A familiar ceiling.
The ceiling of the rented studio I had looked at for years.
It was a sight so familiar that I could recall it even with my eyes closed.
But today, simply seeing that ordinary scene made my lips twitch.
“Status window.”
[Hunter — Park Minho]
*Race: Human
*Class: Necrosmith
*Rank: D
*Level: 50
Strength: 56 / Agility: 48 / Vitality: 54 / Toughness: 11 / Mana: 140 / Craftsmanship: 199
*Skills
—Heavenly Martial Physique [SSS]
—Spirit Sight [S]
—Imperial Swordsmanship [A]
—Corpse Crafting [D]
—Spiritual Energy Circuit Engraving [D]
—Bone Metallurgy [D]
—Death Domain [D]
For a long while, I could not take my eyes off the letter D.
It was not a dream.
The D-rank wall I had failed to overcome for years.
Seeing it in my status window, the thrill of success climbed up my spine once again.
“Khahahaha.”
【Why are you wallowing by yourself?】
“Damn it!”
That startled me.
Could it please use some sort of signal before appearing?
“That is a rather intense morning greeting.”
【You were staring blankly at the ceiling as though you were about to cry, so I said something.】
“Were you always this kind of person when you were alive?”
【I was. I always spoke the words that came to mind.】
Our Sir Knight had always lacked tact.
I needed to keep that in mind.
After washing up quickly, I finished preparing to go out.
【The day of hunting has finally arrived.】
“Ah. There is somewhere I need to stop by first.”
【Are you going to the workshop again?】
“No.”
The money had arrived.
It was time to spend lavishly.
***
Yongsan Hunter Market.
A Hunter-equipment store built on the site of an old electronics shopping complex.
It was a huge building that resembled a department store.
When I entered the first floor, high-rank equipment immediately came into view.
[Basilisk Scale Full Plate]
[Orb of Lamentation]
[Black Stone Shield]
[True Silver Sword of Execution]
[Rune Slayer]
...
Weapons and armor of every color.
Through Spirit Sight, I could see that every one of them contained powerful Mana waves.
The first floor was also called the Luxury Hall.
It was where Unique-rank items were displayed.
Their prices began at one billion won.
It was the kind of place where one had to worry about accidentally leaving a scratch by touching something.
【Are these valuable items in your world?】
“Only the top 0.1 percent could afford to touch them.”
【How unremarkable.】
Teacher.
I do not know what weapon it used before dying.
But could it recognize that right now it was holding a sword made from bone I had merely hammered into shape?
【To me, that sword is worth more than those armaments.】
“Really?”
【If we judge by performance, neither is particularly satisfying.】
Ah.
I see.
【Therefore, would a weapon made with your sincerity not be better?】
“How very touching.”
【Hahaha. I am pleased that you understand my loyalty.】
I walked through the Luxury Hall and boarded an elevator.
I pressed the button for the fourth-floor Lifestyle Section.
Ding.
When the doors opened, the view before me had a completely different atmosphere from the first floor.
It felt more lively.
The Luxury Hall had an atmosphere that made it difficult to breathe, while the fourth floor allowed people to browse comfortably.
【There are many people.】
“The other floors have a similar atmosphere.”
The Luxury Hall was the unusual one.
The first floor was essentially a promotion intended to show off the scale of Hunter Market.
【It is about time you told me what we came here to find.】
“I am here to buy a bag.”
For the time being, I could rent a workshop whenever I needed to use Bone Metallurgy.
I planned to buy a bag equipped with spatial-storage functionality.
Something that could hold cured corpse parts and my tools.
“Excuse me. I would like to buy a spatial-storage bag.”
“Designs like this are popular these days.”
The employee recommended a backpack.
“What is its capacity and price?”
“It can store up to 200 kilograms, and it costs three hundred and ten million won.”
It would cost all my remaining money.
It was not bad.
But it did not immediately appeal to me.
“Do you have another style?”
“We have smaller ones, but their capacity is lower.”
A handbag of the same price could only store seventy kilograms.
A wallet could store only twenty kilograms.
Hmm.
As I rubbed my chin and considered my options, another product caught my attention.
“Is that for sale as well?”
“Ah. You mean the cargo carrier. It is a discontinued product, and that is the last one.”
Its capacity was the same as the backpack: two hundred kilograms.
Perhaps because its design resembled the carrier I had used day and night for years, I felt drawn to it.
“It looks like it has been out for a while.”
“Hunters tend to prefer backpacks.”
“Because they cannot use one hand while pulling it.”
Whether you carried it on your back.
Or dragged it with one hand.
Losing the use of a hand in an unexpected situation was a considerable penalty.
It made sense that the product had quickly been discontinued and the trend shifted to backpacks.
“How much is it?”
“Two hundred million won.”
Good.
I would buy this one.
The inconvenience of having to drag it around?
I had done so for five years, so it felt natural now.
I could leave combat to Sir Isra.
I would have around one hundred million won left.
Finding a workshop could wait until later.
Strengthening Sir Isra or making equipment was something I could accomplish by renting a workshop for a day.
For now, I needed tools that would improve the effects of Bone Metallurgy and Corpse Crafting.
A portable forge that could contain flames anywhere.
Fifty scrolls inscribed with [Fire], a basic spell that created flames.
A hammer, chisel, scalpel, and other tools with stronger cutting and impact effects than the equipment I had used before.
After buying additional tools needed for Corpse Crafting and Bone Metallurgy, my money quickly ran low.
