Awakened as a Money-Spending Genius Enhancer - Chapter 72
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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Episode 72
Chapter 72. Isn’t This Pokémon?
What puzzled Kang Hoon was none other than the fluorescent memo paper attached to the catalog.
It was the warning message boldly written on it.
‘This is a ‘Level 20 Dungeon’?’
The difference between Level 1 and Level 5 isn’t that big.
Because the experience points required for leveling up are small.
However, the difference between Level 10 and Level 15 is quite significant.
Because from Level 10 onwards, considerable experience points are needed for leveling up.
Without special abilities to earn ‘Titles’ or ‘Achievements’,
it’s common to never reach Level 15 and give up for life.
“I’m still only Level 15. Are you telling me to go to a Level 20 dungeon?”
The difference between Level 15 and Level 20?
It would be as big as the difference between a child and an adult.
“Didn’t you give me the wrong catalog?”
“No. This catalog is correct.”
On the other hand.
Park Do-jin spoke with confidence.
“With Hunter Park Kang-hoon’s skills, we expect that mission performance with a 5-level upgrade is possible!”
“…I’d like you to lower your expectations of me a bit.”
Kang Hoon was bewildered.
‘Is this Dungeon Manager trying to kill me right now?’
He was even having such thoughts.
Even if the Unique-grade Lucky was with him.
He thought this seemed a bit dangerous.
“How am I supposed to clear a dungeon that’s 5 levels higher? I’m not a tank or a dealer. If I had to categorize myself, I’m a supporter, right?”
To his bewildered question, Park Do-jin answered with gleaming eyes.
“That’s exactly it!”
“…Huh?”
“You can take team members to support!”
“…Huuuh?!”
Then Park Do-jin suddenly stood up from his seat—
And went to the whiteboard standing against the wall.
Whirrr!
When he spun the board hard.
“?”
Dense memos and photos written on the back were revealed.
Like a board made by some crazy detective trying to catch a serial killer.
This crazy Dungeon Manager had collected all of Park Kang-hoon’s dungeon records!
‘What, what is this!?’
Boldly announcing that he was stalking the S-grade Enhancement Specialist’s activities.
Park Do-jin pointed to the ‘Guild War’ section on the left side of the board.
“Thanks to Hunter Park Kang-hoon’s help, didn’t our Cheongjeong team consisting of 2 A-grade Hunters and 2 B-grade Hunters take first place in the guild war?”
“That… that’s right?”
“You showed excellent results, enough to beat a team that included an S-grade Hunter!”
“Yes, well… that was also true?”
“If Hunter Park Kang-hoon participates in team battles, the synergy effect will be even better!”
“…I guess that might be true.”
Listening quietly, he was strangely being persuaded.
It seemed even more so because of those crazy scientist-like square glasses.
Pushing up his square glasses, Park Do-jin shouted.
“Now! Hunter Park Kang-hoon! Choose the tank, dealer, healer, and supporter you like! Go on adventures while helping them grow!”
‘…Isn’t this Pokémon?’
On the other hand.
Kang Hoon also found himself nodding somewhat.
Though the method was a bit stalker-like.
The analysis itself was correct.
‘Right. I need to recruit team members first.’
So he decided.
‘Pikachu, Charmander, Squirtle… no, wait, let me find tank-dealer-healer first!’
* * *
‘A guild should be guild-like!’
According to Cheong Jeong-kwon’s motto.
Throughout the Cheongjeong Guild building, there are ‘guild-like’ places.
Workshops and assembly halls for the few Crafting Hunters.
A lounge that operates as a bar for socializing every Friday from 7 PM to 11 PM.
A vault room for exchanging commission requests or storing items.
A public bulletin board placed in the center of the first floor lobby, etc.
Among these, the least popular place is the public bulletin board.
‘Who posts anything on bulletin boards these days?’
They do tell people to look for party members or post requests there.
But writing in the ‘Cheongjeong’ group KakaoTalk chat was much faster.
Or on Hunter Blind sites.
So it was a space that no one used and was left abandoned.
“Huh? Why are people gathering over there?”
Today, in front of the public bulletin board—
The steps of young Hunters passing by suddenly stopped.
As if every single Hunter in the building had gathered.
