Chapter 30: The Second Day of Vacation

The second day of vacation.

After finishing his morning run, Kim Hyun-jun changed his clothes.

If it had been before his regression, he would have rested thoroughly during his vacation, but now that he had hidden traits, his body felt uncomfortable if he skipped even a single day of training.

“I’ll have to work harder to earn money.”

Another goal was added yesterday.

To one day buy a shop for his parents.

They say small business owners are struggling these days because prices and rents are rising, and as a son, he couldn't just stand by and watch.

Of course, it was impossible right now.

He hadn't realized that opening a single shop would cost that much money.

It was only yesterday that he had boasted about the reward money for catching a villain and handed out pocket money, but to afford a shop, catching just one wouldn't be enough.

Even catching ten wouldn't be sufficient.

“Once I reach the rank of Second Lieutenant, I'll be able to get plenty of loans, so I should work hard until then.”

Soldiers belonging to the Hunter Army also have good loan benefits.

Even just reaching the rank of an officer allows one to easily borrow hundreds of millions of won at a minimum interest rate.

Compared to private guilds, it was only the amount of cash one could handle immediately that was smaller.

Of course, that was a matter for later.

It was only yesterday that he attained the rank of Corporal.

To reach the rank of Second Lieutenant, he needed to improve his skills further.

He also had to achieve many results.

“Let’s do things one at a time, in order.”

Though he had unintentionally come out on vacation early, he had still made his own plans.

The first goal of this vacation was to establish a route that would allow him to enter and exit dungeons freely.

This was because, as a soldier, clearing dungeons was in principle impossible without permission from the military unit.

Dungeons cleared by private guilds and those cleared by the Hunter Army were separated.

Even dungeons were a world where conflicts of interest occurred.

“When a jackpot hits in a dungeon, items worth tens of billions of won can drop, so it makes sense.”

That was why Kim Hyun-jun looked for a way to clear dungeons even during his vacation.

Since he was a soldier in the Hunter Army, joining a private guild was impossible.

There was a way to work secretly for private guilds under various conditions, but… that carried a high risk.

“But there is a way.”

A way to enter and exit dungeons without leaving any traces of Hunter Army activity.

***

[Mountain Rabbit]

“This is the place.”

Kim Hyun-jun stopped in front of a dilapidated old container.

A dilapidated old container.

And a single rabbit mark attached to the door.

A one-person dungeon bidding proxy company located in a secluded spot where few people visited, Mountain Rabbit.

It was the solution he needed.

“There are still many proxy bidding companies even at this time.”

He had seen more than ten proxy bidding companies just on his way here.

They said it was one of the businesses that earned a decent amount since the era of Awakeners began.

“Everyone has their own reasons.”

Hunters who visited to use them temporarily before moving to another guild.

Hunters who disliked the constraints of a guild.

Hunters who lacked the skills to become guild members, and so on.

Kim Hyun-jun had also sought this place for one of those reasons.

There were many other proxy companies, but why did he specifically seek out this one?

It was because it was one of the few companies that boasted 100% reliability.

‘Was it around the time I was a senior Sergeant? A scandal broke out in the proxy bidding industry.’

There was a time when the personal information of hunters using proxy companies was leaked overseas.

Upon investigation, it turned out that they had sold the information of the hunters who had used the companies for money.

Personal information is important even for ordinary people, but for hunters, it is dozens of times more critical.

If a hunter’s level, traits, and even skills were leaked, it would inevitably hinder their activities.

‘If I imagine my information as a member of the Hunter Army being sold and circulating all over the place….’

He wondered if it wouldn't be better to just walk around naked instead.

The thought occurred to him suddenly.

‘Anyway, Mountain Rabbit was one of the few companies that didn't give in to money during that incident.’

It was a conscientious proxy company that maintained the trust of its customers until the end.

‘I heard that before the regression, they went bankrupt because they held onto their principles until the end.’

He heard that after that incident, other proxy companies joined forces to starve Mountain Rabbit out.

That was as far as Kim Hyun-jun remembered.

“Is anyone there?”

After knocking a few times and waiting for a moment, a person wearing a rabbit mascot head opened the door.

“Hello?”

