Levelling Up In An Exclusive Dungeon

Chapter 15

There were two things Kang Jin-hyuk couldn’t understand right now.

One was why Seo Sang-ho, an S-rank Hunter, was so attached to him, a mere C-rank Hunter.

Was it too much that he knocked down Ahn Do-yoon in one blow?

Even though it was positive to be in the spotlight, the fact that Seo Sang-ho was directly asking him to join the guild was not something he could welcome.

Didn’t they say even the position of a governor is useless if one doesn’t want it?

He had no intention of joining the Titan Guild, so it was only a burden when the leader came and urged him.

‘Should I stay quiet for a while?’

Kang Jin-hyuk, who was lost in thought, shook his head.

Even if he did that now, it didn’t seem like Seo Sang-ho would lose interest.

More than anything, he had been struggling as a D-rank Hunter and now he was finally seeing the light.

He didn’t want to hide again just because he didn’t want to feel pressured.

‘For now, I have no choice but to ignore him.’

Seo Sang-ho didn’t seem like the type of person who would retaliate or scheme if things didn’t go his way.

Unless it was an exceptionally good offer that would make his eyes pop out.

As of now, Kang Jin-hyuk had no intention of getting involved with Titan.

Kang Jin-hyuk, who had made up his mind, faced the second scene he couldn’t understand.

“She’s really eating all of that by herself.”

Lucia was stuffing her mouth with sugary foods as fast as she could.

The way countless desserts bought from outside disappeared in an instant was enough to be called a feat.

“Wha ar you looing at?”

“…Don’t strain yourself talking, just keep eating.”

It was as if a ghost who died from not consuming sugar had possessed her.

Lucia readily moved her hands and mouth.

Seeing her eat with such passion, it seemed that her request for sweets in exchange for teaching him how to use Aura was not a joke.

‘Is there no such food in her world?’

Kang Jin-hyuk recalled Lucia’s eyes widening at the sight of a single chocolate bar.

They say that people are naturally drawn to sweet things, so it wasn’t entirely unbelievable that such a scene was unfolding.

Except for the fact that the amount she was consuming was beyond common sense, it was within the realm of understanding.

“Phew~.”

After finishing a grand meal reminiscent of a food fighter competition, Lucia exhaled deeply.

Even though she had stuffed herself with what seemed like several kilograms of food, her stomach didn’t bulge out at all.

Seeing her mysterious appearance, Kang Jin-hyuk realized the greatness of the Elven race.

“I thought there were only those things called chocolate bars. Your world has so many strange foods.”

“Is there no such thing as dessert in your world?”

“There is, but it’s bland compared to what I just ate.”

It seemed that food using sugar hadn’t developed much in the world Lucia lived in.

It was surprising that desserts weren’t well-researched, considering that people are naturally drawn to sweet foods.

“Why are you eating here in this basement? We already caught the boss monster.”

Kang Jin-hyuk couldn’t understand why she was eating in such a gloomy and dark place.

To answer his question, Lucia pointed her finger towards the wall behind her.

“Do you see the letters engraved on the wall there?”

“I see them, but what about them?”

“It’s a magic circle. Can’t you tell?”

Kang Jin-hyuk nodded as if it was obvious.

The magic circles he knew were usually in the form of a circle with a star drawn in it.

Therefore, he couldn’t think of the randomly scribbled graffiti as a magic circle.

“Then just know that it’s the culprit that connected the labyrinth to the world you live in.”

“Those letters?”

Lucia’s explanation was short, but it was enough to bewilder Kang Jin-hyuk.

“So if you use that, you’ll go back to the way it was?”

“No, that’s not it.”

Kang Jin-hyuk breathed a sigh of relief inwardly upon hearing Lucia’s answer.

He had gained a lot so far, but he hadn’t leveled up enough for the dungeon to disappear yet.

He needed to gain at least A-rank abilities to be able to roam freely outside without worrying about anyone.

If the dungeon disappeared before that, Kang Jin-hyuk would be left high and dry.

“So there’s no way to go back yet?”

“That’s right. But it’s worth investigating.”

Normally, a magic circle disappears as soon as it’s used.

However, the magic circle left in the basement of this temple didn’t disappear.

Lucia guessed that was probably the cause of the dimensional travel magic’s failure.

“Now that I’ve found it, I think I’ll have to stay here for a while and investigate.”

“Will something be solved if the investigation is over?”

“At least I’ll be able to find out why I was transported to this place. Going back is impossible with my magic power alone.”

To use such a large-scale magic circle, one would need to be at least an Archmage.

Unlike Lucia, who was somewhat disappointed, Kang Jin-hyuk had a bright expression as he was relieved of his worries.

Now that he knew that even if they investigated, they couldn’t go back, he had nothing to worry about.

‘If I can’t go back even after investigating. It’s better to get on her good side.’

Kang Jin-hyuk thought that if he continued to interact with Lucia, he could gain useful knowledge in addition to how to use Aura.

“If you need anything, just say the word. I’ll help you as much as I can.”

“…Why are you suddenly being so kind?”

“W-Well, we’ve conquered the dungeon together, so let’s help each other out.”

“Is that really all?”

Lucia looked at Kang Jin-hyuk with suspicious eyes.

Even though they defeated the boss monster together, it had only been a few days since they met.

Was there a need to be loyal in such a relationship?

Noticing Lucia’s gaze, Kang Jin-hyuk hurriedly looked for an excuse.

“You said you’d teach me how to use Aura. If you focus too much on the investigation alone, you might neglect that, so I’m saying I’ll help you out a bit.”

“Hmm…….”

What he just said made quite a bit of sense.

It was obvious that he was making up an excuse, but Lucia was willing to let it slide.

Unlike the people she had met so far, Kang Jin-hyuk didn’t seem to have any ulterior motives.

