [Rune Hunter] is not effective, but…
[You won the duel! Rune Hunter’s arcane power allows you to duplicate one of your opponent’s runes. Please select a rune to duplicate.]
[You chose simple curse. Since it is a level 4 rare rune, the level will drop and be registered as level 2.]
[You have gained a new rune.]
[You gain 1 recovery and 1 magic each with the rune’s inclination.]
There was quite a bit to gain from the ‘Goblin Shaman’.
There is a slight difference between sorcery and magic.
Regardless of the arrangement or structure, it consists of faith in the being that is the subject of magic.
Additionally, magical power can only be borrowed to the extent of expression.
So after acquiring the [Simple Curse] rune, I was able to raise both recovery and magic at the same time.
“Hehe. Haha, haha.”
As I wiped away my sweat, I laughed widely.
Out of the many undiscovered dungeons, I chose this one for a reason. I needed stats that I was currently lacking, and this dungeon offered a relatively easy way to acquire them.
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