After the safety training, it seemed that rumors began to spread in earnest. Among the Hunters who had previously employed me, some even sent texts apologizing for their past behavior.
[Mr. Kim Kyung-sik has sent 250,000 won.] [Balance: 5,591,140 won]
'...I don't need this anymore.'
Employers who had demanded refunds, like the one who power-tripped when I had just reached Lv.2, were also sending money.
'Well, anyway... once I clear this Gate, I'll be Lv.5.'
When I reported obtaining the Status Effect Removal skill before, I claimed my mana had risen to 117. Thanks to that, although not every time, I was able to enter Gates after resting for just one day once every 2-3 cycles.
== Name: Han Seo-jun Overall: B-Rank Physical: 10 Origin Power: 168/405 Innate Ability
Universal (EX) - Lv.4 [91.5%] Owned Skills
Magic Missile (D) - Lv.4 [99.99%] - Growth Limit Reached
Regeneration (A) - [Passive][97.5%] ==
Even more encouraging was that today was the day the Regeneration skill would be permanently acquired. If my recovery speed increased by 320%, even if I depleted all my Origin Power, it would recover to the maximum within a day.
'So... let's choose my future actions depending on what effect unlocks at Lv.5 today.'
Thinking this, I arrived at a location that wasn't a fixed Gate managed by the Association like usual.
"Uh... so, you are C-Rank Hunter Han Seo-jun, correct?" "Yes. Here is my ID." "Yes~ Let me check it for a moment~"
Starting from C-Rank, Hunters are obligated to close a Gate of their own rank or one rank lower once a month. So usually, Hunters of similar ranks gather to fulfill this obligation.
"The verification is done, but... did you come alone?" "Yes. I am alone." "Uh... wait a moment. What should I do in a case like this...?"
The Association Hunter, flustered, made a call somewhere, and a moment later, he looked greatly surprised.
"Ah. So it is possible even alo—Yes, yes. Understood. Yes~!" "May I enter?" "Ah. Yes... But, may I ask you one thing?" "…? Yes. Well, as long as it's not a rude question."
What he asked was something anyone would naturally ask if they met a Hunter operating solo like me.
"What is the reason you work alone?" "Because I can hog all the experience." "Then isn't it dangerous?"
Unless one is a support Hunter, anyone can clear a Gate one rank lower than their own solo. Yet the reason everyone insists on forming parties of 3-4 people is simply for stability.
"For rapid growth, one must take some risks." "…That's a thought only possible because you are a Hunter, isn't it?" "Hmm... I suppose so?"
Other C-Rank Hunters cannot kill D-Rank monsters in one shot. Furthermore, to face mid-bosses and bosses, they have to risk injury.
"Anyway. May I go in then?" "Ah! Yes. You may enter... I will record your entry at 13:51." "Yes. Understood."
Leaving the envious-looking Association Hunter behind, I entered the Gate, and a vast grassland came into view.
"Ah, damn it. It's a Field-type."
In Field-type Gates, mid-bosses and bosses basically do not stay in one place. Even regular monsters keep moving, so I have to find and kill them one by one.
'If it were a higher-rank Field-type, it wouldn't be much of a problem. I'd just have to be a bit tense while moving around.'
The area of a D-Rank Field-type Gate is, simply put, about the size of Yeouido. It means I can explore the whole place within a few hours even on my own.
'Conversely, it means the monsters can find me just as easily.'
This goes beyond simple tension. Even if Origin Power consumption increases...
"Chwik? Human?" "Sh*t! Magic Missile 10%!" —Shuwoong! Kwang!
[Experience for Innate Ability: Universal (EX) Lv.4 increases by 0.2%.] [Experience for Magic Missile (D) Lv.4 has reached its limit; experience will now be banked.]
"Kuweeeek!" "…Say what?"
...I heard an Orc's voice suddenly, so I reflexively attacked with 10% output, but it survived?
"Magic Missile 50%!" —Shuwoong! Kwajik!
[You have defeated a monster.] [Experience for Innate Ability: Universal (EX) Lv.4 increases by 0.2%.] [Experience for Magic Missile (D) Lv.4 has reached its limit; experience will now be banked.]
"To kill an Orc Warrior right from the start, I'm luck—y... not! Magic Missile 10%!" —Tsu-tsut!
[Target not set. If a target is not set, the skill will be canceled in 30 seconds.] [29… 28….]
Since I found and killed the mid-boss right at the entrance, it might seem like the trouble of searching for it was saved. However, since the mid-boss was near the entrance, there was a possibility its royal guard was nearby. But while I refilled a 10% Magic Missile four times, no other Orcs appeared.
'...Are there no guards?'
I don't know when this Gate was created, but if it hasn't been many days, there might be no guards. Or maybe the boss got greedy and all the monsters are gathered near the boss.
'That doesn't seem to be the case either.'
Moving carefully and looking around, most Orcs were acting independently.
'What on earth is this?'
It was an incomprehensible situation, so I gathered information while moving as close to the trees as possible. The result...
'They were just stupid.'
