Dungeon Hunter Chapter 17-20 - Lightning Queen

Chapter 17-20: Lightning Queen

The previous evening.

A bluish twilight welcomed us.

‘Not bad.’

I chuckled at the sight of the sunset.

The first experience had a variety of things.

In the end, the only ones that emerged from the entrance were the three women. Lee Ji-hye and I were carrying the two unconscious women.

Yoon Hyuk-soo……

He walked with the sword sunk in him. It was possible thanks to his high stamina. But he collapsed right in front of the entrance. His eyes were closed like he was sleeping.

‘Things have been resolved.’

Shortly after leaving the dungeon, the two women were transferred to the shop operated by the Mithril Guild. They would handle things for a small fee.

A place for patients was prepared inside the shop. After emergency first aid was completed, they would be taken to hospital.

“What will you do now?”

I asked Lee Ji-hye who was staring at the sky with a blank expression.

“Work hard. I will do my best to live.”

“Do you still plan to continue partic.i.p.ating in raids?”

She shook the leather pouch filled with Cores.

“Except for selling my body, there isn’t any other high income jobs for a twenty five year old single woman.”

Somehow I could feel something in her voice. It seemed like she needed money to live a normal life.

Anyway, she hadn’t abandoned the idea of exploring dungeons.

I nodded and asked again.

“Do you intend to join a guild?”

Lee Ji-hye opened her mouth without thinking.

“If I can earn money safely then I will sign up. But the screening of the 5 guilds is choosy.  If I can’t join them then is it worth signing up to another guild?”

5 famous guilds existed in Korea.

Each of the were led by Starters and the reliable raids was the biggest benefit. There are various merits but it was a big challenge itself joining the business.

Lee Ji-hye seemed to have applied to all 5 guilds. And failed the steps. It was a pessimistic att.i.tude.

I pulled out a business card from your wallet.

“Take this.”

“A business card?”

“Just mention my name and ask for formal admission. Take it.”

Lee Ji-hye accepted the business card and red the writing in the middle.

“Heaven’s Will….”

“Is there a problem?”

Heaven’s Will was clearly one of the 5 famous guilds.

Lee Ji-hye shook her head.

“No. Rather, what is your relations.h.i.+p with the Heaven’s Will guild master?”

“There is no need to know that.”

“Randalph ssi. Tell me honestly. You are a beginner right?”

“I’ll take care of it.”

I didn’t have the slightest intention of explaining. I just let Lee Ji-hye imagine whatever she wanted. It didn’t matter where her imagination ended up.

Lee Ji-hye was locked in her thoughts.

The scene of Yoon Hyuk-soo and Kim In-pil was haunting her head. Those series of actions wasn’t something a beginner could do.

“Perhaps, Park Eun-taek ssi……”

Lee Ji-hye muttered in a small voice.

Park Eun-taek had thrown his body towards the creatures. As a result, they were able to escape.

However, didn’t he have the ability to easily overpower Yoon Hyuk-soo and Kim In-pil? Then couldn’t he leave the dungeon on his own?

Lee Ji-hye swallowed hard.

She should refrain from any speculation. Anyway, it had already happened and she couldn’t turn back time. Above all, she couldn’t easily deal with the man in front of her. She just imagined it.

Lee Ji-hye emptied her head.

‘Excellent.’

I looked at Lee Ji-hye with eyes filled with praise.

She had the excellent judgement to swallow her words. Her potential was low but she could be the manager of his raids.

“A person absolutely can’t grasp everything. Anyway…I understand. I will get in contact with them.”

Lee Ji-hye said with a sigh.

This was an opportunity for her. It was a solid path to enter one of the 5 guilds. She wouldn’t lose a thing even if it was false.

“But what are you going to do with that diary?”

I pulled out the diary left behind by Kim In-pil. It was a diary designed in an old-fas.h.i.+oned manner and gave off the scent of mana.

I used Mind’s Eye to confirm the details again.

Name: Book of Command Spells (U)

Description- A demon’s book of madness. Those with low intelligence are likely to be infected by the madness. If it is used during hunting, the magic power of the diary will rise depending on the system.

The special job ‘Command Magician’ can be inherited.

‘This…..’

I saw a sneak peak in the dungeon but it was amazing.

A unique rating? In other words, a unique item.

The Heroes weren’t at the level to obtain a rare grade skill or item. That fact that this journal awakened with Kim In-pil was enormous.

I wondered why a human had this item and picked it up from Kim In-pil.

It also have the ability to inherit a special occupation. It was a unique item at a decent enough level.

‘Kim In-pil had something good.’

A treasure like this being in the hands of someone with no power was a sin itself. Kim In-pil obtaining something so precious.

He must have been a command shaman in a past life. Kim In-pil had died and couldn’t keep the treasure anymore.

Those without Mind’s Eye wouldn’t see the enormous value of the diary and would just think of it as ‘j.a.ptem.’

