Levelling Up In An Exclusive Dungeon

Chapter 29

Kang Jin-hyuk gave Lucia a concise summary of the incident that had occurred outside.

In addition, he explained how his job and skills had been altered.

He didn’t hide anything about the changes in his skills.

Originally, among Hunters, carelessly leaking such information was considered foolish.

However, Kang Jin-hyuk thought there was no need to keep secrets from Lucia.

Not only was she not a Hunter, but she had also taught him how to handle Aura and even helped him catch a new type of monster.

Besides, there was something he personally wanted to ask Lucia.

“What do you think about this Karma value?”

Among the newly acquired skills, there was ‘Judgment,’ which allowed him to see Karma values.

Kang Jin-hyuk couldn’t understand what it meant exactly.

He wondered if she, who had lived in a different world, might know something about it.

“The number you muttered when you saw me and the dwarf, that’s it.”

“Huh? You heard that?”

“I might not have heard the dwarf part, but it’s hard to deceive my ears.”

Saying that even as a Half-Elf, she was still an elf, Lucia wiggled her ears up and down.

“You said it was 82 for me and 72 for the dwarf, right?”

“That’s right.”

“Then what did you see for yourself?”

“I think I remember it being 64.”

Looking at the numbers alone, Kang Jin-hyuk had the lowest value, and Lucia had the highest.

Based on that alone, it might be a measure of strength.

However, the skill description explicitly mentioned “Karma” as the meaning of the value.

“Based on the description, it seems like the more evil deeds you do, the higher the value rises…….”

Kang Jin-hyuk observed Lucia’s reaction as he presented his deduction.

If his reasoning was correct, it was no different from calling her the most evil person.

Despite the offensive implication, Lucia didn’t seem particularly bothered.

Instead, she nodded quietly as if understanding.

“I think so too. I’ve lived a pretty rough life. It wouldn’t be strange if my evil deeds value was high.”

“What? Last time, you boasted about being a Platinum-ranked adventurer with high credibility.”

“At least I’ve never stabbed anyone in the back, so I can say that much.”

“……Does that mean you’ve stabbed someone from the front?”

“I shot them rather than stabbed them.”

As an adventurer taking on requests, it was inevitable to get caught up in all sorts of incidents.

It was common to encounter bandits while helping with escort missions or fight with party members who coveted the credit during monster subjugations.

Moreover, Lucia was a Half-Elf with exceptionally beautiful features.

There were more than a few people who had set traps or ambushed her because of her appearance.

It was a harsh world where it was difficult to survive with a naive vow like ‘I will never kill a person.’

“Living as an adventurer in my world isn’t a very clean life.”

“…….”

Kang Jin-hyuk seemed somewhat shocked.

It was difficult for him to accept that she, who had helped him, a complete stranger, so much, was saying such things herself.

Perhaps they had grown attached during the short time they knew each other.

For some reason, he felt like defending Lucia.

“Still, the difference between you and me is less than 20.”

“Whether 20 is a small difference or a big difference is still unknown.”

Without knowing which actions caused the value to increase, it was impossible to jump to conclusions.

“Come to think of it, in the place where I lived, there was a saintess who could distinguish between good and evil with her eyes once every few hundred years…….”

Hearing Lucia’s meaningful murmur, Kang Jin-hyuk was taken aback.

“I’m a man. I have nothing to do with someone like a saintess.”

Kang Jin-hyuk didn’t know what role a saintess played in the place where Lucia lived.

However, since the word woman（女） was included, it was a profession that could never match him, a man.

Maybe a holy son, but…

‘Holy son, my ass.’

Kang Jin-hyuk scoffed at the thought he had come up with.

He might be able to claim he lived a sincere life, but he hadn’t lived a particularly good life.

Above all, the saint’s words, “If someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also,” didn’t resonate with him at all.

If someone hit you once, you should hit them back twice. That’s the way of the world.

“Who said you were a saintess? I meant that there was a person with that kind of ability in our world too.”

“That person had the ability to distinguish between good and evil. Where’s the guarantee that my ability is the same?”

Kang Jin-hyuk’s hidden skill was an ability that couldn’t be determined based on suspicion alone.

To make an accurate judgment, it was necessary to test it in various cases.

Lost in thought while savoring the sweetness of the newly popped candy, Lucia finally came to a conclusion.

“Anyway, now’s not the time to be looking for a mine.”

She added that it wasn’t because she didn’t like the dwarf, not at all.

Like a thief with a guilty conscience, Lucia added an unnecessary explanation and continued speaking.

“We need to find out the criteria for this Karma value right now.”

“Criteria? Doesn’t it just go up when you commit evil deeds?”

“It’s not that simple.”

“Why?”

“Think carefully. Who decides the criteria for good and evil?”

Now that Lucia mentioned it, Kang Jin-hyuk realized he didn’t know who judged good and evil.

If the system decided, then who set the criteria for the system?

“If we don’t know who made the criteria, we have to find out ourselves, even if it means experiencing it firsthand. Don’t you think?”

“But the dwarf’s request comes first…….”

“We can postpone that. It’s not like there’s a deadline. Besides, do you even know how hard it is to go down there?”

According to Lucia, it would take Kang Jin-hyuk more than three days at his speed.

If they encountered monsters along the way, their progress would be further delayed.

“You want me to keep this curiosity for the entire duration of that tedious mine search? That’s torture for me.”

Holding up her index and middle fingers, Lucia presented two options and forced Kang Jin-hyuk to choose.

