Max Talent Player

The title was ordinary.

–LF players to challenge the Shot Table dungeon with.

In these times, with the world of Players being created day by day, posts seeking party members weren’t all that unusual. I checked the poster again.

[Poster: JayangdongFireMaster]

The Flame Lord Choi Sung-gu had finally made his appearance. I read the post’s contents.

–LF players to challenge the Shot Table dungeon with. The intermediate administrator recommended going in with at least 3 players. Just to be perfectly clear, this is a dungeon, not a gate. Everyone knows that dungeons are the higher forms of gates, right? I am recruiting people to clear the dungeon with. Only people level 20 and up are welcome. Things like items and coins will be shared evenly. I am a magician of the fire attribute, and I’d like to work with a tank who can protect me. We can discuss the details in person. Oh, right. You can only go inside the dungeon if you make a party with me.

It was a post written however the author wanted, without any structure or rules. It wasn’t even that eye-catching.

‘Normally, you don’t publicize the dungeon’s name or location.’

Currently, Players were intimidated by the big word that was ‘dungeon’ and avoided dungeon clearing, but later, it would be a completely different story. Although dungeons were dangerous places, they were also ‘treasure troves of new technology’ that could completely turn your life around.

‘Casualties are happening every day in the Seoul Station Dungeon.’

I had already cleared the Seoul Station Dungeon, and as a result, there was no dungeon break. Even so, people continued to die while attempting to clear it.

‘The Shot Table Dungeon, huh.’

It was the very first dungeon the Flame Lord Choi Sung-gu cleared. There wasn’t much information about it.

‘An event dungeon that disappears after getting cleared.’

Unlike the Seoul Station Dungeon, which remained in place even after being cleared, the Shot Table Dungeon was a one-time dungeon that would permanently disappear once it was cleared.

I wrote a comment.

–I’d like to help with the raid. I’m a level 25 tank.

Whether I sent him a DM or wrote a comment, it didn’t matter—he would contact me back. After all, there weren’t many Players trying to recklessly clear dungeons right now.

After writing the comment, I headed to the Seoul Station Dungeon with Sunhwa.

* * *

Before we arrived at the Seoul Station Dungeon, Senia appeared. Her creepily accurate timing made me wonder if she was observing me at all times.

‘Whatever, I needed to talk to her anyway.’

“When we go into the dungeon, stand behind me,” I said to her.

“Player Kim Hyukjin. Are you giving me a command right now?”

What the heck? Did she get lectured by other Streamers to not get led around the nose by a Player? Why was she being so petulant all of a sudden?

“You couldn’t say anything to Neptune, who was persecuting me in defiance of the Commandments, but you sure have a lot to say to me.”

Senia’s wingtips trembled. This was no new revelation, but it occurred to me again that this Streamer was truly easy to handle. If her skill was even 1% of her beauty, she would have probably been a famous Streamer in the past. She even let her emotions get the better of her, making her lose the timing to say something. I seized the initiative to say something first.

“It’s related to Playing. You’ll see that my request isn’t unjustified at the dungeon entrance.”

“…”

Senia stood behind me with an expressionless face. The Seoul Station 2nd Exit, which had now become the entrance to a dungeon, was being guarded by two policemen.

“Identification, please.”

I didn’t commit a crime and placidly handed over my ID card.

“And the lady next to you?”

“She’s my younger sister. She doesn’t have her ID card because she’s still a minor.”

“Hm. Are you Players?”

“Yes. Our levels are in the early 20s.”

The city’s response was still too sloppy. The person who checked my details wasn’t even a Player, but a regular policeman. It was obvious that the policeman was tense.

State: Tense / Uneasy / Restless / Fearful

There was one reason why this person was so tense. It was because Senia was standing behind me. Even though my dedicated Streamer, Senia, didn’t do awful things like putting holes in people’s heads, slicing open their necks, or cutting them into two, to this policeman, she was definitely a terrifying existence.

