Three weeks had already passed since he reached Class Level 2 and rose to C-rank.
While he had leveled up from Level 1 to Level 2 after only five dungeon hunts, he remained at Level 2 C-rank even after three weeks, perhaps because his rank had increased to C.
However, thanks to his frequent visits to the hospital to provide free Cure spells, his Title Level had reached Level 3.
Perhaps because of that, his skill levels had also improved; the basic five-skill set had reached Level 5, while his other skills were at Level 2 or 3.
“Wow! Whether it’s because Seong-jun’s skill levels went up or what, hunting seems to be getting easier by the day.”
“I’m telling you. Those guys we used to have to hit two or three times even with the Dark Attribute infusion are dying in one or two hits now. Once we can take them down in a single blow, I think we can graduate from F-rank and move up to E-rank dungeons.”
The increase in Seong-jun’s skill levels directly led to an increase in Gwang-taek and Yu-seon’s attack power.
Naturally, they could continue hunting much more easily and quickly than before.
Because of this, it felt as though they could graduate from F-rank dungeons and move up to E-rank with just a little more effort.
Of course, this was only theoretically possible; in reality, they couldn’t enter an E-rank dungeon with just their current group.
“Do you think the Association staff would just stand by and let three F-ranks enter an E-rank dungeon? They’d probably cut us off right at the entrance, nine times out of ten.”
It was true.
Even if they were capable of hunting there, the Association staff managing the dungeons wouldn’t allow it.
Dungeon entry was permitted only up to the rank of the individuals.
In other words, the highest rank of dungeon these F-rankers could enter was an F-rank dungeon.
There were exceptions, of course.
If a party included an Awakened whose rank was several levels higher than the dungeon’s rank, they could pass through.
Essentially, for them to enter an E-rank dungeon on their own, Seong-jun would have to take a re-awakening test and raise his official rank.
Even if he did, however, an E-rank dungeon would be the limit for Gwang-taek and Yu-seon since they were F-rank.
“I’m just saying. Anyway, you haven’t been able to level up yet, right? I guess experience points don’t go up easily since it’s an F-rank dungeon.”
The two only knew that Seong-jun’s Class Level had risen to Level 2; they didn’t know his rank had changed to C.
If he were a Level 3 D-rank, he would have leveled up long ago, but since he was raising Level 2 to Level 3 at C-rank, the process was being delayed.
This was because the higher the rank, the significantly more experience was required for the same level-up.
“I don’t know exactly, but I feel like it’s about time for a level up. Barring any major variables, it should happen within this week.”
Neither Class Level nor Skill Level showed exactly how much experience had accumulated.
It was a very unfriendly system, but he could still make a rough estimate.
Considering he was C-rank and currently Level 2, he could intuitively feel that it was almost time to reach Level 3.
At Seong-jun’s words, Yu-seon spoke with a serious expression.
“The problem will be after Level 3. It took three weeks just to go from Level 2 to Level 3, so Level 3 to Level 4 is going to be insane, right? Won’t it take at least several months?”
Seong-jun smirked at Yu-seon’s remark.
‘If I maintain C-rank after leveling up, it might take a few months. But what if I rise to B-rank at the same time I level up? It might not just be a few months; I might not be able to level up even after a year. In the end, it means I have to upgrade our target dungeons from F-rank to E-rank by any means… I should probably start preparing for that.’
…
If he maintained C-rank, it might be different, but if he rose to B-rank upon leveling up, it would be difficult to gain meaningful experience from F-rank dungeons anymore.
Of course, there wouldn’t be much of a problem with leveling up skills, but since his basic five buffs had already reached his goal of Level 5, there was no reason to waste time in F-rank dungeons.
The problem was that they couldn’t even enter an E-rank dungeon as they were now.
He had to start thinking of a solution for that soon.
“I’m going to hit Level 3 first and then think about it. It’s not too late to worry about future problems when they come. Anyway, the clear rate of this dungeon looks like it’s approaching 90%. If we’re lucky, we might be able to catch an elite again.”
When Seong-jun’s party first entered the dungeon, the clear rate was in the low 70% range.
Given the party’s incredible hunting speed and the buffs they had been giving every party they encountered, it was natural for the clear rate to rise quickly.
He judged that a message announcing the clear rate surpassing 90% would appear before long.
“Ah! Now that you mention it, that’s true. Anyway, once the elite appearance message pops up, most people will withdraw to the dungeon entrance. Doesn’t that mean we could monopolize it like last time? I hope some useful loot drops again.”
Since they had obtained a useful artifact from an elite last time, Yu-seon hoped they would find something good again.
“Don’t get your hopes too high. Statistically, the chance of an elite dropping loot isn’t that high. It’s more accurate to say we were just really lucky last time.”
“Well, I’m just saying. Anyway, should we stop resting and start hunting?”
After sharing a brief conversation during their break, Seong-jun’s party set off again to hunt.
***
The hunt proceeded very smoothly.
Thanks to the further strengthened buffs, they boasted an incredible hunting speed compared to the past, and a significant hunting profit was expected as a result.
While they were hunting monsters without rest…
“Huh? Seong-jun. Come over here for a second.”
