Chapter 8: Dungeon Rewards Are So Much Better

A message appeared to all Hunters around the world.

[A Hunter affiliated with Korea has discovered a Hidden Piece.]

[Trial Rewards for Hunters affiliated with Korea will be enhanced.]

[Dungeon Rewards for Hunters affiliated with Korea will be enhanced.]

Because of that, the Republic of Korea was in an uproar.

-What was that just now? Am I the only one seeing this?

-I saw it too.

-Is this for real? Hidden Piece found two days in a row?

-Damn! What the hell.

-No, seriously, does this make sense? The Ranker Guild said there were no more Hidden Pieces left.

-Wow, shit. I’m really freaking curious. Who is it? Hurry up and reveal yourself!

-Could the discoverer be the same person?

-You think it’s the same person? It’s hard enough to find just one. Probably just a coincidence. If it’s the same person, I’ll run a lap around Gangnam naked.

-Is Korea about to skyrocket?

-Nope. No sane person would stay in Korea.

-Agreed. I’d go overseas too. If you just leave, you’ll get paid hundreds of billions in salary, plus all kinds of benefits. Staying in Korea is dumb.

It wasn’t just Korea—interest was beginning to focus from all around the world.

A Korean Hunter discovered a Hidden Piece.

Even one was shocking, but now a Hidden Piece had been discovered for two days in a row. Because of that, the Korean Hunter Association became even busier.

They had to find the Hidden Piece discoverer before another country snatched them away.

“President, did you see it?”

“Yes.”

They still hadn’t found yesterday’s discoverer.

And now, a second discoverer had appeared.

Should they call this a stroke of luck or not?

“How’s the situation outside?”

“China and the United States of America have started reaching out to our country’s Hunters.”

“Damn thieves. The rich always want more, huh?”

“The bigger problem is the United Kingdom, France, and Japan.”

“The ones with four Hidden Piece Holders?”

“Yes.”

If the number of Hidden Piece Holders reached five, additional benefits would be granted.

Red Dungeon.

The rewards were far better than a normal Dungeon, and a special elite monster appeared from which you could obtain at least one C-rank or higher Skillbook.

The moment it appeared, Hunters could become much stronger in an instant.

Of course, with a Hidden Piece discoverer showing up after so long, everyone was bound to be aggressive.

“This is driving me crazy.”

He wanted to tell everyone else to back off.

But Korea’s position was absolutely inferior.

Not only did they rely on other countries for Dungeon supplies, but it was also tied to national export industries, so they couldn’t act recklessly.

The best course was to find the Hidden Piece discoverer first and secure them.

“How’s the search going?”

“We’re contacting the most likely candidates, but all of them are denying it.”

“There are Hunters who entered the Labyrinth, but none who say they found a Hidden Piece? This is absurd.”

At this rate, another country would snatch them up first.

Drastic measures were needed.

Lee Changgeon looked at his Secretary and gave instructions.

“Set up a decoy among our people. Make sure all the focus goes to them.”

“Yes.”

“And make a list of everyone who entered the Labyrinth today and check again. This time, investigate every single one.”

“Even from the 1st to the 10th basement floors?”

“Yes.”

So far, nothing had been found, so it was tentatively concluded that there was nothing there.

But that was only because nothing had been discovered yet.

System-wise, or from the administrator, they had never received a definite answer that ‘there are no Hidden Pieces from the 1st to 10th basement floors.’

They needed to leave the possibility open.

“Is it… possible that it’s the same person?”

At the Secretary’s question, Lee Changgeon spoke.

“Investigate with every possibility in mind.”

“Yes.”

When I returned to the Labyrinth entrance, an Association staff member approached, just like yesterday.

“Cheon Yongje?”

“Yes.”

“Do you have a moment?”

“Sure.”

Following the staff, I entered a small room set up like an office.

“I just have a few simple questions.”

“Go ahead.”

“You Awakened the day before yesterday, correct?”

“Yes.”

“And yesterday was your first time entering the Labyrinth?”

“That’s right.”

“Did you happen to discover a Hidden Piece?”

“No.”

“You can be honest with us. We’re on your side, Mr. Cheon Yongje.”

A leading question.

