Chapter 23 - Your Name Is…

“Huh… … Huh… … .”

Do-joon was unable to breathe until he arrived home with the return skill.

It was natural. He faced a boss monster with a fit rate of more than 70%, but firmly it was rather bizarre.

When the familiar scene of the shop came into view Do-joon exhaled loudly.

After calming down a little, he remembered the scene of the boss room which he had seen for a moment.

‘It was like a chapel.’

That’s how he felt at first glance. It was only for a moment, so he didn’t look closely.

He remembered that the pleasant boss definitely had a similar appearance to the ghoul.

There was something else that seemed to pass by at first glance, but he couldn’t think of anything more than that.

Seeing the figure of 71%, he was in a rush to retreat, so he wasn’t distracted by anything else.

“Haa… … . 70% is at least A-Class.”

It’s a far-fetched position for him right now.

No, A-class is somewhat… It was a figure that could lead to an S-class grade if it has a tricky nature or special ability.

Do-joon frowned to the fullest, then found his cell phone and made a call.

Torrrr… … Torrrr… … .

Beep.

– Hello?

“Yes, Jia. It’s me Do-joon.”

– What are you doing? You didn’t even contact me for a few days. Do you want me to match you with another dungeon?

“No, that one is fine for the time being. It’s nothing but…….”

Do-joon asked Lee Ji-ah for the monster database that was kept by the Association.

Especially focusing on undead monsters of A-class or higher.

– Why? Do-joon, you’re still an F-class, so you can’t go into the A-class dungeon.….

“Because there is something I need to know. Will it take long?”

– No, I’ll send it to you right away.

After hanging up and waiting for a while, he received an email.

It contained information on the monsters that have been discovered and subjugated so far. Among them, the information on undead monsters of A-class and above was described in even more detail.

Deokon’s Death Knights, Evilheim’s Doom Warmers, Necropolis where the dungeon itself was a monster, and Bone Dragon, once called disaster.

The men behind them were all classified as S-class, anyway Do-joon read all the high level undead entries.

He was afraid that he might have missed some parts, so he went through it twice or even three times.

And the conclusion was….

‘There is no monster that looks similar to him.’

There was no information that could be of any help.

All there was, at best, was the common information that the undead monsters were weak against the holy attribute. When attacking with holy attribute, the flame of purification rises and inflicts extreme pain to the monster.

It was just common sense that even elementary school students should know.

Do-joon clenched his teeth nervously.

‘What should I do? Should I wait until my fit rate reaches 70%?’

That would be the standard, but it doesn’t seem like a very good way.

The fit rate is similar to a kind of a level. Therefore, if he kept hunting, it seemed like it would be a matter of time to climb up and reach 70%, but it was not.

This was because even if it exceeds 60%, monsters become difficult to hunt with simple hunting.

That’s why most normal hunters don’t make it past 60% and retire at B-class. Among them, only those who are talented or have overwhelming skill performance can overcome that wall and reach A-class. The S class is made up of more of such monsters.

‘I have the ability to copy, so I should be able to penetrate into A-class. However… … .’

How long would it take to get there?

In less than half a year, Do-joon achieved a 35% fit rate thanks to his own hunting ground called the labyrinth.

70% of that figure of the dungeon alone, without the labyrinth only, was something that had to be looked at on a yearly basis.

‘Maybe it will take 10 years.’

But he couldn’t afford to invest 10 years in this job.

Although A-class hunters are socially acclaimed celebrities, they are in a weak position to reach out to the mythic-class item called Sacred Golden Elixir.

Perhaps it was a time limit, but he couldn’t stop just at A-class by investing all of those 10 years.

‘… … I have to find a way.’

He has to hunt the boss at all costs. That way the labyrinth will be cleared and the labyrinth key of the next tier will come in.

‘But how?’

Eventually, the problem went back to the beginning.

How to deal with a boss who fell under A-class, maybe even S-class.

Do-joon tried to look around for a way while staying in his room for a whole week.