I decided to take the diary.

“I’ll take care of it.”

“Burn it if possible. That thing, it must have received a curse.”

Lee Ji-hye shuddered. The eyes that looked at the diary was full of disgust.

The experiences she went through in the dungeon had a substantial impact on her. She had replenished the nutrition but the mental blow would take time to recover.

Lee Ji-hye’s shoulders sagged before she turned and said to me.

“I will go and try. An unknown beginner? Is this really the business card of Heaven’s Will?”

“Go and do that.”

“Oh, I should go home and wash first…I also need to go to the hospital. It is difficult.”

“If it is tough then I can give you a ride.”

“It’s okay. I can’t depend on you so much. It is comfortable riding in a taxi.”

Lee Ji-hye laughed and started to descend the mountain. Perhaps the next time I saw her would be at Heaven’s Will guild house.

I gazed in her direction for a moment before turning back to the dungeon.

‘And I haven’t met Yihi.’

She was so busy that she didn’t even realize I entered the dungeon.

Yihi was the spirit of the Dungeon Core. She was in charge of various affairs in the dungeon and made it less bleak. It was possible to Yihi to create characteristics like flowers or a lake on each floor.

‘She is busy.’

Right now, building the foundation of the dungeon was in full swing so it must be hectic. I had handed over some points so that she could create necessary things on the 2nd to 4th floors.

‘From the 2nd floor onwards, rare battle gear can be obtained so I need some precautions…..”

I also left this to Yihi. Crafty places were designed to wake up the spirit of the heroes.

It should be proceeding steadily right now.

‘I have to go back.’

The suit was heavy. I didn’t think I would have to wear it in the dungeon for so long. I hit my neck several times before lightly jogging.

*     *     *

South Korea was noisy.

It had been 9 months since the dungeons appeared. The first guild to break through to the 2nd floor of the dungeon appeared. 

Heaven’s Will.

The guild master who was a Starter, Kim Yong-woo. Those three characters were spread all over various video and print media.

The public television channel, QBS used a vast amount of funds to get an exclusive interview with Kim Yong-woo. A famous announcer would only get 10 minutes of interview time but it caused an explosive sensation in South Korea.

The contents of the interview were as followed.

-Guild master of Heaven’s Will, I’m sure many people are wondering about Kim Yong-woo ssi. Please give a short self-introduction.

“Nice to meet you. I am the guild master of Heaven’s Will, Kim Yong-woo. As you know, I am an Awakened and one of the Starters. I am 28 years old. Single.”

-Thank you for the answer. Then I will quickly jump onto the next question. The dungeons and Awakened are the hottest thing this year! Does Kim Yong-woo ssi have any idea have this?

“The dungeon is obviously a dangerous place. China and the Philippines have suffered significant damage from the monster waves. But as long as the Awakened are present, the creatures can’t run rampant. When looking at our occupation status window, I think our role is to get rid of the devil that exists at the top of the dungeons.”

-Devil? Are you talking about the devil with two horns?

“Haha. That is everybody’s imagination. Actually, I don’t know what it is. There might be a real G.o.d, aliens or humans from an underground world.”

-I can’t possible imagine it. Now, this is the next question. Recently the popularity of the Awakened in the entertainment industry is soaring high into the sky. How do you see this?

“A good phenomenon. The Awakened are still people. We suddenly went through a change but we still have emotions. I hope you look at us without any discrimination.”

-I understand. Then I will finally get down to business. 12 people have succeeded in capturing the 1st floor?

“They are the elite 12 members of my guild so capturing the 1st floor with a strategy wasn’t that difficult. It was more difficult finding a way. We spent a whole week finding the path to the 2nd floor.”

-Amazing. I know how scary the creatures in the dungeons are from looking at the videos. They are horrible looking and cruel so it is unbelievable that you can easily hunt them. Are there many differences between the 1st and 2nd floor?

“Orcs appear. The size is 1.5 times larger and it has the nose of a pig. The thick muscles and tough leather means that we almost died several times. Other than that, treasures are hidden all over the place. A scroll that allows you to jump 500m at once, a leather pouch that allows items twice the size to enter, potions 10 times more effective than grinding up Cores, a sword with a rare rating…that is all on the 2nd floor.”

-Wah! The descriptions are really eye-opening! Does that mean the 2nd floor is a treasure trove?

“It could be seen that way. But we have to be careful. The orcs are really scary. They frightened me during my encounters with them. If I met them alone then I would instantly flee.”

-The creatures are so ugly that I don’t even want to see them in my dreams. Heaven’s Will guild master Kim Yong-woo, can you please say one final thing.

“Don’t panic if you one day awaken. I hope you think of it as a blessing. And there is a chance for everyone to receive a blessing. We are the protectors of humanity and also contribute to humanity’s development. The dungeon is a very dangerous place but humanity can use the knowledge to take on step further. It is over.”

