“No, no way! A level 1 took down an Irregular?”
And almost all by himself!
Jeong Hyeona gaped at the fallen Irregular.
“It was level 2. Now I’m level 5.”
Suho replied calmly.
He had leveled up once on the way here, reaching level 2.
And just now, after defeating the Irregular, he became level 5.
His stats also rose a bit.
‘My Sensory stat is 15 now.’
With this level up, his Sensory stat increased by 3, reaching 15.
Suho felt confident.
Now, he could sense monsters even faster than Jeong Hyeona.
Suho grinned in satisfaction.
And it wasn’t just because of the level up.
In front of the dead Irregular—
A fist-sized orb engraved with geometric patterns had dropped to the ground.
Suho picked it up.
[Skill Rune [Flame Strike] acquired.]
Monsters sometimes dropped items at a low probability, and among them, a Skill Rune was a rare find.
Skill Rune.
A consumable item that allows you to learn a regular Skill upon use.
Suho checked the information on the Skill Rune.
[Flame Strike]
- Imbues your weapon with flames, granting explosive power. When using the skill, your next strike triggers a powerful explosion, increasing damage by 100%.
‘I was just thinking my burst damage was lacking.’
Suho had no combat-related Skills.
Everything he’d shown so far was just a boost from drinking Fire Flower Water.
“This is perfect.”
With his claw hammer and high stats, he already had decent destructive power, but with a Skill, he’d be even stronger.
“Ooh—a Skill Rune! Suho hyung, congratulations. That’s amazing!”
Jung Hyunsu approached with a bright smile.
Suho asked,
“I get to keep this, right?”
“Of course! I told you, all items and loot from the Dungeon belong to you, Suho hyung! Haha, I’ll make sure to follow the contract exactly. Don’t worry about any special clauses.”
“Alright, I’ll trust you.”
“I should be the one thanking you, hyung.”
Jung Hyunsu, having answered Suho, turned to Jeong Hyeona.
“Noona, I’m already level 4. Did you see? This hyung is like an express bus. So don’t get in the way for no reason.”
Jeong Hyeona was at a loss for words.
He had proven himself—she couldn’t object anymore.
Not that she wanted to.
Wow, she’s not even answering. Is she still doubting Suho hyung?
“No. For now, let’s just finish the Dungeon. You’ll keep going, right, Mr. Suho?”
Jeong Hyeona turned to Suho and asked.
Suho replied calmly.
“Of course. We have to see this through to the end.”
***
The Boss wasn’t difficult.
Maybe because they prepared and engaged it calmly, it actually felt easier than the Irregular.
After defeating the Boss, a large red ore appeared on the ground.
It was the Dungeon Core.
If you destroy the Core, you can close the Dungeon for good.
Of course, that’s not a good idea.
Given time, the Dungeon’s monsters will respawn, and it can be reused as a hunting ground.
After the hunt was over—
The group headed out of the Dungeon, toward a building owned by Sangwangryeon.
Suho sat in the reception room, thinking.
“I’m already level 8.”
Even considering that levels rise quickly at first, it was a high number.
Suho and Jung Hyunsu split all the experience points.
Among them, Suho’s contribution was higher, making it possible.
A voice called out from across the table.
“I really was foolish. I had no discernment. I’m sorry for doubting your abilities, Mr. Suho. And I apologize again for my rude behavior.”
It was Jeong Hyeona.
As she finished speaking, she stood and bowed deeply.
‘I don’t know how big Won Suho will become, but it’s clear he’s not someone I can judge by my own standards.’
She had already made enough mistakes.
Jeong Hyeona decided not to judge Suho by her own standards anymore.
“It all worked out, so it’s fine.”
“Thank you for understanding.”
Jung Hyunsu cut in.
“Noona, see? This hyung is amazing, right? Why’d you have to be so stubborn and make things complicated?”
“…I didn’t know it’d be to this extent.”
Jeong Hyeona glanced at Suho.
Even after leaving the Dungeon, the surprise still lingered in her eyes.
“If you don’t know, you shouldn’t butt in.”
Having silenced the troublemaker, Jung Hyunsu turned to Suho.
“Hyung, now that everything’s settled, you’ll sign the contract, right?”
Suho smiled wryly and nodded.
