With a violent cracking sound, dirt and dust exploded in every direction.
“Damn it, my eyes!”
The mage cried out and fell backward as the rock golem’s massive body came crashing down. At the same time, choking stone dust billowed like fog, obscuring everyone’s vision.
“Cough, cough! Seriously? It had to make us eat dust right to the bitter end.”
Taeseong planted his greatsword against the ground and struggled to catch his breath. As expected of the boss of a shunned dungeon, the bastard had been disgustingly durable.
Jumin took a step back and lightly shook out his wrists.
A dull vibration still lingered beneath his worn leather gloves, but the battle had ended smoothly enough. The sword and armor he had repaired were also intact, without any major cracks or chipped edges.
“Is everyone all right?”
At Jumin’s question, the spearman irritably brushed the dirt from his hair.
“We’re not hurt, but this is infuriating. Just look at the garbage that so-called boss dropped. Three measly stones—that’s it.”
Just as he said, three dull, low-grade mana stones lay among the pile of shattered rocks.
“I knew this would happen. At least we carried our own bags instead of hiring a porter. If we’d had to pay a porter as well, we might’ve actually lost money on this run.”
Clicking his tongue, Taeseong picked up the mana stones.
Jumin calmly addressed the party members as they gathered their belongings.
“You three can split those among yourselves. I only came here to warm up, so I’m satisfied with the experience points.”
“Seriously?”
Taeseong’s eyes widened.
Even when the reward amounted to little more than pocket change, it was rare for a hunter to willingly surrender his share.
“Yes. I want to stay behind and finish checking my weapon’s condition, so I’ll take my time leaving. You can head out first.”
“Good grief. You’re a C-rank, yet you took the lead and did most of the hard work. Now you’re even giving up your share. You’re making us feel ashamed.”
Taeseong smiled awkwardly and bowed his head several times.
The other party members’ expressions also softened considerably as they looked at Jumin. Rather than fighting over a meager reward, he had casually yielded his share and even volunteered to handle the cleanup.
To anyone watching, he appeared to be the very definition of a good man.
“Then we’ll head outside and have a smoke while we wait. Take your time.”
“Good work, everyone.”
The party members disappeared toward the exit with light steps.
Jumin remained where he was until the sound of their footsteps had completely faded beyond the mine tunnel.
Before long, a heavy silence settled over the empty boss chamber.
Only then did Jumin erase his friendly smile and narrow his eyes.
His performance as a C-rank hunter with no lingering attachment to a low-level dungeon had been quite convincing.
The others would leave the dungeon ahead of him and return to their everyday lives.
I don’t have much time.
Without hesitation, Jumin turned around.
Instead of heading directly toward the exit, he retraced his steps toward the dark side passage at the earlier junction.
His first solo operation—to protect both himself and the secret of his hundredfold ability—had begun.
***
After walking past the remains of defeated monsters for more than ten minutes, Jumin once again arrived at the three-way junction.
The right-hand passage was a dead end with no traces of monsters. The other party members had passed it without so much as a glance.
Its dark entrance remained as deathly silent as before.
Suppressing even the sound of his breathing, Jumin cautiously stepped inside.
Not even the glow of the illumination stones reached this section, severely limiting his vision. He moved deeper into the tunnel with careful steps, touching the ground with his toes first so that not even the dirt beneath his feet made a sound.
Before long, the old miner’s mark hidden between the earthen bricks came into view again.
Earlier, he had only been able to glance at it because the other party members were nearby.
Now, however, things were different.
Jumin leaned closer to the mark.
When he carefully brushed away the dust obscuring it, the previously faint interaction indicator became clear.
Then, from between the collapsed rocks beyond the mark, came the sound of unsettling breathing.
Hiss… Hss…
Jumin peered through the gap between the rocks.
A massive shape crouched in the darkness.
Sharp minerals protruded from its shell like the spines of a hedgehog, giving the ore-vein monster a grotesque appearance. An ominous mana, fundamentally different from that of an ordinary rock worm or rock golem, swirled around its body.
It looks tough just from the outside.
Jumin clicked his tongue inwardly.
If he struck that solid mineral shell with his sword, the blade he had repaired less than a day ago would probably shatter on the spot.
Furthermore, fighting such a creature inside a narrow tunnel would generate an enormous amount of noise. There was always a chance that the party members outside might hear the commotion and return.
An ordinary hunter would have attacked with a skill the moment they spotted the monster.
Jumin, however, did not recklessly draw his weapon.
Instead, he carefully examined the wall behind the creature.
The small inscription beneath the miner’s mark finally became fully visible.
The moment Jumin finished reading it, a clear notification rang out.
Ding!
A system message appeared in the air.
[Hidden Quest: The Last Miner’s Request]
–On the day the quarry collapsed, a miner remained behind until the very end to help his companions escape. His keepsake has been left abandoned.
