Laborer Mr. Kim Reaps Sweet Rewards with Auto-Hunting - Chapter 53

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Episode 53

News of an S-rank Dungeon appearing after so long.
Where is it?

“England, apparently. Fresh one—popped up just a few hours ago.”

Oh….
That’s good timing.
Glad I took a break instead of rushing straight to the tower.
If I’d gone crazy with the tower first, I’d have to wait a whole day.

“It hasn’t been cleared yet, I assume?”
“No, they’re probably in full preparation mode right now. After all, there’s only one person in England capable of clearing an S-rank Dungeon.”

Right….
That tracks.
S-rank Dungeons aren’t for just anyone.
You need at least sixty-one floors under your belt.
In England, that’s one person.
Arthur Brant—Rank 1.
Normally he’d be the one to clear it….
But since when do dungeons have owners?
First come, first served.
Which means….

“We’re going to clear it.”
“Arthur is in favor!”
“This mage also approves.”

Right?
Everything else I can pass on, but not an S-rank Dungeon.
Who knows when the next one’ll show up….

“Come on, let me set things up. Everyone, get ready.”

Distant England.
Normally?
I’d take a plane, fly there, then travel to the dungeon.
Ugh, what a hassle.
How long would that even take….

“Straight from home, then.”

And I can even scout ahead first.

“Oh, right. I’ll need to expand the range for that first.”

Do I still have a Work Site Exploration range expansion voucher….
Let me check the Inventory.

“No luck….”

Well, doesn’t matter.
I can just buy one from the shop.

——-
Quest Points Shop (Tier – Bronze)

……
…
Temporary Exploration Range Expansion Voucher
– 5,000P
Temporary Dispatch Range Expansion Voucher
– 10,000P
…
……
——-

Found it.
The Exploration Range Expansion Voucher.
And the Dispatch Range Expansion Voucher.
Conveniently sitting right next to each other.
The points are….

[Quest Points : 43,500]

“More than enough.”

I’ve been saving up little by little for situations just like this.
Had a big crafting commission recently, too.
Thanks to that, I’m in a comfortable position. Time to buy without hesitation.

“Gather around, everyone. We’re going exploring.”
“You got it!”
“…….”
“Another new feature? Truly, what a wondrous world this is.”

You should see it.
You’ll be amazed when you do.
This is the real cheat key.

[Using ‘Temporary Exploration Range Expansion Voucher’.]
[Select the country to expand the range in.]

“England… England….”

Found it.
I select it immediately.
Dozens of dungeons appear on the map at once.
Among them, there’s only a single S-rank Dungeon.

[Lake Steeped in Darkness – S-rank]

This must be it.
I tap it and—

[Beginning Work Site Exploration.]

Okay.
Alright, everyone gather around.
We’re about to start the map hack.

* * *

Whiiiiing—!

[Lake Steeped in Darkness]

An S-rank Dungeon in England.
What’s the distinguishing feature?

“That mist doesn’t seem ordinary.”
“Arthur thinks so too!”
“Right, there’s something unsettling about it.”

Is a lakeside always like this?
The lake water shines with a soft glow.
But the surroundings are choked with murky fog.
Is that even fog?
It looks almost like poison….

“Still, it looks like there’s a path through it, Manager.”
“You’re right, the lake in the center is visible.”
“The way it shines so distinctly there — that must be our destination.”

Without question.
It’s practically screaming: Here I am!
But….

“The path ahead doesn’t look easy.”

The path does exist.
The problem is it keeps twisting back on itself.
That’s what Work Site Exploration reveals.
Its first function: mapping the dungeon’s interior geography.
That’s how I could see it clearly.

“The murky mist clouds your vision and forces you into a winding maze. There will be ambushes from monsters scattered throughout.”

Exactly right.
Look—I can see them. The monsters.

Screeeee—!

Ah.
Should I call them ghosts?

Kyeeek!

And….
Over there, those trees are writhing and making strange sounds.
Those have to be monsters too.

“I’ve seen plenty of Undead monsters, but this is something fresh. It’s like a horror film….”

Dungeons really are dangerous, they say.
And now ghosts are showing up.
We’re supposed to defeat those?
Ugh….
This isn’t going to be easy.

“Robin, can you hit ghosts with arrows?”
“…Possible.”
“Phew….”

