Chapter 19 – I Can Do It Alone

-Porter Lee Hyunbin LV7

-Strength: 30

-Agility: 40

-Stamina: 30

-Mana: 04

-Luck: 30

I cleared three dungeons on my own.

Normally, I would’ve moved with my team and split the experience, but by monopolizing it, I got a massive boost.

For now, I allocated the stats I gained from leveling up into nice, round numbers.

It looks cleaner this way, and it’s better for getting bonuses.

The members of Team 3, where I was assigned, were giving me the cold shoulder.

Well, in any workplace, there are bound to be people who haze newcomers. They say the rougher the job, the stronger that tendency.

Hazing. So human, isn’t it?

Their intention was clear: intimidate the rookie who parachuted in and seize control of future interactions.

A task comes down from above. The team leader is supposed to delegate it to the team members for fast, accurate processing. But what if the subordinates can’t do it properly?

You could say the employee lacks ability. But what if the entire team says they can’t do it?

Then it could be called the team leader’s fault for not being able to manage their own people.

Knowing this better than anyone, the sly snakes of Team 3 had declared an open boycott.

Because then, it was obvious the flustered team leader would have to bow his head and try to persuade them.

It was a good way to screw over a team leader with no real experience and no recognized abilities.

Something I had to admit.

I was a parachute hire.

I snagged the team leader position thanks to the Guildmaster’s connections.

And I was a rookie with no experience. What’s more, I was a newbie who’d only awakened a few days ago.

But there was just one thing that would turn everyone’s assumptions upside down.

“That I’m not some clueless greenhorn.”

* * *

“Should we deposit the payment as soon as the settlement is complete, or would you prefer a lump sum on the official settlement day?”

“Please put the items I acquired up for auction, and settle the payment once they’re sold.”

“Yes, I understand, Team Leader of Team 3. Oh, and the development team says the suit you requested has been completed.”

“Ah, yes. Please tell them I’ll head over after a quick shower.”

“Understood.”

The guild’s desk employee replied with a gentle smile.

When I returned after clearing two of the lowest-grade dungeons on my first day.

I remember this very same employee just staring at me with a dazed expression.

She said she never imagined someone would clear two of them so quickly, all by himself, even if they were the lowest grade.

“Team Leader Lee.”

“Hello.”

On my way to the showers, I ran into the people from Team 3.

Deputy Team Leader Kim Ki-moon looked me up and down with an affable smile. Then, he spoke as if impressed.

“I heard you cleared a low-grade dungeon today?”

“Ah, yes.”

“By yourself.”

“Yes, that’s right.”

Kim Ki-moon fell silent for a moment, as if deciding what to say.

I gave a slight smile and offered a nod to continue on my way.

“Well then.”

“Team Leader Lee. You seem stronger than I thought. Don’t overdo it.”

“Overdo it? I don’t do that sort of thing.”

Kim Ki-moon patted my shoulder with that same friendly smile.

“Mana stones. They’re just a bit of money, after all. If you push yourself too hard and get hurt, wouldn’t that place responsibility on the team members who are resting to recover?”

So concerned about my health.

“Of course, I shouldn’t get hurt. I’m not sure where everyone is injured, but I hope you all recover quickly. This is quite lucrative. I underestimated low-grade dungeons, but a unique weapon and a rare skill dropped.”

I could see Kim Ki-moon’s cronies flinch at my words. For the first time, one of the lackeys trailing behind him spoke up.

“A unique weapon and a rare skill?”

“Ah, yes. I just asked the front desk to put them up for auction.”

I glanced toward the desk and gave them a smile.

This time, I acquired a unique-grade weapon and a rare skill from the low-grade dungeon’s boss.

The unique weapon is a Silver-Edged Longsword that deals extra damage to undead, which I’ve decided to use myself.

I put the rare skill on the auction house. The estimated price is about 100 million. A real windfall.

“Well, I’ll see you later.”

I said to my team members, whose faces were souring.

I mean, seriously, shouldn’t you be happy when your team leader gets a good drop? Why do you all look like that?

“Oh, right.”

I left a considerate remark for my speechless team members.

“I’ll handle the next low-grade dungeon on my own, too. You all just focus on your rehabilitation without any pressure.”

I can’t force people who claim to be sick to work. I plan to let them rest well.

Forever.