Despite spending so much, once I pushed everything into the spatial-storage carrier.
I did not feel any weight at all.
“Phew. That was a satisfying purchase.”
My bank balance had nearly reached the bottom again.
Yet I did not feel any regret.
...Well, perhaps one gram of regret.
***
Rrrrrr.
The new carrier made a smooth sound even as it rolled across the ground.
Was this how a driver felt after buying a new car?
Since the price exceeded that of most cars, it probably was similar.
A bag equipped with spatial-storage functionality!
Even though half my wealth had vanished, I did not regret it.
“I feel good.”
【Where are we going next?】
“To a place where you can display your abilities, Sir.”
【Is it finally time for me to step forward?!】
The next destination was a park near Oksu Station.
“Looking for a Supporter.”
“Anyone need another melee DPS?”
“A Tank is forming a team.”
A blue Rift stood in the middle of the park.
Hunters crowded in front of a Gate called [Challenge Zone].
【Why are they gathered here?】
“Because this is an Instant Gate.”
Ordinary Gates transported everyone who entered into the same space.
The Rift formed near Oksu Station.
An “Instant” Gate like [Challenge Zone] was different.
“Everyone is sent to a separate space and must complete the clear objective on their own.”
【Hmm. Is it a kind of trial?】
“Something like that.”
【It seems as though it was created to train Hunters.】
“Some people interpret it that way.”
Gates had appeared alongside the Great Cataclysm.
Some said they existed to judge humanity.
Others claimed they represented humanity’s entrance into a higher era, beginning with the Fourth Industrial Revolution.
No one knew who was correct.
Fifty years had passed since Gates first appeared.
Hunters had already become deeply woven into everyday life.
Let us not think too deeply about complicated questions like why Gates had appeared.
【Understood.】
After walking around for a few minutes, I quickly found a team.
“You said you are a Summoner?”
“Yes. I can serve as a melee DPS-Tank.”
“You must have summoned something good. I look forward to working with you.”
Two melee DPS.
One ranged DPS.
One Mage.
We did not have a Healer.
But Healers were the rarest among the standard Hunter classes, so it was understandable.
One melee DPS spoke.
“We are all friends. Will that be all right with you?”
“I will not be uncomfortable.”
“Please follow my lead inside the Gate.”
“Yes.”
After speaking, the melee DPS took the lead and entered the Gate.
【It is finally our first deployment.】
I pretended not to hear Sir Isra’s excited lingering thought and stepped into the blue Rift.
My vision changed instantly.
A straight corridor made from dull bricks appeared.
“We are doomed.”
“Ah. Why did we get this place?”
“It is a dud.”
Groans rose from every direction.
When I looked curious, the melee DPS explained.
“It seems this is your first time in Challenge Zone.”
“Yes.”
“There are five different Instant Gates that can appear here.”
“Among them, the corridor type is called a dud Gate.”
“Because the rewards are poor?”
“No. It is because it is too difficult.”
If we were lucky, we could simply walk straight ahead and clear the Gate.
However, if the corridors twisted together like a maze, we would suffer terribly.
“You cannot break the walls with brute force.”
“Why?”
“Because those are the Gate’s rules.”
They said that top Hunters could ignore the Gate’s “rules” and even punch holes through walls.
That did not apply to this team, so it was meaningless.
“Even if the corridor looks simple, it is difficult to be optimistic because...”
CLANK— CLANK—
The friction sound of armor colliding came from the far end of the corridor.
“Because of those things.”
Empty armor.
A red glow rose from inside the helmet, where there should have been nothing.
“I was hoping we would not encounter Living Armor.”
“I cannot do anything.”
The ranged DPS holding a bow groaned.
I turned my gaze toward the Mage.
Our eyes met, and the woman let out a long sigh.
“I specialize in Frost magic. I have poor compatibility with Living Armor.”
The melee DPS did not seem to have good compatibility either.
No one in the team could land an effective strike on Living Armor.
This was troublesome.
“Let us go back in. It will be random again, right?”
“We cannot. This Gate has a once-per-day entry limit.”
How unfortunate.
【Hahaha! You have me.】
“The enemy is a lump of metal. Will you be all right?”
【Do not worry.】
The greatest swordsman on the continent sounded so confident.
Let us trust it this once.
[Death Domain]
[Summon — Sir Isra]
The Revived One rose from the darkness.
Sir Isra, armed with Bone Armor, held a sword in its hand.
“An Undead? Are you a Necromancer?”
“A zombie will not be able to fight it.”
“You must have another summoned creature...”
Yes.
There was no such thing.
Sir Isra walked forward slowly, as though taking a stroll.
The distance between the two narrowed.
“That is reckless. Physical attacks barely work against Living Armor.”
“Piercing attacks work, but it is a zombie. It cannot possibly have anything like that.”
“If it gets reverse-summoned, we cannot compensate you for the reward. Is that all right?”
I slowly shook my head.
A Bone Sword could not cut through a monster made of metal.
But the greatest swordsman on the continent said it could.
Perhaps it had a method of damaging the inside?
Step. Step.
CLANK. CLANK.
The distance between them grew even closer.
When they were close enough to reach each other with a single leap.
Sir Isra swung its sword.
[Imperial Swordsmanship (Revised)_Isra Form]
SLASH!
A cutting sound rang out.
A beat later, the armor collapsed to the floor with a BOOM.
[Experience Points have increased.]
“Eeeek?!”
One of the Hunters let out a high-pitched scream.