Levelling Up In An Exclusive Dungeon

Chapter 9

The monster hunting mission of the large guild ‘Titan’, one of the top five in Korea, ended smoothly.

Since the hunt was conducted to train the newcomers, only three of the 15 hunters were veteran hunters, including the deputy guild leader, Ahn Do-yoon.

However, there were no problems thanks to the strict interviews and evaluations during the recruitment process.

“The hunting has concluded.”

After confirming the last remaining monster’s death, the rookie submitted his report, and Ahn Do-yoon began to pack his gear.

“Okay, let’s retreat.”

“Wait, just a moment!”

A guild member, sensing something unusual, shouted urgently while pointing at something with his finger.

Following the direction of his finger, everyone’s gaze landed on a large purple vortex.

“Damn it!”

At this point, he had never considered that more monsters would come.

Could it have been because they hunted a large number of the comrade-loving Lizardmen?

As if they had been waiting for this day, the Lizardmen appeared before the hunters, organized and ready for battle like never before.

“They didn’t spawn when I shouted… and now of all times…!”

The other guild members had vacated their positions to hunt the large monsters.

The only forces they could mobilize to stop this monster now were the ones available at the scene.

Looking at the monsters, which had increased in number by more than three times, the newcomers became extremely frightened.

“Wh-what should we do?”

“Let’s quickly ask for help from the other hunters!”

Under normal circumstances, they would have been excited about this opportunity to earn money, but not now.

There were only three veteran hunters, and most of them were newbies who had never fought more than three times.

This was an absurdly inadequate power to deal with the large number of monsters.

However, Ahn Do-yoon had no intention of responding to the newcomers’ suggestion for help.

“Do you think it’s wise to gather people in a rush, only to find a murderer mixed in?”

“This isn’t the time to think about that!”

A serial killer targeting only hunters belonging to large guilds.

His existence was certainly troublesome, but it didn’t make sense not to ask for support out of fear.

At this rate, they were likely to be wiped out by the monsters before the killer had a chance.

“Fight without fear! If we just focus, we can hold them off!”

Using the guild’s power to prevent other hunters from rushing to their assistance, Ahn Do-yoon thought that running away now could tarnish Titan’s reputation.

As the deputy guild leader of Titan, he absolutely could not allow such a situation to arise.

Although the other guild members knew they were outmatched, they reluctantly drew their weapons, fearing expulsion for violating guild rules.

* * *

Kang Jin-hyuk, who had signed a contract with Lee Jun-cheol, visited the association for the first time in a while.

Having surpassed level 50 and after a significant job change, he wanted to renew his hunter rank.

[ Kang Jin-hyuk ]

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Level: 51

Race: Human

Class: Cleric

Strength: C

Agility: C

Magical Power: C

Health: C

Checking his stats, he found that all his ability values had coincidentally risen to the C rank.

With this level, he thought he could easily rank up from D rank to C rank without any issues.

As Kang Jin-hyuk took a number and headed to the reception, the guide welcomed him with a smile.

“Welcome, what business do you have today?”

“I’ve come to renew my hunter rank.”

“Then please fill out this form.”

The form the guide handed over required personal information and ability stats.

Since it was the same format he used when he first became a hunter, Kang Jin-hyuk filled in the blanks easily.

“Here you go.”

“Thank you. Please wait a moment while we verify the information.”

Reporting false stats was a serious crime punishable by imprisonment, so thorough verification was required.

While he waited for the verification officer to arrive after the guide had made contact, Kang Jin-hyuk sat down on a chair.

After about five minutes, a well-built man with brown skin approached him.

“Hello, Kang Jin-hyuk. My name is Heo Jin-woo, and I will be in charge of your promotion assessment. Nice to meet you.”

“Ah, nice to meet you too.”

Kang Jin-hyuk lightly shook hands with Heo Jin-woo as he presented his hand.

After the handshake, Heo Jin-woo pointed towards the inner part of the building and led the way.

“Please follow me this way.”

Kang Jin-hyuk entered a room that appeared to be about ten pyeong in size.

The room was filled with various measuring equipment, including sandbags.

Heo Jin-woo picked up a flower pot from among them.

A wilted flower was planted in that pot, looking like it could wither away at any moment.

“First, we will verify that you are a Cleric.”

“Do you want me to heal this flower?”

“Yes, that’s correct.”

When Kang Jin-hyuk stretched out his hand to cast Heal as instructed, life began to flow back into the wilted flower.

As the brownish flower regained its original color, Heo Jin-woo marked a passing score on the document he was holding.

“Your identity as a Cleric has been confirmed, and the certificate will be issued today. Did you bring a photo?”

“Here it is.”

Kang Jin-hyuk handed over the ID photo he had prepared in advance.

“Now, we will measure the rest of your stats. Please stand in front of the sandbag.”

Since the papers he submitted contained only true statements, the subsequent test proceeded smoothly.

Kang Jin-hyuk achieved passing scores in all measurements and then exited the room to wait for the process to conclude.

“Kang Jin-hyuk!”

“Yes.”

The guide approached Kang Jin-hyuk at the reception with the Cleric certification and C-rank hunter license in her hands.

When Kang Jin-hyuk received them, she smiled again, congratulating him.

“Congratulations on your promotion.”

“Thank you.”

He received the C-rank hunter license, something he thought he would have to wait several more years to obtain.

