Chapter 30 – Skill Grade Enhancement Stone

[Skill – Fire Blast]

– Grade: C

– Effect: Inflicts burns.

– Damage: 350% of magic power + 10% of damage as burn effect

– Usage Restriction: Level 350 or higher

– Description: Deals damage with a fiery gust. Be careful as you may also be in danger from the heat.

This was a skill needed to deal with Tarantula.

“I’ll take this.”

“Okay! That’ll be 14 million won.”

“And I’d like to buy some skill grade enhancement stones as well.”

Skill grade enhancement stones were consumables that increased the grade of skills.

They are used when wanting to enhance existing skills to match their grade without changing them.

“Oh, enhancement stones? How many do you need?”

“Do you have 3?”

He was asking because some stores occasionally ran out of stock.

That’s how popular skill grade enhancement stones were among items.

“Of course we do. Just a moment.”

The merchant soon returned with stones engraved with strange characters.

“Enhancement stones are 80 million won each.”

They were more expensive than most B-grade skill books, but enhancement stones were essential if there was a skill that needed to be taken all the way.

“That’ll be 254 million won in total.”

“Here you go.”

As he handed over his card, a large sum of money was deducted.

Of course, he didn’t feel it was a waste since money was meant to be spent.

After leaving the store, Min Do-jun first learned the skill.

‘Acquire.’

After mastering Fire Blast, he took out the enhancement stones from his inventory.

[Skill Grade Enhancement Stone]

– Category: Consumable

– Grade: A

– Characteristic: Consumable item

– Description: An item that increases a skill’s grade by one level. However, it can only enhance up to one’s own grade.

‘Enhance.’

As he spoke the command, a bright light burst forth from the enhancement stone.

[Please call out the skill you wish to enhance.]

‘Enchant Sword.’

[Enchant Sword’s grade has increased from D->C!]

[Damage amplification effect has increased from 10%->12%!]

As the grade and effect increased, the enhancement stone in his hand disappeared.

He then enhanced other skills in the same way.

[Mana Sword’s grade has increased from D->C!]

[Damage has increased from 100%->125% of magic power!]

[Mana Skin’s grade has increased from D->C!]

[Defense has increased from 400%->450% of magic power!]

All his main skills had risen to C-grade.

Now the only D-grade skill left was Charge Lightning.

But he left it unenhanced.

Because he needed to replace it with another skill later.

‘Status window.’

– Name: Min Do-jun (Born in 2000)

– Level: 350

– Grade: C

– Combat Power: 37,211

– Korean Ranking: 5,850th

– World Ranking: 798,894th

– Strength: 282, Stamina: 277

– Agility: 289, Magic Power: 458

– Unallocated Stats: 0

– Characteristics: Revenge(S), Hunter Hunter(EX), Magic Swordsman(S), Indomitable Will(B), Rapid Growth(S)

– Skills: Charge Lightning(D), Mana Skin(C), Enchant Sword(C), Mana Sword(C), Fire Blast(C)

‘Preparations are complete.’

Everything was perfect, including skills and equipment.

‘Now I just need to get Tarantula’s spider venom.’

He had obtained 2 fang venoms, so now he just needed 2 spider venoms to unseal the ring.

Min Do-jun, having finished his preparations, headed to the center.

But there, he met an unexpected person.

“You’re here, Mr. Hunter!”

A short-haired woman greeted Min Do-jun cheerfully.

A smile that any energetic 20-something would fall for.

Nevertheless, Min Do-jun didn’t even blink.

Rather, he frowned as if annoyed.

“We meet again.”

Chae So-hyun from the Wanted Guild was waiting for Min Do-jun in front of the Hunter Management Center.

“Did you come to see me?”

“Of course. Why else would I be here if not for you, Mr. Hunter?”

“I thought I made my intentions clear.”

“I know. You won’t join. I heard you rejected offers from all other guilds too.”

“Then there’s no need for a long conversation.”

“Right. But please give our guild a chance. I’m asking you to at least accept our minimal sincerity.”

With that, Chae So-hyun held out the shopping bag she was carrying.

“This is our guild’s sincerity.”

“…”

Min Do-jun, who was about to say he didn’t need it, changed his mind.

‘There’s no reason to refuse if they’re giving it.’

After all, the Wanted Guild had Kang Cheol-gyu, a target of revenge.

An inevitable relationship that they would have to meet someday.

‘If I accept a bribe, I could use it as justification when I go after them later.’

There was no need to make enemies by rejecting the guild’s goodwill.

“Alright. I’ll accept it since you say it’s sincerity, but if you’re giving this expecting something from me, I’ll refuse right now…”

“No, it’s not like that. Rather than expecting something in return, just think of it as a small token of our guild’s goodwill.”

“Well, thank you for the gift.”

Min Do-jun, who received the shopping bag, checked its contents.

‘This is?’

As he was surprised, Park Dong-yun rushed out of the center.

“Hunter! You should have called if you were here… Huh?”

Park Dong-yun looked bewildered seeing him with a woman.

“Who is… Maybe a girlfriend?”

“No.”

When Min Do-jun quickly denied it, Chae So-hyun’s eyebrows twitched.

“Denying at the speed of light… I’m a bit hurt.”

“Who are you?”

“She’s from the Wanted Guild.”

At Min Do-jun’s answer, Park Dong-yun frowned.

“What business do you have with our Hunter?”

“Are you his manager?”

“Yes. I’m Park Dong-yun, deputy of the Ilsan branch. If you’re done with your business, I’d appreciate it if you left now.”