* * *

“Seriously, is that bastard really a Porter?”

“What kind of Porter kills a boss by himself? Does that even make sense?”

The members of Team 3 were bewildered by the situation, which was completely different from what they had expected.

“You think he did it alone? He probably latched onto another guild.”

“From what I heard, it was a low-grade dungeon, so other guilds couldn’t bid on it. Only our guild went in.”

“Was the boss weak?”

They couldn’t understand the current situation. The Hanul Guild was rife with factionalism, so it was unlikely another team would have helped him.

“Hmm, he might have hired mercenaries.”

“Mercenaries?”

“Yeah. I heard the new team leader used to be a trainer, so he probably knows some Hunters.”

Hearing Deputy Team Leader Kim Ki-moon’s words, the others narrowed their eyes, thinking it was plausible.

Indeed, it was infuriating to see a clueless brat getting good drops without a team.

They had tried to seize the initiative, but now it seemed they were the ones being cornered.

“I hear the new team leader never skips a day of training.”

A junior member said, his eyes gleaming.

In fact, the new team leader loved working out so much that he would train even after returning from a dungeon clear.

“Maybe he could help with the team’s rehabilitation training sometimes. If Hyun-soo or Han-seon asks.”

There was no way they misunderstood Deputy Team Leader Kim Ki-moon’s words. It wasn’t like they actually needed rehabilitation training.

Jo Han-seon’s lips twisted into a smirk.

He was a C+ dealer. Subduing a single Porter would be easier than a walk in the park.

“Right, don’t overdo it.”

“Overdo it? I’ve been feeling a bit stiff from resting lately anyway.”

Jo Han-seon said with confidence.

For the first time in a while, the members of Team 3 headed down to the training grounds.

Slowly, people’s gazes started to gather.

It wasn’t a common sight for an entire team to come down together.

Once you become an official Hunter and start clearing dungeons, you tend to neglect training.

Almost everyone was like that.

When you awaken and connect to the System, you can raise your stats.

The stats raised through the System affect your actual body.

If you raise Strength, it’s not immediate, but slowly and naturally, your muscles develop without you even realizing it.

It was more convenient to just fool around and then raise a stat point through hunting than to train for months just to raise Strength by 1.

That’s why the people in the training grounds were mostly unlicensed Hunters who couldn’t clear dungeons yet, or new Hunters.

And their team leader was also here.

“My, my, Team Leader Lee. How long has it been since you got back from the dungeon, and you’re already training?”

“What brings you here?”

“Anyone from the Hanul Guild can come here. You’re acting like I’ve come somewhere I’m not supposed to be.”

To Jo Han-seon’s provocative words, Lee Hyunbin just gave a half-hearted “Ah, yes,” and focused on his workout.

‘Seriously, this bastard just keeps working out even when someone’s here.’

Jo Han-seon’s eyes blazed. The thought of this younger, less experienced guy acting all high and mighty made his stomach churn.

“Team Leader Lee. Stop training by yourself and ignoring your team members. How about a sparring match for my rehabilitation…”

Jo Han-seon spoke nonchalantly with his hands in his pockets, then blinked.

He flinched involuntarily at the sight of Lee Hyunbin building his leg muscles on the leg extension machine.

He had only seen him in regular clothes, but now, seeing his body in workout attire, he could see his solidly defined leg muscles.

They were too massive to be called mere leg muscles. They were more like iron maces.

*Gulp.*

Jo Han-seon swallowed without realizing it. The muscular Lee Hyunbin exuded an unidentifiable aura.

*Thump.*

He looked like a twig in clothes, but underneath was a monster. A low kick from those legs would definitely break a bone.

*Thump.*

A jab from that fist would shatter his nose instantly.

‘That bastard… those are all practical, combat-honed muscles.’

They weren’t just for show. They were muscles thoroughly tempered by real combat.

Even though Jo Han-seon had a thug-like disposition, he had some of the best combat skills on the team, so he could tell.

“Sparring?”

Lee Hyunbin stopped his workout. For the first time, Jo Han-seon saw him smile brightly.

He felt his life was in danger.

“No, a spa.”

“A spa?”

“Yeah, let’s go to a spa.”

“All of a sudden?”

Lee Hyunbin looked openly disappointed. His teammates from Team 3 were sending signals to spar and take him down. But Jo Han-seon desperately ignored their signals.

