Chapter 17

Status: Very Unstable (3)

Pretending to be bummed out, I looked around me mindlessly.

'I can see. I can see them all!'

Originally, since there was no way to surely check the other option's identity from the standpoint of the person who chose the additional reward option, it was a procedure in which everything was clearly rigged; however, if I could see it clearly like this, the story would become completely different.

'Oh, my God!'

It wasn't that hunters had never thought of this method in my previous life, taking me to dungeon exploration and letting me pick a reward. However, all attempts had failed. First of all, I couldn't increase my contribution no matter how much effort I put into it. I was often 'riding the bus,' which was commonly thought when another hunter knocked out a monster, and then I would kill it. That was why my contribution didn't accumulate.

It was considered pointless even if I held powerful artifacts in my hands, as I didn't have enough Mana to activate them. Even if I drank Mana potions, my Mana box remained in the 10s digits, so it was of no use. The contribution wouldn't go up at all by solving the trick or finding the nucleus's location. In the end, I tried all the methods, but I had never succeeded. Moreover, as time passed, our guild's standards increased, so we didn't even care about it unless it was a high-end item, and I couldn't even tag along in those kinds of dungeons since the higher the level of dungeon meant it was going to be more dangerous.

Wouldn't it have been possible to change history if we had tried a little more tenaciously and found a way in the previous life? What if we could raise the level of human strength and prevent the collapse of civilization?

'It's meaningless to feel sorry about it now.'

Shaking off my lingering regrets, I looked at each of the white light bodies that lit up dark spaces. There were many skills and items in the world that I had never witnessed. However...

'I'll pass on that... That's not the one. This is also garbage.'

I quickly scanned the surroundings and took in everything. The speed of cognition couldn't keep up with the speed of my eyes rolling around. Although, in the case of a skill card that I hadn't seen, the activation and Mana control method would need to be observed by my eyes after putting them in the slot and using them. I could still roughly predict what level it would be with the amount compressed in the card. For example, I didn't know the exact effect of that type, but it was roughly a movement-based skill card, and it was an F-class without a doubt. Picking those kinds was unnecessary.

I recorded everything with my eyes, saved it in my head, and made a conclusion.

'That's the best.'

Without my skills, I wouldn't have to focus on it, and it was just one of the many light bodies — an inconspicuous option. The drawn pattern wasn't a skill card but an item. The clarity of light was comparable to that of a C-class skill card. It was a great level for the rewards you'd get from an F-class dungeon. And what I liked the most was that, although I wasn't sure of the exact kind, it did look like a weapon artifact. It was perfect.

"I've decided."

-User-specified rewards are awarded. You worked hard.

The system message praised me, which was rather gritty because no emotions were displayed.

Weeing!

Then, the white ore that I chose came to me and circulated around me. As if a small firecracker exploded, it sprinkled gentle rays of light in the air. An item was placed in the air where the rowdy light disappeared. It was just a small dagger. I hefted it up. Even without the analyzing scroll, the system message was generated with The Successor's Eyes' effect.

[Lorto's Dagger]

Item Description: The dagger favored by the Lorto Tribe in the Rahu-Ki jungles. Having specialized in assassination and pursuit, their main weapon was dipped in a neurotoxin, and even a brush could paralyze their prey.

※ If you are a diligent hunter, make sure to replenish it in advance before all the poison stored is consumed. Note that poisoned prey must be stored at room temperature for at least 2 hours and consumed after detoxification.

I didn't know what kind of race Lorto was or what dimension Rahu-Ki was placed in. It was my first time seeing this weapon as well. What I knew was that this item had an effect comparable to that of a C-class skill and that it was an item that could respond to Mana and worked with it. As I read the description, even the additional function of the paralysis poison lasted for 2 hours. It wasn't all that bad. As soon as I chose the reward, the dark and white lights disappeared, and I returned to the forest landscape that I was exploring before.

And···

"They're pretty fast, huh?"

In the distance, four lumps of Mana were approaching. It was natural for these guys as they spent their time here and repeatedly farmed this dungeon. Besides, it would've been easy to trace me because I didn't erase any of my tracks. I watched those who hadn't found me yet.

*

Optimus Guild Master and expedition leader Gye Yong-hwan's mood wasn't very good. The information on the F-class dungeons purchased from a dungeon explorer a year ago was a bold investment for his guild, and to be precise, for himself as the Guild Master to gain greater wealth and honor. If there was a small problem, was the limit of the number of people that could enter the dungeon was only five. The orcs living in the dungeon were of a type with poor farming efficiency considering their hunting difficulty.

"Anyways, how many dungeons in the world would there be these days that we can have it all by ourselves without the government intervening?"

Gye Yong-hwan had bought the gate information, and, after that, they regularly farmed by forming a party of five. By hunting the orcs, they collected cheap items and Mana cores that could be sold for a high price. All by-products from these unusual dungeons, opened beyond the government's awareness, went into the guild's treasury.

In particular, among them was the mana core. Dungeons were the only way to source the most useful gems in the world, which already had formed the industry's foundation. And, since not all countries had the same level of hunter pools, there was a big difference in each country's mana core supply/demand ratio.

