Thumbs Up, Level Up

Chapter 35

“Now, the dungeon list.”

Ji-Han?handed a tablet to Ji-Cheok. On the screen were several dungeon lists, and Ji-Cheok picked one of them.

“Hmmm… I see you chose the dungeon with the highest difficulty.”

Ji-Cheok’s team members looked at him with surprised faces.

“I chose it because the rewards are the most appealing. Am I wrong?”

Ji-Han shook his head at Ji-Cheok’s words.

“No, it’s a good idea. You’re already way too strong.”

The dungeon Ji-Cheok had chosen was called the [Glowing Mushroom Forest], and it was a dungeon that no one had 100% cleared yet.

“It’s written that you can quit this dungeon halfway. If we try and can’t clear the dungeon we can always leave,” he explained.

?You are indeed the Master! Bring peace to the world!?

Ji-Cheok acted like he didn’t hear Cheok-Liang’s praises. The meeting ended after a short briefing.

“Your weapon was damaged, right? Shall I arrange a new weapon for you?” Ji-Han asked.

“No, I would like to buy it myself this time.”

?Since mushrooms have been mentioned, flame attributes would be good. Let’s find a weapon that suits Master’s cultivation!?

Cheok-Liang was very eager to get searching.

“By the way, can I ask you a question?” Ji-Cheok asked.

“As many as you want.”

“What position am I going to do? What about my brother?”

The tank, supporter-dealer, and healer positions were already occupied.

Ji-Han elaborated, “Of course, the two of you are both going to be a supporter-dealer. You are both strong damage dealers, and your skills will find application pretty much anywhere.”

“One tank with three supporter-dealers. Are you okay with this? If our aggro goes up too much, it’s going to be difficult for the tank to keep the monsters’ attention.”

Ji-Cheok didn’t know about Mu-Cheok, but he knew that his own damage dealing was not on the weak side. His strength was B-Rank, and he could crumple up steel with his bare hands without using mana. If he took a swing with a hammer, his strength was enough to shatter an ordinary monster’s skull, let alone if he used a Hunter weapon that could handle mana injection and was made specifically to shatter such skulls. Ji-Cheok also knew that Ji-Han was familiar with his abilities, so he wanted to make sure that they wouldn’t be attacked by monsters running past the tank.

“Hahaha! Don’t worry. No one can get past me.”

The tank, Ji-Byeok, interjected herself into the conversation.

“I didn’t mean to say it like that… I’m sorry.”

“You have nothing to worry about. Well, I mean, it’s completely normal to be worried, because we’re putting our lives on the line for this, but you really shouldn’t stress about it too much. There won’t be any mass aggro anytime soon,” Ji-Byeok reassured with an invigorating smile.

It was clear that she could be trusted with her skills, as Ji-Cheok saw his other teammates nod their heads at her words.

“I believe you.”

[Hunter Jung Ji-Byeok likes your personality.]

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After discussing a few more things, the group parted ways.

* * *

?Purchasing a weapon with the points you have right now would be a waste. Purchasing weapons commercially with cash and then strengthening them with Master’s alchemy is clearly the best approach.?

Ji-Cheok had been discussing with Cheok-Liang about preparing their equipment for hunting on the way home.

‘You mean that?[☆★◇◆Scrooge’s Alchemist Survival Camp◇◆☆★]? That ridiculous skill?’

Cheok-Liang nodded.

?Notwithstanding the fact that this seller is not a law-abiding individual and is excessively enthusiastic, this is considered a good skill.?

‘I see, so only those who are not law-abiding individuals and are excessively enthusiastic will post those emoticons.’

Whoever created this skill would definitely end up either rich due to their incredible scamming abilities, or in a hospital for the same reason.

Cheok-Liang continued.

?Alchemy is a very versatile skill, it can fulfill many purposes depending on how you use it. If you don’t have blacksmithing skills, alchemy is enough to make up for it. In other words, enchantments are the real icing on the cake. On top of that, this alchemy skill is cost-efficient. This is very interesting, Master.?

After thinking about it, Ji-Cheok realized that it had also been thanks to [☆★◇◆Scrooge’s Alchemist Survival Camp◇◆☆★] that he had been able to clear the previous dungeon.

