Chapter 17: Pioneering The Labyrinth (2)

Chapter 17: Pioneering The Labyrinth (2)

The first thing Kim Hyunwoo had to do was hire a hero for Labyrinth exploration.

This was because only heroes employed by the Lord could undertake Labyrinths affiliated with the territory.

If I had the heroes I raised before, this part would have been easier.

Kim Hyunwoo made a slightly regretful face with that thought but quickly dismissed it.

Certainly, if he had the heroes he raised before, Labyrinth development could have been done in an instant, but the heroes Kim Hyunwoo raised were not here now.

It would be convenient if I could negotiate a deal with Merilda for Labyrinth exploration.

Of course, it seemed there was some degree of favorability with Merilda, but unfortunately, Kim Hyunwoo had no intention of asking her.

That would be like burning down the house to catch a flea.

It was clear that it would be convenient to somehow make a deal with Merilda and explore the reset Labyrinth.

Kim Hyunwoo had already witnessed her strength firsthand.

The problem was that if he hired Merilda, the Labyrinth city that needed to grow rapidly might just collapse.

In fact, the possibility of the Labyrinth city collapsing if he hired Merilda was almost inevitable.

The relationship penalty incurred from recruiting Merilda was significant enough to make that possible.

If only the relationship was a bit more intact.

Kim Hyunwoo unknowingly recalled the endless list of relationship penalties he saw when Merildas recruitment window popped up, breaking out in a cold sweat.

Each one seemed to easily surpass -70, potentially leading to war, along with the nearly -1200% influx rate of territory residents when she was recruited.

Anyway, given the situation, Kim Hyunwoo thought it best to find a new hero for Labyrinth exploration and came to the tavern, though he did not have high hopes.

After all, the chances of high-level heroes appearing were not very good unless the buildings level was fundamentally high.

More accurately, it would be correct to say that the gacha probability was not high.

Since the essence of this Arteil was gacha territory material, heroes coming was purely a gacha element, and with good luck, it was possible to draw a 5-star hero even if the tavern level was 1.

However, Kim Hyunwoo did not wish for such a stroke of luck.

After all, he had once spent the staggering amount of 500,000 won at the age of a middle schooler without drawing a 5-star, experiencing the bitterness of this world.

Even then, the price for 10 consecutive draws was only 9,900 won, so he ended up using it for a total of 500 draws without getting a 5-star hero, leading him to tearfully convince himself that raising a 1-star hero to 5-stars would be more fun, which is why Kim Hyunwoo headed to the tavern without much expectation.

Yet there, he made a discovery.

Uh, excuse me If youre okay with me, please take care of me.

He stumbled upon a jackpot.

For some reason, Kim Hyunwoo looked at the hero window floating in front of him while watching her shyly greeting him.

The target for recruitment is in the tavern, so the information window is available for viewing.

Hero Name: Elena

Title: X

Star: 1 star

Affection: 0

-Stats-Visit no(v)eLb(i)n.com for the best novel reading experience

Strength: 19 Agility: 24

Intelligence: 17 Luck: 18

Magic Power: 15

-Traits-

Hard Worker: Efforts to diligently perform any task, maintaining maximum efficiency in training and execution.

Insight: When using a weapon with a talent beyond 'innate,' there's a 50% chance for attacks to be considered as ignoring defense.

-Talent-

The reason they did not approach the goblin tribe beyond a certain distance was that the mercenary group was not hired to subdue the goblins.

Watch the hero fight and save her if an unforeseen situation arises, perhaps.

As these thoughts came to him, Column looked at the subject of the request in front of him.

Her, standing in front of the goblin tribe, with long blue hair, holding a small hand axe in each hand.

Chuckle.

Seeing Elena standing timidly in front of the goblin tribe, Column chuckled without realizing it.

So the Lord who established Lartania ten years ago lacks discernment.

Column knew Elena.

To be more precise, he couldnt help but know her.

She was a woman known in the vicinity of this area as the Failed Hero, a name that was clearly a derogatory term to anyone who heard it.

Despite being a hero, her abilities were so meager that mercenaries who had worked with Elena even once often ridiculed her, wondering how she became a hero.

Even though the mockery sprang from the sullenness of mercenaries who had not become heroes, it was true that she was weak.

Thus, the mercenaries, including Column, said,

I didnt expect to see a hero die in front of my eyes when its not even a war.

What nonsense? If she dies, we wont get our fee.

Ah, right. Well, even if she wasnt a failed hero, heroes without a reputation couldnt possibly single-handedly eliminate a goblin horde of more than 200 individuals.

The mercenaries conversation went as such.

Indeed, as they said, it was virtually impossible for a hero without even a reputation to eliminate a goblin horde alone.

Seems like she wont be able to kill even one, right?

Last time, it seemed like she managed to kill about 34 by sneaking into their gaps.

Shall we make a bet?

The mercenaries started betting on how many goblins Elena could kill.

Along with the mercenaries conversation, they began to watch the failed heros fight as goblins, as if on cue, burst out of the tribe and ran towards Elena with their rusty weapons raised.

About ten minutes later.

Silence spread among the mercenaries who had been laughing and jeering.

Even the mercenaries who had been smiling.

Even the ones who had been scoffing.

Even Column, who had just mocked the Lords discernment.

All fell silent.

The reason was the numerous goblin corpses surrounding Elena.

What what?

Does this make sense?

At the same time, it was because of Elena, who, despite having wounds all over her body, stood covered in blood, holding a hand axe in each hand.

???

Seeing this, all the mercenaries looked at Elena with expressions full of astonishment and questions.

Elena had single-handedly decimated the goblin tribe with two unremarkable hand axes.

???

Breathing heavily, she stood there dumbfounded, with a look of not understanding why.

Eh? What what?

She murmured to herself unknowingly.