Episode 145 No.640 Countermeasures (1)
[‘One-Point Explosion’ rank increases. F->E]
‘The event is really good.’
Learn and rank up in less than a day.
My skill level is already quite high, and with the mentoring event bonus and the final week’s additional bonus, my growth rate is incredible.
If you use the Ogre as a dummy all week, you can expect to get a D rank, or even a C rank if you’re good.
One important goal was to start like this,
Next, we turn our attention to the fencing club’s response.
The method I chose to use to appease their anger was to offer compensation.
And to get that reward, you have to go down to the underground dungeon.
So, I asked Shin Byeong-cheol to be my guide and gave Ko Hyeon-woo a guidebook.
Late at night.
I met two people in front of Dungeon Dong.
Shin Byeong-cheol rubbed his hands together with a salesy smile on his face.
“Oh my, our customers are here~”
“Brother Shin.”
And Go Hyun-woo answered with a smile as always.
Since we had done this several times, we moved smoothly without Shin Byeong-cheol’s explanation.
I put on my so-and-so badge, change my tie pin to a sophomore’s, and head down the stairs to the basement.
Shin Byeong-cheol led us, checking for any dangers ahead.
Then he asks me over his shoulder.
“It was a linked dungeon, right?”
“uh.”
Most dungeons have their own independent story and objectives.
However, some dungeons have a single connected story, such as the connection with the priest in [Feather Serpent Altar] that leads to [Feather Serpent Temple].
The dungeon you are about to enter now goes one step further, in that not only the story, but also the strategy map for the previous dungeon directly affects the subsequent dungeon.
That’s why it’s called a ‘linked dungeon’.
Shin Byeong-cheol asked again.
“I’ll take one today, then what’s next?”
“Wednesday or Thursday night. I’d like to do it on Wednesday night if possible.”
Since you never know when the fencing club will contact you, the sooner you can secure useful cards, the better.
When I looked at Go Hyun-woo, he answered.
“I will make time for you whenever you want, Kim Hyung.”
“Then, should we set a schedule for Wednesday first?”
We nodded simultaneously to Shin Byeong-cheol’s question.
Then, Shin Byeong-cheol’s tone subtly changed.
“But customers, no, brothers, can I say something… … ?”
When Shin Byeong-cheol acts in such a humble manner, it can be seen that he wants something.
I answered in an arrogant tone because I wanted to hear it first.
“Okay, then. Tell me.”
“No, that’s right. Didn’t I receive a random box as a guide reward last time?”
After the last [Feather Snake Temple] raid, a D-rank random box was given to Shin Byeong-cheol as a reward.
However, since it is a valuable item for a guide, it has been promised that there will be several more unpaid requests in the future.
Of course, the unpaid commissions include the current and next dungeons.
“But did you find a wooden cup there?”
“That’s it.”
However, what is very unfortunate is that [Feather Snake Tribe Wooden Cup (F)] came out of that random box.
As a result, Shin Byeong-cheol ended up making a very loss-making deal, opening three dungeons for one wooden cup.
And to mention this means,
“I don’t feel motivated to be a guide just because I’m given a wooden cup. I feel like hitting you.”
“Oh no, brother. Hit me. I’m not that kind of amateur.”
“then?”
“I just thought it might be a little bit of an incentive… … .”
Shin Byeong-cheol, whose words are getting slurred.
In fact, it was Shin Byeong-cheol’s own choice to receive the random box instead of other rewards, so he had nothing to say even if I cut him off with a knife.
‘Still, it can’t hurt to pay off a little debt.’
The basement is visited once or twice every week during the pre-emptive strike, and Shin Byeong-cheol’s help will continue to be needed in the future.
Besides that, it is convenient to ask the errand center for help in gathering small pieces of information.
So I answered in a much softer tone.
“Well, we’re not that close. There’s no need to be so harsh.”
“Isn’t that what I’m saying, brother?”
“I’ll think about incentives based on what you do.”
“Please leave it to me, brother.”
Shin Byeong-cheol took the lead with powerful steps.
However, Shin Byeong-cheol only became more adept at guiding people, and there was no significant change in his skills.
Even a skilled walker is still a walker.
However, tonight I had to walk less than usual, because the rank of the dungeon I was conquering was relatively lower than before.
[Feather Serpent Descent] Series dungeons are D-class, 300-400 levels.
On the other hand, our goal tonight is a level 600 dungeon with a moderate difficulty level for an E-class dungeon.
So we arrived at our destination shortly after going down.
[No.640] [Corresponding State]
Shin Byeong-cheol was busy setting up several devices nearby to avoid being searched.
Then he waves his hand as if telling me to go away.
“Come on, brothers. I’ll be guarding the outside well.”
“Uh. I’m going and coming back.”
“I’ll be back.”
As Go Hyun-woo and I passed through the teleportation portal one after another, the next moment we found ourselves standing in a deserted alley.
Not far away, a commotion and energy came over me, so I looked in that direction and exchanged glances with Go Hyun-woo.
“See you outside.”
