Chapter 29

Chapter 29

Bait Guild (1)

“So, I need someone who can tell me the boss’s location. Just one person will do, right?”

At Kang Hyeon’s words, the men raised their hands as if having a seizure.

“Me! I’m the leader of this team. No one knows better than me!”

“That bastard is just a leader in name, he doesn’t do anything. I’m the guide position here!”

“What? Are you crazy?!”

There were a total of eight men in the group.

Four of them were already unconscious, half-dead.

‘If they all faint, there won’t be a guide.’

Kang Hyeon was putting into practice what he had just learned.

“Alright. If that’s what you want, I have no choice.”

“...?”

“Let’s start the audition now.”

An audition with life on the line began.

If selected, you become the guide.

If rejected, it’s death.

The participants’ passion was greater than any other audition.

“Come on, don’t fight. I’m a busy person, so let’s move straight to the final statements.”

It was when Kang Hyeon was stretching while speaking.

“Get lost, you son of a bitch!!!”

A man who had been waiting for an opportunity quickly got up and swung his sword.

“What?”

Kang Hyeon slapped the approaching man hard with his palm.

-Smack!

The man whose face was hit by the gauntlet crashed to the ground at twice the speed he had risen.

The man who fainted instantly had his face caved in the shape of the gauntlet.

“I heard your final statement well. Next.”

Kang Hyeon nodded as if nothing had happened.

“...”

***

Ippotranslation

***

“Hey. Are you sure we’re going the right way?”

At Kang Hyeon’s words, Kim Seong-woo, who had introduced himself as the guide, nodded vigorously.

“Yes. This is the shortest route to the village.”

“But the sun has already set.”

It had been half a day since they started following Kim Seong-woo. During that time, only goblins had appeared, but not the target village where the boss was supposed to be.

“It usually takes a few days to reach where the boss is, passing through small villages. But if we go this way, we can arrive at the main core within two days at the earliest.”

Kang Hyeon nodded at Kim Seong-woo’s words.

“So it’s not possible today. Let’s rest here then.”

From the start, Kim Seong-woo wasn’t in good shape due to the beating he took from Kang Hyeon.

In that condition, after a full day of forced marching, he looked completely exhausted.

Kang Hyeon, not wanting to drag along a patient, declared a break.

“Um... Aren’t we going to light a fire?”

As night fell and the weather became quite chilly, Kim Seong-woo shivered.

“Just get in the sleeping bag and sleep. Why bother? Are you going to catch the goblins if they come because of the fire?”

“No. I’m sorry.”

Kim Seong-woo bowed his head and replied.

‘We left all the camping equipment behind...’

In the end, Kim Seong-woo crouched under a tree, wrapping his arms around himself and shivering pitifully.

“At least cover yourself with this.”

Seeing this, Kang Hyeon took out a blanket from his backpack and threw it.

“Thank you!”

Though it was a thin blanket, Kim Seong-woo felt relieved as the cold subsided a bit.

“How old are you?”

“Twenty-five, sir.”

Kim Seong-woo answered sharply like a newly recruited soldier.

“Military service?”

“Discharged, sir.”

“So you were originally a college student?”

“Yes.”

At Kim Seong-woo’s words, Kang Hyeon frowned.

“You should’ve just stayed in college. Why come to a place like this and do useless things?”

“I was desperate for money. My student loans kept piling up, and I thought there was no way out, so I jumped into the dungeon.”

“...”

“Then, on the recommendation of a friend, I joined the Bait Guild.”

Kang Hyeon shook his head at this typical story.

“When you get out of here, quit the guild and live like a decent human being.”

“I want to, but it’s too late now.”

“Why?”

Kang Hyeon tilted his head at the statement that he couldn’t leave the guild.

“They say joining the guild is free, but leaving isn’t. The guys who said they were quitting the guild midway have all lost contact now.”

“Tsk tsk. It’s not like we’re in some gangster movie in this day and age.”

Kang Hyeon clicked his tongue and burrowed into his sleeping bag.

“Alright, go to sleep. I don’t want to drag around a patient.”

“Yes.”

Two hours later.

Kim Seong-woo, who seemed to be asleep curled up, opened his eyes.

‘Now’s the time.’

There had been opportunities to escape earlier, but Kim Seong-woo had been extra cautious.

Even though Kang Hyeon had fallen asleep long ago, he had waited for over an hour without moving.

-Rustle

Finally, Kim Seong-woo quietly got up from his spot, put down the blanket, and moved slowly.

“Where are you going?”

“...!”

At that moment, Kang Hyeon, who was lying down, spoke without even turning around.

“I need to urinate, haha...”

“Pee here.”

“Yes.”

Kim Seong-woo wiped away tears as he unbuckled his belt.

“If you try to run away and get caught, you’re dead.”

“Yes.”

The creature was a short distance away.

Kang Hyeon immediately threw Bilgein’s longsword.

-Whoosh!

At the same time, he kicked off the ground and charged forward.

“Keeeuk!”

The unexpected flying sword pierced the creature’s shoulder.

While it screamed in pain, Kang Hyeon reached it.