Wasn’t the area in front of the bulletin board bustling?
“What is it? Did someone expose an affair?”
The bulletin board’s original purpose.
Without even thinking of the obvious guess of ‘party member recruitment’.
The young Hunters craned their necks looking for dopamine.
“Huh?”
But.
In the center of the wooden bulletin board.
——Wasn’t there really a ‘Looking for Party Members’ flyer posted?
『 5-person party recruitment.
Looking for 1 tank, 1 dealer, 1 healer, 1 supporter each.
Current recruitment ( 1/5 ) 』
“…It’s really a party member recruitment? No. What kind of amazing dungeon are they planning to go to.”
Curious, he read the flyer carefully.
The content was quite unexpected.
“Huh? [Ant March]!?”
‘Ant March’.
That was the official name of the dungeon.
A legion of ant-type monsters. A place where ‘Ant Soldiers’ endlessly swarm out.
“It’s an unpopular boring dungeon!”
The ‘Ant Soldiers’ themselves aren’t fun to hunt, and their appearance isn’t particularly striking either.
They’re just an annoying swarm of monsters that push forward with sheer numbers.
The battles are troublesome, annoying, and take a long time.
There’s no real satisfaction in hunting them.
‘Nothing particularly special about it either.’
Moreover.
There’s even a level restriction – only Hunters below level 20 can enter.
It’s famously boring, making it the number one avoided dungeon in many ways.
Nevertheless.
“Ah! I want to go along too!”
“Ugh! I just reached level 21 last week! I should have delayed it a bit!”
The Hunters in front of the bulletin board were struggling with regret.
“I’m envious of the under-level-20 Hunters….”
Even a veteran senior from the healer community!
“Why on earth…?”
Tilting his head and looking again at the ‘Seeking Party Members’ flyer.
He could immediately find the reason at the bottom.
『 Posted by: Park Kang-hoon 』
So what if it’s a boring dungeon?
──It’s a chance to go with S-rank Enhancement Specialist, Park Kang-hoon!
“…!”
Gripping the iced Americano cup they had been sipping.
The young Hunters quickly glanced at each other.
And.
Without anyone taking the lead.
Pop!
Thud thud thud!
Stomp stomp stomp stomp stomp!
They began rushing up the building stairs to fill out participation applications!
No need to think about it. Going right now, boring dungeon!!
“Agh! Don’t push!”
“Get out of the way! I was first!!”
The under-level-20 Hunters began running in a rush.
Behind them, Cheong Jeong-kwon clicked his tongue and shouted.
“Who runs around in the guild corridors?!”
He was quite pleased with the public bulletin board that had regained its purpose.
* * *
The location where the Gate occurred also plays a part in why Hunters avoid the ‘Ant March’ dungeon.
Specifically inside a limestone cave in Danyang, Chungcheongbuk-do.
Because of this, 19 years ago, clearing was delayed during the early Gate crisis.
The destruction of the precious cave caused major headaches.
“Back then, the Chungbuk residents thought the ‘Ant Soldiers’ were just big ants, right?”
“They even called Cesco, didn’t they.”
“Hahaha!”
Fortunately, Hunters arrived before the Cesco employees and solved it.
─By eliminating the ant queen and Boss Monster, the Ant Queen.
“Those ant bastards. They can’t use their power when the queen dies.”
Right there.
On the morning of departure to the Chungbuk cave Gate.
Underground parking garage of the Cheongjeong Guild building.
At the bench in front of the vending machine, the party members were chatting away.
“This is the first time I’ve seen you participate in a dungeon that doesn’t pay well.”
Four Hunters waiting for Kang Hoon. They were acquainted with each other.
Of course, that didn’t guarantee they liked each other.
“You’re one to talk. Didn’t you say you’d rather buy Samseon Electronics stock again than go hunt the ant queen? You bought during the seven-line era and sold at four-line, right? How much is it now? I heard it went up to ten-line.”
“…Stop talking about stocks. It hurts this ant’s heart to hear.”
“You really are a stock ant. Since you’re divided into head, chest, and abdomen, I guess you can feel chest pain.”
“….”
Ant hunting that started smoothly even before going to the dungeon.
“…They’re telling us to hunt ant monsters, so what if you hunt stock ants instead?”
