2023.08.05.
“……Do you really believe Hunters Jo Inyeong and Yu Taerim are still alive?”
In the case of a Guerrilla Gate, clearing it required defeating the boss. Only then could the people inside escape.
It had been fifteen years since Inyeong went missing, and five years since Taerim. If it hadn’t been cleared all that time, the survival rate was extremely low.
Even Myeonghyeon, their family member, was slowly losing hope.
“I don’t know about Hunter Jo Inyeong, since I’ve never seen him, but Senior Yu Taerim definitely isn’t dead.”
“On what basis?”
However, Donghwa spoke in a rather resolute tone.
“He promised to introduce me to his younger sister.”
“What?”
That basis was directed, quite unexpectedly, at Taerim’s younger sister, Bom.
“Taerim really made you that kind of promise?”
“Yes. Senior Yu Taerim is someone who keeps his promises. That is my basis.”
“……”
The basis Donghwa had presented was somewhat absurd. But Myeonghyeon could no longer continue.
Because the words Taerim had said to him a few days before disappearing came to mind.
“Dad. If Chae Donghwa tries any tricks asking you to let him meet Bom, shut him down immediately. No, tell me right away.”
“Why? Did something happen?”
“That bastard is really crazy.”
On the way home in the same car, Taerim had spoken through gritted teeth.
“But how does Hunter Chae Donghwa know Bom? Did you tell him?”
“I just showed her to him because I thought he had decent potential… I never thought he’d say such things……”
“Donghwa is fine. His ability goes without saying, and though he lacks social skills, he follows you well. Almost excessively so.”
“That’s exactly it. There’s something creepy about him. I overlooked that.”
Taerim hadn’t explained exactly what had happened between him and Donghwa.
Since the two had been close, Myeonghyeon had thought they’d fought over a trivial issue and let it go.
“But Taerim made a promise to introduce Bom to Donghwa?”
Myeonghyeon was puzzled about what Taerim had been thinking when he said that.
He was also curious why, if Taerim had intended to introduce Bom, he hadn’t said anything to him.
“I will have his younger sister introduced to me by Senior Yu Taerim himself. Not anyone else. I will.”
And why was Donghwa so stubborn, not asking him—Bom’s father—but insisting on this?
Was it because he didn’t want to let go of the hope that Taerim would return, or was it that he, a guy who subtly lived strictly by the book, couldn’t allow himself to meet Bom through any other means……
Myeonghyeon couldn’t fathom Donghwa’s true feelings.
“Very well. Find Hunter Yu Taerim no matter what.”
Even so, wanting to place his hope on that absurd basis, he allowed Donghwa to go scout the S-rank dungeon alone.
Donghwa entering that dungeon was no different from taking the risk of going missing himself.
But to think his goal wasn’t finding Taerim, but being introduced to Bom.
He had no idea why Donghwa had suddenly become so obsessed with Bom, but he dearly wished that stubbornness would ultimately bring a miraculous gift to everyone.
* * *
“Master! How many of these do you need?”
“The more, the better. One hundred? Two hundred?”
“Yes!”
I started gathering materials for crafting with Teddy. I had decided to accept the reality that had befallen me.
What would I do if I didn’t accept it? The deed was already done, and I was isolated here.
I reached the conclusion that to survive here, I had no choice but to proceed with quests and operate a campground.
[Teddy (A) uses ‘Slam (A)’.]
The ground shook violently. Branches and leaves rustled down from the trees.
[Teddy (A) uses ‘Swing (A)’.]
A single punch shattered a boulder into pieces.
[Teddy (A) uses ‘Maul (A)’.]
At the vicious grasp that came suddenly, the weeds screamed as if begging to be killed.
“T-Teddy! I think that’s enough!”
“Yes, Master. Check your inventory!”
Hunters possessed a space where they could store and retrieve items. That function was called ‘Inventory’.
Only items obtained in a dungeon could be placed in the inventory.
Since Teddy’s and my inventory were shared, everything he picked up was steadily piling up.
I had gathered about forty. Teddy was…….
“Wow…… Teddy, you’re an incredibly capable monster.”
“Heehee. Just leave it to me!”
If I had done it alone, I wouldn’t have finished before nightfall.
I selected the item to craft from the Crafting skill window.
[User ‘Yu Bom (F)’ crafted ‘Wood’ from ‘Tree Branches’.]
[User ‘Yu Bom (F)’ crafted ‘Cloth’ from ‘Weeds’.]
[User ‘Yu Bom (F)’ crafted a ‘Small Tent’.]
I had succeeded in crafting. Seeing my decreased coins left a bitter taste, but I decided not to look at them for a while.
[Quest completed.]
[Acquired ‘Camping Market C-rank Item Selection Ticket (1 use)’ as a quest reward.]
[Quest
- Use the ‘Tent Pitching’ skill to pitch a tent. (0/3)
- Completion reward: Campfire (S)]
Along with the quest completion window, the next quest arrived immediately. The completion reward was an S-rank item.
“It’s finally time to use my exclusive skill.”
The Flower of Awakening was, without a doubt, an exclusive skill. Though its rank was low, it was the skill that defined my identity as a Hunter.
Would using the skill complete it instantly?
“Master. You mustn’t use the skill yet!”
Just as I was about to shout the skill activation, Teddy stopped me.
“Why?”
“Please check the skill information window!”
[Tent Pitching (F)
- Instantly completes a comfortable tent. With luck, a special effect may be granted.
Proficiency: 0%]
“If your proficiency is low, the failure rate is high. Until it reaches a certain level, you must install them manually.”
“Sub-skills didn’t have anything like this……”
“Only exclusive skills have proficiency!”