“Finding the mine and investigating your skill. You know best which one is more urgent.”

As she said, the important thing for Kang Jin-hyuk was to understand the true nature of his hidden skill.

However, there was another reason why he hesitated besides the guilt of postponing the dwarf’s request.

“We can’t do it right now.”

“Why?”

“There might still be people outside targeting me.”

The outside world was still buzzing about Kang Jin-hyuk hunting the new type of monster.

It was obvious that there would be aggressive individuals who would ambush him, hoping to learn the location of the new monster, just like the assailant he had encountered before.

Kang Jin-hyuk didn’t want to get caught up in that kind of situation again.

Even if it was self-defense, killing someone wasn’t something he could do casually.

“Hmm~”

After hearing the situation, Lucia understood Kang Jin-hyuk’s reaction.

However, that didn’t mean she was willing to back down from what she had set her mind on.

From Lucia’s perspective, postponing something that had piqued her curiosity was unacceptable.

‘It’s a shame to miss out on this interesting thing I’ve found after so long.’

Having lived for a long time as a Half-Elf, Lucia’s heart wasn’t easily moved.

If she had been a full-blooded elf, she would have talked about harmony with nature and wouldn’t have felt bored in her long life.

Unfortunately, half of the blood flowing through her was human.

Unable to devote herself to mental cultivation like other elves, Lucia had to constantly seek something that would pique her interest in her long life.

Otherwise, she felt like she would wither and die from the monotony of everyday life.

The reason Lucia chose a tumultuous life as an adventurer despite her exceptional abilities was simply because she hated a boring life.

Asking her to postpone the matter that had captured her interest was akin to torture.

Lucia wanted to take Kang Jin-hyuk with her right away and satisfy her curiosity.

“So, if we can just take care of those attackers, there’s no problem, right?”

“That’s true, but right now, all eyes are on me, so it’s not easy to avoid them.”

“Then we won’t avoid them.”

“What do you mean? How am I supposed to deal with them when I don’t even know how many will come…….”

Kang Jin-hyuk realized Lucia’s intentions before he could finish his sentence.

That excited, cheerful expression was definitely not without reason.

Since her intentions were so clearly displayed, there was no need to rack his brain to figure out her motives.

“Are you thinking of helping me?”

“If you want to beg me to.”

Lucia hinted at the desired answer with a sly smile.

Of course, it would be a great help if Lucia stepped in as an ally.

But Kang Jin-hyuk found it hard to understand.

She wasn’t particularly fond of going outside, yet she was willing to help just because she was curious.

Her capriciousness was excessive.

Since Kang Jin-hyuk didn’t know Lucia’s circumstances, he wanted to hear a reason that would make sense to him.

“Why would you help me investigate my skill? Shouldn’t you be investigating this dungeon to return to your original world?”

In response to the question of whether she had already given up, Lucia shook her head.

“I want to go back, but I have plenty of time, so there’s no need to rush.”

As a Half-Elf, she had at least 200 more years to live.

She didn’t have any family or close friends in her original world, so there was no need to hurry.

“And this seems more fun than something that might not even work.”

“Fun…….”

Was that really the only reason?

Kang Jin-hyuk didn’t think they were close enough to help each other without expecting anything in return.

Even if they had become quite friendly, he believed that trust was built on a clear exchange of favors, so receiving help without any conditions felt awkward.

How many people would readily accept 1 million won from a stranger on the street without any suspicion?

Of course, some people might, but many would be suspicious of the stranger’s motives and keep their distance.

Kang Jin-hyuk was an ordinary person who belonged to the latter group.

“Is that really the only reason?”

“That’s enough, what more do you need?”

Contrary to Kang Jin-hyuk’s suspicion, Lucia was sincere.

“It’s an ability you’ve never seen before. Don’t you want to know what kind of power you have?”

“Of course, I do.”

“Then what are you hesitating for?”

Lucia put her arm around Kang Jin-hyuk’s shoulder and showed a refreshing smile.

“Why are you so scared? Are you afraid I’ll stab you in the back?”

“N-no, it’s not that…….”

“What riches and glory would I gain by deceiving you? Don’t overthink it. Just take the help when it’s offered.”

As Lucia said, she had nothing to lose.

Thinking rationally, there was no reason for her, who came from another world, to need money here.

And since her abilities were overwhelmingly superior, there was no reason for her to take advantage of Kang Jin-hyuk now.

When he thought that far, Kang Jin-hyuk’s hesitation disappeared completely.

‘It’s a bit embarrassing to be treated like a toy, though.’

Right now, what mattered more than his pride was that someone stronger than an S-rank Hunter was offering to cooperate for free.

“As you said, it’s a hidden skill I’ve obtained after all. It doesn’t make sense not to know its true effect.”

Kang Jin-hyuk took out two Return Stones from his inventory and tossed one to Lucia.

Even though he threw it at a slightly off angle due to his hand slipping, Lucia caught it effortlessly.

“Have you thought about how we’re going to investigate it?”

“I’ll think about it from now on.”

“……You persuaded me like that, and you don’t have any plans?”

Even as he stared at her in disbelief, Lucia shrugged nonchalantly.

“I only said I’d take care of the attackers.”

Kang Jin-hyuk let out a quiet sigh at her response.

“Fine, it’s my skill, so I’ll figure it out myself.”

“Ahaha. That’s a good attitude.”

Kang Jin-hyuk apologized to the dwarf in his mind and used the Return Stone.

Immediately, a message appeared before Kang Jin-hyuk’s eyes.

『Your Karma value has increased.』