Levelling Up In An Exclusive Dungeon - Chapter 27

14-17 minutes

Obtaining a hidden class wasn’t usually a challenge.

Rumor has it that hunters can get it once they meet special conditions when they level up.

Hunters who earned their hidden class had no way of figuring out what those special conditions were because most of them keep it a secret from everyone.

Even if certain conditions were satisfied, there was no guarantee that the individual would obtain a hidden class.

Until this morning, Kang Jinhyuk never expected to obtain a hidden class.

Having an exclusive dungeon in his home was already too much of a miracle. He thought it was greedy to ask for more.

“Well… I’m not really comfortable with the process of how I got this hidden class.”

Looking at his status window, Jinhyuk sighed quietly.

Killing someone in self-defense even gave him a reward.

Having a hidden class is certainly a big benefit, but that doesn’t mean he’s completely happy about it.

“Let’s take a good look at this first.”

The first thing he checked was his new skills.

Instead of the usual ‘heal’ and ‘cure’ skills, some new ones appeared in the window.

[Hard Skill]

A tough skin that protects the user from spears and knives.

Current Skill Level: D

{Skill Effect}

While using this skill, all damages suffered are reduced by 20%.

The skill can also be used for other people.

Skill Duration: 120 seconds

Cool down Time: 30 seconds

[Abnormal Condition Resistance]

Increases resistance to abnormal conditions such as poisoning, sleep, and fainting.

Current Skill Level: C

{Skill Effect}

Resistance to abnormal conditions increases up to 30% when the opponent’s skill level is lower than the user’s. 

Skill Duration: Continuous

After checking the skill descriptions, Jinhyuk was able to understand what the two skills meant.

The skill that replaced his ‘heal’ still had a protective effect, and the one that replaced ‘cure’ also had similar effects.

Although the new skills were more aggressive and self-centered, the essence itself hasn’t changed that much.

The same was true of the holy shield of course.

[Defense Field]

Rush towards something with the speed of a train.

Current Skill Level: C

{Skill Effect}

Identifies and locks on an opponent with 15 meters.

Physical defense increases by 10% during the rush.

Cooldown time is initialized once an opponent is identified.

Cool down Time: 60 seconds

Looking at his new skills, it doesn’t seem like he’s a conventional cleric anymore.

Protection skills and defense-enhancing rushing, plus resistance to abnormal conditions.

It definitely sounds like a tanker’s skill set.

“Anyway, the most important are the skills related to divine power…”

Kang Jinhyuk has been using mana and divine power according to how Lucia taught him.

Thanks to that, he was able to handle the power of Aura.

Kang Jinhyuk checked his hidden skills with a trembling heart.

[Applying Anger — 3 Levels]

In addition to certain skills, anger can be used arbitrarily.

Current Skill Level: C

{Skill Effect}

Increased physical attack power when using anger.

Increased attack speed, defenseless damage in proportion to consumed MP.

If the enemy is not hit with the attack, MP consumption increases.

[Anger]

Embodies the will of battle in the form of Aura.

Current Skill Level: D

{Skill Effect}

Strengthen the user’s body or weapon with the power of anger.

Damage caused by anger cannot be offset except by skills incorporated with aura.

Reading that far into his skill descriptions, Jinhyuk breathed a sigh of relief.

With his nervousness gone, he felt like sitting down somewhere.

He took a chair and flopped on it.

Jinhyuk analyzed the situation in his head.

After carefully thinking about some practicalities, the right decision was easily determined.

“It’s better for me to change it.”

It’s a pity to lose the merits of being a cleric, but that wasn’t the most important factor for Jinhyuk.

Since he has a monopoly on a dungeon, a specialization suited for solo play is better for him.

“The question now is, what is this new skill…”

With serious eyes, Jinhyuk was staring at a new skill that appeared in his status window.

[Distinction]

User can check an opponent’s “eob” has on you.

Current Skill Level: C

{Skill Effect}

User can quantify and confirm the opponent’s accumulated ‘eob’ with Karma.

The skill was clearly a passive skill as the skill duration and cool down time were not specified.

As of the moment, Jinhyuk couldn’t know exactly what this skill could do.

The word ‘karma’ was just a game terminology for him.

He had no idea what the word meant for sure.

“Eob? Retribution?”

He found the most plausible meaning by searching through the internet, but he was still confused.

Jinhyuk looked at the mirror to see just what this skill meant.

When he focused on his reflection in the mirror, a number appeared above his head.

“64. What does that figure mean?”

Since he doesn’t have a reference on what the number means, he’s unsure whether it was high or low.

