Levelling Up In An Exclusive Dungeon

Chapter 14

In truth, Aura was an ability that only those with a talent for manipulating mana could awaken after dedicating their entire lives to it.

That’s why it was extremely rare to find humans who could use Aura.

The reason Lucia could learn Aura was that, as a half-elf, she had several times the lifespan of a human.

On the other hand, Kang Jin-hyuk was an ordinary human.

Even if he had the talent, he would only be able to freely manipulate Aura after his hair turned completely white.

No matter how strong his desire to learn was, a human body couldn’t defy the passage of time.

Nevertheless, Lucia had her own ulterior motive for making this offer.

‘I said I’d teach him how to use it, not that I’d make him able to use it.’

Of course, she intended to teach him the method itself with utmost sincerity.

Whether he could blossom that into a talent was entirely up to him.

“Grooo.”

Just as Lucia was thinking this, the boss monster she thought she had captured moved.

It was a sudden surprise attack, aiming for an unexpected moment, but Kang Jin-hyuk’s movements were faster than the statue’s attack.

“Holy Shield!”

Thanks to the baseball bat reacting, Kang Jin-hyuk was able to respond one step ahead.

The defense skill, which had leveled up after defeating the mid-boss, perfectly blocked the statue’s attack without breaking.

The statue was so damaged that it couldn’t withstand the recoil and crumbled.

Seeing this, Kang Jin-hyuk rushed in and struck the exposed core of the statue with his bat.

There was a sound like something breaking, but the core wasn’t completely destroyed.

Anticipating this, Kang Jin-hyuk swung his bat without hesitation.

After two or three more strikes, the core, which had boasted its hardness, couldn’t withstand it and shattered into pieces.

“Groooo…….”

Leaving behind a groan like a scream, the statue ceased all movement.

『You have leveled up.』

Thanks to the tremendous experience points given by the boss monster, Kang Jin-hyuk’s vision was filled with repeated messages.

Not long after becoming a C-rank Hunter, his level had already reached 85.

At this rate, obtaining the qualification of a B-rank Hunter within this month wasn’t just a dream.

Kang Jin-hyuk rummaged through the remains of the boss, hoping that some items might have dropped.

But unfortunately, there were no dropped items.

“That skill just now…… Were you a Cleric?”

Kang Jin-hyuk expressed his confusion at the question Lucia suddenly brought up.

“Huh? Didn’t you know?”

“I thought you were a warrior because you came out with a bat. Who would think a guy smashing Golems is a Cleric?”

Lucia’s words made sense.

It was the first time Kang Jin-hyuk had used a Cleric-like skill in front of her, so it was understandable that she would be mistaken.

“A Cleric…… That’s unexpected.”

“Is it that surprising?”

“It’s not surprising, it’s just a bit different from what I thought.”

Kang Jin-hyuk didn’t understand Lucia’s words.

“What’s different? Is there something wrong with being a Cleric?”

“It’s the opposite.”

“What?”

“If you’re a Cleric, you can easily use Aura just by learning the trick.”

Kang Jin-hyuk was confused.

How could this class, which had no combat skills, be more helpful in using Aura?

Seeing Kang Jin-hyuk’s blank expression, Lucia realized he knew nothing.

“Have you never even heard of ‘Holy Aura’?”

“Of course not.”

“……It’s not something to brag about.”

Letting out a quiet sigh, Lucia continued her explanation.

“That shield you just brought out. That’s a type of Aura.”

“That’s Aura?”

“To be precise, they’re different, but the way they’re used and their effects are the same.”

The only difference was that Aura was created by gathering mana from within the body.

And what Clerics used was created with Holy Power.

“So, can I use it right away?”

“It’s impossible right now, but…… If you do well, you might be able to mimic it within a week.”

If he was a Cleric, he didn’t need to accumulate Aura, he just needed to learn the trick to use it.

Of course, it wasn’t easy, but Lucia was confident that she could solve that problem with her own abilities.

But even if it was possible, it didn’t mean she was willing to do it unconditionally.

Someone once said.

Don’t do what you’re good at for free.

Lucia had learned that lesson through her long career as an adventurer.

“By the way, you remember there’s a condition in exchange for teaching you, right?”

“Condition? Ah……!”

Kang Jin-hyuk recalled what Lucia had said.

