The F-Rank Frog Nest had turned into this maze-like structure?
‘Did the structure of Dungeons also change when the new Jobs appeared?’
“No…. Why is it like this?”
“It is strange, is it not?”
“It is. I have come here often, but this is the first time I have seen anything like this.”
“Is there a problem?”
Han Da-young and Lee Si-woon looked as though they had no idea what was going on.
‘Looks like those two have never worked as Menial Workers either.’
Park Il-sang explained.
“The Frog Nest is simply a straight path. So normally, the Boss Monster should have appeared around now. But if you look over there, there are several passages, are there not? It has become a maze.”
“A maze is troublesome…. It means the area has become wider too. Did anyone bring food?”
At Kim Dong-su’s words, everyone shook their heads.
To begin with, the Frog Nest was a place that could be cleared in two or three hours. All F-Rank Dungeons were like that. But if it had become a maze like this?
The exploration time would increase even more. It might even take several days. If that happened, they could starve to death or die of dehydration.
“Tsk. We might have to eat frogs.”
Kim Dong-su muttered with a displeased expression.
Han Da-young and Lee Si-woon turned pale.
“Eat frogs?”
“If there is nothing else to eat, we have to eat those at least. Things like that happen when you go around Dungeons. See? Park is calm, is he not? If you work as a Menial Worker, it happens all the time.”
“That is correct. At least frogs can be eaten, so it is fortunate. If you go to a Dungeon with nothing edible, you have to tear moss off the walls and eat that instead.”
“Ah. That is the worst.”
Park Il-sang and Kim Dong-su were perfectly in tune.
Seeing Kim Dong-su treat it as nothing serious, Park Il-sang could judge that his experience was not merely empty years.
But the circumstances were different for Han Da-young and Lee Si-woon.
Their expressions had already begun to worsen.
“Well, first, somehow, we should hurry and… hm?”
Kim Dong-su stopped speaking midway and turned his head.
“What….”
“Shh! Be quiet.”
Kim Dong-su spoke with weight. His attitude was so serious that it was hard to believe he was the same uncle who had fallen over like a fool in the first fight.
When everyone stayed quiet, he opened his mouth.
“It is people. I think they will come out from there….”
‘It seems a Barbarian Warrior’s senses, such as hearing, are strengthened too. In any case, people?’
Large Dungeons had several entrances. Because of that, he had heard that one sometimes met other Hunters inside.
However.
This Frog Nest was F-Rank, so it had only one entrance. Yet people were coming out of a different passage? That meant this Dungeon had completely changed from the past.
‘I thought it was strange that so many new Jobs appeared…. Was it really a patch update after all?’
Dungeons were changing. Jobs were changing. And the world would change too.
What on earth did the transcendent being who created the Hunter System want?
‘Well. I will leave that question for later, if I ever become able to make a contract with a Constellation….’
“Prepare for combat. Da-young and Si-woon, be ready.”
The six Undead lay flat on the ground, disguising themselves as ordinary corpses.
Everyone saw that but said nothing. They seemed to understand what he intended to do.
“Let us step back.”
At those words, everyone nodded. Then they slowly retreated.
After they waited for a short while, voices could be heard.
“Hey, you bastard! I told you to watch out for the frog tongues!”
“Do you have to make such a damned fuss when it hurts?”
“Shut up. You made the mistake….”
“This antidote is expensive. I am taking it out of what you earned today.”
“You bastards. Seriously, I….”
“Wait. Is that not light?”
Rough voices.
The way they cursed freely at one another made them seem rather close.
Before long, four people abruptly emerged from the passage on the right.
‘Decent Hunters.’
All four were wearing combat uniforms.
Two held shields and swords. One held a shield and an axe. The remaining one held a crossbow.
The reason it was a crossbow instead of a gun was because gunpowder could not be used inside Dungeons.
That was one of the rules of Dungeons.
Still, what was funny was that electronic devices functioned, so that crossbow probably had at least a fully automatic loading function attached to it.
‘Their equipment is moderately worn, and there are traces of combat. As for people… they have probably killed before.’
If one lived as a Hunter, one could not avoid killing people.
“Huh? What is this? People?”
“They said the Dungeon was a bit strange…. To think we would see people in a frog burrow.”
“Hey, you people! Where did you come from?”
“Hey, why are you talking to them? They are obviously beginners. Look at them wearing tracksuits in a place like this.”
“What is with that uncle? Ugh, damn. My eyes….”
“I am buying eyes that have not seen that!”
The men approached.
Now then… would they try to rob them? Or would they not? If they attempted robbery….
‘I may be able to make Undead with human corpses today.’
“Is that a gold necklace? Wow….”
“Heh. Today is our lucky day. Hey, you lot. Put down everything you have and get lost. Then we will let you live.”
“It would be disappointing if they just left. The women are fairly good-looking.”
“Come on, everyone. Move quickly. Do you want to die?”
Leaving the corpses behind them, the men moved forward. Park Il-sang heard Han Da-young grind her teeth behind him.
‘Tsk. How nice that they are being so blatant. In that case….’
He gathered Necro Mana at the fingertip of the hand holding his shield. It was hidden behind the shield, so it was perfect for a surprise attack.
