Levelling Up In An Exclusive Dungeon

Chapter 17

The temple basement was littered with monster corpses, leaving no room to step.

Goblins, Kobolds, and even Golems.

It was filled with the bodies of all sorts of monsters that Kang Jin-hyuk had encountered so far.

Normally, he would have been eager to collect the corpses into his inventory, but Kang Jin-hyuk didn’t have the time for that right now.

He was lying face down on the cold stone floor, gasping for breath as if he were about to die.

“I, I can’t do this anymore. Just kill me…….”

“Oh, you. Anyone would think you were being tortured.”

“What is this if not torture? You’ve been swinging a stick at me for three days straight without letting me sleep.”

“It’s all for your own good.”

“Bullshit…….”

A curse slipped out reflexively, but he couldn’t entirely deny Lucia’s words.

Kang Jin-hyuk’s skill list proved the results of this harsh training.

『Holy Power Application – Level 3』

『Precise Strike』

『Indomitable』

He had gained two new passive skills, and his existing Holy Power Application had grown by two levels.

And after three days of relentless effort, Kang Jin-hyuk had finally achieved it.

He had obtained an active skill that allowed him to control Aura.

『Holy Aura』

Manifests the power of faith as an aura.

Current Skill Level: F

Can enhance the body or weapons by imbuing them with aura.

Damage caused by the aura cannot be negated except by the same type of aura.

Even though his body felt incredibly heavy, he could confidently say that the pain was bearable when he read the skill description.

That’s because the effects of the new skill were even more powerful than he had imagined.

The effect that damage could not be defended against unless it was the same type of aura was essentially true damage that bypassed all defenses.

Even though the skill level was still low and the power was weak, this effect alone made it incredibly overpowered.

Kang Jin-hyuk was satisfied with this achievement alone.

But it seemed Lucia wasn’t.

She continued to push him, saying that now that he had acquired Aura, he needed to develop its power.

Her harsh guidance, which omitted the carrot from the carrot-and-stick approach, completely wrecked Kang Jin-hyuk’s mind and body.

Unable to endure any longer, Kang Jin-hyuk protested while lying on the floor.

“I don’t care anymore. I can’t move anymore, so do whatever you want with me, kill me or let me live.”

“Hmm~ Is that how you’re going to play it?”

With a meaningful smile, Lucia nocked an arrow onto her bowstring.

He thought she was going to threaten him, but the bow wasn’t aimed at Kang Jin-hyuk.

Lucia shot the arrow towards the end of the hallway, where nothing could be seen with the naked eye.

After the sound of the arrow cutting through the air, a monster’s cry could be heard.

It wasn’t a scream of pain, but a roar of anger at the sudden surprise attack.

“I intentionally missed it by a hair, so it’ll be coming here soon, full of rage.”

“Are you a demon…….”

In short, Lucia’s words meant that if he wanted to live, he had to move on his own.

How could a person be so wicked?

As he was expressing his admiration, or rather, his disbelief, a group of Orcs had already approached with their clubs.

“What is this place, that even Orcs are here?”

“The barrier broke because we killed the boss monster. That’s why monsters are gathering from everywhere.”

“What’s there to gain here…….”

Kang Jin-hyuk was completely unaware that the monsters were being drawn to the temple’s magical power.

So, in his eyes, they were nothing more than fools who had crawled in here and were making his life difficult.

“Damn it.”

With deep irritation, Kang Jin-hyuk got up.

It seemed this woman wouldn’t let him rest until he died.

◈◈◈◈◈◈

Lee Jun-chul had a cheerful face these days, as business was booming.

It was Kang Jin-hyuk who had thrown a lifeline to the organization that was experiencing a decline.

The monster corpses he regularly supplied were of better quality than those sold by other Hunters.

He didn’t know why Kang Jin-hyuk was selling such high-quality corpses through backdoor deals with the organization instead of the association.

Frankly, it was a bit uncomfortable, but considering the scale of the deal and the amount of money they were making, it was a risk worth taking.

“Whatever. As long as it makes money, that’s all that matters.”

Building trust in this world didn’t require morality.

Keeping contracts and making money were the ultimate signs of reliability.

Lee Jun-chul was waiting for Kang Jin-hyuk in the reception room, which was exclusively for VIPs.

While briefly sitting down, Lee Jun-chul flipped through the documents, checking the contents of today’s meeting, and then stood up at the sound of the door opening.

“Welcome…… Did something happen?”

“It’s nothing.”

Despite saying it was nothing, Kang Jin-hyuk’s complexion was very pale.

His eyes were filled with exhaustion, and his hair was messy.

He looked like someone who had just returned from a long period of hardship in a remote place.

Exuding an aura of imminent collapse, Kang Jin-hyuk leaned back on the sofa as if he were about to faint.

“If you’re tired, we can postpone the meeting to another day.”

“I can’t do that when it’s about my money.”

Kang Jin-hyuk let out a deep sigh and placed a pouch-shaped inventory on the table.

“I’ve only brought the monster corpses, so please check them.”

“I don’t think I need to check them since they were brought by Mr. Kang Jin-hyuk.”

Lee Jun-chul spoke as if he had absolute trust, but that wasn’t the case.

He intended to thoroughly check the quantity and condition when Kang Jin-hyuk wasn’t looking.

He was just paying lip service to please the other party.

“As you mentioned in advance, there are 21 Goblin corpses, 21 Kobold corpses, and 6 Orc corpses, correct?”