As he offered a greeting, the owner welcomed him with a bright voice.

Looking at the voice and the body shape revealed beneath the mascot suit, anyone could tell it was a woman.

“Hello. I am Kang Yu-na, the operator of the Mountain Rabbit Dungeon Proxy Bidding Company.”

He didn't know why she was wearing a mascot head.

‘Isn't it stuffy?’

He didn't bother to point that out.

“What brings you here?”

“I want to request a dungeon bidding proxy. It’s because I’m a soldier.”

“It’s possible, but… are you from the Hunter Army?”

“Yes.”

Kang Yu-na glanced over Kim Hyun-jun's face.

Normally, she would have to start by checking if he was really from the Hunter Army and scrutinize various things.

This was because many hunters also misused dungeon bidding proxy companies for criminal purposes.

‘I really need money now….’

How many hunters had refused and turned back when she tried to follow the official procedures for verification?

Money or safety.

As she was about to weigh the two, something was thrust toward her face.

It was a military vacation pass with a seal on it and a military ID card stating he was part of the Hunter Army.

“I should tell you what needs to be told. You must keep this a secret.”

Only after seeing Kim Hyun-jun speak about how it would be troublesome if he were caught did Kang Yu-na feel relieved and begin her business.

“Of course! My company's lifeblood is trust. Don't worry.”

“The price varies depending on the dungeon grade, but currently, we can only bid for dungeons up to D-rank.”

Even for a proxy company, they couldn't bid for just any dungeon.

Large and verified companies could bid for A-rank and B-rank dungeons as well, but the one-person company Mountain Rabbit was limited to D-rank.

“That’s enough for now.”

In any case, a D-rank dungeon was sufficient for the honey pot he was going to take during this vacation.

***

Kim Hyun-jun immediately entrusted the dungeon proxy bidding to Kang Yu-na.

What he was looking for was an abandoned empty dungeon, so the bidding ended quickly.

It could be said to be the only advantage of an empty dungeon that no one would buy even if given money.

“When they find out that items are hidden here, everyone will be sick with envy.”

[Honey Pot List—Monster Essence]

The location recorded in the honey pot list written before the regression was right here.

Originally, dungeons without monsters had little value.

This was because a significant portion of the items that actually made money came from catching monsters.

If one was truly lucky, items were sometimes found in empty dungeons… but that required truly great luck.

“I don't know who you are, but I’ll enjoy this.”

Kim Hyun-jun expressed his gratitude to the man who would be lucky in the future and then entered the dungeon.

The item was discovered in the central part of the dungeon.

After roughly estimating the location, he picked up a shovel and began digging up the ground.

It wasn't easy.

He didn't know the exact location.

Still, it was certain that the item was somewhere here.

Clang!

As he dug the ground without rest, he heard the sound of something getting caught.

It was a small box that seemed to be made of iron.

“This is it.”

What came out of the box was an item in the shape of a snowball.

Using a portable measuring device, he was able to obtain the item as expected.

[Essence of a Goblin Archer]

An essence containing the power of a goblin archer.

Upon use, the ability to handle a bow increases permanently.

Grade: Rare

Conditions for Use: Possess at least one related trait, cannot be applied redundantly with other types of essences.

An item containing the power of a monster, an essence.

It could be said to be an item perfectly suited for the current Private First Class Jung Ye-na.

“She said that if she puts mana into the arrow, it doesn't go as intended.”

When Kim Hyun-jun was a Private First Class, there were times when Private First Class Jung Ye-na would occasionally lament about her archery.

— When I put mana into the arrow to increase its power, the accuracy drops remarkably.

She said she could hit the desired target even while yawning with ordinary arrows, but the moment she put mana in, it became uncontrollable.

It could be considered a fatal weakness for an archer.

Of course, it was a problem that other archers also experienced, but she seemed uniquely unable to overcome it.

“In a way, it’s a technique that can be called the core for an archer.”

This was because if one could load mana into an arrow, the power of the arrow could increase from several times to dozens of times depending on individual skill.

While this applied to other hunters as well, in the case of archers, the rate of increase in power was higher.