Countries that didn't have many excellent hunters eventually had to pay high prices to buy them from other countries. Meanwhile, those with many resources weren't going to sell them easily, even if they had surpluses or sold them at ridiculously high prices. This trend was closer to a kind of national protection. Naturally, securing mana cores was directly related to a country's strength. Due to this situation, new criminals eventually arose to meet countries' demands to get mana cores cheaply, called mana core smugglers.

The source of profit for the Optimus Guild was, of course, to mine mana cores and hand them over to such smugglers. They then sold the purchased items to other countries without the knowledge of the Korean government. However, it was difficult to make up for the investment because the information was so expensive.

"Out of all the possible numbers, the limit is five people. If only it could accommodate at least ten!"

Hunting with only five people had limitations from a perspective of efficiency and was dangerous. There were also quite a few guild members who had already left the world. Additionally, it was a problem that the boundaries of the dungeon weren't so wide.

"The resource is dry again today."

"Brother, we can't. Let's withdraw for now...and wait for the Orcs to settle again."

The gate opened within the hemispherical boundary, where hunters couldn't pass, but monsters could freely enter. In the case of the field type, the barrier area became the dungeon area. However, even beyond that opaque barrier, the dimension continued, and a similar ecosystem unfolded. By killing all the Orcs slowly with five people, it took time for new ones to come in and fill their seats. Of course, Gye Yong-hwan wanted to gain the dungeon's key to widening the boundaries, but he couldn't know what the clearing conditions were.

"Damn, how the hell are we supposed to clear this? It should at least tell us the conditions, damn!"

Such an inefficient hunt continued, and the investment's recovery was still lacking, as Gye Yong-hwan's mind continued to be polluted with negative thoughts. Therefore, as he tried to proceed with the ritual-like dungeon entrance and saw the message, it was reasonable for him to be blinded with anger.

-Maximum number of people entering: 5 (currently one person entered)

"Currently...the number of people entered...one?"

He looked around. All of the people working today were here. No other guild member could've entered the gate without his permission. If so, there was only one conclusion in the end. There was someone foreign, someone who wasn't from the guild! Gye Yong-hwan shouted, spraying plenty of spittle.

"What kind of a XX bastard wishes to die?! Which fucking bastard crawled in here?!"

Gye Yong-Hwan left one of the five expeditors outside the gate and quickly entered the dungeon. It wasn't difficult to find traces of some stranger.

"As soon as they're caught, we'll slice open their guts!"

How long did they run? Suddenly, a system message resonated in the air.

-The dungeon has been cleared.

-The boundaries of the dungeon are weakened.

"Haap!"

The guild members who were moving together quickly swallowed their breath.

"Br-brother. What does that mean?"

They had no idea about the clear condition even though they worked so hard for a year. They tried hard to clear the dungeon to expand the hunting ground, but until now, they hadn't reached anywhere near success, but now the clear was suddenly completed. Gye Yong-hwan felt suddenly fatigued. Was this just a dream? His head felt dizzy. However, his thoughts continued to flash by.

"Wait a minute. Look at this!"

He thought that the situation wasn't the worst right now. No, rather this was good news. Gye Yong-hwan put a smile on his mouth. Mumbling sloppily, he revised his plans towards the intruder.

"He's a son of a bitch, but a son of a bitch that we should be thankful for."

The intruder had cleared the dungeon. In other words, it had solved his homework, which had bothered him for a year.

"Brother, that is, but..."

"When you've got that motherfucker, noticing that he figured out the clearing condition, his skill must be related to those kids with navigation and detection, you know. Those weak bastards that smell things so well that they make they're living out of it."

Gye Yong-hwan laughed, looking down at those rare and weak but skilled ones who usually led expeditions. Due to the limited skill slots, they didn't learn auxiliary skills at all. In his expectation, the intruder was a powerless sub-class, and he had the confidence to cook them well. Furthermore...

"Did you see the message outside the gate? It definitely said one, right? I mean, he came in alone."

"Well, of course. There is a limit of five people, but since we're four, he's alone..."

"Yes, that's it! We are four, but he is alone!"

Gye Yong-hwan regained his relaxed self as if he never lost his calm. The group was also superior in numbers — four to one. That fact inflated his pride like a balloon. He felt as if there was no chance of things going wrong.

"Let's quickly catch the bastard and put him in the sack. So, we only have to take the key. And we can expand our hunting ground."

"Ah...oh, yes!"

"If the bastard expanded it by himself, it's better since it saves us trouble!"

If Gye Yong-hwan and his subordinates had accumulated a lot of experience or were hunters with critical thinking, the moment they knew that someone had cleared this dungeon, they would've withdrawn to the gate. However, the option for someone with the key to close the gate was beyond his thinking.

Who in the right mind would make the stupid choice of burying with their own hands the fertile land that can be used to make money, only to waste time and effort by clearing it? In the first place, there was no concern about the dangers of this dungeon in Gye Yong-hwan's mind, especially about the state marked as 'very unstable.' He thought everyone else would think the same way since he thought so. That was the limit of the world in his sight.

"Let's go quickly and deal with him! Make him spit out what he received as an extra reward."

"Of course, you're the best, brother!"

Their state and moods were completely different as they hurried in an excited manner.

"Ah, there! brother!"

"Yes, I can see it too."

Gye Yong-hwan laughed, baring his teeth. Their prey could be seen in the distance.