Kang Jin-hyuk couldn’t shake the thought that he might be dreaming.

It seemed ridiculous to feel such excitement over just becoming a C-rank hunter, but it was inevitable given how arduous the life of a hunter had been.

“Let’s carry this momentum and go for the B-rank.”

If someone else heard that, they might laugh and say to stop dreaming.

However, Kang Jin-hyuk felt confident because he had his reasons.

He was about to head straight home to go back to the dungeon.

Now that money was no longer a big worry, he wanted to focus on leveling up for a while.

However, just as he was about to leave the association, his steps halted due to an unexpected hunter bursting in through the entrance.

The intruding hunter leaned against Kang Jin-hyuk, who was near the door, and gasped heavily.

His clothes were all torn, and his body was covered in wounds, suggesting he had just come from a fierce battle.

“Ugh…! Is there a cleric with a free hand here?!”

Even though he could barely catch his breath, the hunter cried out urgently.

Seeing the urgency of the situation, Kang Jin-hyuk raised his hand with sympathy.

“I am a cleric… but is it fine if I’m a C-rank hunter?”

“Of course! Please, come with me immediately!”

Clerics were such a rare class that many people cared little about their rank.

This hunter was one of them; despite hearing that he was a C-rank, he showed no concern.

The hunter gripped Kang Jin-hyuk’s hand and immediately took out a return stone to smash it.

“Whoa!”

With the sudden teleportation, they arrived at a sparsely populated area on the outskirts of a city.

There were numerous Lizardmen clashing with the hunters.

Witnessing the bloody battle made Kang Jin-hyuk frown.

It wasn’t because the situation was more serious than expected.

Seeing the attire of the hunters fighting the Lizardmen, black coats adorned with symbols, he recognized that they belonged to Titan.

‘Why are they here of all places?’

Watching in displeasure, it was evident that their fighting style wasn’t befitting a named guild.

A dealer who didn’t know where to attack first and a tank who could barely draw aggro.

Although Ahn Do-yoon commanded desperately, everyone moved as if they were inexperienced, failing to maintain their formation, moving like a disorganized mob.

Kang Jin-hyuk could roughly guess how the situation had unfolded by observing their actions.

“Looks like they stepped on a landmine while trying to train the newbies.”

Struggling to hold back laughter at their plight, he felt a mix of amusement and sympathy.

The hunter who had brought him in failed to notice his thoughts and said in a desperate voice,

“Just focus on healing us from the back! We will handle the fighting! Don’t worry, we’ll make sure to compensate you afterward!”

Having heard the urgency in his tone, Kang Jin-hyuk reluctantly complied, even though he wasn’t too thrilled about the individuals he was helping.

No matter how much he disliked the people, it would be foolish to turn down money.

As he moved toward the back of the line, he noticed several other clerics who had been deployed suddenly as well.

Among them, he made eye contact with someone, and they awkwardly greeted each other.

“Oh, hello.”

It was apparent that they also felt they had followed along without understanding the situation.

After lightly nodding, Kang Jin-hyuk joined them, continuously casting Heal without a break.

However, there were too many Lizardmen compared to the number of hunters.

Even as he kept casting Heal, the hunters fell to the ground faster than their health could be restored.

“This feels like pouring water into a bottomless pit.”

“I had the same thought.”

As time passed, the clerics felt increasingly anxious.

Despite five clerics diligently restoring health, the battle was not tipping in their favor, which raised alarm bells.

Frustrated by the stagnant situation, Kang Jin-hyuk sighed and spoke.

“If they would just swallow their pride and ask another guild for support, that would solve things easily, but they’re being stubborn.”

“Haha…”

The other clerics felt that Kang Jin-hyuk was right, but as they were all gentle souls who had never spoken up before, they didn’t voice their protest.

‘At this rate, we might face complete annihilation.’

Ahn Do-yoon, who was leading the battle, was no fool and sensed what Kang Jin-hyuk felt.

His morale, forged through numerous battles, began to waver like a reed in the wind due to the continuous hardships they faced.

If only the newbies could follow orders quickly, he might have felt a little at ease.

Watching the newcomers too panicked to even determine left from right, frustration welled up inside him.

“Damn it!”

Ahn Do-yoon swung his great sword, attempting to break the formation of the Lizardmen somehow.

However, the Lizardmen gathered, shielding one another with their shields, and did not yield to his efforts.

Even Ahn Do-yoon and his powerful attacks waned when faced with such tactical maneuvering.

“These damn pests are getting cocky because there are so many of them!”

Finally breaking down, Ahn Do-yoon downed the buff potions he had stored in his inventory all at once.

Then he rushed out of formation, charging at the Lizardmen with fervor.

One of the veteran hunters looked on at Ahn Do-yoon’s reckless behavior with a sigh, placing a hand on his forehead.

“That idiot again…!”

While Ahn Do-yoon’s bravery was admirable for a warrior, he was in the position of a commander right now.

Where in the world does a commander recklessly charge in without attending to his subordinates?

Moreover, without even observing the battlefield, Ahn Do-yoon charged headfirst, oblivious to the fact that Lizardmen were gathering to strike at the rear.

With a chameleon-like camouflage ability, a few Lizardmen quietly approached the clerics while Ahn Do-yoon was rampaging around.

Only Kang Jin-hyuk’s baseball bat caught on to their movements.