In fact, even without mana, Jung Ye-na’s skills were on the superior side, but if she walked the path of a hunter, she would soon reach her limit.

“This will be your medicine.”

Thinking about what he had received from her until now, he should at least return this much, shouldn't he?

Kim Hyun-jun carefully tucked the Essence of a Goblin Archer into his bosom and then left the dungeon.

Of course, he didn't intend to end it with just this.

“I should take care of my own stuff too, right?”

After receiving confirmation from Kang Yu-na, the owner of Mountain Rabbit, that the work he had requested in advance was finished, he immediately headed to another dungeon.

The work he had requested was to bid for all the D-rank dungeons in the vicinity.

He intended to sweep through the D-rank dungeons like crazy.

***

Kim Hyun-jun ran wild like a fish in water.

Even for a D-rank dungeon, it could be dangerous for a Level 3 hunter to clear it alone.

However, it wasn't much of a problem for him.

Though he was only Level 3, if one calculated various detailed specs, Level 4 was nothing.

He was at a level where he could even beat a Level 5 hunter.

Not only that.

He had caught low-level monsters until he was sick of it before the regression.

“Come here, doggy. I’ll kill you without pain.”

Thud! Stab!

The large dogs, the Hounds, died one by one screaming every time he stabbed with his spear.

There was no need to use skills, nor was there a need to coat the spear in mana.

“Kyang!”

They died so quickly that the Hounds actually became frightened and backed away instead.

[You have gained experience points.]

[You have obtained 6 gold.]

[You have gained experience points.]

[You have obtained 4 gold.]

[The dungeon has been cleared.]

The average clear time for a D-rank dungeon where Hounds appeared was 30 minutes.

A dungeon that took more than 30 minutes based on four Level 2 hunters, Kim Hyun-jun cleared in just 5 minutes.

With a single old, dust-covered spear.

— Mr. Kim Hyun-jun. I’m truly grateful that you’re using Mountain Rabbit so much… but any more than this is beyond my capability….

The dungeon clear speed was so fast that the Mountain Rabbit owner even contacted him saying she couldn't handle it.

“Shall I stop here for now?”

Only then did Kim Hyun-jun put down his spear.

[Level up!]

[All stats have increased due to the level up!]

Since he had achieved his target of Level 4, he decided to leave it at that for now.

“Certainly, catching things that are weak compared to your level is inefficient.”

That was evident seeing as he only leveled up after sweeping through seven D-rank dungeons alone.

Still, what could he do?

At this point, this was the only way to gain experience safely.

“Indeed. It’s not good to be too greedy.”

That was what Kim Hyun-jun said, even though he had cleared several dungeons by himself and even extracted the monster's essence.

***

The three-day reward vacation ended quickly.

Somehow, it seemed like time flew by whenever he went on vacation.

“It feels like I'm returning after blinking my eyes a few times.”

It felt like such an illusion.

While returning to his unit, Kim Hyun-jun checked a text message that had arrived and chuckled.

[Boss! Thank you so much! Please use us next time too!]

Kang Yu-na was already serving Kim Hyun-jun politely(?).

It was only natural.

It was Kim Hyun-jun who had saved the small, failing proxy company.

The Mountain Rabbit guild, which had been struggling with a deficit, had earned quite a bit of money in a short period.

All thanks to Kim Hyun-jun alone.

She was right to call him 'Boss'.

“I should use it occasionally when I go on vacation.”

He passed through the guard post in front of the unit.

“Loyalty!”

“Yeah. Good work, guys.”

The Privates First Class on duty at the guard post let Kim Hyun-jun in without any particular interference.

This was the good thing about being around the rank of Corporal.

‘As expected, the military is all about rank.’

He had hidden the Essence of a Goblin Archer just in case, but there was no real need for that.

“Loyalty! I have returned from vacation!”

“Oh, Hyun-jun, you’re back.”

“Loyalty! Corporal Kim Hyun-jun, did you have a good vacation?”

As soon as he returned to the living quarters and unpacked his things appropriately, he headed to the archery training facility.

It was to find Private First Class Jung Ye-na.

‘I wonder how surprised she’ll be when she sees this.’

It was a moment when he suddenly became curious about her reaction.