Chapter 24

EP.24 Lizard Den (1)

"200 million...?!"

Choi Yumin's voice, filled with shock, rang in my ears.

I quickly put my finger to my lips.

"Shh. Someone might hear."

"A, ah. Sorry. Shh, shh."

"And it's not a gift, it's an investment. What have you been listening to so far?"

"W, well, that's true, but..."

Choi Yumin, flustered, didn't know what to do.

The investment terms I proposed this time are simple.

In exchange for being hired as a freelance blacksmith, you receive various magical materials, auxiliary equipment, and a monthly investment of 200 million won.

The maximum number of equipment requests I set is five times a month.

The total contract period is one year.

In other words, if Choi Yumin can produce about 60 pieces of equipment over the course of a year, he will take home an amount equivalent to 2.4 billion won.

'A bit... daunting, but.'

To be honest, it's a rather daunting investment for me too.

200 million is most of the money I earned this time, and it's the amount you get from a major dungeon run.

But it's not money that can't be earned at all.

I have almost full authority over the academy's underground dungeon from Professor Tak Wonho.

I received a promise that as long as I submit proper information and strategy reports on the dungeon, he won't touch any additional profits.

The dungeon is a secret, so it's difficult to make it public, and Professor Tak Wonho has no regrets in terms of profit.

Thanks to this, I am essentially the owner of the underground dungeon.

'Then... the money earned from mana stones alone should be considerable.'

My current holder information is at the D-level.

After growing through dungeon runs.

If I can reach the C-level holder level.

Investing 200 million won a month is no big deal.

Once I reach C-level, I can solo the early part of the underground dungeon and only target lizardmen.

"Then, do I really only have to make five times a month?"

"Yeah. If I ask for more, I'll pay the additional amount you request."

"A, ah, no! If you want, I can make more..."

"Hehe. You'll regret it later."

And 200 million won a month for five free productions.

This is actually a quite profitable deal.

Right now, it's a loss.

Given Choi Yumin's equipment, which, due to his poor family circumstances, has barely grown in the blacksmithing rune line, it would probably only fetch about 1 million won if sold.

But if I consistently invest.

And if Choi Yumin achieves explosive growth, the story changes.

The quality of his equipment will improve with each growth, and eventually, he can make rare or epic equipment.

Especially when Choi Yumin masters the [Iron-Blooded Blacksmith] rune and starts making rare equipment, 200 million won is a piece of cake.

She can easily handle amounts over 200 million or even 2 billion won.

I made a significant investment in her over a short one-year contract period, partly to build a network with her, who will become a master in the future.

"Anyway, what we need right now are swords and daggers. I'll deduct two uses for this month, so make them as soon as possible. If possible, within four days."

Reconquering the academy's underground dungeon.

First, I need equipment for this purpose.

While Choi Yumin's current equipment won't have a huge effect, it should still be as efficient as equipment bought from the market.

Choi Yumin nodded with a bright face.

"Okay! I'll do my best!"

"Ah, by the way, do you know any alchemist holders?"

"Alchemists...?"

"Yeah. I want to buy a large quantity of basic potions and antidotes."

Choi Yarin, Choi Yumin's younger sister.

Along with her sister, who will become the best blacksmith, she is a top-class alchemist holder.

I mentioned this with her in mind.

Choi Yarin hasn't yet entered the academy, but she will enter next year as a special intermediate class holder.

Of course, even now as a prospective holder.

She must have somehow made some potions with the money she has.

I handed her 50 million won as an advance and said,

"If it's okay, buy some alchemist products you know. I don't have many connections in the special class."

"...So many?"

"There are much more expensive products. Since they are student products, I want to buy them cheap. Deliver them to me when the equipment is complete."

"Ah, got it."

Choi Yumin will probably buy her sister's potions.

She isn't particularly well-connected either, and she would want to give her sister a chance.

The potions Choi Yarin makes are not much worse in performance compared to those on the market.

While it's hard to make a long-term contract like with Choi Yumin, I think I can buy enough potions for this dungeon run.

"Then, I'll go? Contact me when the equipment is ready."

"Wait a moment! I don't know your number..."

"It's at the top right of the contract. Save it."

"Ah, okay."

"Can I go now?"

Choi Yumin nodded vigorously.

She looked completely dazed.

I smiled and waved.

"See you again, Choi Yumin."

"Okay...!! Really, thank you!"

I turned my back, leaving her grateful words behind.

This time, the 300 million won I earned from the initial dungeon run.

I spent 250 million, but I didn't feel it was a waste at all.

Money can be earned again, and for combat holders like me, it's not hard to earn money if you have the ability.

More importantly, it was about recruiting future talent.

While Lee Hyunho can make better equipment right now, Choi Yumin will also grow to be a blacksmith on par with him.

If I could create a connection with her for 300 million won.

It might have been a bargain.