Yu-seon, who was moving at the front to detect any signs of monsters, suddenly called out to Seong-jun.
“Why? What is it?”
As Seong-jun approached, Yu-seon pointed to a wall.
“This part right here. Doesn’t this part look a bit unnatural?”
Following Yu-seon’s words, Seong-jun stepped closer to the wall to take a better look.
He then carefully examined the area Yu-seon had mentioned.
“Hmm, it definitely looks a bit unnatural compared to the other parts. Is it a trap? But it’s almost unnoticeable unless you look closely. How did you find it?”
“I don’t know. I was just passing by when something unnatural caught my eye for a split second. So I checked it out.”
It was one of those things—where you’re just passing by without a thought, and then for a moment, something out of place appears and vanishes.
It seemed something like that had caught Yu-seon’s eye.
“Good job. But what should we do? It might be a trap, but should I try touching it?”
When Seong-jun asked if he should try touching it, Yu-seon and Gwang-taek nodded.
“There’s been no mention of traps being found in this dungeon. I think it’s fine to try.”
“True. Most dungeons with traps have them scattered all over the place, not just a single one like this. Oh! Maybe it’s a ruin?”
Inside dungeons, ruins—often called dungeons within dungeons—were occasionally discovered.
Of course, finding a ruin in a dungeon was an extremely slim probability.
“A ruin? Hmm, that could be. Then does everyone agree on touching this?”
When Seong-jun asked once more to confirm, Gwang-taek and Yu-seon nodded again.
“What’s there to lose in life? Let’s just go for it.”
“Right. Go, go!”
With Gwang-taek and Yu-seon’s agreement, Seong-jun carefully touched the wall.
As he fiddled with the unnatural part of the wall…
*Click!*
That specific part was pushed back slightly.
“Huh? It pushed back? This seems like it was designed to be pushed.”
He then applied more strength and pushed it all the way in.
*Rumble!*
The section receded deep into the wall.
At the same time…
*Grrrrrrrind!*
Cracks appeared in the wall, and it soon moved to one side, revealing a new passageway.
“Whoa! What! It’s a new passage? Is this really a ruin?”
“I don’t know. It could just be a hidden path connected to another area, or it could be a real ruin. Either way, we’ve come this far, so let’s check it out.”
Even though they didn’t know what might be inside, they couldn’t just turn back after discovering a new passage.
Ultimately, Seong-jun’s party decided to enter the newly discovered passage.
*Step!*
As they set foot into the passage…
[You have discovered the hidden space [The Hideout of Paladin Clayton Palmer].]
A notification rang in their ears.
“Gasp! It… it really was a ruin!”
“Ohhh! To think I’d get to discover a ruin in my lifetime!”
As expected, the new passage was a path leading to a ruin.
“Usually, it’s said that there aren’t many monsters inside a ruin, but let’s be careful as we enter. Sometimes there are things like Guardians of the Ruin. Just in case, Gwang-taek, please take the lead.”
In any case, Gwang-taek, the Warrior class, was the best-suited to tank in this combination.
Therefore, Seong-jun asked Gwang-taek to lead the way.
“I’ll take the lead, so Seong-jun, you follow at the very back. If something happens to you, Yu-seon and I are as good as dead.”
Gwang-taek also knew very well that Seong-jun was the most important person in their current situation.
If an unexpected danger occurred, a lack of Seong-jun’s healing skills could lead to their total annihilation.
“Okay. Then let’s go.”
Gwang-taek stood at the very front, followed by Yu-seon, and with Seong-jun placed at the very back, they slowly moved forward.
Generally, there were usually no significant threats inside a ruin.
While there were rare cases where a mid-boss level monster appeared as a Guardian or highly dangerous traps were laid out, for the most part, a ruin could be cleared without any major danger.
And typically, there was a high probability of finding a ruin that matched the rank of the dungeon, and the higher the dungeon rank, the higher the chance of a high-rank ruin appearing.
However, ruins that didn’t match the dungeon rank appeared once in a while.
That is to say, a high-rank ruin might appear in a low-rank dungeon, or a low-rank ruin might appear in a high-rank dungeon.
“That must be the entrance to the ruin. Seeing as there were no real threats on the way here, we should be able to clear it just like this.”
At Yu-seon’s words, Gwang-taek nodded and spoke.
“It’s not very common for Guardians or traps to appear in a ruin. Such cases usually only happen in high-rank ruins. Looking at that, there’s a high probability this is a low-rank ruin.”
While there were cases where Guardians or traps appeared even in low ranks, higher-rank ruins generally had a higher probability of danger lurking within.
In other words, a dungeon that could be cleared without any danger was likely to be low-rank.
“So what? Even if it’s low-rank, discovering a ruin itself is a huge jackpot. I don’t know for sure, but we should be able to make at least a decent profit even if it’s low-rank.”
No matter how low-rank a ruin was, because ruins themselves contained many rare items and were often filled with various gold and silver treasures, it was common knowledge that one could make a profit ranging from hundreds of millions to billions of won at the minimum.
