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Chapter 12
Clunk!
“Why does dungeon matchmaking take so long?”
Yujin grumbled as he stepped onto the bus.
Just like he asked, the Sword Ghost had found him a dungeon.
But there were a few problems. First, Yujin’s rank was still too low.
And second…
“Are you really registering as an Enhancement Sorcerer?”
“Yeah. Just put it in.”
“…You sure? People are just gonna look down on you.”
“Yeah.”
The issue was his chosen class—Enhancement Sorcerer.
Apparently, people really hated dealing with Enhancement Sorcerers. Just the matchmaking alone had taken four hours.
[Dungeon Matchmaking Complete.]
[5-Person Party]
[Start Time: 18:10]
[Thank you for waiting.]
Well, I can’t really blame them.
Enhancement Sorcerers were completely useless in combat.
Although I’m at least a decent one.
Most Enhancement Sorcerers took two or three days just to power up a single item. Their best contribution in a fight was pre-enhancing weapons before the battle even began.
But even that took so long that most were treated as glorified porters. If they carried the party’s bags, that was considered “pulling their weight.”
Beep.
Yujin looked up from his seat.
“This is the place.”
It looked like a high school that had been abandoned for quite some time—eerily atmospheric, with a distinctly ominous vibe.
The dungeon had appeared suddenly, so the entrance was still temporarily sealed.
Yujin stepped inside the high school and quickly scanned his surroundings.
Including me, it should be a five-person party. That must be them.
There they were—standing right in front of the dungeon gate in the middle of the school’s sports field.
Dressed in gear that stood out starkly in the modern world, their appearance screamed ‘Hunter.’
“Oh, you’re here.”
“Hello.”
Yujin put on the most pleasant smile he could muster as he approached.
All the while, his eyes were scanning them rapidly.
Two warriors, one archer, and a healer. Pretty standard setup.
The only thing missing was a mage.
Usually it’s the opposite—no healer and at least one mage. This is a rare mix.
It piqued Yujin’s interest. A large man who appeared to be the party leader smiled and stepped forward.
“Haha! Hello! You must be Han Yujin, the one who applied to join the party?”
“Yes, that’s me.”
“I’m Han Taesu. Haha. By the way… an Enhancement Sorcerer, huh? You look stronger than I expected.”
The man’s gaze traveled up and down Yujin’s body, curious rather than hostile.
“I’ve done some training.”
“How strong could an Enhancement Sorcerer even get?”
Though Han Taesu seemed to like him, the other members of the party clearly didn’t feel the same.
“I mean, come on. Bringing an Enhancement Sorcerer into a real dungeon? That’s just inconsiderate. What if I get hurt, huh?!”
The man who looked like the healer was openly complaining.
The archer next to him scratched his head and tried to calm him down.
“Relax. We need at least five people or we can’t enter, remember?”
“Still, an Enhancement Sorcerer?! What if I get injured?”
“Hey, come on. We’ll protect him. It’s not like we’re gonna let anyone die. Besides, this could be a good deal—he’ll probably ask for less pay, right?”
So that’s how they wanted to play this.
The unnamed archer was subtly pressuring Yujin to volunteer for a smaller cut. A mind game—typical dungeon politics.
Everyone wanted a bigger share of the reward.
“Fine. I’ll take a reduced share.”
“Oho, at least he knows his place.”
Yujin didn’t mind.
“I’ll take 10%. But I want the rewards to scale based on contribution.”
“…What?”
“I’ll only take 10%. But if my contribution to the dungeon clear is significant, I expect that to be reflected in the final reward.”
Contribution was measured by the system itself—completely fair and impossible to manipulate.
So most parties, when dividing up rewards, adjusted by contribution percentages anyway.
“…What kind of—”
“Why? Is that also a problem for you?”
Yujin smirked.
“Afraid your contribution might end up lower than mine?”
“What?!”
“C’mon, admit it. Once your mana runs dry, you’re practically more useless than an Enhancement Sorcerer, aren’t you?”
The healer’s face turned red with rage.
“How dare you, you enhancement trash—!”
“You’re just wasting time now.”
“Okay, okay, both of you, calm down.”
Han Taesu stepped between them, wearing a troubled expression.
“We’ll be fighting for our lives in a minute—can’t we try to get along? Let’s just keep it civil.”
Clearly not his first time mediating disputes. He smoothed things over skillfully.
“Since our healer seems to have some concerns… how about this: Yujin takes 10%, and if his contribution is high, we compensate him accordingly. That’s fair, right?”
There was probably some calculation behind that.
Even if Yujin was good, as an Enhancement Sorcerer, getting more than 20% of the final payout would be unlikely.
“Sure. Works for me.”
That’s exactly what Yujin wanted.
He nodded with a quiet, confident grin.
“Just don’t complain when I end up earning more.”