I smiled happily.

And began preparing mentally for the upcoming mid-dungeon run.

* * *

About a week later than expected.

Our party finally began the reconquest of the underground dungeon.

A week had passed, and the lizardmen had respawned.

The creatures we used to hunt in groups of three...

With five of us, they could be hunted with surprising ease.

"Kim Chaeun, Frozen Fog!"

"Okay!"

Kim Chaeun and I have a very good combat synergy.

As I felt during the last salamander hunt, we know each other well and share some holder information, making party hunting smoother.

What magic to use in what situation.

She catches it better than anyone else...

Thanks to this, my magic is always ready when I shout.

"Moon Ga-eun, Triple Power Shot!"

"Shut up...!!"

Park Jin-woo, seeing this, followed my words.

Moon Ga-eun cursed, seemingly annoyed.

It was a joke, but she accepted it because it was Moon Ga-eun.

If it were Kang Juyeon, she would really use a fire spell on Park Jin-woo.

-Kaaah!!

The voice of the enraged lizardman echoes through the dungeon.

The two advanced holders, beyond the D-level.

And the three devastating damage dealers.

The nearly perfect combination left the lizardmen dazed.

When Park Jin-woo and I were dealing with them, magic and gunfire flew, and when they tried to avoid it, Park Jin-woo and my attacks found their weak spots.

A one-sided battle so overwhelming that it was hard to even put up a fight.

Thanks to this, we didn't even need to use the potions we prepared for the early part of the dungeon.

[Your piercing sword strikes become even more powerful.]

[The rune level has increased.]

[The rune grants 1 strength.]

[Your sword, imbued with the aura of a strong warrior, can now cut through anything. Your understanding of swords has increased.]

[The rune level has increased.]

The continuous practical experience and steady growth of the runes were a bonus.

[Wave Sword Technique] reached level 3.

And [Sword] slightly stagnated but reached level 7.

Thanks to this, my main stats, strength and speed, were almost reaching 30.

'Of course, they don't always increase.'

However, the stats don't always increase with rune growth.

When the stats were low, they always increased whether it was from obtaining a rune or leveling up...

But as the stats reached higher levels, they often didn't increase.

This is why it becomes harder to increase stats as you get stronger.

'That's why the Sweat of the Seeker is a cheat rune.'

The [Sweat of the Seeker], which guarantees a 1-point increase in a stat for every 100 hours of training, regardless of the holder's level.

This rune is a driving force that allows for steady growth even in the mid to late game.

It is a top-tier rune, so effective that if it were from ancient history or touched by a god, it would be classified as a legendary or mythic rune.

'It's not for nothing that it's a protagonist's cheat rune.'

Anyway, we pushed through the lizardmen with a relentless momentum.

And we reached the end of the early part of the dungeon much faster than last time.

"Finally, we made it!"

Moon Ga-eun raised her arms in triumph.

It felt good to see that huge rock again after a while.

A rock that seemed impossible to push with human strength.

Park Jin-woo approached the rock, curious, and touched it.

"Do we have to push this?"

"Yeah. Let's start right away."

I immediately organized my weapon and placed my hand on the rock.

Moon Ga-eun and Park Jin-woo followed suit.

Even the mage, Kim Chaeun, joined in.

Kang Juyeon, who initially stood still...

When Kim Chaeun joined, she pretended to be indifferent and followed.

"One, two!"

I shouted and pushed the rock.

My current strength is 29.

With the assistance of [Super Strength], it becomes 58.

Adding the strength of the other four, we can exert a force of at least 100.

The combined strength of five holders pushing the rock.

G- G- G- G-

Rooom-!!

That force finally.

Succeeded in pushing the solid mana stone rock.

"Done."

"Wow... It really moved."

The party members were all amazed.

Especially those who had been with us from the start were twice as surprised.

To push a mana stone rock that couldn't be destroyed even by Kang Juyeon's fire magic, using the combined strength of holders...

This was the process of completely leaving the early part of the academy's underground dungeon.

"Everyone, get ready and let's go in."

"Okay!"

"Okay!"

I immediately gripped my sword.

And slowly walked towards the inside, which the rock had been hiding.

The mid-dungeon was much more cave-like than the early part.

Stalactite-like formations were scattered everywhere, and it seemed like a place where land and river meet, with water pooled on all sides.

And less than a minute after entering.

Moon Ga-eun's sharp voice rang in my ears.

"Do Jae-hyun! Ahead!"

Strange, small-bodied monsters were already blocking our path.

They appeared much faster than the lizardmen in the early part, which took 10 minutes to appear.

I gripped my sword, tense, and looked at the monsters.

The monsters were getting closer to the party.

And I soon identified the monsters.

It was hard to see clearly when they were far away...

But once they were within range, I could confirm.

"Poison Iguanas?"

No, damn it...

More lizards?