“Ke, Kek!”

“Heuup!”

Kang Hyeon grabbed the creature’s face with both hands.

“Magic Explosion!”

-Kwang!

An enormous pressure burst from inside his hands.

-Thud.

The Grand Shaman, with half its head blown off, fell to its knees pathetically.

“This bastard was being annoying.”

Though his own hands and feet were tattered like rags from the Magic Explosion’s effect, Kang Hyeon didn’t mind.

‘It’ll recover soon anyway.’

He still had magic to spare.

“Keruk, keruk!”

As the Grand Shaman fell, the terrified goblins scattered in all directions.

“Kim Seong-woo! Where are you?”

“I’m here, sir.”

At Kang Hyeon’s words, Kim Seong-woo, who had been hiding in a goblin hut, crawled out.

“Huh, you didn’t run away but just hid.”

“Yes.”

‘You said you’d kill me if I ran away...’

Swallowing his retort, Kim Seong-woo simply nodded.

“Take whatever magic stones you want from here. I don’t need them.”

“What?! Thank you!”

Excited by the unexpected bonus, Kim Seong-woo rummaged through the goblin corpses.

“This is enough for me.”

[Goblin Grand Shaman’s Magic Stone]

[Goblin Grand Shaman’s Ring]

Making money from the core value is sufficient. And the most important thing is this ring.

Name: Goblin Grand Shaman’s Ring

Grade: D+

Durability: 50/50

Description: A ring used by the Goblin Grand Shaman Karkeh. Helps increase magical power.

Ability: Increases Magic stat by 4, Increases magic recovery speed by 10%

“Oh, what? There’s a + grade?”

Kang Hyeon smiled brightly upon seeing the ring.

“I didn’t have high expectations since it’s an E-grade dungeon, but this is nice.”

Kang Hyeon removed the ring he was wearing that increased Magic stat by 2 and put on the Grand Shaman’s ring.

▫Name: Kang Hyeon

▫Title: Tutorial Graduate and 1 other

▫Level: 47

▫Detailed Stats:

Strength 26 (+2.5)(+2)

Agility 24 (+2.5)

Stamina 25 (+2.5)(+2)

Magic 26 (+2.5)(+4)

Additional Stats: –

▫Unique Ability: Resurrection

▫Abilities: Intermediate Swordsmanship(D), Lower-Grade Shield Technique(E), Lowest-Grade Crossbow Skill(F)

▫Skills: Roar of the Enraged Lion(C), Advanced Bodily Regeneration(A), Bisection(E), Giant’s Strength(B), Magic Explosion(D), Wayne’s Secret Technique(E), Entria’s Shell(F)

“Now I don’t have to worry about magic as much.”

With this, his Magic stat became 32.5, making it his highest stat.

“The Magic Explosion grade also went up. No wonder my hands hurt more.”

The way Kang Hyeon finished off the Grand Shaman was a method he frequently used, but unlike usual, the impact was so strong that his gauntlets were severely damaged.

“From now on, I shouldn’t use equipment without an auto-repair function.”

Because Kang Hyeon fought in such an intense manner, his armor would shatter every time.

If he had worn armor without auto-repair function, he might have had to buy new armor after every battle.

“Shall we get out now?”

After organizing the spoils, Kang Hyeon stood in front of the dungeon’s main core.

“Hey. You come here too.”

“Yes, yes!”

At Kang Hyeon’s words, Kim Seong-woo, who had been frantically collecting magic stones, hurried over.

“Come to think of it, when we destroy the main core, a portal automatically appears, right? I guess I didn’t need you after all?”

“Ah... But, didn’t I help a little in getting here?”

Kim Seong-woo panicked as his usefulness suddenly disappeared.

“Don’t be scared. I won’t harm you. Alright, let’s go.”

In a good mood due to the better-than-expected rewards, Kang Hyeon smiled and cut down the pillar supporting the main core.

[The dungeon’s main core has been removed]

[A portal to the outside is opening]

With the message, Kang Hyeon and Kim Seong-woo entered the portal that appeared before them.

-Whooosh!

“What’s this now?”

As soon as they came out, what Kang Hyeon saw were about a hundred armed people.

“They’re out. Contact the Guild Master.”

One of the men gave instructions to a subordinate behind him and approached Kang Hyeon.

“I am Kim Hyeon-woo, the Vice Guild Master of the Bait Guild. Nice to meet you.”

Kim Hyeon-woo extended his hand politely.

Kang Hyeon shook his hand and spoke.

“Couldn’t handle it with just a few guys, so you brought everyone? Planning to gang up on me?”

“No, that’s not it. Our Guild Master simply wishes to have a conversation. If you could wait a moment, please.”

“I don’t see why I should.”

Kang Hyeon’s grip on the handshake gradually tightened.

‘My hand feels like it’s going to break. What kind of strength is this..!’

As Kang Hyeon’s strength exceeded common sense, Kim Hyeon-woo began to crumble.

“Urgh..”

Just as a groan escaped Kim Hyeon-woo’s mouth as he was enduring with pride alone, someone approached and spoke.

“That’s enough, shall we talk?”