“Hmm.”
The materials I had bought from the Hunter Market were all low-grade.
The cheapest were things like magic iron or monster body parts—fangs, hides, and such. The expensive ones were elemental gemstones.
“I can’t fight at the front anyway.”
In fact, it wasn’t just for now—it was likely to stay that way.
The character Nam Yein had both HP and damage-influencing stats—Stamina and Energy Aptitudes—ranked at F.
A character gains growth bonuses based on their aptitudes whenever they level up.
For example, if your Stamina Aptitude is S, then every level up gives you 100 HP.
But if it's F?
You get… 5 HP.
So even if I somehow leveled up all the way to 50, my base HP would only be 250.
Considering that even a low-grade Spike Bomb deals between 200 to 300 damage, that was downright tragic.
"A Level 50 Hunter who dies to a single low-grade Spike Bomb… how pitiful."
Sure, monsters have way more HP than Hunters, but still—low is low.
“In the game, this wasn't much of an issue unless you were deliberately doing a challenge run…”
Even when I built a Craftsman-type character in the game, I always made sure to give them at least A, A, and C in Stamina, Energy, and Mental Power Aptitudes.
“This is way too hard.”
I almost sighed out loud.
“But sighing won’t change anything.”
I turned my focus back to the materials in front of me.
To make up for my abysmal Stamina and avoid dying instantly, heavy armor was clearly the way to go.
Sure, it lowered Agility and slowed movement, but—
“Agility is based on Stamina anyway. I’m already at rock bottom.”
But I didn’t have enough magic iron to make a full set of armor.
“I should probably start with the torso—it has the highest defense value.”
I picked up ten units of low-grade magic iron and summoned my hammer.
Then, focusing on the armor I wanted in my mind, I struck the icon with the hammer.
[Inferior Magic Iron Armor (Lv.7) x1 has been crafted.]
[You gained 5 Craftsman EXP through crafting.]
I checked the stats of the armor I’d just made.
[Inferior Magic Iron Armor]
Lv.7
Equipment
Normal
Armor made by crudely reforging low-grade magic iron. Still better than nothing.
Defense: +25
Physical Resistance: +2%
Agility: -10
I materialized the armor and put it on.
The cold, heavy metal pressed down against my clothes.
“I can definitely feel myself moving slower.”
It felt like carrying a small child on my back.
In essence, this gave me an additional 25 HP worth of survivability.
The Physical Resistance adds a bit more, though 2% was hardly worth calculating for now.
“I’ve got 8 magic iron left. I’ll make greaves next and use the rest for a shield.”
I grabbed the materials from the floor and hammered again.
[Inferior Magic Iron Greaves (Lv.7) x1 has been crafted.]
[You gained 5 Craftsman EXP.]
[Inferior Magic Iron Greaves]
Lv.7
Equipment
Normal
Greaves made from poor-quality magic iron. Might make your kicks feel stronger. Just a feeling.
Defense: +10
Physical Resistance: +1%
Agility: -3
Wearing the greaves made my legs feel slightly heavier again.
“As for the shield… let’s splurge a bit.”
I picked up the material I’d been saving: a black fragment of a turtle shell.
[Turtle Shell Iron Shield (Lv.10) x1 has been crafted.]
[You gained 30 Craftsman EXP.]
Seeing that sixfold EXP increase told me everything I needed to know.
The large black shield, big enough to cover my upper body, gave off a faint blue shimmer.
[Sturdy Turtle Shell Iron Shield]
Lv.10
Equipment
Magic
A shield made from the shell of a Shellfire Tortoise. Ordinary weapons can't even scratch it.
Durability: 250/250
Defense: +45
Physical Resistance: +15%
All-Attribute Resistance: +8%
For a Level 10 item, the shield was fantastic.
Fifteen percent Physical Resistance was especially satisfying.
And it even had All-Attribute Resistance, reducing damage from any elemental attack.
Since Shellfire Tortoise fragments came from monsters known for high resistance, they offered solid bonuses when used in gear.
With the right recipe, even normal-tier materials could produce high-tier items.
“Looks like I’ll be relying on this shield for a while.”
I strapped the shield onto my left arm.
Surprisingly, despite the weight, it didn’t feel as heavy as the armor or greaves.
“So that’s all the magic iron used up.”
I turned all the gear I was wearing into icons and stored them in my inventory.
Then I began crafting consumable items.
After about three minutes of nonstop hammering, my output looked like this:
I also had my original supply of low-grade Spike Bombs and Fire Orbs—22 and 18 of them, respectively.
The leather gear was for Lumina. Since she was a Stealth-and-Ambush type, light gear for hit-and-run tactics was the best choice.
“I’d love to make more, but…”
I looked down at the floor.
I was out of materials.
One and a half million won had turned into a hundred consumables and six pieces of equipment.
Wrapped in heavy gear, keeping distance from monsters, and leaving frontline combat to others while supporting with items—
That was the temporary combat style I had decided on.