“I told you, no. Besides, there aren’t any Hidden Pieces from the 1st to 10th basement floors, right? Rather than wasting time looking for those, it’s better to clear the Labyrinth quickly and go to a Dungeon. I need to make money.”

“…I see. You’re free to go.”

“Thank you for your hard work.”

I left the room and got in the elevator.

As I went up with the other Hunters, I clicked my tongue.

‘Two Hidden Pieces in a row…’

Would another Hidden Piece appear on the 3rd floor too?

If I got three Hidden Pieces in a row, what should I do then?

It’d be a waste to give up the Hidden Piece.

The Dragon Heart Fragment was too precious.

It was a cheat item—you could get mana for free, and magic for free too.

But if things kept going like this, I’d be identified in no time.

‘Maybe I should consider contacting the Association.’

Maybe it wouldn’t be so bad to reveal I was the discoverer and get treated accordingly.

I decided to think about it a bit more.

Ding!

The elevator doors opened and I saw the first floor of the Association. There were still a few people around, but not as many as yesterday.

I stepped outside, which was a bit quieter.

‘Should I head straight to a Dungeon?’

It hadn’t been long since I ate, and I hadn’t exerted myself much clearing the Labyrinth, so I ordered a coffee.

While waiting for my coffee, I entered the address into my navigation.

About a 20-minute walk.

“Your coffee is ready.”

I grabbed my coffee and walked as the navigation guided me. I followed the main road for a while, then turned into an alley.

After walking for some time,

I saw a small villa complex.

Looking up, I saw the blue spiral Dungeon entrance on the rooftop.

“Let’s go.”

I entered the building and climbed the stairs to the roof.

The Dungeon entrance was even clearer up close.

I’d gone in and out of Dungeons like this dozens of times as a Dungeon laborer. The only difference now was that all the rewards from this Dungeon would be mine.

‘This should be the Gnoll Habitat, right?’

I approached and placed my hand on the Dungeon entrance. Then, information about the Dungeon appeared before my eyes.

[Gnoll Habitat (E)]

-Hunt 10 Gnolls.

Hunters could always check the Dungeon’s grade, mission, and clearing conditions.

The reward was random.

Sometimes you’d get nothing, sometimes you’d get an amazing reward.

But since so many Hunters had cleared it, the big data let you predict the general rewards.

‘If I’m unlucky, I’ll get 1 F-grade Mana Stone. On average, 3. If I’m lucky, an E-grade Mana Stone.’

I’d heard sometimes you could get Potions, but in all my time as a Dungeon laborer, I never saw a Hunter get one.

“This Dungeon doesn’t have a boss monster.”

Not every Dungeon had a boss monster, so I should’ve checked properly, but I’d forgotten.

Well, there’s plenty of time.

I was about to cancel this Dungeon and look for another.

That’s when I saw the golden thread from the Labyrinth appear again.

“…What’s this?”

I blinked and, just in case, used the Golden Dragon Eye.

[You use the Golden Dragon’s Eye.]

[Dungeon information is updated.]

[Gnoll Habitat (E)]

-A region where Gnolls reside.

-One of the Gnolls inside the Dungeon is on the verge of Awakening.

-The Dungeon will change in 20 minutes.

-Reward: Horn of the Gnoll Elite Warrior (E), Mana Stone (F).

I could see information others couldn’t.

“…This really is a broken Skill.”

Being able to check the rewards and pick a Dungeon.

If I put in a little effort, I could make a lot of money just running E-grade Dungeons.

Anyway.

“…Horn of the Gnoll Elite Warrior, huh.”

A high-grade material used for equipment crafting.

Checking the community, the most recent transaction price was 8.56 million won.

Leaving this behind would be like tearing up a winning lottery ticket.

Guess I have to clear it.

‘Nothing difficult about it.’

Even if the E-grade Dungeon changed, it just meant a boss monster would appear. I was planning to hunt the boss monster anyway, so this was good for me.

Bzzz!

When I checked my phone, there was a message from Yoo Seolha.

[Don’t forget our promise.]

Clearing the Dungeon wouldn’t take long anyway.

-Got it.

I replied and, after waiting 20 minutes, approached the Dungeon.

[You are entering the Dungeon.]