“That’s true. Wow! A ruin in an F-rank dungeon… Hehehe, Seong-jun, you really are a lucky charm. If it wasn’t for you, would I have ever enjoyed such a windfall in my life?”
“At least hundreds of millions. Maybe I can escape the semi-basement this time.”
Yu-seon lived in a semi-basement with her mother.
And it was a monthly rental at that.
Perhaps that was why she intended to move out of the semi-basement to a proper place if she made a significant profit from this ruin.
“Whatever it is, let’s go in first.”
When Seong-jun suggested they enter, Gwang-taek stepped forward and pushed the stone door.
*Grrrrrrrind!*
As the stone door opened, a space of about 700 square feet appeared.
And in one corner of the space, a heap of gold coins was piled up.
“Gasp! Go… Gold coins!”
“Ohhh! As expected of a ruin! Look at this brilliant color. Gold is always the truth, regardless of time or place!”
Gwang-taek and Yu-seon ran straight toward the gold coins as soon as they entered the ruin.
On the other hand, Seong-jun surveyed the entire interior of the ruin.
‘Gold is gold, but artifacts come first. Depending on the rank, it could be a real jackpot. Let’s see…’
Since it was likely a low-rank ruin, the artifacts were also likely to be low-rank, but one never knew.
If it was even a C-rank ruin, the value of the artifacts would be incomparably higher than gold coins.
‘Hmm? Is it over there?’
While surveying the interior, something that looked like artifacts caught Seong-jun’s eye.
Seong-jun headed there immediately.
“Hmm, a shield and a sword. And what’s this? It looks similar to a mana stone.”
There were three items that appeared to be artifacts: a shield, a sword, and a crystal that looked like a mana stone.
“Let’s check the shield first.”
Seong-jun immediately picked up the shield and checked its information.
[B-rank] Paladin’s Mithril Shield
– Shield Defense +50,000
– Absorbs [30%] of incoming damage.
– Mana recovery speed increases by [10%].
– Self-repairing durability.
– Special skill [Shield Charge] available.
Seong-jun’s eyes widened as he checked the shield’s information.
“Gasp! Wh-what! B-rank?”
The shield’s rank was a staggering B-rank.
‘I heard there were cases where high-rank ruins appeared in low-rank dungeons, but a B-rank ruin in an F-rank dungeon? Hah!’
Since they had reached the ruin without any danger, he thought it was likely a low-rank ruin.
Even so, just in case, he had secretly hoped for a D-rank or C-rank ruin, but a B-rank artifact had suddenly popped out.
This meant that this ruin was a B-rank ruin.
“Let’s check the sword too.”
Seong-jun hurriedly set the shield down and picked up the sword.
[B-rank] Paladin’s Mithril Sword
– Weapon Attack Power +70,000
– Increases threat level when striking a target.
– [20%] chance to inflict [Stun] when striking a target.
– Special skill [Siphon Strike] available.
As expected, the sword was also a B-rank artifact.
‘I knew it!’
Following the shield, the sword was also B-rank.
In that case, the remaining crystal was also likely to be an item equivalent to B-rank.
“Both the sword and shield are B-rank, so this should be something equivalent. What could it be?”
Seong-jun set the sword down and immediately picked up the crystal.
Then he hurriedly checked the information.
[B-rank] B-rank Paladin Awakening Stone
– When the Awakening Stone is used, one can awaken as a defense-specialized B-rank Paladin.
– When used by an Awakened of a lower rank than this stone, they re-awaken as a B-rank Paladin.
The crystal, which emitted a faint blue light, was none other than an Awakening Stone.
And a Tanker Awakening Stone at that, which allowed one to awaken as a B-rank Tanker, a Paladin.
“Gasp! An A-Awakening Stone!”
At Seong-jun’s shout, Gwang-taek and Yu-seon, who had been preoccupied with the gold coins, were startled and rushed over.
“What? An Awakening Stone?”
“Seong-jun! Is that true? It’s an Awakening Stone?”
Awakening Stones could turn ordinary people into Awakened, but they could also allow those who were already Awakened to re-awaken.
Of course, this only applied to Awakened whose rank was lower than the rank of the stone.
“This is a B-rank ruin. This shield and sword are both B-rank, and this is an Awakening Stone that allows you to awaken as a B-rank Tanker!”
At Seong-jun’s words, Gwang-taek and Yu-seon froze as if they had been turned to stone.
“……”
“……”
Was it because the situation was so unbelievable?
Gwang-taek and Yu-seon could not take their eyes off the Awakening Stone in Seong-jun’s hand.
***
I Became an EX-Class All-Rounder Priest Chapter 14
E-book Publication Date 2025.11.14
Author: Kim Hyun-jun
Publisher: Heo Heung-beom, Park Gun-won
Publishing House: Poten
Address: [04783] 10th Floor, 8 Yeonmujang 11-gil, Seongdong-gu, Seoul
Phone: 02-6320-8500 Fax: 02-6320-8585
ISBN: 9791175302167
Price: Not for Sale
© Kim Hyun-jun 2025
This e-book is a work protected by copyright law. Since this e-book was published by contract with the author, unauthorized reproduction, duplication, distribution, and sharing without the written consent of both parties is prohibited.