畅想听吧

Chapter 98: Lynel’s Dungeon (1)

Han Jung-Woo reached level 96 after defeating the eight Titan guild members.

But it’s still not enough.

His goal was to reach level 100, so he was searching for a place to level up four more times.

Going back to Melbarun Graveyard doesn’t seem like a good idea.

He had caused quite a commotion with the Titan guild in that area. While he wasn’t afraid of fighting them, he preferred hunting quietly over getting entangled with them again.

Unless it’s a situation with high stakes like that time with Black Bee... it’s just a loss for me.

Killing a few Titan guild members wouldn’t make much of a difference anyway. It wouldn’t mean anything unless he took down a high-ranked player or Goliath himself.

It would be great if someone would give me a boost right now.

He sighed but at that moment, as if by a miracle, his phone vibrated.

[Caller: Min-Soo]

Min-Soo? Why is he calling out of the blue?

Min-Soo usually contacted Kai only twice a year, which was on his birthday and for the class reunions, so a late-night call from him was unusual.

Tilting his head in confusion, Han Jung-Woo answered the phone.

“Hello?”

—Hello? Hey, Jung-Woo, call me hyung.

“...This isn’t a dream, it’s reality. If you’re going to talk nonsense, go to sleep.”

—Haha, but you’ll probably call me Hyung once you hear what I have to say. First, let me check something. You said you’re a Cleric last time, right?

“Yeah. A Solaris Cleric.”

—Good. And you said you’re level 88?

“Huh...? Did I say that? I’m pretty sure I said 96...”

—What? 96? You said 88 last time.

“Oh, maybe I was confused because I drank a lot that time. I’m level 96.”

—We talked before we started drinking, didn’t we...

“Well, maybe I got mixed up. Anyway, why are you asking?”

—Oh, I found a dungeon while giving some new guild members a boost and it’s pretty big. It’s floor-based.

“Floor-based?”

That referred to dungeons divided into multiple floors. The difficulty varied depending on the number of floors, and floor-based dungeons were usually quite large with a lot of monsters.

“You didn’t call just to brag about it, did you?”

—Do I seem like a guy to do that? The guild is planning to raid it, but since I’m the one who found it, I asked the guild master if I could bring a friend, and he was totally cool with it.

“So you’re offering to boost me?”

—Yep. Do you not want it?

“Of course I do.”

It was a place where he could level up away from prying eyes, and it was also a chance to get a boost thanks to an old friend!

Solving his dilemma in just five minutes, he grinned happily as he responded mischievously.

“Thanks, hyung.”

—Geez, don’t call me that, it’s creepy! Anyway, you’re free tomorrow, right? Oh, of course, you’re unemployed.

He never thought being schedule-free could feel this pitiful!

“...Wait a minute. Aren\'t you in the same boat? You said you’re not attending school either.”

—I’m a member of the Rush Guild, aren’t I? I get a fixed salary of 200 with additional bonuses based on performance. And since I discovered a dungeon this time, my paycheck will be pretty sweet this month. Hehe.

“...Do I need to prepare anything?”

—Just bring yourself. I’ll take care of the rest.

“Got it. See you tomorrow.”

—Alright.

***

The Arhan\'s Ruins was where Min-Soo had discovered the new dungeon.

According to lore, it was once a site with ancient temples, but over time it had turned into ruins. Because of this, the Arhan\'s Ruins was scattered with moss-covered stone walls, once-splendid temple pillars, and fragments of statues.

“They’re coming!”

“This time, there are four! Stay sharp!”

“Haste! Bless! Holy Enchantment!”

Kai slightly turned his head to watch the busy players hunting.

It was said this was a hunting ground for level 90 players. Seems pretty popular.

Since there were enough monsters to facilitate group hunting, it was a popular spot.

Even though the monsters were around level 95, players had to be appropriately leveled to hunt effectively, so the minimum level required for group hunting at this place was 105.

While group hunting provided good XP for other players, for a solo player like Kai, it was just an average spot.

Where did he say we were meeting again?

Checking the mini-map and moving to the coordinates Min-Soo had given, Kai saw a man sitting on a stone wall waving at him.

“You’re here. You came a bit early.”

“Min-Soo?”

“Yeah. Call me Balter in game.” Balter scanned Kai and chuckled. “Wow, the cleric robe suits you. What’s your ID?”

“Kai.”

Balter shook hands with Kai and added him to his friend list, then tilted his head.

“By the way, why do you have all your levels and class info set to private?”

“Why? Will that be a problem for the boost?”

“No, it’s not a problem... just curious. Anyway, let’s get moving.”

Following Balter, Kai glanced at Balter’s equipment and slightly nodded.

I wondered how impressive he was since he always talked about boosting people in the game...

Balter certainly looked capable enough to take pride.

His level seems to be around 135, and his class is...

Balter’s class displayed in the friend list was Shield Warrior, which was a class favored by players who took on the tank role in parties.

“Alright, this way.”

Reaching the outer area of the ruins, Balter quickly checked their surroundings for any witnesses, then started touching the ground.

Rumble.

With a dull sound, the stone floor shifted sideways, revealing a staircase leading downward.

Kai was genuinely impressed.

“This floor looks just like the others. How did you find a dungeon here?”

“Just got lucky. I sat here to rest and found it. Let’s go inside before anyone sees us.”

Rumble.

After they entered, Balter closed the entrance behind them. The walls were lined with torches, so it wasn’t dark.

