The sword and shield listed in the auction ultimately sold for 14.5 billion and 12 billion won, respectively.
The winning bids far exceeded Seong-jun’s expectations.
Adding the money from selling the gold coins, the total came to a little over 30 billion won. After taxes, the total profit was approximately 29.1 billion won, of which Seong-jun’s share was about 17.5 billion won.
Of course, Yu-seon also walked away with over 10 billion won, putting an enormous amount of money in her hands as well.
Despite earning such a massive profit, Seong-jun did not skip his hunting.
“Finally, an E-rank dungeon! Haha, I heard the average settlement for an E-rank dungeon is around 50 million won. Since we made more than double the average in F-rank dungeons, we should do the same here, right?”
At Yu-seon’s words, Gwang-taek shook his head and spoke.
“That was only possible because they were F-rank. Even though it’s just one rank higher, I hear the gap between ranks is significant. Well, I don’t know about doubling the profit, but we’ll certainly earn a lot more than the average.”
Although the efficiency of the buffs had increased significantly upon reaching B-rank, it would still be difficult to kill an E-rank monster in a single hit.
Naturally, it meant it would be hard to expect the same settlement rate they had in F-rank dungeons.
“We’ll know for sure once we go in and try hunting. Let’s head in for now.”
To know how effective they would be in an E-rank dungeon, they had to experience it firsthand.
As Seong-jun led the way into the dungeon, Gwang-taek and Yu-seon hurriedly followed behind him.
***
The dungeon was an E-rank dungeon called the Village of the Dead.
It was a dungeon where mutant zombies, stronger than regular zombies, appeared, and naturally, it was of the Dark attribute.
Since it was their first E-rank dungeon, they had chosen a Dark attribute dungeon, which was relatively easier to clear.
“Ugh, maybe it’s because it’s an E-rank dungeon, but the atmosphere feels even creepier.”
When Yu-seon spoke while shivering slightly, Seong-jun smiled and replied.
“It’s not because it’s E-rank; it’s because it’s a Dark attribute dungeon. Zombie dungeons in particular tend to have a very eerie feel. Anyway, just doing what we usually do will be enough. More than anything, don’t we have a B-rank Tanker? Brother will surely cover most things for us.”
At Seong-jun’s words, Gwang-taek raised his newly acquired E-rank shield and spoke.
“Don’t worry. Who am I? I’m a B-rank Tanker, believe it or not. I’ll block as many of them as I have to, so you guys just focus on attacking without a single worry. Haha.”
When the words “B-rank Tanker” came out of Gwang-taek’s mouth rather loudly, the eyes of the hunters waiting at the entrance of the dungeon shifted toward them.
“Huh? What? A B-rank Tanker? Why is a B-rank in an E-rank dungeon…?”
“Ah! I think I saw that guy at the re-awakening test the other day. It was a huge deal because it had been a while since a high-rank Tanker appeared.”
“Wait, then he should join a good guild and go to high-rank dungeons. Why is he in a low-rank dungeon?”
A B-rank Tanker in an E-rank dungeon was certainly overqualified.
Strictly speaking, there was a B-rank Tanker and even a B-rank Healer who produced the efficiency of an A-rank or higher, but since they didn’t know that, it was a given that a B-rank Tanker alone would dominate an E-rank dungeon.
As the sound of murmuring rose from here and there, Gwang-taek scratched his head sheepishly and spoke quietly.
“Oops, was my voice too loud? It’s a bit awkward having all this attention suddenly focused on us.”
Seong-jun chuckled at Gwang-taek’s words.
“It was going to be known eventually anyway, so what does it matter? Just enjoy it.”
Just then.
“Huh! Se-Seong-jun! You’re Seong-jun, right?”
Someone approached Seong-jun’s group.
“Hmm? Oh! Yeong-ho. Haha, I didn’t expect to see you here. But what about your F-rank dungeon party? Why are you here?”
The man named Yeong-ho was a member of the first party Seong-jun had buffed when they officially started clearing F-rank dungeons.
