My Selfish Skill Book – Episode 018
Episode 18
It was then, as I was looking at the golden spear and the red stone left on the ground after the boss Kentauros’s corpse vanished.
"Hwajin!"
The man called my name and ran over. His eyes went to the golden spear and the stone.
"Ooh!"
The man’s eyes went wide as he let out an exclamation.
"Now this is lucky. Two items dropped at once. And that over there is a Magic Stone!"
"Huh? This is a Magic Stone?"
Surprised, I lifted the red stone.
Then, a translucent gray window I hadn’t seen in a very long time appeared before my eyes.
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[Magic Stone of Murky Wildness]
The core of a demi-human demi-beast. Its purity is quite low.
Strength ▲0.2
Vitality ▲0.1
Mental Strength ▼0.2
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The window displayed an explanation of the Magic Stone I held in my hand.
[Would you like to absorb the Magic Stone?]
A voice followed.
I looked at the man.
"Magic Stones do drop from 4-Star Dungeons, but they hardly ever come out. They say bosses have a higher chance to drop Magic Stones than other monsters, but even then, I heard you have to run it hundreds of times to see one."
"I see……."
Just then, Hyeri and the examiner approached where we were. Both wore surprised expressions.
"Could it be that items dropped?"
Hyeri said, looking at the Magic Stone I held and the spear on the ground.
"I've come to this dungeon dozens of times since becoming an examiner, but this is the first time I've seen items drop."
"Miss Examiner, what happens to the items in cases like this?"
The man looked at the examiner.
"I'm only here to confirm whether you can clear the dungeon. You may handle dropped items as you see fit."
"Good."
The man looked at me.
"There are a few ways for a party to divide items. One is to sell them and split the money."
"Or you can give priority based on contribution."
Hyeri picked up where the man left off.
"There's also the method where if someone needs an item, they take it and don't take money from the other items. Usually, you decide the distribution method beforehand, but today our goal was just to pass the exam, so we didn't think that far ahead."
"If I may offer my opinion first…."
The man crossed his arms and looked at me.
"I think Hwajin should decide how we split them."
"I agree."
Hyeri looked at me too.
I was flustered by the two gazes suddenly directed at me.
"Why me……?"
"Because we were able to clear this dungeon today thanks to you, Hwajin."
"He's right."
Hyeri chimed in, saying the same thing.
I pondered briefly before speaking.
"Understood. Then I'll decide how to distribute the items."
Before deciding on the distribution method, I tried checking the other dropped item.
It was the moment I tried to lift the golden axe-spear on the ground.
'Ugh!? It's heavy!'
I couldn't possibly lift it with one hand, so I grabbed it with both and barely hoisted it up. A gray window appeared before my eyes.
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[Zain's Axe-Spear]
An axe-spear made of metal imbued with the power of the Lightning King Zain.
Its owner's affinity with lightning increases, enhancing lightning-based abilities and resistance to lightning.
(Requirements)
Strength 8 / Mana 4
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'No wonder it felt strangely heavy. If my Strength and Mana stats fall short, I can't use it, huh…….'
My current Strength and Mana stats were both 3.
"…I've decided."
I spoke, looking at the two of them.
"I'll take this spear. You two can have the Magic Stone."
There were two reasons I chose the spear.
One was the spear's effect.
Having obtained the new attribute Word
There was the downside that I couldn't use it immediately, but I was certain it would help me later without fail.
The other reason was that the stat increases the Magic Stone provided were more pathetic than I'd thought. Moreover, it even ate away at Mental Strength.
"Are you sure that's okay? You could get forty million for it on the market."
The man took the Magic Stone, examined it, and asked.
"Yes. This spear is enough for me."
I put the spear into my inventory.
The man examined the Magic Stone he held for a long moment, then held it out to me.
Puzzled about what he meant, I wondered—then the man spoke.
"I'm giving up my share of the items."
I was startled by the man's words. What did it mean for a Hunter to give up such an expensive item?
"When I was struck by the boss's attack and collapsed, Hwajin, even though you could have died too, looked after me while I was in a comatose state. You even healed me so I could attempt the exam again. If it weren't for you, Hwajin, I would have been finished there."
The man's eyes were serious as he said this.
"You two take the Magic Stone! Becoming an A-Rank Hunter is enough for me."
The man laughed heartily after saying that.
"No."
Hyeri shook her head.
"I actually feel the same way as him. If it weren't for you, Hwajin, I wouldn't have passed the exam today. Since I only have support skills, it's all the more important who I meet as a Hunter. As a token of gratitude, I hope you take all the items."
"But……"
"Hyeri says she's fine with it, too. Here, take it."
"Please take it."
The two stared at me as if they wouldn't give up until I took the Magic Stone.
In the end, I took the Magic Stone and put it in my inventory.
[You have cleared Seoul Jung-gu Dungeon No. 3.]
[Overflow value readjusted to 3120.]
[A portal connecting outside the dungeon will be generated shortly.]
"Then let's head out now."
The examiner said.
"You have all passed. Return to the city office and I will issue your A-Rank licenses immediately."
At those words, Hyeri clapped, and the man held his palm out to me.
With a refreshed heart, I met his palm with a high-five.
***
After waiting ten minutes back at the city office, the examiner reappeared before us holding three licenses.