Well, it was less a choice and more of a necessity.
With Nam Yein’s low health stats, I had to avoid close combat at all costs.
I called it “temporary” because consumable damage items only worked during low-level stages.
Once you reached dungeons appropriate for Level 15 and above, bomb damage wouldn’t be enough to hurt monsters.
Eventually, they’d feel like eggs thrown at boulders.
While better materials meant stronger bombs, monster HP, Defense, and Resistance scaled even faster.
In the end, consumables would only be useful for healing, removing status effects, or applying buffs and debuffs.
“So, I need to start gathering party members fast and help them grow. I also need to level up my own ability.”
I opened my status screen to check how much Craftsman EXP I had gained.
[Craftsman]
Lv.2
EXP: 188/200 (94%)
…
That was after using up everything—from Hunter Market goods to dungeon materials.
“Man, that’s frustrating.”
Just a bit more crafting and I could have pushed Craftsman to Level 3.
But weekday outings were forbidden at Gwangcheon Academy.
“If I don’t spend Shop Points, I can’t go out—and that means I can’t reach the Hunter Market.”
And dungeons—meaning independent practice—required squad registration to get permission, so that was out too.
I considered forming a squad with regular students instead of companion characters, but I quickly dropped the idea.
Going into a dungeon with them meant revealing my skills and information—details only I knew.
Without knowing their background or growth paths, regular students were wild cards.
And in a hardcore setting like this, where I only had one life, that was practically suicide.
So the only ones I could trust to join my squad were the companion characters whose details I knew inside and out from the game.
I made that rule for myself.
The next training session...
I walked over to my desk, picked up my tablet, and checked the schedule.
Wednesday afternoon was marked entirely for dungeon training.
No choice, then. It’s a bit of a waste, but I’ll use the school’s material vendor tomorrow. It’s still cheaper than a permission slip for leaving campus.
After all, that shop was made for buying materials and gear.
Near midnight, in the underground training hall beneath Gwangcheon Academy’s main building.
Though it was off-limits past 10 p.m., three male students were there, drenched in sweat as if they’d just finished training.
A massive boy, easily over two meters tall, turned from organizing equipment and asked, “What should we do about those punks, Cheongwang?”
His eyes landed on a blond boy standing still.
“I think we need to give them a good beatdown so they know their place.”
The other boy, his body built like a bodybuilder, also looked toward Jin Cheongwang.
“…”
Jin Cheongwang didn’t answer—he only looked down silently.
The two others exchanged puzzled glances.
“…Ah. Don’t tell me—”
The massive boy, Ma Jaesik, seemed to realize something and opened his mouth.
“Is it still bothering you that you placed last in today’s practical?”
Jin Cheongwang’s body flinched, and the muscular boy’s face froze.
“Don’t let it get to you. They just got lucky and figured out the robot’s weakness.”
Ma Jaesik laughed as he spoke.
“Hey, Ma Jaesik. Shh! Shhh!!”
The muscular boy, Wolff, saw Jin Cheongwang’s shoulders trembling and signaled his friend to stop. Unfortunately, Ma Jaesik didn’t catch on.
“And the others only cleared quickly because they copied you and Nam Yein. It’s not like—”
Crack!
The training room suddenly lit up with blinding sparks.
Ma Jaesik’s grin instantly vanished.
“So, what you’re saying is…”
Jin Cheongwang walked forward, sparks crackling from his entire body.
“…that I was a fool to go first?”
“N-No! That’s not what I meant at all!!”
Ma Jaesik frantically waved both hands.
“M-Ma Jaesik, he means that you can’t measure true strength with just some robot, right?”
Wolff, sweating nervously, tried to help.
“Y-Yeah! Exactly! Like Wolff said!”
Ma Jaesik clapped and added, “If it were dungeon training or mock combat or dueling, those two wouldn’t stand a chance against you!”
“…”
The sparks around Jin Cheongwang’s body slowly faded.
Seeing that, both Ma Jaesik and Wolff let out a quiet sigh of relief.
“…Nam Yein and Lumina. I’ll watch them for now,” Jin Cheongwang said, his tone now calm and heavy.
“If I sense they’ll become obstacles to Lady Meiling, I’ll crush them immediately.”
“G-Got it.”
“Sure, sounds good.”
“I’m heading out first. You two finish cleaning up.”
With that, Jin Cheongwang left the training room.
Once the door closed, Ma Jaesik and Wolff moved toward it and pressed their ears against the steel door. Only after the sound of footsteps had completely faded did they both exhale deeply at once.
“You idiot.”
Wolff glared at Ma Jaesik with an annoyed expression.
“You know he’s hot-tempered. Why would you provoke him like that?”
“I wasn’t trying to piss him off! I was trying to cheer him up, but he suddenly flipped—”
Ma Jaesik protested, clearly frustrated.