That’s our top-tier Worker for you.
Just hearing her say it puts my mind at ease.

“Arthur, I’m thinking: Tan-tan here, and we’ll be fine!”
“Right… yeah, we will be.”

Tan-tan’s option.
Increased resistance to darkness and curse properties.
What’s that dungeon called again?
Lake Steeped in Darkness.
Anyone can see it’s dark-aligned, so the matchup is perfect.

“And with Unjang this time too, we’ve got three top-tier Workers, so… it should be manageable, right?”
“Indeed. With this mage’s magic, we should clear it quickly. Have faith.”

The S-rank Dungeons we’ve tackled so far.
We cleared them easily with just two top-tier Workers.
But with three?
Worry would be a luxury we can’t afford.
Though….

“Does this dungeon have no hidden reward?”

Another function of Work Site Exploration.
Hidden reward detection.
Usually by now the screen would shift with a sharp little zing—

“Nothing at all….”

Hmm.
An S-rank with no hidden reward is a bit disappointing.
Should’ve skipped the exploration if I’d known.

“No, wait. At least I found the exact path to the boss….”
“Manager, that one looks like the leader.”
“Yes, probably.”

We should be arriving about now.

“That one… looks like a witch.”

A witch as the boss monster in a lake steeped in darkness….
Consistent theming.
Anyway, I’ve seen the boss now, so the exploration’s done.
I figured the vision would cut out any moment….

– Hmm, is that… could it be watching me?

What?
It noticed the exploration?
Or not.
Maybe just a coincidence….

– Soon, guests will be arriving.

No.
It really did notice.

– Everyone, prepare yourselves. We must put on a grand welcome befitting the name Morgan le Fay.

And then the screen cut to black—

“Insane….”

Goosebumps spread across my skin.
I feel it every time — S-rank Dungeons really are different.
It’s already shocking enough that the monster can talk….
Now it’s even detecting Work Site Exploration.
At this rate—

“Please tell me there’s not something that can attack through the screen….”

Come on, no way.
That’s impossible.
I’m getting anxious. Better finish this quick.

“Everyone ready?”
“Arthur, all set!”
“Master Mage, I’ve been waiting so long my coffee’s gone cold.”
“Haha….”

You enjoyed watching along with me earlier too.
Why single me out like that?
Anyway.

“Let’s go.”

* * *

[Workers enter the dungeon.]
[Auto-hunt commencing.]

The fourth S-rank Dungeon.
Its name: Lake Steeped in Darkness.

Thunk, crack, thunk, crack.

The brisk sound of a hammer echoes as I switch Monitoring on.
The screen flickers to life—

“They look like they’re running a sprint.”
“Right? Did they make a bet or something? Why are they moving that fast?”

– Trust only Arthur!
– Hehe….

S-rank Dungeon, Lake Steeped in Darkness.
The concept is to push through thick fog and reach the center of the lake….

“Feels similar to Egypt.”
“Well, the structure’s much the same, really? You see the whole path and go through it.”

Wandering through the fog….
Getting ambushed by monsters.
That’s what inexperienced people do—inefficient, wasteful.
Our Workers?
We take the shortest route straight ahead.
At full sprint, no less.

Whoooosh—!

Supposedly an S-rank Dungeon.
Were the monsters few and far between?
In between, evil spirits kept lunging at us.
The trees also rushed forward with eerie cries, but….

– Easy!
– Hah, it’s remarkable how the demons can’t even get close.
– Nice, Tan-tan! Bokdeong made it for us!

Arthur’s shield, the skill attached to Tan-tan.
Before Workers wielding Holy Protection, they were powerless.

Kieeeee—!
The evil spirits shrieked and vanished into liberation.
The trees that had been making eerie sounds?
Ssshhhhh….
They withered and disappeared just the same.

“The matchup is insane.”
“Usually, even if the matchup is unfavorable, we don’t see effects this extreme. What exactly is this Worker Rani….”
“That’s our Bokdeong for you.”
“Ha-!”

Thud, thud, thud, thud.
She heard the praise even while swinging that hammer.
Look at that grin spreading across her face.
Gotta give credit where it’s due—Bokdeong loves hearing her name.