Jung Hyunsu quickly ran off and brought back a stack of papers.
“Here, I printed out a new contract with all the added clauses. Please read it over and sign if there are no problems.”
Suho signed the contract.
“I’ll be counting on you from now on.”
“Me too. I’ll do whatever you ask, hyung. If you need anything, just say the word.”
Jung Hyunsu replied with a broad grin.
Suho smiled at Jung Hyunsu’s attitude.
Thanks to Jeong Hyeona’s interference, Jung Hyunsu’s loyalty seemed even stronger now.
Bzzz—
At that moment, Jeong Hyeona’s phone vibrated.
She checked her messages and spoke to Suho.
“Congratulations. According to the recovery team, ‘high-grade’ materials were found in the Irregular’s corpse. We won’t know the price until we sell them, but it looks like it’ll fetch a good amount.”
Sometimes, when you butcher a monster, it drops material items.
A Skill Rune and even high-grade materials.
That Irregular was a real blessing.
Suddenly, Suho thought of something and asked Jeong Hyeona.
“Can I just take the material instead of selling it?”
“Of course, that’s only natural. If you want to craft equipment, I can introduce you to an artisan affiliated with Sangwangryeon.”
She seemed to have made up her mind, and asked kindly.
Suho’s answer was already decided.
“Just give it to me. I have another use for it.”
***
Suho drove the delivery truck home.
“I got the contract money, and the byproduct payment will be in soon.”
With his bank account filling up, Suho thought of the Dwarves.
“Should I feed them something different today?”
Suho turned the car toward the Mart.
***
Arriving in front of his house, Suho carried the boxes inside.
In front of the refrigerator, the boxes were stacked neatly.
“This trolley is really useful.”
Suho placed one item from the box on top.
[Flame Thorn Bone]
- The thigh bone of a Flame Thorn Porcupine. Hard and strongly imbued with the fire attribute.
- Material Item
- Item Grade: High
- Durability: 350
A material item spat out by the Irregular.
Unlike finished items, its options were simple.
‘The Dwarves are building production facilities in the Village, so I can’t sell this.’
It was only natural to refuse Jeong Hyeona’s offer.
There was no reason to choose a Sangwangryeon artisan over the Dwarves.
Suho opened the freezer.
“Giant, when will you come? I’m hungry.”
“Should I just eat some Canned Meat?”
“Canned Meat tastes good soaked in Ramyeon broth.”
“Ah, I’m hungry.”
Bold and the other Dwarves were huddled by the door.
Seeing them waiting like puppies, Suho couldn’t help but laugh.
“Are you all very hungry?”
Suho asked.
“Hyuk! He’s here! The Giant has arrived!”
“Yes! Good thing we waited and didn’t eat the Canned Meat.”
“I knew you’d come! Heheh. Giant, I’m starving. I feel like I’m going to faint!”
The Dwarves shouted excitedly.
Suho sent the box of Ramyeon over to the Dwarves.
“Ooh! Ramyeon! Tod, Victor, go get water!”
As Bold shouted in excitement, Suho spoke to him.
“Open the box. This time, it’s a little different.”
“Huh? What’s this? There’s a container inside.”
“That’s Cup Ramen. You can eat it even faster.”
“Hyuk! I wanted to eat quickly—how did you know?”
“Did you read our minds?”
“As expected of the Archmage!”
“That’s not it. You just need to add hot water, and it’s ready in no time. You don’t even need a separate bowl.”
“Hehe, looks delicious. Thank you, Giant!”
“Thank you.”
“We’ll eat well!”
The Dwarves expressed their gratitude.
A large Dwarf approached from behind.
“These guys are bothering the Giant again, aren’t they?”
It was Tarunga.
“We’re not bothering him. Tarunga-nim, if you’re hungry, eat with us.”
“Ah, it’s not that… but since the Giant offers, I won’t refuse. Keh keh keh.”
Even the chieftain must be hungry.
Suho, smiling, remembered his business.
“Tarunga-nim, how’s the production facility coming along?”
I was just about to report. The forge should be finished by tomorrow.”
“That’s great. By the way, Tarunga-nim, do you think this could be useful?”
Suho handed the [Flame Thorn Bone] to Tarunga.
Tarunga examined the bone carefully before speaking.