“Men are supposed to get naked, talk, and eat good food together.”

“I have a dungeon scheduled in two hours, so that might be difficult. You should go with your girlfriend.”

Jo Han-seon broke out in a cold sweat, inwardly relieved. He had no intention of going on an awkward spa date with another man.

“Oh, another dungeon? Alone?”

“Yes.”

“Oh, can’t be helped then. Good luck. Ahem.”

Jo Han-seon said that and walked back toward his teammates with a leisurely yet quick pace.

The members of Team 3, who had been pretending to work out, gave Jo Han-seon baffled looks.

“Hey, he said he’s going into another dungeon later. He seems busy because we’re not around, so how could I hurt him? I might be a bit reckless, but I’m not that bad.”

“I didn’t ask.”

At Deputy Team Leader Kim Ki-moon’s words, Jo Han-seon scratched the back of his head and feigned interest in the exercise equipment, changing the subject.

Kim Ki-moon watched Lee Hyunbin finish his workout and wipe away his sweat with a towel.

‘The connection to the Winners Guild.’

This phrase filled his mind.

* * *

-I’ve sent the dungeon entry ticket as a QR code. Get it approved and head in. Be careful.

“It’s just a low-grade one, so it’ll be over quickly.”

-That’s only for low-grade dungeons. Starting from mid-grade dungeons, I’ll participate as an operator to support you.

Olivier said before I entered the dungeon.

I was well aware of Olivier’s abilities, as she was an Elder Succubus in the other world.

“I’ll look forward to it.”

-Of course you should. Well then, goodbye.

She hung up with a seemingly indifferent voice.

I got authenticated by the guard with the code Olivier sent and set out to clear the dungeon alone.

I had some fun in the low-grade dungeon this morning. Thanks to monopolizing everything, I gathered a decent amount of mana stones.

A rough calculation puts my income for the past three days at around 150 million.

‘No wonder being a Hunter is such a coveted profession.’

As a trainer, it was a fortune I might never have touched even after years of scrimping and saving. But after becoming a Hunter and joining a guild, my assets began to grow in an instant.

The second dungeon I came to raid today was a place filled with undead monsters.

-Name: Silver-Edged Longsword

-Grade: Unique

-Attack Power: 10

-Option: Additional Damage to Undead +10

And the new weapon I’d obtained was one that dealt double damage to the undead.

I gripped it in one hand and traced a few arcs in the air.

The gloomy voices of zombies echoed from within the dark dungeon.

This was a cradle for the dead, who fumbled through memories of their past lives and repeated old habits.

Zombies desire rest.

Of course, it’s not like I can read their minds, but I can’t imagine a life of mindlessly seeking flesh in a rotten body is enjoyable.

When they can’t hunt, they devour their weakened comrades, and when that’s not enough, they tear at their own flesh. What meaning could there possibly be in prolonging life like that?

I slowly walked forward.

When I turned on the power to the suit Katrinne bought me, the skills installed in it began to activate.

My defense increased, a physical damage reduction effect was applied, and a gloomy light briefly enveloped me.

*Slish!*

I charged forward and slit a zombie’s throat.

The sensation of cutting was satisfying. A sharpness like slicing through A4 paper with a new pair of scissors was transmitted to my fingertips.

With every swing of my sword, the rotten flesh and blood of zombies scattered in all directions.

I activated the power suit’s barrier function, and the filthy gore was blocked by a thin shield, sliding off without touching me.

*Slish!*

The feeling of a clean cut was great.

The functions of a power suit, a combination of the System’s supernatural powers and modern technology, were certainly convenient.

There was no need to wear heavy, uncomfortable armor, and no need to get soaked in blood.

After slicing them up with such gusto, the surroundings had turned into something like a paddy field for cultivating zombies.

Now that I’ve cleaned house, on to the next hunting ground.

-You have leveled up.

Before I knew it, I had gained another level.

‘I wonder if they’ll start taking the bait soon.’

The zombies, who were once human, wish for the rest that death brings.

But for the trash who, despite being human, refuse to be human, who are caught up in their own sense of superiority—what does rest mean to them?

A ghoul, the boss monster of the zombie dungeon, was already roaring, its spawn at its forefront.

For some reason, I felt like that creature could answer my question.

I readjusted my grip on the Silver-Edged Longsword and poured mana into it.