Even while bickering like this.
The reason the quarreling foursome sat together was all because of Park Kang-hoon.
“Level 20 dungeon, if he gives us a ride just once, we’ll have connections with an Enhancement Specialist, right? Of course we have to go.”
Among them, the dealer Hunter Kang Min-su’s attitude was somewhat arrogant.
The supporter who was listening immediately frowned.
“…A ride?”
‘Taking a ride’.
In crude terms, it means a weak Hunter with no skills benefits from strong team members.
“Hunter Park Kang-hoon is S-rank. How could you give a ride to an S-rank?”
Crafting supporter, Park Kang-hoon.
He’s Korea’s only S-rank ‘supporter’, a rising star and comet.
He’s the current number one in the supporter field. Giving him a ride?
“He’s still just a supporter.”
Still, the dealer remained arrogant.
Usually in team battles, dealers have the biggest influence.
“Besides, his skill is just ‘Enhancement’, right? Not attack power buffs or shields, but enhancement. Well, we’ll have to give him a ride.”
“Don’t look down on supporters.”
“Hey~! It’s not looking down. The Enhancement Specialist probably formed a team to get a ride too, right? It’s mutually beneficial. Don’t be so serious.”
What if a fight breaks out before they even depart.
As the other team members’ expressions were hardening, the last party member arrived.
“Hello.”
Park Kang-hoon!
At his appearance, all the guild members stood up from their seats.
Even the dealer who had just been dismissing him as ‘trying to get a ride’ was the same.
No. Rather, he was the most welcoming in greeting Kang Hoon, even requesting a handshake.
“Nice to meet you! Enhancement Specialist Park Kang-hoon! I’ve heard so much about you!”
“Ah, yes.”
“Before we depart, shall we introduce ourselves first? I’ll start. Close-range dealer, Kang Min-su. A-rank, and I mainly use spears.”
Glaring at the opportunistic Kang Min-su was brief.
The woman sitting farthest away raised her hand.
She was the largest among the party members, a female Hunter with incredible shoulders.
“Tank, Geon Mi-na.”
Actually, it was an unnecessary introduction.
She looked like a tank even if you saw her doing forward rolls while riding the KTX.
If she hadn’t awakened, she probably would have become a promising talent in judo.
Next, the thin man beside her spoke.
“Supporter, Lee Cheol.”
Kang Min-su teased them.
“Geon Mi-na is our guild’s thigh wrestling champion. Lee Cheol is by-the-book as his name suggests. He’s ex-military, so please understand if he’s strict.”
It sounded like praise and consideration, but his tone was subtly condescending.
Kang Hoon was actually looking at the last team member, not him—the Healer Hunter.
‘She looks familiar somehow? Where have I seen her before?’
A short-haired female Healer wearing round glasses.
Seeming awkward under Kang Hoon’s gaze, she spoke in a shrinking voice.
“I’m Lee Hye-won, a Healer Hunter. Please take care of me.”
Then.
Smack!
Kang Hoon slapped his knee.
“Ah! We’ve met before, haven’t we? Was it after I returned from the Survival Dungeon?”
“…!”
Lee Hye-won flinched at Kang Hoon’s words, shrinking her shoulders.
Ignoring her reaction, Kang Hoon proudly showed off his memory.
“Back then, you were waiting at the Gwanak Mountain parking lot, expecting me to come back all beaten up, but when you saw I wasn’t hurt at all, you were disappointed that you wouldn’t get to use your healing skill. Then Seri caught you and scolded you until you were in tears, saying, ‘Hunter Lee Hye-won. Is it disappointing when a colleague clears a dungeon without injuries!?’ Right?”
“…Why do you remember it in such detail?!!”
Lee Hye-won was shocked at the continuous scene recollection.
His memory was almost like web novel excerpt screenshots!!
“Your memory is too much…!!”
“The sight of you getting thoroughly scolded was quite memorable.”
“Aaaaah…! Please forget it, I beg you…!!”
Lee Hye-won’s face turned bright red from the dark history explosion.
After making her scream and suffer, Kang Hoon looked around at his team members with sparkling clear eyes.
‘This is my first time going to a dungeon with a party. It might be bustling and fun?’
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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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