With the message, I saw a forest filled with blue trees. Between the trees were Gnolls—humanoid bodies with hyena heads.

They wore leather cloth around their waists and carried axes or maces.

‘Let’s check the info.’

I picked one Gnoll and used the Golden Dragon’s Eye.

[Hungry Gnoll Elite Warrior (E+)]

-A bipedal hyena. Agile and has a keen sense of smell. Tends to move in packs, so be careful.

-Currently roaming in search of food.

-Item held: Mace.

-Skill held: Agile Movement (D), Powerful Strike (E)

-Potential: D-rank.

So it’s that one.

[Sniff sniff! Do you smell a human?]

[Sniff sniff… I think I do?!]

The Gnolls looked around warily.

Gnolls were typical aggressive monsters.

Just like I saw in the status window, they’re sensitive to scent and will find you quickly.

[There he is.]

The Gnolls chuckled and swung their axes and maces. Once they saw I was alone, they rushed in.

“Summon Orc.”

[Did you call?]

“Clean them up.”

[Yes. KRAAAAAAA!]

With a powerful roar, the Orc’s muscles bulged. He dashed forward, grabbed a Gnoll, and tore it apart.

The battle was one-sided, as expected.

Gnolls’ overall specs were E-grade.

The Orc, on the other hand, had all stats at D-grade.

Whoosh!

Smack!

Like a driving hunt, the Gnolls surrounded the Orc, swinging maces and axes, but he endured it with his tough body.

Meanwhile, the Gnoll Elite Warrior approached me. The sharp axe blade came down toward my head.

“Absolute Barrier.”

I used mana to create a shield.

Vwoom!

Clang!

The shield blocked the Gnoll Elite Warrior’s attack. The Gnoll Elite Warrior swung the axe again.

Clang!

Clang!

Clang!

No matter how many times it hit, the shield didn’t break.

[How dare you touch my master!!]

The Orc, having finished off the small fry, came over and swung a fist at the Gnoll Elite Warrior.

Thud!

Hit by the punch, the Gnoll Elite Warrior flew backward.

The Orc didn’t stop, grabbing the Gnoll Elite Warrior by the throat and lifting him up.

Thud!

Thud!

Thud!

Heavy fists pounded down repeatedly.

“Stop.”

I wanted to check something before killing him.

Looking at the limp Gnoll Elite Warrior, I tried to appoint him as a Guardian.

[You have reached the maximum number of Guardians you can hold.]

[To increase the number of Guardians, you need to raise the grade of the Dragon Lair.]

Is that so?

“Finish it.”

[OOOOOOOH!]

The Orc let out a victorious roar and finished off the Gnoll Elite Warrior.

[You have killed the Gnoll Elite Warrior.]

[You have cleared the Dungeon.]

The horn attached to the Gnoll Elite Warrior’s head snapped off and fell to the ground.

The Orc picked up the horn and handed it to me.

[Horn of the Gnoll Elite Warrior (E)]

-The horn of a Gnoll who has grown one stage further by the choice of nature.

-Used in crafting equipment items.

I put the item in the Dragon Lair.

‘With this, I can buy a D-grade Skillbook right away.’

Hunters with loan records can’t trade. If you die in a Dungeon, you can’t repay your loans.

“It’s been processed.”

I returned to the Association, processed the Horn of the Gnoll Elite Warrior, and bought a D-grade Skillbook, ‘Axe Technique.’

Then I went into the bathroom and moved to the Dragon Lair.

“Here.”

I handed the Skillbook to the Orc.

[What is this?]

“A gift. Try learning it.”

[Thank you. But how do I learn it?]

“Try saying ‘Use.’”

[Use.]

At the Orc’s words, the Skillbook flashed.

A message appeared.

[You have completed the Awakening Quest.]

[The Orc of the Desert Crocodile Tribe is Awakening to D-grade.]

[You have completed Main Quest 7.]

[The grade and spawn cycle of items around the Dragon Lair will be improved.]

The next Quest was given.

[Main Quest has arrived.]

[Main Quest 8]

-Dominate the Mana Stone Mine.

Reward: Dragon Lair grade increase.

“I’m looking forward to this.”

If I can dominate the Mana Stone Mine, just how much profit will I make?