“Tch. Enhancement trash…”
The healer looked like he’d swallowed something bitter, but couldn’t argue further.
The tension temporarily eased.
“All right! Let’s get in there—we’ve wasted enough time!”
“Consider yourself lucky.”
“Yeah, yeah.”
The healer shot Yujin a nasty glare and fell in line.
Han Taesu readied his shield and began the descent into the dungeon.
Yujin followed, gripping his sword.
It’s been a while since I joined a front-line party as an Enhancement Sorcerer.
Until now, he had always played it safe—staying in the back, waiting for his innate soul energy to recharge before enhancing allies.
That was the extent of his contribution.
[Loading Dungeon Info…]
[Dungeon: Kobold Mine]
Grade: E+
Entry Restriction: Rank D or below.
Finally feels like I’m the protagonist now.
With that thought, Yujin entered the dungeon.
[You have entered the dungeon.]
The Kobold Mine.
As the name implied, the dungeon looked like an underground mining site.
Kobolds were only slightly bigger than goblins, and tended to travel in packs. The tunnels were wide enough to allow multiple enemies at once.
Plenty of room to swing my sword.
Yujin tested a few swings behind the group.
The healer gave him a disgusted look. As usual, Yujin ignored it.
Han Taesu looked back with his shield raised.
“From here on, kobolds might pop out at any time. Mr. Kang Minki?”
“Yes.”
The archer—Kang Minki—stepped forward.
Archers were typically equipped with scouting and sniping skills.
They weren’t hugely effective in low-level dungeons, but still useful.
Vmmm—
[Skill: Detect]
A soft wave of mana rippled out.
Kang Minki nodded.
“Path ahead is clear. Let’s move.”
“Got it.”
The party moved forward cautiously.
Han Taesu looked tense. Even in low-level dungeons, one careless mistake could lead to injury.
They’re so slow.
Yujin sighed inwardly.
Caution was good, but this was ridiculous. At this rate, a turtle would outrun them.
Then again, this is probably the norm.
Yujin had just been operating on a much higher level until now.
That’s all.
Screech, skreee—
A shrill cry echoed from deep in the tunnel.
The atmosphere in the party shifted. Kang Minki nocked an arrow.
Then, from the shadows, a group of kobolds came rushing out.
Screee! Skraa!
“They’re coming!”
Han Taesu shouted, slamming his shield down hard. The others jumped into action—drawing weapons, firing arrows.
Slash! Crack! Thud!
It was a fierce fight.
Han Taesu held the line with his shield, while the rest struck from behind.
The healer stayed at the safest distance, trembling with fear.
So this is how they fight, huh?
Yujin watched and nodded.
Looks like it’s time to join in.
The fight was dragging on. It would take ages at this pace.
He could have enhanced their weapons—but there was no reason to.
Yujin needed to boost his own contribution score to earn more reward.
Let’s do this.
Yujin let his sword hang low.
His eyes flashed with a cold glint—and a powerful aura burst out of him.
[Skill Activated: Ghost of the Blade]
Skreee—?!
“…!”
“…!”
The narrow tunnel was suddenly flooded with killing intent.
‘Ghost of the Blade’ didn’t distinguish between friend or foe. Even the Hunters froze—just like the kobolds.
Now was the time.
Yujin surged forward and swung.
The iron sword had been previously enhanced. No need for further preparation.
One clean strike—straight through a kobold’s neck.
Slice! Thud!
Just like that, the head hit the floor.
The rest of the Hunters stared, stunned.
“Whew.”
In just five minutes, the kobolds were wiped out.
No one else even had time to join the fight.
[Level Up!]
[You gained 2 Stat Points.]
Investing in mana.
Yujin applied his points instantly.
He took a sip from his water bottle, then turned around.
“All right. Snap out of it, everyone.”
“…Y-yes.”
“Let’s move, before more kobolds show up.”
Without waiting for a reply, he strode deeper into the mine.
Han Taesu blinked in shock, then scrambled to follow.
A frontliner—an Enhancement Sorcerer—was leading the charge.
Being outdone by someone from that class?
There was no greater humiliation for a Hunter.
“…Is he gonna solo this whole dungeon at this rate?”
Kang Minki muttered.
The others looked grim. Especially Han Taesu.
If he keeps going like this, our profit margin’s going to evaporate!
They’d already agreed to reward by contribution.
Changing that now would destroy their credibility—and in this line of work, reputation was everything.
And he has that much power as an Enhancement Sorcerer?
Or maybe… he wasn’t really an Enhancement Sorcerer at all.
One lie could define a man’s whole career.
Right now, they only had one option:
Catch up—and boost their own contribution as much as possible.
“Move! We’re going in!”
The rest of the party rushed after Yujin.
Any trace of disdain toward Enhancement Sorcerers had completely vanished.
“Let’s move!”
