Chapter 60

Siyoon finally turned his attention to the messages after confirming the boss was truly dead.

A string of new messages had appeared in the meantime.

Siyoon first checked the messages regarding the +7 enhancement he had missed earlier.

[ You have successfully achieved a +7 enhancement for the first time. ]

[ You have successfully bestowed a special effect using enhancement material. ]

[ Enhancement success rate permanently increases by 10%. ]

[ The effects of items used as materials will receive an additional increase from now on. ]

‘Oh, nice.’

This was quite substantial.

A full 10% increase to the enhancement success rate—and permanently, no less.

Moreover, the increase to the enhancement material’s effects was an incredible bonus.

It was essentially an upgrade to the quality of the materials themselves.

‘I suspected as much, but it seems the effects granted vary depending on the enhancement material used.’

He had already grasped the underlying principles to some extent while enhancing skill books and firearms.

He knew exactly how valuable this reward was.

Siyoon then looked at the new messages that appeared alongside the dungeon clear.

Typically, clearing a dungeon for the first time granted rewards.

These rewards were related to the dungeon itself.

It wasn’t for nothing that hunters advised those seeking great treasures to tackle unconquered dungeons.

The returns were guaranteed, even if the difficulty of clearing them was immense.

[ You have conquered an unconquered dungeon for the first time. ]

[ You have conquered the Hidden Route of an unconquered dungeon for the first time. ]

[ You have accumulated the highest contribution within your party. ]

[ Contribution Ratio: ‘Lee Siyoon’ 60% ]

[ The contribution ratio is only displayed to the person with the highest percentage. ]

[ The level of rewards increases due to exceeding the required contribution. ]

[ Please select two rewards. ]

Siyoon’s eyes twitched slightly as he read the messages.

The contribution evaluation was far more generous than he had anticipated.

Since the System had calculated it, there was no mistaking the numbers.

[ The reward list is now revealed. ]

[ 1. Lesser Water Spirit’s Pendant ]

[ 2. Marksman’s Crossbow ]

[ 3. Steel Defense Belt ]

[ 4. Viper’s Fang ]

[ 5. Shield Generation Stone ]

Siyoon scanned the list.

First, the pendant had the ability to manipulate surrounding water.

The crossbow came with aiming correction and curved trajectory effects, while the belt significantly boosted defense.

The Viper’s Fang was a dagger that inflicted bleeding effects on targets.

The Shield Generation Stone was literally a stone that generated a protective barrier around the user.

They were all quite impressive items.

‘Under normal circumstances, I probably would have chosen the crossbow or the dagger.’

The Marksman’s Crossbow and the dagger-form Viper’s Fang.

They were weapons perfectly suited for Siyoon, who could switch between ranged and close-quarters combat.

However, Siyoon’s situation was a bit different.

‘I can create a certain level of equipment through Enhancement myself. There’s no need to waste a reward on them.’

Enhancing the reward equipment would be nice, of course.

But he wasn’t foolish enough to pick them over something more valuable.

Tiring!

[ You have selected your reward. ]

[ Lesser Water Spirit’s Pendant and Shield Generation Stone will be issued. ]

Upon making his selection, two items materialized in Siyoon’s hands.

With these, he could craft equipment that would serve him well for quite some time.

‘I was a bit disappointed that I didn’t get much equipment from the dungeon itself, but to be compensated like this…’

It was a welcome turn of events.

Thanks to this, he could choose and acquire exactly what he wanted.

Kugugugung.

Just then, a tremendous vibration shook the surroundings.

“We need to get out. It’s starting to collapse now that the boss is dead.”

True to Seo Eunhyun’s words, the sturdy trunk was drying up and crumbling.

The solid outer walls cracked, splintering into multiple fragments as the interior disintegrated.

But the decisive factor was the rift that began from below.

In an instant, the rift shot upward, shattering the trunk once more along its grain.

That shock broke the precarious balance, accelerating the collapse.

At this rate, total destruction was only moments away.

Looking down, he saw Jin Baekseon and Jang Taeju waving from in front of the exit that had appeared in midair.

‘I killed the boss and cleared the Hidden Route anyway, so there’s no reason to stay any longer.’