To think that he would get a chance to learn such a valuable skill with just a chocolate bar.

Life was truly unpredictable.

◈◈◈◈◈◈

Seo Sang-ho was leaving the Association headquarters with an unpleasant expression.

Even he, known for his good nature, couldn’t help but feel offended after receiving a unilateral notification.

The secretary who followed him acted cautiously, observing Seo Sang-ho’s mood.

“Shall I summon the guild executives right away?”

“We have to.”

Seo Sang-ho nodded and suddenly let out a deep sigh.

“Does it make sense to tell us to handle this with just our guild?”

“The timing seems really bad.”

The appearance of monsters usually occurred randomly, but there was one exception.

It was the abnormal radio waves that were detected about once a month.

Powerful monsters appeared within a week at the location where these abnormal radio waves were observed, and each time, the government and the Association had to rack their brains.

It just so happened that this phenomenon occurred in Seoul at a time when other large guilds had gone abroad on requests.

Currently, the only force within the country capable of dealing with this phenomenon was S-rank Hunter Seo Sang-ho and his guild members.

“I think we need to ask other guilds for cooperation.”

“I agree. But I wonder if other guilds will actually cooperate…….”

Due to Ahn Do-yoon’s past tyranny, public opinion towards Titan was very negative.

Seo Sang-ho was well aware of what the secretary was worried about.

“I should have stopped that guy before he acted up.”

Because he had been mindful of the guild executives’ opinions, the situation had become more serious than he had anticipated.

To think that the snowball Ahn Do-yoon had rolled would become this big.

It was Ahn Do-yoon who had made the mistake, but Seo Sang-ho, as the guild leader, had to take responsibility.

“Haa…… I really want to kick him out right now.”

If he could, he wanted to shout all sorts of curses and kick him out.

But right now, every single person was precious.

“It’s not a good time to abandon an A-rank Hunter.”

“I know.”

Even though he knew it rationally, it was hard to accept emotionally.

The secretary spoke in a comforting manner to soothe Seo Sang-ho’s feelings.

“He’s not a good person, but at least his skills are decent.”

“That’s true. Even though he’s a guy who gets beaten up by a Cleric.”

Upon hearing Seo Sang-ho’s words, something suddenly occurred to the secretary.

“Speaking of which, have you succeeded in negotiating with the Hunter who defeated Ahn Do-yoon?”

“No, not yet.”

“You’re taking quite a while for someone you’re so interested in.”

“I’m trying to be cautious.”

Kang Jin-hyuk, the target Seo Sang-ho was aiming for, had a very negative perception of Titan.

Pressuring him wouldn’t do any good, it would only backfire.

“Shall we do some research so we can offer him good terms?”

“No need. Even if we investigate, there’s nothing to find out about that guy.”

Kang Jin-hyuk was a figure who had been active as a D-rank Hunter for a long time and then suddenly rose to prominence.

There were no signs beforehand.

Seo Sang-ho liked that enigmatic aspect of Kang Jin-hyuk even more.

It was as if he had discovered a raw gem that no one else had paid attention to.

“Anyway, I’ll handle it myself, so just keep the executives from interfering.”

Unlike Seo Sang-ho, who was actively pursuing Kang Jin-hyuk’s recruitment, Titan’s executives considered him a thorn in their side.

Since they didn’t know when, where, or what kind of scheme he might be plotting, strict surveillance was necessary.

“We’ve already deployed enough personnel to monitor the executives’ movements.”

“Really? What do they seem like?”

“They seem to be wondering how they can make another move without the Guild Leader noticing.”

“Hahaha, they haven’t changed a bit.”

Seo Sang-ho laughed as if he had expected it.

It was the executives who had raised Titan to a large guild in place of Seo Sang-ho, who had no interest in guild management.

There was no way they would become docile just because they had gotten rid of Ahn Do-yoon.

“If they try to retaliate against Kang Jin-hyuk, let me know. Otherwise, leave them alone.”

“You seem to care quite a bit about that Hunter. What’s the reason? He’s just a C-rank Cleric.”

“Well…… I can’t say for sure. I just have a hunch.”

It was an answer that would sound absurd to anyone who didn’t know him.

But the secretary didn’t laugh at Seo Sang-ho or look at him strangely.

That’s because, having worked as his secretary for a considerable amount of time, he had witnessed firsthand how sharp Seo Sang-ho’s intuition was.

