Chapter 22 -. Set Effect

[You have defeated the Armored Mantis!]

[Experience +5,250] (100% contribution)

[Level up!]

[D-grade magic stone obtained.]

[D-grade magic stone obtained.]

[Sealed Emerald Ring obtained.]

[Automatically rolling dice according to party rules.]

[The winner is Min Do-jun.]

Min Do-jun smiled slightly upon seeing the notification.

Because he got the item he wanted.

[Sealed Emerald Ring]

-Category: Ring

-Grade: C

-Effect: Magic Power +20, Magic Damage +5%

-Durability: 2,000/2,000

-Usage Restriction: Level 150 or higher (Bound)

-Description: A beautiful, shimmering emerald ring. Its power is sealed.

Unlike the Ruby Ring, this ring specializes in magic power.

It’s the best item any mage could wish for.

‘Above all, the magic damage increase option is overpowered.’

The advantage is that it can be useful even at high levels because the damage increases by percentage.

‘This one would sell for at least 100 million if sold, but…’

The catch was that it was a bound item.

It couldn’t be obtained without directly hunting the boss.

And the boss doesn’t only drop this.

Getting the desired item also requires luck.

‘But to get it on the first try…’

Was it because of the charm?

He was lucky.

This was exactly the set item Min Do-jun wanted.

‘Equip.’

Min Do-jun equipped both the Ruby Ring and the Emerald Ring.

Then.

[Set effect activated.]

[Applied items]

-Sealed Ruby Ring

-Sealed Emerald Ring

[Set Effect]

-All damage +5%

He was able to get the additional damage he expected.

‘Not bad.’

He became even stronger when he was already strong.

‘5% might seem small, but if converted to stats, it’s not negligible.’

If you think about it, it was like increasing Strength and Magic Power by 20 each.

Moreover, since it’s applied as a percentage, the increase becomes even greater as the level goes up.

Despite this good option, people didn’t know there was a set effect.

It’s not only hard to obtain, but there’s also no reason to wear them together.

‘It’s only necessary for me, no one else uses strength and magic power items together.’

Anyway, he got the item he wanted and two D-grade magic stones.

‘It was worth responding to the help request.’

While Min Do-jun was satisfied, Hyun Soo-ah was wearing an expression of disbelief.

‘No, no way. Defeating the boss alone…!’

She knew better than anyone how strong the Armored Mantis was.

She had witnessed her brothers in their 250 level range being torn apart without being able to do anything.

‘But this man…’

He defeated it without any difficulty.

At least that’s how it looked to her.

‘He was very relaxed.’

There seemed to be no crisis.

It was no wonder, as he killed it without taking a single hit.

‘Just how strong is he?’

Even as she watched the Armored Mantis disappear into smoke, it still didn’t feel real.

As he had boasted, Min Do-jun defeated the boss alone.

Her help wasn’t even needed.

“Ms. Hyun Soo-ah.”

“Yes?”

“Stop standing there dazed, let’s go.”

“Wh-where…?”

“We need to finish the conquest, don’t we?”

Hyun Soo-ah belatedly opened the conquest window.

-Conquest progress: 117/120 Mantises

-Time remaining: 7 minutes 48 seconds

‘Wh-when did it get like this?’

The situation where the conquest would be complete after killing just 3 more.

It seemed Min Do-jun had killed a few while moving around.

But the remaining time was awkward.

“There’s not much time left, should I help too?”

“No. We have enough time. Just follow me.”

Min Do-jun took the lead as he said this, and Hyun Soo-ah followed.

A moment later.

Kiiit!

Three Mantises appeared simultaneously.

Hyun Soo-ah, startled, raised her sword and took a defensive stance, but there was no need.

The Mantises were only targeting Min Do-jun in front.

Woooong-

Min Do-jun, who had already applied buffs, dodged attacks and swung his sword.

Slash-

Kiiik!

Whoosh-

Slash-!

Kiiiit!

After a brief exchange of attacks.

Thud-

The headless Mantises all turned into smoke and disappeared.

