episode_0243

Deep dawn without the sun rising.

Naturally opened eyes pierce the darkness.

“… … .”

This is an old habit.

On days when I have something important to do or a dungeon to conquer, I always wake up before the sun rises.

What do you do when you wake up so early?

meditation.

It’s not that big of a deal, just quietly close your eyes and catch your breath.

So that you can maintain a calm mind no matter when, where, or what happens.

“Seuuu… .”

Breathe very deeply, to your limit.

“Whoa.”

Exhale slowly, very slowly.

If you repeat this, you will feel as if your body’s busy activities are gradually slowing down.

I don’t know if it’s actually slowing down or not, but that feeling is very important.

Only when you achieve the right amount of tension in this slow and calm state will you finally reach what can be called the best condition.

Not running too fast, but not too slow either.

In this state, you exert more strength than necessary and your body does not stiffen, and you do not let down your guard with a loose mind.

No matter what happens, you can quickly accept it, act, and give instructions.

“Whoa.”

I open my eyes, exhaling as much as I can, as if I will not allow even a single particle of waste to remain in my lungs.

Eyes that have become accustomed to the darkness can now see their surroundings as if the lights were on.

I quietly get up from my seat, thinking I need to get ready, but I feel a faint presence behind me.

When I turned my head, I saw Han Ju-yeon, who had been sleeping soundly in bed, sitting up with her upper body up and looking at me intently.

“… “Are you awake?”

“huh? ah… , Sorry. I was so drunk yesterday… ?”

Han Joo-yeon hurriedly covered her brightly smiling face and apologized to me.

Well, yesterday deserves an apology.

The guy who poured a full glass of strong whiskey into a paper cup and continued to sip, eventually became completely drunk and fell down on the table.

At first, I tried to just carry him on my back and take him to my accommodation… , I need to know where it is so I can take you there.

So I just laid him down on my bed and let him sleep, and I slept with just a thin blanket on the floor.

“I think you have a weakness for alcohol. Next time, don’t drink like that.”

“huh… , I’ll keep that in mind. however… “Did you meditate a little while ago?”

“yes.”

“Hmm… “You have the same habits as my brother-in-law.”

It felt hot for a moment.

But I wasn’t more surprised than necessary.

Meditation is something that all hunters who value mental discipline do.

“that… “When Hunter Son Si-woo appeared on TV, he said he enjoyed meditation, so I started following him.”

It is not a day or two for hunters or aspiring S-level hunters to follow Son Si-woo.

On TV, if you train like this, it will be called ‘Son Si-woo’s training method’ and you will follow it from the next day.

Also, somewhere, I used to spend time like this before raiding a dungeon, and it was called the ‘Son Si-woo routine’, which caused an uproar again.

Anyway, this isn’t what’s important right now.

“I’m thinking of washing up and getting ready now… , Teacher, you have to go and prepare too, right?”

“Oh, yes. “That’s how it should be.”

Juyeon wakes up on the bed at the slightest sign of celebration.

“Then shall I see you later?”

“yes.”

After seeing her off at the front door, I immediately wash up in the shower and get dressed.

Wear a highly elastic inner suit, and wear thick leather vambraces and gaiters to securely cover important parts.

Just cover it with a robe and you’re done.

“… “I guess I’ll have to start taking care of my equipment soon.”

I didn’t pay much attention to the materials found in the lower-level dungeons because they were all average, but now it’s time to start paying attention to the equipment as well.

If I finish this job well, I’m almost guaranteed to become an A-level hunter.

Now that you have become a high-level hunter, you need to be equipped with the appropriate equipment.

In advanced dungeons that exceed difficulty level A, the level of equipment becomes as important as your own skills.

what… Well, let’s think about it then.

“Let’s go soon.”

It’s time to throw yourself into the swirling vortex.

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In front of Haenam Surveillance Battalion.

When we arrived at the scheduled gathering time, we saw familiar faces.