“Yes, and I’d like you to appraise this.”

What Kang Jin-hyuk presented additionally was a lump of metal with a faint blue glow.

It was the Mithril that he had secretly kept without handing it all over to the Dwarves.

“Th, this is something I’ve never seen before.”

“Could you check how much it’s worth?”

“I’ll have an expert look into it right away.”

Lee Jun-seok recognized at a glance that the metal Kang Jin-hyuk had brought was no ordinary metal.

That’s because a strange wavelength, which could only be seen in expensive magic stones, was emanating from the Mithril.

He didn’t know that it was the flow of mana, but he knew that it possessed exceptional power.

“I’d like to discuss the deal for that metal after the price has been determined.”

“Alright. Then I’ll contact you as soon as the appraisal is complete.”

Lee Jun-chul carefully placed the Mithril in a case he had brought, as if handling a precious item.

Then he handed Kang Jin-hyuk the documents that had been on the table.

The documents, which were briefly summarized on one or two sheets of paper, contained simple personal information about key figures in a fairly large company.

“What is this?”

“It’s a list of people who received the alcohol you gave us as a promotional gift.”

“Why are you showing this to me?”

“As the supplier of the product, shouldn’t you know how things are progressing?”

Lee Jun-chul explained that he had intentionally promoted the alcohol to high-ranking officials to create a high-end brand image.

The image he was promoting was that of a ‘traditional soju crafted by an outstanding artisan using traditional methods.’

“……So, what was the reaction?”

“It’s incredibly positive. I’d even say it’s bound to succeed.”

The soju that Kang Jin-hyuk had brought was not only excellent in taste and quality but also rich in mana, making it a great help in restoring energy.

Even those who didn’t know the taste of alcohol and were just happy with any alcohol couldn’t help but express their admiration after tasting it.

“There are many people who want to buy it right away.”

“It’ll be difficult to meet the demand if there are too many orders.”

“Don’t worry about that. I’ve already laid the groundwork, saying that the supply is limited because it’s handcrafted by a single artisan.”

“You’re quick-witted.”

“Hahaha, I hear that often.”

In fact, he hadn’t done it considering Kang Jin-hyuk’s situation.

Even if Kang Jin-hyuk could meet the demand, it would have been more profitable for the organization to sell it at a high price by increasing its rarity, so he would have taken the same approach.

In the end, it turned out to be a good result, as he had both secured profits and considered Kang Jin-hyuk’s situation. Lee Jun-seok justified his actions.

“What do you think is a reasonable price?”

At Kang Jin-hyuk’s question, Lee Jun-seok thought, ‘Here it comes.’

If he deceived Kang Jin-hyuk about the price here and actually sold it at a higher price, he could make a huge profit.

Honestly, he wanted to choose that method right away.

But greed, when excessive, would eventually be exposed.

Lee Jun-seok thought it was foolish to carry a time bomb for immediate profit.

For the sake of future deals, Lee Jun-seok suppressed his greed and told the honest price.

“I’m thinking about 150,000 won per bottle.”

“Isn’t that too expensive?”

It was an excessively high price even compared to the price of Andong soju.

But Lee Jun-seok was confident that he could still meet sales at that price.

“Don’t worry. It’ll definitely sell.”

“How can I believe that?”

“I gained confidence during the promotion. If it doesn’t sell, I’ll compensate you at that price.”

Since Lee Jun-seok had even made this offer, Kang Jin-hyuk had nothing to lose.

‘Soju, which costs less than 2,000 won at a convenience store, sells for 150,000 won just by soaking it in a barrel for a day.’

The more he thought about it, the more terrifying the profit margin of this product seemed.

He could live comfortably just by selling alcohol, even if he quit being a Hunter right away.

“Okay. Then I’ll trust you and leave it to you.”

As soon as Kang Jin-hyuk answered, Lee Jun-seok bowed deeply.

“Thank you.”

◈◈◈◈◈◈

After officially signing the contract with Lee Jun-seok, Kang Jin-hyuk stepped outside with a bright face.

It was funny how his heart felt lighter as his wallet got heavier.

He felt like he was about to collapse from being stuck with Lucia for over a week.

But the thought of the money that would be piling up in his account made him feel energized.

“Now I should go home and get some sleep…….”

Kang Jin-hyuk stretched his stiff limbs and yawned widely.

He had disposed of all the monster corpses, sold the Mithril and the alcohol, so all that was left was to rest his weary body.

But things never went as planned.

Kang Jin-hyuk was startled awake by the loud siren and evacuation broadcast.

For a moment, he wondered if a war had broken out, but the moment he saw the ‘Wyvern’ soaring through the sky, he realized what was happening.

“No way, what the……. Why are they wreaking havoc in the streets when they were nowhere to be found when I was struggling?”

It would have been a different story if it were just one or two.

But there were more than 10 just by looking with the naked eye.

“Did something go wrong somewhere again?”

It was definitely not normal for so many monsters to be roaming around like this.

Sensing the seriousness of the situation, Kang Jin-hyuk took out his baseball bat from his inventory.

“Could it be today…….”

Kang Jin-hyuk took out his smartphone, checked the disaster message, and realized that his guess was correct.

Whether it was good luck or bad luck.

Today happened to be the day of the large-scale monster invasion that occurred about once a month.

“Why is this happening now when it usually happens at the end of the month?”