Levelling Up In An Exclusive Dungeon

Chapter 15

Kang Jin-hyuk had two things he couldn’t understand right now.

One was why Seo Sang-ho, an S-rank hunter, was so attached to him, a mere C-rank hunter.

Was it really too much to take down Ahn Do-yoon in one hit?

While being noticed could be viewed positively, the fact that Seo Sang-ho personally requested him to join the guild didn’t sit well with him.

He had repeatedly stated his disinterest in the position of guild member, yet here he was.

Having no intention of joining Titan, having the guild master pressing him only added to his burden.

‘Should I just keep quiet for a while?’

Kang Jin-hyuk shook his head at the thought.

Even if he remained silent now, it was unlikely to attract Seo Sang-ho’s interest later.

More importantly, he finally felt like he was getting somewhere after struggling as a D-rank hunter.

He didn’t want to retreat back into obscurity out of fear.

‘For now, I can only ignore it.’

Seo Sang-ho didn’t seem like the type to retaliate just because things didn’t go his way.

Unless there was an exceptionally enticing offer.

As it stood, Kang Jin-hyuk had no intention of getting involved with Titan at all.

Determined, Kang Jin-hyuk faced the second bizarre sight he hadn’t understood.

“She’s really eating all that by herself.”

Lucia was cramming handfuls of sugary snacks into her mouth as they appeared in front of her.

The numerous desserts brought from outside were vanishing in a flash, almost magical in its absurdity.

“Don’t you think that’s excessive?”

“……Don’t trouble me with your words; just keep eating.”

Lucia was consuming the sweets vigorously, as if ravenously hungry.

It seemed her earlier playful request for sweet food wasn’t a joke after all.

‘Is there no such food in her world?’

Kang Jin-hyuk remembered how Lucia had reacted in awe at just a single chocolate bar.

It was well known that humans were naturally drawn to sweet treats, so such a scene wasn’t altogether impossible.

Understanding it was only her incredible consumption that was way over the norm.

“Hah~.”

After finishing an extravagant meal that could only be likened to a food-fighting competition, Lucia let out a deep, contented sigh.

Despite consuming several kilograms of sweets, her belly showed no signs of bulging.

Kang Jin-hyuk marveled at this mysterious trait that seemed to highlight the greatness of her elven lineage.

“I thought chocolate bars were the only kind of food you had. Your world truly has some strange foods.”

“Is there no dessert in your world?”

“There are, but they’re nothing compared to what I just devoured.”

It seemed sugary foods in Lucia’s world hadn’t been extensively developed.

Humans are naturally attracted to sugars, so it was surprising to discover that sweets hadn’t been thoroughly researched there.

“Why are we eating down here when we’ve already defeated the boss monster?”

For Kang Jin-hyuk, dining in such a dark, dingy place was hard to comprehend.

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In response, Lucia pointed to the wall behind them with her finger.

“Do you see the symbols engraved on the wall?”

“I see them, but what does that mean?”

“That’s a magic circle, can’t you tell?”

Kang Jin-hyuk nodded knowingly.

The magic circles he was familiar with usually took the shape of a round circle with stars drawn in it.

Thus, it was hard to imagine that the random scribbles were also a magic circle.

“Then, that means it might connect the maze to your world.”

“Those symbols?”

Lucia’s brief explanation was enough to astonish Kang Jin-hyuk.

“Then using that might just send us back to where we started?”

“No, not exactly.”

Upon hearing Lucia’s answer, he felt a wave of relief within.

While he had benefited significantly so far, he hadn’t yet leveled up enough to dismantle the dungeon.

To run wild and carefree outside, he needed at least A-rank abilities.

If the dungeon were to disappear beforehand, it would leave Kang Jin-hyuk stranded.

“So there’s still no way back?”

“Right. But it’s worth investigating.”

Typically, magic circles would vanish right after use.

However, the magic circle left in this underground temple remained intact.

Lucia suspected that was likely the reason for the failed teleportation magic.

“Since I’ve found this out, it seems I need to stay here for a while longer to investigate.”

“Will anything get solved after the research?”

“At least we may find out why we ended up here. Returning is impossible just with my mana.”

To utilize such a large-scale magic circle, one would need to be a grand mage.

Unlike Lucia, Kang Jin-hyuk felt relieved by the prospect of not returning soon.

Knowing that he wouldn’t be able to return meant he had nothing to fear regarding the time he’d spend.

‘If I can’t go back, it’s a good opportunity to learn more.’

Once he engaged with Lucia more, he realized he’d not only gain insights on how to use Aura but also other beneficial knowledge.

“If anything you need comes to mind, just let me know. I’ll help as best as I can.”

“… Why the sudden kindness?”

“Well, we’ve been companions in the dungeon, so I thought we might as well help each other out.”

“Really, is that all?”

Lucia looked at Kang Jin-hyuk with suspicion filling her eyes.

Even though they’d defeated a boss monster together, they hadn’t known each other for long.

In such a relationship, was there really a need to keep a pact of loyalty?

Kang Jin-hyuk caught onto Lucia’s gaze and hastily searched for an excuse.

“I told you I’d show you how to use Aura. If you get too focused on the research, you might overlook that.”

“Hmm…”

Her previous response was quite substantial.

Though it seemed a bit shallow in excuse, she was willing to overlook it to some extent.

Unlike others she had met, Kang Jin-hyuk didn’t appear to harbor ulterior motives.

Instead, he seemed almost relieved, as if letting go of a burden.

‘Well, it makes sense since he has something to gain from me.’