[Experience +350] (100% contribution)

[Experience +350] (100% contribution)

[Experience +350] (100% contribution)

Min Do-jun frowned with dissatisfaction upon seeing the experience.

‘As expected, the experience is low when not solo.’

On the other hand, Hyun Soo-ah looked at Min Do-jun with an astonished expression.

‘To defeat three so easily…’

While she had struggled so much with just one, the man in front of her took less than a few seconds.

‘I wasn’t seeing things wrong.’

She still couldn’t believe he had defeated the boss, but seeing Min Do-jun’s skills, it finally felt real.

[Conquest successful!]

[Dungeon break time reset to 120 hours!]

[Achievement unlocked!]

‘Achievement?’

Min Do-jun immediately checked the unexpected achievement.

[Achievement – Quick Rescue Worker!]

-Condition: Successfully complete conquest within 30 minutes of responding to a help request

-Reward: Stat Point +1

‘I didn’t expect this.’

He didn’t know there was an achievement related to help requests.

That’s how rarely he responded to help requests in his previous life.

‘Not bad.’

While Min Do-jun was satisfied with the various benefits, Hyun Soo-ah approached.

“Um, Mr. Min Do-jun.”

“What is it?”

She bowed deeply.

“Thank you so much for helping me. Thanks to you, I was able to complete the conquest safely.”

She honestly hadn’t even thought about completing the conquest.

She had just hoped to save her life even if it meant taking a penalty.

But to not only save her life but also succeed in the conquest without any penalty.

‘It’s all thanks to Mr. Min Do-jun.’

She never thought such an overwhelmingly skilled person would help her.

She hadn’t even expected anyone to respond to the help request in the first place.

“I never thought I’d say this in my life… but you’re the savior of my life. Thank you so much.”

“I just did what I had to do, it’s nothing.”

Looking at Min Do-jun speaking so casually, Hyun Soo-ah thought.

That a strong person also had excellent character.

[You will return to the original world shortly.]

The two safely escaped the dungeon.

* * *

There was someone staring at the dungeon entrance with anxious eyes.

It was Bae Sung-hoon, the manager of Platinum Guild.

‘Why aren’t they coming out…’

Looking at his watch, only 5 minutes remained.

He became even more anxious when he was already uneasy.

‘Please be safe…’

Among the three who entered the dungeon, there was one person Bae Sung-hoon hoped would come out.

‘Soo-ah, please be alive!’

It was none other than Hyun Soo-ah.

She was his lover of over 3 months.

‘I don’t need anyone else. Soo-ah, as long as you’re alive!’

Did his desperate wish come true?

A moment later, two people walked out of the dungeon.

“S-Soo-ah!”

As he wished, Hyun Soo-ah came out alive.

Bae Sung-hoon ran to her and hugged her tightly.

“You’re alive after all! I knew it!”

“L-Let go…!”

Hyun Soo-ah pushed away Bae Sung-hoon, who was jumping up and down with joy.

Bae Sung-hoon looked bewildered.

“What’s wrong? Aren’t you happy to see me?”

“I understand how you feel, but this isn’t the time for that.”

“Ah…”

At the sharp rebuke, Bae Sung-hoon finally read the atmosphere.

There were two dead people, yet he showed too much joy.

“Sorry.”

“You don’t need to apologize to me.”

“R-Right.”

Feeling embarrassed, Bae Sung-hoon soon turned his gaze to Min Do-jun.

“Thank you, Hunter. Thanks to you, our Soo-ah is alive. Actually, we’ve only been dating for 3 months. It’s a very tender time…”

“O-Oppa! Why are you telling him that?”

As Hyun Soo-ah scolded him with a red face, Bae Sung-hoon smiled as if even that was cute.

“What’s wrong with that?”

“You two are dating?”

As Park Dong-yoon interjected, Bae Sung-hoon spoke proudly.

“Haha, yes. It’s unusual, right? A guild manager and a hunter in a relationship.”

Min Do-jun didn’t find it particularly unusual.

He had a similar experience himself.

And he wasn’t interested.

Whatever other people’s love lives were like.