No wonder it had seemed too easy.
Come to think of it, I had heard that crafting-class Hunters struggled in the early stages—that they had to process materials by hand until their proficiency rose……
Though I wasn’t a crafting-class, since the skill automatically pitched the tent, it seemed I needed proficiency too.
‘But I don’t know how to pitch a tent……?’
Honestly, I had no idea why my class was ‘Campground Owner’.
It wasn’t that I had never gone camping, but I had never stepped up to do anything myself.
Because when we went on trips, my family did everything while I just sat there. They would hand me an ice cream and tell me to just eat it and stay put.
But here, there was no dad or mom to give me ice cream. I had to solve everything alone.
“Teddy. Do you know how to pitch a tent?”
I asked, thinking the system might have told him.
“If you click on the Small Tent in your inventory, you can see the installation method!”
[Small Tent
- Capacity: 1 person
- Installation Method (Expand ▼)
1. Spread the tent skin and insert the 2 poles in an X shape
2. Fit the ends of the poles into the corner grommets
3. Drive the steel stakes into the ground
4. Tie the intersection where the top poles cross in an X shape with a loop]
The installation method was truly written out in detail.
“The Small Tent is an A-frame teepee tent, modeled after the shelters of Native Americans! It has excellent insulation and wind resistance, so it can be used even in winter without issue, and its advantage is that it offers a spacious interior despite its rather simple installation method!”
Teddy explained the information the system had provided. A dungeon monster had become a tent expert in an instant.
“You say the installation is simple? Let’s see.”
First, I took out the Small Tent from my inventory and sorted out what was what.
“This seems to be the skin, two poles, four steel stakes. Loop fly? What’s this?”
“It’s something you attach to the very top of the tent, and it blocks UV rays and serves as water resistance!”
Even though it was a one-person tent, it looked quite useful. After carefully reading the installation method, I spread the tent skin first.
“They say to fit the poles into these holes. It’s hard for you to do delicate work like this, right, Teddy? I’ll do it.”
Teddy had difficulty with delicate work due to his long claws. Since he had worked hard gathering materials, it was only right that I do this.
“Can you do it alone, Master? I should help you even a little……”
“It’s fine. Just hold it from the opposite side when I set up the poles.”
Teddy fidgeted restlessly before nodding helplessly.
I inserted the poles into the skin and fitted them into the corner grommets.
Then I took out the hammer I had crafted earlier and drove the steel stakes into the ground. I surrounded the edges of the stakes with gravel to secure them more firmly.
Finally, I tied the top poles with a loop, and the tent was complete at last.
[User ‘Yu Bom (F)’ has succeeded in ‘Tent Pitching (F)’.]
[Beginner’s Luck! Tremendous vitality flows through ‘Small Tent <1>’!]
Sweat trickled down my forehead. They said it was simple, but it hadn’t seemed that easy.
‘But tremendous vitality? What does that mean?’
I clicked on the Small Tent.
[HP recovery rate increases by 10% per hour of use]
“Oh my……”
“Why, Master?”
“Look at this, Teddy. I’m not seeing things, right?”
An absurd buff had been added to the tent. If it increased by 10% per hour, then staying ten hours in the tent meant 100%.
A 100% recovery rate was a healing effect that only A-rank healers could pull off. Moreover, seeing as there was no limit, if I stayed twenty hours, could it be 200%……?
“What the……? Am I really F-rank? No, is this even possible?”
It felt so surreal that I was completely dazed. Though conditional, I had obtained an incredible effect.
“Let’s make the others too.”
I proceeded to install the remaining two tents in the same way.
[Attack speed increases by 1% per 24 hours]
[Defense increases by 1% per 24 hours]
“Well, of course……”
Those had effects too, but they were exactly F-rank level buffs.
They had said it was beginner’s luck. It seemed they had only given me that for the first one.
“But still, this is something. I’ll use the first one as the guest tent, and the others for Teddy and me.”
[Quest completed.]
[Acquired ‘Campfire (S)’ as a quest reward.]
Fwoosh!
Suddenly, the pile of firewood in the middle of the campground ignited. The haphazardly scattered firewood formed a triangle, and rocks surrounded it.
The flames were large enough to be seen even from afar.
[Campfire
- When gazing at the fire within 1 meter of the campfire, receive 100% HP recovery rate, 100% mana recovery rate, and 100% stamina recovery rate effects.]
“What?! 100% recovery rate buff for everything?”
They said it was an S-rank item, and the effect was absurdly good.
[Conditions to open the campground for business have been met.]
[Business will begin in 5 seconds.]
“Huh? This suddenly?”
While I was reeling from the tremendous buff effects to the point of disbelief, the sudden business opening notification rang out. My body froze stiff at the rapid progression.
[5…… 4…… 3…… 2…… 1]
[The campground is now open for business.]
Not that a customer would arrive immediately just because it started, right? It wasn’t like they were lined up waiting.
[A customer has visited the campground.]
No, really?! This fast?
Contrary to expectations, the first customer arrived immediately. A dark silhouette could be seen walking from afar.
A towering stature and a heavy atmosphere, as if a dark aura was pouring out. The dungeon’s blue light, which had seemed only mystical, now felt chillingly sinister.
“Why is there a monster in a shelter?”
The man spoke in a low voice as he looked at Teddy. At the same time, with a *shring*, he drew his sword from his back.
It was a thick, wide-bladed longsword. A flashy artifact sparkled on the hilt.
“I-I’m indeed a monster, but I’m the campground assistant…….”
Teddy trembled under the man’s overwhelming momentum.
“Ridiculous.”
Ignoring Teddy’s words, the man raised his sword high.
“I’ll know the reason once I cut you down.”