The video went up on YouTube and the interview spread all over the world. It achieved 300 million views and foreign news media aired it with subt.i.tles.

The thought of treasure being found in the dungeon in South Korea naturally made people go crazy.

Due to this, South Korea became even more aware of the Awakened. They were looked upon very favourable, except for the sports industry.

Heroes. The guardians of humanity.

The power of those words was beyond imagination. The Cores were used to cure some terminally ill patients and was successful in giving the Awakened a good image.

There were also devices that utilized the actual Core and there were heated debates about the importance of the Awakened.

Foreign celebrities were among the travellers heading towards South Korea. The only thing on their mind were the treasures unearthed in South Korea.

Korea became the subject of the world’s interest!

At its heart was Heaven’s Will.

And behind that…a man by the name of Randalph Brigsiel.

*     *     *

There was a strange atmosphere during the meeting at the guild house of Heaven’s Will. A total of 45 people were staring blankly at the man at the entrance.

There was silence for a while. Even the sound of saliva being swallowed died. There was tension in their faces.

1 second felt like an eternity.

The man moved. The man that held the room’s attention opened the door to the guild master’s room.

After a while, the silence was broken. They could barely keep their senses.

“My house, my house.”

“I can’t lose my composure. What is his ident.i.ty?”

“Just because he succeeded in the raid. Anyone could…this dirty South Korea.”

Little by little, there was the sound of complaints. Most of them were from people that just joined the guild. They dreamed of going on a formal raid but the guild chose depending on their performance so far.

“Sunbae-nim. Is that guy really that good?”

Eventually, one of the new members couldn’t tolerate it any longer and asked a muscular man sharpening his weapon.

He was one of the 12 elite members that attacked the 1st floor in Heaven’s Will.

“How many times have I told you? He is someone who defeated the orcs. If it wasn’t for him then we would have been wiped out.”

“I can’t believe it. He doesn’t look like it….”

The muscular man frowned.

“I a.s.sure you, no one here can beat the orcs in a one on one fight. That man did it. He took on 2~5 of them alone.”

“Does that mean even Sunbae-nim can’t win against the orcs?”

“The orcs are enemies that protagonists in fantasy novels often face. The kobolds and goblins aren’t their opponent. I would lose 8 out of 10 times if I fought them.”

The people who heard it couldn’t believe it.

The muscular man was considered as the top 5 powerhouses in the guild. Yet he said that he could only win 2 out of 10 times. They still weren’t convinced that the orcs were so strong.

All members of the guild wanted to partic.i.p.ate in the 1st floor invasion. They had quietly waited for the top members of the guild to get some results.

But among them, a man they didn’t know had partic.i.p.ated in the raid. He didn’t partic.i.p.ate in any guild meetings so their nerves were scratched when he appeared.

Of course, the man was well known within the guild. They were aware that the guild master had gifted him with a Bugatti Veyron.

In contrast to their sn.o.bbish words, each one of them felt their spirit being crushed in front of a giant and felt a crus.h.i.+ng pain in their stomach.

No matter how proficient they were, they had never seen something like him. The man proved his skills to the 11 people partic.i.p.ating in the raid. And they kept repeating ‘excellent and ‘strong’ in regards to him.

Even an orc was no match. It was no wonder there were complaints.

“Skills are secondary. Is he making a personal raid group within the dungeon? He brought in a female manager and a woman cleaning the toilers…rather than a raid group, it is like he wants to create a flower garden.”

There was another problem.

The guild gathered the optimal personnel as needed to form raid groups. Now the man was creating a raid group with fixed members of the guild.

Making a raid group would create a fuss.

The separation of powers would affect the guild. The guild members wouldn’t just belong to the guild anymore. They could refuse the guild master’s commands and only move according to the direction of the raid captain.

There were many members that made a fuss.

Lee Ji-hye had been brought in as an outside manager. And he had taken a newly entered girl away. The guild’s new hire that had only been there for a month was s.n.a.t.c.hed away like a falling fruit.

The man’s behaviour was just making a mockery of the guild’s traditions.

Thus there was talk that he planned to make his raid group a flower garden.

And the crucial cause of this turmoil…the fact that both women were beauties was to blame.

The muscular man stopped polis.h.i.+ng his weapon and clicked his tongue.

“The leader has given his approval. We are not a mere guild.”

“I want to hear your thoughts.”

“This might not be a bad thing for the guild. He definitely has the skills. A skill with the rare rating is definitely worth investing in. I also believe in the results he has produced so far.”

“If Sunbae-nim says so. Ehyo!”

The guild members sighed as the muscular man shrugged.

“Think about it. We’ve cleared the 1st floor and established ourselves as South Korea’s number 1 guild. That means you will get benefits. The dungeons have appeared for 8 months and now you will have some opportunities to play. Why are baby chicks acting so impatient?”

There were standard requirements.

A much smaller number of monsters now existed on the 1st floor of the dungeon. Information arrived that they were disappearing here and there. The reliability was 99.9%. It was good news.