Siyoon headed for the exit without hesitation.

* * *

Fifteen hours had passed since the first party entered the dungeon.

The archer who had picked a fight earlier let out a deep sigh.

“Haa, why aren’t these bastards coming out? If they can’t clear it, they should just hurry up and die. What a pain in the ass.”

It was a complaint born entirely of frustration, but no one bothered to respond.

Just as he said, a considerable amount of time had passed since they entered.

“They’re taking longer than expected.”

“What kind of dungeon is it that’s causing this?”

Normally, the first party to enter an unconquered dungeon wiped out quickly.

It was inevitable, given that they progressed without any prior information.

That is, unless they were a formally organized conquest team.

The odds of four complete strangers who hadn’t even practiced coordinating together clearing it weren’t very high.

Just then, the man wielding a Zweihänder spoke up.

“They might actually clear it like this.”

It was a remark so hopeful it bordered on optimistic.

At this, not only the archer but the surrounding hunters smirked.

“Hah! With a rookie whose track record is practically nonexistent?”

“You never know.”

He replied to the cold mockery.

“That rookie couldn’t have taken down Haind with nothing to his name.”

“I don’t know about that. Maybe he just got lucky?”

“Well, you’re free to think what you want.”

The man cut the conversation short, seemingly uninterested in engaging further.

That was when it happened.

Uung―.

“Huh?”

“A signal from the rift…!”

The hunters’ gazes snapped to the rift.

The rift, which had turned achromatic upon entry, regained its natural blue hue.

This meant only one thing.

The personnel who had entered were coming back out.

‘How many will come out?’

‘Two at most? No, it’s more likely just one.’

The hunters each made their own predictions.

If you failed to clear an unconquered dungeon, you couldn’t leave.

To exit, you had to find a newly spawned exit somewhere within the dungeon.

However, the hunters’ predictions were spectacularly proven wrong.

“Haa… I feel like I’m going to die.”

“That’s obvious. We haven’t rested for over half a day.”

“Let’s report the commission and get some rest quickly.”

Four hunters emerged one after another.

Contrary to expectations, they were all in perfect condition.

“N-No way…”

The archer muttered in disbelief upon seeing them.

He wondered if he was seeing things.

That was how absurd the current situation was.

Not three, not two, but four.

Everyone had survived.

Which meant they had cleared the dungeon.

“How…?”

The archer stared at them blankly.

Behind him, the other hunters spoke as they watched the surviving party.

“Looks like the commission is off the table.”

“Well, that’s a shame.”

“Anyway, that rookie is going to get scouted left and right.”

“If they conquered the dungeon with that few people, he definitely has the skills.”

They had gathered to continue conquering the dungeon after the first party.

Even Andor, the company that posted the commission, hadn’t expected it to be conquered immediately.

But the first party had pulled it off right away.

Moreover, at the core of it was a recently rising rookie.

This incident would surely spread the word.

News that a rookie with genuine skill—not just baseless rumors—had emerged.

* * *

Five days had already passed since the dungeon was conquered.

In that time, Siyoon’s phone had been ringing incessantly with various calls and messages.

News of Siyoon’s outstanding performance in the dungeon had spread quickly.

He could guess how it had leaked.

Other hunters had been present, so they must have shared their accounts of what happened.

Additionally, Andor would have asked the party members for details while paying out the commission fee.

Of course, it wasn’t pure speculation; he had also heard some of it from the information broker.

【Ignore any contact from Andor. They’re burning with the desire to recruit you.】

【The commission settlement hasn’t come through yet, right? They’re using that as leverage to contact you somehow. They have to pay it eventually, so just wait until you receive it.】

From Siyoon’s perspective, there was no need to answer Andor’s calls right away.

The delayed payment meant there were differing opinions internally.

His market value had skyrocketed due to this incident, so all he had to do was wait.

Tiring―!

Just then, a notification popped up on Siyoon’s phone.

He glanced at it and saw it was a deposit message.

[ 40,000,000,000 won has been deposited. ]

“So the commission fee has finally been settled.”

And a whopping 40 billion won, at that.

They had paid nearly double the original amount.

The moment he checked his phone, several messages popped up in succession.

