Chapter 21 : An Eager Young Man (1)

Before Do Yoon delivered the final blow to Brutaltask.

In the urgent situation, the Hunters were actually holding back to an appropriate extent.

“Ahyeon-ah, is Do Yoon-ssi’s heal okay?”

“Yeah, unni. I’m applying it on time.”

There were no particularly serious injuries.

‘Woah…’

Actually, Jeong Ahyeon had been secretly observing Do Yoon.

‘He’s cool…’

After clearing up the misunderstanding (?) at the cafe last time, Ahyeon often found herself following Do Yoon with her eyes.

Curiosity, yes, it must be curiosity.

Do Yoon was special among the new Hunters.

Although there were remarkably few new Hunters in South Korea to begin with, wasn’t there a clear difference even when compared to

herself?

Do Yoon’s growth rate was very fast.

His adaptability from combat, and even his mental strength.

And those eyes.

Like the eyes of a ferocious beast, a gaze that relentlessly scanned its target.

Jeong Ahyeon unknowingly gulped.

An unknown heat spread from the center of her chest, warming her back.

-Thump. Thump.

It was probably due to nervousness.

The insect monsters were disgusting, and the situation was urgent.

‘Yes. This is right.’

Jeong Ahyeon was convinced.

As his direct senior Hunter, she had to be more careful than others to ensure her junior didn’t get hurt.

“….Ah.”

After blankly staring once more at him dealing with the boss monster with a murderous gaze, she startled herself and glanced at Cha Yoon Ha

beside her.

She, too, was blankly watching the battle scene.

“D-Do Yoon oppa! He’s fighting incredibly well for that level, isn’t he?!”

“Ah, you scared me. Why are you shouting like that again?”

“S-sorry…”

Cha Yoon Ha, who had been looking at the shame-flushed Jeong Ahyeon with a puzzled gaze, turned her head back to the scene.

“He fights well.”

“As expected…”

“Every time that happens, I get really curious about the skill Do Yoon-ssi has. Just how far is it involved?”

Helper.

It was said to be a skill that provided information about combat or the Tower.

However, its versatility was too vast.

Beyond the 1st and 2nd floors, now even up to the 3rd floor.

Despite encountering all these monsters for the first time, he was handling them with familiarity.

“I don’t know either, it’s my first time seeing someone like Do Yoon-ssi. I don’t know how much he’s capable of.”

“Th-that’s right…?”

“I really hope things go well for him if possible. Grow rapidly, it’s a real crisis now.”

One fact Do Yoon was still unaware of.

If one were to speak of the red pill of the Korean Hunter world—

The current international standing of Korea in the hunt business was far more precarious than Do Yoon anticipated.

Even though Do Yoon himself was engaged in a life-or-death struggle with a boss monster here.

The darkness he truly had to face lurked outside the Tower.

“It has to go well.”

She decided not to harbor doubts about his future.

That was more hopeful, and he was actually doing well.

Watching Do Yoon finally finish off the 3rd-floor boss monster, the Hunters slowly began their wrap-up work.

“A solo clear again this time.”

-Tap.

Jo Ha Rin, who had returned to the rear at some point, flicked off the insect fluid from her dagger.

“Are you okay?”

“Yeah…!”

“Our side is pretty safe.”

“Still, you have to be careful about what you need to be careful about.”

After asking about each other’s situations, the three of them naturally turned their gazes forward.

“…Ji Hyuk ahjussi, isn’t he a bit too fired up?”

“He’s like that sometimes. Total macho style.”

“And since there’s someone like Do Yoon-ssi working hard next to him, he’s probably even more so.”

To summarize, Han Ji Hyuk was currently engaged in method acting that deceived even himself.

Statistically, it made no sense for him to be exerting power here.

This was because an insurmountable level gap existed between monsters of this floor and Hunters like Ji Hyuk.

‘I can’t be outdone in spirit by a rookie Hunter…!’

That thought soon led to him becoming a comeback Hunter, doing his best against low-level monsters.

“Ji Hyuk ahjussi’s over-immersion is really something else, you know.”

Cha Yoon Ha left a final remark, her tone exasperated.