“Our chance has come?”

All the guild members hoped to explore the 2nd floor of the dungeon. They didn’t think the chance would come easily.

The personnel who partic.i.p.ated in the raid all received tremendous rewards. The various treasures found on the 2nd floor transcended the rewards received by killing the creatures on the 1st floor.

The muscular man smiled.

“In the near future, 3 raid groups filled with 12 people each will be formed to explore the 2nd floor.  It was originally scheduled to be announced a week later but it should be okay for me to tell you this.”

“Heok! Really?”

36 people would be mobilized for 3 raids filled with 12 people.

All the people who heard the story had wide eyes. The muscular man turned his head and calmly said to everyone who was listening to the story.

“So raise your skills. I’m saying this to all of you. Life is a battle. If something goes wrong then it will end at once. If you want to gain some achievements then build up your skills.”

“Ah…..”

“In that sense, do you want to partic.i.p.ate in a 10 day special training?”

Flas.h.!.+

Hands started to move like lightning.

“Me!”

“I’d like that very much, special training!”

The muscular man’s eyes shone.

“Express h.e.l.l training. You can’t mess around. If you’re not good enough then you will die. Do you still want to go?”

It was like cold water had been poured on a wildfire.

h.e.l.l training. He aimed to show them the real h.e.l.l.

“Those who want to go, follow me.”

The muscular man stood up with his weapon.

He was one of the 12 members who partic.i.p.ated in the raid with Randalph Brigsiel. He was convinced that only the strong could live in the future.

He had been moving at a lukewarm pace. Continuing to the 2nd and 3rd floor of the dungeon. He didn’t stand a chance with his state right now.

‘I’ve been too complacent with my skills. It has been a few months at best….’

An example of the strong becoming lazy.

But there was a strong man in the guild he wanted to follow.

A wall.

And he would go beyond that wall.

‘Huhu!’

The muscular man, Kim Tae-hwan.

He was a man who would laugh while jumping into h.e.l.lfire.

*     *     *

“The outside is quite noisy.”

I said to Kim Yong-woo after hearing the noise outside from the sealed room.

Kim Yong-woo just laughed while raiding my proposal about establis.h.i.+ng a raid group.

“There are multiple times when they are noisy. Thanks to Randalph-nim clearing the 1st floor, you are now a perfect target. The time of your proposal….”

“A festival.”

There were no festivals in the Demon World. They divided the spoils of victory and enjoyed the atmosphere but they didn’t have any idea of the concept itself.

In that sense, a human festival was very lively.

“Are you interested? In fact, I would have rented a huge hall sooner or later. It is pretty fun.”

Despite being a miser, Kim Yong-woo wrote something down. He was using his position as a guild master.

I shook my head.

“That’s okay. Rather, just make sure that there is no problem with the proposal pa.s.sing.”

Kim Yong-woo scanned it and roughly shook his head.

“You don’t want it formally?”

“Still, it is good to get things straight.”

“Hrmm…there is no problem with the proposal itself. I’ve already heard about an independent raid group that only focuses on attacking dungeons.”

It was the first time I submitted official doc.u.ments but the story of the raid I was creating had already spread through the guild. The speed at which the issue spread through the guild had spread beyond imagination.

Kim Yong-woo looked at the proposal and muttered.

“The raid name ‘Devil Hunters’…somehow it reminds me  of the black flame dragon.”

Devil Hunters. The name of the raid group would be reduced to D.H.

The name was a reminder of my goal to get rid of all the demons in the dungeons and to become the devil.

“There shouldn’t be any changes.”

“I think it looks great. Should I seal it now?”

Kim Yong-woo who had his att.i.tude changed asked him. I nodded and Kim Yong-woo immediately stamped the proposal.

This was the moment that the raid group Devil Hunters was launched.

“How are you going to fill the other group? One manager and one new member. You are walking down a very hard path. Wouldn’t it help to recruit more influential people?”

Right now I was thinking about the future of the raid group. I intended to make the strongest raid group but had only found one appropriate person for it.

“My methods will take a bit of time. But I am confident they will become the strong raid group. It won’t be bad from the guild master’s position.”

It wasn’t bad for a guild to have many strong members.

Kim Yong-woo handed the proposal to me.

“I’m at your disposal. I am Randalph-nim’s faithful servant. I will follow Master-nim.”

“I never expected this when I rescued you.”

It was really surprising. I had been wandering the dungeon when I came across Kim Yong-woo and decided to help him. I hadn’t hoped for something like this.

Kim Yong-woo just grinned.

“Studying and social experience, I just used every chance I received to do well. Isn’t it thanks to Master-nim that I broke through the 1st floor? I don’t think my choice was wrong this time.”

Kim Yong-woo.

He thought he was an elephant. But he realized that he was lower than an ant. Instead, he decided to stand next to the elephant.