Han Joo-hee wore a large hat as if to advertise, ‘I’m a wizard.’

Kim Tae-yang, a gangster, leaning on his legs and spitting phlegm against the wall of the guard post.

Namgoonghyeok is leaning against the wall of the guard post, holding a sword and closing his eyes.

“These are familiar faces.”

All three were still the same.

Kim Tae-yang is still a gangster, and our Namgung hyung is as serious as always.

Han Joo-hee, what… Okay, that’s it.

He walks towards them with long legs and bows slightly.

“Hello, hunters.”

What should I do?

This body is now B-class and they are S-class.

Han Joo-hee lightly nods her head at the young hunter’s greeting, and Namgoong-hyuk looks at her with wide eyes.

And Kim Tae-yang… .

“Aang-? “What is this kid?”

Ugh.

This bastard is real.

“This is Kim Do-jin, who has joined Hunter Han Ju-yeon as her escort.”

“Kim Do-jin… ? “I heard that somewhere.”

It seems that the name Kim Do-jin is quite popular.

When I see that crazy person who doesn’t keep anything in his head except for things about women, he’s going crazy when he hears my name.

The guy who was looking me up and down with his bright eyes started to argue.

“You’re the one escorting that woman? “You’re not being escorted?”

I wondered why that story didn’t come out.

Actually, I did the same thing after hearing Jooyeon’s story yesterday.

No matter how much the role of a healer and buffer is, an S rank is still an S rank.

It is not easy enough to have to be protected by a hunter of a lower level than oneself.

Still, he put both his hands together and asked me a favor.

“I’m skeptical too, but Hunter Juyeon Han nominated me personally.”

Then the guy grins and scoffs.

“flaw… “Did she like this kind of face?”

There is a slight hint of jealousy in his tone of voice.

Dude, I guess you’ve already criticized Juyeon once and got kicked out.

From long ago, Joo-yeon received many confessions from men.

Maybe it’s because the person himself seems gentle, but there were many confessions that said, “Let’s just stab him once.”

But there is one fact that people don’t know.

Contrary to his appearance, Juyeon is a person who is very sure about making and breaking off things.

The expression on her face when she rejects a confession is so stern that every time she does that, I get the illusion that it’s not Han Ju-yeon but Han Ju-hee in front of me.

“Oh my, am I the last one?”

As they were fighting, not fighting, with the bully in front of them, the last member, Han Ju-yeon, arrived.

When I turned my head in the direction the voice came from, I saw her wearing clothes I had never seen before.

A pure white dress that goes down to the ankles.

I guess that’s it.

‘Holy Protection’, the highest-end equipment she acquired while working in the United States.

From what I heard, it increases the effectiveness of healing and shields directed at oneself or others by 50%.

In her hand, she holds a wand with a crystal ball that emits a soft blue glow on a stick about the length of an adult woman’s arm.

Similarly, the ‘Wand of Purity’ has an option that increases healing and shield efficiency by 30% and a memorize function that allows the user to use built-in magic five times a day without magic.

How do you know other people’s equipment options so well?

That’s because I gave it to you as a gift, so I have no choice but to know it well.

“Uh, um.”

As soon as I saw that wand, I felt like I couldn’t breathe.

The most used material to make the Wand of Purity is the horn of a rare species of unicorn that can be found with very rare probability in forested fields.

Unicorn horns are known to have a very high magic conductivity, so I wanted to make a good gift for Juyeon, who was taking her first steps as a hunter, so I made one using the few horns I had in the guild warehouse.

Thanks to the best craftsmen refining the best materials, the wand options were truly fantastic.

but… , if there is one problem, it is that the characteristics of the material were taken advantage of so well that the wand came with ridiculous wearing conditions.

The condition for wearing it is that the wearer must be a pure virgin.

“… … .”

As soon as I saw the conditions, I tried to destroy the wand.

What kind of crazy brother-in-law gives his sister-in-law a wand as a gift that only a virgin can wear?