Rather, he seemed refreshed, as if he had let go of something.

‘Well, there’s no way he’d backstab me now when he has something to gain from me.’

Thinking that, Lucia brushed off her clothes and got up from her seat.

“Since we’re on the topic, how about I teach you the basics of using Aura?”

“Right now? Weren’t you going to investigate that magic circle first?”

“Teaching the basics isn’t that difficult.”

Lucia approached Kang Jin-hyuk and held out her right hand.

Not knowing whether she wanted something or if she was asking for a handshake, Kang Jin-hyuk just stared blankly at her outstretched hand.

Frustrated, Lucia grabbed his hand.

“I’m asking for your hand, what are you just staring at?”

“Say something, then.”

As soon as Kang Jin-hyuk grasped Lucia’s hand, a strange energy was transmitted before he could even feel the touch.

Feeling a tingling sensation as if static electricity had been purified, Kang Jin-hyuk instinctively tried to pull his hand away.

But he couldn’t because Lucia held on tight.

“Don’t be surprised and remember the feeling you’re experiencing now.”

Hearing Lucia’s words, Kang Jin-hyuk tried to accept the unfamiliar sensation somehow.

‘Damn it, I’m not a martial arts master, how am I supposed to remember this?’

Swallowing his complaints and concentrating as he was told, he realized that the sensation from Lucia’s hand was passing through his body and being released through his other hand.

When he turned his gaze to look at that hand, he saw a blue energy rising like a heat haze.

Kang Jin-hyuk knew without anyone explaining that it was Aura.

‘Oh, you’re more talented than I expected.’

Lucia inwardly admired Kang Jin-hyuk after checking his body’s condition.

‘If things go well, he might even master the basics today.’

The reason Lucia recognized Kang Jin-hyuk’s talent was because of the movement of mana flowing through his body.

The purpose of pouring mana into him was to help him find the sensation, but the original purpose was to open up his blocked meridians.

However, Kang Jin-hyuk’s meridians weren’t blocked at all from the beginning.

The mana flowing through his body was circulating quickly without losing its power.

After some time, Lucia let go of his hand.

At that moment, the Aura that was blooming in Kang Jin-hyuk’s hand disappeared in a flash.

“Now, you get the hang of it, right? Try to imitate it.”

“Right now?”

“It normally takes decades to accumulate the mana needed for that, but since you can just substitute it with Holy Power, it shouldn’t be difficult even now.”

“What’s Holy Power again?”

“The shield you summoned when you blocked the boss monster’s attack before. The power needed to use that skill is Holy Power.”

The fact that even though it was a skill that consumed the same MP, a Cleric’s skill was fundamentally different.

Kang Jin-hyuk only realized this after hearing Lucia’s words.

However, just because he understood the theory didn’t mean he could immediately apply it in practice.

“I understand what you’re saying, but… how can I turn that into Aura?”

“That’s for you to figure out. With your body.”

“Easier said than done…….”

How could he change the sensation when the skill was automatically activated just by saying its name?

Even though he used it by extending his hand, it was just an action he did because it felt like he should.

He never thought it would have any significant meaning.

“How am I supposed to imitate it?”

With a perplexed feeling, Kang Jin-hyuk turned to face the empty space.

And with the mindset of nothing to lose, he activated the skill.

“Holy Shield.”

A shield appeared in front of him as usual.

Kang Jin-hyuk concentrated to understand what he felt in his body the moment it appeared.

“Holy Shield. Holy Shield.”

By repeatedly activating the skill, Kang Jin-hyuk realized that every time he used the skill, the power seeping in from the outside was being released directly through his palm.

It was so faint that he wouldn’t have noticed it if he hadn’t concentrated as much as possible.

“Is she telling me to change this at will?”

When he said the name of the skill, it was automatically activated.

It was no different from asking him to change that rule.

No one had ever attempted such a thing, and Kang Jin-hyuk didn’t think it was possible either.

“Is there really no other way?”

Lucia gave a blunt answer to Kang Jin-hyuk, who was trying to find another way.

“There isn’t. If you don’t like it, be prepared to become a gray-haired old man and start mana training.”

Kang Jin-hyuk let out a soft sigh.

Since she was being so adamant, he had no choice but to rely on her.

Discarding the thought that it wouldn’t work and holding onto a glimmer of hope that it might.

Kang Jin-hyuk stretched out his hand once again and repeated the skill activation.

“Holy Shield!”

After repeating it over 10 times and running out of MP, Kang Jin-hyuk took out the potion he had brought and gulped it down.

And he continued to activate the skill without rest.

Perhaps thanks to repeating the same action over and over again, the sensation he felt when using the skill was gradually becoming clearer.

But just feeling the sensation wasn’t enough.

He had to somehow change it to the feeling Lucia had made him experience in a different way.

It was like stretching out his hand into the empty air, hoping for a palm strike to come out, a futile act.

The reason Kang Jin-hyuk clung to this seemingly meaningless task was because of the possibility of “what if.”

If something that shouldn’t be possible became possible.

And if he was the first person to make it possible, he would feel a great sense of accomplishment that he would never experience again.

Kang Jin-hyuk clung to that slim chance and drank his fifth potion.

“Hmm?”

After repeating it countless times until he ran out of the potions he brought, the shield he had summoned in front of him started to lose its proper form and crumble.

Judging by the result alone, it was a simple skill activation failure.

But if you looked closely, there was an error in a skill that should never fail as long as there was enough MP.

It was proof that the Holy Power that should have been invested in the skill was being directed elsewhere.

“Could this really work……?”

His half-hearted expectations gradually grew.

And at that moment, as if waiting for the right time, a message popped up, blocking his view.

『You have learned a skill.』

『Holy Power Application – Level 1』