Chapter 10

Nom nom.

"Ha... Haseon, eat slowly. No one is chasing you."

It had been a long time since I had dinner with my sister.

I ate three times the usual amount.

Partly because my digestive system had returned to normal after the awakening, but mostly because it was hard to control my appetite after being confined to canned food for so long.

"Still, the stir-fried meat you make is the best."

"Lies... You haven't even tried anything else."

"Oh, is that so?"

I joked, and my sister laughed softly.

I hadn't had such a happy dinner in a long time.

Even while eating, my sister kept checking my complexion, and I felt guilty about it.

But now, things are different.

My body has become healthy enough that I no longer need to worry about my health, and my sister seems to sense this as well.

"The color of the spots... seems a bit lighter."

It seems Dr. Jin was right.

I might not notice it myself, but my sister has detected the change.

Now?

It seems now is the time to bring it up.

"I told you I met the hunter who helped us."

"Uh-huh."

"Seems like... I've developed healing abilities."

My sister's gentle eyes widened.

"So... in human terms, you've awakened?"

"Yup. The spots fading is also because of that. They might disappear completely later."

"Wow!"

"That's why... I wanted to talk about something."

Being a hunter is a dangerous job.

And my sister is the type who would jump out of bed if my health were at risk.

How will she react to hearing that I want to become a hunter?

On the other hand, it's a job that pays more than others, despite the danger.

We've been poor since I was young, and now that the factory has closed after the Gate incident, this is the best opportunity we've had.

When I told her I wanted to become a hunter, my sister's face lit up.

"Really, that's great!!"

She must have been struggling all this time.

The idea that I, who had only been sick, could now go out and earn money...

"Now, Haseon won't have to hide that handsome face, right?"

"??"

Huh.

Is that what she's thinking about?

My sister seems to have only heard about my skin.

You're something else.

After taking care of me all her life...

"Hey, sis."

"Yeah?"

"From now on, I'll take care of things."

Earning money.

Protecting the family.

Bringing happiness.

It's time to pass the baton.

* * *

I need to earn money.

There are two main reasons.

First, for the family.

Second, for the Hunter Qualification Exam.

The exam costs over 50 million won.

There's a machine to check if the examinee has the aura of awakening (Aether) and evaluators to determine the hunter type and rank.

None of this comes for free.

The problem is, it's ridiculously expensive.

As a result, even if someone awakens, they can't become a hunter without the money.

Isn't that absurd?

Becoming a hunter is about saving lives, not just personal gain.

The government should be supporting this, not making people pay millions for a single test.

If the amount of Aether is insufficient, one can't even register as a hunter.

Some people, after failing the life-or-death test, end up jumping into the Han River.

Two applicants did just that after the last qualification exam.

Anyway, I need to earn money.

* * *

The destination reached, Pori roared.

It sounds like a welcoming voice.

There's a reason for that.

The dungeon in front of me is a "Caution Zone," and all the monsters inside are "Poison Type."

A zone neglected by hunters, the Poison Dungeon.

To Pori, this dungeon must smell like home.

"By the way, I'll be killing my kin. Is that okay?"

* * *

Pfft.

Wow.

Did you just sneeze?

The little guy looks smug, as if saying, "I'm a different breed from them."

"Alright then."

Pori being around has definitely improved my condition.

It's best to maintain a good relationship with this pet (?).

Fortunately, he doesn't seem to care much about what I'm about to do.

* * *

Not a single guard is in sight, despite it being a caution zone.

Not even the security personnel who sealed the open district.

I can understand why.

A sinister aura emanates from the dungeon entrance, even from a distance.

An ordinary person would be poisoned in a short time if they stood guard here.

The Poison Dungeon is a caution zone that even hunters need special permission to enter.

No sane person would have a reason to come here, so the security is lax.

* * *

"Phew."

Seeing the dungeon entrance, my heart races.

The device in my eye, given by Dr. Jin, displays the dungeon's information.

Dungeon 808 (Poison): Overall Difficulty 3 Stars / Physical Level 'E' / Other Level 'A' / Special Note - Caution Zone / Poison Type Monster Dungeon, requires special permission to enter.

A three-star difficulty dungeon.

This level requires at least five B to C level hunters to handle.

Even an A-level hunter would find it challenging to tackle alone.

Why does it have three stars despite a physical level of 'E'?

It's because of the 'A' level in the other category.

The other category includes non-physical attacks like telekinesis.

The dungeon's 'A' level in the other category and its three-star difficulty are due to the Poison Type monsters.

"Shall we go in?"

* * *

This dungeon is perfect for me.

Using the V1 device in my eye, I searched for a few conditions.

Close to home, Poison attribute, and a low physical level.

My physical abilities have improved dramatically since the Gate opened, but I'm still at the 'E' level Knight stage.

