Chapter 6

Indeed, Enhancement was a remarkable skill.

It could transform ordinary objects into something with incredible performance—but it even affected commercially sold beverages.

+

【 Hot Seven +1 】

Rank: Normal

▶ Upon consumption, concentration improves and fatigue partially decreases.

+

+

【 Special Vitamin +1 】

Rank: Normal

▶ Upon consumption, vitality increases and the mind becomes calm.

+

Among them, the useful ones were these two beverages.

The rest were similar, their effects either overlapping or merely improving the taste.

“Just in case, let’s pack some extras.”

After roughly finishing the enhancements, Siyoon headed to the weapons shop.

Enhancement’s power was formidable.

But it required objects to work with.

[ Lowest-rank Life Recovery Potion – 50,000 won X 2 ]

[ Lowest-rank Mana Recovery Potion – 80,000 won ]

[ Emergency Wound Healing Potion – 40,000 won X 2 ]

[ RTB-002 Ammunition (100 rounds) – 50,000 won X 6 ]

Siyoon stocked up on various potions and ammunition at the weapons shop.

“Must be because they’re hunter-exclusive. Expensive.”

As a result, another small fortune went down the drain.

The ammunition was pricey, but the potions were truly expensive.

Though that was only natural for items that treated and healed wounds.

Potions were called a hunter’s extra life.

For hunters constantly at risk of injury, recovery means were proportionately important.

“Shame I couldn’t afford higher ranks due to lack of funds.”

Potions varied in recovery time and amount depending on their rank.

The highest ranks were nearly instantaneous, said to even regenerate severed limbs.

“I can always buy them later once I earn some money.”

For now, even the lowest-rank was satisfactory.

Most importantly, Siyoon could boost a potion’s effects through Enhancement.

Siyoon immediately used Enhancement on the purchased potions.

The result.

+

【 Lowest-rank Life Recovery Potion +1 】

Rank: Rare

▶ Upon consumption, recovery effect activates immediately and recovery amount increases.

+

+

【 Lowest-rank Mana Recovery Potion +1 】

Rank: Rare

▶ Upon consumption, recovery effect activates immediately and mana surges.

+

+

【 Emergency Wound Healing Potion +1 】

Rank: Rare

▶ Upon use, bleeding is significantly reduced and a pain-relieving effect is granted.

+

Items with astounding performance had been produced.

“…Hah.”

At this very moment.

Even for someone as composed as Siyoon, it was hard to contain himself.

Enhancement was absurdly overpowered, but still.

To think such effects would be attached to lowest-rank potions?

Of course, the recovery amount would fall far short of the highest ranks.

But the crucial ‘immediate recovery activation’ had been added.

This was precisely the effect hunters purchased high-rank potions for.

In combat, every second counted.

But with instant recovery, combat could continue without delay.

This was more than enough preparation.

Ammunition was stocked in abundance as well.

“I can head out now.”

It was time to head to the dungeon.

* * *

Dungeon, Krakto’s Domain.

An F-Rank dungeon where the flying-type magic beast ‘Krakto’ appeared.

“So this is ‘Krakto’s Domain’?”

Siyoon looked around.

Indeed.

This was the interior of a dungeon.

‘Krakto’s Domain.’

Just as the information stated about the forest terrain, trees densely packed the surroundings.

Jjireureuk.

The sound of insects chirping drifted through the rich scent of grass.

Various plants he had never seen before.

He knew all about them, but tension still crept in.

That was what ‘first times’ were all about.

“Get a grip.”

Siyoon shook off the tension with a sigh.

Having already decided to do this, he would see it through no matter what.

In that spirit, he pulled out one of the beverages.

Chik, tak!

The beverage opened with a refreshing sound.

He downed it without hesitation.

[ You have consumed ‘Special Vitamin +1’. ]

[ Vitality increases. ]

[ Your mind becomes peaceful. ]

“Keueo.”

The sweetness of carbonated sugar tingled on his tongue.

At the same time, energy surged through him.

His eyes sharpened, his mind cleared, and the tension melted away.