This was the secret of his life. Otherwise he wouldn’t have become the guild leader of one of Korea’s top 5 guilds.

I received the proposal and said.

“As long as you’re not pretending in order to stab me in the back, I will help you. I hope you made the right choice.”

“Ahh! Don’t say that even as a joke.”

Kim Yong-woo waved both his hands.

“Only you know whether it is a joke or not.”

I gave him advice just in case he was prepared to betray me. It was in order to properly scare him.

I turned my body.

The proposal was stamped so now I was going to plan my raid group.

“Will you partic.i.p.ate in the festival?”

Kim Yong-woo asked before I opened the door.

“I will make a decision at the time.”

“Then I will send you the official doc.u.ments when the schedule has been determined.”

“Thank you.”

“It is natural.”

Kim Yong-woo’s eyes blazed with his loyalty.

I ignored him and opened the door of the room.

‘This time I will partic.i.p.ate.’

I wasn’t very interested in a human festival but not partic.i.p.ating would cause discord within the guild.

I didn’t care but there was a need to create an amicable relations.h.i.+p. In order to be a member of Heaven’s Will, I needed to partic.i.p.ate in a minimum amount of activities. I was aware that the other side had no flexibility.

‘I need to slowly build the foundation.’

The creation of my own raid group! The most urgent thing was to collect all the members.

This time, the new member known as the ‘Lightning Queen’ in my previous life appeared in my head and a warm smile appeared.

*     *     *

The s.p.a.cious hall on the guild house’s 3rd floor.

It was the s.p.a.ce given to the Devil Hunters raid group. It was a wide area for only 3 people but it would become narrow once the positions started to fill up.

There was no furniture and I felt a strange tension as I entered the empty hall. The manager Lee Ji-hye and newly recruited member Yoo Eun-hye were in a standoff.

Stiff expressions were on their faces.

I slowly opened up.

“What’s going on?”

Lee Ji-hye confirmed my presence and said.

“Captain-nim. You shouldn’t pick her.”

“Unni. Wasn’t it just a mistake? It couldn’t be helped.”

“Have you accidentally killed someone?”

“I’m sorry. But you’re not dead!”

It was indeed a meaningful conversation. Lee Ji-hye seemed to be acting unfair towards Yoo Eun-hye.

I looked over their appearances and nodded.

There was a faint burning smell from Lee Ji-hye’s hair so I could guess the reason.

‘It is due to Yoo Eun-hye’s pa.s.sive.’

In my previous life, Yoo Eun-hye had been called Lightning Queen. She had a young appearance like a student and the bob cut and mischievous eyes gave him an impressive appearance. However, she was afflicted with some type of pa.s.sive.

I use Mind’s Eye to take a deep look at Yoo Eun-hye’s status window.

Name: Yoo Eun-hye Occupation Hero (Lightning Magician) t.i.tle * Dozen Lightning Strikes (R, Magic Power +4) Stats Strength 20 Intelligence 44 Agility 15 Stamina 14 Magic Power 45 (+4)     Potential: (138/423)

 

Uniqueness: Has received the protection of the spirit of lightning. A state received after being hit by lightning and standing on the door between life and death.

Skill: Lightning Bolt (N), Electric Current (N, Pa.s.sive)

It was a truly strange status window.

Her potential was outstanding. The owner of the highest potential I had seen until now.  It was comparable to Timely Rain’s guild master, Alin.

The problem was the uniqueness. It was the part about receiving the protection of a lightning spirit.

Perhaps due to the lightning spirit, her body acted as a big lightning rod. If lightning struck then it would directly hit her. As a result, she even received a t.i.tle.

She might suffer a bit but it wasn’t bad. There were many toxins and waste running through the body. The owner of this talent could be called a genius but….

‘The pa.s.sive Electric Current is the problem.’

The lightning had a comfortable place and wandered inside the building. She unknowingly spread this aura everywhere she went. This was the reason why Lee Ji-hye’s hair was burnt.

“Don’t come any closer. If you take one more step then I will attack!”

Lee Ji-hye warned. She didn’t want to attack the enemy but she needed extreme patience to endure the charred hairs. 

Yoo Eun-hye had a long face.

“Unni’s hair was so beautiful that I inadvertently touched it. But my pa.s.sive was activated. Unni, we are Hye sisters. Huh? I won’t do it again.”

Lee Ji-hye and Yoo Eun-hye. Both of them had names that ended in Hye. People should overlook a small mistake.

But Lee Ji-hye had no intention of forgiving her.

“We are not sisters. How can you call me unni when you burned my hair?”

“Don’t you think it looks good? No, I’m kidding. So don’t be like that. Sometimes I just joke around for fun. I’m sorry unni!”

“You….”

“Stop.”

I finally spoke.

I needed to control the situation.

“Emotions shouldn’t consume you in a raid group.”

Lee Ji-hye held out her burnt hair and whined.