Most importantly, he was the person who had first stepped forward to stop Kang Jae-jun when he had grabbed Seong-jun by the collar.
Since then, they had run into each other often while going through various dungeons, and they had become close in many ways as Seong-jun would invariably give them buffs each time.
Of course, there were quite a few others who maintained a certain level of friendship with Seong-jun besides him.
“Ah! Thanks to you, Seong-jun, our party’s performance was quite good. Maybe because of that, my evaluation within the guild improved, so not only me, but my entire team ended up participating in an E-rank dungeon raid along with D-rank guild members. Of course, we were all split up into different teams, though.”
In the case of F-rank dungeons, five E-rank hunters served as the main force, and the remaining spots were filled with F-rank mercenaries.
This happened because most guilds set E-rank as the minimum requirement for joining.
From there and above, parties were formed with five main members suitable for the specific dungeon and lower-rank guild members whose skills were recognized.
In other words, for an E-rank dungeon, five main D-rank members and three E-rank members with recognized skills would form a party.
Although the settlement ratio would be much lower than that of the main hunters, they weren’t paid a daily wage like F-rank mercenaries; they received a percentage.
Even so, it was always a profitable venture because they would take home at least as much as or more than they did in F-rank dungeons.
“Oh! In a way, you’ve been promoted?”
“Haha, I wouldn’t go as far as calling it a promotion, but I’m quite proud because it means the guild recognized my skills. This is all thanks to you, Seong-jun. Ah! By the way, congratulations to you too, Gwang-taek. Not long ago, you were just tagging along with Seong-jun, but now you’ve risen to a height where someone like me can’t even look at you.”
Until recently, the main force of the party was Seong-jun, and Gwang-taek and Yu-seon were no different from sidekicks getting a free ride from Seong-jun.
However, by re-awakening as a B-rank Tanker, he had now become a high-rank hunter that Yeong-ho wouldn’t dare compare himself to.
“Haha, thank you. I just happened to get lucky and re-awakened. You’re a very diligent person yourself, Yeong-ho, so I believe there will be good news for you one day.”
Seong-jun’s group intentionally hid the matter regarding the awakening stone.
Since the awakening stone disappeared after Gwang-taek used it anyway, there was no reason to reveal it and be stripped of billions in taxes for no reason.
Therefore, separate from discovering the ruins, they had agreed to say that Gwang-taek had re-awakened naturally.
“I hope that happens for me too. Ah! But Seong-jun. Do you intend to give out buffs for free in E-rank dungeons just like you did before?”
When Yeong-ho asked just in case.
“Of course. I’m still a long way from maxing out my buffs. I plan to continue regardless of the dungeon rank, at least until I max out the five basic buffs. In that sense, shall we start with your party, Yeong-ho?”
Saying so, Seong-jun immediately cast the five basic buffs on Yeong-ho.
Flash! Whoosh!
Perhaps because it was the first time he was casting buffs on someone else after rising to B-rank, Yeong-ho’s eyes widened significantly after receiving them.
“Gasp! Wh-what is this…? The increase is significantly higher than it was a few days ago! How on earth did this happen?”
As he rose to B-rank along with his level-up, all of his buff skills had been drastically enhanced.
In terms of pure efficiency, he had far surpassed the efficiency of an A-rank Buffer.
Naturally, Yeong-ho couldn’t help but be shocked.
“It’s probably because the skill levels increased. Anyway, are the people over there your party members, Yeong-ho?”
“Ah! Yes. Let me introduce you. Let’s go.”
Seong-jun went with Yeong-ho to where his party was, and after a brief greeting, he cast buffs on them one by one.
Starting with that, he went around to each party at the dungeon entrance and gave them buffs one by one.
Naturally, Seong-jun became very strongly recognized by them.
***
The first E-rank dungeon hunt proceeded much more smoothly than expected.
Although it was known that the gap between ranks was not small, even for just one rank, they were able to hunt at a level that wasn’t much different from clearing an F-rank dungeon.
“Gwaaaaaargh!”
Swoosh!
Boom!
Boom!
Boom!
Boom!