Right now, it's important to grow steadily without getting hurt.

There's no need to kill the boss monster.

Killing the boss would close the dungeon within hours, and if a non-hunter solves the dungeon, it would raise suspicion.

The goal is to absorb Black Cores while dealing with the regular monsters.

* * *

"Whoa, gross..."

As soon as I enter, the dungeon reveals its true nature.

The stench is overwhelming, making me wrinkle my nose.

* * *

However, Pori seems to love this place, flapping his wings and circling around.

"Enjoying it?"

* * *

"Don't go too far. You might get eaten."

The trees and large leaves are a mix of purple and violet.

It feels like stepping into a painted forest.

The threatening hisses and murky air.

The air itself must be lethal to ordinary people.

My first dungeon.

I'm entering before even taking the Hunter Qualification Exam.

Despite the valid reasons, a bead of sweat rolls down my temple.

"Alright, let's do this."

I pulled out an item from my pocket.

A cube that fits in my palm.

The dark red surface is intricately engraved.

This cube is called Exa.

The second device given to me by Dr. Jin.

"Activate."

Exa responds to my command.

Whirr.

The motor sounds, and the cube's shape changes.

It transforms into a handle, easy to grip.

A handle without a blade.

It looks odd, but the blade will form now.

"Draw."

I channel the Black Aether circulating in my body into Exa.

Whirr.

A black blade starts to extend from the tip of Exa.

About the length of a finger.

A bit embarrassing to call it a blade.

But I'm lucky.

When I first received it from Dr. Jin, the blade was only as long as a fingernail.

Dr. Jin laughed heartily at the embarrassing situation.

"Hahaha. It's better to just revert to the original shape and smash the monster's head!"

"Are you kidding?"

I shook my head to clear the embarrassment.

It's not a longsword, but it's at least a dagger.

This isn't just any blade.

It's a unique weapon, a combination of the Black Aether in my body and Dr. Jin's advanced technology.

* * *

The transformation of Exa is complete.

Two monsters approach from between the purple trees.

Lizard-like creatures with long, thin tongues.

Their physical level is 'E.' How strong is that?

Their size is similar to the toads I first encountered when the Gate opened.

If their physical strength is similar, that would be good.

One of the two lizards' tongues suddenly extends.

Swish.

The elongated tongue flies at me like a whip.

Fast?

No, slow.

The speed is similar to the toad's saliva, but my body and senses now judge it as slow.

Thud!

Instead of dodging, I raise my left arm to block.

The lizard's tongue wraps around my arm.

The tongue's spines leave shallow cuts on my skin.

Hiss.

This would be a fatal injury for a hunter.

The tongue-extended lizard lets out a pleased hiss.

It seems to be waiting for me to fall.

"Feeling good?"

* * *

What would it feel like to see the target that should have fallen still standing and smiling?

I swung Exa with my other hand.

Swish.

The lizard's tongue is cleanly severed.

Squish.

The lizard thrashes and flips over.

The pain from the severed tongue must be unbearable.

But the real problem comes next.

The dark red aura on the severed tongue penetrates the lizard's mouth.

Hiss.

Before it can finish its painful cry, the lizard dies.

The Black Aether in Exa's blade poisoned it.

The toxicity in the Black Aether is so potent that it can kill a Poison Type monster in one strike.

* * *

The other lizard, seeing its stiffened companion, becomes wary.

But I'm already out of its sight.

* * *

Thud!

"Poison Step."

The Poison Step, taught by Kiril, doesn't even allow an 'E' level monster to see my shadow.

Thud.

I infiltrate behind the lizard and stab its neck with Exa.

Hiss.

This one also dies, unable to even scream properly, trembling in its death throes.

"Phew!"

After confirming the lizard's death, I finally exhale.

The task was simple, and nothing went against my expectations.

Still, it was my first 'hunt.'

My neck feels a bit stiff, indicating I must have used a lot of force.

I stretch lightly and extract a small Black Core from the dead lizard's belly.

"Hehe. Reminds me of playing with marbles at home."

Compared to the cores from large monsters given by Kiril, these are cute.

But they will definitely contribute to my growth.

* * *

I immediately convert the two Black Cores into Aether and absorb them.

The V1 device confirms my growth.

"Feels good."

Not only the device, but I also feel a change.

I didn't feel tired even after using the Poison Step, and I feel better than before entering the dungeon.

When my energy is low, I can absorb Black Aether to restore it.

Theoretically, I could live forever in the Poison Dungeon.

But then, my sister would scold me for another overnight stay.

* * *

"I get it. This place is a goldmine for me."

* * *

A disaster zone for some.

But for me, it's a field of opportunity.

Now that I've checked the level of the monsters, it's time to confirm another purpose.

I push through the tall grass and walk among the large purple trees.