?Aren’t you looking forward to the weapons we’ll find??

‘I definitely can’t wait to see what we find. Shall we go shopping right away?’

?Yes, let’s go.?

Ji-Cheok headed towards the Hunter department store. He had 800 million won in cash that he could spend right away at the market, and he planned to spend every penny.

The Hunter department store was in fact no different from a general weapons store, with the sole exception that ‘general’ did not mean ‘for the general public’, who hadn’t been allowed inside from the get-go. Only Hunters who were selling or purchasing weapons could enter, and they had to authenticate themselves at the entrance with their Hunter registration card.

“Whoa… It’s huge.”

The Hunter department store was located in Seoul and it had a total of twenty floors. It didn’t have any windows, and the walls were constructed from metal instead of stone. The building was designed to be very secure, as if it were the final fortress in an apocalypse movie.

Actually, it makes sense for them to construct it like this.

Some of the Hunter weapons that were kept there cost tens of billions of won. There were also tactical and strategic weapons regulated by the government. It was said that the department stores handled trillions of won, if not more, so building something like this didn’t seem excessive.

As Ji-Cheok and Cheok-Liang approached the door, there were two guards on each side of the door, four in total. Each one of them was an Awakened.

It was Ji-Cheok’s first time coming here, but he had been informed of what to do. Ji-Cheok went ahead and brought his Hunter ID card up to the authentication machine at the entrance.

Beep!

The glass door automatically opened from left to right. Inside, Ji-Cheok noticed how the department store was decorated pretty much like any normal department store. Well, the decorations were the only normal part—the items on the shelves were nothing of the ordinary. There were maces, greatswords, and spears hung on one side of the wall, and firearms on another side.

‘This is truly a Hunter Department Store.’

He had seen it a few times on TV programs, but now he was there as a customer. It felt a bit weird.

?Master.?

‘Ah, I’m sorry. I just spaced out for a second there. Let’s go do what we have to do…’

He looked at the armor displayed right in front of the entrance and activated his skill.

‘Observe!’

[[Eye of Insight] skill identifying the nature of this weapon.]

[Third-Rate Craftsman’s Platinum Armor]

[Class: C

The armor was created by mixing a whole ingot of platinum, a transparent magic stone, and unicorn blood. The craftsmanship is poor and the finish is sloppy; however, it looks very appealing and can attract attention.]

?You should avoid this kind of armor.?

“Ah, this armor was made in an Italian workshop…”

Ji-Cheok checked the brand on the armor one more time, but even if he were to bleach his eyes and look again, that would not change the fact that the brand was one he actually knew well. It shocked him, as he had seen famous Hunters wearing one of their works on more than one occasion.

?You will probably know this when your [Eye of Insight] skill level goes up, but the problem is not with the stats themselves, basic stats are fine. It is just that the craftsman’s ability was not enough to increase the potential of the material.?

“If it was you making the decision, would you buy this?”

?Uhm, I wouldn’t purchase this for a billion won.?

Ji-Cheok concurred.

?Master, this is the best place to hone the [Eye of Insight] skill. There are rather good items on display, and window shopping costs you nothing.?

Ji-Cheok concurred. He continued to hone his [Eye of Insight] skill, walking from the entrance of the department store to the bottom.

Ring-

[Your skill proficiency has increased!

[Eye of Insight has leveled up!]

[When it levels up to a B, [Eye of Insight] will become [Eye of Detection].]

“Just one more level left until the next evolution.”

?Yes, it has leveled up to Rank C rather quickly. You have also made some gains.?

What Ji-Cheok had ended up purchasing was a weapon worth 500 million, and armor for the remaining 300 million.

[Duel Swords of the Unknown Craftsman]

[Class: C+

A pair of swords forged from black iron, using the blood of a mixed-breed unicorn. Though the materials weren’t up to par, the craftsman was able to solve this issue on his own. The fuller and the guard allow the blade to be perfectly balanced.]

[Jacket of the Unknown Craftsman]

[Class: C+

A jacket crafted from the scales of a blacksnake and the mane of a mixed-breed unicorn. It is light and strong, suitable for speed-type Hunters. Though the materials weren’t up to par, the craftsman was able to solve this issue on his own.]