While four or five mutant zombies were held back by Gwang-taek, Yu-seon and Seong-jun quickly eliminated them with long-range attacks.
In addition, since Gwang-taek also constantly landed basic attacks while defending, the mutant zombies were cleared out in an instant.
“One shot with a skill, and two shots with basic attacks. It’s pretty similar to when the three of us first entered an F-rank dungeon, isn’t it?”
At Yu-seon’s words, Gwang-taek shook his head and spoke.
“It would be more accurate to say it’s a bit tougher than back then. Back then, it wasn’t the Dark attribute, for starters. If we were hunting normal attribute monsters, it would be difficult to maintain this speed.”
Considering that every attack against Dark attribute monsters landed as a critical hit, the hunting speed would inevitably be significantly slower if the monsters were of a normal attribute rather than Dark.
“Is that so? Anyway, we should probably eat lunch soon. My mom prepared a huge meal for me to share with you guys, so let’s find a good spot.”
Every party clearing a dungeon entered at different times, but most entered around 9:00 AM.
And the most common time for hunting to end was around 6:00 PM on average.
Because of that, it was natural for many to bring simple meals like those from convenience stores or pack their own lunch boxes.
“I saw a decent spot over there earlier. Let’s go there.”
Seong-jun’s group moved to the place they had scouted and began eating the lunch Yu-seon had brought.
“Oh! Your mother really is the best. How does she make food taste this good?”
“Exactly. She could open a restaurant and it would be a huge hit.”
When Gwang-taek and Seong-jun praised her mother’s food, Yu-seon let out a sigh and said.
“Sigh, but why doesn’t my cooking skill ever improve? Of course, I don’t have much time to invest in cooking because of this hunter business, but I do try a little bit whenever I have a chance, and it just never gets better.”
“It’s because you have clumsy hands. Cooking is something you have to be born with. So, Yu-seon, don’t go around pretending like you can cook and just focus on your archery like you are now. When I think about how I spent several days running to the bathroom after eating your cooking last time… I still get goosebumps.”
Yu-seon had once brought a lunch box saying she had cooked it herself, and both Gwang-taek and Seong-jun had gotten sick after eating it.
Putting aside the fact that the food tasted bad, how on earth did she cook it so that they got sick when the food wasn’t even spoiled?
Perhaps because of that, Gwang-taek was terrified as soon as the word ‘cooking’ came out of Yu-seon’s mouth.
“Cheh! I was going to do that even if you didn’t say anything. But Seong-jun, what kind of magic are you performing for your buffs to increase so insanely every now and then?”
If Seong-jun had come to an E-rank dungeon without reaching B-rank, it would have been difficult to show this kind of efficiency.
The increase in the buffs was so superior compared to before that even with just the three of them running an E-rank dungeon, they were maintaining such an unbelievable speed.
And Yu-seon and Gwang-taek were fully aware of this fact as well.
What Yu-seon was curious about was that, unlike simply leveling up a skill, there were times when there was an enormous jump in efficiency.
“There’s something like that. I’ll explain everything to you after I take the re-awakening test, so just leave it at that for now.”
At Seong-jun’s words, Yu-seon spoke with a pouting face.
“Honestly, you’re such a man of many secrets. Anyway, at this rate, we’ll earn at least double the average today, won’t we? We’ve already filled the average daily amount for others, and there are still six hours left.”
Only three hours had passed since they entered the dungeon, and they had already reached the average for a typical party.
Considering there were about six hours left, there was a high probability they would easily achieve more than twice the average.
“We chose this as our first E-rank raid because there luckily happened to be a Dark attribute dungeon nearby, but since we’ll have to enter normal attribute dungeons starting tomorrow, we probably won’t be able to achieve the same efficiency as today. So let’s get as much as we can today.”
While they were eating lunch and sharing such conversations.
“Huff! Huff! Hey, you there! Pl-please help!”
Someone came running toward Seong-jun’s group in a frantic state.
“Hmm? What is it?”
When Seong-jun asked with a puzzled expression, the man spoke urgently with a pale face.
“It’s Villains! We were suddenly attacked by Villains!”