It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that Seo Sang-ho had been able to maintain his position as guild leader against the executives who were constantly scheming thanks to his sixth sense and judgment.

“Still, now is the time to focus on the Association’s request rather than that Hunter.”

“I know that without you telling me.”

It was only natural that they had to deal with the fire at their feet first.

If he hadn’t seen Kang Jin-hyuk coming out of a nearby bakery just then.

Seo Sang-ho would have put aside his interest in him for the time being.

But since he had seen him right in front of his eyes, he couldn’t just pass by.

“I guess I can’t be a gentleman.”

With a meaningful smile, Seo Sang-ho said to his secretary.

“I have some business to attend to, so go ahead and tell the executives about the Association’s request.”

“Understood.”

Once the secretary left, Seo Sang-ho approached Kang Jin-hyuk.

Kang Jin-hyuk seemed quite surprised to see him walking towards him from the front.

“What brings you here?”

“I’d like to ask you the same question. What are you buying so much at this hour? And from a bakery, no less.”

Seo Sang-ho’s gaze was fixed on the large bag Kang Jin-hyuk was carrying.

It was too much for a single person to eat as a late-night snack.

“I don’t even know what I’m doing right now.”

Kang Jin-hyuk gave a wry smile as if he wasn’t doing this willingly.

Seo Sang-ho’s curiosity was piqued, but there was something more pressing at hand.

“Have you given any thought to my offer?”

“If you’re talking about joining the guild, I told you I have no intention of joining anywhere for the time being.”

Kang Jin-hyuk’s answer was firm, leaving no room for reconsideration.

It was a great honor to be personally invited by an S-rank Hunter, but he had no desire to join Titan.

It was the same for other large guilds as well.

Kang Jin-hyuk didn’t want to join hands with those who monopolized monsters without considering other Hunters.

“I thought I offered you sufficient terms…… I don’t understand why you’re refusing.”

I just don’t like it. Unable to say that short reason directly to the S-rank Hunter, Kang Jin-hyuk thought of another excuse.

“That crazy murderer still hasn’t been caught. I don’t want to get hit in the back of the head at night.”

“……Is that really the reason?”

Kang Jin-hyuk nodded with a straight face.

“I heard there are already 12 victims this month? No one would want to join a guild in these unsettling times.”

Seo Sang-ho couldn’t refute that.

With Hunters dying every three days, the Association and guilds still hadn’t taken any meaningful measures.

‘Someday, he’ll target an A-rank Hunter and get caught.’

They were practically neglecting the murderer, clinging to such unrealistic delusions.

Even if it was impossible to track him down because he didn’t leave any traces, it was too irresponsible not to even try to pursue him.

Seo Sang-ho let out a short sigh and then spoke.

“Then how about joining as a mercenary?”

“A mercenary?”

“Yes, I’ll compensate you sufficiently.”

If it was just hunting together without joining the guild, there wasn’t much reason to refuse.

If it was Titan, there would be no chance of failing a hunt, and the monsters they faced would likely be high-value targets.

However, there was something suspicious.

“Titan must have plenty of talented people, so why would they need me as a mercenary?”

Kang Jin-hyuk’s publicly known specs were only those of a C-rank Hunter.

The only thing he could boast about was being a Cleric.

It was hard to see him as a Hunter valuable enough for the Titan Guild Leader to personally bring in as a mercenary.

“Haha, you’re being too modest for someone who can knock down an A-rank Hunter.”

“It was a spur-of-the-moment thing that worked out better than I expected.”

“You seemed quite confident swinging that bat for a spur-of-the-moment thing.”

“I was just pissed off, so I put a little more power into it.”

Seo Sang-ho couldn’t shake the feeling that Kang Jin-hyuk was hiding something.

But since he was acting like that, he couldn’t pry any further.

Seo Sang-ho decided to hold back his curiosity and take a step back.

“Even if it was a coincidence, a Cleric with combat abilities is very valuable. Please contact me if you have the time.”

In truth, the situation wasn’t so dire that they needed to recruit another Cleric.

Seo Sang-ho had suggested it because he wanted Kang Jin-hyuk to get used to acting together with the guild.

“……I’ll think about it.”

Seo Sang-ho was inwardly satisfied when Kang Jin-hyuk gave a somewhat positive answer, unlike before.