Chapter 86
“This doesn’t make any sense! I’ve only gained three levels after running through ten dungeons!” Suho exclaimed as he looked at his stats.
“The magic beasts were too weak,” Beru said.
“I need to form a guild soon.”
Dungeons exclusive to guilds offered greater difficulty, which meant he’d level up faster than he was currently. But for now, his stats were steadily increasing daily thanks to his personal training—the daily quests with Ammut. But it was only available once a day as the name suggested.
Ammut had advised that two Iron Body Technique training sessions on the same day could be harmful. Also, without the health restoration reward from the daily quest, Suho doubted he could last a second round of training.
Why does the Iron Body Technique training seem to get harder every day? As Suho grew stronger, the intensity of the training increased, and the intense gravitational field created by Ammut now felt agonizing. But the rigorous training was clearly paying off.
[Iron Body Technique - Level 4]
Although his level hadn’t risen much, his skill level had increased. At level 4, he could now cloak both his arms in an armor-like black energy. The dark aura sizzled off his dual swords like steam rising from a scorching forge.
“Impressive.” Ammut nodded approvingly, wearing a wide smile. “You’ve managed to apply the Iron Body Technique to your swords. However, you still have a long way to reach the level that Tarnak attained. I’ll see you again tomorrow.”
Before the crocodile beast could change its mind, Suho quickly got up and fled the Shadow Dungeon.
[You have exited the Shadow Dungeon.]
As Suho returned, Esil approached him as if she had been waiting. “Hey, where’s our next dungeon again?”
In her hand was a brand-new smartphone, the latest model. While Suho was improving his Iron Body Technique, Esil had been mastering the ways of modern technology. She was now confident enough to buy pork belly online, like most humans in the city.
“Pyeongtaek’s Third Dungeon. Why?”
“I have a feeling we won’t be able to get inside.”
“Why’s that?”
“The Black Tortoise Guild has set up a camp right in front of it.”
“The Black Tortoise Guild? How do you know that?”
“I follow other guilds on social media.” Esil held out her phone screen, showing Black Tortoise Guild’s account.
“You have to be kidding me?”
The latest photo posted by the guild tagged the location of the dungeon they were planning to raid next.
“Why here? Can they even post this on their official page? I thought dungeon rights and bidding information were supposed to be confidential?”
“In today’s world, there’s no such thing as a secret. People just post anything. It’s all for publicity.” Esil shrugged nonchalantly. She sounded like a trend-savvy twenty-something.
“But how did you learn all this?”
It had only been a few days since he had bought her a smartphone. Even with a demon’s innate ability to overcome language barriers, her absorption of information was astounding.
“What’s so hard about this?” Esil effortlessly scrolled through her smartphone. All the latest and most popular apps were installed.
Not even Suho could recognize all of them. “What’s this now?”
“It’s an app that predicts dungeon occurrences using AI.”
“And this one?”
“An exclusive secondhand marketplace for hunters.”
Suho reflected for a moment. She knows more about the world of modern hunting than I do. Still slightly baffled, he studied the photos Esil had shown him. Noticing a familiar face, he gazed intently at one in particular. “That’s Lee Yeongho.”
***
Pyeongtaek’s Third Dungeon. The site was formerly a military base, but it had transformed into a field-type dungeon after a dungeon break. Fortunately, there was no significant fallout from the aftermath. The soldiers stationed there at the time of the dungeon break had responded swiftly to mitigate any potential disaster. However, this led to the dungeon being deprioritized by the Hunters Association. With an overflow of dungeons requiring urgent conquest due to severe damage, this was an inevitable situation.
The dungeon lacked popularity among ordinary hunters. With many more lucrative dungeons available, and its inferior accessibility compared to others, the outcome was to be expected. That was precisely why Suho had bid for this dungeon. Less competition made the bidding easier, and the lack of interested parties would allow him to clear the dungeon without unnecessary hassle.
“But why would a major guild like Black Tortoise be interested in such a place?” Dogyoon was also bewildered by the news. “Suho—” He flinched and looked around for any signs of Beru. “...or Guild Master, Let’s hurry. Yes, successful bids make things more official, but with dungeons, it’s practically first-come, first-served.”
The dungeon bidding system was still a relatively new concept. Formal procedures for dungeon rights and acquisition were in place, but relevant officials in Pyeongtaek preferred hunters to swiftly engage and clear dungeons as soon as possible, which meant they often overlooked formalities like the bidding process.
“Let’s go and see what’s going on.”
“I’ll drive, Su... I mean, Guild Master.” Dogyoon hurried to the car.
The respectful tone was becoming a habit for him due to Beru’s intimidating gaze. The ant was always watching him from Suho’s shoulder.