“But…” bfiahroaijdsaodklna

“I told you to stop.”

I firmly said.

The Devil Hunters raid group had been formally launched so I needed to discipline them. I was the leader of the raid group and Lee Ji-hye and Yoo Eun-hye were only members.

The atmosphere was heavy as Lee Ji-hye closed her mouth.

“You are the only manager of Devil Hunters. Your job is to check the status of the members and to organize the schedules, such as when we take a job overseas. Don’t disappoint me from the start.”

“I’m sorry.”

Lee Ji-hye bowed her head.

She was a bit confused at first but she realized something after coming to Heaven’s Will.

A man that even the guild master listened to! An overwhelming amount of charisma flowed from him. The man talked strangely but it was hard to reject him. He gave off a strong impression.

It was the first time she met a guy like this. A person like that made her the manager.

She couldn’t disappoint him from the beginning.

‘Saying it one time is enough.’

I was strong compared to humans. And Lee Ji-hye was a wise woman. It wasn’t necessary to repeat it. I decided to stop my harsh words at this point.

I pulled out a small vial and handed it to Lee Ji-hye.

“Take this. It will solve the problem of your hair.”

Lee Ji-hye’s eyes blinked as she took the vial.

“What is it?”

“A potion I obtained in the dungeon. It is much more effective than grinding a Core up.”

“Ah…..”

Lee Ji-hye’s expression seemed like she had been slapped. Simply grinding a Core into a potion couldn’t revive dead cells.

However, it was a different story if it was one of the treasures obtained. Lee Ji-hye moved her shoulders and freaked out.

“I-I can’t receive this. If this is a treasure from the dungeon….”

“If you don’t take it then I will throw it out.”

“Yes?”

“Like I said. For me, this is an item that I don’t need.”

My body wasn’t weak enough to need an inferior potion like this. A wound on my body would need an advanced potion to cure. Lee Ji-hye seemed really moved as she looked at me with tears in her eyes.

“T-thank you. I will treasure it.”

I inwardly shook my head.

I didn’t understand the uproar over a little bit of burned hair.

However, I heard that hair was important to women. In particular, women invested a lot into maintaining long, straight hair.

Perhaps hair was even more important than their lives. Thus Lee Ji-hye’s att.i.tude was natural.

“C-Captain-nim?”

Yoo Eun-hye who was watching the scene asked.

“What am I doing here? Cleaning? The laundry?”

“Why do you think that?”

“Well, hehe. I’m not doing something like that?”

“There is no need to. You are different from those people.”

I had no intention of giving up such a critical power.

Yoo Eun-hye was confused that she wouldn’t be cleaning and asked.

“Then what am I doing? Ah! Rubbing your shoulders? My hands are amazing. Perhaps you might become addicted to it?”

Then tragedy would occur when her pa.s.sive was activated.

Based on her kindness, Yoo Eun-hye somehow reminded him of Yihi. Yihi would probably scold him angrily if she heard his thoughts.

“You seem to be misunderstanding something. Did you think I brought you here to run errands?”

The sullen Yoo Eun-hye closed her mouth.

“I’m honestly not sure. Do you know what my nickname is? Human lightning rod. I’ve been struck by lightning a number of times. My body even lets out electric currents. Do you know how much disruption and damage I cause to the area? Of course, I know I have a pretty face but Captain-nim is unlikely to bring me for that reason.”

Yoo Eun-hye who was in charge of ch.o.r.es had suddenly become involved in Devil Hunters. That was 3 days ago. Yoo Eun-hye had been worrying about it for 3 days.

“Just have confidence in yourself.”

“That is to say, yes. Sometimes I think that people don’t see me as a woman.”

“You are amazing. I have high expectations for you.”

“Expectations….?”

“Yes. Show all the people of Heaven’s Will how excellent you are.”

“Hehe. I will burn them. It feels nice. This is the first time someone had expectations from me. Still, I’m sorry. You are probably going to be disappointed.”

Yoo Eun-hye laughed.

From an early age, no one ever had any expectations for her. Many people were scared of her and wouldn’t come close.

She was struck by lightning and visited a shaman but the shaman just proclaimed ‘This is karma from a previous life. Build up your virtue.’

Even her family and relatives were unnerved and saw her as a burden.

Yoo Eun-hye was delighted when she Awakened. She could finally be called a talent. However, the pa.s.sive Electric Current flowing through her body brought her back to despair.

‘It is serious.’

If Yoo Eun-hye was useless then the vast majority of humanity was less than trash. The flower hadn’t blossomed yet but I need to fix that mentality.

‘I should make a move.’

Her thoughts were full of self-deprecation. If that continued, it was natural for her health to fade.

Furthermore, Yoo Eun-hye was a magician not a warrior. All her abilities were focused in intelligence and magic power, not the physical traits of a tough warrior.

The door between life and death!