‘Guns don’t work on them, they appear freely, unconstrained by the laws of time and space, and they are strange, otherworldly beings with the power to cut a person in half with one wave of their hand.’

That was the way the policeman saw ‘Intermediate Administrators’. That’s why the policeman didn’t give us much trouble. One misstep, and his head could go flying.

“Please enter.”

[This dungeon has already been cleared.]

[Will you enter the Seoul Station Dungeon?]

Of course. However, I wanted to clear it as a separate instance. I turned to Senia.

“Requesting an Independent Play. That’s possible, right?”

“…” After a moment of speechlessness, Senia finally opened her mouth. “…It’s possible, but…”

I saw bite her lips ever so slightly.

‘You must be curious, too.’

She must be very curious as to how I knew this kind of information, how a Player who had cleared the Seoul Station just once could possibly know about ‘Independent Play’.

‘The more curiosity and interest there is towards me, the better.’

[It is possible to request an ‘Independent Play’ of an already cleared dungeon.]

[Would you like to submit an ‘Independent Play Request’?]

[Your ‘Independent Play Request’ has been accepted.]

An Independent Play was exactly as it sounded—Players would clear the dungeon with only the group they entered with, in a separate instance from the Players who had already gone inside. Only the space itself was different. The contents were the same.

[Entering the Seoul Station Dungeon.]

The two of us went through the dungeon the same way we did the first time. We saw Mandra.

“The correct answer is Rancher.”

[You have found the ‘correct answer’.]

[You have fulfilled the Hidden Piece.]

[Choose a Reward]

1. Mandra’s Cuirass
2. Mandra’s Greatsword

The ‘Mandra’s Gloves’ I had already gotten weren’t included in the list of choices.

[You have acquired Mandra’s Cuirass.]

The Seoul Station Dungeon was a beginner dungeon, but it gave items with special resistance effects.

[Mandra’s Cuirass]

Mandra’s Cuirass has a special effect. It has a special resistance to ‘fire’ and will protect the wearer from countless debuffs.

Defense: 7

Effects: Fire resistance +3

After acquiring the cuirass, we cleared the Seoul Station Dungeon with the same method as before.

[You have cleared the Seoul Station Dungeon.]

[EXP acquired.]

[350 Coins acquired.]

[‘Black Yak’s Lean Meat’ acquired.]

There was no special reward like last time. We were only given Coins and ‘Black Yak’s Lean Meat’ for clearing the dungeon. I hadn’t expected any special rewards to begin with.

“Oppa, can we go in again?”

“Yeah. We’ll do it four more times.”

“Four times? Why? You said we only had to get the three items, right?”

“You don’t want any?”

“…Ah!”

Sunhwa’s eyes grew wide.

“I can also get them?”

She smiled brightly. Apparently, it hadn’t even occurred to her that she might get items of her own.

“Makes it easier to use you.”

“Oppa really is the only one who’s got my best interests in mind!”

I gave her a slight noogie. “Don’t stealthily drop the formalities. If I had married early, I could’ve had a daughter your age.”

“Tch, we’re only six years apart.”

I just chuckled. The way she rubbed her head, even though it didn’t hurt at all—she was a genius tanker, after all—made her look like a little kid.

“Let’s go in.”

We went into the Seoul Station Dungeon again. It was time to get the Mandra’s Greatsword.

[Mandra’s Greatsword acquired.]

Mandra’s Greatsword has a special effect. It has a greater attack power against ‘earth’ attribute creatures.

Attack Power: 18-22

Effects: 

1. +10% crit chance against earth-attribute creatures
2. +10% attack power against earth-attribute creatures

Sunhwa and I finished four rounds of ‘Independent Play’, and by the end of it, we had two gloves, two cuirasses, and two greatswords.

As if she were extremely tired, Sunhwa moaned, “Oppa, you’re not a machine, are you?”

“Don’t whine.”

She was probably tired, but she wasn’t at her limit. She was just acting like a spoiled child right now, and I had no intention of humoring her. Regardless of her cuteness, humoring her at this point in time would interfere with her growth.