“I wish you good luck.”
Go Hyun-woo walked out of the alley first with a leisurely pace.
Here, ‘outside’ refers to outside the dungeon, not outside the alley.
This means that if possible, you should avoid encountering them inside the dungeon, and even if you do encounter them, you should pretend not to know them.
Acting like this individually is the most efficient way to conquer this dungeon and the subsequent linked dungeons.
It was an impossible method unless the two people involved in the conquest had a high level of trust in each other.
‘I’m sure you’ll do well.’
I had no worries about Ko Hyun-woo.
I had already familiarized myself with all the key elements through the strategy guide, and I had followed the instructions well in the previous dungeons.
Also, the things to do in this dungeon aren’t that complicated compared to the Feather Serpent Altar or the Black Sand Room, so I don’t think there will be any problems.
After Go Hyun-woo disappeared, I also left the alley after a while.
And as I continued to walk following the loud noise, I soon entered a market street.
A crowd of people flowing in one direction like waves.
Children playing tag, weaving through the crowd like salmon.
Merchants who spread out stalls and solicit customers.
and,
‘People of the martial arts world.’
There are so many people wearing military uniforms that it feels unnatural.
In fact, it’s not that rare for a martial artist to be there, and if you observe closely, you’ll be able to spot one here and there in the crowd.
But now, even if I don’t look closely, I can see at least two people whenever I turn my gaze.
Also, if you look at their faces, their clothing is different and far from neat.
Since the clothing worn by martial artists often indicates their affiliation, this increases the likelihood that they are not tied to any particular group.
That’s true in reality.
‘They’re ronin.’
These are people who wander from place to place without a clear purpose, lending their strength when needed.
And if you look a little closer at the ronin, you’ll notice that they’re all gathering in one place.
The central location of this dungeon.
‘Dae-eung-pyo-guk (Big Hawk Watch Office)’
The goal of the dungeon is to participate in the events that take place there and achieve results.
To do that, I also need to get to the flagpole on time, but
‘There’s still time.’
Rather than going early and killing time, it is better to do what you can in between.
So I made a sharp turn and quickly moved to another place.
The place they arrived at was a very ordinary-looking manor.
I jumped up on the wall and looked inside, and it was incredibly quiet.
The only people there are are a few workers who clean here and there with a boring attitude.
Zhuang Zhu and those associated with him are, quite coincidentally, absent.
To be precise, I came here knowing that I would be absent.
‘To put it simply, it’s like burglary.’
I looked at the man who was continuously sweeping the floor with a broom, and the moment he turned his back on me, I quietly landed inside the manor and quickly walked away.
My B+ rank thief’s steps reduced my movements to the extreme, and since I only moved in blind spots, no one noticed my presence even in broad daylight.
So I walked around the manor as if it were my own home, found a room, and went inside.
Jangju’s room.
At first glance, it is a room that makes one guess that Jangju is a scholar.
Books are piled up everywhere, and famous poems are copied and painted on the walls.
Even on the table, it looked like he had just finished writing something, and the ink hadn’t completely dried yet.
‘Of course it’s all bullshit.’
I looked at the books piled up in a corner.
If you move that aside, a secret passage will appear.
However, I had no intention of going as far as to poke around in the secret passage.
That’s because it’s less difficult in the subsequent dungeons.
Instead, I turned my gaze to the ink painting hanging on the wall.
‘I’m really bad at drawing.’
If you give a calligrapher a brush and ink, wouldn’t he be able to draw better than that?
However, since the main purpose of coming here was this ink painting, I rolled it up and put it in my inventory.
Next, I opened the drawer and a small pouch came out.
When I opened it, there was quite a bit of silver in it.
‘Please take care of this too.’
This is a good thing, since I was just running out of pocket money.
I think Dang Gyu-yeong would be very satisfied if he saw this and call it a model for thieves.
The club membership application form will be included as a bonus.
Anyway, since I had packed everything I needed to pack, I naturally returned the way I came and leisurely left the garden.
I bought some jerky and snacks from the market and put them in my inventory, then returned to the alley, which was the starting point.
And while chewing on the jerky, he lit a fire.
– Hwaruk,
When the fire grew to a certain size, I threw in the ink painting I had brought from the garden.
I watched the ink painting burn to a black ash in an instant, then turned off the fire and stirred through the ashes.
A piece of paper got caught, so I tapped the ash out to check, and only the tip was slightly singed.
[Jangbodo Fragment (A)]
A fragment of Jang Bo-do hidden in a sumi-e painting.
This is further evidence that Jangju was not a scholar.
Also, the fact that he possessed even a small amount of such valuable items means that he was an extraordinary person.
It also meant that Jangwon was not an ordinary place.
‘I’m not at home.’
That’s also a place where really bad guys hide.
And of course, the bad things the bad guys do are deeply connected to the center of this dungeon, the Counter-Pyo Country.
The reason there was no one in the garden a little while ago was also because of preparations.
‘Shall we go now?’
As it was almost time, I headed to the countermeasure office.