As they went down the stairs, Kai asked, “What kind of monsters appear here?”

“Pretty much the same as outside. Living armors roam around, and there are dullahans on the stairs heading down.”

Living armors were literally armor that were alive. The game\'s lore stated that the souls of soldiers who died unjustly roamed eternally within the armor.

Dullahans were similar, but they were considered undead monsters.

“The dungeon seems decent. The levels must be on the higher side right?”

“Well, they’re just a bit higher than the field. The living armors on the first floor are usually between 97 and 100, and the dullahans are level 125. Oh, there they are.”

With a bright smile, Balter walked forward and greeted a group waiting for them.

“We’re a bit late, aren’t we? Sorry about that.”

“No, you’re actually early since we agreed to meet by ten minutes past. Is this the friend you mentioned?”

“Yes. Hey, introduce yourself. This is Black Bear, our vice guildmaster.” Balter leaned in and whispered in Kai’s ear, “Believe it or not, he’s a ranker. He’s ranked 7,825th. Impressive, right?”

Normally, being in the top ten thousand meant one was a ranker, so Balter’s statement wasn’t wrong. Although, it wasn’t surprising to Kai, nor did it evoke any particular respect.

Still, I should consider Min-Soo’s position.

Kai owed Min-Soo for today, and Black Bear was Balter’s superior. That fact made Kai bow his head.

“Thank you for allowing me to hunt with you today. My class is Cleric, and my name is Kai.”

“No need for thanks. We’re all here to enjoy the game together. But I heard from Balter that you’re not in a guild yet...”

There was a hint of expectation in Black Bear’s eyes. If things went well, he would get the chance to recruit a valuable Cleric into the guild.

Of course, Kai quickly put up his social defenses.

“Yes, I don’t have any intention of joining a guild yet. I prefer to go around freely...”

Balter patted Kai on the shoulder and laughed loudly. “Haha. That’s how he is. He’s been playing since open beta, and his level is still 96. It’s too low, isn’t it?”

“...You’ve been playing since the open beta?” Black Bear asked, looking slightly surprised.

People who had been playing since the open beta and had some talent were already over level 170.

It seems he unfortunately doesn’t have much talent for the game.

With a slightly disappointed expression, Black Bear lightly patted Kai’s shoulder.

“I see. But levels aren’t everything in this game, so don’t be too discouraged. Traveling freely is a game style I also want to try someday. Oh, and if you ever feel like joining a guild, let Balter know. We always welcome Clerics.”

“Thank you for your consideration. I’ll let him know if I ever decide to join a guild.”

Done with introductions, Black Bear went back to the others to prepare for hunting.

Watching him leave, Kai scanned the Rush guild members present.

About thirty people, huh? That’s not a lot for a guild raid. Actually, it’s quite few.

Noticing the curiosity in Kai’s eyes, Balter put an arm around his shoulder and explained, “The high-level guild members are too busy with hunting and main quests to spare time for boosting newcomers. Black Bear even squeezed time out of his busy schedule to be here. Nice guy, huh?”

“Yeah. He seems very considerate.”

“He’s someone I personally respect. Oh, and when we start hunting, you should stay at the back.” Balter drew his thumb across his neck, mimicking a death gesture. “You’re a Cleric, so if you attract attention, you might die in a few hits. We also have other Clerics who can resurrect you, but you’d lose a lot of XP, so stick with our newcomers in the back.”

“Thanks for looking out for me.”

“Don’t mention it. We still have about seven days left on the dungeon discovery buff in game time. If we party up, you’ll benefit from it too. Just don’t die before you hit level 100.”

Smiling brightly, Balter led Kai to the new guild members.

“This is my friend who’ll be hunting with us today. He’s a Cleric, so ask him for healing if you’re hurt.”

“Nice to meet you!”

“Hello!”

“Looking forward to hunting with you!”

The new recruits were as disciplined as soldiers!

When Kai gave Balter a questioning look, Balter whispered softly, “They\'re younger than us, but they’re super intense since they joined Rush. If you can, try to loosen them up a bit. You’re good at that, aren’t you?”

“Is this a daycare center or something...?”

“Anyway, please take care of them. Also, there are a lot of monsters here. Once we start mob hunting, your XP will skyrocket, so hold tight.”

“This is my first time getting a boost, so I’m not too sure about everything, but won’t I get less XP if my contribution is low?”

“That’s true, but if you party with high-level players, there’s an XP boost. And since you’re a Cleric, just keep buffing and healing me. I’ll draw the attention and boost your contribution rate.”

With a reassuring smile, Balter gave a thumbs-up!

I can\'t believe he’s actually reliable for once.

Shaking his head, Kai watched as Black Bear clapped his hands to get everyone’s attention.

“Please move carefully to avoid breaking formation. If you draw attention, raise your hand and shout immediately. If you find any secret passages, report them. Now, let’s get going, shall we?”

“I’m off. I need to tank at the front.”

As Balter hurried off, Kai looked at his XP bar.

Level 96 at 12%...

It was his first time getting a boost in MID Online!

Even if leveling up would be slower than soloing, this place was perfect for avoiding the Titan guild.

Who would’ve thought I’d be able to level up comfortably for once? Let’s just enjoy this easy leveling for once. Easily...

There were still seven days left of the dungeon discovery buff, so there was nothing someone getting a boost had to worry about.

With a carefree heart, Kai followed the formation.