“Not bad.”

The vitality increase was remarkably intuitive.

Energy overflowed throughout his entire body.

He felt as though he could take on anything.

Sabak.

Siyoon began walking through the forest.

‘To find Krakto, I need to head to the waterfront first, they said.’

Krakto habitats were riversides and peaks.

Among them, the riverside was where common Krakto lived.

The peaks were where elite and boss-class Krakto resided.

‘I don’t have enough information to go after the boss-class ones right now’

Even counting only the peaks visible through the trees, there were already three.

In this case, it was better to find and deal with common Krakto first, then gather information.

Today’s goal was to clear the dungeon.

No overconfidence. Take it one step at a time.

Having steeled his resolve, Siyoon headed deeper inside.

* * *

But that resolve gradually faded after two hours had passed.

It wasn’t from endless battles with ferocious magic beasts.

Nor was it from complex traps.

Sageureuk!

“…Should have enhanced something to detect water sources and brought it along.”

It was vast.

The dungeon was far larger than Siyoon had anticipated.

This was what gradually wore him down.

Then again, it was to be expected.

The ‘Krakto’s Domain’ dungeon was a field-type dungeon with forest terrain.

While not enormous, its base size was still considerable.

“No wonder F-Rank novice hunters avoid this place.”

Flying-type magic beasts like Krakto were the main spawns.

The process of finding them wasn’t easy either.

And you had to trudge through the forest endlessly.

It was a maddening trifecta.

Phew. He exhaled and sipped the water he had brought.

“Since it’s come to this, I’m definitely clearing this dungeon.”

Normally, this would be where one’s spirit would break.

But for some reason, Siyoon only burned brighter.

That was when it happened.

Pasasak!

The leaves directly above shook abnormally.

Instinctively, Siyoon aimed his pistol toward the movement.

-Kkaaaak!

There, a magic beast with the appearance of a cross between a hawk and an owl was flapping its wings.

A Krakto.

Its appearance matched the data he had seen in photographs.

‘Why is it here?’

Krakto were magic beasts that typically inhabited areas near water.

But this was still deep in the forest.

In that fleeting moment, as Siyoon observed the Krakto, he understood why.

‘Driven out from its flock.’

Unlike others with lush, plump feathers and bodies.

The Krakto before him was gaunt and scrawny.

Its belly was hollow, and there was no meat on its wing joints.

Even among magic beasts, this one had lost the competition for food.

It had probably come to hunt easy prey in the forest.

Swaeaek!

But a magic beast was still a magic beast.

The way it flapped its wings and bared its claws was intensely fierce.

Its bloodshot eyes were wild with ravenous hunger.

‘Not happening.’

Siyoon aimed his gun.

And the moment the Krakto closed within a certain distance.

He pulled the trigger from a distance it could never evade.

Taang―!!

A single clean shot rang out.

As the lightning-fast bullet flashed past, the sky became visible through the circular hole it punched through the branches.

The bullet had pierced cleanly through the Krakto’s body.

Teolseok.

It crashed into the ground dead, still in its flying posture.

Siyoon let out a breath of relief as he looked at its corpse.

“I was worried the gun might not work, but thank goodness.”

Just in case, Siyoon had also equipped a ‘Book Shield.’

Since there was no need to worry about other people here.

At any rate, the information he had gathered didn’t seem to be wrong.

Siyoon drew his dagger and carefully carved out the Krakto’s eyeball.

Jjik.

“Ugh.”

When he pulled out the eyeball, the nerves stretched out in a long strand.

It was a grotesque sight, but he couldn’t afford to discard the eyeball.

The most valuable part of the byproducts was precisely the eye.

Krakto eyes contained a weak purification effect.

They were used as ingredients for magical materials and antidote potions.

Of course, being a lowest-rank magic beast, the effect wasn’t significant.

But it was worth far more than Krakto hide or bone.

It was also lighter and more compact.

Jjeogeok, tuk.

Suppressing his revulsion, Siyoon placed the eyeball into the pouch he had brought.

There would be plenty more organ extraction and skinning ahead.