“It’s not a top-grade material, but it’s usable. We also have some materials from the Orc Shaman you defeated last time. If we combine them, something decent should come out.”
“Ah, is that so?”
“Yes, I’ll do my best to make something with it. Please look forward to it.”
“Thank you, Tarunga-nim.”
“No, I should be thanking you, for always giving us such delicious food.”
At some point, Tarunga was holding a bowl of instant noodles.
“Then enjoy your meal.”
Suho stepped away from the freezer.
It was hard to resist the smell of Ramyeon.
“I’ll have Cup Ramen today, too.”
Suho poured water into the Coffee Pot.
***
Three days passed.
Suho spent his time taking care of the Dwarves.
In the meantime, the Dwarf Village underwent some changes.
[Red Hammer Clan Dwarves]
- Affiliated Dimension: ESKHJ-0702L
- Number of Members: 920
- Satisfaction: 75/100
“Almost a thousand now.”
The number of Dwarves joining continued to grow.
The second group was merging in one after another.
“It’s too fast.”
But their arrival was much earlier than Suho expected, which caused some concern.
“The food costs…”
Dwarves eat well.
Three packs of Ramyeon per meal, easy.
If one pack costs a thousand won, that’s three thousand.
Even at two meals a day, that’s six thousand won.
“If there’s a thousand of them, that’s six million won a day.”
And the Dwarves were expected to reach two thousand.
“Besides, I can’t keep feeding them only Ramyeon.”
Thinking about their health, he needed to give them other food.
That means more money.
“With the contract money, I won’t last as long as I thought.”
He’d hoped the Dwarves would eventually provide their own food, but there hadn’t been much progress.
“This won’t do.”
Having made up his mind, Suho headed for the freezer.
“Tarunga-nim!”
After calling several times, Tarunga hurried over.
“Giant, did you call?”
“Yes, I have a few questions. And something I’d like to discuss.”
“Of course, I’m listening.”
Perhaps feeling indebted, Tarunga answered even more politely than usual.
“Before you migrated here, how did you secure food?”
“We mostly obtained it through trade with humans. Dwarves aren’t very good at farming, you see. We keep wanting to tinker and improve things, so we can’t wait patiently for crops to grow.”
Tarunga added with an awkward expression.
“I see. And now, it’s difficult to trade with those humans, right?”
“Yes, we have no way to contact humans now. We’re not even sure if they’re alive… I’m sorry. We’ve already imposed on you so much, Giant. From now on, we’ll try to send out more hunters.”
He’d seen them get some meat from hunting before.
Barely enough for a snack, though.
If they increased the number of hunters, it might slightly reduce the food burden.
But that wasn’t what Suho wanted.
“As you may have noticed, it’s not possible for me to feed the entire Red Hammer Clan by myself.”
“Ah…”
“Still, knowing your circumstances, I can’t just turn you away. So, I’ve thought of a solution. Would you like to hear it?”
“Of course.”
Suho began to explain the plan he’d been considering since he first met the Dwarves.
“Please make equipment. Equipment made by the Red Hammer Clan is highly valuable in our world. If we sell it, we can easily supply enough food.”
Tarunga’s expression turned troubled.
“To be honest, I’d love to, but we’re short on materials. We don’t even have enough proper metal to make equipment for you, Giant, so things keep getting delayed.”
“Hm…”
Suho fell silent.
Food and metal were different from things you could just buy at the Mart.
Not only was it hard to get in large quantities, but it was also difficult to store in the freezer.
“Still, I have to try to get it somehow.”
If it was expensive material, maybe not, but for regular metal, he should be able to get some.
If nothing else, maybe he could just buy some iron tools and give them to the Dwarves to melt down and use?
As Suho pondered, Tarunga spoke.
“Right now, all we have is some broken tools. Even if we melt them down, we could maybe make a claw hammer, but not a proper sword. And even if we did, it wouldn’t help you, Giant, and it wouldn’t sell, either.”
‘Wait a minute! A claw hammer?’
“Are you talking about the kind of claw hammer Bold gave me?”
“It would be a bit lower quality than that. Bold’s was a broken item, after all. Come to think of it, that guy, really…”
Better than a claw hammer?
“That’s more than enough.”
If anything, he was more worried it might be too good.