In the past, she learned some knowledge while dealing with tough opponents. I didn’t personally experience how great she was. It would be a shame to waste that talent. In the past, Yoo Eun-hye didn’t fully understand her talent or ability as a magician.

Of course, I had no intention of letting the past life repeat itself. Leaving this neglected would be a sin.

If Yoo Eun-hye was perfectly raised then she could ride the lightning and aim it at enemies.

In order to do this, she needed to increase her physical skills through training. Right now her state was too imbalanced.

“Follow me. I will be starting your training from today.”

I exited the hall.

*     *     *

“…This is the dungeon?”

Yoo Eun-hye said as she looked at the entrance that seemed like the giant mouth of a lion.

“Haven’t you seen a dungeon before?”

Of course it was a dungeon. Yoo Eun-hye had a horrified look on her face.

“We are just two people.”

“I am a raid captain and can deal with them.”

“You might be a raid captain but I’m not strong! How many times have I seen the dungeon?”

I replied like it was no big deal.

“Is that so? Don’t worry. From now on you will see it a lot.”

Yoo Eun-hye felt like crying. That wasn’t what she meant.

“W-what if I don’t want to? Ignoring my words……”

“No, I will keep it in mind.”

It was like a situation where I heard a confession.

“Then why……”

“Do you think you will die here? I won’t let that happen.”

“D-don’t tell me we really came here for training? A dungeon?”

“Yes.”

“Oh my G.o.d.”

Unbelievable!

Yoo Eun-hye felt dismay.

An influential leader. However, he was the only capable one. Perhaps she would be a burden.

“Don’t use any magic. You can only deal with the creatures with your sword.”

“Huh? A sword, you want me to use a sword? Is Captain-nim well?”

Yoo Eun-hye was currently carrying a longsword. She thought she was just carrying the weapon for him. It was enough to make her curse.

“That’s right. You have to use the sword.”

The confirmation killed her. Yoo Eun-hye’s body shook.

While Yoo Eun-hye was crying silently, I looked at my plans for the future.

While the demons were using the training room to get stronger, the Awakened were also experiencing noticeable growth.

Killing creatures or completing quests would cause them to grow. It might be doubted because it couldn’t be seen but experience was always been gained.

I could see it rise with Mind’s Eye. The potential opening. And the way the abilities rose depending on their actions. Using a sword against the creatures would have a higher chance of physical abilities rising.

‘It is best to raise the abilities evenly.’

Let’s imagine that a magician had 100 intelligence, 100 magic power and 30 points for everything else. Obviously their body would explode from an enormous. .h.i.t from a creature. There were constraints on using magic successively.

Magic wasn’t that easy to use. A double-edged sword. A power that could cause miracles but also rebound on the user.

“Eu…in the end I entered.”

Yoo Eun-hye muttered as she stumbled after me into the dungeon. Signs of anxiety were clearly evident. She was so scared from the beginning that she couldn’t open her mouth any longer.

“Don’t worry. You aren’t going to die in a place like this.”

It was sincere.

Yoo Eun-hye’s level of talent was a frontrunner in the world. In my previous life, she had raised her level to being one of the 10 strongest humans.

Unless she encountered a Duke travelling in my dungeon, she could kill anything in here.

“I will believe in Captain-nim.”

The desire for survival emerged in Yoo Eun-hye’s eyes.

I just laughed.

The story about how I dealt with the orcs on the 2nd floor of the dungeon was famous within the guild. It was funny that the master of the goblins and kobolds couldn’t handle them. Yoo Eun-hye followed without saying anything.

“Finish off the two kobolds that are coming.”

“Heok.”

“Get ready to fight. But once again, you shouldn’t use magic.”

“I-I will try.”

Her tone changed. It will filled with tension.

Yoo Eun-hye had been to dungeons several times. Despite not killing a lot of creatures, her high intelligence meant she could recover from panic. She wouldn’t give up easily.

“I can do it, I can do it, I can do it……”

Yoo Eun-hye hypnotized herself. She sincerely wanted to live up to my expectations. She also wanted to prove to herself that she wasn’t useless.

It was a good thing. If she continued being frightened by the creatures then I would have been disappointed. It was important to have the will to fight.

“They’re coming.”

I said in a low voice. uerhaojisklnfadmaldk

“I will deal with one kobold. And the remaining one is up to you, Yoo Eun-hye.”

“Yes, yep!”

Kieeek!

The two kobolds could smell that prey was present and hurried.

I reached out and a sword appeared out of thin air.

It was a magic sword with a rare rating that I used 20,000 points to purchase. A weapon had been necessary to handle the higher ranked creatures summoned during the beginner’s protection period.

The appearance was different from an ordinary long sword. However, it issued a very sharp light in the darkness.

I grasped the sword lightly and said while looking at the kobolds approaching.

“The kobold has similar strength to you. Don’t use straightforward attacks. Just like the goblins, be careful of their nails and teeth.”

I demonstrated for Yoo Eun-hye. I moved as slowly as possible and showed her some normal moves.