He couldn’t afford to whine this early.

“Got what I came for. Let’s get moving again.”

After neatly securing the Krakto’s eye.

Siyoon straightened his back and turned his gaze toward the gloomy forest.

He had been tired from all the wandering.

And here a magic beast had come right to him.

Thanks to that, he’d also been able to test whether his pistol was effective.

Somehow, this was off to a good start.

* * *

Siyoon walked through the forest.

Searching for the waterfront relying solely on instinct.

Seeing him like this, someone might say:

-If you became a hunter, shouldn’t you find something like that quickly? Why are you so slow?

That was actually a comment on a news article.

And it was wrong.

Hunters had specialties in different fields.

Search, combat, maintenance, and so on.

These mostly depended on ‘experience’ and ‘proficiency’ as a hunter.

But Siyoon had no experience as a hunter.

The only skill he had was ‘Enhancement.’

Searching? He had only encountered that through documentaries and games.

Swaaa.

In that sense.

It was nothing short of sheer luck that Siyoon found the waterfront.

“Finally…!”

After following the faint sound of flowing water for several dozen minutes.

Pushing through the dense undergrowth, an open valley revealed itself.

“Whoa.”

His jaw dropped the moment he saw it.

A wide, shallow waterfront spanning roughly fifty meters.

Stones scattered around bore a curious coral hue.

The flowing water was a pristine blue, clear enough to see straight through.

In the distance, a waterfall hidden among the trees scattered mist, churning up white foam.

“They say dungeons and rifts have an abundance of breathtaking scenery, and they weren’t kidding.”

A landscape so beautiful that, for a moment, he forgot he was inside a dungeon.

Just then, a dark object swooped in from the sky.

It was a Krakto.

Chwaak!

It sliced through the water and snatched a fish in one swift motion.

A movement similar to a bird of prey hunting.

“This isn’t the time to stand around gawking.”

Siyoon tensed up.

Judging from the Krakto’s behavior, this place was likely their hunting ground.

Sure enough.

Swaeaek!

In the distance, another Krakto swooped in with its claws bared.

Siyoon had already hidden his body behind a tree.

Seizing the moment it descended, he pulled the trigger.

Taang!

The bullet flew like lightning and pierced the Krakto with perfect accuracy.

There was some distance, but the correction effect of the ‘RTB-002 +1’ was applied.

The muzzle was sharp, and the firing was calm.

There was no way he could miss.

-Kkirerelek!

The Krakto, its body pierced, screamed as it plummeted.

With a splash, red bloomed across the blue waterfront.

[ You have successfully made an accurate shot from a long distance. ]

[ Agility increases by 1 point. ]

“Nice.”

A stat increase was a welcome sight.

Agility in particular was a stat that affected shooting and aiming.

Even if just one point, he could feel his senses sharpen slightly.

-Kkeek?

-Kkiririt!

-Kyaryuk!

Krakto shrieked from the sky.

They had spotted their dead companion returning from a hunt.

Seizing the moment they hovered in place, Siyoon pulled the trigger again.

Tang!

-Kkieek!

Tracing a clean trajectory, the bullet pierced through a Krakto’s eye.

[ You have successfully made an accurate shot on a Krakto’s eye. ]

[ Agility increases by 1 point. ]

“Damn…”

The stat increase was great, but the destroyed eye was a shame.

But that wasn’t what he needed to focus on right now.

Hwaak!

The Krakto’s gazes snapped toward Siyoon in unison.

They seemed to have noticed from the bullet’s trajectory.

-Kirararak!

-Kkiaak!

The Krakto shrieked as they charged toward him.

They flew so fast that afterimages were visible.

Siyoon narrowed his eyes.

‘Three Krakto approaching now.’

There had been four initially, but one had been shot down and killed.

The sight of them flying toward him with fierce momentum was quite terrifying.

But thanks to the ‘Special Vitamin’ he had consumed earlier, there was no wavering.

‘They’re fast, but their flight patterns are simple’

If he responded calmly, they wouldn’t be difficult to handle.