【The commission fee has been deposited as normal, reflecting hunter Lee Siyoon’s outstanding performance.】

【However, regarding the equipment, per headquarters’ policy, you will need to visit us in person to collect it.】

【If you contact us with your schedule, we will accommodate your preferred time and date as best as possible. -Kim Jiho-】

“Hmm.”

Siyoon skimmed the messages and turned off the screen.

Kim Jiho was one of the team leaders at Andor who had commissioned this request.

For him to take such a humble stance meant his ulterior motive to secure a meeting was obvious.

‘I’ve dragged this out long enough. I should start making my move.’

Five days was plenty of rest. Siyoon’s fatigued body had recovered long ago.

It was time to slowly get moving.

Of course, he wasn’t planning to head straight to Andor.

He had somewhere else to visit first.

“I should go see the information broker in person and hear what he has to say.”

Siyoon threw on his coat and stood up.

He planned to visit the information broker he had only communicated with via text until now.

* * *

Siyoon’s destination was an Exchange.

An Exchange that bought and sold the carcasses of magic beasts.

It was the same place where he had sold the boss Krakto’s eyeball back in his novice hunter days.

He hadn’t been able to visit often due to various overlapping matters, though.

Tirang―.

“Welco… what brings you here, Lee Siyoon?”

The man who recognized him furrowed his brow.

“What’s the occasion?”

“Is there a reason I shouldn’t visit?”

“No, it’s not that… but we usually only talk through messages.”

The man, Kim Jeonhwan, took off his work gloves and approached the counter.

He must have been organizing magic beast carcasses, as there was a bit of blood on his sleeves.

“I have some business to discuss.”

Siyoon casually lifted a pouch.

At the same time, he gestured with his eyes toward the inner door.

“It’s Variant Angramel’s Root. I’m looking to sell it.”

“Hmm… if it’s something like that, I’ll need to appraise it. Come in.”

Reading Siyoon’s signal, Kim Jeonhwan opened the door.

Naturally, he hadn’t come to trade carcasses.

The owner of this seemingly ordinary Exchange, Kim Jeonhwan, was actually an information broker.

Dalkak.

Upon entering, a display case filled with sorted magic beast carcasses came into view.

When he pressed a slightly ajar section of one of the shelves, a staircase leading underground appeared.

“So, what kind of information do you need?”

Kim Jeonhwan asked as soon as they descended into the basement.

The interior was filled with pale blue light and holograms emitting from various electronic devices.

Siyoon set the pouch on the table and spoke.

“I need information on Andor.”

“Sounds like you’ve built some sort of connection with them.”

“Yeah. They were pretty persistent. The commission fee finally came through today.”

Even with tens of billions of won on the line, it was rare for a payment settlement to be delayed by five days.

Especially for a mid-sized company like Andor.

Hearing this, Kim Jeonhwan groaned softly.

“I thought it was weird too, so I looked into it. Turns out Andor is setting up a new team.”

“A new team?”

The department overseeing this commission was Andor’s Dungeon Strategy Investment Department.

Simply put, it handled the supply of dungeons and magic beast byproducts.

Just as Haind owned Smart Farms, Andor possessed a few dungeons of its own.

This was to supply byproducts internally to some extent.

Because of this, the company employed numerous hunters who entered dungeons.

“Some internal meeting documents from their side were leaked recently.”

Kim Jeonhwan, who had sat down and was typing on a keyboard, pulled up a screen as a hologram.

It was the organizational data for the new team.

“A dungeon conquest team, huh.”

“A team that didn’t exist before. Moreover, they’ve been eyeing several unconquered dungeons lately and bidding on them at auctions.”

“So they’re gathering talent to clear unconquered dungeons and secure them on the cheap.”

The overall flow wasn’t strange.

There were occasionally companies that pulled stunts like this.

‘This is actually an opportunity.’

Siyoon’s eyes gleamed dangerously.

He had gained a lot from this unconquered dungeon.

From skills to materials for new equipment enhancements.

His growth had been much faster than running normal dungeons.

It was the epitome of high risk, high return.

It was the springboard for growth that Siyoon had been searching for.

‘If I play my cards right, I might be able to take on another unconquered dungeon commission’