But voila, there you have it.

I really didn’t want to give it away.

After explaining the situation to Jooyeon, I am rushing around to find another gift… .

Suddenly he asked for it.

She said it didn’t matter and that she could use it until she found a good boyfriend.

Still, I tried to stop him from doing it, but as I said, Juyeon is the type of person who doesn’t usually take away something he wants, so I ended up giving it to him.

Considering these wearing conditions, one conclusion can be drawn.

Han Joo-yeon is now in her early to mid-30s… .

“She’s still a virgin… ?”

That I still haven’t lost my virginity.

Tears almost poured out.

Juyeon… , How busy have you been until now? !

“huh… ? Why do you look at me like that?”

Juyeon asks, looking at me with a puzzled look.

I quickly looked away and shook my head.

“Oh that… “I thought the dress looked really good on you.”

“yes? If I get married in the future, I’m thinking about wearing this to the wedding. “Don’t you think it’ll be okay?”

Juyeon looks at me with a subtle look, fluttering the hem of her dress, and asks my opinion.

“ah… “It won’t be bad.”

By the way, Juyeon.

Shouldn’t you get a boyfriend first before that? .

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After passing through small twists and turns, I climbed onto the protective wall.

There, dozens of magicians accompanied by Han Joo-hee stand with solemn expressions.

In order to attack the Kraken’s interior, you must, of course, enter its body.

At this point, a problem arises.

How to get inside the Kraken.

Compared to the huge Kraken, humans are infinitely small, so should they sneak up on them and throw themselves into any hole they see?

That can’t be the answer.

Large monsters react more sensitively to the approach of objects.

In fact, there are thin threads of magic wrapped around the Kraken’s body.

The moment you pass that way or touch it, the Kraken will swing its long legs like a whip.

In the end, in order to get inside the Kraken, you need to divert its attention or stop its body, even if just for a moment.

And we have the right card to use here, which is the combined magic of the Magic Tower.

“Get ready.”

Under Han Joo-hee’s instructions, the magicians all raise their magic power.

Lines that begin to embroider the air with their magical power.

It soon takes the form of a magic circle.

Puzzle!

Pajik!

As soon as the magic circle was completed, an enormous amount of electric current sprayed out in all directions.

Eventually, what appeared above the magic circle was a huge window.

By that name.

「Group Magic」

“Rain God’s Spear.”

Squeeze!

If ‘Thousand Streams of Lightning’ is a magic for mass murder, ‘Rain God’s Spear’ is a magic for a single, powerful entity.

Just think of the hundreds or thousands of lightning bolts that struck a few days ago concentrated on that one window.

“launch.”

Coo coo coo… !

The Spear of Raijin moves forward with a heavy flying sound.

The sound was extremely heavy, but the speed at which it moved was literally like a beam of light.

The moment the Kraken sensed danger and opened its eyes.

Kwazijijijijik-!

The lightning suppressed in a single spear spreads out in all directions, electrocuting the huge body.

The moment when black smoke billowed out and the guy’s eyes slightly turned upward.

“Now!”

Following Han Joo-hee’s hand gesture, the bodies of five people float into the sky and run at high speed toward the Kraken.

The boy’s tanned skin gradually begins to regain its original color.

A truly incredible level of resilience.

Namgoonghyuk swallows his tears as he sees this.

“Umm… ! “If I had dealt with it from outside, it might have been harder than I thought.”

Certainly, fighting until that ridiculous amount of recovery power was exhausted would have been too much for even an S-class hunter.

As we quickly narrowed the distance, we found a gaping hole in a state of electric shock.

Looking at its location, I think that’s the mouth… .

“Let’s go in there.”

Kraken’s body is almost fully recovered.

The moment I flew quickly and reached the hole so as not to miss the opportunity.

A message window appeared in front of me.

[A hidden dungeon was discovered.]

[You have entered ‘The Road to the Heart of the Kraken.’]

… Why are you here?