My Skillbook My Way
Chapter 66
After the hunter who first stepped inside the Circle died, no one approached it.
I sat nearby and examined the RP Shop in greater detail.
Earlier, I’d been too preoccupied with the Circle to look at the shop properly.
*Consumables and equipment, and even cooking utensils, ingredients, and tents. Come to think of it, they said once you enter, you can’t get out until you reach the next Safety Field.*
These ingredients and travel tools were most likely provided for cases where you had to hold out inside.
Besides that, there were so many items that I couldn’t possibly look through them all.
*Hmm?*
While examining the shop, I discovered there were several categories at the top.
*Stats?*
Half doubting, I touched that category.
---
-Stats-
HP +1 100,000 RP
Strength +1 150,000 RP
...
---
I had been about to try buying Strength as a test, but stopped.
Buying something wouldn’t be too late after I’d looked through the entire shop.
*If I buy something now, I might regret it later when I’m short on RP.*
I examined the categories again.
*Locked?*
Along with that word, a lock icon appeared on the shop menu.
I pressed that category with my hand, but there was no response whatsoever.
Having no choice, I pressed “Others” beneath it.
“Ah.”
There, I could extend the ticket’s duration. It cost 100,000 RP per day.
*Should I go down for now?*
I held the ticket and said, “Exit.”
Then my body was moved to the front of my house.
***
Atlas Guild Hall. The clamor of the guild members’ voices was deafening.
Everyone was abuzz with excitement because of the changed world.
There was talk about the hunter who died immediately upon entering and about tickets, but more than anything, what was discussed most was undoubtedly the RP Shop.
“Hwajin!”
Suddenly someone grabbed my clothes from behind, and I nearly fell over.
“Uwah! Huh, Hyeri?”
When I looked back, Hyeri was staring at me with a face flushed with excitement.
“Please help me!”
“Huh?”
“No matter what, I have to earn RP!”
“What’s going on? Is there something you want to buy at the RP Shop? Ah. Stats?”
I asked, recalling the Stats category.
“Stats can be bought later! What I need now is a skill.”
“Skill?”
When I looked puzzled, Hyeri’s expression turned strange.
“Huh? Didn’t you see? They’re selling skills in the shop too. It’s under the Stats tab….”
At that moment, the image of the lock came to mind.
“What are you two doing?”
I raised my head to see O Seyeon looking at Hyeri and me.
“O Seyeon, did you look at the RP Shop?”
O Seyeon nodded.
“Did you see the skill category?”
“I saw it. You can acquire skills by paying RP.”
*Am I the only one who can’t see it?*
Since O Seyeon was a Listener like me, I wondered if she might be experiencing the same phenomenon, but no.
“Hwajin, I’m begging you. Please come to the World with me.”
Hyeri’s eyes were desperate.
*Come to think of it, Hyeri didn’t have any attack skills.*
The skills Hyeri possessed were either buffs or debuffs.
In battle, she always stood in the back, applying skills, observing the situation, giving advice, and using items.
She didn’t stand out, but thanks to Hyeri, battles often became much easier.
*It’s an extremely helpful role, but I suppose Hyeri herself is dissatisfied.*
“Even if you want skills, how do you plan to earn RP?”
O Seyeon said.
“People already tested it at the RP Shop. RP can’t be transferred, and items bought with RP can’t be transferred either.”
“I’m going down.”
Hyeri spoke with a rare forcefulness in her voice.
“During the last large-scale raid, those who defeated many monsters earned RP. I also heard that the first person to enter was given 100 million RP. There are probably various ways to earn RP in the World.”
“Did you hear that the hunter who took the first step died the moment he entered?”
O Seyeon said coldly.
“Yes.”
“And you still want to enter?”
“Anyway, now that dungeons have disappeared from this world, the place we must go is the World.”
O Seyeon could not refute those words.
Hyeri’s words struck right at the heart of the matter.
Probably, all hunters besides us were thinking the same thing.
The World was calling out to us.
The existence of the World that had appeared in place of the dungeons that had been our livelihood.
Judging from the first casualty, it was clear that the monsters that had disappeared were inside the World.
And the fact that a method to acquire skills—which had been unobtainable by any means—had suddenly been given was also an overwhelmingly strong temptation for the hunters.
*For me, I can make skills whenever I set my mind to it now, so it’s not that tempting. Still, I don’t like being the only one who can’t see it. I’ll have to ask E about it when we meet later.*
“If you don’t feel like it either, Hwajin……. I’ll go alone if I have to.”
While I was lost in thought, Hyeri suddenly said that.
“Hold on. I never said no.”
Hyeri’s face brightened at my words.
“I had been thinking of going to the World anyway. It’s just that we don’t know what’s waiting there, so I wanted to go down after preparing thoroughly.”
I looked at O Seyeon.
“It’s reassuring to go with several people. Isn’t this what guilds are for?”
“That’s right.”
The one who said that as he approached was the Vice Guild Master.
“I’m hearing that each guild is organizing expedition teams. Evergreen is also gathering S-ranks and above, planning to depart today.”
The Vice Guild Master, who frequently made contact with other guilds, informed us.