In D-Rank Gates where Orcs appear, both the mid-boss and the boss are Orc Warriors. Still, the Orc Warrior designated as the boss is usually slightly stronger, but sometimes an individual with low intelligence ends up being the boss.
'The Association calls this... a non-Irregular Irregular.'
A stupid boss thinks that since he is the strongest, he doesn't need guards. He even prevents the mid-boss from owning guards just because the mid-boss is slightly weaker than him.
'Rather, things have become easier.'
**
From then on, I moved as stealthily as possible, killing Orcs one by one. After about 3 hours, having killed 40 of them, my experience reached 99.9%.
'...It's thanks to using 2 shots on that Orc Warrior at the start.'
But now, I could no longer dispose of the Orcs secretly. No matter how stupid the boss was, finding dead bodies of other Orcs continuously made him rally the remaining Orcs.
'Even so, including the boss, there are only 19 left.'
Once I catch one and level up, my Origin Power will recover anyway. Then there's no need to intentionally adjust the output, so shall I provoke the Orcs?
"You~ stupid Orcs! Over here!" "Chwi-ik?! Found him!" "It's a humaaaan!" "Call the captain!" "I'm going!"
Perhaps only stupid ones gathered under a stupid boss; while they were in chaos, one slipped out and rushed at me.
"Magic Missile!" —Shuwoong! Kwajik!
[You have defeated a monster.] [Experience for Innate Ability: Universal (EX) Lv.4 increases by 0.2%.] [Innate Ability: Universal (EX) has reached Lv.5.] [Growth limit for Magic Missile (D) Lv.4 has been removed; skill becomes Lv.MAX.]
I wanted to check the effects of Lv.5 right away, but since doing so might get me killed, I just started spamming Magic Missile blindly.
—Shuwoong! Kwajik! [You have defeated a monster.] [Experience for Innate Ability: Universal (EX) Lv.5 increases by 0.05%.]
"Phew...."
It's a shame the experience dropped to 0.05% again, but something even more regrettable happened. While I was diligently hunting Orcs, the boss monster disappeared.
'Where did it run off to?'
An ordinary Orc Warrior would fight to the death, but I had heard that stupid Orc Warriors sometimes run away to survive.
'I didn't think it would actually run away, though...'
Sighing, I wandered around, but Orc corpses were scattered everywhere, making tracking by smell impossible.
"Damn it. Skill Rental!"
From the rental window that popped up immediately, I selected the Support category and rented an A-Rank Tracking skill for 2 hours.
"Hunter's Vision." [Select prey to track.]
From the list that appeared with the message, I selected the Orc Warrior and pressed confirm. Immediately, countless footprints appeared around me, but suddenly I saw footprints leading in one direction.
'...This is the direction of the Gate entrance?'
So I followed the footprints, and there was the boss, looking at the corpse of the mid-boss who had died long ago with a shocked expression.
"…What. You went to call for reinforcements?" "Chwiek?! How?!" "How, my foot... Magic Missile!" —Shuwoong! Kwajik!
[You have defeated a monster.] [Experience for Innate Ability: Universal (EX) Lv.5 increases by 0.05%.]
As I killed the boss, the last monster of the Gate, the entrance I came through disappeared.
"If you were going to do this, why disappear?"
An exit immediately appeared over the boss's corpse, but I didn't leave through it. I had left behind the mana stones dropped by other Orcs to kill the boss.
'Why is there no Subspace skill in the Support category...'
Grumbling, it took nearly an hour just to collect the mana stones. Thanks to that, I came out of the Gate completely exhausted and ran into Hunters preparing to enter with tense expressions.
"…Huh? You were alive?" "Ah... Yes. Well, it turned out that way."
It seems they thought I had been ambushed by monsters and died, so they called other Hunters.
"No, how do you handle your work? You said he was dead?!" "Normally, entering a D-Rank Field-type Gate doesn't take this lo..." "Hey! It's one person! One person! If he enters alone, you should have waited even if it took 10 hours!" "Is, is that so?"
The Hunter, frustrated by the Association Hunter's reaction, sighed deeply.
"I will formally protest this incident. Do you understand?!" "N-no! Then I'll get a pay cut...!" "What do I care? You did your job like crap, and we're the only ones who suffered!"
Yelling that, he gathered his party members and left. I watched silently, then spoke.
"Please confirm my exit." "…I'm doomed. Credit card bill... limited gacha...." "Excuse me?" "I need to pull the season character...." "…Hello?"
Since he was muttering something with a blank face, I called him and even shook his shoulder, but...
'He's lost it?'
Since it seemed it would take time for this person to come to his senses, I decided to check what function had unlocked at Lv.5.
'Originally, I planned to check at home.'
[Universal - EX] [An archive where skills are recorded] ... [Lv.4 - A-Rank skill rental possible / Skills rented for a certain time can be 'Acquired'] [Lv.5 - Simultaneously rentable skills +1 / Can 'Select and completely possess' a desired skill] [Lv.6 - Locked] ...
"Huh?"
It seems an absurd function has been unlocked.
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