?Your equipment needs no basic attributes or enhancements. Toughness comes first; that should save you half the work.?

“It’s a shame still that we don’t know the exact stat numbers.”

?The problem is that certified appraisal will add 20% to the item cost. Right now, we must keep our war chest full as much as possible, so it is good that we can assess weapons by combining Master’s appraisal skill and my own vision.?

‘War chest, huh.’

Ji-Cheok still couldn’t quite get used to Cheok-Liang’s manner of speech, though he was well-aware of why the spirit talked like that.

?If you want to dominate the world, you should invest in your own affairs rather than weapons. Master! Save your military funds and renovate your house!?

“I don’t really have an interest in taking over the…”

?...Of course you don’t. I know what your intentions are.?

Cheok-Liang cut off Ji-Cheok, but even though the spirit’s words agreed with his master, Ji-Cheok could almost see the word “ambition” written with burning letters in Cheok-Liang’s eyes. Even if Ji-Cheok had no interest in dominating the world, Cheok-Liang seemed to be so passionate that he would grab Ji-Cheok by the collar and make him do it.

* * *

When Ji-Cheok arrived home, there were workers coming and going out of his house.

“Oh, you’re here.”

Ring-

[Hunter Jung Ji-Han is happy to see you.]

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It was Ji-Han, wearing his usual suit. Probably due to the heat, he was wearing a vest instead of a jacket, which revealed the fancy-looking sleeve garter on his arm. Even at a glance, it looked like a masterpiece made by a famous craftsman.

‘’After going to the Hunter Department Store, I can now tell how rich he is.’

Only people who had witnessed it themselves would know.

Until now, Ji-Cheok hadn’t realized how expensive Ji-Han’s clothes were. Like everyone else, he had a vague idea that they must be really high-quality, but that was pretty much it.

With his upgraded eyesight, though, he now saw things entirely differently.

‘That’s not platinum, it’s starlight iron that has a mana circuit built into it. That transparent jewel isn’t a diamond, it’s the highest grade blessed magic stone. That shirt looks plain, but the faintly shimmering outline is a fabric made from the mane of a divine demonic beast. Anyway, it’s not on the S/S and F/W collection catalog of the Hunter Site, so it must be at least a Limited item, maybe even a Custom one!’

Items made by Awakened Craftsmen could be broadly classified into four categories, but there was a massive rift between the lowest category and the other three.

1. Common

Weapons and protective gear that could be purchased at any time. They were usually decorated with the craftsman’s logo on the front. They were not exactly the best quality for the money, but at least they are not expensive.

2. Numbered

Items made using parts from beasts that were difficult to catch, only produced in small numbers each year. Individuals were allowed to purchase up to five of each item in this category, though they would usually purchase three. They were rarely displayed in the shop, and when they were, they would sell like hotcakes. The Hunters who missed the sales period could only try to buy these items at an auction or wait for the next year’s batch.

3. Limited

Items made with extremely rare materials, which would likely never be obtained again. There were usually between three to fifty items of the same kind, and once they were sold, they would never be produced again. The only way to obtain such an item was through an auction house.

As for the final category… the distance between it and the other three was as great as the distance between the Earth and the Andromeda galaxy.

4. Custom

Equipment tailor-made by a B-Rank or higher Awakened Craftsman. These high-rank Awakened Craftsmen were extremely rare and could not be moved by merely paying them money.

The Awakened Craftsmen who were B-Rank or higher had both immense pride and so much money they couldn’t even spend it. That was because even if they made a random spoon, chaebols would line up to buy it.

Sometimes, these craftsmen would pick someone whose abilities tickled their fancy and craft equipment perfectly tailored to those abilities. Of course, the price of such items would be so outrageously high that the other three categories combined couldn’t even hold a candle to it, but so were their abilities—in fact, it was impossible to even assign them a monetary value.

1. Roughly $800,000 USD

2. Also improperly known as “blood groove”, the fuller is a groove along the length of the blade that improves its balance and decreases its weight without sacrificing structural integrity.