“Cheer him up, my ass. That was just asking for trouble. The moment you imply he’s weak, even slightly, that’s what happens. He’s a ball of inferiority complex.”
“Damn it. Why does that guy throw tantrums even with all that power?”
“How should I know? Just finish putting the gear away.”
The two continued muttering curses as they cleaned up the training equipment.
Meanwhile, Jin Cheongwang, now walking alone back to the dorm, stared straight ahead with clenched lips.
Nam Yein… For someone with such trash-tier aptitudes, he’s hiding something unusual. He’s definitely different from the rest of those B-Class nobodies.
“You waste too much.”
Grit.
Jin Cheongwang ground his teeth at the echoing voice in his head.
“Yeah. Go ahead and act tough.”
The boy muttered, his face darkening with killing intent.
“The more you stand out, the easier it’ll be to justify breaking you.”
Two days later, Wednesday afternoon.
Our class boarded a bus and headed toward the shrine.
After passing barricades and checkpoints, the bus stopped deeper inside the zone.
Once we got off, Jeong Jooil gathered us together with an annoyed expression.
“As previously announced, today’s dungeon for training is the Catacombs.”
He pointed to the ground as he spoke.
There, on the asphalt, was a random staircase leading underground.
“The Catacombs, like Saturday’s Path of Crimson Flame, is an independent dungeon. This time, it’s two to four people per team. But the assignment is different.”
A buzz of whispers passed through the group.
I noticed Lumina staring wide-eyed at Jeong Jooil.
“This time, your task is to survive in the dungeon for five hours.”
The students’ faces went stiff.
“F-Five hours in the dungeon??”
Lumina trembled as she muttered in fear.
So this one’s about survival.
First dungeon was Seawater Cave. Second was Path of Crimson Flame.
From that, I already knew what the third would be and what kind of assignment it would involve.
Everything was following the game’s Gwangcheon Academy scenario.
“This is training for emergency isolation inside a dungeon. Of course, I don’t actually expect talentless wannabe Hunters like you to last five hours. You’re free to give up and return via the entry portal anytime. In fact, do us all a favor and leave the moment you enter. I don’t want to wait around for five hours. Oh, and don’t forget—this is an independent dungeon. If something dangerous happens, rescue teams can’t enter. Either get out on your own, or die inside. Frankly, anyone who dies here wasn’t worth keeping alive anyway.”
Students flinched at those words. Unfortunately, Jeong Jooil had his back to us and couldn’t see their reactions.
“Form your groups like last time. If you already have teammates, line up. If you’re too stupid to find a team, get over here.”
Everyone moved hesitantly. The pressure this time was heavier than it had been during the Path of Crimson Flame run.
After the announcement, several classmates tried to convince me and Lumina to join their group—but I rejected them all.
I had no intention of teaming up with anyone except my companion characters. Especially not for this dungeon, where my plan absolutely had to remain secret.
“U-Ugh…”
“Lumina.”
I turned to the trembling Lumina.
“Don’t be too nervous. There’s nothing like the Shellfire Tortoise in here.”
“R-Really?”
I nodded.
That’s right.
The monsters on the first floor of the Catacombs were all weaker than the Shellfire Tortoise.
Though that doesn’t mean there aren’t other problems…
But I didn’t tell Lumina that.
No need to scare her before we even entered.
Moments later, Lumina and I descended the staircase-portal.
“Ahh…!”
One second after stepping into the Catacombs, Lumina’s face turned pale with fear.
The dark, damp space was filled with stone coffins. Purple light glowed from crystals embedded in the ceiling, adding to the eerie atmosphere.
“Lumina.”
“W-What is it, Yein?”
“Take this.”
“Huh??”
When I pulled some items from my inventory, Lumina looked completely stunned.
“Leather armor, bracers, and greaves. That should be enough to block the monsters’ attacks here.”
“Oh my god…”
Her jaw dropped, disbelief written all over her face. The fear that had gripped her from the dungeon’s atmosphere seemed to melt away.
“Hurry and put it on.”
While she changed, I pulled out my own gear—metal armor, greaves, and my precious Turtle Shell Iron Shield.
“Th-Thank you so much, Yein. I don’t even know how to repay you…”
After she finished putting everything on, I set the timer on my smartwatch.
“You can start repaying me now.”
“…Huh?”
She paused mid-strap, looking at me.
Of course, those weren’t gifts.
“For the next three hours, we’re going to reach at least Level 15.”
“W-What??”
I hurled a low-grade Spike Bomb ahead of us.
Spikes exploded outward, shattering the stone coffins.
“Grrroaarrr…”
“Kaaahhh…”
Groans like the cries of the damned echoed through the darkness.
“Kyaaaah!!”
Lumina screamed, her face ghost-white.
From the broken coffins emerged bandaged mummies and yellowed skeletons.
“Lumina! Follow me!”
I shouted and began to run.
“Ah! W-Wait! Don’t leave me!!”
Her panicked voice rang out from behind me.
(End of Chapter)