Upon arriving at the Third Dungeon, Suho’s group was greeted by the heavily armed hunters of the Black Tortoise Guild. Just like in Esil’s photo, they were camping outside the dungeon. In front of them stood a perplexed public servant from Pyeongtaek City Hall, who was locked in a dispute with the hunters.
“While we appreciate your initiative, from our perspective, ignoring the protocol is somewhat problematic...”
“Come on! We’re talking about a dangerous dungeon. We should be clearing this as soon as possible,” Yeongho shouted.
“B-but, this area hasn’t seen any civilian casualties, and another hunter has already bid for this dungeon...”
“Who bid for this? Are they more formidable than the Black Tortoise Guild? Huh?”
“Well, not exactly, but...” The public servant, cornered by Yeongho, was in a dilemma. He was unable to proceed due to the hunter’s unyielding stance.
After berating the official for a while, Yeongho decided to shift his tactic. He placed his burly forearm around the official’s shoulder. “Of course, being a public servant, you must prioritize procedure. But by stepping in, aren’t we helping the great city of Pyeongtaek? This is a dangerous area, so why don’t you just sign the permit and head home?”
“The only danger here is that arm of yours.”
At the sound of a familiar voice, Yeongho quickly turned toward it. Look who finally showed up. “Look who’s here? The rookie hunter with the influential uncle. What brings you here?”
Suho noted the clear animosity in his eyes. Retaliation for last time, huh? How childish. But I guess it was an important business opportunity for him.
“Goodness! How dare you look at him with those serpent-like eyes! I shall tear you limb from limb!” Beru said.
Suho quickly grabbed the ant before he could leap forward, and he shoved him back into his shadow.
“I’ll remember your face... Just you wait...” Beru said as he disappeared.
Ignoring the ant, Yeongho strode confidently toward Suho, who was a head shorter than him. His job for the guild was in management, but he was also an active B-rank hunter. His deliberate show of force was so intimidating that the nearby official turned pale.
Dogyoon, who had been behind Suho a moment ago, had already distanced himself from the potential conflict. He was making himself useful by busily checking the bidding documents.
“What was your name again? It’s on the tip of my tongue...” Yeongho scanned Suho’s face like a common thug.
Unfazed, Suho merely smirked in response. “Mr. Lee Yeongho, we won the bid on this dungeon. Why is the Black Tortoise Guild here?”
“Ah, Sung Suho! Now I remember.”
“Is this about our previous encounter?”
“Previous encounter? What are you talking about? We’re just here out to tackle this dangerous dungeon out of goodwill.”
This conversation is going nowhere. Frustrated by Yeongho’s stubbornness, Suho glanced toward the dungeon.
The field-type dungeon had already experienced a dungeon break. It was a low-risk, D-grade dungeon that posed no real danger. It was certainly not worth the Black Tortoise Guild’s involvement.
Hm. It seems they only brought their second-string hunters. The aura of the hunters behind Yeongho was unimpressive for a major guild. They had chosen weaker hunters to minimize opportunity costs.
But they sure do look menacing. Suho couldn’t help but chuckle. Their fearsome faces were a stark contrast to their mana levels. Que would easily wipe the floor with these guys.
“Are you laughing?” Yeongho’s expression darkened at Suho’s laughter.
Emitting a menacing aura, the Black Tortoise Guild hunters began to surround Suho.
“Since you’re a rookie hunter, let me enlighten you on the ways of this world.” Yeongho, pressing his finger against Suho’s chest, narrowed his eyes. “Dungeons are dangerous. They’re lawless lands. Once you step inside, all sorts of accidents can happen. Especially to rookie hunters.” Smiling, Yeongho then ominously slid his thumb across his throat. “A moment of carelessness and you become food for the beasts inside. They don’t leave any corpses behind.”
It was a clear threat.
Joining in the intimidation, his fellow hunters snickered.
“He’s damn right.”
“Being a hunter is such a dangerous job.”
“An unexpected tragedy can happen at any time or place.”
“It’s particularly hazardous for a privileged boy like you.”
Looking proudly at his hunters, Yeongho’s lips curled up. That was perfect. Did they rehearse this? Anyway, bringing these off-duty hunters for some extra cash turned out to be worth it.
The thing rookie hunters feared the most was being murdered in a dungeon. With Yeongho and his posse’s intimidation, most newbies would turn tail and run, even if they had successfully won the bid for the dungeon rights. They feared what might happen inside.
“Huh? Where did he go?” Yeongho, who was turning back to face Suho again, was shocked to find that he had suddenly disappeared, and he frantically looked around for him.
The public servant said with an awkward smile, “That hunter entered the dungeon a little while ago...”
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