“Do you know what the Guild Master thinks?”
When I asked, the Vice Guild Master briefly made an expression of displeasure for some reason.
“He seems to want to observe the situation a bit longer. However, judging from the fact that the hunter who entered first yesterday received 100 million RP, there must be various benefits inside the World. If we just wait, we might have everything taken from us. And, no less than Hyeri, I too want to earn RP and try the shop once.”
The Vice Guild Master smiled as he said that.
Come to think of it, I was the only one here who possessed RP.
“Huh? Everyone’s gathered?”
Uncle Gangil entered alone. Seeing him, I couldn’t help but smirk.
Uncle was already walking over with a large axe in hand.
You could practically see his eagerness to go to the World right this instant.
Once Uncle had joined us, we headed to the Guild Master’s office.
When we expressed our desire to go to the World, the Guild Master fell silent for a moment before speaking.
“If that is your will……. Very well. I shall send you as an advance reconnaissance team. However, greed is forbidden. Complete only the minimum reconnaissance and return immediately.”
Having received permission, we immediately headed for the World.
The members were me, O Seyeon, Uncle, Hyeri, and the Vice Guild Master—five in total.
***
“Wow. There are so many people.”
In the Safety Field, Uncle said as he looked around.
Just as Uncle said, there were an enormous number of hunters in the vicinity.
But unlike in the morning, they weren’t scattered about individually; everyone was forming groups.
The changes weren’t limited to people forming groups.
“It seems this World is connected to various places across the globe.”
The Vice Guild Master spoke as he watched foreign hunters passing by.
More than 70% of the people filling the Safety Field were foreigners.
It was a completely different sight from when each country had its own dungeons.
Having never encountered hunters from other countries, my eyes naturally drifted toward them.
There were some groups wearing matching light armor like uniforms, but most were no different from us.
*Should I prepare before we enter?*
I opened the RP Shop and purchased provisions—since having plenty was never a bad thing, I bought a week’s worth—along with tents and other supplies.
*That’s 100,000 RP spent.*
The remaining RP was 1.9 million.
The purchased items automatically went into my inventory.
I distributed the provisions evenly among the guild members.
“I feel bad just receiving this.”
“Then pay me back later.”
I said half-jokingly to Uncle, who gave a bitter smile.
“Ah. The scoreboard has changed.”
At Hyeri’s words, we approached the shining Circle.
---
-Scoreboard-
Sara Michael
Highest Floor Reached: Grassland 2F
Total Survival Time: 1 hour 31 minutes
Killed by Thunder Wolf
---
The highest floor reached had been updated to the 2nd floor.
*So many people have come from all over the world, yet they’ve only advanced one floor further.*
Then, the surrounding people’s gazes focused on us, and they began whispering amongst themselves.
The hunters’ words were a jumble of foreign languages, making them impossible to understand clearly.
However, there were two words I heard distinctly.
One was “Atlas,” and the other was my name, “Hwajin.”
“It seems they know about the large-scale raid that took place in Korea. Everyone is talking about it.”
The Vice Guild Master looked at me and said. It seemed he knew foreign languages.
“This is awkward with all this attention. What if we can’t even leave our names on the scoreboard?”
Uncle had probably said it as a joke, but Hyeri’s face stiffened.
Since she had been the one to strongly insist on going to the World, she probably felt responsible should anything happen.
“Let’s leave our names.”
I said with a smile.
“As the first hunters to return safely from the World.”
“Of course!”
Uncle answered energetically. O Seyeon and the Vice Guild Master nodded, and Hyeri’s expression improved slightly.
As we approached the Circle, a voice spoke.
[You cannot exit until you reach the next Safety Field. Will you enter the World?]
I nodded.
[Will you form a party?]
*Party?*
[If you enter the World as a party, earned RP is distributed to all party members, and party item effects are applied, among other benefits.]
I looked back. It seemed everyone could hear the voice.
“If that’s the case, of course we should. Right?”
I nodded at Uncle’s words.
[Lee Hwajin, O Seyeon, Kim Gangil, Jeon Hyeri, Choe Jinhan. Party formed with five members.]
[Please designate a party leader. The party leader serves as the party representative and will have their name recorded on the scoreboard.]
I looked at the Vice Guild Master. I thought it was only natural for him to take the representative role in such matters.
“Hwajin. Please take the party leader position.”
But the Vice Guild Master said that.
“Me?”
“Yes. You have the highest hunter rank among us, and having your name on the board rather than mine will make Atlas’s name more widely known.”
Ah. So that was the plan.
“Understood. Then I’ll be the party leader.”
[Party leader designated.]
[Entering the World.]
I quickly drew my spear. My vision flashed white, and the next moment, the hunters surrounding us vanished.
[You have entered Grassland, Floor 1.]
“Magic Barrier!”
I immediately used a skill.
A semi-transparent barrier of magic enveloped us.
Kwaaaang!
The magic barrier shook.
“Good grief. No wonder they died the moment they entered.”
Uncle muttered.
Nearly a hundred monsters were surrounding the magic barrier.
The ground was covered with the corpses of hunters who had apparently entered before us and died.