After that, their gazes turned to Do Yoon, who had been engaged in the ‘real battle.’

“Do Yoon-ssi is doing well, as expected.”

“Do Yoon oppa is really fighting well.”

“It doesn’t matter for us since it’s such a low-level floor, but Do Yoon-ssi is truly amazing.”

Everyone already knew Do Yoon’s specialness.

If, by any chance, he were in real danger, they were always ready to intervene.

But Do Yoon had already skillfully handled the boss monster ‘Brutaltask’ on his own.

“…Is he talking to it through that resonance thing again this time?”

“Probably.”

Resonance.

Another bizarre ability, judged to be linked with the Helper skill.

It was said to be an unsettling ability that allowed one to hear the words of a boss monster.

“…What on earth could he be hearing?”

Jo Ha Rin muttered, her curiosity pure.

“Honestly, I don’t think they’d look kindly on someone trying to kill them. Curses, profanities, something like that, maybe.”

“Ugh… It must be hard enough concentrating on the battle as it is.”

“I know. I’m worried that might actually wear down his mental state.”

Do Yoon’s gaze happened to turn towards them.

The man, panting heavily, hadn’t even thought to wipe the purple fluid smeared on his cheek.

At the sight, which seemed to embody wildness itself, Jeong Ahyeon’s breath caught for a moment.

“Hoo, hooah.”

Oblivious to the two pairs of eyes fixed on her face, Jeong Ahyeon blankly exchanged gazes with Do Yoon.

“Do Yoon-ah!”

That silence was broken by Han Ji Hyuk’s shout, who had just crushed the last insect with his shield.

“…Hyungnim.”

“Well done. I saw you handling it very skillfully!”

“I was lucky. The attack patterns came out exactly as the Helper said…”

“No, you punk. It’s incredibly difficult to move according to that.”

Han Ji Hyuk, feeling proud of the new Hunter’s performance, grinned.

Do Yoon responded with a faint smile.

“I want to go soak in a hot bath right away, but first.”

“Yes.”

Rewards.

Do Yoon still had unfinished business.

Settling accounts after clearing a floor was the flower and foundation of the hunt business.

Leaving the lifeless ‘Brutaltask’ behind, the team gathered in one place.

In the Hunters’ eyes, anticipation for the rewards Do Yoon had obtained was already showing.

“What level was Do Yoon-ssi again?”

“I just reached level 5.”

“…Then.”

A possibility popped into Jo Ha Rin’s head.

The system and authority most necessary for a Hunter.

“Shall we open it right away?”

“Yeah.”

[Receiving rewards!]

[ ‘Inventory’ System Unlocked
 

5th Floor Theme Stage Entry Ticket x1]

“S-so, how is it?”

Receiving Jeong Ahyeon’s expectant gaze, Do Yoon relayed the information about the rewards.

“The inventory seems good, but the entry ticket is…”

“Entry ticket? 5th Floor Theme Stage?”

“Yes.”

At those words, the Hunters’ expressions brightened.

As a strange anxiety dissipated, and a sense of relief finally washed over them—

“Is this a good thing?”

Do Yoon, feeling a similar refreshing emotion, asked.

“You need an entry ticket to go to the 5th floor. There are some conditions from there on.”

5th floor.

The floor Do Yoon had to reach, and the information mentioned by the Hunter from another race he met outside the boss room earlier.

“What kind of place is it exactly…”

“The 1st to 4th floors are stages to gauge basic combat power.”

There are no conditions until before the 5th Floor Theme Stage.

An area that only considers very basic survival potential.

Mental strength to face monsters, combat power, and a few simple qualifications.

Do Yoon hadn’t paid close attention to such details, but many Hunters struggled in the initial sections before the 5th floor.

Because whatever it is, the beginning is always the hardest.

“Do Yoon, you’re the strange one.”

“Usually, it takes several months just to clear the 1st to 4th floors. In severe cases, some spend years and eventually retire.”

‘It’s pretty tough, huh.’

He keenly felt the hardships of being a Hunter anew.

“Well, that’s a really small minority.”

“Yeees. There are cases where people who should have gone into production jobs long ago persist out of stubbornness.”