There weren’t any particular countermeasures he could come up with, and till then the cooldown of the return skill was over.

* * *

[You have entered the “Collapsed temple”.]

The appearance of the temple that entered again was still desolate.

It was quite different from the first time when hundreds of ghouls swarmed like bugs in the yard alone.

Since it was all collapsed ruins and there was no one except him, it was even more gloomy.

But.

[A hidden quest has been created]

A familiar message floated in front of him.

‘Hidden Quest?’

When it comes to hidden quests, there was something he remembered right away.

The Tier 1 Labyrinth Catacombs, where he acquired the ability to copy. As soon as he entered there, something popped up as a hidden quest. That was the quest through which he received “insight” as an additional reward.

Do-joon’s heart raced once more loudly.

Insight was a great skill that he was using well. So, he thought that this quest would also give a similar kind of reward… … rather than.

‘Is there any hint?’

Such expectations were higher that there might be clues to clear the labyrinth.

He began to read the quest contents with serious eyes.

[Quest]

– Collect forgotten names.

– Name itself is the reference point for existence to be distinguished from all kinds of unnamed things in the world. A soul whose name has been forgotten eventually disappears, forgetting its existence.

– If you find a name, that soul once again will leave its mark on the memory of the star.

“What is this?”

Do-joon tilted his head.

This was because the contents of this quest were ambiguous, unlike in Catacombs, where it was said that he had to simply break through the labyrinth.

Finding someone’s name, whose name? And where? Is there a diary somewhere in the temple?

‘Is it telling him to find the name of Boss Monster?’

The fit rate was so shocking that he remembered the name that was along with it.

[???]

That was definitely what it said.

Does it want him to find out the boss’ name? By what way?

‘… … Let’s go for now.’

Whatever the case, standing still does not yield anything.

Do-joon moved his feet to the basement of the building, dotted with tension. He was ready to use the return skill immediately at any time.

Arriving in front of the door, he stopped from a distance. Then he pulled out a pole from his inventory and pushed open the door.

It can’t be helped even if it looked stupid or like a scaredy-cat.

But what could he do? It was reckless enough to come back even though he knew there was that guy.

Behind that open door.

“……!”

He made eye contact with him.

Do-joon immediately tried to use the return skill.If it wasn’t for his next action, he would have really used it.

The guy who made eye contact with Do-joon once.

He turned his head as if he had no interest.

‘… … What?’

Monsters generally emit hostility when they recognize humans. As if he didn’t even acknowledge his existence.

But the guy was different. Even though he saw Do-joon clearly, he showed no curiosity, let alone hostility.

He just casually continued doing his work.

‘Is it carving a stone?’’

At first glance, it looked like he was grinding stones by rubbing them on the floor.

It looked sloppy, but the grip was so strong that the hard stone was torn apart.

Do-joon was not sure what it was doing, but he could see that it was not willing to attack.

Thud.

Do-joon moved his feet carefully and came inside. The door was left open just in case.

The inside just looked like a chapel as he saw the last time.

An altar was placed in front of the boss, and a large space supported by huge pillars everywhere.

On the floor, there were pieces of cloth that were old and worn out, so the actual shape was unknown. It was inferred from the remaining fragments, he thought it was probably something like a cushion.

Even though he came in, the boss still didn’t bother to look at him. He was completely invisible for him.

‘…….’

Do-joon closed his mouth tightly and focused his vision on the boss monster. He kept his body sharp and alert so that he could return at any time.

Thud, thud, thud.

Rustle rustle rustle.

That guy was slow, but he changed the stone into a fairly familiar shape.

Not only stones, but also pieces of wood and bone pieces that were not known where they came from were grinded.

In a way, it was like making something similar, and in a way, it was like repeating actions without meaning.

‘The latter is a possibility.’

That should be right, after all, he was a ghoul. Undead monsters known for their low intelligence.

No one would think it was strange even if a stone was rubbed on the ground without meaning.