“My, kicking me out as soon as we meet?”

“No need for long talk! I have things to discuss with Mr. Hunter, so please leave now.”

“Why should I? We were talking first, weren’t we?”

“Please leave now.”

Unable to stand it anymore, Min Do-jun stepped in, and only then did Chae So-hyun nod.

“I’ll go since you say so, Hunter. But Mr. Park Dong-yun, I have no reason to listen to you. You’re just someone who introduces dungeons, not a proxy. Well then, goodbye.”

As Chae So-hyun left, Park Dong-yun burst out as if he had been waiting.

“Augh! That vixen!”

“…”

“Ah! I’m sorry. I cursed without realizing…”

“It’s understandable to curse.”

Thinking from Park Dong-yun’s perspective, it was a situation where cursing was quite understandable.

“What did that woman say to you, Mr. Hunter?”

“Nothing much. She just gave me a gift as a gesture of goodwill from the guild.”

As Min Do-jun held up the shopping bag, Park Dong-yun’s expression hardened.

‘Damn! They’ve already made a move!’

He thought the guild would make a move, but he didn’t expect them to act this quickly.

Moreover.

‘The Hunter didn’t refuse the gift.’

The fact that Min Do-jun accepted the gift meant he might be considering it.

‘It’ll be a problem if it’s better than ours…’

Therefore, Park Dong-yun couldn’t help but feel anxious.

“By the way, what’s that in your hand?”

“Ah, this?”

Park Dong-yun held out the box as if he had been waiting.

“It’s a special gift our center prepared to commemorate your promotion. Please accept it without feeling burdened.”

Min Do-jun’s eyes gleamed as he received the box.

“It’s a low-grade random box.”

“Yes! We didn’t know what item you wanted, so we prepared a random box. How is it?”

Min Do-jun, who didn’t expect to receive gifts from both the guild and the center, couldn’t help but find it an unexpected situation.

“I appreciate it, but you didn’t have to…”

“Haha, please accept it since we prepared it with difficulty.”

“Then I’ll accept it without hesitation.”

He couldn’t refuse a gift they had prepared.

“Mr. Hunter, are you satisfied with the gift?”

“Of course. It’s nicely wrapped and all.”

“Hahaha, that’s a relief. I’ll report to the higher-ups that you were very satisfied.”

“Please do.”

“By the way, Mr. Hunter.”

“Yes.”

“What kind of gift did you receive from the Wanted Guild…?”

He seemed concerned as a competitor.

Min Do-jun, who wasn’t unaware of this fact, smiled as if to say not to worry.

“They gave me the same thing.”

What he took out of the shopping bag was a low-grade random box.

It was the same gift Park Dong-yun had just given.

“Ah.”

Only then did the anxiety disappear from Park Dong-yun’s expression.

As long as it wasn’t more expensive, it was fine.

“People think alike, I guess. Giving the same gift…”

“Indeed.”

Park Dong-yun wouldn’t know.

That Min Do-jun had two more identical random boxes in his inventory.

‘It’s not bad to have many.’

With this, he now had 4 random boxes.

Of course, what the contents would be remained to be seen.

“Manager, find me a dungeon.”

“Sure! Which one should I look for?”

“A Tarantula dungeon.”

Tarantula was a dungeon one should challenge around level 500.

“Understood. Let’s go right away!”

Nevertheless, Park Dong-yun didn’t object.

Because he believed in Min Do-jun’s skills.

Soon, the two got in the car and moved.

Unaware that someone was following them.

* * *

-Have they left?

“Yes. I’m following them now.”

Chae So-hyun, gripping the steering wheel, kept her eyes on the car in front while following.

She was now following Min Do-jun’s group while talking to her superior.

-Be careful not to get caught. It’s just bad to earn their dislike.

“Is it really okay to tail them like this?”

-It’s fine. As long as we don’t get caught.

“But still…”

-What’s the big deal? It’s not like we have bad intentions. We’re just going to see where they’re going and come back.

“Do we really just need to check which dungeon and come back?”

-That’s right. We should at least know which waters our targeted Hunter is playing in, shouldn’t we?

“Sigh, alright.”

-Just check which dungeon they enter, how many people go in, and come right back. If you get caught, make up an excuse that you happened to be going the same way.

“Understood.”

After ending the call, Chae So-hyun let out a long sigh.

“Tailing, really…”

For a moment, she regretted joining the guild.

* * *

While riding in the car, Min Do-jun opened his inventory.

There were 4 low-grade random boxes inside.

‘It’s called a gift, but…’

Anyone who wasn’t a fool could tell it wasn’t a gift but a bribe.

‘I hope my luck with draws is good.’

He had used random boxes before his regression, but it wasn’t a good memory.

He always drew blanks.

‘Strictly speaking, there are no blanks, but anything below cost price is a blank.’

That’s why before his regression, Min Do-jun would resell random boxes without using them when he got them.

It was clear that if he used them himself, only low-level items worth a few million won would come out.

‘The reason I’m trying now is purely because I believe in the charm.’

The lucky charm he obtained after clearing the maze dungeon in record time.

He left the random boxes unsold, expecting the effects of that charm.

‘Please don’t be a blank.’

Min Do-jun touched the random box in his inventory.

He could take it out and use it, but he could also use it while keeping it in his inventory like this.

Therefore, Park Dong-yun in the front seat would know that Min Do-jun in the back seat was doing something by pressing the air, but he wouldn’t know exactly what he was doing.

‘Use.’

At that command, the random box disappeared with a bright white light.

And at the notification that appeared, Min Do-jun’s eyes widened.