“You haven’t reached your limit yet.”

I was telling her not to let herself feel tired with just this. In the future, a tiny bit of carelessness could lead to her losing her head. Even I, someone who knew the strategies of the future like the back of my hand, couldn’t afford to be too lax.

Sometime during our clears, I had received a DM from the Flame Lord Choi Sung-gu.

* * *

I set up a meeting with Choi Sung-gu.

–Let’s meet at Konkuk University Station.

He was definitely an interesting guy. Despite not knowing what the inside of the ‘Shot Table Dungeon’ looked like…

–The more members there are for the clear, the fewer the rewards for each person. I’ve gone in and run back out a few times, and I think three people will be enough. If it really doesn’t work out, we can just leave again.

That was his reasoning for insisting on going in with the minimum number members, three. In front of Konkuk University Station, I saw a man wearing glasses.

‘So he was skinny ten years ago.’

Ten years later, the Flame Lord would be much fatter. Choi Sung-gu, prior to his weight gain, was a rather nimble-looking, ordinary man.

[Eye of Perception is active.]

I read his information, or rather, tried to.

[Player]

Name: Choi Sung-gu

“Argh.”

Intense pain assaulted my eyes, almost driving me to my knees.

“Oppa, what’s wrong?”

[The ‘Giant of the Sunset’ is invoking their innate power.]

[You cannot examine ‘Choi Sung-gu’ with Eye of Perception.]

The eye-splitting pain suddenly faded.

“I’m alright. Think something got into my eye.”

I couldn’t read Sung-gu’s status.

‘Even though he shouldn’t be level 30 yet?’

And even if he was, even if he had picked a Guardian, no one should be interfering this directly so soon.

‘…Something’s fishy.’

I didn’t know what it was, but there had to be a reason why the ‘Giant of the Sunset’ blocked my innate ability.

‘Damn, things would’ve been better for me if I knew why.’

For now, I didn’t express my feelings. As Sunhwa and I walked up, Choi Sung-gu looked askew at me.

“C’mon man, even if we’re Playing and all, isn’t it a bit much to bring such a young girl into this?”

“…”

Yes, I knew. This man, Choi Sung-gu, had a weakness for kids, and not in a dirty sense like with Seo Joohwan.

“Don’t you know that kids are precious treasures who should be protected?”

“I’m not a kid; I’m a young adult.”

“Doesn’t matter, in my eyes, you’re a kid. Kids and fried chicken have to be protected.”

The future Flame Lord Choi Sung-gu, and the ‘Giant of the Sunset’ who was hiding something. My meeting with the two of them, and our upcoming challenge of the ‘Shot Table Dungeon’ together.

‘How interesting.’

It was said that the Flame Lord had a significant enlightenment in the Shot Table Dungeon and underwent a great awakening to later become famous as the ‘Flame Lord’. 

‘What… will you show me here?’

I decided to see for myself just what kind of awakening he would show me here.

‘And if need be…’

It was possible that I might gain the ability that Sung-gu should have gotten, just like the Sword Empress’ ‘Flash Step’.

“You said you’ve already gone in and come out a few times.”

The Shot Table Dungeon was a dungeon you could freely enter and leave.

‘I don’t remember anything about that, though.’

It was suspicious. It was suspicious that the ‘Giant of the Sunset’ was being overprotective about him, and suspicious that the Shot Table Dungeon was apparently a dungeon you could enter and leave freely, something that hadn’t been known in the past. Something was being hidden here.

In any case, Sung-gu went on to say that he had challenged the ‘Shot Table Dungeon’, failed, and ran away a few times. He said there was a monster that was too powerful at the 2nd gateway.

“What comes out at the 2nd gateway?”

“…”

Sung-gu was silent for a moment.

“It’s…”

I listened to what he had to say. He did his best to describe it. Even though the description itself was total shit, I was able to deduce what it was.

‘It can’t be.’

The monster Sung-gu was describing…

‘That’s showing up already?’

That monster was one I knew.