Has it been like that for an hour?

He stopped what he was doing and crept up from his seat.

When the boss moved, Do-joon hardened himself even more. Fortunately, however, it did not come his way.

On the road which he chose, he went somewhere and picked up something. When Do-joon squinted and looked at it, it seemed like some kind of grass.

What about the grass? Naturally, when he was frowning at the question that was raised in his mind, he saw that guy chewing grass in his mouth.

“…….”

Do-joon was at a loss for words.

Even though he had seen many undead biting people and digging up the corpses of colleagues, it was the first time that he saw a ghoul eating grass. What kind of a vegetarian… … .

Do-joon, who was watching him eat for a while.

‘It’s a stupid idea, but… … .’

Then he took something out of his inventory. It was canned vegetables that he had bought at the supermarket.

‘Maybe that’s a clue.’

Vegetarian undead. It seemed like there was a secret.

It might be nothing though.

Still, Do-joon was a man of action.

‘If I succeed, I might be able to poison or do something else.’

Also, maybe this could be a clue to defeat him.

He didn’t know what the hell would be poisonous to the undead, but he thought it was important to find clues for now, whatever it was.

So he just rolled the canned food on the floor as it was.

The rolled canned food arrived near him.

“Kuruk?”

It was only then that he became interested in it for the first time, by making a sound. Of course, it was not about Do-joon, but about canned food that rolled over.

He picked up the canned food with his bare hands, which were all rotten and bruised, with flesh dug up and bones seen in several places.

Then he tapped the can with a look of what this was, and forcibly twisted the lid and opened it. He put his finger in and stirred the vegetables inside, then picked one up, and put it in his mouth.

“…….”

Do-joon swallowed his saliva and observed it. He doesn’t know why he was so nervous watching this.….

A sense of shame was about to rise for a moment, but it was essential, so he consoled himself and roughly turned it over.

‘Would it be delicious? No, do you even feel the taste in the first place?’

He doesn’t know. Because his expression hardly moved. To be exact, there were very few facial muscles left, so it was impossible to visually check them.

Still, he continued to eat canned food. It may be an optimistic view, but he seemed to like it very much.

Shortly thereafter, the guy who emptied the canned food lost his appetite. And he looked at Do-joon.

And then the guy’s actions.

“Huh.”

It was an act that exceeded Do-joon’s expectations.

whirrrrr…….

As if mimicking Do-joon’s actions, he rolled the can back this way. Inside it, there was an unknown grass that he first ate.

He returned the meal by putting in his own food as if it were in return.

【Regieum】

Rank

– Rare

Classification

– Ingredient

Effect

– A grass that is said to only grow in sacred and chaste places. Extracting the extract and applying it to a weapon, it can cause holy attribute damage on the undead only once.

‘Isn’t that an ingredient for the holy potion?’

The identity of the grass was something that Do-joon was familiar with.

As shown in the information window, the material of a holy potion that turns a weapon into a holy attribute only once.

‘No, why is that undead eating this?’

The effect will be weak because it was in an unrefined material state. But still, from an undead perspective, wasn’t the divine power unconditionally painful?

It may have very little effect because this was at least a boss monster of A-class or higher and this was just a “material” that was not even a finished product, but it was still very strange.

Was it similar to dolphins taking drugs with puffer fish poison?

In any case, the holy potions made of Regieum are disposable consumables, just like the information window. So it wasn’t that expensive, but it was still a potion that was easily more than 1 million won per bottle.

The demand was good too. There was no need to seek holy attribute weapons, but high-ranking hunters sometimes carried them in case they were needed to spare.

‘One can of 30,000 won comes back as 1 million won?’

A rare outrageous profiteering that even will bring fictional people like Heo Saeng to shed tears.

In front of this enormous business item, where there was almost no investment cost, no hard labor, and a return of more than 30 times.

‘Is this a clue for finding the name?’

Do-joon’s thoughts now return solely based on the purpose of clearing the labyrinth.