“Should I go around town so I could estimate an average score?”

Although he was really curious about this, Jinhyuk actually didn’t feel like going outside at the moment.

He dealt with an extremely difficult situation outside just a few hours ago.

It was too dangerous to walk outside right now, especially since he’s not sure if the guy who attacked him was working with other people.

“Ah right, there was another skill.”

Jinhyuk checked on another skill that he had forgotten for a while.

[Judgment]

Ability value and additional effects are given when dealing with enemies with high karma levels

Skill Level: None

{Skill Effec}

Effect increases in proportion to the opponent’s karma value.

Above 200 — 20% increase

Above 300 – 30% increase

Above 500 – 50% increase

If the enemy has more than 200, the title of ‘Evil’ will not be given and the penalty for murder will disappear.

Kang Jinhyuk turned speechless for a while.

It sounds like a strong skill, which is a good thing.

He’s not entirely sure yet about the meaning of the Karma numbers, but that’s okay for now.

However, the last part of the skill description was even more difficult to process.

Not having the penalty for murder could be good if it’s viewed as it is.

But Jinhyuk was not comfortable with how he acquired this skill.

“Aren’t jobs and skills determined by the person’s usual behavior and personality…”

Come to think of it, he did have regrets when he killed that mysterious man…

But he didn’t hesitate to do it at the moment.

“Still, giving me these skills as if I’d be a ruthless murderer in the future is just…”

On the other hand, his physical body was still of a cleric’s, so that changes dramatically with the second specialty change.

The ability to heal or assist others lessened with his new skill set.

His new skills were fight-oriented skills, and the ability to see other’s karma number.

The name of the hidden class that Kang Jinhyuk got was the “Judge”.

* * *

The dwarf said it would take him half a day to finish this new task, but he’s already done.

He wasn’t confident with using enchantment on iron, so he exaggerated the estimated time to complete the job.

His hands moved faster than expected.

Maybe it was because it’s a precious material that he hasn’t touched for a while.

“It’s a good comfort to make some arrows for you, cutie.”

“…Was it necessary to say that?”

“Hehehe.”

Whenever the dwarf speaks, Lucia, without fail, loses her patience in a snap.

Nevertheless, the reason why Lucia’s arrow didn’t end up between the dwarf’s eyebrows was because she was in a tough position.

As long as the only way to return home is through this dungeon, only the Dwarf has the ability to make arrows that could withstand Lucia’s power.

Killing this dwarf would cut off her supply of arrows.

‘Patience, patience….’

Imagining the sweet foods that Kang Jinhyuk promised to bring, Lucia managed to keep her anger in.

Fortunately, Kang Jinhyuk was seen walking from a distance just before her temper’s limit came.

When Lucia and Jinhyuk made eye contact, Jinhyuk immediately saw a number floating above Lucia’s head.

The number was 82.

Jinhyuk whispered the number to himself, but Lucia heard what he had said.

‘What’s he talking about?’

Her curiosity became stronger when Jinhyuk looked at the Dwarf and uttered another number.

“72.”

What could those numbers mean?

While Lucia tried to think about what it meant, Jinhyuk already reached them.

“Oh? Is it done already?”

“That’s right. Was easier than expected.”

The Dwarf picked up the bat and handed it to Jinhyuk.

As soon as Jinhyuk grabbed the handle, he felt a sharp sensation as if a static electricity was being charged inside him.

That feeling was proof that the enchantment worked successfully.

“You can charge it up to three times in advance. It takes 30 minutes for a single charge.”

The Dwarf pointed his finger to the corner, signaling for Jinhyuk to try the bat’s power.

Jinhyuk laughed in vain when he looked over to where the dwarf was pointing and saw a goblin tied up to a stake.

“When did you prepare that?”

“Since I finished the job early, I decided to take a stroll for fun.”

The goblin struggled to escape, but the Dwarf’s tightly tied rope did not budge.

“I feel a little sorry seeing it tied up like that.”

“So you want me to let it go?”

“No, no. You did it for me so I’d have to show how thankful I am.”

Jinhyuk prepared to make a strike.

“How do I shoot the lightning? Do I have to say a spell or something?”

“Puhahaha! You think you’d have time to say a spell in the middle of a fight? It’ll work, just imagine it happening in your head.”

Hearing Dwarf’s answer, Jinhyuk was a bit disappointed.

‘Saying some spell would’ve been cooler tho…’

Looks like the dwarf doesn’t have a tinge of imagination.

Jinhyuk thought of lightning.

Sure enough, some blue sparks began to appear at the end of the bat.