–Objective: Retrieve the keepsake from within the collapsed tunnel and place it at the memorial near the exit.
Just as I thought.
Jumin nodded slightly.
The system was not demanding that he kill the monster before him.
The only objective was to retrieve the keepsake and place it at the memorial. There was no reason to spill blood and ruin his equipment by fighting like a fool.
I’ll take the item without fighting.
Jumin picked up a fist-sized stone from near his feet.
He lightly tossed it toward the opposite wall, as far from the ore-vein monster as possible.
Clack. Rattle…
The sound of the stone rolling through the darkness echoed across the tunnel.
The crouching monster let out an irritated growl and turned its head. Its massive body slowly began moving toward the source of the noise.
Taking advantage of that brief opening, Jumin slipped through the gap between the rocks like a shadow.
His movements were fluid and utterly silent.
Behind the spot where the monster had been sitting, he found an old leather pouch covered in dirt and dust.
A coarse, timeworn texture brushed against his fingertips.
It was the miner’s keepsake.
Jumin swiftly snatched up the pouch and retreated before the monster could turn around again.
The creature spent some time sniffing the place where the stone had rolled. Once it realized there was nothing there, it returned to its original position and curled up again.
It did not seem to realize that the object it had been guarding had vanished without a trace.
Jumin smirked and tucked the pouch inside his clothes.
Keep up the good work. I’m leaving.
***
Near the gate’s entrance, a crude stone monument stood in one corner.
Jumin had failed to notice it properly when entering the dungeon because of the tension at the time. It was a memorial stone covered in a thick layer of dust after years of neglect.
Jumin carefully held the old leather pouch in both hands.
He gently placed it upon the narrow altar before the monument.
The moment the keepsake touched the altar, the dust surrounding the memorial scattered as though swept away by a gentle breeze. A soft light began to spread.
[Hidden Quest: The Last Miner’s Request has been completed.]
[Your reward is being calculated.]
A familiar personal settlement window appeared before Jumin.
An item awaiting collection materialized within it, glowing faintly.
[Standard Reward: Miner’s Hands (D-rank) is awaiting collection.]
Considering the average quality of drops from this quarry, even a D-rank piece of equipment was an incredible windfall.
However, Jumin’s gaze did not linger on the worn, crude-looking gloves.
His vision was soon filled by a brilliant golden selection window.
[Would you like to amplify the standard reward one hundredfold?]
[Quantity ×100] / [Value ×100]
The corners of Jumin’s lips curved upward.
If the reward had been ordinary mana stones or consumables that could easily be sold in bulk without attracting attention, he would have chosen quantity without hesitation.
This reward, however, was equipment.
What good would stuffing one hundred pairs of cheap D-rank gloves into his inventory do? People would treat him like a junk dealer.
They would be difficult to sell and too mediocre for him to use. They would become nothing more than a pile of garbage.
When it came to equipment, a single item possessing overwhelming performance and rarity was best.
That was the firm principle Jumin had established.
Value times one hundred.
Without the slightest hesitation, Jumin selected the option on the right.
At that moment, the golden light obscuring his vision poured into the crude gloves displayed within the settlement window.
Mana bright enough to sting his eyes swirled violently around them.
Flash!
When the light subsided, the old leather gloves were gone.
In their place floated a pair of dark-steel gauntlets. Dense silver mana flowed across their surface, and they appeared both sturdy and flexible.
Even at a glance, they radiated an extraordinary aura.
[The reward has been amplified.]
[You have obtained the Giant’s Mining Hands (B-rank).]
B-rank.
It was a class of equipment that even the main combatants of large guilds rarely had the opportunity to handle.
Obtaining something like this simply because he had explored an overlooked corner of an E-rank dungeon was an absurd achievement.
As if entranced, Jumin reached toward the gauntlets.
Without even placing them inside his inventory, he immediately attempted to equip them.
The dark-steel gauntlets seemed to melt as they slid over both hands, fitting him perfectly.
They did not feel heavy or cumbersome in the slightest.
Instead, whenever he bent or extended his fingers, he could distinctly feel subtle mana assisting the movement of his muscles.
Jumin clenched his fists.
With the satisfying crack of his knuckles, a powerful strength unlike anything he had felt before gathered within his grip.
[Giant’s Mining Hands (B-rank)]
–Significantly increases the wearer’s grip strength and arm strength.
–Absorbs the impact generated while wielding a weapon, reducing strain on the wrists.
–Deals additional damage when striking mineral- or rock-type enemies.
After examining the equipment’s effects, Jumin released a long breath of satisfaction.
A significant increase in strength, along with exceptional impact absorption.
The effects were perfect for someone like him, who currently had to hold the front line with an old one-handed sword.
He would never again experience the aching wrists he had felt in the boss chamber.
“This is why I search every nook and cranny.”
Jumin clenched his mana-coated fist once more before walking toward the gate with light steps.
Behind him, the ancient memorial stone continued to glow in silence.