“Ah.”

“Do Yoon-ssi can just rest assured and keep working hard.”

‘We’re definitely not sending him to production.’

Those completely lacking talent couldn’t be helped, but they wouldn’t let go of a Hunter whose talent had already been confirmed.

Four tenacious Hunters who had survived in talent-scarce South Korea watched Kim Do Yoon.

‘What’s with their gazes.’

Instinctively sensing something, Do Yoon nodded at Jo Ha Rin’s words.

“For now, I have to work as hard as I can.”

“That’s right. You should.”

Han Ji Hyuk smiled satisfactorily and patted Do Yoon’s shoulder.

“Anyway, now that we’ve checked all the rewards. We can check stats separately in the training room later.”

“Ugh, I want to wash up…! I didn’t do much, but I feel so grimy…”

“Ahyeon, you healed, didn’t you?”

“Ah… Ehehe.”

At Do Yoon’s matter-of-fact statement, Ahyeon blushed and giggled.

If the pain from his minor wounds had continued to bother Do Yoon, it would have definitely hindered his combat.

‘It really was important.’

Engraving the importance of a healer deep in his heart, Do Yoon exited the Tower.

[(My Post) Title: Cleared 3rd Floor]

[-It was a fcking huge bug;; Thought I was gonna die from disgust

–Somehow managed to resonate with the 3rd-floor boss mob, her voice was fcking nice

–She could have said something mean, but she just kept saying nice things until she died

–Feels like I’m becoming the bad guy more and more;]

[ㄴ You really were bad ㅠㅠ]

[ㄴ Again… you’ve done it again…]

[ㄴ From a mob’s perspective, Hunters are originally the bad guys, lol]

[ㄴ Already pissed off from being trapped, then some free-roaming invaders show up and keep killing. Don’t know why, just keep killing lol]

[ㄴ Don’t give a fck lolol Who told them to become boss mobs, it’s all their fault. Newbie, don’t feel guilty, just kill more ruthlessly lololol]

[ㄴ What’s with this bstard again]

[ㄴ The way they talk just sounds like a psychopath lololololol]

[ㄴ Seriously, Newbie feels guilty? Is this real life?]

[ㄴ Right? lolololol Just kill if you kill. If you’re not graduating them, they respawn infinitely anyway.]

[(My Post) Ah, but it’s like, something, something;]

Title: Well, can’t be helped

Nickname: PaperLover*

–Even if Newbie feels sorry in a place like that, there’s nothing he can do.

–Just clearing quickly and going to the next floor is the best.

–So, did you get anything?

[ㄴ Look at this admin bstard, no blood or tears;]

[ㄴ PaperLover) No; I can’t wish for Newbie to die either, you know.]

[ㄴ But that’s right, if someone has to die, it should be the mob.]

[ㄴ AgedWine*) Hoeee…! Let the mob die a hundred times instead of Newbie-jjang…!]

[ㄴ No, Teacher, what the f*ck are you saying?]

[ㄴ We’re people too, people!]

[ㄴ Respect mob rights, seriously, I’m crying ㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠ]

Leaving the chaotic atmosphere of the Gallery, Do Yoon continued to talk about the rewards.Nickname: PaperLover*

–5th-floor entry ticket, and inventory?

–Just basic stuff this time, huh.

–Or was I just lucky on the previous floors?]

[ㄴ Fact) Entry tickets are originally probability-based, so you have to grind a bit to get one.]

[ㄴ How would MobArch-hyung know that?]

[ㄴ Seriously, how does he know the Hunters’ situation?]

[ㄴ Actually, while pretending to hate Hunters, he loved them more than anyone else lol;]

[ㄴ Agh, Hunter f*ckers, seriously.]

[ㄴ Was I the only one being sincere while thinking about the Gallery members?]

[-What the hell happens from the 5th floor onwards?

–That Hunter from another race I met when I entered the 3rd floor earlier,

–And my senior Hunters’ faces went completely stiff when they talked about the 5th floor, it was really ominous.]

[ㄴ Sht, you met another Hunter?]

[ㄴ You didn’t get jumped?]

