"So, you're the one called Rega?" a female hunter dressed in assassin's garb asked, her voice dripping with indifference.
"Yes, I'm Rega."
"I'm Jeane. Rank 66 Assassin, E-Rank Hunter."
"Ah, so you're the one Mr. Carte mentioned?"
Jeane nodded, her eyes scanning Rega from head to toe with a critical gaze. "To be honest, I don't see a single spark of 'hunter potential' in you."
"Is that so?"
Jeane drew a dagger, twirling it between her fingers with the fluid ease of a child playing with a toy.
Startled, Rega discreetly activated his Appraisal skill to check her status. As expected of a Rank 66 E-Rank hunter, Jeane possessed skills perfectly suited for her profession as an assassin. Her dagger proficiency, in particular, was top-tier. However, that was the only skill she had at such a high level.
"Hmm?" Jeane's eyes sharpened as she shot a piercing look at him. "Did you just use Appraisal on me?"
Rega stiffened, nodding back with a wary expression.
"What did you see?" Jeane's tone softened slightly, curiosity piqued.
"Everything. Including the fact that your dagger skills are at the top-tier level."
"Eh?" Jeane paused, her mouth forming a small 'O' of surprise. "You're sure you saw everything?"
Rega nodded again, calmly explaining the details his Appraisal had revealed. Jeane fell silent, struggling to process how her status could be read so easily by someone like him.
"What rank are you?" she asked eventually.
"A while ago, I reached Rank 10."
"Rank 10? You're joking, right?"
Rega shook his head, his expression dead serious.
"Can I ask you one thing?" Jeane pressed.
"Go ahead."
"What level is your Appraisal skill?"
Rega hesitated for a moment, weighing his options before answering. "My Appraisal skill is at the Master level."
Jeane's mind went blank. It took several seconds for her to regain her composure. She took a deep breath and muttered under her breath, "Now I understand. As expected of someone sent by Mr. Carte."
Rega didn't quite catch her meaning, but he felt a wave of relief when she didn't press him for more details.
"Alright then. Today, I'll be your guide."
Rega nodded solemnly. "I'm in your hands."
Jeane led Rega into a private complex owned by the Keris Guild. At first, Rega was confused as to why he was being brought to such a place, but his doubts vanished the moment he spotted a dungeon entrance in the distance.
"What dungeon is this?"
"This is a private dungeon owned by the Keris Guild. It's named after the guild itself: the Keris Dungeon."
"A private dungeon?"
Jeane stopped in her tracks, turning back with a look of disbelief. "You don't know about these?"
Rega shook his head, looking genuinely puzzled.
Jeane let out a small sigh and began explaining the concept of private dungeons as they walked toward the entrance. From her explanation, Rega gathered that private dungeons were exclusive zones managed by specific organizations. Outsiders were strictly forbidden from entering without explicit permission. In the case of the Keris Dungeon, only guild members were allowed inside.
If one wondered why the Keris Guild chose to monopolize this specific dungeon, the answer lay in its rarity. The EXP gained from killing monsters in the Keris Dungeon was ten times higher than in a standard dungeon.
Rega's heart skipped a beat. To him, "ten times the EXP" meant one hundred thousand times the EXP when combined with his 10,000x System.
Gulp.
Rega swallowed hard, his throat suddenly feeling bone-dry. Jeane smirked, looking satisfied with his shocked reaction.
"So, dungeons with those kinds of perks actually exist?"
"They do, and they aren't as rare as you'd think. But in our region, the Keris Dungeon is the best. There are others like it with lower multipliers, but they're usually controlled by smaller guilds. A common hunter would never get the chance to step foot in one."
Rega remained silent, lost for words. Once again, the harsh reality of a hunter's life in this world was becoming crystal clear.
"Why does the government allow this?"
Jeane rolled her eyes, answering casually. "The government can't go toe-to-toe with the guilds. Instead of making enemies, they chose a middle ground: they let the guilds control the dungeons as long as they pay taxes on them."
"Taxes?"
"Yep. And the amount depends on how 'special' the dungeon is. For example, the annual tax for the Keris Dungeon is around 10 billion."
Rega stood frozen. That figure was far beyond anything he could have imagined. He realized then that the 50 million he had received from signing his contract was nothing more than pocket change to the Keris Guild.
'The world is vast... I need to get stronger, fast.'
To be continued...