Chapter 38: (1): Season 1: Preparation
Lee Myeong-hoon had a close relationship with Ha Jong-won. However, he was a bit eccentric and took a different path from other slayers. He was more interested in excavating and exploring dungeons than slaying monsters. He enjoyed discovering new monsters.
In Myeong-hoon’s case, he acquired the skill called “Trapper” when he entered the Normal Mode. It was a class focused on exploration activities with the skill “Search,” which could find things that ordinary slayers couldn’t. As the current focus was on monster slaying, the Trapper class was unfamiliar to Hyun-seok.
Hyun-seok was lost in thought while watching TV.
‘In fact… Maybe I’m more satisfied with myself than other people.’
Being with someone like Se-young was always beneficial for Hyun-seok. Se-young was the only person who could achieve impossible achievements, and when they hunted monsters in the same field, Hyun-seok could gain a lot of stat points. Se-young decided to join the Inha Guild without pride.
Being affiliated with the Inha Guild was advantageous for anyone. When Hyun-seok made up his mind to focus on slaying, it would open up a path for him to become stronger faster and easier than anyone else.
But Myeong-hoon had a slightly different problem from the path Hyun-seok pursued.
“In fact… It might be more convenient to go solo.”
For Myeong-hoon, slaying was not the main goal; exploration and investigation were. It might be more convenient for him to go solo since he was focused on searching rather than combat. No matter how skilled the combat-oriented slayers were, it didn’t mean they were good at mountain climbing. They wouldn’t even know where and how dungeons appeared, let alone find them. When Myeong-hoon’s purpose was dungeon and monster exploration, traveling with Hyun-seok might not be as advantageous as it seemed.
“Of course, being with me would definitely help in quickly increasing stats.”
That was certain. From the current standpoint, Hyun-seok believed that being with him was the fastest way to gain stats. It was partly true.
From Hyun-seok’s perspective, slayers like Lee Myeong-hoon were a great help. Hyun-seok couldn’t become stronger through conventional means. He had to become stronger through achievement systems, and finding such achievements wasn’t an easy task. It required defeating non-standard monsters like Cyclops, boss monsters, or clearing dungeons.
He couldn’t become stronger through ordinary slaying. Some rich players bought items from other slayers and sold them to item shops to gain experience points, but that didn’t apply to Hyun-seok. His experience point system was already limited.
In that sense, having a slayer specialized in exploration and investigation would be a great help to Hyun-seok. Moreover, the Trapper class was not well-known yet. It might be a special class unique to Myeong-hoon alone.
‘Perhaps… Myeong-hoon must have exceptional skills. Even if other Trappers appear.’
That was probably the case. Myeong-hoon originally started as a combat-oriented slayer. He wasn’t just an ordinary slayer; he used to be a guild member of I’UET. However, he started focusing on exploration since entering Normal Mode. Hyun-seok only knew that he had the Trapper class but didn’t ask for details. He anticipated that Myeong-hoon possessed a special class related to exploration.
‘There’s a high chance that he’s a special Trapper among Trappers.’
Hyun-seok was indeed a special class, but Myeong-hoon was also unique. Hyun-seok and Myeong-hoon cannot even be compared in terms of strength, but this time, Hyun-seok greatly desired Myeong-hoon. It didn’t seem like Myeong-hoon was eager to join the Inha Guild. He seemed more interested in finding dungeons, at least on the surface. Based on this, Hyun-seok tried to persuade Myeong-hoon, using “quick achievements and leveling up” as the basis. Gaining stats through achievements would allow them to acquire better skills, which would be highly advantageous for dungeon exploration.
‘If that’s the case, it will be a tremendous help to me.’
Practically speaking, it was a story that would be beneficial for Myeong-hoon. However, after hearing that Myeong-hoon was a considerable eccentric, Hyun-seok seemed to think more deeply. Despite Hyun-seok’s complicated thoughts, the conversation was resolved easily.
“Alright. I’ll join the Inha Guild too.”
“Pardon?”
Myeong-hoon unexpectedly agreed.
“You probably expected it. I have a special class among the Slayers. While the Trapper class itself is already rare, I anticipate that more of them will appear soon. However, Trappers with special classes will be extremely rare.”
“Hmm…”
He had expected it. However, there was a difference between acknowledging it inwardly and admitting it out loud.
“Jong-won probably didn’t tell you. I thought everyone knew. Anyway, this class… It consumes an enormous amount of stats.”
“I see…”
After thinking for a moment, Hyun-seok understood. Dungeons were dangerous places, but if they could artificially discover and occupy such places, it would be a tremendous advantage. Even in Easy Mode, clearing a dungeon alone would reward over 10 billion won. Now they were in Normal Mode. If they entered a mode higher than Normal, there would be even greater rewards.
“Indeed… It could be considered cheating if you could easily find dungeons. There must be a penalty for consuming a lot of stats.”
It seemed that the class indeed consumed an enormous amount of stats. In that case, the conversation became easier.
“I can definitely handle those stats responsibly.”
At least in Normal Mode. Myeong-hoon shrugged.
“Understood. I’ve known that since we defeated the Twin-headed Troll. It seems like you’re planning to start slaying seriously, and we can be a great help to each other.”
He straightforwardly pointed out Hyun-seok’s weakness.
“Also, it seems like you’re concentrating on achievements, which means you might be restricted in the regular experience and leveling systems. That’s why you’re trying to recruit me more. And I sense that you find considerable appeal in slaying itself… Am I mistaken?”
Hyun-seok couldn’t deny it. He was already deeply immersed in the world of slayers. The only thing he could consider fortunate was that he hadn’t completely abandoned his real life yet. Hyeon-seok saw his continued work at the power plant as evidence that he hadn’t completely lost himself. However, he felt strongly that he would eventually let go of even that.
Myeong-hoon said, “By the way, when do you plan to quit the power plant… No, never mind.”
He cleared his throat and continued, “Are you planning to continue working at the power plant?”
He had heard Jong-won call him a geek, but he wondered if this was what made him strange. He didn’t find it annoying how he casually revealed others’ weaknesses. It seemed to be his personality. Hyun-seok smirked.
“Well, I used to say I wouldn’t quit no matter what… But these days, I have many concerns.”
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