Villains, out of nowhere?
“Villains?”
“Yes! We ran into another party while hunting, and while we were having a friendly conversation, they suddenly attacked us! They told me to go ask another party for help, so I managed to escape alone. If we don’t hurry, all the other party members might die!”
This happened from time to time.
Villains would enter a dungeon like a normal party, hunt, and when they found a suitable target, they would sneakily approach and launch a surprise attack.
What they usually aimed for was the equipment worn by the hunters and the mana stones and byproducts they had obtained while hunting.
Usually, since they had to leave no evidence or witnesses, it was standard practice not to let anyone escape.
In this man’s case, it seemed he had escaped before the surrounding area was completely sealed off.
At the man’s words, Gwang-taek and Yu-seon looked at Seong-jun.
“What do you want to do? I’ll go with your opinion, Seong-jun.”
“Me too. You decide what to do.”
Although they didn’t know the exact ranks, if Seong-jun’s group joined before the battle with the other party ended, that alone would flip the situation in an instant.
Even though there were only three of them, their strength was an asymmetric power within an E-rank dungeon.
‘If Villains are roaming around, it will also significantly affect our hunting. We’d have to be on guard every time we meet another party, and our hunting speed would drop significantly because we’d be worried about a potential surprise attack. From that perspective, it would be better to eliminate the Villains now. But before that…’
After being lost in thought for a moment, Seong-jun looked at the man who had come for help and secretly cast a skill.
‘Deep Analysis.’
As the saying goes, one should tap a stone bridge before crossing it; there was no guarantee that the man wasn’t in league with the Villains.
[Analysis Results]
Jang Su-beom: [E-rank Ranger]
Average Stats: [E-]
Combat Style: [Engages in dynamic combat with agile movements and rapid fire.]
Core Skills: [Triple Shot / Multi-Arrow]
Reliability: 32
Psychological State: [Feeling apologetic for barely escaping the Villains with the help of his party members. Trying his best to bring support before his party members are wiped out by the Villains.]
Having confirmed the opponent’s psychological state, Seong-jun slowly stood up from his seat.
‘Looking at his psychological state, he’s at least not in league with the Villains. It also seems true that his party was attacked by Villains. In that case, there’s no reason to hesitate. I’ll definitely deal with them here.’
He had wondered if it might be a lure to draw in prey, but it didn’t seem to be the case.
At least, the psychological state from Deep Analysis had never been wrong so far.
“Let’s go. It might be a bit of a hassle, but we won’t be able to hunt in peace with Villains around anyway.”
At Seong-jun’s words, Gwang-taek and Yu-seon also dusted themselves off and stood up.
“True, if we leave those Villains be, we’ll have to be on guard about whether every party we meet is a group of Villains or not. That alone would be incredibly stressful.”
“We wouldn’t even be able to hunt properly for fear of being ambushed. Just like you said, I think it’s right to catch them for the sake of our future hunting. More than anything, there’s a bounty if we catch Villains, isn’t there?”
When Seong-jun’s group agreed to help, the man who had come for help hurriedly bowed his head.
“Thank you! Since a B-rank Tanker and a high-rank Buffer are here, those Villains won’t be able to do much! I’ll guide you! Hurry!”
Seeing as he knew Gwang-taek was B-rank and Seong-jun was a high-rank Buffer, he seemed to be from one of the parties that had received buffs from Seong-jun at the dungeon entrance.
Whoosh!
As the man hurriedly kicked off the ground and threw himself forward, Seong-jun, Gwang-taek, and Yu-seon followed after him.
I Became an EX-Rank All-Round Priest – Episode 17
E-book Publication Date: 2025.11.14
Author | Kim Hyeon-jun
Publisher | Heo Heung-beom, Park Gun-won
Published by | Poten
Address | 10th Floor, 11-gil 8, Yeonmujang, Seongdong-gu, Seoul [04783]
Phone | 02-6320-8500
Fax | 02-6320-8585
ISBN | 9791175302167
Price | Not for Sale
© Kim Hyeon-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, or sharing without the written consent of both parties is prohibited.