[Skill: Sprint Lv.2] Active skill. Required mana: 5. Casting the skill increases movement speed by 40%. While active, mana decreases by 1 per minute.
'My movement speed increased.'
The speed boost had gone from 30 percent to 40 percent. Even a 10 percent difference was significant, especially for Sprint — a skill he used constantly.
[Skill: Advanced Dagger Arts Lv.1] Passive skill. Required mana: none. Dagger-only. Having used daggers for so long, you can now wield them with greater proficiency. 33% additional damage is applied when using a dagger.
A damage boost when using daggers! After handling a dagger as his main weapon for so long, he had finally acquired a dagger-exclusive skill.
'This means switching to another weapon would be inefficient now.'
It also meant that his damage output with daggers had improved dramatically. Since he was already accustomed to them — and especially since he had grown fond of 'Kasaka's Venom Fang' — he had no intention of switching weapons anytime soon. A huge benefit.
'And the last one.'
Jin-Woo examined the newly acquired skill with an intrigued look.
[Skill: Vital Strike Lv.1] Active skill. Required mana: 70. Dagger-only. You have learned an efficient method of attack. You locate an enemy's vital point and inflict critical damage.
This was also a dagger-only skill.
'An efficient method of attack, huh?'
Come to think of it, the sensation had felt similar both when he delivered the finishing blow against Kang Tae-Sik and when he dispatched the last zombie today. Thrilling, perhaps? The moment he thrust the dagger in, he had instinctively known the fight was over.
'So that was Vital Strike.'
He had accidentally pulled off a technique, and now he could learn it as a skill and use it at will whenever he wanted! His heart raced. For Jin-Woo, who up until now had no proper attack method beyond wildly swinging his dagger, the offensive skill 'Vital Strike' was like rain in a drought.
'Alright!'
A Level Up plus new skills. It was the perfect start.
***
Day Two.
[Level Up!] [Level Up!]
With an attack skill added, his hunting speed skyrocketed.
[Level Up!]
One shot, one kill! Watching the magical beasts fall one after another whenever 'Vital Strike' connected, Yoo Jin-Ho's eyes went wide.
'Did he really have a technique like that hidden away this whole time?'
Just where did Hyung-nim's abilities end? He couldn't help but be amazed. At the same time, he grew curious about Jin-Woo's actual rank.
'He handled C-rank Hunters without breaking a sweat, so he's definitely B-rank or above…'
If he asked directly, there was no telling what might happen, so he could only stand there with his mouth agape, watching. But the rapid pace of the hunt had its downsides too.
[Mana is insufficient. Skill cannot be used.] [Mana is insufficient. Skill cannot be used.]
Jin-Woo furrowed his brow.
'Again?'
He pulled out a mana potion purchased from the Shop to replenish his mana.
"What's that, Hyung-nim?"
Yoo Jin-Ho showed his curiosity. Having spent time with Jin-Woo, he had experienced more than his share of surprising things, but he couldn't help asking about the blue liquid Jin-Woo sipped from time to time.
"This?"
Jin-Woo withheld his answer and first scanned the mana potion's information.
[Item: Mana Potion] Acquisition difficulty: B Type: Consumable A potion that restores mana. Drinking it restores 500 mana. Can be stored in the warehouse but cannot be transferred to others.
The description said it could not be transferred.
'What would happen if I transferred it?'
The thought suddenly piqued his curiosity. Jin-Woo handed the mana potion to Yoo Jin-Ho. The moment it touched Yoo Jin-Ho's hand, the mana potion vanished silently, just as it had appeared.
"I-Is this magic, Hyung-nim?" 'So that's why it can't be transferred.'
He had learned something new. Items that cannot be transferred simply disappear when someone else touches them. But what if there was no direct contact? Jin-Woo opened the Shop and purchased another potion. This time, however, it wasn't the usual mana potion — it was a Healing Potion containing a red liquid. Upon confirming the purchase, the potion materialized smoothly in Jin-Woo's hand.
"Hy-Hyung-nim! That's incredible — the liquid changed to red!"
Yoo Jin-Ho seemed to think the mana potion vanishing and a Healing Potion appearing in its place was some kind of magic trick. The reason he had switched potion types was simple.
'Because I want to know whether it works on someone else.'
Jin-Woo had Yoo Jin-Ho lower his posture.
"Open your mouth. Look up." "L-Like this, Hyung-nim?" "Good. Hold still just like that."
Jin-Woo tilted the bottle of Healing Potion. The red liquid soon flowed into Yoo Jin-Ho's mouth. Gulp. His eyes went wide in an instant.
"Huh? What is this, Hyung-nim? I suddenly feel so much more energized!"
The color returned to Yoo Jin-Ho's face in a flash — he had been worn out from serving as a porter for so long. Jin-Woo wore a satisfied expression.
'So it works when I give it to him like this.'
Good to know. Now, without a healer, he could still treat anyone nearby who was injured using this method. It would prove very helpful going forward.
"Tell me if you're tired. There's always more."