“You bastards…. Do you not see this? This is a camera, you bastards!”
Kim Dong-su shouted furiously. He smacked the camera attached to his backpack strap.
The Hunters answered.
“Uncle. So what?”
“That thing is for recording anyway. Put everything down and leave. We do not want to kill people.”
“Stop talking nonsense! How are we supposed to get out of the Dungeon without equipment?”
“That is your problem. Or what? Do you want to fight?”
The Hunters snickered.
At that moment.
Park Il-sang aimed the hand holding his shield at the enemy.
“Bang.”
BOOM!
Necro Mana became a bullet and flew at tremendous speed.
It was truly as fast as a gunshot!
Before anyone could even react, the head of the man holding the crossbow was smashed apart.
‘Whoa. Is it because I have a lot of Necro Mana? His head was blown off in one shot.’
The moment he marveled at it.
“What the hell!?”
“You bastards!”
“Kill them!”
At the same time as the men reacted.
The Zombies and Skeleton Soldiers attacked from behind.
CHOMP! CRUNCH!
“Guh!?”
“What, what is this!”
While they were panicking.
Kim Dong-su charged forward with all his might. At the same time, Han Da-young raised her magic staff high from behind.
“Pursuing Arrow of Light!”
WHOOSH!
Light descended, and limbs were blown away.
The beam created by Han Da-young’s magic flew out and pierced straight through arms and legs.
‘Oh. Its power is incredible. Especially the speed.’
It hit the instant it was fired. It was faster than a bullet!
Of course, that could not be helped. How could one dodge something that flew at the speed of light?
“Aaaagh!”
In an instant, two were neutralized.
While the remaining one was going, Huh? Kim Dong-su closed the distance.
“WHAAAAAAAA!”
Along with his Battle Cry, he brought down his axe.
CLANG!
The Hunter barely blocked it by raising his shield. But his posture collapsed, and the second attack that followed struck the Hunter’s side without obstruction.
CRUNCH!
“Aaaagh!”
That was the end. With that scream, the man rolled across the ground.
Then Kim Dong-su immediately chopped down at his neck.
CRUNCH!
He could scream no longer and died on the spot.
Only the two with injured arms and legs remained. And the Undead were clinging to both of them.
A Zombie opened its mouth and bit down.
“S-save me… Aaaagh!”
“Grrrrrk!”
As a result, the remaining two died just like that as well.
At the sight, Park Il-sang raised his evaluation of Kim Dong-su.
The skill to kill people without hesitation!
It seemed his experience as a Menial Worker was shining through.
The sight was a little hard on the eyes, but his combat power could be evaluated as fairly good.
It was then.
-You have acquired sufficient experience, and your grade has risen to F.
His grade rose after killing people!
‘I heard that even PK inside a Dungeon raises your grade. So it was true.’
Monsters were not only inside Dungeons.
Because Dungeon Breaks occurred and the Monsters that burst out onto Earth reproduced, the world had become a Monster paradise no matter where one went.
However, no matter how many Monsters on Earth Hunters killed, their grades did not rise.
Only clearing Dungeons raised their grades!
That was known as an absolute law.
When one’s grade rose, a Hunter’s overall abilities increased, and they could acquire items or Skills that could only be used at higher grades.
For example, certain items had restrictions stating that Hunters below C-Grade could not use them.
It worked like that.
‘But this… does that not make Necromancer even more absurdly overpowered?’
Necromancers fundamentally used the Necro Mana generated by the [Corpse Box].
In other words, a Necromancer’s increase in mana had nothing to do with grade advancement.
What mattered was the number of corpses crammed into the [Corpse Box]!
It would become somewhat different after he turned himself into an Undead later, but.
Fundamentally, that was how it worked.
“Ohhh! My grade went up!”
“Mine too.”
“As did mine.”
“Heh heh. They said your grade goes up no matter what you kill inside a Dungeon….”
Kim Dong-su looked pleased.
Unlike his miserably unmaintained body, Park Il-sang judged him to be someone with a rather Hunter-like mentality.
“They may have been careless, but it also seems that our specs are fundamentally excellent. In particular, Da-young, your magic was strong.”
“Right?”
‘As long as the direction is correct, it is impossible to dodge. The Light Attribute really is powerful.’
The Light Attribute and Lightning Attribute were famous for being especially powerful even among magic. For one thing, their speed was beyond what a human could react to, making them even more special.
“All right, then. Let us strip these men of their equipment first.”
“Let us do that!”
“That is a bit….”
Han Da-young took a step back. It seemed she did not want to touch the corpses. Then Kim Dong-su spoke.
“In that case, we do not have to settle this portion with you, right? Since we are a team, we have to make things like this clear.”
Those who did not work should not eat!
That was Kim Dong-su’s opinion.
“You do not have to give me any.”
“I do not need those people’s equipment either.”
“In that case.”
Kim Dong-su cheerfully stripped the dead Hunters of their equipment. Park Il-sang also swallowed a bitter smile and joined in.
‘Sigh. Everyone is so complacent. Back in my day….’
Inwardly, he was saying old-fashioned things like that.