Well, anyway….
We memorized the path all the way to the end.
Monsters charged at us only to die.
So our Workers just kept running without pause.

“Already at the boss chamber….”
“This is record-breaking?”

The boss monster of this dungeon.
Some witch named Morgan le Fay.
Honestly, I was uneasy at first.
The exploration barely revealed anything.
The way she spoke of preparations for a grand welcome put a chill in the air—something didn’t feel right.
But….

“Watching them take her down, my worries have completely evaporated.”
“Ha, Manager, come now. With three top-tier Workers heading in, isn’t an S-rank Dungeon nothing to worry about?”
“True enough, I suppose.”

Fair point.
I was just being too fearful.
Time to relax and enjoy the show.

– Welcome to my sanctuary….

She’s shocked.
Isn’t she?
Three monsters like that showing up—enough to startle anyone.

– You…, Arthur…?
– Yeah, you calling me?

Ah, she’s not shocked because of the top-tier Workers?
Do you know Arthur?
What’s their relationship?

– That foolish way of speaking is…, what exactly….
– I think it’s rude, Arthur.

Startling, isn’t it?
Though you get used to it after listening long enough….
But that manner of speech is really too much.

– What on earth is this, how are you here again…….

No.
So what’s the matter?
You have to speak for me to understand.
What’s the point of just shaking your head like that….

Whoosh—!

“…Come at me.”

That’s right.
Our Robin can’t hold back.
She’s been flawless lately, so she won’t restrain herself.

– Hehe, quite right. I nearly lost my composure there. Arthur, how delightful to meet again. I’ll send you back once more, so do give it a try.

The way she says she’ll send you back suggests they’re not exactly on friendly terms….
Still, I wonder if it’s even possible.
Our Workers are Top-tier.

* * *

A boss monster.
A witch, Morgan something-or-other.
So she really is a boss, then.
Certainly put on quite a show.

Kept hurling spells that looked ominous.
Summoning spirits from the water constantly.
Even recovering her health….

“But what’s the point? Can’t even break through Arthur’s shield….”
“I think that shield is completely broken, if you ask me.”

Fair point.

“But honestly, I think they’d have finished her in a flash even without it. Those three’s coordination is just too flawless.”
“Exactly. As you said, Manager, those three have such an incredible rhythm today.”

Robin keeps shooting from the back.
The old man claiming to be a mage actually shows real magic with the Blue Flame Dragon Summon.
And Arthur?
Full-time marking up front.
How could anyone handle three moving like that.

– Ugh…. Arthur….

It’s nearing the end now.
A hit or two more and it’d all be over.
Whoosh.
The witch’s form flickered, then appeared before Arthur.

“Are you insane?!”

No, if you’re going to leave, leave properly.
Were you planning a murder-suicide?

— Here, take this with you. And this time….

Wait, what?
She’s gone?
And.

Ding!

[S-rank Dungeon Clear — Success!]

“Yesss, yesss!”
“Heh, what did I tell you? Said we’d be back soon, didn’t I.”

What the….
That’s it? Already?
What was that at the end….
Anyway.

“Everyone did well.”
“Easy peasy!”

Yeah….
They certainly made it look that way.

[Clear Time — 00:33:18]

Look at this.
A new record?
Took only thirty-three minutes.
Three top-tier Workers really do make a difference.
The synergy was perfect, sure, but this is just absurdly fast.
Now let’s see the rewards.

[Clear Rewards — 150 High-grade Magic Stones / 40 High-grade Healing Potions / Fragment of Excalibur’s Scabbard / Reinforced Orichalcum Ingot / ……]

Huh?
Hold on.
Fragment of Excalibur’s Scabbard?
That’s….

“Isn’t that related to Arthur?”
“Oh, that’s right. Manager, yes, let’s take this.”

No, wait.
That’s not the important thing right now.
Huh?
You got it?
Could it be that at the end, she….

“What is it?”
“Here, take a look.”

[Luminous Water Drop in Darkness]

A jewel in the shape of a water droplet.
What is this?
I checked the description—

[Luminous Water Drop in Darkness]
– Conduit. Can be used in Higher-rank Dungeons.

“Huh…?”

Higher-rank Dungeons?
The dungeon my Workers just cleared was S-rank….
Which means—

“S-rank isn’t the top?”

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————