With that in mind, Lucia stood up, brushing off her clothes.

“On that note, shall we start with the basics of using Aura?”

“Right now? Weren’t we supposed to investigate the magic circle first?”

“Teaching you the basics isn’t that tough.”

Lucia approached Kang Jin-hyuk and extended her right hand.

He couldn’t discern whether she wanted something or if she was offering a handshake, so he simply stared at her outstretched hand.

Seeing that, Lucia, frustrated, tugged at his hand.

“I asked for your hand, so why are you just staring?”

“Why don’t you say something?”

As Kang Jin-hyuk took her hand, he immediately felt an unexplainable sensation.

A tingling energy surged through him, reminiscent of static electricity, prompting Kang Jin-hyuk to instinctively retract his hand.

Yet, Lucia held firmly onto him.

“Don’t be startled, and try to remember this feeling.”

Kang Jin-hyuk heard her words, desperately trying to accept that unfamiliar sensation.

‘Damn, I’m no martial arts master to remember this!’

He swallowed his dissatisfaction and focused on what she told him, realizing that the sensation transmitted through Lucia’s hand flowed through his body and exited through his other hand.

When he glanced at that hand, he saw a blue aura blooming like a mirage.

Without needing anyone to tell him otherwise, he understood it was Aura itself.

‘Whoa. Turns out I’ve got more talent than expected.’

Lucia noticed the state of Kang Jin-hyuk’s body and was internally impressed.

‘If things go well, he might grasp the basics today.’

Lucia had discovered Kang Jin-hyuk’s inherent talents evidenced by the movements of mana in his body.

Injecting mana into him had the intent of locating his potential but ultimately aimed to unblock the energy channels inside him.

However, Kang Jin-hyuk’s energy channels were already unblocked from day one.

The mana circulating through his body was flowing swiftly without losing any of its vigor.

After some time passed, Lucia finally let go of his hand.

At that moment, the aura that had blossomed on Kang Jin-hyuk’s hand disappeared as if it was a dream gone by.

“Now you got it, right? Try it out.”

“Right now?”

“Theoretically, it might take decades to accumulate, but you just need to employ holy power. There shouldn’t be a hitch.”

“What’s this holy power?”

“The shield you summoned when you shielded against the boss monster’s attack. That strength used to perform that technique is what we call holy power.”

Although they both consumed MP, clerics and other classes weren’t on the same fundamental level.

It wasn’t until Kang Jin-hyuk heard Lucia’s explanation that he realized the differences.

However, knowing the theory didn’t mean he could immediately apply it in practice.

“I understand what you’re saying… but how am I supposed to convert that into Aura?”

“That’s something you need to learn for yourself. With your body.”

“That sounds easier said than done…”

Citing skill names brings them to life automatically; he’s unsure how feelings can change or translate to other actions.

Even if he were to perform the movements, they felt instinctive rather than deliberate actions.

He never thought those actions would carry great meaning.

“What kind of instructions are you giving me, anyway?”

Feeling flustered, Kang Jin-hyuk turned toward empty air.

Then, with the mindset that he had nothing to lose, he cast the skill.

“Holy Shield.”

A shield manifested before him as talismanically as usual.

Concentrating hard, he focused on what he felt at that moment.

“Holy Shield. Holy Shield.”

With each repetition of the skill, he began realizing the slight power that seeped from the outside into his palm.

While the level was minimal and required a high level of concentration to feel, its existence was evident.

“Are you serious about altering this?”

Reciting the skill name automatically gives a result; changing the entire principle behind it felt impossible.

It was something nobody had ever attempted, and even Kang Jin-hyuk doubted he could succeed.

“Is there really no alternative?”

Desiring an alternate method, Kang Jin-hyuk pursued the possibility, but Lucia firmly stated,

“There isn’t. If you don’t like it, then just cultivate mana until you become a hundred years old!”

Kang Jin-hyuk released a soft sigh.

Her unwavering tone suggested it was something he had to rely on.

Letting go of any thoughts of impossibility, he held dear the slimmest hope.

Taking a deep breath, Kang Jin-hyuk reached forward once more and repeatedly cast the skill.

“Holy Shield!”

After doing it over ten times, his MP started to dwindle, so he pulled out a potion he had brought and swallowed it in one gulp.

Without wasting time, he continued to cast the spell.

Due to repeatedly performing the same motion, the sensation he felt each time while using the skill became gradually clearer.

Yet sensing it alone was nowhere near sufficient.

He needed to find a way to modify that into the feeling Lucia had shared with him.

It resembled a fruitless act, reaching out into the empty air while hoping for powerful blasts.

Kang Jin-hyuk clung to this seemingly meaningless endeavor driven by the faint hope of success.

Should he succeed at something that seemed impossible, it would result in a great feeling of achievement—especially if he, the first one to accomplish it, was the one who did so.

Focusing solely on that limited chance, Kang Jin-hyuk consumed another five potions.

“Hmm?”

After repeating it to the point where his potions ran out, the shield he summoned began to lack definition, unable to hold a solid shape.

The result seemed like a mere failure to cast the skill.

However, a closer examination revealed that something went wrong with a skill that should have activated as long as he had sufficient MP.

That meant the divine power typically invested in the skill had been redirected elsewhere as evidence of that contention.

“Is this really possible…?”

Kang Jin-hyuk’s wavering hope began to grow.

Then suddenly, a message appeared as if it was waiting for that moment.

[You have acquired a skill.]

[Holy Power Application – Level 1]