[ㄴ Is getting jumped the prerequisite now? lol]

[ㄴ Newbie… defiled…? Kieeeek!]

[ㄴ AgedWine) Any injuries? Were you assaulted? Perhaps kidnapped? Are you in a dangerous situation right now?]

[ㄴ Look at Wine-jwa immediately dropping the act and worrying.]

[ㄴ Wine-jwa’s normalization is Daenewbie ㄷㄷ;]

“What’s wrong with this.”

He was momentarily flustered by the Gallery members suddenly veering off topic.

Was meeting a Hunter from another race such a big deal?

Of course, there was always an atmosphere of constantly emphasizing vigilance against Hunters.

But he didn’t expect the mere act of meeting one to create such a serious mood.

[(My Post) Title: I wasn’t kidnapped and I’m safe, so calm down;;]

[-If I were in a dangerous situation, I wouldn’t even be able to use the Gallery in the first place.

–You know that, so why?

–Anyway, what the hell is the 5th floor?]

[ㄴ AgedWine*) …Are you really safe?]

[(My Post) If necessary, I’ll even provide proof, so calm down;]

[ㄴ AgedWine*) Ho, hoeee…! I seem to have lost my memory for a moment…!]

[ㄴ Teacher, isn’t it the opposite?]

[ㄴ How do you lose memory for your intelligence to go in reverse? lolololol]

[ㄴ AgedWine*) I’m telling you all to shut up…!]

[ㄴ lololololol]

[ㄴ We’ve got enough gossip material to grind on for a while now, huh.]

Scrolling down the absurd conversation list, the information he had been waiting for finally arrived.

Title: The 5th floor is a Theme Stage

Nickname: PaperLover*

–You’ve probably heard about it by now.

–It’s a very basic section of the Tower’s internal situation that you, Newbie, will experience from now on.

–So, it’s easier to think of the Tower itself as one giant memory.

“…Memory?”

Wasn’t it just about catching monsters, getting stronger, and clearing floors?

Do Yoon’s common sense shattered in his mind.

[-The Theme Stage is a giant floor embodied by ‘someone’s’ mental image.

–The goal, of course, is to clear the mission given within the Tower.

–As for that ‘someone’… ask the Tower Master there directly later.]

[ㄴ AgedWine*) Hawawa…! It’s embarrassing to say… ><]

[ㄴ You’re f*cked up.]

[ㄴ The Tower Master shouldn’t be embarrassed, Newbie, you find out yourself;;]

[(My Post) ….??]

What the hell does this mean.

Are they saying they have no intention of telling him right now?

After that, he pressed Wine-jwa further, but they kept evading the answer.

Do Yoon, left behind, had no choice but to speculate on his own.

“Hmm.”

Is it a kind of mission room?

And a floor directly connected to the master of this Tower.

If the clear condition so far has been the subjugation of boss mobs, it seems that from the 5th floor onwards, more difficult clear conditions

will be attached.

However, to reach the 5th floor, there was still one more floor remaining.

“First, the 4th floor.”

He decided to acquire information about the floor immediately ahead first.

It wouldn’t be too late to slowly obtain information about the 5th floor.

[(My Post) Title: Hey, Wine-jwa;]

[-If you don’t want to talk about the 5th floor, at least spill the beans about the 4th floor.

–Abandoning Newbie? Am I gonna die? This makes our happy graduation difficult too…]

[ㄴ AgedWine*) Hoeee…! Graduation is not allowed…!]

[(My Post) Yeah, yeah, spill the beans a little.]

[ㄴ Will there be another guy in the Gallery who tries to match Wine-jwa to this extent?]

[ㄴ Absolutely not, lololol]

“Don’t give a f*ck.”

With a clear conscience, Do Yoon continued to pester Wine-jwa for information about the floor.

“Hmm… How bold…”

And at that attitude, the master of the Tower, hidden behind the Gallery, smiled.

“Is it boldness born from ignorance, I wonder, or instinctive confidence.”

Her blood-red eyes flashed as she ran a finger over Newbie’s name.

“I am curious about the days to come.”

Expressing deep curiosity, this time, she decided to answer Newbie’s question ‘directly’ and obediently.