“Hmm.”

Lucia watched carefully from about three steps away.

Although she was obviously intensely staring at him, Jinhyuk didn’t notice it because he was focused on the bat, 

“Imagine the lightning…”

Jinhyunk drew a scene in his head where he swung the bat and lightning would be fired from it.

As soon as he did, lightning went rushing through from the tip of the bat toward the goblin.

Woosh!

It took less than a second until the goblin burned like charcoal.

The lightning didn’t just obliterate the tied up goblin, it spread and scattered towards another direction.

“Screeeech!”

Some nearby goblins screeched as they were also struck by the lightning.

Given Kang Jinhyuk’s skill, it wasn’t just one or two goblins.

The Dwarf smiled big as he heard the screams from quite a distance.

“As expected of the Oriharukon! No, it exceeded my expectations!”

Jinhyuk was also grinning.

He can’t believe that the monster that troubled him so much has now brought him an incredible power.

At this rate, it’s very easy to deal with multiple monsters at once.

Of course the power is truly amazing, but what’s more surprising was its ‘fuel efficiency’.

Kang Jinhyuk’s MP did not decrease at all even though he used such a powerful skill.

“How can the lightning be launched without depleting my MP?”

“MP?”

The Dwarf reacted as if it was an unfamiliar word, so Jinhyuk rephrased it.

“I’m talking about mana.”

“You don’t need that ‘cos that thing is charged on its own.”

“What does that mean?”

Unlike Jinhyuk who was shocked to the point where his eyes are popping out, the Dwarf seemed to be saying “Well, what’s the big deal?”

“Didn’t you know tha the material you brought me has that function?”

The Dwarf’s reply was even more shocking.

If it were such a great item, he would’ve made such a huge amount of money that he wouldn’t even need to continue being a hunter if he were to sell it.

It was a great pity to think so.

‘I might have lost billions from this, but the lightning is cool anyway.’

Thinking that this bat might be the most expensive weapon in the world, Jinhyuk couldn’t help but let out a laugh.

He can’t sell it now since it already belongs to him.

The bat seems to be a growing burden.

“Are you done?”

As if waiting for the boring movie to come to an end, approached Jinhyuk again.

The Dwarf’s work, which Jinhyuk was fascinated about, seemed to be nothing to Lucia.

Maybe it was a natural reaction because she is the one who shot down the monster. 

“If you’re done now, I’d like you to hold up your end of the deal.”

Jinhyuk stared at Lucia’s hand.

He chose to ask what Lucia wanted.

“Do you need anything?”

“Hey… You haven’t forgotten why you went outside the dungeon, did you?”

Only then did Jinhyuk realize why he felt like he was forgetting something before he had entered the dungeon.

‘Oh, sh*t.’

The realization came too late.

‘W-what should I give instead?’

He left all the expensive desserts on the street, but there was at least one thing left in his inventory.

Jinhyuk took it out.

Lucia looked at Jinhyuk’s hand.

“What’s that?”

She seemed to have no idea what the colorful can contained.

The can’s design actually showed what was inside the can.

Seeing Lucia’s reaction meant there was no similar object where Lucia lived.

Or she’s never seen one.

Jinhyuk gambled on this unfamiliarity.

He thinks he can get away with not bringing enough desserts.

With Lucia’s brightening complexion, Jinhyuk was able to confirm that his tactic worked.

Lucia rolled the candy in her mouth before her excited face showed.

“Mmhm.”

Lucia turned her back from the Dwarf, not wanting him to see her happy face.

Lucia tried to suppress her happiness.

“How’s it?”

“…It’s much better than the foods you’ve brought so far. Why didn’t you bring this to me earlier?”

Jinhyuk sighed in relief.

He can’t believe that a 200 won candy satisfied her so much. 

Jinhyuk held out the can of stick candy to her, gulping in relief as he’s just escaped having an arrow stabbed on his head.

Lucia took the can with a satisfied face.

“Good, good! Alright! The most important thing is solved now, so let’s move on.”

“What do you mean? Are you asking for more?”

“No, I just want to eat this at peace.”

Lucia’s eyes suddenly turned protective.

After looking Jinhyuk up and down, Lucia was convinced.

The energy that surrounded Jinhyuk now was unusual.

There was ordinary mana flowing out of his hands.

“You’ve been acting strange.”

Lucia flicked the stick of the candy bar like a cigarette butt. 

“You. What happened while you were outside?”

The way she asked it was only half certain.

Jinhyuk inadvertently swallowed his saliva with the sudden interrogation that began without notice.