He wasn't giving it away for free. If the porter grew exhausted and slowed down, the hunting speed would drop too — ultimately costing him time. It was a calculated remark, but for Yoo Jin-Ho on the receiving end, the meaning hit differently.
"Hy-Hyung-nim…" "Let's go."
Yoo Jin-Ho, moved to the verge of tears by Jin-Woo's extraordinary abilities and the considerate way he looked after even his well-being, hurried along to catch up with the figure striding ahead.
***
Day Three.
"Oh, right. Please take this, Hyung-nim."
Yoo Jin-Ho rummaged through the equipment bag and produced a bankbook with a stamp enclosed.
"What's this?" "It's the money from the mana crystals we gathered the day before yesterday and yesterday, Hyung-nim."
His brief annoyance at not being told earlier and at being handed this inside a Dungeon crawling with magical beasts quickly faded. Jin-Woo's eyes went wide.
'Six hundred million?'
When he opened the bankbook, a staggering sum was printed inside.
"You're turning over all the money you've made from mana crystals to me?"
Yoo Jin-Ho nodded.
"Yes, Hyung-nim. I'm not doing raids for the money, and when you think about it, I haven't actually caught a single magical beast — you did all of that. How could I have the nerve to ask for a share?"
His eyes sparkled with the expectant look of a child waiting for praise.
'Well, well… look at this guy.'
Over the past few days of spending time together, he had noticed a change in Yoo Jin-Ho's attitude. Where before it felt like he was barely holding back fear and forcing himself to tag along, now he acted like a younger brother genuinely respecting a senior.
'Come to think of it, he's actually got his endearing moments.'
Jin-Woo cracked a smile.
"You sure I can really take this?" "Does this Yoo Jin-Ho look like someone who would say one thing and mean another, Hyung-nim?"
Jin-Woo laughed and waved the bankbook.
"Fine. I'll put it to good use." "Thank you, Hyung-nim!"
Yoo Jin-Ho bowed deeply at a ninety-degree angle. It was a scene where it was honestly hard to tell who was giving and who was receiving. Meanwhile, outside the Dungeon — the team members had developed a routine for waiting as well. The moment Yoo Jin-Ho the team leader and Sung Jin-Woo the assistant (?) stepped through the Gate, the Hunters would gather in small groups, spread out mats, and enjoy whatever they had brought along. The most popular group, as always, was the Go-Stop team. Five of them sat huddled in a circle.
"How many raids has this been now?" "Let me see… three the day before yesterday, two yesterday, and two more today — that makes seven." "Is it really okay for them to run Dungeons at this pace? Normally a raid party takes about a week off after a single raid." "Oh, don't you worry about those two. Every time they come out, there's not a single drop of sweat on them. And hey, we're the ones sitting pretty with three million stacking up in our bankbooks each time, so what's to complain about? It's your turn — deal already." "Oh, right."
Jin-Woo and Yoo Jin-Ho truly showed no signs of fatigue despite their relentless schedule. They didn't know it, but it was all thanks to the potions. Thanks to that, they were already past the one-third mark of the nineteen raids they had promised. Shortly after, the Gate's black curtain rippled and the two of them popped out.
"Oh, the team leader's coming out!" "Everyone, let's get up."
The Hunters promptly began tidying up their surroundings.
"Pack up the gear over there." "Wake up anyone who's still sleeping, and check that nothing's been left behind."
The Hunters moved in seamless coordination. Even those jolted awake scrambled to their feet and prepared to move out.
"Let's go!"
Everyone was gradually getting used to this peculiar raid style.
***
At the Baek-Ho Guild office nearby. The Section Chief of the Second Administration Division, Ahn Sang-Min, had been raising his voice since morning.
"Deputy Hyun! The rookies' training is literally tomorrow, and you still haven't secured a Gate reservation — what are you going to do about that!"
Deputy Hyun Gi-Cheol hung his head low.
"I-I'm sorry, Section Chief. Every time a C-rank Gate appears nearby, there's a team that snaps it up before we can even react." "What? Then just offer more money and find another one. Is this guild short on cash? Short on people? What exactly is the problem?" "That's what I tried to do, but…" "Hey! What are you so proud of that you keep talking back?!"
Ahn Sang-Min's outburst silenced the entire Second Administration Division. It had been a while since he'd been this angry. Baek-Ho Guild — what kind of place was it? One of the top five guilds in South Korea. Its staff were correspondingly exceptional. Deputy Hyun Gi-Cheol was one of the best, having performed his duties flawlessly from the moment he was hired until now, without a single visible mistake. And now he had failed to reserve a Gate for the rookies' training? That was a serious blunder. The Second Administration Division that Ahn Sang-Min oversaw was responsible for recruiting and training new recruits, unlike the First Administration Division, which managed the schedules of active Hunters.
"Pl-Please look at this, Section Chief!"
Hyun Gi-Cheol, voice trembling, held out a laptop.
"You've got to be kidding me."
Ahn Sang-Min was about to unleash another barrage, but the numbers on the screen made his jaw drop.
"Two… two hundred and fifty million? Someone spent 250 million won just for permission to raid a C-rank Gate?"