Kiik!

The kobolds barely reached my chest. The location was a little low to handle with a sword but there were little tricks that could kill them.

Duk.

I kicked the ground. Dust rose up. jgahdfjkadskjadnadsk

The two kobolds hesitated for a moment. I pierced the kobold’s forehead in that moment.

“They are short-sighted. Their eyes aren’t good. Thus, they will briefly panic when there is smoke. In the meantime, use that chance to attack the head. It is best to cut off their heads.”

At the same time, I removed my sword from the forehead and cut the neck. One kobold was perfectly handled in a moment.

“Now it is your turn.”

Kieeeek!

The remaining creature went berserk. Its two eyes turned red and it kept snorting. It had a furious appearance.

Gulp.

Yoo Eun-hye barely maintained her spirit. She was barely holding herself together.

I stepped back. I didn’t attack it so the aggro wasn’t on me. Naturally the kobold would aim at the target closest to it.

‘You aren’t going to die. But I won’t act as your guardian.’

I would stay in the background until Yoo Eun-hye’s life was in danger. Handling the creature alone would greatly increase her stats. Pus.h.i.+ng herself to the limit would raise all her abilities.

She needed to cross the wall. But she needed to climb it alone. Yoo Eun-hye was now facing her first wall. 

“Huup!”

Yoo Eun-hye took a deep breath and moved her feet like I did. Dust went everywhere.

The kobold hesitated. It was only for 0.5 seconds but Yoo Eun-hye didn’t miss the gap.

Bam!

But it was shallow. The sword barely pierced the skin of the kobold. Yoo Eun-hye hastily pulled out her sword and moved it to the neck.

At that moment, the kobold raised its hand. It was a posture to catch the attack and allowed it to keep its neck.

Instead, the arm it lifted flew.

“Ah!”

Yoo Eun-hye cried out in a sad voice as her blow was blocked. She cut its arm instead of its neck. What was she supposed to do now? Finally she turned and looked at me.

But she didn’t put down her sword.

‘No.’

Her high intelligence meant she could find a resolution. She also had a strong supporter.

Yoo Eun-hye looked at the kobold.

The kobold was in pain from one of its arms being cut off. Its behaviour was noticeable. Yoo Eun-hye felt some hope after seeing its status.

‘Again!’

She raised the sword up high. She lacked the strength to pierce through the thick leather. That’s why she used a strike with all her power.

Bam! Bam!

The sound of the sword hitting flesh could be heard with every swing. Soon the cries of the kobold stopped and it became silent.

“Haack. Haack….!”

Teong!

Yoo Eun-hye threw the sword to the ground. She sat on the floor and breathed harshly. She only fought for 2~3 minutes but sweat was pouring down.

The body of the kobold was completely unrecognizable.

“Well done.”

I smiled with satisfaction. I knew she had thought of giving up when the kobold blocked the second attack to the neck. Because I didn’t tell her what to do if it was blocked.

But Yoo Eun-hye overcame the crisis by herself. The wall had cracked. That’s why I was satisfied.

I pulled out a handkerchief prepared in advance that Yoo Eun-hye used to wipe off the blood. A potion was also used to heal any wounds.

The pa.s.sive Electric Current attacked my body but I didn’t care.

Yoo Eun-hye watched her wounds being healed with a blank stare before asking me.

“D-did I do it correctly, Captain-nim?”

“Yes. It was admirable.”

“Ah…..!”

At first she hadn’t thought it was possible. But in the end, she did it alone. Yoo Eun-hye’s body trembled as she was inspired.

A great performance in front of the captain. Normally her pa.s.sive skill put captains off from accepted her as a member. The Cores also needed to be divided after the hunt was over. Now there was no need to do that. She could handle one kobold alone.

Yoo Eun-hye didn’t want to lose this feeling. To Yoo Eun-hye who had lived most of her life with a sense of defeat, this feeling was more precious than anything else.

“If you want then we can stop here today.”

I said. I deemed that this was sufficient for the first day. She followed me pretty well and I was pleased with her performance.

But Yoo Eun-hye shook her head.

“Ah, it’s nothing. I am able to do more. I think I can.”

“Is it really okay?”

“Yes.”

“Then don’t lose that willpower.”

Willpower was very important. A commitment that she wouldn’t stop.

‘Not bad!’

Yoo Eun-hye had been scared in her previous life. She wanted to prevent any danger to her body. Safety-oriented behaviours were soaked into her body.

But now Yoo Eun-hye was different. The blood of the warrior inside her had woken up. She would grow wonderfully in the direction I set.

‘Soon she won’t have to work to control the lightning in her body.’

I looked at Yoo Eun-hye with s.h.i.+ning eyes.

There was a sufficient amount of time.

Now I had to check her willpower.

She came here on a forced march but now it was different.

Lightning Queen!

The name of a magician who handled lightning in her previous life. This time she would be lightning.