I looked over the newly issued license. The words 'A-Rank' printed on it seemed to sparkle brilliantly.
'I never even imagined the day I'd become an A-Rank.'
The days when I'd boredly run only the first floor of 2-Star Dungeons with nothing but the non-combat skill [Record] flashed through my mind.
There was more I could do now.
First, I'd obtained entry rights to 4-Star Dungeons, which had been my first goal. And I could now accept government quests that were only given to B-Rank and above.
'But clearing a 4-Star Dungeon alone is probably impossible.'
That was what I'd felt while running the dungeon with the two of them today. Both the man and Hyeri said they could clear the dungeon thanks to me and even yielded the items, but the same was true for me.
If the man hadn't drawn the monsters' attention and reduced their numbers with his powerful attacks.
And if Hyeri hadn't helped recover my mana with her support skills, or hadn't created a chance to escape with a smoke bomb during the boss fight.
'I would never have been able to clear a 4-Star Dungeon.'
In conclusion, I needed companions to run 4-Star Dungeons where Magic Stones appeared.
"Excuse me, Hwajin."
Hyeri called out to me while I was lost in thought.
"Earlier, you said you weren't affiliated with a guild, right?"
"Ah, yes."
"If it's alright with you, would you like to join our guild?"
"Huh? Your guild?"
Hyeri nodded.
"We're currently recruiting more people, and I'm sure the Guild Leader would welcome a Hunter like you."
Guild.
A word born from gatherings of Hunters, now meaning a company for Hunters.
It was a word as distant from me as 4-Star Dungeons had been.
As Gangil had said, most guilds mainly accepted Hunters B-Rank and above who possessed reliable combat power.
There were various reasons Hunters joined guilds.
Capable comrades.
Valuable information on dungeons and monsters.
Cheaper transaction fees than the market and high-quality equipment obtained through dealings with contracted workshops.
And guild quests with rewards on a different level from personal quests—raid participation rights.
They collected membership fees and took a percentage from quest rewards, but because Hunters could see profits beyond that, many joined guilds.
"Mister, if it's alright with you, why don't you join our guild too?"
"What the. You make it sound like I'm just tagging along."
"Ah, no. That's not it at all."
Hyeri looked back and forth between me and the man.
"Our guild is rather small with about fifty members, but almost all are A-Rank Hunters, and we even have five S-Rank Hunters. In particular, our Guild Leader is SS-Rank."
'SS-Rank, huh…….'
SS-Rankers were people who could supposedly clear 6-Star Dungeons alone, and even in Seoul, which had the most Hunters, I knew there were only about ten of them. Having such a person in the guild would certainly be reassuring.
"And we have an equipment workshop inside the guild, so if you just bring materials, you can get equipment for almost free."
That was an incredibly enticing thing to hear. Good equipment was practically a Hunter's life.
"Could I perhaps visit the guild once in person? I'd like to decide after seeing it."
"If Hwajin is going, I'll take a look too."
Hyeri's face brightened.
"Understood. Then I'll report to the Guild Leader and let you know once a good day is set."
We exchanged phone numbers and parted ways.
'A guild…….'
If possible, I hoped to keep partying with the man and Hyeri.
Neither gave a bad impression, and seeing how they'd casually yielded items to me, they didn't seem like people who would deceive or use others.
'Because people like that are extremely precious these days.'
Though Hunters had repelled the monsters' invasion, the damage had been devastating. The world humanity lived in now was, so to speak, a post-war world.
Without money, one couldn't survive. In a world where you could even buy lives with money, that fact was all too obvious.
In such a world, pursuing something other than money was a foolish act, but on the other hand, perhaps it was something not just anyone could do.
***
A few days later, I received Hyeri's call and made my way to the guild.
"Wow."
An exclamation escaped me naturally.
The guild Hyeri belonged to was in a high-rise building near the city office.
'So this is where the office is, since the Guild Leader is an SS-Rank Hunter.'
"Oh! Hwajin!"
I turned my head to see the man walking toward me.
After exchanging greetings, we took the elevator up to the seventeenth floor where the office was.
The moment we stepped off the elevator, what we saw was a large door and a sign that read [Atlas].
"Looks like they use an entire floor."
"Just how much money do they have?"
The man and I opened the door and went inside. Inside the door were walls, chairs, and another door.
"Welcome."
Hyeri was sitting in a chair. She seemed to have been waiting for us.
"Let's head in. I'll introduce you to the Guild Leader first."
Entering the guild interior, the first thing to catch my eye was a large electronic display in the center.
On four monitors hanging from the ceiling so they could be seen from any direction, things like names and numbers floated.
"What is that?"
I asked Hyeri, who was leading the way.
"Ah, that's like our guild members' report card. We rank them according to quest completion numbers, and every month, those in the top ranks receive prizes or bonuses."
"It looks just like salesmen competing over performance. Do the people at the bottom get cut?"
Hyeri shook her head at the man's question.
"Nothing like that happens. Rather, support is provided to help raise their performance. Though you would have to consult with the Guild Leader."
"Sounds like that would hurt your pride in its own way."
"We're here. This is the Guild Leader's office."
Hyeri knocked.
"Guild Leader. I've brought the Hunters I told you about."
"Come in."
As the answer came back, Hyeri opened the door.