“Soo-ah. What happened inside?”

“Ah, well…”

Hyun Soo-ah explained what happened in the dungeon.

How the Armored Mantis appeared, how she almost died while running away, and how Min Do-jun saved her.

“If Mr. Min Do-jun hadn’t shown up then, I would have really died.”

“Hunter, thank you again for saving Soo-ah.”

“Ah, yes.”

Min Do-jun was now uncomfortable with Bae Sung-hoon’s constant thanks.

“And then? Did you two go hunting the remaining Mantises?”

Hyun Soo-ah shook her head at Bae Sung-hoon’s question.

“No? But seeing the dungeon break reset, you completed the conquest, right?”

“We did that at the end, but before that, we defeated the boss.”

“What? The boss?”

“Yes. I just stood still, and Mr. Min Do-jun did it alone.”

“What do you mean?”

“Exactly what I said. Mr. Min Do-jun defeated the boss alone.”

Bae Sung-hoon looked at Min Do-jun with disbelieving eyes.

“Did, did you really defeat it alone?”

“Yes.”

Unlike Min Do-jun’s bland response, Bae Sung-hoon’s eyes widened as if they would pop out.

Park Dong-yoon was equally surprised.

It was the first time he had heard about a solo boss kill since the Giant Horned Rabbit.

Moreover, the Armored Mantis was on a different level from the Giant Horned Rabbit.

It was not a boss that could be defeated alone.

“Hunter! You’re really amazing! A solo boss kill!”

Park Dong-yoon exclaimed excitedly.

Bae Sung-hoon still had an unbelieving face.

“Even with a C-rank involved, it’s hard to defeat the Armored Mantis, how on earth…”

“I told you, didn’t I? Consider yourself lucky. This is the kind of person our Hunter is.”

Park Dong-yoon shrugged his shoulders and then lowered his voice as if telling a secret.

“Want to hear something even more surprising? Our Hunter isn’t even level 200 yet.”

“What?”

Hyun Soo-ah was even more surprised upon hearing the level.

“You’re, you’re only that level?”

“To be precise, 193.”

At Min Do-jun’s words, the two wore expressions beyond surprise, bordering on bewilderment.

“Soo-ah, he’s 60 levels lower than you…”

“Y-Yeah? I thought he was at least over level 400…”

In fact, even at level 400, it would be difficult to defeat the Armored Mantis alone.

“So it was true that you’re unprecedentedly strong. Hunter, thank you again!”

“Please stop thanking me.”

Min Do-jun made a disgusted expression as Bae Sung-hoon bowed.

“Hunter. I’d like to give you a gift as a token of gratitude, but I’m not in a position to do so right now. I’m sorry.”

“It’s fine.”

He didn’t help expecting material rewards anyway.

He had already received enough inside the dungeon.

“Still, you saved our Soo-ah, we can’t send you away empty-handed. I’ll talk to our guild master and ask him to prepare a gift. It’s no different from our guild owing you a debt.”

“Hmm…”

As he pretended to consider for a moment, Bae Sung-hoon clasped his hands together.

“Please give our guild a chance to repay you!”

At that earnest request, Min Do-jun nodded as if giving in.

“It would be impolite to refuse… Alright.”

“Thank you! Then could you give me your contact information? I’ll ask our guild master and text you.”

And so, Min Do-jun exchanged numbers and parted ways.

A few hours later, a text message arrived.

[Hunter Min Do-jun! Our guild master gladly agreed to repay you. If it’s alright with you, could you come to the guild the day after tomorrow morning? Tomorrow we have a funeral scheduled, so it’s not possible, and he wants to meet you the day after tomorrow. The guild master really wants to meet you and says he’s prepared a gift you won’t regret, so we’d appreciate it if you could make time!]

[Alright.]

Min Do-jun, who had replied briefly, raised the corners of his mouth.

It wasn’t because he was looking forward to the gift the guild master had prepared.

‘Jung Tae-sik. I’ll be able to meet that bastard.’

It was because of the expectation of meeting the hunter he needed to kill next.